Which would you choose? HAL Noordam or NCL Sun - 11 Days

[DeRon]

I am posting this question on both forums to get some direction. My wife and I are a young 49, and we are wanting to take either a 11 day cruise on the Sun or a 11 day on the Noordam. We have never been on a Holland Ship.

 

Noordam ports:

(out of Ft Lauderdale)

St Martin

St Lucia

Barbados

Martinique

Dominica

St Thomas

Half Moon Cay

 

NCL Sun ports:

(out of Miami)

Cartagena

Aruba

Curacao

St Martin

St Thomas

 

Pros of Noordam:

I am nervous about the age group of people on HAL. And I know that 11 days + Oct/Nov cruise will accentuate this. BUT...I like the ports (2 more), the pool on the aft, and the food (from what I've read) of Holland's Noordam.

 

The pros of the Sun are:

easy, maybe younger ages, specialty restaurants, it goes to Aruba, and not as stiff atmosphere (??)

 

Any suggestions or advice?

 

Thanks!

[SwissMyst]

The Noordam itinerary hands down - rubber tubing in Dominica was one of our best shore excursions. HAL is old shoe comfortable, and not "stiff" at all.

 

There ships are more traditional, old world style - low key and look more like an actual sea-going cruise ship with an understated traditional decor about them, than going for trendy and/or eye popping drama.

 

But it is a quieter ship devoted more to where you are going, not how you are going. And with a busy itinerary, you may well enjoy HAL's quieter charms. Noordam is a lovely ship.

 

And yes, you may find more older couples instead of younger and families. There is a very spacious feeling about HAL ships with lots of private nooks and crannies where people can meet, talk, doze or read. Most are in bed by 9:30 so it this matters then you do need to think about your choice.

[PathfinderEss]

I can see where you are torn for good reason. Everything you stated could possible be true, so I guess it just depends on what is more important to you. 'not so stiff' (maybe) or 'good food', 'younger age' (maybe) or 'aft pool', 'easy' (maybe) or 'better ports'. I know which one I would pick but I think you need to make your own decision.

[English_in_Spain]

We have been on 9 HAL cruises (including the Noordam) and recently on NCL (Jade).

 

I have been to all the ports on your list and, for the itinerary, I would definitely choose the Noordam.

 

St Martin, Barbados and St Lucia are three of my favourite places. Also Half Moon Cay is fabulous. I would warn though about choosing any cruise because it includes HMC as it often has to be missed due to weather.

 

As PathfinderEss says, your decision depends on what is important to you.

 

Itinerary, food and a relaxed, more sophisticated atmosphere - Noordam

 

Better entertainment, more 'fun' atmosphere, younger passengers - NCL Sun

 

Whichever you choose I am sure you will have a wonderful cruise.

 

[Casino Player]

I am posting this question on both forums to get some direction. My wife and I are a young 49, and we are wanting to take either a 11 day cruise on the Sun or a 11 day on the Noordam. We have never been on a Holland Ship.

 

Noordam ports:

(out of Ft Lauderdale)

St Martin

St Lucia

Barbados

Martinique

Dominica

St Thomas

Half Moon Cay

 

NCL Sun ports:

(out of Miami)

Cartagena

Aruba

Curacao

St Martin

St Thomas

 

Pros of Noordam:

I am nervous about the age group of people on HAL. And I know that 11 days + Oct/Nov cruise will accentuate this. BUT...I like the ports (2 more), the pool on the aft, and the food (from what I've read) of Holland's Noordam.

 

The pros of the Sun are:

easy, maybe younger ages, specialty restaurants, it goes to Aruba, and not as stiff atmosphere (??)

 

Any suggestions or advice?

 

Thanks!

 

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO DeRon: Just got back from a Holland America cruise and took one aboard NCL some years ago. There should be no question. Holland America. Better food and service should carry the day. Besides, you like the extra ports-of-call of the Holland America cruise.

 

The passengers will be younger for the most part on an NCL cruise. Specialty restaurants have to be more numerous on NCL because the food in MDR's are just not good. You always have choices about where to go eat. You can be just as formal or informal as you wish no matter what cruise line you go on, even Cunard.

 

The final choice is yours. As for me given the choice one would not be in their right mind if they did not choose Holland America.

[hypercafe]

These lines are very different, NCL resort casual and loose, HAL traditional and maybe a little stiff. I like the ports better on HAL however my last HAL trip was a bust so I would take NCL.

[kazu]

I am very glad you asked your question on both boards as you will get both view points. The HAL itinerary is fabulous - love the ports.

 

Also love the Noordam so I would pick the Noordam, however as others have pointed out there are pros and cons to both. Normally I have found that Caribbean cruises tend to lend themselves to a younger age group than the longer cruises. But of course there are no guarantees.

 

If you don't need to be entertained 24/7 you will enjoy the Noordam IMO:)

[catl331]

We sail to see the ports. We love the different ethnic groups on the islands. Each island has its own atmosphere and sights. I see that both tours go to St. Thomas and if you have never been there, I guess you should see it. It tends to be very crowded with cruise ships. Usually we are exhausted by the time we get back on ship for the sail-away and don't make it past 10 p.m. I also keep trying to get up for sunrise just in case there is a beautiful one. It is soooo peaceful at that time of day.

 

I love the Noordam and its captains!!

[mamaofami]

I've never been on NCL, but I love the Noordam and I like the ports.On the other hand, I love Aruba and Curacao.

Good luck whichever one you chose.

[George C]

Since NCL is the only line I will not cruise on again it would be a easy choice for me. I dislike anytime dinning which is NCL only choice, food is better on HAL, also I think ports are good on both I perferer HAL stops.

[josie724]

Can I choose your Westie? so cute.....had 2 myself....great dogs....

 

OK back to the question at hand. I liked the food better on HAl than on NCL, but I do like the casual attire on NCL. But what would have me would be the itinerary, I think the HAL one is better. We were on the NA in January and are also in the same age bracket and didn't feel out of place. Although there were a lot of families on that sailing due to school being out for Christmas break.

[0bnxshs]

I've not been on the Noordam, but have been on the NCL Sun rather recently. I've also not been to the Caribbean yet (being from Florida, we expect to be doing lots of that once DW retires) so, knowing HAL in general as I do, and the Sun as I do, I think the decision would boil down to a couple of things for me. First, itinerary. Which ship is going to the places I most want to go? Second, price. My expectation is that the Sun cruise would be cheaper than the Noordam cruise. How that figures for you is known only to you. Third, atmosphere. I can tell you that the food and dining experience on the Sun is not up to the levels of HAL at any restaurant level. Service was mediocre. The food was acceptable. But man, was it hard to get to, except for the MDR (which was usually empty), due in part to the high numbers of small venues and their poor layout, especially of those located on the pool deck. And, for what it's worth, I was on a T/A on the Sun and found the average age to be much higher than many here might expect. We've noted on our cruises that it's often the price and length of the cruise, along with time of year, that dictates the age mixtures on cruises, not so much the line.

 

For me, as is probably obvious by now, I'd lean toward HAL, but wouldn't rule out the Sun entirely, especially if there were reasons like price and friends booked on her to choose her. NCL is known for having a more casual experience than HAL which can be attractive sometimes. As an analogy, I would compare NCL (Sun) to HAL like I do compare a Fairfield Inn and Suites to a full-service Marriott hotel. I stay in both regularly, but for different reasons, and prefer the full-service hotel experience in general.

[LDVinNC]

The last 2 winters we have taken the Sun on 7 day cruises out of Port Canaveral. We checked out the Ryndam out of Tampa (we live about equidistant to the two ports) and chose the Sun because a balcony cabin was about half the price of the HAL ship. We love the Ryndam and have sailed on her twice, but we were happy with the Sun.

[sail7seas]

Noordam. She's a beautiful ship with wonderful crew. There is nothing 'stuffy' about Noordam or HAL, for that matter, IMO

 

You'll find folks of all ages on Caribbean cruises. Certainly on 107 day World Cruise and 65 day Grand Voyages there are many senior folks as they are the ones who have the time for such a cruise.

 

[iancal]

I would select Noordam, if all things were equal. I think that it has the better itinerary. Have not been on Noordam but very much want to. We were on the Sun several years ago and were very pleased-good service, food, and great entertainment. But things may be different now.

 

Itinerary for us is number one. The big differences for us included entertainment, dining options, and the ship at night.

 

For our tastes, NCL entertainment is at the top of the spectrum for mass market cruise lines-we find HAL to be at the other end. We have found service-cabin service, MDR service to be comparable on both lines.

 

The food on HAL will no doubt be excellent but people on this form seem to think there is an issue with anytime dining. I cannot comment on this but the Sun's dining option-venues and times-are very good. Having said that I think that HAL's MDR food is better.

 

We like very much that we can bring our own wine on HAL as we enjoy sitting on the balcony with a glass of wine. This is a bonus for us but not a dealbreaker.

 

There will be probably be more more going on at night on the Sun than there will be on the Noordam. HAL ships, in our experience, tend to be very quiet after 10 or 10:30. I would still select Noordam as long as the price was competitive. You just have to match you personal preferences and expectations of your cruise to the ship that you select.

 

The Caribbean routes can be very competitive. We tend to select based on a combination of itineray/price/ship.

 

You can go casual on either line. On HAL, you just eat at the Lido buffet on formal nights or have room service.

[Viesczy]

That's a tough call, it is all preference and that's what my response is going to be.

 

Of the places that are going to be stops, we prefer Aruba and Curacao so NCL gets the nod.

 

As far as ships...

 

The fact that the Noordam isn't in the dinghy sized ships (;):D) should lend to a younger crowd & shouldn't be as stiff as what you're fearing. Honestly, once the 10 day + mark is hit I haven't really see a differenence in demographics regardless of the cruiseline as the time of year determined the mix. I know that HAL is sometimes called an "old" line, but that's a misnomer used by fans of other lines.

 

I'd prolly say that HAL gets the nod based on the ship and the fact that it goes to more places.

 

Regardless which you pick, you're going to have a great time!

 

Derek

[innlady1]

I love the Noordam and have never been on NCL, so without having that for comparison, I would have to say Noordam. However, we love Curacao, so that's enticing.

[esther e]

Easy. Noordam. We were on the Sun in January and were very disappointed. The food was, in two words, not good, and I know food is subjective, but this was our opinion. I particularly disliked the fact that in the MDR all the flowers were removed from the tables at dinner (big deal for me) and it resembled a half-done table. It just looked like something was missing. We stayed in one of the high-end suites and it didn't compare at all to HAL's. The decision is up to you and I'm sure you will have a wonderful cruise, whichever you choose.

[sharks48]

Noordam, no question!

 

I've never sailed on NCL [and I wouldn't, based on feedback from family who have]. We've sailed on the Noordam twice - it's our favorite ship!! We sailed on that itin and really enjoyed it [although we weren't thrilled with Martinique itself, the snorkeling at the "bat cave" was fun!]. The HAL ships are going to be quieter, no question - you aren't going to be "bar-hopping" after midnight! We found our fellow passengers to be delightful and there were many "younger" people on board, along with the "more mature" passengers. [For perspective: we're >55 but <70!].

 

I'd sail the Noordam in a heartbeat, no matter where she were going!

[zookiebird]

We have taken both HAL and NCL cruises. IMO there is no comparison. We took the Noordam cruise you referenced this past March and it was the best trip we have ever taken.

[Cindy]

Haven't been on either line yet, but we're active 52 year olds who are REALLY excited about our Noordam cruise (same itinerary you posted) in November. I just love that itinerary!

[NMLady]

I am posting this question on both forums to get some direction. My wife and I are a young 49, and we are wanting to take either a 11 day cruise on the Sun or a 11 day on the Noordam. We have never been on a Holland Ship.

 

Noordam ports:

(out of Ft Lauderdale)

St Martin

St Lucia

Barbados

Martinique

Dominica

St Thomas

Half Moon Cay

 

NCL Sun ports:

(out of Miami)

Cartagena

Aruba

Curacao

St Martin

St Thomas

 

Pros of Noordam:

I am nervous about the age group of people on HAL. And I know that 11 days + Oct/Nov cruise will accentuate this. BUT...I like the ports (2 more), the pool on the aft, and the food (from what I've read) of Holland's Noordam.

 

The pros of the Sun are:

easy, maybe younger ages, specialty restaurants, it goes to Aruba, and not as stiff atmosphere (??)

 

Any suggestions or advice?

 

Thanks!

 

As someone who has taken two long cruises on HAL and several cruises on NCL, including 33 days on the Sun, I can assure you that you'll enjoy either one, so choose by itinerary, not by age or informality.

 

Although NCL has no formal nights, the formality on HAL is not stiff and if you choose not to dress formally on formal night you can still eat in the buffet (food is delicious) or in your cabin.

 

The service on both HAL and NCL is great. I liked the fresh fruit in our cabin on HAL (I'm presuming that is still available) but on NCL we simply brought fruit from the buffet to have available in our cabin.

 

If you are folks who like meals in your cabin, the room service menu on HAL is much much better but I wouldn't choose a cruise based on that.

We always choose our cruise line and cruise ship by itinerary and price, rarely by anything else, and we've always enjoyed our cruises.

 

Don't worry about the ages on HAL, especially for Caribbean. There will be plenty of folks in your age bracket, and younger.

 

I strongly recommend that you choose by itinerary. You will be happy with either cruise line imo.

[GitUpAndGoze]

We have done about 6 HAL cruises (including the Noordam) and we sailed NCL Caribbean in Dec 08 and Dec 09. Dec 08 was OK. On the 09 9-day cruise we wanted off after 2 days! There were NO DECK CHAIRS on the Promanade deck. That's what I said -- NO deck chairs. They had no orange juice, only orange drink. There were no prices on the bar menus. The least expensive snorkeling shore excursion was $90 -- it had been about half that the year before. Food was mediocre. The 08 trip was OK; that's why we booked for the next year. After the 09 trip -- never again. We'll stick with HAL.

 

P.S.: We were on the Sapphire Princess to Hawaii last Christmas. The only positives were 1) They upgraded us from an obstructed OV to a balcony and 2) They have a $250 OBC for retired military (on a 14-day cruise) and both my husband and I received the OBC since we are both retired USAF. Again, we'll stick with HAL.

 

Kate;)

[Kim Fontaine]

We are an older couple( now) We started out on Old Norway ( NCL of course) and have sailed many times with them: Still enjoy them but do not like no choice of regular early dining: A few years ago we tried the Westerdam; we will be back on her for our cruise this December which will include our daughter 45 year old daughter and 21 year old granddaughter: Neither have cruised before. Our thought being "lets show them the nicer style''. If they choose to cruise again , they can pick a more roudy setting of younger cruisers without us;)

[cmdchiefthom]

I am posting this question on both forums to get some direction. My wife and I are a young 49, and we are wanting to take either a 11 day cruise on the Sun or a 11 day on the Noordam. We have never been on a Holland Ship.

 

Noordam ports:

(out of Ft Lauderdale)

St Martin

St Lucia

Barbados

Martinique

Dominica

St Thomas

Half Moon Cay

 

NCL Sun ports:

(out of Miami)

Cartagena

Aruba

Curacao

St Martin

St Thomas

 

Pros of Noordam:

I am nervous about the age group of people on HAL. And I know that 11 days + Oct/Nov cruise will accentuate this. BUT...I like the ports (2 more), the pool on the aft, and the food (from what I've read) of Holland's Noordam.

 

The pros of the Sun are:

easy, maybe younger ages, specialty restaurants, it goes to Aruba, and not as stiff atmosphere (??)

 

Any suggestions or advice?

 

Thanks!

 

I've done both itineraries and have been on the Sun several times. The Noordam itinerary is hands down the better of the two. Barbados, Dominica and St. Lucia alone are worth a cruise by themselves. I've been to Cartagena, you need security to travel anywhere on your own, and Aruba isn't much, but I do love Curacao and St. Martin. Sure HAL is more sedate, but the food in the main dining room is great and dining in the the Pinnacle Grill is superb. I haven't eaten in the main dining room aboard an NCL ship in almost 10 years however I do enjoy the specialty restaurants. Take a chance with HAL, you'll love the ship, and the ports.;)