Noordam Staterooms - Has this happend to you?

[2kitties]

My husband and I stayed on the Navigation deck, just under the pool in the rear of the ship. From morning to night, all you heard were chairs and tables being moved, just above your head. I told my husband one day, I felt like screaming. When they were going to wash the deck down one night, they had to move everything. It sounded like a freight train going across our ceiling. I finally went upstairs and demonstrated to the men how to pick up furniture and move it without making any noise. After that it was very quiet. How do you train passengers to do the same thing? :confused: When building a ship, do they use any sound proofing materials between floors? Also I checked out the tips on the legs of the chairs to see if something could be done. Apparently it isn't so much the chairs causing the noise problem, but the teak floor that squeek.

 

Apparently flushing toilet while in port can be a problem. We had it happen to us twice and others complained about the same thing. You push the white button behind the lid, but nothing happens. I heard it just happens while in port. Does the ship turn off the toilets when the ship is docked?

 

The taste of water in your stateroom was like drinking from a rusty pipe? The first time I took a sip, it was horrible. Now I know why they are able to sell a lot of bottled water in the rooms.

 

It was a lot of fun trying to dry my hair. I plugged in one of their blow dryers. One hand was used to hold the dryer, but the other one is needed to hold the plug in the wall, or it would fall out.

 

There were some tricks watching TV too. If certain buttons were not pushed in a particular order, you would have to cut off the video portion, but the sound was just fine. I had to have some one come look at ours. He tried figured out why it didn't work, but couldn't. Said he would have to send someone else over to check it out. After he left, I fiddled around the remote controls and I was able to bring back the picture. I have to admit, I liked some of the old shows on a couple of their stations, but by the end of the cruise, I got tired of watching Green Acres and Gilligan's Island. It was almost like watching TVLand.

 

I learned thing from this cruise I took on the Noordam from March 10-21, 2007, never book a room on the Navigation deck under where the pools are located unless you are at least partially deaf.

[Lynne Myrna]

You are so right....we were on this past Christmas, we were upgraded to the navigation deck #8021 aft....all we heard were chairs being moved about, late at night...I'm guessing that they were cleaning up. This time we booked on the upper promenade....mid ship. We brought our own water with us, but any time we used the ship water, it was fine.

 

Lynne

[cinann]

My husband and I just stayed on the Navigation Deck on the Westerdam, aft cabin 8129 which was right in the middle, right below the pool. We didn't have any problems with noise, trash or water coming down when they washed the deck. I was usually in our cabin by 8:00 at night and we spent the last three days in the cabin due to illness, we still weren't bother by any noise from above. We used to stay on the Main Deck-on the Maasdam and Volendam and we often heard noise from the Promenade deck above. Before we booked this cruise I worried that it would be noisy. Sorry to hear about your trouble.

 

Cindy

[Spinner2]

Hi, 2kitties, we must have been neighbors on the Noordam Mch 10 cruise! We too had a cabin in the area where you were, 8141, right at the center line. We ate breakfast, and often lunch, on our verandah on most days and usually went out to just sit, look at the sky and enjoy the verandah after the latenight activities wound down and we never once heard scraping chairs. Our hearing's fine! Guess there's a lot of variation from cabin to cabin. Maybe by the time we came in from second dinner and activities after they were done moving stuff.

 

A few paper napkins did blow down on the verandah but that was all.

 

We sort of had that TV-thingie; called the front desk who suggested we unplug and replug in the set; that solved it and it didn't happen again.

 

Water tasted ok too, but almost all water tastes good to me.

[jtl513]

We had none of the problems you experienced on the Noordam. We were in 8010, which was not under the aft pool deck of course, but we heard no noise from the gym above us.

 

Of course they will not shut off the toilets when in port, or any other time, unless they are working on the system because someone flushed something they shouldn't have. We had a few hours of "down time" on both the Amsterdam and Veendam because of that, but not on either Vista.

 

Tap water tasted fine to us, and we usually refilled water bottles for taking ashore.

 

we were upgraded to the navigation deck #8021 aft....

I assume you meant 8121?

[rocks]

Hi!

Anyone ever stay in #8094 on the Nav. deck? It is one of those where the balcony is extended out from the others. We are booked in that cabin for our Noordam cruise in Oct.

Any info would be appreciated!:)

Pat

[bepsf]

2Kitties--

 

Did you choose your specific stateroom, or did you take a guarantee?

I hate to say, but IMO your compliant is one of those "You shoulda done your homework" issues, as this is something that nearly every article that discusses cruising and how to choose a stateroom addresses in detail.

 

As far as your other compliants - No, I cannot say that I've ever experienced poor tasting water aboard ship or non-flushing toilets while in port. *Did you address this while you were still aboard?

 

And as for electrical plugs that fall out of the recepticle - all one has to do (whether on a cruise or at home) is to use your finger to bend the plug prongs apart slightly - it gives a bit more friction to keep it in the socket...

 

Sorry that those were the things you remember most about your cruise...

[hammybee]

Your description of the antics necessary to watch TV in your cabin reminded me of watching TV as a kid and often having to stand in a certain place and twist the antenna just so, so that watching TV took physical effort. And I have just seriously dated myself.

 

I am sorry to hear of the noise above your cabins. There are several posts on this topic ,on this ship. You live and learn and probably saved someone else the agony you experienced. So your good deed for the day is done . Go have some ice cream. You deserve it. :)

[caribbean girl]

So sorry about all the problems with the noise. We were in the Noordam this Feb. and had no noise problems at all. I can see how this would make one's trip a disappointment.

[2kitties]

You are so right....we were on this past Christmas, we were upgraded to the navigation deck #8021 aft....all we heard were chairs being moved about, late at night...I'm guessing that they were cleaning up. This time we booked on the upper promenade....mid ship. We brought our own water with us, but any time we used the ship water, it was fine.

 

Lynne

Hi Lynne,

 

It reached the point that the noise above was starting to drive me crazy. I'm surprised my husband didn't fly me back and check me into a mental hospital. <hehe>

[2kitties]

My husband and I just stayed on the Navigation Deck on the Westerdam, aft cabin 8129 which was right in the middle, right below the pool. We didn't have any problems with noise, trash or water coming down when they washed the deck. I was usually in our cabin by 8:00 at night and we spent the last three days in the cabin due to illness, we still weren't bother by any noise from above. We used to stay on the Main Deck-on the Maasdam and Volendam and we often heard noise from the Promenade deck above. Before we booked this cruise I worried that it would be noisy. Sorry to hear about your trouble.

 

Cindy

Maybe the builder of the Westerdam did a better job of constructing the ship. We were in 8127, which would have been in the same general area as the room you were given.

[2kitties]

Hi, 2kitties, we must have been neighbors on the Noordam Mch 10 cruise! We too had a cabin in the area where you were, 8141, right at the center line. We ate breakfast, and often lunch, on our verandah on most days and usually went out to just sit, look at the sky and enjoy the verandah after the latenight activities wound down and we never once heard scraping chairs. Our hearing's fine! Guess there's a lot of variation from cabin to cabin. Maybe by the time we came in from second dinner and activities after they were done moving stuff.

 

A few paper napkins did blow down on the verandah but that was all.

 

We sort of had that TV-thingie; called the front desk who suggested we unplug and replug in the set; that solved it and it didn't happen again.

 

Water tasted ok too, but almost all water tastes good to me.

We were in 8127. If you were located just under the dining area, I guess that you wouldn't be affected by the noise problem. There is carpeting there that would reduce the sound of noise. You wouldn't hear people dragging the chairs across a wooden floor.

 

So you had problems too with your TV. That is good that we were not the only ones.

[Spinner2]

We were directly under the aft deck--we could look up and see anyone that might be standing at the rail above us. Probably there isn't much moveable furniture on the deck above that close to the back railing. I guess from what others are saying that's not considered a desirable area for one's cabin but we thought it was just about perfect and would take that space again anytime.

 

The TV issue was too insignificant to worry about in our case. One quick call to the desk; they told us what to do; whole thing solved in less than a minute. It only happened once.

[2kitties]

We had none of the problems you experienced on the Noordam. We were in 8010, which was not under the aft pool deck of course, but we heard no noise from the gym above us.

 

Of course they will not shut off the toilets when in port, or any other time, unless they are working on the system because someone flushed something they shouldn't have. We had a few hours of "down time" on both the Amsterdam and Veendam because of that, but not on either Vista.

 

Tap water tasted fine to us, and we usually refilled water bottles for taking ashore.

 

I assume you meant 8121?

Wish we could have had your room, no noise and working plumbing.

[2kitties]

2Kitties--

 

Did you choose your specific stateroom, or did you take a guarantee?

I hate to say, but IMO your compliant is one of those "You shoulda done your homework" issues, as this is something that nearly every article that discusses cruising and how to choose a stateroom addresses in detail.

 

As far as your other compliants - No, I cannot say that I've ever experienced poor tasting water aboard ship or non-flushing toilets while in port. *Did you address this while you were still aboard?

 

And as for electrical plugs that fall out of the recepticle - all one has to do (whether on a cruise or at home) is to use your finger to bend the plug prongs apart slightly - it gives a bit more friction to keep it in the socket...

 

Sorry that those were the things you remember most about your cruise...

This was our 8th cruise. Previously we picked our stateroom and had no problem. On the Noordam cruise, we opted to let Holland America select one. I know it was a mistake now. My husband spends hours on this bb, but never posts anything.

 

We addressed the flushing problem immediately. As for the water, nothing was every mentioned. Instead we drank bottled water that I purchased in the room and the coke we brought abroard the ship.

 

I doubt moving the prongs on the dryer would fixed it. What I discovered was that prongs were smaller then the holes in the outlet.

 

We just won't pick rooms on the navigation deck again. You live and learn from your mistakes.

[2kitties]

Your description of the antics necessary to watch TV in your cabin reminded me of watching TV as a kid and often having to stand in a certain place and twist the antenna just so, so that watching TV took physical effort. And I have just seriously dated myself.

 

I am sorry to hear of the noise above your cabins. There are several posts on this topic ,on this ship. You live and learn and probably saved someone else the agony you experienced. So your good deed for the day is done . Go have some ice cream. You deserve it. :)

Until a few years ago, I still used those rabbit ears. Finally switched over to cable. It makes all the difference in the world. It brings back old memories.

 

You are right, hopefully I saved someone else the same situation we faced. I will say one thing, I loved the ice cream on the Noordam. Had to have a waffle cone every day.

[2kitties]

We were directly under the aft deck--we could look up and see anyone that might be standing at the rail above us. Probably there isn't much moveable furniture on the deck above that close to the back railing. I guess from what others are saying that's not considered a desirable area for one's cabin but we thought it was just about perfect and would take that space again anytime.

 

The TV issue was too insignificant to worry about in our case. One quick call to the desk; they told us what to do; whole thing solved in less than a minute. It only happened once.

In the aft of the ship were chaise lounge chairs. They were all lined up in a row. I can't imagine people dragging them any where. They would have no place to move them, except maybe a few inches. The problem was where the tables and chairs were located. Passengers would sit down and would have to move the chairs back and forth. I went upstairs was testing to see what would happen when a chair was moved. That is how I discovered the problem.

 

When I called the purser's office, they told me the same thing, unplug the TV and plug it in again. Neither the room stewart nor myself could reach the cord. I guess our arms were too short.

[Ella2]

I finally went upstairs and demonstrated to the men how to pick up furniture and move it without making any noise.

 

OH, I only wish I had thought of that! :D NOT on the Noordam, have not had that issue on a HAL ship, but HAVE had that issue MANY times before on other ships...and as others have noted, I now know NOT to book under a pool/Lido deck, or if I must, I look VERY closely at what is above me. I'm a VERY light sleeper and many cruises I have been practically comatose from lack of sleep, due to noises overhead. I think your idea was brilliant!

[2kitties]

I doubt that anyone had ever approached these guys about the right way to move furniture. The next day I went upstairs to get some coffee. Happened to run into their supervisor. I explained to him about the noise that can echo in the rooms below. He state he would talk to him. I also went on to say that once I showed them the correct way to move the tables, but especially the chairs, they were very cooperative. I'm like you, a very light sleeper. I like to take naps. It is hard to do so under these conditions. Sometimes you have to put on your thinking cap to come up with brilliant ideas. If you are mad at the time, it helps. <hehehe>

 

P.S. I was extremely nice to the guys about moving furniture, even though I was upset for what they are doing. You can catch more flies with honey then with vinegar.

[Islandbuoy]

All the cruise lines are glad to "upgrade" you to the "bad rooms"(near the anchor-near the thrusters, under the pool etc) It's stopped us from taking guarantees.We pick our rooms.

 

Have experienced the "water shutoff' many times in port on HAL ships!!Most recently the Prinsendam.

[2kitties]

We have learned our lesson about letting the cruise lines pick our room. They upgraded us from a VF to VA. We thought the location was great. Just down the hallway to the elevators, close to Lido and Vista Dining. Never thought in a million years there would be any problem. I guess Holland America thinks that there are lot of elderly people (50+) who's hearing is going bad and they would never hear anything around them.

 

Do you have any idea what their guest relations is like, Jerry?

[BruceMuzz]

Your dilemma is the perfect reason why there are qualified travel agents out there to help you arrange your travel.

A good travel agent who specializes in cruises would have steered you away from that cabin - as well as the cabins near the gymnasium, disco, and show lounge.

Since a good agent costs no more than doing it youself, why not let the agent do it for you next time?

[Cruisedelight]

My husband and I stayed on the Navigation deck, just under the pool in the rear of the ship. From morning to night, all you heard were chairs and tables being moved, just above your head. I told my husband one day, I felt like screaming. When they were going to wash the deck down one night, they had to move everything. It sounded like a freight train going across our ceiling. I finally went upstairs and demonstrated to the men how to pick up furniture and move it without making any noise. After that it was very quiet. How do you train passengers to do the same thing? :confused: When building a ship, do they use any sound proofing materials between floors? Also I checked out the tips on the legs of the chairs to see if something could be done. Apparently it isn't so much the chairs causing the noise problem, but the teak floor that squeek.

 

Apparently flushing toilet while in port can be a problem. We had it happen to us twice and others complained about the same thing. You push the white button behind the lid, but nothing happens. I heard it just happens while in port. Does the ship turn off the toilets when the ship is docked?

 

The taste of water in your stateroom was like drinking from a rusty pipe? The first time I took a sip, it was horrible. Now I know why they are able to sell a lot of bottled water in the rooms.

 

It was a lot of fun trying to dry my hair. I plugged in one of their blow dryers. One hand was used to hold the dryer, but the other one is needed to hold the plug in the wall, or it would fall out.

 

There were some tricks watching TV too. If certain buttons were not pushed in a particular order, you would have to cut off the video portion, but the sound was just fine. I had to have some one come look at ours. He tried figured out why it didn't work, but couldn't. Said he would have to send someone else over to check it out. After he left, I fiddled around the remote controls and I was able to bring back the picture. I have to admit, I liked some of the old shows on a couple of their stations, but by the end of the cruise, I got tired of watching Green Acres and Gilligan's Island. It was almost like watching TVLand.

 

I learned thing from this cruise I took on the Noordam from March 10-21, 2007, never book a room on the Navigation deck under where the pools are located unless you are at least partially deaf.

We were on the Zuiderdam and had this same problem under the pool area. All night it sounded like they were throwing chairs and tables. We complained the first day after the noise to noavail. The next night I called the front desk and complained. Still nothing. The third day we saw the captain in the elevator and he asked how we liked the cruise and guess what? No more chair noise.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We always stay in suites and we are very careful which cabin we book so as to avoid being under the pool area. It can be very noisy all day long.

 

As for toilets not working while you were in port, never has happened to us on any of the R, S or Vista class ships that we have been on.

[Orcrone]

All the cruise lines are glad to "upgrade" you to the "bad rooms"(near the anchor-near the thrusters, under the pool etc) It's stopped us from taking guarantees.We pick our rooms.

 

Have experienced the "water shutoff' many times in port on HAL ships!!Most recently the Prinsendam.

Sometimes the cruise line will 'upgrade' your room, even if you have an assignment. I tell my TA to put in my reservation that I don't want an upgrade for that reason.