Back from the 1/27 Noordam sailing

[rps2004]

Just returned home. We had a nice time and the Noordam is a lovely ship. Had a very nice CC get together. Will post a full review shortly. Need to unpack first.

 

Richard

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thanks, RPS2004, looking forward to your review when you've had a chance to reacclimate to life on land. Congrats; your post seems to be one of the very few actually making it to the board this morning....

 

Karin

[waiting2retire]

Thanks Richard. Really looking forward to your report since we will be on the Noordam first time in November 07.

 

Bonnie

[waiting2retire]

Thanks Richard. Really looking forward to your report since we will be on the Noordam first time in November 07.

 

Bonnie

[waiting2retire]

Bump??

[sail7seas]

Welcome Home. So happy you had a good cruise on Noordam. We loved our cruise on her last month.

 

Eagerly looking forward to your review when you have the time.

 

[Samme]

I'm glad to read you've had a nice cruise. I'm eagerly waiting for your review and the details of your trip. We'll be on our first Hal cruise on the Noordam 3/21 sailing. I can't wait!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome Home.

 

Will be looking forward to your review.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Here we go again!! I have had trouble posting all afternoon.

[rps2004]

double post

[rps2004]

Here is my experience on the Noordam 1/27 sailing. Want to emphasize that we had a very enjoyable time on this lovely ship, even though HAL may not be the best fit for us. Would be glad to answer any questions.

Embarkation: This was a breeze for us, driving down from Peekskill, NY on a Saturday afternoon. We were informed on Friday night that the ship was going to be late and that boarding wouldn’t start until 5:30 or 6. Never following orders, we left the house at 3:15 and were at the second level bag drop by 4:15. Porter unloaded the car and took the bags in a NY minute. We were on the upper level at the parking garage by 4:20. We had to wait 10 minutes for the bomb sniffing dog and then parked right by the elevator and we’re downstairs on the short check in line by 4:40. We got a painfully slow agent, but were through to the next phase (boarding packet with room key) fairly quickly and on the ship by 5:15. Dropped our stuff in the room and headed for the dining room. The ship actually left around 9PM.

Cabin - We had a VD starboard toward the rear (4159). Very nice cabin. 16 year old granddaughter slept quite comfortably on the pull out loveseat. Enough storage for all of us.

 

Rough Seas – We were told that the reason the ship was late was because of rough seas on the way back. Well, they were still pretty darn rough going south on our cruise. At times we were being battered by hurricane force winds. Lots of green faces – and many people apparently stayed in their cabins for most of the first two days.

Emergency Diversion – We were diverted towards Norfolk so that a Coast Guard helicopter could meet us and take a stricken passenger off the boat. The exercise went smoothly, but, unfortunately we later got word that the passenger did not survive.

Lost Port – Because of the late start, the rough seas and the emergency diversion, we were unable to make Tortola, so we proceeded directly to St. Thomas, where we docked as scheduled.

Cruise Critic Get Together – We had a very nice get together on the first full day at sea. 46 of the 52 on our Roll Call showed up at the Crow’s Nest and were joined by the Captain, the Hotel Manager and the onboard Cruise Consultant. Light refreshments were provided. It was a very nice event.

Food – I consider myself somewhat of an authority on food. I consume great amounts of it (as my girth would suggest) and I have had the good fortune to eat in some very fine restaurants. Bottom line is that the food on the Noordam – both in the Vista and the Lido - was better than we have had on any of our previous cruises. I thought the daily menus were well done and that the food was well prepared and presented and almost universally tasty. There were a few misses (sirloin steak is a hard item to do in a large seating environment) but nobody is perfect.

Dress Code: I wore my tux 2 out of three nights (suit the other) and I was not alone. But there were a great many suits on formal night, as well. No real flagrant dress code violations.

 

Entertainment – This is cruise ship entertainment, but we enjoyed almost everything presented. The HAL Cats band was a very tight group and the singers and dancers were the best we’ve seen on a cruise ship. The Vista Lounge is state of the art and the sets were Broadway theater quality. The stage shows were lively and entertaining and the imported acts (ventriloquist, comedian, juggler, female singer, quick change artists) were very entertaining.

Activities – We knew going in that the Noordam was not intended to be a “Carnival” experience. It wasn’t. But, we would have preferred a bit more energy. Some of the crew indicated that our particular sailing was particularly quiet. In any event, Kory in the Piano Bar drew a lot of attention, although I found him a bit less friendly and talented than others of his ilk (say, Burt Stratton on the Caribbean Princess). Jazzy the DJ was sort of the “Camp Activities Counselor” and he was a lot of fun. I think that there what probably a fair amount of things to do on the ship, but they just did not jump out at you. This is probably a big plus for some, if not many, of the potential passengers for this ship. Jason Venner, the Cruise Director grew on us. He has a dry wit and works very hard to be in as many different places and events as he can be.

Demographics – No way around this – this was an old group. We are in our early sixties and we felt like kids. Lots of walkers, wheel chairs and scooters. And, virtually an ambulance at every port. Don’t get me wrong, older folks have every right to cruise. For me, however, having that many older people on board takes away from some of the collective vitality (party atmosphere) that I enjoy on a cruise. This does not mean that HAL needs to change. It simply means that HAL might not be the right choice for us at this point in our lives.

Ports - We toured Dominica and Barbados, not having been to either before. Booked off ship tours and were delighted with both. Stark contrasts here. Dominica is very poor, but lush and with interesting scenic attractions. Barbados is relatively affluent in parts, with gorgeous ocean vistas and extensive historic locales.

St. Marten and St. Thomas were beach and shopping stops. Went to Sapphire in St.Thomas ($10 pp taxi ride each way from the pier). Pretty and uncrowded, but with facilities. We had been there before, so felt comfortable with it. Ship docked in Crown Bay, on the other side of Charlotte Amalie from Havensight. New shops going up but not yet open. $4pp taxi to CA.

San Juan is just a garbage and fuel port. 7AM to 11 on a Sunday. Not much to do, but we took a walk.

Staff and Service – Not a difficult assessment, here. Simply the best service and friendliest staff we have experienced cruising. Thought people were joking on these boards when they talked about the staff remembering your name or carrying your trays and finding you tables. Just the most attentive service you could imagine. Don’t miss “Burt” Reynolds in the Lido. He’ll remember your name and sing you a song. Speaking of that, don’t miss the staff show. This sailing it was the Indonesian staff and it was very entertaining.

Ambience – A lovely and elegant ship. Beautiful and understated.

Facilities – Great Spa and Gym. Hydrotherapy Pool and Thermal Suites are great and a deal at $30/day.

The main pool area is very nice and there was no problem in getting a chair or a table or getting in to a hot tub. Nice aft pool, as well.

Pet Peeves – The main smoking area is the Sports Bar. I am an ex smoker and don’t want to take that right away from smokers. But, I don’t want to breathe it either. Problem is that the Sports Bar is an open venue and the only way to walk from the dining room to the showroom is right past it. Could have been designed better. Not the smokers’ fault, but definitely not a pleasant experience.

On Deck for the Cure – HAL is a corporate sponsor of the Komen Center’s breast cancer walk. They provided music, shirts and wrist bands and a nice morning fruit and refreshment layout. Even sent down a trainer to take us through the warm up. We suggested that they could have publicized it more, but they did make it special. And the Cruise Director, Jason, was right there with us.

Arriving Back in NY - Took a middle spot and we were called by 9:40. Gave a porter a nice tip and he loaded our six bags and took them right up to the parking level and loaded the car for us. We were home by 11!!

 

All in all, we had a very nice time, but will probably explore other venues for now, due to the demographics. Having said that, there were so many pleasant memories, that we are sure to keep an open mind.

My thanks to all on the HAL board who have provided so much helpful information during my time on this board.

Richard

[cruisinbulldog]

Hello rps2004.. Thank you for posting this reveiw.. Got home approx. 11:30 myself.. Temp 18 and 3" of snow on the ground..Welcome back from paradise..

 

Hard to believe the DW and I were having dinner last night in the PC grill, and tonight we are scrounging the kitchen for tonights meal..:rolleyes:

 

More later, Bulldog

[NoNoNanette]

Welcome home, Bulldog! Looking forward to hearing how everything went! Are you a Kabuli fan? ;)

[cruisinbulldog]

Hello NNN.. The topless deck was in full swing:rolleyes: .. Yes on the Kabuli :D .. Levi was A#1, more on that later..

 

Trying to unpack/laundry..

 

Bulldog

[madelinerose]

Thank you so much for the review!

 

Hmmmm, my inlaws are in their late 60's -early 70's and say they sometimes feel like youngsters on HAL ships. I wonder what will be the demographic on our December cruise?

 

I see pics of Brian, Greg, Sunshine, etc. etc. and I know they are all younger than me, but I always read differently about the demographics. Guess I'll just have to find out for myself or I'll just have to start cruising with the gang from the Noordam inaugural cruise! ;)

 

Karen

[SusieCruisie]

Thank you so much for the review! We will be sailing on the next voyage out on the 17th. I am hoping things will be a bit more lively, due to the fact of the holiday week. :)

[rps2004]

Hello NNN.. The topless deck was in full swing:rolleyes:

Bulldog

Dog: For all the times we ran into each other and had those nice little chats - you couldn't have given me a heads up on this?

[mpduquaine]

What kind of toiletries were given in the rooms on the Noordam? Was it Elemis like on the other Holland Ships! Just wondering, so I don't have to pack all the extra stuff. Thanks

[shirleygr]

Thanks for the review. We leave in 9 days. Not that I'm counting or anything. :rolleyes:

DH and I are both in our mid 40's so this should be interesting if you felt like a youngster on this ship. As Susie said (hi, Susie), hoping for a somewhat livelier atmosphere since this is a school vacation week.

The service and food sound truly wonderful. Can't wait to experience this for myself. Just hoping we have somewhat smoother seas on our sailing.

[happy cruzer]

I thought your review was just great. I could get a very good idea of your experience.

 

If your biggest concern is the demographics, and everything else was the best, especially best food. I think I would stick with HAL. The demographics can vary alot from cruise to cruise, ship to ship. The oldest demographics I have experienced was a South America cruise on Princess.

But the demographics don't rate high in my book. Just thought I would add a different perspective. Now if your biggest concern was children or teens running amuk and knocking people down and ruining the pools and entertainment that would get my attention. But an older crowd with EVERYTHING else first rate. I'd keep trying that line for the perfect cruise.:)

 

And you got to drive to the pier! WOW!

[cruisinbulldog]

The demographics was one of the reasons I chose this cruise.. It was in between the christmas holidays and spring break.. It was a 11 day cruise.. Known for older crowds..

 

DW and I are 47yrs. in age.. We knew what we were getting into as far as age group.. We had one HA cruise before and it rated very high on our list.. This cruise went to the top!!:D

 

We did not come on this cruise to be intertained.. We came on to relax, and this was the perfect setting.. We made our own intertainment with the help of a few bartenters, these guys are the best..:rolleyes:

 

We also meet other couples/singles that were in the same mind set as we were.. Some of them we hope to see again, we formed some great freindships..

 

The point is educate yourself on the type of cruise line you are booking and see if it meets your requirements..

 

Bulldog

[Roz]

Richard,

 

Great review! Well written and balanced. I want to echo what Happy Cruzer and Bulldog posted. The demographics on my HAL cruises have been all over the map.

 

On my 10-day Volendam cruise last November, I'd say the average age was around 55. On one of my Alaskan cruises, I was definitely a child. Average age was probably in the 70s.

 

You may or may not be able to find the same level of food, service, and ambience on a ship or cruise line catering to younger people.

 

Maybe try a 7-day HAL cruise during a non-kid time of the year.

 

Roz

[u4ea]

Greetings fellow CCers. I too have just returned from this fantastic cruise. Thanks to Richard for the get together, it was great despite the heavy seas. I’ll share some of my thoughts from my warped mind. (some may call it an LSD induced schizophrenia );)

I share Richard’s thoughts on the review, although I’d say it was the usual number of elderly. I’ve seen more on longer journeys, but IMO it keeps the crowds down esp at night. Every cruise is different too, and HAL works hard to appeal to all.

The food was really good, and most reflected that opinion, I was at a table for 10 and everybody raved. Had a great table too, it changed after the first night with 5 leaving and 7 newcomers. All the newcomers said they were glad they changed tables. The cookies in the Lido were different, and not as good though. They were appropriately described as being like “smashed muffins”. There were some long lines in the Lido too, especially at the ice cream, it could take as long as 10 minutes. Try to avoid the crowds.

 

My cabin and steward were great as usual. Inside deck 7 aft. Good A/C, bed, all that. Mini bar fridge opened in heavy seas at night and the contents flew out!

Once in the Caribbean, the weather was fantastic, and the island calls were wonderful. Dominica being the highlight with its paradisiacal beauty.

The ship is beautiful although starting to show a little wear. I still prefer R/S class for their size. Staff and entertainment were generally great in a nutshell.

Late embarkation was handled well, all received $25 OBC for missing lunch. Disembarkation (participating in this was my biggest mistake) was cold traffic control. No thank you or good bye from any staff. Unlike what I have experience in the past. (welcome to New York right?):rolleyes:

 

For all those on upcoming journeys, I wish you the best. There will likely be irritations, don’t let it get to you. I repeat, don’t let it get to you! Despite the façade of utopia, ship happens. There were some rude staff and even more rude guests. My tablemate was a victim of theft. Her jewelry was taken from her cabin safe. PLEASE NOTE: I DON’T KNOW THE DETAILS, PLEASE DO NOT SPECULATE! All I know is that it was reported, and security was involved. I did not ask the value, but it included a black pear necklace. It was enough to get insurance companies involved. As you know, crime is a growing problem in the cruise industry. Be careful all.

 

HAL has a great style of cruising and is VERY affordable. Also the simple things and little experiences bring the greatest pleasure. Meeting diverse people, seeing happy folks arm in arm, passing through the Gulf stream in the cold with the “Swan Lake effect” on the water. Watching the boiling sea in the Lido. Rainbows over Dominica. The last day I saw some kids playing cards using pillow chocolates as gaming chips (sacrilege to RuthC?), and things like that. Thanks to HAL for another great cruise, and I want to go back very soon. :)

Peace ya’ll,

Mark…

[sail7seas]

So happy you had a great Noordam cruise. She truly is a fantastic ship with an amazing crew, isn't she!@#$%^&!#@#@!

 

 

And we totally agree about the wonderful dining room experience. EXCELLENT in all ways in our opinion.

 

Happy the weather was fine in the islands for you after the rough ride getting there and the late embarkation.

 

A great attitude obviously carried you through didn't stop you from enjoying your cruise.

 

Welcome Back.

[sail7seas]

Sorry........

 

Still plagued I see.