Noordam vs Westerdam?

Looking at Alaska for summer 2018. Noordam & Westerdam offer identical itineraries, including time in ports. The only difference seems to be which day of the week they depart.

If we don't care (and we don't) which day we leave, can anyone offer some insight on choosing one ship over the other?

They are virtually twins.

There was a time when Noordam was considered probably the best ship in the fleet. But the staff moves around, so not sure that is a consideration any more.

If it interests you (probably not in Alaska ), Noordam got the better set of Retreat Cabanas.

Looking at Alaska for summer 2018. Noordam & Westerdam offer identical itineraries, including time in ports. The only difference seems to be which day of the week they depart.

 

If we don't care (and we don't) which day we leave, can anyone offer some insight on choosing one ship over the other?

The Deck 5 aft balconies on the Westerdam are very deep and fully covered. The aft Noordam balconies are much less deep.

As far as day of the week, avoid weekend departures to save higher hotel and airfare prices, and crowds.

They are sister ships and virtually identical. When we travelled on Westerdam last year it was not a happy ship and some aspects of service were lacking. HAL gave us an on board credit after reading our appraisal (we are 5 star). We have not travelled on Noordam and will rectify that next month, by doing the Pacific crossing.

We had a wonderful experience on the Westerdam. The crew and officers were fantastic (and I heard that, at least at that time, the crew wanted to be on her versus another "Dam ship" given the choice).

I have sailed on Westerdam twice and enjoyed both cruises. I had great service from the fantastic crew.

Noordam is unique among the Vista class in having the library/explorations café on the Promenade Deck. The space on the starboard side of the Crow's Nest is taken up by the Oak Room.

If you are a library fan, the Noordam is the choice. If you want the newest design, then the Westerdam is just out of dry dock.

Agree with Roger on mid-week departures and flight costs. However, if you are employed "9-to-5" -- weekend to weekend may work out to be a day or two less vacation you have to take, as you will want to get to Vancouver a least the day before, and you may want to stay at least overnight on your return, depending on your flights connections (and that pesky time difference!).

Noordam is unique among the Vista class in having the library/explorations café on the Promenade Deck. The space on the starboard side of the Crow's Nest is taken up by the Oak Room.

 

If you are a library fan, the Noordam is the choice. If you want the newest design, then the Westerdam is just out of dry dock.

Isn't Noordam due to go into drydock in 2018? Hoping for some improvements and refurbishing.

We have sailed on both the Noordam and Westerdam quite a few times -- have a lot of sailing days on both ships.

One reason we like the Noordam is because of her location of the library and Explorations Cafe.

The last time we were on the Noordam, the Oak Room in the Crow's Nest was closed nearly all the time as it is no longer has access to the outside deck which is now more cabins.

I would choose the Noordam over the Westerdam for Alaska. JMO

I disagree on "which day of the week they depart". Unless there's an unusual sailing they are doing the same thing next year as the Zaandam and Noordam this year, both leaving Seward on Sunday and arriving in Vancouver a week later, Noordam leaving Vancouver as Westerdam leaves Seward and vice-versa. The northbound and southbound itineraries are pretty similar except for Skagway northbound vs Haines southbound.

If you have a preferred direction and your schedule requires a certain week that should define your choice of ship; otherwise it's just which ship you think you would prefer.

In my case it was the Westerdam that fit in with my schedule.

Roy

Noordam is unique among the Vista class in having the library/explorations café on the Promenade Deck. The space on the starboard side of the Crow's Nest is taken up by the Oak Room.

 

If you are a library fan, the Noordam is the choice. If you want the newest design, then the Westerdam is just out of dry dock.

Great points!

Also keep in mind that under HAL's newest smoking policy the Oak Room on Noordam is one of the few indoor spaces left in which to puff on HAL (although this advantage for smokers would obviously be moot if the Oak Room is closed).

Isn't Noordam due to go into drydock in 2018? Hoping for some improvements and refurbishing.

I had hoped it would be doing dry dock right before the Alaska season started up, but alas that is not the case. When I booked my June 2018 cruse back in March, there was a gap from when they arrived to Vancouver until the first Alaska cruse started (5-6-5/20). However, I just checked, and that has been filled with a couple of RT Vancouver cruises (a 6-day and an 8-day). I thought that might be too short to re-do all the suites plus the Explorations Central stuff, but I had my fingers crossed. Darn, I was hoping for a newly re-done suite!

Unless they cancel some sailings, all the dates are filled until at least next summer.

Info on dry docks:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=521#hollandamerica

I had hoped it would be doing dry dock right before the Alaska season started up, but alas that is not the case. When I booked my June 2018 cruse back in March, there was a gap from when they arrived to Vancouver until the first Alaska cruse started (5-6-5/20). However, I just checked, and that has been filled with a couple of RT Vancouver cruises (a 6-day and an 8-day). I thought that might be too short to re-do all the suites plus the Explorations Central stuff, but I had my fingers crossed. Darn, I was hoping for a newly re-done suite!

 

Unless they cancel some sailings, all the dates are filled until at least next summer.

 

Info on dry docks:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=521#hollandamerica

Thank you for the link. Even if the text gives 2016-18 for refurbishment of the Vista-class ships ("2017 and beyond") I couldn't find a gap in Noordam's schedule up to the summer season 2019. So I suppose it will be at least fall 2019, perhaps after another Alaska season? That's a pity but we won't count rust flakes on the balcony or scratches in the furniture even if we also would have liked to see a few changes on our first Noordam cruise!

I'd go with the Noordam anytime. Ships are physically very similar, but I just fine the Noordam more comfy and cozy. Westerdam seems a bit more worn to me.

But more importantly I just think the staff is far superior on the Noordam. Personnel do change ships, but I have still consistently found the Noordam crews to be much better. In fact my only bad experiences on HAL have been on the Westerdam. I have sworn her off since having yet another bad experience in Dec 2016. I don't like to complain or bad mouth anyone online, so I will leave it at that other than to say if all HAL ships were like Westerdam I would not be a 4 star mariner on HAL.

But more importantly I just think the staff is far superior on the Noordam. Personnel do change ships, but I have still consistently found the Noordam crews to be much better. In fact my only bad experiences on HAL have been on the Westerdam. I have sworn her off since having yet another bad experience in Dec 2016.

That's a shame to hear.

I will add that some of the service and the food quality were less than we were expecting from HAL. Our MDR food and selection were better on our Carnival Dream cruise.

They are sister ships and virtually identical. When we travelled on Westerdam last year it was not a happy ship and some aspects of service were lacking. HAL gave us an on board credit after reading our appraisal (we are 5 star). We have not travelled on Noordam and will rectify that next month, by doing the Pacific crossing.

We sailed Westerdam in February - 18 day Hawaii, and found that service was up to anticipated HAL standards -- of course the across-the-board staff cuts have impacted all lines over the last dozen years - but as long as folks focus primarily on low fares, what do they expect?

Roy (rafinmd) appears to be right and both Vista ships are doing weekend sailings alternating NB/SB.

We did this itinerary in the significantly smaller Statendam (RIP) northbound and I enjoyed the order of ports -- Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway (and for us, Seward, as we stayed on there for two weeks of self-drive), as each port got "more Alaskan". Ketchikan is pretty tame with only the bald eagles and very large trees (at Totem Bight) seeming exotic. Juneau is great for a whale-watch excursion and viewing Mendenhall Glacier. Skagway must-do is one of the rail trips, where you get a feeling for the VASTNESS of the north.

JMHO!

Having sailed on both, the only major difference that might impact your enjoyment of the cruise would be the new change to the Crow's Nest on the Westerdam to the EXC space (whatever it is called). The Crow's Nest is still there, but it is different from the Noordam's. (I have not experienced it, so I cannot be more specific. There are HAL videos that describe the change, however.)

My one cruise on the Westerdam was a 7 day Caribbean and it was superior in all respects. I have sailed on Noordam at least 3x; first two were great. The last one was disappointing. While most of the staff did a good job, I sensed (as did some other experienced HAL cruisers aboard) that something was "just not right". I put the responsibility for that on the shoulders of the Captain and Hotel Director. Neither seemed very interested in interacting with guests of any Mariner status and mostly were invisible. The Captain during his "Voice From the Bridge" report was so scripted that well before the end of the 21 days I was aboard, I could parrot what he was going to say except for the navigational/weather information.

Which would I choose today? It's a question I may need to personally answer because I am considering this same itinerary in 2018. I would select the Westerdam. She has received the newest updates and I am very curious to see what this EXC "stuff" is all about in the Crow's Nest.

Thanks everyone -- they really do sound similar -- maybe it'll come down to pricing!

Just a thought, the Noordam public spaces are very good, but the suites are due refurbishment. Not sure if staterooms have been updated on the westerdam?

Hi there! I haven't sailed on either ships but I'll be doing the Southbound Route on the Noordam in two weeks! This will be my third HAL cruise. I video blog my cruises and post them to my YouTube Channel-Scott Singer Cruises. Once I get back from my trip, I'll start posting those videos. Hopefully those will come in handy!

(By the way-I don't make money off of them nor am I a travel agent-I'm a cruise lover and like to share my experiences in hopes they help others with planning!)

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Just heard the Noordam is suppose to drydock on April 2019.