News From Noordam - Pacific Coastal

Seas have been rough since departure from San Diego and many passengers are sticking to their staterooms.

Our informal Meet and Greet in the Crow’s Nest drew 12 CC members. We were able to announce that negotiations with Santosh, Culinary Operations Manager (COM), during the Suite’s Reception, would realize 12 chocolate purse desserts for our CC members at the MDR lunch today. We had two reserved tables in the MDR this afternoon for CC and each member was served TWO chocolate purses. Most could eat only one purse so there were a few left for late night snacks.

Gunnish, PG Chef, will be duplicating the chocolate bomb dessert for us next week in the PG as soon as I download the video demo for him. We are currently working on the guest list and date. The COM told us that the chefs like to demonstrate their skills to make guests happy.

Last night was Le Cirque and Formal Night. With rough seas, most stayed in their staterooms so the PG was only half filled with diners.

The Captain announced today that the Noordam will be docking in Victoria four hours late at 9:00 PM due to slower speeds in the rough seas. The ship will be adjusting the shipboard accounts for missed excursion.

MDR service the first evening was one hour and 15 minutes from start to finish and I expressed my satisfaction to the COM at the Suites Party.

Our current CD, Mark Pels is leaving 5/16/15 for the Prinzendam.

More later.

Thanks for the update. We will board the ship in Vancouver. Sorry about the rough seas !!! No fun at all. The weather in Vancouver is off the charts perfect , Sunny and a little breeze.

The last time we cruised on the Noordam Mark Pells was also on. He is top notch . So how did you get those chocolate purses?

Thank you for checking in.

Sorry you are having rough seas.

We have sailed on the Westerdam from Ft Lauderdale to Seattle at this time of the year and had some pretty rough seas.

Le Cirque -- on our last couple of cruises -- no rough seas and it was only 1/3 filled. People are not willing to pay the high price on some cruises.

Two chocolate purses each?? What on earth were were they thinking?

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Our current CD, Mark Pels is leaving 5/16/15 for the Prinzendam.

More later.

Little correction there Crew News; Mark Pells is a Hotel Director, not a Cruise Director. NODM's current Cruise Director is Mark Brignone

Mark Pells is currently the hotel director on the Westerdam.

Mark Pells is currently the hotel director on the Westerdam.

That, he is, Moeder van Middelbare leeftijd/Middle Aged Mom ;); while Jeremy Hales is replacing Mark Brignone as CD on NODM on the 16th

Mark Pells was with us on the Westerdam and attended both of our M&Gs, and is still on her as far as I know.

Mark Pells is currently the hotel director on the Westerdam.

Mark Pells was with us on the Westerdam and attended both of ou M&Gs, and is still on her as far as I know.

thank heavens. I thought I was losing it. Mark was our HD and staying on - I was about to check my cruise log - LOL ;)

Little correction there Crew News; Mark Pells is a Hotel Director, not a Cruise Director. NODM's current Cruise Director is Mark Brignone

You are correct. Too much Dramamine for me.

You are correct. Too much Dramamine for me.

Hope it calms down for ya'll after Victoria, BC; it should. NODM's current HD is Craig Oakes

Still rough seas on the Pacific. We were on the Crown Princess last week and had rough seas from LA through Catalina through San Francisco to Astoria. Got a little better from Astoria to Victoria and no problems docking on time although as always Victoria was windy.

what is a chocolate purse?

Thanks for the update. We will board the ship in Vancouver. Sorry about the rough seas !!! No fun at all. The weather in Vancouver is off the charts perfect , Sunny and a little breeze.

The last time we cruised on the Noordam Mark Pells was also on. He is top notch . So how did you get those chocolate purses?

Mark is not Mark Pells....Hubby was on a dramamine and chocolatee overload when he said "Prells" Mark Pells is a Hotel Director, this Mark is the Cruise Director.

We got the Chocolate Purses because we asked the COM if it were possible. He asked when and how many and he made it happen:) I'm sure I can have them do it again next week:)

The Chocolate Ball/Bomb, we are thinking about Saturday evening. Embarkation Day in PG is usually the slowest day. How does 5:30 or 6:00 pm sound to you?

Joanie

Still rough seas on the Pacific. We were on the Crown Princess last week and had rough seas from LA through Catalina through San Francisco to Astoria. Got a little better from Astoria to Victoria and no problems docking on time although as always Victoria was windy.

From what we gleaned from the San Diego weathermen and women, this system came in as a system from New Zealand:eek:

Oh well, we lived through the Cyclones of September 2011 and those were MUCH worse:)

JOanie

what is a chocolate purse?

I have no idea, but hoping someone will tell us. Better yet...did anyone get a picture?

Little correction there Crew News; Mark Pells is a Hotel Director, not a Cruise Director. NODM's current Cruise Director is Mark Brignone

Welcome back, friend!! You have been missed.

We are taking the MS Amsterdam from San Diego to Vancouver (3 days) at the end of this month, so I am following closely for updates. :) Thanks for writing this. Quick question... does the ship stay close enough to shore to get Non-Ship cell service? Just curious. Thanks!

Welcome back, friend!! You have been missed.

Thanks! ;)

I have no idea, but hoping someone will tell us. Better yet...did anyone get a picture?

The purses below will also be served to CC members next week on a sea day thanks to Andre, Dining Room Manager:

The Chocolate Bomb video has been provided to the PG Chef who will make the dessert for CC members in the PG next week in Alaska. Photos to follow.

Oh, I am so envious. On our 49 day Rotterdam, I watched eagerly for Chocolate Purse. Only had one appearance of Pear Purse - tasty, but not in the same league.

Crew News and IRL Joanie: Have a calm cruise. Enjoy the purses. We are heading to CA to visit daughter and Yosemite. Carol

What cracks me up is the gang dog piling about the correction. Thanks for the update and the pix. Here's hoping you have smoother seas ahead.

Thanks for taking the time to do this thread. I love Alaska and am eagerly awaiting more stories.

May 8 on the Noordam opened with sunlight and calm seas. We learned that 65% of the passengers are from Canada and a large number of them will be departing in Victoria. The arrival time in Victoria is now around 7:00 PM with passengers hoping to disembark at 8:00 PM thanks to the opportunity to increase speed in the calmer seas. It is strange to see luggage for disembarking passengers in the corridors during the day.

With calm seas, passengers are leaving their staterooms and the Lido Restaurant is now crowded for Breakfast and Lunch.

We attempted to order crepes for Room Service Breakfast and received pancakes instead. No crepe pan in the Room Service area was the reason. No cartons of milk are being served for Room Service Breakfast but milk is now served in a glass.

I posed the Caviar appetizer at the Pinnacle Bar without ordering a meal in the PG. The answer was “no” but the question was passed up to the Culinary Operations Manager for a final decision. It was agreed with the PG Manager that ordering just caviar would be a good idea.

The new carpeting in the rooms are very inviting to bare feet.

The service in the MDR has been swift and the waiters very friendly.

As requested on another thread, I shall be having the King Crab Legs in the PG tonight and will write my review the following day.

A group of 20 from HAL HQ will be on board tomorrow and in the PG at 7:00 for dinner. We have scheduled our PG dinner for 10 CC members for 5:30 PM to have our chocolate bomb desserts.

Souvenirs for Alaska are now in the Shops. The Shops’ Manager was on the Zuiderdam last July so we had a nice discussion of the heavy fog that trapped so many passengers on the hills around Juneau.

Internet speed is abnormally slow .and brings back memories of my dial-up account in the ‘90’s.