NOORDAM: booked and confused

[SeaWatch]

I am booked ( with my in-laws) on the NOORDAM for Alaska this summer - CC offers many conflicting comments.

 

Any cruisers out there who have sailed in the Noordam recently: please submit a review and photos.

 

Nervous Nellie here!

[CruiserBruce]

Was on Noordam for 21 days in February. It was in fine shape and we had a wonderful cruise.

[SeaWatch]

Was on Noordam for 21 days in February. It was in fine shape and we had a wonderful cruise.

 

Why do you think there are so many negative comments?

[innlady1]

We, too, were on Noordam in February and she was fine. In fact, we were supposed to be boarding her today in Barcelona for the Transatlantic cruise but I had to cancel last Friday due to medical issues. :(

 

Enjoy her...you'll love it.

[CruiserBruce]

Why do you think there are so many negative comments?

 

Because you can't please everyone? A common suggestion on the boards here is the 80-20 rule. If 80% are happy with something, it is fine. As the "happy" percentage declines, I look closer at things.

 

Also think about the possibility of the "vocal minority". If you aren't happy with something, no matter how small, whether or not you understand the circumstances that occurred, you are more inclined to say something, and you may say it loudly and repeatedly. If you are happy about good service or product, you tend to say it once, or you are more subtle about it.

 

Have you sailed on HAL before? If so, I would expect you would recognize the product as the same from your previous cruises.

Edited October 19, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[TiogaCruiser]

Wasnt it Nordam that some guy kept starting negative posts on a couple months ago? IRRC it included not getting a cool towel on the tender ride back?

[SeaWatch]

Because you can't please everyone? A common suggestion on the boards here is the 80-20 rule. If 80% are happy with something, it is fine. As the "happy" percentage declines, I look closer at things.

 

Also think about the possibility of the "vocal minority". If you aren't happy with something, no matter how small, whether or not you understand the circumstances that occurred, you are more inclined to say something, and you may say it loudly and repeatedly. If you are happy about good service or product, you tend to say it once, or you are more subtle about it.

 

Have you sailed on HAL before? If so, I would expect you would recognize the product as the same from your previous cruises.

 

We have sailed two times, but only on the Nieuw Amsterdam. My in-laws have not.

[cruz chic]

I think it all comes down to the staff on the ship. I had 2 cruises on the na in 2012. One was wonderful, the other not so much. People can have completely different experiences even a few months apart. It can be due to people being high maintenance or it can simply just not be a great cruise. I love the eurodam but people have had bad cruises on that ship. Does that mean those people are impossible to please:rolleyes:.

[canadianbear]

I am booked ( with my in-laws) on the NOORDAM for Alaska this summer - CC offers many conflicting comments.

 

Any cruisers out there who have sailed in the Noordam recently: please submit a review and photos.

 

Nervous Nellie here!

 

I read those negative reports awhile back but the Noordam for many years has more good reports than negative. We are booked on her for the Panama Canal in April and are looking forward to it. We are not fussy people and overlook a lot of stuff that perhaps others would complain about. We have always enjoyed our cruises on HAL and try keep the glass half full attitude.

 

I would try not to worry about it.

[SeaWatch]

I read those negative reports awhile back but the Noordam for many years has more good reports than negative. We are booked on her for the Panama Canal in April and are looking forward to it. We are not fussy people and overlook a lot of stuff that perhaps others would complain about. We have always enjoyed our cruises on HAL and try keep the glass half full attitude.

 

I would try not to worry about it.

 

My glass will definitely be half full - actually more like full full since I will have the Signature Beverage Package :)

[canadianbear]

My glass will definitely be half full - actually more like full full since I will have the Signature Beverage Package :)

 

Ha ha!!! That's the attitude:D

[hillsprint]

We were on Noordam in September, it was great, thoroughly enjoyed it

 

Here is the thread I posted on it

 

http://cruiseforums.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2109850

 

 

Hope that helps

 

Michael

[kjw869]

We were on the Noordam for an 11-day cruise in January-February of this year, and there was not one problem we encountered.

 

We have been to Alaska five of the last six years on HAL ships and decided we would skip next year. When we found out the Noordam would be replacing the Zuiderdam in Alaska next year, we booked the same day. We have been on all the Signature and Vista ships,many multiple times, and Noordam is our favorite.

 

I stopped reading reviews years ago.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I think it all comes down to the staff on the ship. I had 2 cruises on the na in 2012. One was wonderful, the other not so much. People can have completely different experiences even a few months apart. It can be due to people being high maintenance or it can simply just not be a great cruise. I love the eurodam but people have had bad cruises on that ship. Does that mean those people are impossible to please:rolleyes:.

 

 

Know what you mean .

We had one great cruise on the Noordam a few years ago. Then we sailed on her again 3 years ago -- a not so good cruise.

[cbr663]

Why do you think there are so many negative comments?

 

Most likely the recent Member Reviews of this ship are more negative than positive. Most appear to be regarding the overall condition of the ship, poor food service and overall general service.

 

Some of the reviews also mention lots of crowding in the Lido restaurant, which would leave me wondering whether more and more passengers are avoiding the MDR?

[MOcruiserman]

Most likely the recent Member Reviews of this ship are more negative than positive. Most appear to be regarding the overall condition of the ship, poor food service and overall general service.

 

Some of the reviews also mention lots of crowding in the Lido restaurant, which would leave me wondering whether more and more passengers are avoiding the MDR?

 

I'm booked for an August cruise to Alaska on the Noordam and I've also been concerned about the negative reviews.

 

I've only been on one HAL cruise, this past August, and I experienced crowding in the Lido restaurant, though I found it a very minor inconvenience. Also crowding in the buffet restaurant seems to be par for the course in all ships, both from HAL and other cruise lines.

 

On my August cruise I was very pleased with the service. Maybe service on the Noordam is much worse than on other HAL ships but I doubt it very much.

 

The only thing that really concerns me is when I hear that the Noordam is not in good shape. But plenty of folks who've been on it recently say otherwise so, for now, I'm OK with my August 2015 booking.

[SilvertoGold]

I think it all comes down to the staff on the ship. I had 2 cruises on the na in 2012. One was wonderful, the other not so much. People can have completely different experiences even a few months apart. It can be due to people being high maintenance or it can simply just not be a great cruise. I love the eurodam but people have had bad cruises on that ship. Does that mean those people are impossible to please:rolleyes:.

 

I agree completely that it can all come down to the staff and crew on a ship.

 

Many consider it a top-down situation, meaning the higher up staff and officers set the tone for the rest of the crew.

 

I've been on the same ships a few months apart and it is night and day. Amazing, a totally different vibe on the same ship. Looking at the overall picture you see some staff positions have changed.

 

The DR can be a good example. Depending on the DRM and his assistants you can have a perfect DR, or not. Looking at crew interaction often says it all.

Edited October 19, 2014 by SilvertoGold

[cruz chic]

Most likely the recent Member Reviews of this ship are more negative than positive. Most appear to be regarding the overall condition of the ship, poor food service and overall general service.

 

Some of the reviews also mention lots of crowding in the Lido restaurant, which would leave me wondering whether more and more passengers are avoiding the MDR?

 

The lido is almost always crowded, at least at mealtimes, particularly lunch. There is nothing new there. Many times when the ship is in port the MDR is closed so there is less of a choice.

[summersigh]

We, too, were on Noordam in February and she was fine. In fact, we were supposed to be boarding her today in Barcelona for the Transatlantic cruise but I had to cancel last Friday due to medical issues. :(

 

Enjoy her...you'll love it.

 

(((((((innlady)))))) Here's a BIG HUG ... I feel your pain in having to cancel :(

[iflyrc5]

We were on the Noordam this past Feb for 21 days and 21 days in Feb 2013 - would be on it again this coming winter if it was going to the south pacific - we will be on the Statendam for 45 days instead.

[OVgirl]

We also spent 21 days on Noordam this past February and had a great cruise. We wouldn't hesitate to book a cruise on that ship again.

[innlady1]

(((((((innlady)))))) Here's a BIG HUG ... I feel your pain in having to cancel :(

 

Awwww...thank you so much, summersigh. :)

 

I will be interested to hear how the ship is run this time. All other cruises on the Noordam have been with Mark Pells as Hotel Director. He is now on Westerdam and another person is on the Noordam, Simon Tanner???

 

I'll be curious to see if there's been a difference...negatively.

[the2ofus]

I have sailed on Westerdam (inaugural year), Nieuw Amsterdam (2012) and Noordam (2013). Of the three, Noordam is my favorite. The decor suited me and it just seemed a warmer, friendlier ship and crew. Would choose her again in a heartbeat.

[shrimp56]

We were on Noordam in June 2014 and loved the ship and it's crew. It is the best of the Vista class IMHO.

 

Sent from my LG-P769 using Forums mobile app

[hillsprint]

In the past two years we have been on Celebrity (Solstice) and RCCL (Mariner of the Seas) and then this September, the Noordam.

 

I found the ship to be as good a state as the other ships, the crew were as happy and helpful as the others. As to the food, I thought the MDR was fine, no waiting to be seated and the service was at just the right speed, not too fast and not too slow (I actually felt rushed on the Solstice). The food quality was as good as the other ships and I thought the menu was varied enough to suit most tastes.

 

I think if you go to every other Cruise Line board on this site you will find folk complaining and saying standards have dropped, etc. Yet cruising is more popular than ever ( maybe that's the problem for some ??) and the number of repeat customers seems to be high, so,the product appears to be pretty strong.

 

So go and enjoy your cruise, I'm sure your party will love it, four different cruise lines, five ships and we haven't been disappointed yet.

 

Cheers

 

Michael