Just Back From Noordam

[WeLoveCruising]

We’re just back from 10 marvelous days on the Noordam. I’ll start this review tonight, and post it in sections as I have time. I’ll be glad to answer any questions I can!

Background:

We’ve sailed HAL exclusively the past 10 or so years, and really enjoy the quiet atmosphere and excellent service. We’ve never had a bad cruise, but there are certain ships that just feel like we’re “coming home”. This was my first time sailing on the Noordam, but I can already tell she will be one of these “home” ships for us. Before sailing on the Noordam, I definitely preferred the S or R class ships over the Vistas. I cant say the Noordam changed my mind completely in favor of the Vistas, but I can say without a doubt I enjoyed the Noordam every bit as much as the Maasdam or Ryndam, which are my past favorites.

We boarded in NYC on 10/31 (Halloween). It was a lot of fun to see other passengers dressed in costumes for boarding, and it made for some laughs in the photo gallery. We stayed in an SA Suite near the Neptune Lounge. The suite was immaculately clean, and we were very happy with it, as well as our cabin steward. We know Claudine and Mila in the Neptune Lounge from prior cruises and were happy to see them again. The first night was our wedding anniversary, so we didn’t dress in costume, but enjoyed a nice dinner for two with a great bottle of champagne.

Many of us were concerned about Hurricane Noel as we boarded, and Captain Hans Mateboer announced that evening that we would be “full steam ahead” on a very Eastern course to do our best to get around it. They worked out an alternate itinerary that had our first three days at sea, with our first call at St Maarten. We ended up losing Tortola in the mix, but gaining time in each of the remaining ports. I heard one or two unhappy people, but it didn’t seem to bother most, and didn’t bother us at all.

The seas started to get rough Thursday evening. I’m lucky enough not to be bothered by them, but I know many people were. I think the ship handled it well….the Hotel Manager told us that the seas were 18-20 feet, and he confirmed that we got hit with a 25 foot wave around 4am (that definitely woke me up).

 

(more to follow….)

[sail7seas]

Welcome Back, WeLove....... So happy you had such a wonderful time on the beautiful Noordam. I knew you'd enjoy her. :)

 

Loved reading your first installment and will wait (not so patiently) to read more about your cruise.

 

Thanks for posting so soon......

 

[jhannah]

I can't help but agree with your impression of the Noordam. She's one fine ship! Glad you had a good time.

[mamaofami]

Sounds like you had a wonderful cruise. I can't wait to read the rest. I was at the pier today, probably after you disembarked, and took some pictures of the Noordam. There is a thread dwon a bit and you can see them. She sure looked grand!

[kakalina]

Welcome home. Can't wait to hear the rest of the story. . .

[WeLoveCruising]

We started our first sea day with breakfast at the Pinnacle Grill. It was nice, but I have to say that I prefer breakfast in the Lido. Fresh squeezed OJ is served on the Lido, but the PG (and room service) served a watered down from concentrate version which to me was undrinkable. We alternated the rest of the cruise between room service on our verandah, and going to the Lido.

After breakfast we did the iPod art tour, using our iPods and the podcast we downloaded before leaving. It was very interesting, and I’m so glad we did it. We learned not only about the pieces on the ship, but also on all the things HAL has to consider when displaying art at sea – ship movement, fading from light, humidity damage, etc. For example, most of the valuable pieces are stored behind special glass with fiber optic lights that don’t throw off heat. The tour was very easy to follow and we will make sure to do it on all our future ships.

After the iPod art tour, we met with our group of Cruise Critics in the Crow’s Nest (thanks Matt for setting it up). We were joined by Stan Kuppens, the Hotel Manager, and Trevor the Cruise Director. We had a nice turnout and I was glad to have met everyone. I couldnt help but notice all the fresh lillies in the Crow's Nest...you could smell them everywhere.

(more to follow, still unpacking :) )

[WeLoveCruising]

Sounds like you had a wonderful cruise. I can't wait to read the rest. I was at the pier today, probably after you disembarked, and took some pictures of the Noordam. There is a thread dwon a bit and you can see them. She sure looked grand!

 

I saw your pictures, they are great. Those people at the lifeboat drill are very lucky to be onboard for the next 11 days.

 

Coming in this morning, we were passing the Statue of Liberty around 5:45AM, as I watched wrapped up in a blanket on our balcony. Judging by all the camera flashes I saw going off I wasnt the only one awake that early. I think we docked around 6:30, and were off by 9am (if I could have only found a place to stowaway I would have...:D )

[WeLoveCruising]

Thermal Suite

We spent a good part of the day, as we would most days, in the thermal suite. I have to say that in all the times I’ve been in thermal suites on various ships, this was the only time it was a little crowded. There were a few times there were no ceramic loungers available. I know a few of us have been talking it up on this board lately, so maybe it’s becoming more popular? I’ll have to put a stop to that with a few subliminal public service announcements ;) . <The thermal suite is really bad, The thermal suite is not worth the money, Don’t go to the thermal suite> .

 

Of course I’m kidding….I love the thermal suite. I noticed a sign that asked guests not to spend more than 20 minutes in a ceramic lounger when there are other people waiting, but no one abided by that request. I also had to request several times the first few days that they add the aromatherapy to the steam rooms, though, and I didn’t think the staff did a great job on keeping up with that or the overflowing wet towels on the floor. I think someone must have complained because a few days later Stan Kuppens came in for what seemed to be a surprise inspection and an embarrassed spa manager. He was clearly displeased, and it immediately improved from that point forward.

 

I also saw a few things in the spa that I haven’t seen before, and hope not to see again. Oddly, there was a woman eating a cheeseburger in the locker room…sitting there in a bathing suit with her tray on the sink, eating a cheeseburger with onions that smelled up the whole room. There were also two ladies who took cans of coke and a bag of chips and ate them in the ceramic loungers while talking loudly the whole time. These were isolated incidents….we used the thermal suite every day and only saw these things once on a sea day.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

.............

 

I also saw a few things in the spa that I haven’t seen before, and hope not to see again. Oddly, there was a woman eating a cheeseburger in the locker room…sitting there in a bathing suit with her tray on the sink, eating a cheeseburger with onions that smelled up the whole room. There were also two ladies who took cans of coke and a bag of chips and ate them in the ceramic loungers while talking loudly the whole time. These were isolated incidents….we used the thermal suite every day and only saw these things once on a sea day.

 

Oy vay, like they didn't get enough to eat already in the Lido, the DR, the Terrace Grill, and room service?:eek:

 

Love your review, WeLoveCruising:) Very lively and full of wonderful detail! Thank you so much!

[mamaofami]

I've downloaded the art tour to my ipod too and can't wait to do it. Sounds very interesting.

[WeLoveCruising]

AYWDining

We had a table for two, fixed seating, upper level at 8pm. Even though we had fixed seating, I had on my Cruise Critic investigative hat to see what I could find out about open seating. From what I was told, the maximum number of pagers handed out per night was 5, and the maximum wait was 12 minutes and that was for a party of 10. I never saw lines, and most everyone I spoke to that had open seating seemed happy with it. In fact, many more people moved from fixed to open as the cruise went on. I met one lady from our CC group who was unhappy with the service the first night, but never did reconnect with her to see if it got any better. Before we left on our cruise I remember someone asking how the wine stewards know how to save leftover wine, or wine gifts for tables…and found out they are stored by your cabin number now. The Dining Room Manager told us that AYWD was a little rocky when it first started, but they had a process consultant come on board a month or so ago and things have really improved from there.

 

New Menus

As many have said, the new menus have three sections – starters, entrees, and desserts. We still ordered two “starters” if we wanted, ie soup and salad, and saw many others did as well. Most of the standard mainstay dishes are still on the menus, with a few new items. Each day had a pasta appetizer that could be ordered as an appetizer or a main entrée, and each day also had an main entrée portion salad of some type. I kept all of our menus, and later this week if I am really ambitious and blessed with some spare time I’ll try to scan them in (or retype them if I cant figure out the scanning).

 

Cellar Master

We are big wine drinkers, and enjoy getting to know the Cellar Master on our cruises. The Noordam has a wonderful young Romanian named Ovidiu Nica. Ovidiu is very knowledgeable about wine, and has a fun personality. We really enjoyed getting to know him. Sadly, he is leaving the Noordam after the next cruise to return to Romania. I really hope we get to sail with him again at some point.

 

Sommelier Dinner

Ovidiu hosted a special Sommelier Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill one night. It was a course by course wine pairing with explanations of each, and the cost was $69 per person. The evening started with champagne in the Pinnacle Bar, and with Ovidiu demonstrating a celebratory opening of a bottle of Dom Perignon with a sword. (Unfortunately Ovidiu was the only one drinking the Dom as we were all drinking the free stuff at that point). We sat with two other couples (one of whom I know reads these boards but doesn’t post….Hi, “T” from Arizona if you’re reading this). It was great fun and we would definitely do it again. Here is my recollection of the menu:

· Amuse of Foie Gras Pate with pears, paired with Taittinger Premier Rose Champagne

· Salad of Lobster Tail on mesclun greens, paired with Chateau St Michelle Chardonnay

· Red Pepper bisque paired with a Gerwuztraminer (cant recall which)

· Halibut paired with Caymus Conundrum

· Orange sorbet floating in Champagne for palate cleanser

· Filet with mushrooms paired with Cabernet (so much wine at this point, no hope to remember which!)

· Chocolate mousse, and the red wine was flowing freely J

[WeLoveCruising]

Entertainment

I cant say much in the way of entertainment, since we didn’t attend any of the shows. We spent one night with Ian McFarlane in the Piano Bar, and had a good time. He is a really likeable guy and the night we were there he was doing a tribute to Frank Sinatra, adding lots of interesting trivia.

 

Fellow Passengers

Being a ten day cruise during school season, the average age on this cruise definitely skewed older. We’re mid 40’s and it suits us just fine. We met some wonderful people onboard.

 

There was a “Bright Star” alert in the dining room on last formal night, and as it turned out it was unfortunately a very nice person we had met on the cruise. Luckily there was a fellow passenger at the next table who was a physician and he immediately jumped to the rescue. The medical team and officers were all tending to the patient within minutes, and the crew held up linens around the scene to give some privacy. There was a lot of concern in the dining room and they cancelled the Baked Alaska Parade. The Captain announced the following day that the patient was stable and doing ok, but I never did see the lovely couple again. When we spoke to them a few days earlier they told us how happy they were to be onboard. My DH and I were saying only earlier that day when we saw them in the Neptune Lounge how cute we thought they were. I really hope everything is OK.

 

What else have I left out? I’m sure I’ll think of something. It really was a great cruise and I cant wait to sail on the Noordam again.

[theodoron]

Thank you WeLove... The information you provided is great! We are looking forward to sharing the experience on the Noordam in a few weeks. We have not been on the Vista class so its exciting to hear about your experiences. We will download the iPod tour also. Welcome home :)

[RuthC]

Like you, I've always preferred the S-class ships, but think the Noordam is something special. :) Maybe next time (is there going to be a "next time"? :D ) I'll get to do the art tour. You made it sound worthwhile.

Glad you had such a good time. Thanks for checking in.

[WeLoveCruising]

For everyone interested in the iPod tour, I really hope you do it. It made us appreciate the ship even more (is that possible :D ?). We learned interesting things about the thought behind some of the items, color schemes, floors, ceilings, etc. The tour also pointed out some pieces from the old Noordam that we recognized, but would have missed on our own. It starts in the Explorations Cafe and takes under an hour to complete. It tells you when to pause the iPod and go to a new area of the ship, and is really easy to follow. There was only one time we couldnt figure out what it was describing....a painting in the Oak Room that I'm convinced just isnt in there...but other than that it was right on.

 

Joanne

[Jade13]

For everyone interested in the iPod tour, I really hope you do it. It made us appreciate the ship even more (is that possible :D ?). We learned interesting things about the thought behind some of the items, color schemes, floors, ceilings, etc. The tour also pointed out some pieces from the old Noordam that we recognized, but would have missed on our own. It starts in the Explorations Cafe and takes under an hour to complete. It tells you when to pause the iPod and go to a new area of the ship, and is really easy to follow. There was only one time we couldnt figure out what it was describing....a painting in the Oak Room that I'm convinced just isnt in there...but other than that it was right on.

 

Joanne

 

Thank you for the review. Our first time on the Noordam will be next summer. I did the ipod tour on the Westerdam (well I listened to it at the end of the cruise as I already knew it was made before drydock changes). I already have the Noordam tour downloaded.

[Fatfish]

Thank you WeLoveCruising for a wonderful review....We will be on the 12/12 sailing and wondering if we will be able to use our balcony on the first sea day or will it be too cold?

[sail7seas]

What a wonderful review, WeLove. Makes me yearn to cruise Noordam again NOW!!!

 

So happy you and DH had such great cruise.

We have never done the Sommelier Dinner but after your description, we might think about it. A lot of food and wine for me but I'm sure no one will force me to eat or drink it all. :)

 

Welcome Back. We missed you.

[JDOUGLEJ]

Enjoying your Noordam review very much. DW and I will be on board next March for same 10 day cruise. This will be our first on HAL ship and are anxiously waiting. Like every cruise we book I do extensive research because I want to know every possible way for us to enjoy that cruise. Therefore, I would greatly appreciate seeing the Noordam menus, dailies, and any other information I can find. Thanking you in advance, we look forward to being HAL cruisers too.:)

[WeLoveCruising]

What a wonderful review, WeLove. Makes me yearn to cruise Noordam again NOW!!!

 

So happy you and DH had such great cruise.

We have never done the Sommelier Dinner but after your description, we might think about it. A lot of food and wine for me but I'm sure no one will force me to eat or drink it all. :)

 

Welcome Back. We missed you.

 

Hi S7S

I'd like to say we're glad to be back, but I still wish I was onboard :)

 

The Sommelier dinner was alot of food, but most of it was tasting portions We were expecting very small tastes, because the Cellar Master told us the meal was more for wine education and fun rather than "filling your belly"....but the filet was a complete meal, the lobster was a full (but small) tail, and the halibut was a nice piece. We never finished everything on our plate.

 

JDOUGLEJ,

I'll post the menus later in the week (ugh, I'm on my way out the door to the airport right now for a business trip....the madness in my home never ends!) I should have them by Friday

[ekerr19]

Joanne-

 

Welcome back! So glad you had a fantastic time. Sonny & I love the Noordam too. Sorry to hear about the thermal suite though. Last time we were aboard it was pretty empty. I can't imagine anyone bringing food into the suite...:confused: big yuck!

 

We're looking forward to seeing you again on the Eurodam. :)

[winemistress45]

 

Cellar Master

We are big wine drinkers, and enjoy getting to know the Cellar Master on our cruises. The Noordam has a wonderful young Romanian named Ovidiu Nica. Ovidiu is very knowledgeable about wine, and has a fun personality. We really enjoyed getting to know him. Sadly, he is leaving the Noordam after the next cruise to return to Romania. I really hope we get to sail with him again at some point.

 

Sommelier Dinner

Ovidiu hosted a special Sommelier Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill one night. It was a course by course wine pairing with explanations of each, and the cost was $69 per person. The evening started with champagne in the Pinnacle Bar, and with Ovidiu demonstrating a celebratory opening of a bottle of Dom Perignon with a sword. (Unfortunately Ovidiu was the only one drinking the Dom as we were all drinking the free stuff at that point). We sat with two other couples (one of whom I know reads these boards but doesn’t post….Hi, “T” from Arizona if you’re reading this). It was great fun and we would definitely do it again. Here is my recollection of the menu:

· Amuse of Foie Gras Pate with pears, paired with Taittinger Premier Rose Champagne

· Salad of Lobster Tail on mesclun greens, paired with Chateau St Michelle Chardonnay

· Red Pepper bisque paired with a Gerwuztraminer (cant recall which)

· Halibut paired with Caymus Conundrum

· Orange sorbet floating in Champagne for palate cleanser

· Filet with mushrooms paired with Cabernet (so much wine at this point, no hope to remember which!)

· Chocolate mousse, and the red wine was flowing freely J

 

 

Thanks for this great information.

 

Okay, since I'm on the Zuiderdam how might this differ for me?

 

How do I get to know the cellar master right away -- will the master also be in the main dining room? Is it a good idea to ask to meet him at some point?

 

When did you find out about the date and time of the Sommelier Dinner...although I'm not a domestic chardonnay drinker (unless its unfiltered), it still interests me.

 

Did they give you just a sip or a regular pour with each course.

 

The dinner itself sounds divine, and I'd really enjoy that part, not so sure about the wine selections. Although I could definitely do the Tattinger and a really nice cabernet.

 

How did you feel about having a Gewurtz in the middle like that? Did it seem to work for you?

 

At this dinner is it limited to a certain number of people and do you dine with them or can you order the menu for instance if no one else at your table is doing it?

 

I know, I know, lots of questions.....thanks in advance for any info/opinions you may have!

[CDRMark]

Thanks so much for your thoughtful, informative and humourous review! Made me even more excited about our upcoming Noordam cruise.

Thanks again.

Cheers

Mark

[Studebaker59]

WeLoveCruising - Thanks so much for your report. We'll be on our first HAL cruise next month. :)

 

Are loaded iPods available on the Noordam for us to borrow for the art tour? We don't have an iPod.:(

 

What is the cost of sitting in the thermal suite?

 

Is there an extra charge for breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill? Is it the only

breakfast venue available other than the Lido?

 

Sorry if these questions seem silly, but they came to mind while reading your comments.:confused:

 

Thanks!

[Big Al B.]

Joanne, we couldn't find the picture in the Oak Room either. I was going to mention it when we returned our ipods, but forgot.