QuattroRomeo

If you have been on Noordam recently, maybe you can help? It has been years since we were on this ship so I'm sure there have been changes. I checked photos on Halfacts and elsewhere, and have not been able to see a current picture of the area on Noordam that has the computer stations. Are there many, or any, PCs available with the big screens? DH prefers them to phone/tablet, and doesn't want to lug the laptop if it isn't necessary.

For just water, these are the offerings (of course you can also buy individually):

If you are interested in a coffee/non-alcoholic drink package, this might help you; this pricing is for a 14 day cruise:

"Unlike a manual hand wash, CleanTech® has been 3rd-party tested in a GLP-certified lab to ensure that every hand wash removes more than 99.9% of harmful pathogens, every time. Each 12 second automated hand wash is also 100% touch free with no cross-contamination between users meeting hygiene requirements for GFSI, FDA FSMA, USDA and GMP standards. A photo-eye sensor begins each hand wash automatically when hands enter the system, eliminating any risk of cross-contamination from touch points." -from The Meritech website.

It might be this company that makes them. Their website shows one 4-tulip vase, and those miniature houses that you find in the Dutch Cafe. The vases on board aren't signed or stamped on the bottom like the expensive ones are elsewhere; however they might be producing them specially for HAL. Just a guess!

That looks lovely!

Med cruises are so interesting and it sounds like yours was no exception! Thanks for sharing your informative cruise review with us!

We had a terrible service experience in the spa on Rotterdam. Many things went wrong regarding overcharging. DH complained several times to the so called Asst Manager there. She complained back arguing that we should back off and respect that she is a manager...🙄 One time the hydro pool closed very early. When you have already paid for your time, that isn't acceptable. The spa did nothing for us. DH talked to the Guest Services Manager a few times, and she did manage to get one days' worth of spa entry removed from our bill. Check your bill thoroughly while in the spa!

Just on board. You can reserve when you embark, at the specialty dining kiosk. Also at the Pinnacle Grill when it is open. Lunch is only available on sea days. Most times we just went at noon and walked in without a reservation!

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Not online. You must call in to check if it is still available, and if so, make the purchase over the phone.

There might be! I know the Dutch Cafe sometimes had smoked salmon in their showcase.

Yes they are quite squishable!

Fantastic! Glad to hear you got CO with your friends, and again for another one!

Thank you for the photos and descriptions- they look pretty good!

Thanks- they are expensive, but I am glad to hear they are very good!

We already have several specialties booked; this plate would be for a different occasion!

I am considering ordering the hors d'oeuvres as a surprise for DH; he loves smoked salmon and pate. Not sure from the photo what else is on the plate. Anyone try it and would recommend?

Ours also showed "none available" until they were suddenly there. So 3-4 months out. I would think they should show up for you soon. If you are keen to book a certain time or place you could always try calling HAL to see if they can place reservations yet, as they also do that over the phone.

Well if that's the case then it is probably important for you to get CO! See if it is available and then what cabins are available in your chosen category. Then you just book guarantee, pay for CO, and get upgraded to a better location that you choose, without having to do that expensive "choose your room" option, which costs more than just adding CO. Hope you are able to get something that you like!

What can you see so far when you log into your booking? Can you book shore excursions, spa, etc? Our specialty dining options started showing Jan 17 for a May 26 cruise, and a few more (pop up Morimoto, seafood boil) started in March. The shore ex etc showed up months earlier.

We've sailed from Vancouver in the past 2 years and there seemed to be a fair amount of latitude- nobody really checked the times on our boarding pass. But I haven't seen this type of instruction before by deck, maybe they are trying something new to keep the congestion down. When is your embarkation day?

Regardless of whether you have Club Orange or not, you can book a specialty restaurant. You can do this online prior to the cruise, or on board. Club Orange is a little trickier to describe. On only 3 ships is there a separate, private dining room just for CO. Noordam is not one of them. So far, we have only had CO on the private dining room ships. Therefore, you visit the MDR for dinner using the marked kiosk to go in right away. I do not know whether there is a special section within it or if you are seated wherever is empty. Hopefully someone who has had CO lately on Noordam will know! When is your cruise? We will be on Noordam the end of May and can describe what happens then if nobody else responds. CO has limited availability and you need to determine if it is still available. It costs $15 day x 14 = $210. I would say to follow Crystalspin's advice and call HAL, or ask your travel agent for the Advantage fare for a guarantee OV or balcony, and any other guidance they may have for booking. Then add CO for $210. Then be ready with a deck plan to choose the best one available according to your TA for no extra cost. Is there a "for purchase" espresso machine in the Lido? - I don't know yet, again maybe someone else does! Otherwise you are looking at going to Explorations Cafe.

Welcome to HAL! All specialty coffees incur a charge, as does sparkling water. If you don't drink alcohol, you might consider the Quench Beverage package instead. That will cover both lattes and Perrier, canned water and several other non-alcoholic drinks. There are no nifty espresso machines like you had on Viking for self-service in the Lido Market (buffet), only regular coffee. I'm not sure if Noordam has it but on our last cruise on Rotterdam there was a specialty coffee machine in the buffet, but you had to get a crew member to dispense it and there was a charge. It was never really busy though. There are lots of threads about Club Orange; in your case it might be worth it, because you are travelling with suite guests who get it automatically. That way, you get priority dining room access too, and can go at any time, not fixed seating. There is an extra entree choice on the menu, along with a few other perks. The nicest feature is the free upgrade to best available cabin in your category. All restaurants are available to you; you can make a reservation at Canaletto and Pinnacle Grill.

Thank you for the detail, especially Alicante and Cartagena. We have visited Malaga and Almeria, but not those two. The photos are so inviting!