Noordam Entertainment

Hello All,

My husband and I are fairly new to cruising and we are thinking of doing a Transpacific next year from Vancouver to Sydney. We have been looking at the Noordam as the dates suit our other travels. On our other cruises (3 in total) we have had fantastic cruise directors, comedians, adults only comedy nights and silly "game" shows involving the passengers etc as well as the fantastic dance crews. We spent a lot of time laughing especially at the antics of the cruise directors. I am wondering if this is what we would expect on the Noordam? From what I have read it is a more "traditional" cruise line with a library and a games room and I can't seem to find much else. I have read they used to have a dancing with the stars which we would have loved but have decided to not do this any more? Also is there a variety of music for different age levels or is the ship targeted more towards retirees? We are definitely not into any hard sell "seminars" e.g. fix your back, podiatry, teeth whitening, reduce your wrinkles etc etc. Any info would be fantastic.

Did this cruise last year but from Honolulu to Sydney on the Noordam. There was no Dancing with the Stars. There were some guest lectures, a comedian and a singer and a magician plus a few shows by the ship dancers. They under utilised the magician, comedian (he was great) and the singer who sat around for almost 2 weeks and did just two solo shows and one joint one. The Cruise Director was a young guy who did trivia but don't recall much of anything else. They had a Hawaiian group who sang, danced and played the ukulele. They ran ukulele and dance lessons - DW learnt the ukulele. Some of the ports were a bit average (Noumea and Vila) but we loved the small islands. Maui was great - make sure you check out the Hard Rock Cafe and Fleetwoods (we are pub people and a few hours in Mick Fleetwood's bar was a true highlight for us). In Pago Pago we jumped on a "chicken bus" that was empty and he took us for an hour and half tour for $5 each - in the end we asked him to takes us back as he showed no sign of stopping (we should have got dropped off at the Barefoot Bar but we made a bad call and went back to town and missed a good opportunity).

Five sea days in a row was a bit much for me but DW thought it was good. Overall had a great time and met some real characters (more so than on our other 3 cruises).

Hello All,

 

My husband and I are fairly new to cruising and we are thinking of doing a Transpacific next year from Vancouver to Sydney. We have been looking at the Noordam as the dates suit our other travels. On our other cruises (3 in total) we have had fantastic cruise directors, comedians, adults only comedy nights and silly "game" shows involving the passengers etc as well as the fantastic dance crews. We spent a lot of time laughing especially at the antics of the cruise directors. I am wondering if this is what we would expect on the Noordam? From what I have read it is a more "traditional" cruise line with a library and a games room and I can't seem to find much else. I have read they used to have a dancing with the stars which we would have loved but have decided to not do this any more? Also is there a variety of music for different age levels or is the ship targeted more towards retirees? We are definitely not into any hard sell "seminars" e.g. fix your back, podiatry, teeth whitening, reduce your wrinkles etc etc. Any info would be fantastic.

Fantastic Cruise Directors, NO, Comedian(Singular) Adults only comedy nights NO, Silly "game" shows, NO. Library and Game room reduced to a corner in Crow's Nest. Fix your back, feet, teeth whitening, spa treatments, Art auctions, Gemstone Seminars in abundance, virtually anything you can think of, to separate you from your wallet Rarely is there any choice between one entertainment venue or another. it's this or nothing i.e. BBC Frozen Planet presentation or nothing.

I believe HAL's attraction today is good Itineraries, good food, and very good and friendly ship's crew. !

On board entertainment, enrichment lectures, alternative activities, is not their forte.

Did this cruise last year but from Honolulu to Sydney on the Noordam. There was no Dancing with the Stars. There were some guest lectures, a comedian and a singer and a magician plus a few shows by the ship dancers. They under utilised the magician, comedian (he was great) and the singer who sat around for almost 2 weeks and did just two solo shows and one joint one. The Cruise Director was a young guy who did trivia but don't recall much of anything else. They had a Hawaiian group who sang, danced and played the ukulele. They ran ukulele and dance lessons - DW learnt the ukulele. Some of the ports were a bit average (Noumea and Vila) but we loved the small islands. Maui was great - make sure you check out the Hard Rock Cafe and Fleetwoods (we are pub people and a few hours in Mick Fleetwood's bar was a true highlight for us). In Pago Pago we jumped on a "chicken bus" that was empty and he took us for an hour and half tour for $5 each - in the end we asked him to takes us back as he showed no sign of stopping (we should have got dropped off at the Barefoot Bar but we made a bad call and went back to town and missed a good opportunity).

 

Five sea days in a row was a bit much for me but DW thought it was good. Overall had a great time and met some real characters (more so than on our other 3 cruises).

Thank you so much for all of this fantastic information - this is exactly what I am looking for. By the way how was the weather? Was it pretty smooth crossing the big ocean? We have only done some short cruises close to Australia and Pac islands? I agree with you re Noumea and Vila - we have been to both of these but not the other stops. I am really trying to work out if this is the best ship for us. Thanks again :-)

Fantastic Cruise Directors, NO, Comedian(Singular) Adults only comedy nights NO, Silly "game" shows, NO. Library and Game room reduced to a corner in Crow's Nest. Fix your back, feet, teeth whitening, spa treatments, Art auctions, Gemstone Seminars in abundance, virtually anything you can think of, to separate you from your wallet Rarely is there any choice between one entertainment venue or another. it's this or nothing i.e. BBC Frozen Planet presentation or nothing.

I believe HAL's attraction today is good Itineraries, good food, and very good and friendly ship's crew. !

On board entertainment, enrichment lectures, alternative activities, is not their forte.

Wow thanks for taking the time to pass on all of this fantastic information. The little bit I have read about HAL and this ship is exactly what you are saying. We love to have a bit of a laugh - for example on our last cruise we attended the Cruise director's "trivia" just to watch as it was so hilariously funny. Name that tune - again hilarious. Karaoke - fantastic and fun. Bands/singers at different bars/lounges offered a variety of entertainment. We love a good acoustic guitar player/singer but really just love a variety of music. As it is such a long cruise (for us) I am just trying to work out if this is the boat for us. I should also say we are in our 50's and my parents who will be with us for part of the cruise are in their 80's. Thank you again for your post.

Hi- having only sailed HAL to Alaska (aboard the Noordam, back in late May of this year), and having sailed a variety of other cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Disney, Celebrity, and Carnival), I will say that my husband and I found the entertainment options aboard the Noordam on our trip to be decidedly lacking.

For context, we are 30 and 36 years old and have always found plenty of activities to observe and/or participate in on various other cruise lines. We loved the lectures and enrichment activities on Celebrity, but also have plenty of fun dancing and listening to music on Royal and Carnival. In short: we just like to feel like we have options for entertainment while aboard the ship, and we really struggled to find things to do on Noordam.

We did really enjoy the entertainment at the blues club, but found it to be packed to the gills every night, so it did require a bit of effort and showing up early to get a good seat (I suspect that this is because it was one of the few strong entertainment offerings). The coffee shop in the Explorations Lounge is a nice area as well, and we spent a couple of hours there over the course of our cruise.

I mean, a cruise is a cruise, so it's not like we were miserable or anything. I wanted to chime in here on your question because we had heard similar things before we took this cruise, and decided to go into it with a positive attitude and open mind hoping that some of what we had heard about the limited entertainment options was an exaggeration, but unfortunately I would say the negative reviews in this area were fairly accurate as far as we were concerned. Of course others' mileage may (and will) vary.

Thank you so much for all of this fantastic information - this is exactly what I am looking for. By the way how was the weather? Was it pretty smooth crossing the big ocean? We have only done some short cruises close to Australia and Pac islands? I agree with you re Noumea and Vila - we have been to both of these but not the other stops. I am really trying to work out if this is the best ship for us. Thanks again :-)

Weather was great, short sleeves/shorts all the way but cooled down a bit as we got close to Sydney. Sea was calm as well until we got close to sydney,- had a couple of days of rock n roll and we had a cabin way up the front on level 10 without any issues (we don't mind the swell rocking the ship).

Have since remembered the cruise director organised a silly games olympics over 5 or 6 sea days - folks who joined in clearly had a laugh (wished we had got involved early on).

We did a snorkeling excursion in Vila and a tour to a village in Suva(the latter was areal highlight). Wished we had done more snorkeling,particularly on the small islands.

And don't be shy in trying the Kava, particularly on the islands if you come across a group of men in a circle passing the bowl around. Its the real thing, not watered down like on excursions and they are more than happy for you (guys and girls) to just walk up, say high and share a bowl. Its not great tasting but you gotta try it and its like beer, one does no damage a few gives you a bit of a buzz, not sure what happens if get stuck into it.

We were on the Noordam in June on an Alaskan cruise and while the itinerary was great, the crew was great and the food pretty good, we found the entertainment very lacking. We really liked the piano bar guy, he was great, and the BB King band was also good....but other than that we had a very difficult time finding anything else. It was NOT a big deal to us because the cruise was about Alaska not the ship...but my DH and I both said we would not want to do a long cruise with lots of sea days on the Noordam.

Hi- having only sailed HAL to Alaska (aboard the Noordam, back in late May of this year), and having sailed a variety of other cruise lines (Royal Caribbean, Disney, Celebrity, and Carnival), I will say that my husband and I found the entertainment options aboard the Noordam on our trip to be decidedly lacking.

 

For context, we are 30 and 36 years old and have always found plenty of activities to observe and/or participate in on various other cruise lines. We loved the lectures and enrichment activities on Celebrity, but also have plenty of fun dancing and listening to music on Royal and Carnival. In short: we just like to feel like we have options for entertainment while aboard the ship, and we really struggled to find things to do on Noordam.

 

We did really enjoy the entertainment at the blues club, but found it to be packed to the gills every night, so it did require a bit of effort and showing up early to get a good seat (I suspect that this is because it was one of the few strong entertainment offerings). The coffee shop in the Explorations Lounge is a nice area as well, and we spent a couple of hours there over the course of our cruise.

 

I mean, a cruise is a cruise, so it's not like we were miserable or anything. I wanted to chime in here on your question because we had heard similar things before we took this cruise, and decided to go into it with a positive attitude and open mind hoping that some of what we had heard about the limited entertainment options was an exaggeration, but unfortunately I would say the negative reviews in this area were fairly accurate as far as we were concerned. Of course others' mileage may (and will) vary.

Hi Kaylorcc,

Thank you going into so much detail - all this info really helps. We would have loved to have come back on the Explorer of the seas which departs Seattle October 5th (cheaper and looks like lots to do) however my parents wish to get off in Hawaii and RC doesn't offer Seattle to Hawaii leg - you have to pay for the whole trip from Seattle to Sydney even if you get off in Hawaii. Another option I am looking at is Celebrity Solstice - looks great but a little on the more expensive side. We are hoping it comes on sale some time between now and Sept next year. They offer a 10 day cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu and then on to Sydney via Tahiti and New Zealand. It departs on the 21st of September which is a bit too early for us so I will have to replan our trip - we are having 9 weeks in Canada and Alaska prior to our cruise. How did you find Celebrity? Is there lots of extras included in your fare - I think I read you can do wine or bourbon tasting for free and some exercise classes or is there a fee for those things? Is there a charge for the adults only pool area? Thank you again.

Weather was great, short sleeves/shorts all the way but cooled down a bit as we got close to Sydney. Sea was calm as well until we got close to sydney,- had a couple of days of rock n roll and we had a cabin way up the front on level 10 without any issues (we don't mind the swell rocking the ship).

 

Have since remembered the cruise director organised a silly games olympics over 5 or 6 sea days - folks who joined in clearly had a laugh (wished we had got involved early on).

 

We did a snorkeling excursion in Vila and a tour to a village in Suva(the latter was areal highlight). Wished we had done more snorkeling,particularly on the small islands.

 

And don't be shy in trying the Kava, particularly on the islands if you come across a group of men in a circle passing the bowl around. Its the real thing, not watered down like on excursions and they are more than happy for you (guys and girls) to just walk up, say high and share a bowl. Its not great tasting but you gotta try it and its like beer, one does no damage a few gives you a bit of a buzz, not sure what happens if get stuck into it.

Thanks again Nang - wish we could catch up with you on our cruise sounds like you like the same sorts of things we do :). I have often wondered how the people in the front cabins are in rougher seas - we prefer to be at the back if possible but maybe we will give up the front a go!! We will definitely come back from our trip away by ship because I HATE flying but I am still trying to work out which one - I think we may give HAL a miss at this stage just because it will be quite a long trip for us. thank you again for your reply

Hi Kaylorcc,

 

Thank you going into so much detail - all this info really helps. We would have loved to have come back on the Explorer of the seas which departs Seattle October 5th (cheaper and looks like lots to do) however my parents wish to get off in Hawaii and RC doesn't offer Seattle to Hawaii leg - you have to pay for the whole trip from Seattle to Sydney even if you get off in Hawaii. Another option I am looking at is Celebrity Solstice - looks great but a little on the more expensive side. We are hoping it comes on sale some time between now and Sept next year. They offer a 10 day cruise from Vancouver to Honolulu and then on to Sydney via Tahiti and New Zealand. It departs on the 21st of September which is a bit too early for us so I will have to replan our trip - we are having 9 weeks in Canada and Alaska prior to our cruise. How did you find Celebrity? Is there lots of extras included in your fare - I think I read you can do wine or bourbon tasting for free and some exercise classes or is there a fee for those things? Is there a charge for the adults only pool area? Thank you again.

We chose our first Celebrity cruise in large part because we had status on Royal Caribbean (which translates over to Celebrity) and were looking for a more adult experience than Royal. My impression overall of Celebrity is that there were a greater number of free events that included things like alcohol and other little extras, but I don't want to mislead you because part of that might have been because we had a higher loyalty tier level; it's hard for me to remember over the past few Celebrity cruises we've taken which free events were for everybody and which were for loyalty club members.

But overall we never felt nickel-and-dimed on Celebrity. Unless they've changed something recently, there was no separate charge for the adults-only pool area. Celebrity's specialty restaurants were some of our favorites. This is very much in the eye of the beholder, but we would always pay a higher price- all other things equal- for a Celebrity cruise as compared to HAL (and honestly as compared with all of the other lines we've tried, with the exception of Disney). Celebrity just has the right mix of what appeals to us in terms of food quality, activities, etc.

I agree with what Gracie115 said: based on our personal preferences when it comes to on-board activities and entertainment and what makes us choose a cruise over other vacations, after our Alaska trip, we would be very hesitant to book a long cruise aboard HAL.

After six cruises on Royal Caribbean, I feel Noordam is lacking in good entertainment in the main theater. I spent more time in Adagio and BB Kings. The staff/crew on Noordam was not as friendly as on Royal Caribbean and I really like the Royal Caribbean ships as they have better lighting, signage and nicer decor.

I enjoyed Alaska but the Noordam was disappointing.

Hope you enjoy your cruise!

Patti

We were on the Noordam in June on an Alaskan cruise and while the itinerary was great, the crew was great and the food pretty good, we found the entertainment very lacking. We really liked the piano bar guy, he was great, and the BB King band was also good....but other than that we had a very difficult time finding anything else. It was NOT a big deal to us because the cruise was about Alaska not the ship...but my DH and I both said we would not want to do a long cruise with lots of sea days on the Noordam.

Thank you so much for replying Gracie I am really getting the feeling we should look at other cruise lines for a 21 night plus cruise. I am sure HAL does a great job but we are really looking for variety of activities and a bit of fun. Will definitely give HAL a try one day but will choose a shorter cruise. We will be visiting Alaska before we cruise back to Sydney from Vancouver and I can't wait. We have decided to use the Alaska Marine Highway System and take our time visiting different towns/ports.

After six cruises on Royal Caribbean, I feel Noordam is lacking in good entertainment in the main theater. I spent more time in Adagio and BB Kings. The staff/crew on Noordam was not as friendly as on Royal Caribbean and I really like the Royal Caribbean ships as they have better lighting, signage and nicer decor.

 

I enjoyed Alaska but the Noordam was disappointing.

 

Hope you enjoy your cruise!

 

 

Patti

Hi Patti,

Thank you for taking the time to post - I wish RC did a Vancouver to Honolulu leg and then a separate Hon to Syd leg but unfortunately they haven't broken the cruise up like other companies. My parents who will be with us for the cruise part of our trip only want to cruise to Honolulu so we are forced to look elsewhere. The Explorer of the seas does look like a nice ship though and with plenty to do. Thank you for your best wishes - it will hopefully be a fun and relaxing way to end a 9 week trip away :).

We were on the Noordam in May in Alaska and our experience was different from most of those who replied. The Noordam has a BB Kings Club and a piano bar and we spent every evening in one or the other venue (or both). The quality of entertainment in these two places was the best entertainment that I've seen on any cruise line. (In fact, our "Piano Man", Jeremy Oren was THE best entertainer that I've ever seen on any cruise ship.). Magicians and comics appeared in the Vista Lounge, but we couldn't bear to miss any of Jeremy's shows--which were standing room only.

While Jeremy likely won't be on the Noordam for your cruise, we've had other very talented piano bar entertainers on HAL ships, e.g. Stryker and Barry from Boston.

So although you won't find nonstop trivia or pool games on the Noordam, you will find quality entertainment.

We were on the Noordam in May in Alaska and our experience was different from most of those who replied. The Noordam has a BB Kings Club and a piano bar and we spent every evening in one or the other venue (or both). The quality of entertainment in these two places was the best entertainment that I've seen on any cruise line. (In fact, our "Piano Man", Jeremy Oren was THE best entertainer that I've ever seen on any cruise ship.). Magicians and comics appeared in the Vista Lounge, but we couldn't bear to miss any of Jeremy's shows--which were standing room only.

 

While Jeremy likely won't be on the Noordam for your cruise, we've had other very talented piano bar entertainers on HAL ships, e.g. Stryker and Barry from Boston.

 

So although you won't find nonstop trivia or pool games on the Noordam, you will find quality entertainment.

As I said in my earlier post we also enjoyed the piano bar, Jeremy was great....but as great as he was and BB Kings Club was fun too....but that was about it and for a longer cruise I would certainly want more than just those two options..

We were on the Noordam in May in Alaska and our experience was different from most of those who replied. The Noordam has a BB Kings Club and a piano bar and we spent every evening in one or the other venue (or both). The quality of entertainment in these two places was the best entertainment that I've seen on any cruise line. (In fact, our "Piano Man", Jeremy Oren was THE best entertainer that I've ever seen on any cruise ship.). Magicians and comics appeared in the Vista Lounge, but we couldn't bear to miss any of Jeremy's shows--which were standing room only.

 

While Jeremy likely won't be on the Noordam for your cruise, we've had other very talented piano bar entertainers on HAL ships, e.g. Stryker and Barry from Boston.

 

So although you won't find nonstop trivia or pool games on the Noordam, you will find quality entertainment.

Thank you so much GradUT, I am glad you really enjoyed your cruise. I have no doubt the Noordam would be a beautiful ship with quality food and evening entertainment. We are more concerned about the times spent at sea during the day and what is on offer during those times. I would also have to admit I am not a huge Blues fan - we like a variety of music including Jazz and Blues but variety is key for us. We will try HAL on a shorter cruise where there are more day stops and things to look at. Thank you again for your reply.