Another Noordam Review

[Mustangs]

Hello,

 

Finally getting around to posting our January 17-27 Noordam review.

 

Overall a very nice cruise on a beautiful ship! Some background : we are a 40 something married couple that has sailed with Holland America before, as well as with Cunard, Princess, Carnival, NCL and RCI. This was our first time on a Vista class ship.

 

Embarkation :After a seven hour drive from Canada, we arrived at the pier around 1 :30pm. It was a breezy clear day in New York, with temperatures just below freezing, but much warmer than the 20 below weather we left at home. We have sailed many times from New York city, and always enjoy it. We had completed our online information, and we were on the ship within half an hour – very nice!

 

Cabin : We had purchased a VF balcony guarantee through an online travel agency and ended up with VF – cabin 5134 which turned out to be a pleasant surprise. Our last few cruises have been in suites, but since we had left this cruise to the last minute, we were happy with a balcony. Our cabin was located towards the rear of the midship area, and we were fortunate not to have any lifeboats beneath us. The balcony is a bit smaller (not as deep) as the cabins above or below, but worked out well (looking down we could see almost the entire balcony below us – I would not want a balcony cabin on deck 4 midship).

Upon entering the cabin, we were greeted with a beautiful bouquet of roses and a bottle of champagne, part of the ‘Just for Us’ package – more about this package later. The cabin layout is a bit tight, and I don’t know how they fit a third or forth person in. Storage space is at a premium, fortunately there is space under the bed. Speaking of the bed, it was the most comfortable bed we have encountered at sea! The bathroom with tub was nice, but since the Vista class ships are based on the Carnival Spirit class, they should use the Spirit cabin/bathroom configuration as it makes for more room (we have sailed in an 8A balcony cabin which is somewhat similar to the VA-VF’s). Water was always hot, and the A/C worked fine (our cabin steward told us that they had been having A/C problems). One morning, all the toilets in our block of cabins didn’t work for several hours. Fortunately, they fixed the problem by noon.

Our room steward, Turi, was fantastic! He introduced himself to us, and we mentioned that he would be able to clean our room first thing in the morning, as we are early risers. This worked extremely well. Our room was always done by 8am. He even showed us where the ice room was, so that we wouldn’t have to bother him if we required more ice in the cabin.

 

Ship layout : We found the ship very easy to maneuver, and since our cabin was located midship, it was easy to get to the dining room, the lido and the pool area. The only traffic flow problem that we noticed is the area from the covered lido pool to the front stairs/elevators/Crow’s Nest. You must pass through the spa on the port side only. This area should be looked into, as the spa pool has a tandency to spill over when rough seas are encountered making the passage way extremely slippery. There is also a spiral staircase on the starboard side of the covered pool that takes you up on the open deck behind the Crow’s Nest that only can be used by the bravest on sea days. The Crow’s Nest is one of our favorite spots on this ship. We would go and sit in the large ‘lazyboy’ style chairs before sunrise to watch the open seas, or to see us pull into port. The Crow’s nest is usually very quiet at this time of day, with the exception of one morning when the sound system was blasting away, and the last sea day where we were hitting some rough weather and as the ship would hit some waves, spray and water would cover the windows. The only thing the Crow’s Nest needs is a coffee station in the morning. It is a long walk from the lido restaurant to the Crow’s Nest with a cup of coffee. We generally enjoy several cups of coffee in the morning, but due to the funny washed out flavour we limited ourselves to one. I’m afraid the Noordam gets the ‘worst coffee on a cruise’ award from us – even in the dining room.

 

Dining : We had a table for two on the raised section in the lower dining room, early seating. Our assistant waiter and wine steward were fantastic. Our main waiter was just ‘so-so’. Food presentation was superb, however we found the menu to be somewhat lacking on several occasions, and a few meals were hit-and-miss. The dessert menu seems to need the most attention. Often, I would order the ice cream or sundae, but they would usually be half-melted because they had been placed in hot dishes.

We usually ate lunch in the dining room as well, as we prefer it to the Lido area. Service is slower at lunch, with the ‘open’ seating. It would take us longer for lunch than for the evening meal, often an hour and a half – felt it was a waste of time some days.

We ate in the Lido restaurant for breakfast. I especially enjoyed the omelette station. However, this is where they need the ‘hot’ plates. Eventhough they would give you a cover for your hot omelette, it was placed on a ‘cold’ plate. Other than that, we found trafic flow around the Lido worked well, and we often would eat in the sheltered area around the aft pool on port days – lovely! We used to love the Holland America chocolate-chip cookies, but they have changed them – disappointing.

 

Staff : Holland America has a wondrerful staff. This sailing just confirmed that they have the best room stewards. The captain, John Scott, must be the most personable captain that we have sailed with. We ran into him daily, either in the Lido for breakfast or elsewhere, he was always very ‘down to earth’ and approachable. Staff in other areas (Lido, bars) were always super. Our only complaint would be with the front desk staff, as they messed-up a few times. Cruise director Jason Venner did an adequate job, however we found him somewhat long-winded and dry at times.

 

Entertainment : We attended some of the production shows (had seen one on another HAL ship). Overall very nice. Guitarist Justin Miller was fantastic. We also enjoyed Soul Mystique and Sean O’Shea. Other entertainment on the ship was lacking in our opinion. During the sea days, the Lido pool band Jessie & the Halcats would play one set at noon. There would be nothing until 5 pm when Porto Fino would start in the Ocean Bar, and Emily on the piano in the Crow’s Nest. We like a martini before dinner, but the Crow’s Nest didn’t do it for us on this cruise. The Ocean Bar seemed to be more popular, but we weren’t real crazy about either musical option. The Champagne Strings would play in the Explorer’s Lounge starting at 7 :30. We tried the Piano Bar with Randall one night, but it wasn’t our thing. We only checked out the Northern Lights Disco once, again not for us. We are not Casino people, nor do we play bingo or attend art auctions, so sea days were somewhat quiet. Even three of our five port days were only half-days. Enough said here.

 

Public Rooms and Ship Facilities : As mentioned above, it seemed to us that the Ocean Bar was one of the most popular areas on the ship come evening. One of our biggest complaints concerned the hot tub hours – they wouldn’t open them until 10am some days (sea days). We usually enjoy the hot tubs after breakfast, but not on this cruise. We usually enjoy the hot tubs before dinner, but with early seating, this became difficult as well (our fault). If they can open the pools at 7am, they should be able to open the hot tubs as well. We spent one afternoon reading in the library/Explorations Cafe, and noticed that they were very busy selling coffee – perhaps they should install a second café in the Crow’s Nest.

 

Fellow Passengers :There was a fairly good mix on this cruise. Some children, several toddlers, couples in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s, but most 50-60+. Not a problem for us, and much better than our last HAL cruise where the average age was 80+. There were three formal nights (one optional), and the dress code was followed by most. I like to wear a sports jacket on casual nights, while I’ll wear my tux or white dinner jacket on formal nights.

 

Ports :We enjoyed all five ports, however three were only half days. Grand Turk was a first for us – took a taxi to Cockburn Town then back to Governor’s Beach – probably the nicest beach we visited. We have been to Tortola several times, and decided to take a private taxi island/beach tour – very nice. In St. Maarten we rented a car (Arthur’s car rental just outside the cruise port) and drove around the island, spending the morning at a beach near Marigot (and unfortunately were hassled by strange naked man that really gave us the creeps!) In the afternoon we drove through Marigot and then to Orient beach. In St. Thomas we were disappointed to find that we were docking at Crown Point, not Havensight. We had planned to take a ferry to St. John, but were told that it was not recommended as a storm had gone through the night before causing some of the beaches to be closed. Instead, we went to Coki beach, and then took the public taxi back to town for a bit of shopping. In San Juan, we walked to the fortress ‘El Morro’ – very nice.

 

‘Just for Us’ Package :We decided to try this package after reading about it here on Cruise Critic. It includes 1 dozen roses and a bottle of Mumm Cordon Rouge champagne upon embarkation, 2 bathrobes, one afternoon tea in stateroom, dessert & champagne in stateroom, chocolate surprise on first formal night, table for 2 in the dining room, two 25 minute massages in the spa, dinner for 2 in the Pinnacle Grill and a framed 6x8 photo.

Cards are left in the room so that you can book the massage, dinner, afternoon tea and the dessert/champagne. Upon arrival, we filled out the cards and delivered them to their proper destinations. We decided to get the massages on our first sea day and ordered afternoon tea to follow. The spa could only fit us in during the cruise critic meeting – sorry guys! – first CC get together we have missed since signing-up. The spa prices had increased since purchasing our package, and they did not want to honour this. We eventually came to an agreement – paying the difference as a gratuity. The massage was nice, however, if we take this package again I will give my massage to my wife – she enjoyed it much more than I. The tea was waiting for us in our stateroom afterwards – very nice! We were disapponted in the bathrobes – they are the waffle type, not the terry robes. We asked our room steward about them, and he said that they were now giving the waffle robes only – poop! Our chocolate surprise never appeared, and we didn’t even get pillow chocolates that night because we were supposed to be getting the ‘surprise’ – Hmmm! We reserved the Pinnacle Grill, and asked for a table in the back room. We enjoyed the meal and the service, and the back room is very private, with only one other couple eating while we were there. I don’t think that we would pay for this restaurant, and think that this kind of food should be available in the main dining room. We ran into problems with the front desk concerning the afternoon dessert/champagne. We had booked it for sailaway in San Juan at 1pm. We waited, and waited, and waited. Finally at 2 :30 I called front desk – they were lost, or they had lost the card, or some other excuse. Finally after speaking to someone in ship services, they re-scheduled for the next afternoon at 1pm. Next day, still no dessert/champagne – not impressed. Called front desk again, and they were lost again. Finally got back in touch with ship services and they sent room service with some desserts from the Lido – and the guy expected a tip – not impressed! The final item, the 6x8 photo, went to waste. We had several photos taken during formal nights, and decided on one, but could only purchase it in an 8x10 for $21 while we had a voucher for a 6x8 – not very cool guys!

 

Disembarkation : The Noordam had been delayed due to rough seas, and it was almost noon by the time we docked in New York. We had opted for express disembarkation, and were able to get off with our luggage by 12 :30pm and back home by 8pm.

 

Conclusion :We enjoyed this cruise very much. The Noordam is a beautiful ship. Ocean liner she is not, when we hit the rough seas it made us wish we were on the QM2 instead! Overall however, we really enjoyed it (even the rock ‘n roll seas). If we sail the Noordam again, we will try to get the late seating – this will allow us more time to spend before dinner. We also think that Holland America should try to provide more of a caribbean ‘feel’ to the cruise – more live music around the pool area, especially on sea days. And what about sailaway BBQ’s – we only had one! Hmmm! We noticed some cut-backs here and there, we just hope that Holland America is not trying to be everything for everybody, because this is impossible. Finally, will we sail Holland America again? Yes! Perhaps after the three upcoming cruises booked with Cunard on the QM2 and QE2. Thanks!

 

Alan and Anne

[Trail46]

Thanks so much for taking the time to write such a thorough review. I've never written one before, but you've inspired me to take notes on my first HAL cruise - the Noordam - in March.

[Lynne Myrna]

Good & honest review....thanks...will be on our second Noordam cruise in Nov....we love it....

[waiting2retire]

Thanks so much for posting the great, comprehensive review. I'll be on the Noordam in November for the first time, and your report was very helpful on what to expect.

 

A couple of questions, if I may... you mentioned your drive was 7 hours; where were you coming from? We are in the Toronto area and are still deciding whether to fly or drive (never been to New York). Also, how much did it cost you for parking at the cruise terminal?

 

Thank you.

 

Bonnie

[starysacz]

Thank you very much for the excellent report. Good information and thorough. We will be on our second cruise on the Noordam on Feb.17th.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for your review.

 

Soory so many things went wrong with the special package you ordered.

[vince b]

Very nice, thorough and honest review. Thanks for taking the time.

 

A couple of questions if you don't mind:

 

1) Could you go into a bit more detail on the style of music played in the evenings at each venue? Was the piano music "lounge" music, or jazz? Did the strings stick to classical? Is there a place for dancing after the early seating (My 8 y.o. can't wait to dance with Dad).

 

2) How would you compare the QM2 to Noordam? We were on a three night 4th of July sailing in '05 on the QM2 and - aside from her sheer size - came away unimpressed. Perhaps it was because this was a short trip, not sure. But we found the service and food (especially the food in the main dining room) to be a disappointment. We LOVED the ballroom dancing with the live orchestra each night. What a treat!

 

3) Your comments about the sail away bbqs and island music are interesting. What's a crusie to the islands without the steel drums by the pool every afternoon? Doesn't have to be outrageous (nor should it be), just some nice music to set (reinforce?) the mood.

 

Thanks again.

[Mustangs]

Thanks so much for posting the great, comprehensive review. I'll be on the Noordam in November for the first time, and your report was very helpful on what to expect.

 

A couple of questions, if I may... you mentioned your drive was 7 hours; where were you coming from? We are in the Toronto area and are still deciding whether to fly or drive (never been to New York). Also, how much did it cost you for parking at the cruise terminal?

 

Thank you.

 

Bonnie

 

Hi Bonnie,

 

We live in Eastern Ontario so we drove through Montreal via 417 and down to New York city via I-87. It is an easy drive, as long as the weather cooperates, especially through the mountains.

 

Parking at the cruise terminal costs $180 cash or credit card.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

Alan

[waiting2retire]

Thanks Alan, very helpful!

 

Bonnie

[Mustangs]

Very nice, thorough and honest review. Thanks for taking the time.

 

A couple of questions if you don't mind:

 

1) Could you go into a bit more detail on the style of music played in the evenings at each venue? Was the piano music "lounge" music, or jazz? Did the strings stick to classical? Is there a place for dancing after the early seating (My 8 y.o. can't wait to dance with Dad).

 

2) How would you compare the QM2 to Noordam? We were on a three night 4th of July sailing in '05 on the QM2 and - aside from her sheer size - came away unimpressed. Perhaps it was because this was a short trip, not sure. But we found the service and food (especially the food in the main dining room) to be a disappointment. We LOVED the ballroom dancing with the live orchestra each night. What a treat!

 

3) Your comments about the sail away bbqs and island music are interesting. What's a crusie to the islands without the steel drums by the pool every afternoon? Doesn't have to be outrageous (nor should it be), just some nice music to set (reinforce?) the mood.

 

Thanks again.

 

Hello vince b,

 

The piano music in the Crow's Nest was "lounge" music. It was nicer when they used to put a band in there. The strings play a bit of everything - many people really seem to enjoy it after dinner. The band in the Ocean Bar would be your best bet for after dinner dancing.

 

Concerning the QM2, and comparing her to the Noordam, is difficult. We actually have never eaten as well as on the QM2. Then again, we were in the Princess Grill with our own table and three waiters - talk about service! Comparing entertainment and things to do onboard, the QM2 wins hands down. However, our room stewards on Holland America have been the best (and the beds are better on HAL than Cunard). For a Caribbean cruise, we found the QM2 also lacks the feel - plus you are tendering into most ports due to her deep draft. She is an ocean liner, and this is where she shines - we have a transatlantic booked on her.

 

Alan

[snownyet]

Thanks so much for posting the great, comprehensive review. I'll be on the Noordam in November for the first time, and your report was very helpful on what to expect.

 

A couple of questions, if I may... you mentioned your drive was 7 hours; where were you coming from? We are in the Toronto area and are still deciding whether to fly or drive (never been to New York). Also, how much did it cost you for parking at the cruise terminal?

 

Thank you.

 

Bonnie

 

Waiting to retire, jetblue flys from Buffalo to NYC for $149 US round trip, its a 6 hr drive to NYC from Buffalo so add another 2 1/2 to 3 from toronto and over $100 to park at the port and it may just be worth the money. Most hotels around the Buffalo airport will let you park free if you stay overnight, otherwise parking at the Buffalo airport is about $60US per week, slightly less at sunpark across the street(see sunpark.com for printable discount coupons)

[waiting2retire]

Thanks for the tip re jetblue; I'll look into that! I was going to travel on my points, but I'd really like to keep saving them so that I have enough to get to Europe next year for a Med cruise.

 

BTW, if your username stands for "snow not yet", are you changing your tune??

 

Bonnie

[sab490]

 

2) How would you compare the QM2 to Noordam? We were on a three night 4th of July sailing in '05 on the QM2 and - aside from her sheer size - came away unimpressed. Perhaps it was because this was a short trip, not sure. But we found the service and food (especially the food in the main dining room) to be a disappointment. We LOVED the ballroom dancing with the live orchestra each night. What a treat!

 

 

Vince, we did the New England/Canada July 4th sailing on QM2 in '06 and, like you, we were unimpressed. However we thought the food in the main dining room was very good and the service was excellent. (Our waiter was former RCCL.) But that is about the only good thing I can say. We thought the buffet restaurant(s) were just awful...lousy selection, terrible layout, long lines. We found our cabin to be very cramped considering the cost. Signup for excursions was closed days ahead of time...not because the sold out....that's just they way they do it. While the decor was very elegant, we found it very difficult to find our way from point A to point B. The whole time I kept asking myself, "What were they thinking?" I suppose some of this could be attributed to the ocean liner vs. cruise ship thing, but it was just not our cup of tea.

 

Noordam, on the other hand, was wonderful. The ship runs like a well oiled machine. We did not encounter any of the little annoying problems we have seen on other ships including QM2. The crew is absolutely fantastic.

[dorothyl]

My husband and I are from Niagara Falls Ontario and have sailed out of NYC twice. The drive from here is about 6 1/2 hours in good weather and we have even made the drive thru terrible storms as it is my favorite place to visit.

 

We were on the Noordam eastern caribbean in mid December 06 and took the train due to bad weather there. It took 7 hours and got us to Penn station at noon and we flew home Jetblue.

 

Go the day before, definately. We has an SA suite and absolutely loved the ship, the service and the ports. I agree the food is hit/miss but a very small inconvenience for such a good time. If you have any questions on the drive just ask.

[vince b]

Alan -- Thanks for the input on the music. And you're right, in many ways it's apples to oranges I'm sure. I've sailed the QE2 many times, and always in the Princess grill. It's a wonderful experience. I just got the feeling that on our brief trip the crew didn't make the effort.

 

sab490 -- I can't remember a good meal on the QM2. And for the price, that's a shame. We paid as much for that three day trip as we did for our upcoming 10 day on Noordam. But it was almost worth it considering the view we had from our balcony watching the NYC fireworks on the 4th. Now that was special. Oh, and we also found it tough to get around on that ship. Just a lot of detours that didn't make sense.

[w770496]

Any idea how much it was for a bag of laundry?

[Mustangs]

Any idea how much it was for a bag of laundry?

$25 per bag, or $70 for unlimited laundry.

[Seago2]

I agree without you about the lack of sailaway barbecues or sailaway ANYTHING. We had one- and it was the only Caribbean themed ANYTHING the entire cruise. Agree with you about the impossible path to the Lido through the spa- is that crazy or what? The hydrotherapy pool spilled water during our big storm for 24 hours +. The traffic cone kept sliding and falling in the water.

 

We were going to get the "Just for Us" package as well, but then I thought about the reality of having a dozen roses sitting on the limited table/desk space for a week as the petals dropped off... and knowing that I could just order tea from room service... and knowing that the robes are always available... we just decided not to. I actually like the waffle-type robes far better than terry cloth. they tie better, drape better, and are cooler.

 

You probably made the right choice skipping St. John, although it is beautiful, and even the ferry ride is breathtaking. But when we were there at the end of January Trunk Bay was just a tiny sliver of beach due to very rough waves. You couldn't even lay a towel down on most of it.

 

Glad you enjoyed your cruise. I loved mine, too. Captain Scott is the best. I am a Cunard fan but I really loved the Noordam- better than QE2.

[iliv2cruz]

Thank you Alan and Anne for your Noordam review. My dh and I will be sailing her soon and you've given me a few tips before we go. (I don't drink lots of coffee, but when I have a cup I like a GOOD cup...so it looks like I'll be bringing my own coffee and filters with me. I've been on several cruise lines, and don't understand why they don't make delicious coffee!) Sorry to hear about your "just fo us" pkg..you would think that HAL would have at LEAST given you that picture! Hopefully you'll still have wonderful memories, as it sounds like a beautiful ship! Thanks again! Elaine

[Love Cruises]

Alan and Anne ... thanks so much for your review of the NOORDAM. We can't wait until we board her on March 10th. We did this same cruise last year on her and thoroughly enjoyed it. This year is two new stops for us in Dominica and Barbardos.

 

We have been on a 4th of July cruise on the QM2 in 2004 when she was fairly new. The NOORDAM is "FAR" superior to the Cunard ship. The food was not good and the morale of the crew was awful. The dining room and housekeeping staff didn't even introduce themselves to us. We were die-hard Cunard cruisers spending close to 200 days alone on the QEII. We have chosen not to go back on any of the Cunard ships and go strictly now with HAL.

 

We have been told though that things are a little better on the QM2. But, after reading Sab490's comments in this thread, it doesn't seem like the ship has improved much.

 

Let us know in the future what you think!

[Mustangs]

Alan and Anne ... thanks so much for your review of the NOORDAM. We can't wait until we board her on March 10th. We did this same cruise last year on her and thoroughly enjoyed it. This year is two new stops for us in Dominica and Barbardos.

 

We have been on a 4th of July cruise on the QM2 in 2004 when she was fairly new. The NOORDAM is "FAR" superior to the Cunard ship. The food was not good and the morale of the crew was awful. The dining room and housekeeping staff didn't even introduce themselves to us. We were die-hard Cunard cruisers spending close to 200 days alone on the QEII. We have chosen not to go back on any of the Cunard ships and go strictly now with HAL.

 

We have been told though that things are a little better on the QM2. But, after reading Sab490's comments in this thread, it doesn't seem like the ship has improved much.

 

Let us know in the future what you think!

 

Wow, 200 days on the QE2! Impressive! We have the last leg of her 2008 world cruise booked in a C1 cabin, but are considering Princess Grill as we have had a great experience there.

 

The QM2 went through some major "growing pains", but seems to have settled at a better level now. As we mentioned, we have never eaten as well on a line as with Cunard. Having said this, one must also consider the additional cost of a Cunard sailing vs. a Holland America sailing. Are the extras worth it? To some, and we agree, Holland America is very good value for the money. Booking a Cunard inside or oceanview and paying 50% more than the same cabin and itinerary on HAL is not worth it. However, booking a suite (Princess Grill) with Cunard is usually in the same "ballpark" moneywise as a Holland America suite, and we feel the extras provided by Cunard, especially dining, make it the better value.

 

This brings up our present dilemma: We are looking at two sailings out of New York for next fall. The November 30th QM2 10 night, or the December 1st Noordam 11 night. Both have similar itineraries, and the QM2 spends all day in port (no half days, while the Noordam has two half days). Our TA can get us the QM2 (balcony cabin) for about $300pp more than the Noordam balcony. We are still waiting on suite prices. If the QM2 suites are within our price range, we will book the QM2. However, if we are looking at a balcony cabin, we will book the Noordam.

 

Alan and Anne

[sab490]

Alan & Anne -

 

If you choose Noordam, be sure to join our roll call. (link in my signature)

[CruiseBumm]

Hello Alan and Anne, what a great review. I enjoyed it much. I hope they get the water in the passage way to the crows next fixed. My DW and I are waiting anxiously to board her in August for our fist Alaska cruise.

.

:o

[CruiseBumm]

Hello Alan and Anne, what a great review. I enjoyed it much. I hope they get the water in the passage way to the crows next fixed. My DW and I are waiting anxiously to board her in August for our fist Alaska cruise. :o

[Love Cruises]

Alan and Anne ... there is definitely still a class system on CUNARD ships and we all know that the food in the Princess Grill is a lot better than the Mauretania restaurant (where we mostly were assigned on our cruises since we always booked a lower class). In fact, one day when we got on the elevator to go to our deck (deck 5), one lady said "oh you poor dears - you are in the bowels of the boot". My dh and I got a good chuckle out of that but didn't care. We always have been frugal in our bookings so we can go on 3-4 cruises a year. Keep us informed of what you decide to book. Happy Cruising!!!!