I am bumping this up because I’d love to hear what those with X experience will say. We recently booked Noordam for Jan., 2019 for Australia/New Zealand but I’m having 2nd thoughts after reading so many reviews saying Noordam is looking tired and worn and the scheduled dry dock has been cancelled.
We have just returned from the 30 day collector tour of New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia on the MS Noordam. Prior to sailing I also read of the Noordam and the condition which the ship was in. I am so glad we ignored the concerns and continued on with our plans. The MS Noordam is not new, it is over 10 years old so it has some blemishes and such but overall the ship was in great shape. The staff work tirelessly at keeping the ship shinning and clean. We did note that furniture in the stateroom was older and worn however the main areas of the ship are very up to date. The staff are continually painting, replacing carpet and doing regular maintenance. I am sure that the portable vacum cleaners run 24 hours a day - the ship was spotless. Having sailed recently on the Zuiderdam I would suggest that the Noordam is in better shape overall. We had a fantastic cruise and all I can say is that if you dwell on the state of repair of the ship you miss out on the fact that what makes Holland America great is the people and the itinerary. I cant say enough about the wonderful staff who worked tirelessly at making our stay so memorable. Go and enjoy the experience and forget the chatter.
Holland America Noordam vs Celebrity Solstice in Australia/New Zealand
in Holland America Line
Posted
We have just returned from the 30 day collector tour of New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia on the MS Noordam. Prior to sailing I also read of the Noordam and the condition which the ship was in. I am so glad we ignored the concerns and continued on with our plans. The MS Noordam is not new, it is over 10 years old so it has some blemishes and such but overall the ship was in great shape. The staff work tirelessly at keeping the ship shinning and clean. We did note that furniture in the stateroom was older and worn however the main areas of the ship are very up to date. The staff are continually painting, replacing carpet and doing regular maintenance. I am sure that the portable vacum cleaners run 24 hours a day - the ship was spotless. Having sailed recently on the Zuiderdam I would suggest that the Noordam is in better shape overall. We had a fantastic cruise and all I can say is that if you dwell on the state of repair of the ship you miss out on the fact that what makes Holland America great is the people and the itinerary. I cant say enough about the wonderful staff who worked tirelessly at making our stay so memorable. Go and enjoy the experience and forget the chatter.