Iggysue

Thanks for the AWESOME write-ups! Thank you for keeping us all so entertained! I, too, get on December 14 as you are leaving the ship. Sad we'll miss you by hours - could you maybe stow away in one of the life boats until after the ship departs???

Thanks for your review we will be getting on the ship on the 14 the the sad day you will be getting off , I do. Believe that those 499 suites were by the luck of the draw as my wife and I got one and we gamble very little .

And I love to make my offerings to the Casino Gods on a regular basis, and i have never been offered one of those $499 suites. Nuggets!:rolleyes:

Can't wait for your next entries! I get on the NA the day you get back, so much as I am eager for you to have a FABULOUS trip, I must also say, HURRY BACK! :p I grabbed a Neptune Suite for my cruise, and can't wait for a week of pampering - my first on the Nieuw Amsterdam! So tell all, and don't forget to leave lots of sunshine for mid-December because it is darn cold here in Oregon right now ...

I give the Noordam two thumbs up as well. I sailed Noordam just 3 weeks ago (my 3rd sailing on her), and we had a blast. Ship looked great, service was excellent. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time.

Oh My Gosh - I had a very similar experience on Noordam. I was on the cruise just before yours (we got off in Barcelona on August 14). Everyone in my group received their luggage within 30 minutes, but I waited and waited.

Made an inquiry at Front Desk, and was told they were still bringing luggage on board. Half hour later I walked into the Neptune Lounge, and the concierge said he would make inquiries. Meantime, lifeboat drills, etc. Then, right before sailing time the phone in the cabin rang, and it was the front desk saying my bag had been located and they would like to see me on Deck 1 mid-ship.

I got off the mid-elevator and was greeted by two security officers, who took me to a back room. My Neptune Lounge concierge was standing there with big round eyes, and they proceeded to tell me that my bag was suspicious and had been pulled aside for extra screening. It had not been opened, and I told them to go ahead and open it. They said no, but asked me if I was carrying a 'hot plate', as that was against the rules.

It took me a while to figure out what they were talking about. I had packed my favorite travel mug (because the glasses they serve ice tea in are much too small ;-). As soon as I said this, they said OK - never opened it to check, just took my word for it. SO, I think they have an over-zealous x-ray technician in training there.

It was a bit stressful for me to think we might sail and I would have no clothes for a 12-day cruise, but it turned out OK.

On the positive side, my Awesome Neptune Lounge Concierge Dan grabbed my bag and said, "Let me take your bag to your room Mrs. Susan". As we walked, I asked him to tell my friends I was being detained (hey, why should I have all the stress?). He looked puzzled, then grinned and said "OK!". BUT, something got lost in translation, because we walked into the room and he said, "I am very sorry but we must put Mrs. Susan in Quarantine!" Everyone just looked at me in shock, and Dan couldn't stand it and burst out laughing and said, "She made me do it!"

Anyway - you are not alone, as I got caught by the very same Bag Police. Glad yours turned up on time! Our trip was a blast, and we laughed every time I hauled out my 'hot plate' and went to fill it with ice tea . . .

Fun question and good memories! My first cruise was on the Disney Magic in 2000. We were big Disney fans, and always looking for an excuse to make a Disneyworld run. Disney Magic was only about 2 years old, and Disney was offering a Land-and-Sea package (4 days in park, 3 days at sea). We decided to try it out, as we thought if we hated cruising, we could stand it for 3 days. The ship want to Nassau and the private island, Castaway Cay.

The ship was beautiful, the service outstanding, and Disney 'Magic' was everywhere. We absolutely loved it, and did two more Disney cruises after that. Then, I decided I really did want to try a cruise line that had entertainment that didn't involve animated characters, and that's how we found HAL.

I must say, I'm a died in the wool HAL fan, but I do think HAL can take some lessons from Disney on the entertainment front, as I do think the singers/dancers/stage production was superior on DCL, but not enough for me to throw down the Dam ships in favor of The Mouse

I just got off the Noordam - my third cruise on her. She is still a lovely ship, and everything worked to our satisfaction. Not new, but very well cared for in every respect that we saw.

I'm cruising in August 2014, ending in Barcelona. The ship will give us a full day in Barcelona, then start debarking the following morning. I'll have the full disembarkation day to spend somewhere before flying home the next day. Question: Should I plan a 2nd day in Barcelona, or take the express train to Madrid, spend what time I can there, then fly home from there? I'd love to see Madrid, but I'm not sure there would be enough time to make it worthwhile. What would everybody advise?

Totally LOVED the Sea of Cortez, and I highly recommend it! Loreto was our favorite port - very non-touristy, picturesque. I could just sit and watch the pelicans for hours. Take the walking tour there - very interesting. We were thrilled to see this back on the list at last. Hope to be able to book it again soon!