Report from the Noordam - Maiden Voyage

[mechcc]

This sounds like it was the cruise to beat all cruises! So jealous!!!! If there is any way at all that we can go on the next inaugural HAL cruise, we will be there. Brian, so sorry to hear about your disaster getting off the ship and headed down to Virginia. Disembarkation day is bad enough without those problems! Marti - don't know a lot except it involves "he" "hug" and "uniform" and I can say go for it (also, love the hat in the picture). Greg - waiting anxiously for your full review and excellent pictures. Laura and Brian, please don't entertain any ideas about abandoning the HAL-O-WEEN Dam Cruise for the Spamdam! Laura, looking forward to meeting you in May for the Ladies only cruise.

[RevNeal]

Oh, Greg, I am sooo disappointed! I thought you and I were going to be getting our 100 day medals together on the Zaandam! I'm glad you got to share the moment with other friends, tho.

 

I know ... I was torn too. Christopher was a bit disappointed as well. It was, however, a great honor to receive it on this cruise.

 

I've been following and enjoying vicariously and will look forward to your full review.

 

My review is going to be delayed a day. Today was a very busy day, and I'm just too wasted right now to finish the review. But, it will be up tomorrow.

 

Now let's get our plans for the "Spamdam" cruise into high gear! I'll bet this cruise inspired a lot of great ideas.

 

Indeed ... it has. Martha and I have picked up several ideas and we're going to start tossing them out over the next few weeks. We've got 7 months to go!

[AAAAmerican]

A hearty welcome home !

 

Youall know the story how the Islands of Bermuda were found..

 

The ocean the last day off the Shelf must have been a similar time as then...

 

Were any of you Eagle Scouts?

Be Prepared.... that is a great Motto ... thinking of the positve on the wild ride is not easy but an experience of a lifetime especially on a virgin cruise.

 

 

At least everyone has had that experience on a superior vessel now .. in the future youall may have nice stories to tell and share...

 

I saw the food and services are not par yet.. everyones input is vital as then it only gets better and better ..:eek: thats what seperates Holland American from the other laggards.....:eek:

 

Write Holland American as well Carnival Corp then they are able to know YOUR OPINION Counts the most.

 

The more You Show the more they shall know.:D

[calm_seas]

Here's our first full view of the Noordam as we sailed into St Thomas last Tuesday morning (28 February).

 

Randyk47 ... Thank you for the beautiful view that we never had!!! It gives any entirely different perspective to the ship! Being onboard, I always felt she was not as large as she really is..... Thanks again!

[mechcc]

Here's our first full view of the Noordam as we sailed into St Thomas last Tuesday morning (28 February).

 

Randy - Do you have a really great TA in the SA area and if so please share. Also, we missed the Jan meeting of cruisers here, can you relay next meeting? Please you Damteeshirt email to respond. Thank you so much!

[Randyk47]

For those who would like a series of digital pictures of the Noordam, taken from the Volendam as we entered St Thomas, please email me at rklug@sbcglobal.net. I haven't sorted out the best but I have several to pick from that were all shot in large/fine format so you can easily work them on your computer to improve color, etc., if you so chose.

 

Maggie - I'll get back to you at your email address.

[Stevedan]

AAAMerican, where are you? We're in Closter.

[Joanandjoe]

AAAMerican, where are you? We're in Closter.

You can put Closter in your signature. Note that ours says Teaneck.

 

Only 8 1/2 months until our 11/25/06 Noordam cruise. We can't wait to see the reviews of the 2/22 cruise.

[RevNeal]

Review of the Noordam

Maiden Voyage: February 22 -- March 4, 2006

“A Vista Beyond the Others”

 

Introduction

 

It goes without saying that many Holland America Line Mariners have been more than just a bit unhappy with the cruise-industry’s trend toward larger vessels. Those who much-prefer the S and R class ships (like the Statendam and the Rotterdam VI) tend to look upon the Vistas as being big, garish, and unwelcome. The Zuiderdam solidified this expectation, and some have been unwilling to look beyond this ship to see what others of the class have to offer. Having cruised on the Oosterdam and the Westerdam, however, I have become well aware that the Vista ships, even though large, do indeed maintain a strong continuity with the historic HAL and the traditions which have made this Line a favorite of so many for so long.

 

The last of the Vistas, the ms Noordam, truly goes beyond the other Vistas in establishing a powerful bond to the traditions of excellence and the atmosphere of understated elegance and luxury which has typified the Holland America Fleet for so long. From the instant one boards this lovely ship one has no doubt about the fleet to which she belongs -- no Carnival, RCI, or Princess tub, this is HAL. The impression is confirmed at every turn, in every public room, in the staterooms, and in the traditions of her gracious staff. The Vistas have, truly, come home with the ms Noordam. Her interiors are replete with the artistry and elegance of superb nautical engineering and refined european style accented with the warmth of wood and earth-tones. I was at home the moment I entered the Ocean bar and saw the hard woods, the oval-shaped dance floor, and the curve of the bar. The Explorer’s Lounge literally cradles one in comfortable luxury and the refined tones of a string quartet, while the Crows Nest provides expansive views of the open ocean during the day, and an enjoyable place to sit and chat, or dance with a partner, during the evening. The main dining room is both open and intimate, and the Pinnacle Grill is an inviting venue in which to share a leisurely meal with friends. Truly, the Noordam is a credit to the Holland America Fleet ... a true “Vista Beyond the Others.”

 

Differences from the Other Vistas:

 

From first glance it is obvious that this vessel has incorporated several major upgrades and improvements that are not currently present in the other Vista Ships. Of particular note is the inclusion of the Explorations Cafe in place of the Internet Center. This major improvement, which is part of the Signature of Excellence upgrades being introduced on the S and R class ships, finds an excellent expression as implemented on the Noordam. Part of the Library complex, yet also independent of it, this area is an excellent place to come and make use of the multimedia, print, and internet resources available here and elsewhere aboard the ship. There is also a coffee bar where specialty coffees can be purchased for a nominal fee.

 

Another upgrade which is of particular note is the introduction of the Pinnacle Bar in place of the Windstar Cafe. This comfortable, useful lounge is perfectly situated not only to help relieve the congestion at the entrance to the Pinnacle Grill, it also is a bar and lounge in its own right and a pleasant place to sit and enjoy pre or post dinner drinks.

 

Another major improvement is the redesign of the Ocean Bar and Lounge. On the other Vistas the Bar and smoking area is located in a narrow section on the starboard side of the ship. This cramped area has been a serious problem for the full and efficient use of the Bar; on the Noordam, however, the bar has been moved to the Port side where it sits in the open. The starboard side has been opened up, with several conversation areas maintained for people who want to sit and chat while not being bothered by the hustle and bustle, the music and dancing found on the port side. The redesign more effectively opens the Lounge all across the open atrium, making the space feel larger and less congested, even though the square footage has not been increased.

 

Yet another significant improvement can be found on the aft Lido deck, where the deck space abaft the aft pool has been expanded. There is far more deck space here than on the other Vistas. Likewise, a canvas awning has been added on both the port and starboard sides, providing more shaded areas for people to sit and eat outdoors. This expansion on the aft lido deck has been enabled by an extension of the decks below, resulting in additional cabin space for 70+ more passengers. The aft verandahs have been narrowed as a result, and while this might be seen as a disadvantage to some, the overall result is an improvement in the outdoor public spaces.

 

General Impressions on the Ship’s Decor:

 

As I have already stated, the interior spaces of this ship will be truly pleasing to the tastes of the average traditional HAL Mariner. The use of woods, carpet, paneling, wall paper, and art work is truly elegant, stylish, and conservative. The color choices are very pleasing, with earth tones and primary colors predominating. The Atrium art piece -- a huge gyroscope that changes color as it rotates -- is quite appealing. The use of art pieces and other related items from the prior Noordams (as well as other HAL ships) provides a lovely tie to the Line’s history. Captain Card’s paintings are truly lovely and amazing -- don’t miss them in the forward stair well. The color scheme in the Piano bar is, in my opinion, superior to that found on either the Oosterdam or the Westerdam, and the Vista show lounge is more warm and inviting that the Westerdam’s dull “white” scheme. Overall, the crew of the Noordam appears to be off to a good start in maintaining the traditions of “the spotless fleet,” for constant cleaning was in evidence wherever one turned. And particularly if one were to roam the corridors late at night, as I do.

 

The Maiden Voyage:

 

The Noordam’s maiden voyage left New York City on February 22, 2006, a 10 day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. It was a very nice itinerary, involving 2 days at sea from New York to the Caribbean, 5 ports-of-call, and then 2 days at sea returning to New York. I was aboard with a large group of friends from Cruise Critics, and much of my “fun” orbited around activities with them. In large part, this cruise was more about the ship and the people and less about the islands, hence I shall not spend much time detailing the ports of call other than to say that they provided the average cross-section of cultural, natural, and economic attraction.

 

My stateroom was my favorite J-category Inside: 1037, which was nearly identical to the same cabin which I have had twice on the Oosterdam. Entering it was like “coming home.” The only major difference was the flat-screen TV and the DVD player, which was a nice improvement over the CRT display found in this category on the Oosterdam. For more on this cabin, see my review of the Oosterdam.

 

Being a maiden voyage there were a few “bugs” to be worked out, and this is true both of my cabin of the rest of the ship. As a result, engineering staff could be seen moving around the ship on a regular basis, repairing this and that and adjusting various controls. The AC in my cabin failed to work properly during our second sea-day, but engineering quickly adjusted it until it worked perfectly. The internet kept going down, and we lost all ship-to-shore communications for our two-day return trip to New York.

 

Special gifts for maiden voyage passengers included an inaugural cruise commemorate plate, a book about the Noordam, and photo montage of the cruise. Additionally, this cruise was also the voyage on which I was awarded my 100-day Mariner Pin and “Hardware.”

 

Service:

 

Being a Maiden voyage I anticipated problems with the quality of service in the dining room and cabins: a crew takes a bit of “settling in” until they work well together, and I was willing to be patient. To my pleasant surprise the problems which we did encounter were far more limited than I would have expected, though there were times when they were quite annoying. My cabin steward was exceedingly efficient; indeed, after several days of conversing with him I became convinced that he had served me before and he confirmed it, admitting to have been my cabin steward aboard the Volendam in 2003! What a pleasant surprise! I enjoyed prompt service from bar staff ... several of whom remembered me from the Oosterdam, the Westerdam, and the Volendam. One wine steward in the Pinnacle recognized me right off my Panama Canal cruise on the Zaandam, and even remembered my favorite wine. The service in all these areas was exemplary, to say the least, though our wine steward in the main dining room was sometimes difficult to flag down. Service in the Lido was excellent, and prompt, although there are times when two attendants are needed at the sandwich station. Additionally, I would prefer not to have to direct the attendant at the Omelet station to cook the ingredients of my Omelet before adding the egg batter. In the main dining room our service stewards were pleasant, and they did their job to the best of their ability, nevertheless it was a continual problem that our evening meals dragged out to 2 or more hours. In the past I've usually been done with dinner by 10 pm, but on this cruise we were lucky to be eating our entree by that time ... and then, sometimes, what was offered was not even close to what was ordered. Service began slow, and improved a bit, but by the time we left St. Maarten it had taken a severe nose dive, with several members of our group experiencing unacceptable fiascos. For the most part I can chalk these problems up to miscommunications on the part of the staff, as well as to a difficult time some had in understanding english, however many of these errors were simply beyond what patience should be expected to accept. We experienced similar problems in the Pinnacle Grill. Peter was an excellent waiter, and had a good sense of humor, but meals in the Pinnacle on 3 occasions dragged far too long ... one evening extending to a full three hours! This is simply unacceptable.

 

Given time to settle in to a new crew, I would hope that many of these problems would work themselves out. And, I am aware that many who were seated in other areas of the main dining room did not encounter these kinds of problems. However, in talking with other passengers it became clear that we were not alone in some of the service problems we experienced. They should be corrected.

 

Food:

 

I would have to judge the quality of the food on the Noordam as being, by-and-large, quite good to excellent. I've always enjoyed the food on Holland America; even when I thought it a bit bland, I nevertheless enjoyed it and was always able to find something I liked. On the Oosterdam in January 2006 I was pleased with the quality of the dishes and felt it would be hard to surpass my experience there. The Food on the Noordam, however, managed to do precisely that. Yes, many of the selections are quite similar to what can be found on other ships of the fleet, but by-and-large the quality of the preparation and presentation was superior to any on other HAL ships. This is true in the main dining room and in the Lido. Yes, there were occasional errors and problems with what was delivered, but when the correct item came its quality was usually outstanding. At least, this was my experience.

 

Dress Code:

 

Sometimes the failure of one’s fellow passengers to observe the dress code can be a bit distressing -- it is sad when one feels conspicuous on formal night simply because one is wearing a Tuxedo! Such was not the case on the maiden voyage of the Noordam. This 10-day cruise from New York to the Caribbean was among the most formal cruises I've ever been on. Formal Nights saw an overwhelming number of men in Tuxedoes or, in the very least, dark suits. Yes, some were in slacks and sports jackets, but MOST (overwhelmingly most) were in Tuxedoes on all three formal nights. White dinner jackets abounded, especially, on the middle formal night, when we were still in the Caribbean. I saw very few men (I could count them on the fingers of one hand) who failed to abide by the minimum the Dress Code outlines. Informal night saw most men in suits or slacks and sports jackets, and many men elected to wear a tie on those evening. Indeed, even on Casual nights the number of men wearing jackets to dinner (with or without ties) was amazing to behold. As for women: gowns, dresses, fancy pantsuits, furs, hats ... the ladies were dressed VERY well most evenings, and rarely did I see any women who were not at least “nicely” attired.

 

Conclusion:

 

The Maiden voyage of the Noordam was a wonderful cruise, and the Noordam herself is a fantastic ship ... a true credit to the Holland America Line and an excellent final installment of the Vista series. The first of the new Signature ships will have a difficult time meeting the standard of excellence the Noordam IV has set.

[RevNeal]

Photos will follow within a few days ... I've got a lot to sort through. :)

[AAAAmerican]

Thank you again.:eek:

 

A wonderful Texan does it well again and again.

 

We need more people like you.:)

[jhannah]

Excellent, Greg. Makes me even more anxious for July to get here!

[lvs2crooz]

RevNeal,

Thank you for your detailed review of the Noordam. You write so elegantly and really have a way with words. I am enjoying your postings. My husband and I will be sailing the Noordam (Rome to Rome), 9/18/06. We can hardly wait to board this beauty of a ship! I look forward to your photos. Mary

[Ziggy7]

Outstanding review RevNeal!!! Looking forward to your photo's too!

[myrna44]

We have been anxiously awaiting news from those who were on the Inaugural cruise. We are booked on the Noordam on March 15th. We convinced our bachelor son to join us and i hope there are some singles around.

We would love to connect with some passengers from Cruise Critic. Is there a get together planned?

I gather that the trip was a successful Maiden voyage. Any suggestions as to excursions or other hints would be welcome.

[sailrnav]

We have been anxiously awaiting news from those who were on the Inaugural cruise. We are booked on the Noordam on March 15th. We convinced our bachelor son to join us and i hope there are some singles around.

We would love to connect with some passengers from Cruise Critic. Is there a get together planned?

I gather that the trip was a successful Maiden voyage. Any suggestions as to excursions or other hints would be welcome.

Go to Roll Calls - Holland America Line. There is a very active thread there for your cruise.

[liv2cruise4ever]

Bravo.......Bravo.....

 

Greg, thanks for all you do for us.

 

That was brilliant!:D

[calm_seas]

Greg.... You captured the flavor of the ship so perfectly that, for a moment, I thought I was acutally back onboard! Fantastic reivew, and job well done!

[FallBride]

RevNeal:

Dan just finished reading your review and said you should write for HAL's brochure dept. :)

[RevNeal]

Thank you, Lady Bird!

LOL

I just caught myself checking the prices for the January 6, 2007 Noordam cruise. :D I'm so pitiful ;)

[dsawyer]

We are booked on the March 25th sailing of the Noordam. We have officially named our roll call group - The Noordy Group.

 

Do you have any tips or suggestions for us Noordys?

 

What was the Black and White Ball that someone mentioned?

 

Thank you for your review and I am happy that you all had such a wondrful time.

[elaineagogo]

thanks for a great review of your cruise on the Noordam We are going to be on the july 10th out of Rome and I was so looking forward to reading your report I am so excited about the ship. Thanks again being new to the boards I love all the interesting things you can find out.:) It is very helpful .

[calm_seas]

Thank you, Lady Bird!

LOL

I just caught myself checking the prices for the January 6, 2007 Noordam cruise. :D I'm so pitiful ;)

 

Already BOOKED!

[RevNeal]

I wish I could get Christopher to agree to book it ... but with the April 2007 cruise he thinks he can't take those dates. So ... I'd be going on my own, either solo or booking with someone else.

 

I'd love to ... I love cruising in January.

[dsawyer]

Now you could really have some weather and waves in January! :D