From experience cruisers to first timers

[newcruiser08820]

I just discovered cruisecritic.com after I put deposit on my first ever cruise. It's imazing how many cruise lovers use that site ( I assume this is the best place to get info), also I was surprised on amount of trips some people took.

We are first time cruisers planning a trip on Noordam from NY in March 31st. We are in mid 30s with 6 year old. For years we have been traveling to Europe ( loved it), but with a small child we were going to all-inclusive for the past few years ( Mexico, Dominica Rep). Now we decided to try something new.

Here some concerns for which I am looking for comments from expirience cruisers.

1. 11 night cruise ( 6 islands) is too long for the first time cruisers ( my husband thinks we will get bored especialy for four days while in the sea).

 

2. We got a good deal for the cruise, but afraid the bill after will be huge, even thouth we decided not to drink any alcohol, shop or use the spa. I am surprised that they would charge for tips for a small child.

 

3 Food is the biggest concern, since my hubby is a good cook and very fussy and hard to please with the food. I was told that HAL food is much better then Carnival?

 

4 I would like to go to the beaches on most of the islands. Should we get a taxi at the ports ( how much?) vs booking trips before the cruise.

 

5 Anybody been on Noordam with small kids? What do they do for them?

Since the cruise during the spring break, I assume it will be more kids than usual for that long trip.

 

 

Thanks in advance for all your comments

[Randyk47]

First of all, welcome to cruising and to CruiseCritic. Of course it's only my opinion but I feel pretty safe in saying this is the best single source of information on cruising on the Internet. There are dozens, if not hundreds, of very experienced cruisers here who are very willing to honestly help answer any questions or share their experiences.

 

Now to address some of your questions:

 

1. Hard to say if an 11 night cruise is too long for first-timers. Speaking for us we tried cruising many years ago with a 4-day Carnival cruise just to see if we liked it. Even after many subsequent cruises, from 7 to 12 days in length, I still remember hard difficult it was to get off that first cruise. It was "love" at first cruise. :) Since you've gone to all-inclusive resorts for vacations you may just find cruising is the same, if not better, experience and the "resort" just happens to relocate overnight. As for sea days....well, some love them, some don't, and some, like my wife and I, just use them to relax. While there's plenty to do on the ship, and the crew really does a great job on sea days, it's not exactly non-stop games, tournaments, etc., which is just fine for us. Kind of a nice balance without all the hype and pressure that one hears about on other lines.

 

2. Certainly with shore excursions, bar bills, spa treatments, etc., you can run up a substantial bill on a cruise but you don't have to, it's your choice. Yes, HAL does automatically bill your account for the tips but that in and of itself won't really run up a big tab. I can't address the tipping for a toddler or small child as we've not personally cruised with children.

 

3. We think HAL food is some of the best out there. We've cruised Carnival, Celebrity and HAL and think HAL and Celebrity are close and both way above Carnival. Of course, in all honesty, there is always variations from cruise to cruise and ship to ship with any cruise line. Add your personal tastes and preferences on top of that and I think you can understand food quality becomes a very subjective call. Personally we've always enjoyed HAL's food and found it generally good to excellent.

 

4. I would suggest you check the ports of call section here on CruiseCritic to see what other cruisers have discovered or experienced at the various ports you'll be visiting. Some places getting a cab might be the answer where others there might be a recommended independent tour guide who's a better choice. Some shore tours are great, some OK, and others....well, just plain bad. We've done just about every variation and, for the most part, haven't had any problems.

 

5. Can't answer this one directly as we've never been on the Noordam. We were on the Oosterdam a couple of years ago during "Spring Break" and there were 200+ children on the ship. Our impression was that HAL had a very good program and the kids seemed to be having a good time. On the other hand we were on the Volendam this past year in Febraury, obviously not during school break time, and there were only 3 children on the cruise. Hard to tell for your cruise though I'd expect more than 3. :)

 

Again, welcome abroad. There's a wealth of information here so look around and ask questions. While we don't travel with children there are plently of folks here that do or have and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to assist.

[GPoll189]

Randyk47

 

Good Morning and how are you doing today. I have nothing to do during my Pediatric rotation so why not write some responses to peoples concerns in the forums.

 

1. I am 27 and have been cruising since I was 5 years old. My first cruise was on Noordam 3 out of Mexico very nice trip from what I can remember. I fell the long the cruise the better. We started with 7 days and it was not enough and the our 14 day cruise on the y2k year was great but as I get older I want to cruise longer and longer. I am the type of person that likes to sit back and relax take in the secenary.

 

2. Now that you can do alot of the shore excursion online I recomend to do that before your cruise so you can budget your money over a couple f months instead of doing it during the month of the cruise. As for tipping that last time I cruised HAL was when they stilled had that no tipping required. But I remember that my parents would tip for me and don't know how much they would tip. They would also tip the club HAL counselors if I used the services and enjoyed my time there.

 

3. I have to agree with the previous poster that HAL's food is one of the best on the high seas and if I have to compare it with another lines I would have to compare it with Celebrities. Both are very comparative product.

 

4. Taxi's are great and you can get them at the dock the only thing I can tell you is when you go to St. Thomas the best beach on the Island IMHO is Magen's Bay it was rated in the top 10 beaches in the world. Very peaceful and beautiful. My family and I had a condo at Moghan Run for many years and the only beach we would go to every day on the island was Magen's Bay. If you are into Pena Coullta go to the top of the Mountain for them and one last thing if you child loves ice cream on the way back to the ship from Magen's Bay stop at the St. Thomas Dairy and get yourself the best ice cream on the Island.

 

5. I will be sailing the Noordam during Christmas and there should be alot of kids aboard my 7 year old step sister will be on and I will be happy to tell you about her time aboard the ship hopefully you are not going before me. And I will be happy to respond back to you about her time aboard. IF you have any questions about the ship, HAL or anythign in cruising you can contact me on AOL at the same screen name as my screen name on here.

 

Hope this help you and if I can help you with anythign else feel free to contact me at your convience.

 

Geoffrey

[jtl513]

I don't have much to add to the previous two posts except to say that to keep myself amused on sea days, without doing expensive things, I bring along my laptop computer and spend time editing and organizing my pictures, or writing a trip report. :) My wife reads out on deck somewhere.

[Roz]

Welcome, Newcruiser!

 

You're more likely to find children on 7-day cruises as opposed to an 11-day cruise.

 

The cabin steward and waiters, as well as other ship personnel, will be providing service to your child, which is why tips are added for children. Of course, you always have the option of reducing them or taking them off your account. I've observed HAL staff going above and beyond to pay special attention to children, but you have to do what you feel comfortable with.

 

Sea days have always been my favorite days on a cruise, and I've found a variety of activities to fill the time.

 

Roz

[lougee1043]

newcruiser

 

welcome to the boards

 

the above posters especially my old friend randy who i have cruised with twice has pretty much said it all -- that said i would like to make a few additions

 

an 11 niter just might be a bit much for a first time cruiser travelling with a child -------------you have 4 days at sea but not all at once so they are broken up with port days and there is plenty to do on the ship

 

as far as tipping --your child is the 3rd person in the room and the room steward will be cleaning up the room behind him --making the bed etc etc and dont forget the bathroom-----------in the dining room the waiters will be fawning after him and he will enjoy the special attention -- they will be going out of their way making sure he has his meals etc --they will be amusing him with napkin animals etc etc and they will also be cleaning up the mess that a youngster makes while eating --- they will all earn those tips and i personally hope you will reward them accordingly

[lougee1043]

newcruiser

 

read this post --especially the part on how her child was treated by the ships crew

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=435169

[happycat Bainbridge Is]

If you tell us which islands you'll be visiting, we can help with beach suggestions.

 

My nieces went on a four day cruise, and they just want to go back and to a longer one a.s.a.p! I think kids have the most fun of anyone on ships.

 

You definitely will not be disappointed with the food!

[Sea King]

welcome aboard:)

 

IMO, you've picked one of HAL premiere "dams" to launch for your 1st cruise

 

Noordam is magnificent .. it's a gorgeous vessel with all the "bells and whistles" you could ever want

 

superb art, beautiful architectural design and great public areas

 

you'll love the dining room and the center atrium with the absolutely magnificent crytal center-piece

 

as I'm sure you've now learned, there is a club HAL on board with non-stop activities .. likewise, there's really no way to become bored on sea days since the daily program has offerings from 7 a.m. until late into the day

 

my suggestion about beaches: send a reply post and let everyone know your itinerary (Noordam does have a slight variation) .. I'm sure you'll get replies from a number of CC posters who can tell you about the nearest and best beaches in each locale as well as the easiest way to get there

 

as far as food, the latest reviews I've seen have given the dining room high marks .. but remember, you also have the options of Lido, Pinnacle or even room service

 

just can't imagine you won't enjoy every minute aboard!

 

have a great time:D

[whogo]

3 A fussy and hard to please husband should be happy with HAL's food. A finicky eater might be harder to satisfy.

[European_CruiseGirl]

Hi all, although I'm not the OP I have the same itinenary. A couple of you asked for the itinenary - here it is:

 

0 New York, New York 4:45 pm

1 At Sea

2 At Sea

3 Road Town, Tortola 3:00 pm 9:00 pm

4 St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 7:00 am 5:00 pm

5 Roseau, Dominica 8:00 am 6:00 pm

6 Bridgetown, Barbados 8:00 am 5:00 pm

7 Philipsburg, St. Maarten 11:00 am 7:00 pm

8 San Juan, Puerto Rico 7:00 am 1:00 pm

9 At Sea

10 At Sea

11 New York, New York 8:00 am

[betonic]

Welcome to CC!!!

 

I took my 6 year old on the beautiful Noordam Transatlantic in September. He had a fabulous time and there were only 3 other kids on the ship!! Club HAL is a nice setting for the kids and the counselors were great. Two of the little girls spoke English, one girl spoke German and my son speaks Spanish/English and the kids all got along fabulously.

 

If can answer any specific questions about Club HAL on the Noordam, let me know.

[Gone_Again]

Hi there. Your bill won't be huge unless you purchase things on ship, which will be put into your shipboard account. The only thing that will get on that account regardless is the auto-tips.

 

If you are not going to drink liquor or go to the spa, that will save alot of $$ there. Other things that go onto that account are things that you can avoid. There is a soda card that can be purchased. BUT there are a number of beverages that are free of charge (juices, etc). So by not purchasing one of these cards, and drinking the free drinks (which I always do since I'm not a soda drinker anyways) will save you $$. Also, the gift shop will have plenty of souviners. But if you wait until you get to a port, there will be cheaper ones. The internet costs money also, so you could avoid that. You can choose to get your photos printed at home, rather than onboard, do your own laundry, etc. Then your bill won't be charged at all. Also you could avoid the Pinnacle (sp?) Grill, as this is a restuarant that you pay per person for.

 

There are plenty of things to do for "free" while onboard (although i'm going by my experience on X only), which may be enough to entertain you for 4 days. There are movies played in the theatre, there are shows put on, there's a gym, the pool, the walking track, some (i'm not sure about HAL) have basketball or other sports. There's a library. There's also a place that you can rent DVD's, which really isn't that expensive (or get them for free if you are in a SS cat. or up) to watch on your DVD player in your room. You can get roomservice, go to the buffet, eat in the main dining room, or do all of them! If you like the casino, you could always bring your "limit" of money that you want to spend there with you, and once it's gone....it's gone. If you want to do excursions, you could pay for them before you go, by booking online.

 

When I was on X (which is comparable with HAL) the food was amazing! And with so many options of where to eat on board, I wouldn't worry about that. If the buffet isn't your style, then you can always choose to eat in the dining room.

 

My first cruise was a 7 night cruise. Although this was wonderful, it sure would have been even better to have a longer one! I can't wait for my 11 day cruise. Once 7 days is up...it will be nice to know that you still have 4 left! ;)

 

PS: On the main page of the forum is a category called "Money Saving Tips". This has some really good ideas on how to enjoy your cruise without breaking the bank.

[wdrl]

Here some concerns for which I am looking for comments from expirience cruisers.

1. 11 night cruise ( 6 islands) is too long for the first time cruisers ( my husband thinks we will get bored especialy for four days while in the sea). Our first cruise was even longer 15 days with 6 days straight at sea. We loved it! They had so many fun activities on the days at sea it was hard to just relax by the pool!

 

2. We got a good deal for the cruise, but afraid the bill after will be huge, even thouth we decided not to drink any alcohol, shop or use the spa. I am surprised that they would charge for tips for a small child. After picking up after my 6 year old niece or trying to get her to do it. And then trying to get her to eat something other than chicken nuggets and fries. If feel that the steward and waiters will deserve every penny. And you get to relax from having to the chore(s) as well.;)

 

3 Food is the biggest concern, since my hubby is a good cook and very fussy and hard to please with the food. I was told that HAL food is much better then Carnival? Would your husband be interested in taking a cooking class(es)? HAL has a Culinary Arts Center on board each ship (or should by time you take a cruise. Does anyone know if there is an additional cost? Here's a link: http://www.hollandamerica.com/signatureofexcellence/culinaryartscenter.do

 

4 I would like to go to the beaches on most of the islands. Should we get a taxi at the ports ( how much?) vs booking trips before the cruise.

 

5 Anybody been on Noordam with small kids? What do they do for them?

Since the cruise during the spring break, I assume it will be more kids than usual for that long trip. We've only taken one cruise with HAL but the service, WOW! The cruise was during Easter break and the children were treated like royals. Every HAL employee gave extra attention to the children and were always entertaining them. And here's a link to the HAL Club. http://www.hollandamerica.com/signatureofexcellence/clubhalyouth.do

 

 

 

--Denise

[Seago2]

I completely understand your concerns. I cruised with four kids a year ago and was very concerned that I would go over budget...

 

1. 11 days probably IS too long. But hey- 3 or 4 days would be too short and far too much work for such a sort period of relaxation. 7 days would be about right. Our cruise was 7 days and we were very unhappy to leave. My kids were... 7, 11, 13 and 15 at the time (I was the only adult). So- better to be too long than too short. I don't know about HAL but Carnival had kid stuff on TV all the time (Boomerang). You can always bring a portable DVD player or GameCube (again, Carnival had TV's that you could hook game systems up to).

 

2. Don't worry about the mandatory gratuities. Just factor that in and roll with it. Kids create far more mess... far more chocolate milk spills... wet towels... "Sorry, didn't realize there were whole tomatoes on this- could he have plain pasta instead?" You know what I mean.

 

DH and I took a 7 day cruise last spring and arrived on board with absolutely killer hangovers from partying with my cousins in NYC the night before. We couldn't face any alcohol for two days. We had decided not to drink much for financial reasons. Well, by day 4 we were ordering helmets of beer and pina coladas (total rip off) like they were going out of style. My point: once you get into "vacation mode" you might not care about money as much. Just don't throw money away at the spa- or BINGO. Bring a hundred bucks in $1's. You can use these in port to buy cheap items and get a good deal- much easier to bargain a ten dollar item down to 6 bucks when you aren't standing there holding a twenty.

 

3. Carnival has very good food in the main dining rooms. They are actually known for their dining room service and good food. NCL had great food- again in the main dining rooms or specialty restaurants (cover charge). Buffets, IMHO- and not having sailed HAL- are great the first two days. Great because you can have salmon (albeit farmed) and eggs in the morning... nice croissants... good salads and carved meats for lunch... some kind of couscous salad at lunch... and dinners are- fine. You may find excellent food at buffets. By day three it's like: get this salmon away from me! I'm sick of the same ten choices for dessert! I demand eleven! It's just that you get sick of the same food- and yet, if you had it in your own fridge you would be thrilled.

 

4. Do NOT book the shore trips before the cruise if all you want to do is walk around, shop in the straw markets, and go to the beach. Here again, break out the $1's and use a cab OR a public bus. The public bus in Nassau is so easy. Don't know where you're going, though. It makes a lot of sense to not book something with the kiddo. Just go where the wind takes you. Your child may get sunburned and sick of tendering and walking around. This way you can be more flexible.

 

5. Can't speak for Noordam, yet, but I will say that I left my 7 year old at Camp Carnival while I took the big kids ashore in Belize. Just wanted to weigh in on that- it was fine.

[OceanLiner]

I just discovered cruisecritic.com after I put deposit on my first ever cruise. It's imazing how many cruise lovers use that site ( I assume this is the best place to get info), also I was surprised on amount of trips some people took.

We are first time cruisers planning a trip on Noordam from NY in March 31st. We are in mid 30s with 6 year old. For years we have been traveling to Europe ( loved it), but with a small child we were going to all-inclusive for the past few years ( Mexico, Dominica Rep). Now we decided to try something new.

Here some concerns for which I am looking for comments from expirience cruisers.

1. 11 night cruise ( 6 islands) is too long for the first time cruisers ( my husband thinks we will get bored especialy for four days while in the sea).

 

2. We got a good deal for the cruise, but afraid the bill after will be huge, even thouth we decided not to drink any alcohol, shop or use the spa. I am surprised that they would charge for tips for a small child.

 

3 Food is the biggest concern, since my hubby is a good cook and very fussy and hard to please with the food. I was told that HAL food is much better then Carnival?

 

4 I would like to go to the beaches on most of the islands. Should we get a taxi at the ports ( how much?) vs booking trips before the cruise.

 

5 Anybody been on Noordam with small kids? What do they do for them?

Since the cruise during the spring break, I assume it will be more kids than usual for that long trip.

 

 

Thanks in advance for all your comments

 

Good questions. Let me begin by saying that all of my comments will be directed to the time fram when my kids were both 6 when we cruised.

 

1) 11 days might be long, but the time will fly by. There is plenty to do, or not to do. You can participate as much or as little as you wish. We have discovered that the days at sea are much better for our family than days at the islands!

 

2) People are sometimes stunned at the size of the post cruise bill, but remember that the bill is up to you. If you watch your shopping and drinking there should be no surprises. Also, the tipping policy can be modified up or down, or even completly removed by you. I would tip for the two adults and then give money directly to the HAL Club staff as you see fit.

 

3) The food on HAL is much, much better than Carnival, and the soups might be the best of any venue. There will always be bland offerings and great offerings; if you choose wrong just order something else.

 

4) Now this is a touchy subject. Traveling with a six year old requires great logistics and care. My kids are beach addicts so we always needed to figure out a way to get them to the sand. Please post which islands that you are going visit and we can take them one by one.

 

5) Don't worry about how many kids are on the ship. If there are fewer kids it simply means a greater staff to kid ratio. Take the time to check out the games and puzzles that the HAL Club has available for you and your family to play. You can use your room or even the Explorers Cafe area.

 

Take the 11 day cruise, you will have a blast.

[OceanLiner]

Hi all, although I'm not the OP I have the same itinenary. A couple of you asked for the itinenary - here it is:

 

0 New York, New York 4:45 pm

1 At Sea

2 At Sea

3 Road Town, Tortola 3:00 pm 9:00 pm

4 St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. 7:00 am 5:00 pm

5 Roseau, Dominica 8:00 am 6:00 pm

6 Bridgetown, Barbados 8:00 am 5:00 pm

7 Philipsburg, St. Maarten 11:00 am 7:00 pm

8 San Juan, Puerto Rico 7:00 am 1:00 pm

9 At Sea

10 At Sea

11 New York, New York 8:00 am

 

I just noticed the itinerary and I can comment from first hand knowledge on the following:

 

4 - St Thomas - Meagans Bay is fantastic in every respect and should not be missed....but, do not do this on your own. St Thomas is under construction and the traffic is really, really bad. There is story after story of people going to Meagans Bay on their own and then being stranded having missed the ship do to traffic. Stay with a tour and the ship will know where you are. Also, there will be an option to go to St John. It is really beautiful but you will have limited beach time and it is more difficult on a 6 year old. Stick with a tour and go to Meagans Bay.

 

5 - Roseau - taxis here were flat out a nightmare, and the city is not so hot. Very poor and downtrodden. The island itself is stunning but is best seen with a tour. This might be a good day to hang out on the ship while in port which is pretty cool to do.

 

7 - St Maarten - this is our family favorite. Simply walk off the ship and go to the water taxi. It will take you across the port to the jetty in the middle of town. Coming off of the jetty take a left on the beach and ask for Vincent. He works the beach area right in front of the bars/cafes that line the beach. Give him a tip ($20) and he will set you up for the day. Nice beach, plenty of food and drink, GREAT people watching, and you can wander back and forth right into town. The best part is that your beach spot will be looking directly at your ship all day, and you are just minutes from home. One long extra note on St Maarten: the French side of the island contains Orient Beach which is really one of the greatest beaches in the world. It is simply stunning, and being nude, can be stunning both in the water and out. The problem with Orient Beach is that it is a bit of a ride and that while spectacular, the beach itself can be very difficult on little kids. The winds push the waves hard to the beach and the surf breaks right at the edge of the sand, which beats the little kids up. My kids loved it for about 60 minutes, and then they were exhausted. We took a taxi back to town where we accidently found Vincent and life was perfect! Also, look for the little Belgium Chocolatier in town. They are on a side street and it is worth finding, and directly across from them is a French bakery with great food.

 

Enjoy!

[Nevis]

You can call HAL to find out the number and breakdown of children on your cruise. The number is 888-541-1576.