Noordam...a real Dutch Treat 12/2-12/12

This was our first HAL cruise.....it will not be our last. In fact I scheme at this moment how to get back on the lovely Noordam as soon as possible! I have lurked on this forum for some time now and wanted to show my appreciation for the valuable help and insight to HAL that I have gleaned from here. Hopefully this review will help some other “new to HAL” folks like we were.

We travel with our oldest friends in life and are Platinum on Cunard, so we do have a little sailing history. My previous sailing history also spanned many years crossing on the old liners. We have also done 2 Princess cruises, one Caribbean and one to Alaska on a cruise tour. Their execution of the Alaska land tour was faultless but the food on Princess is still boring, dreary and unimaginative and anytime dining was anything but. Beds should all be tossed into the sea......they are that bad! Service is decent but never was outstanding.

As a result of some changes we’ve seen with QM2, we decided to give HAL a try, and a smart decision that was. We booked a guarantee and were pleased to receive a 3 category upgrade to a VA in what we have decided is THE perfect location for our needs and enjoyment of the ship. Nice start HAL.....you got our attention right from the begining. We will book those same 2 cabins the next time.

Embarkation.....we arrived just before noon, right after 2 huge transfer busses had disgorged their passengers and the line was daunting to say the least. Somehow it moved quickly and once inside we saw why.....the check in could not have been more organized or more rapid. Despite all those people we saw outside, once inside they seemed to disperse and in mere minutes we crossed the gangway and got our first glimpse of how lovely Noordam is. One of our bags beat us to the cabin and the 2nd came only minutes later....well done!

Actually “well done” was to be an expression we used frequently on a daily basis. Our cabin steward was at the door moments after we arrived. He and his partner would prove to be what we decided were the “magic men’....unobtrusive, almost invisible yet amazinlgy efficient. We never waited for the cabin to be made up...we left, they came in. When I requested something it was there in a flash. I am basically a low maintenance kind of gal.....I found their service impeccable.

Service.....Within the first couple of hours onboard, everywhere we explored, we were starting to see the legendary HAL service in action. Wherever we went the smiles and greetings of welcome were the most genuine I’ve ever seen on a ship. You were a valued guest and they made sure you knew they felt that way. I don’t care what their job was.....eveyone seemed happy to welcome you with huge smiles and warm greeetings.

By the time we disembarked we had decided that Noordam’s crew made her the happiest ship we’d ever been on. The smiles, the willingness to bend over backwards, a genuine enthusiasm for their job, no matter what that job was, and just the overalll good cheer that radiated from these lovely, hardworking people simply blew us away, day after day. Nothing was too much for them to do for their passengers. What a breath of fresh air! Repeatedly we were amazed at the length of service some of them have.....20 years, 14, 12 etc....and all on various HAL ships. That in itself says a lot to us. More “well dones”...a huge part of our stellar experience on Noordam.

Food/ dining...Ok, anyone who cruises a lot knows that food is the most subjective thing about cruising one can discuss. So I will just recount the impressions of the 4 of us....altho the folks next to us felt the same and they were multi star Mariners. We all felt the food was excellent...beef was tender ( with one tiny exception), the much discussed roast beef met with rave reviews and was what prime rib should be, menu choices at times made it hard to decide and desserts were too good!!!! I gained weight on this trip!!

Our dining room ( late fixed seating) servers were, hands down, the BEST we have had on any ship. They positively shone every night and dinners were a perfectly paced, cheerfully served experience. By the 2nd day they knew our likes ( extra anchovies for my husband every night....coffee served as the dinner dishes cleared....cheerful repartee no matter how busy they were.....it’s the little things one notices most). None of this agonizing long drawn out stuff we have had in the past. How they managed to keep an eye on all their guests and know just who needed what and when is beyond me. I never saw them just standing still. Our wine steward was the happiest soul I’ve ever met....he radiated joy every night. Huge kudos to them....we sent the Hotel Manager a note of appreciation for their extraordinary service. I’ve never done that before. So then, 5 stars to the dining room.....we looked forward to dinner every night in contrast to our Alaska Princess cruise where we ate in the Lido 4 nights of the 7 because the dining room was such a disaster.

The Lido was a delight......easy to navigate ( anything would be after that monster buffet on QM2). We always found good seats and never wanted for something good and tasty to eat...too good and tasty actually. Pizza called to us at odd hours it was so good.....salad bar was excellent.....other choices were varied and hard to choose from. Ice cream, the real stuff, was a dangerous matter. I will say however, that I had much anticipated the bread pudding after reading about it here.....I was a tad disappointed...I’ve had far better altho I did eat this a few times anyway. We loved the easy access to the Lido from the stern pool....it made eating on and off too convenient! We never did try the mid pool food service.

Room service.....there is no one on this earth who loves her morning room service as much as I. I see room service on a ship as one of the great indulgences of life. I cheerfully fill out that magic card at night and wait for that discreet knock every morning with the delight of a kid in a candy store. I was never disappointed on Noordam. My usual morning surliness disappeared at the sight of the huge smile that accompanied the discreet knock, right on time within a few minutes every day. And the fact one can choose from the MDR dinner menu is amazing altho we never did.

Pinnacle.....WOW....food quality, preparation and presentation, excellent! The experience was outstanding! Our delightful Balinese server made this meal an event, not just dinner in a fancy retaurant, from the minute she approached the table. A most memoriable meal in every respect. I felt slightly guilty skipping the MDR and our great guys there but they welcomed us back the next night like long lost friends, so I guess they understood.

Spa...I am not a spa devotee....my friend is and pronounced the services and treatments perfectly decadent. She loved it. I merely had my nails done which is no big thing altho the manicure did last well beyond what one would normally expect, and cost no more than I usually pay at home. They could use a few more polish color choices however.

Formal nights...Always seems to be a topic of discussion on most forums so I’ll just say that while we expected to see some measure of formality given what we had read about HAL, there was more than we anticipated which was lovely. We are used to a high degree of formality on QM2 and look forward to those nights with tuxes and long gowns packed in anticipation. We brought all of that this time and weren’t disappointed. Yes there were men in dark suits and women in cocktail dresses but there were equally many long gowns to be seen which thrilled me. And it seemed that many continued to stay dressed for the evening which also pleased us. It adds so to the ambiance of a formal night and it seems silly to me to go to all the fuss of dressing up only to rush back to the cabin to change. I’ve never been uncomfortable in formal wear to the point of needing to change out of it. Nor have our men felt that way. So we were pleased to see the adherence to a standard requested. Other nights dress was also kept to a smart casual tone.....more “smart” than just “casual”. Very nice.

The SHIP....Oh my....we loved her!!! A tug-at-your-heartstrings kind of thing. She is truly lovely with a tasteful, sophisticated decor ( no in-your-face-glitz), easy to follow layout ( my husband never got lost), wonderfully cozy, intimate venues for various times of the day or night. She is probably the most immaculate ship I’ve seen....brass glowed, paint sparkled and not a speck of rust to be seen anywhere that I went. ( I don’t walk around with a notepad....I just observe) Despite the amount of use she has had since her launch, her interiors do not seem to be showing any obvious signs of that wear. There is obviously a pride in her that shows in her upkeep.....she really is an elegant little ship with a truly delightful, captivating ambiance. Equal to her appearance is the fact I mentioned about the overall atmosphere onboard....she is one happy seeming ship. She hooked us for sure! We all keep talking about her and we’ve been home almost a month now!

In this first segment I thought I’d cover the most important aspects of a review, the main things that seem to make or break one’s cruise experience and the things that keep us coming back to a line or a ship.....or not, if the experience is lacking in some respects.

But for us there is much more that goes into making a particular cruise memorable and I’ll address that in a separate post so as not to bore you all to tears with so much to say. But Noordam was like that...there is so much more to say about what a great ship she is.....her staff makes her outstanding, but again, there are little things that stand out too. If you are interested I”ll tell you some of them.

In short, HAL,and particularly pretty Noordam, way exceeded our expectations. She more than delivered in all respects and has earned our repeat business just as soon as I can pack again!! The itinerary was ideal for us despite the fact that we have made many cruises to the islands. With a ship as engaging as this one I don’t even need to get off! OK, maybe in Curacao my favorite port, but other than that I’d be happy to stay onboard.

Noordam is truly a delicious Dutch Treat!!

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding!

WOW - what a review - I can't wait to hear more.

Not just because you liked it but because it is so thorough and so well written.

can't wait for the next portion.

thank you so much and welcome home:)

Penny-

So great to hear you had such a lovely cruise. I have cruised on the Noordam a couple of times and really enjoyed the experience.

Your observations about the crew is what has kept us coming back, just genuinely nice and hard working folks who are friendly and polite.

I, like you, love my morning room service.:D I miss that most every time we disembark! :cool:

What a FANTASTIC review to read of the ship I'll be on in 56 days!!!

While I never had any doubts about really enjoying my cruise on her, there is always that thought about what she is like and the service.

YOU have single hadedly eased any trepidations I may have had!!!

THANK YOU!!!

Now to try and wait patiently for the next part of your review:D

Joanie

Now you can see why Noordam is my favorite ship! :D Don't know if it is because of the captains, or hotel managers or both but this ship is extremely well run and continues to get great reviews.

That was really a very nice review.

Thank you.

Yo -- we have never gotten our luggage that quickly -- no matter what time we arrive at the pier.

Glad you had a wonderful cruise.

Penny, please keep your review going. I'm sending my son and soon to be DIL on the Noordam for their honeymoon in June and I'm hanging on your every word!;)

What a wonderful review of a ship DH and I love dearly. She truly is a very special lady and her crew outstanding.

Thanks for much for your happy, most enjoyable review.

Welcome Back and thanks for sharing your good time with us.

Thanks for the review, we also love the Noordam!

It was gratifying to read such a positive review. We sail on the Noordam in just 15 more days!:D

Penny, Thanks for the thoughtful review. We also will be taking our first HAL cruise in March with our good friends. We also will be in adjoining VA AFT cabins. I look forward to hearing the rest of your review and your impression of the VA cabin.

Thanks Penny! Great review! We will be taking our first HAL cruise on March 26! Reviews like yours make me even more excited for our trip! :)

Enjoyed reading your positive review.

Thank you.

Thanks Penny for the great review.

Having alternated between HAL & Cunard over the past 5 years, I can certainly relate to your impressions. QM2 is a magnificent and unique ship

but overall the food & service on HAL is better for a significantly lower price:).

Wherever she sails, we just have to try her.

The Noordam gets such loving feedback. Normally not a fan of the Vista ships, but continued reports like this put her on our must try list. So happy to read what a wonderful time you had. Thank you for taking the time to put in so much detail.

With such consistent high praise, I wonder if HAL corporate can incorporate the Noordam's features that set her apart when they schedule rehab/dry docks for the other Vista ships?

Whatever mistakes they may have made in the buidling of the three sisters which preceeded Noordam, they were corrected on the beautiful Noordam. HAl got is just right with Noordam IMO

She is a fabulous ship and her crew outstanding. Sure some come and some go but there is always enough of a core crew left that influences the newcomers. Captain John Scott has done a wonderful job with Noordam since he was at her construction in Fincantieri and her take out February 2006.

I smile when I "say" Noordam. :)

Thank you all for such kind comments. I'm pleased you my review worth reading and happy to see that my observations might be helpful to some of you.

Joanie.....with your HAL experience I doubt you would have too much trepidation.....but if I was able to alleviate any little "doubts" then I am very pleased indeed. You have been such a valuable resource for so many on this forum it was nice for me, as a newcomer, to give something back in return. Might I add that I am pea green with envy that you will be on her so soon? ;)

So thanks to all again and I will shortly be finished and ready to post the last segment. I am trying to not be too verbose but she's such a great ship and there's so much to say about why she's so great.....

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding!

Penny, please keep your review going. I'm sending my son and soon to be DIL on the Noordam for their honeymoon in June and I'm hanging on your every word!;)

WOW Thom....what a place for a honeymoon!! And what a lovely gift for them.....that trip will be a memory they will never forget.

PS....if I ever get married again, will you adopt me? :D;)

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding!

Whatever mistakes they may have made in the buidling of the three sisters which preceeded Noordam, they were corrected on the beautiful Noordam. HAl got is just right with Noordam IMO

She is a fabulous ship and her crew outstanding. Sure some come and some go but there is always enough of a core crew left that influences the newcomers. Captain John Scott has done a wonderful job with Noordam since he was at her construction in Fincantieri and her take out February 2006.

 

I smile when I "say" Noordam. :)

I agree with everything Judy said. Noordam is a very special lady. She was my favorite HAL ship until I sailed Maasdam, ans now I have two favorites.

Yes, Carol........

I make no secret of how much we love those two ships.

When someone asks our favorite, I can't choose between them.

Maasdam and Noordam..... two very special ships; two very special crews.

Penny, Thanks for the thoughtful review. We also will be taking our first HAL cruise in March with our good friends. We also will be in adjoining VA AFT cabins. I look forward to hearing the rest of your review and your impression of the VA cabin.

Since I didn't say much in my review about the cabin (just too much other stuff to go on about I guess), I thought I'd answer you directly on this. We were very pleased with the VA AFT cabins...it was very quiet back there for openers.

We were very near the aft elevators which proved to be a fantastic bit of luck as we got more and more used to the ship and how we "lived" on her. Just pop out there, up 2 decks and there's the great aft pool for sunning or late afternoon drinks, or turn the other direction and there's the Lido filled with munchies!

At dinner time it was a quick pop out, elevators came in a virtual flash every time.....amazed us...and down a few decks to be right at the MDR. Or just a short, pleasant stroll forward to Ocean Bar or one deck down, what seemed to become our favorite, the Pinnacle Bar. For late seating Pinnacle didn't seem to be as busy as Ocean Bar did....perhaps because the Ocean Bar was right handy for 2nd seating folks to get to.

We found nothing to fault in the cabin.....very similar in size to the Britannia cabins we were used to on QM2 only with a better bathroom ( loved the little tub), bathroom storage and overall storage in the cabin. I do NOT travel light, especially when I can drive to the ship as we can easily from SC. I had plenty of room and only needed to ask for a couple of extra hangers.

We loved the way the closets handled storage and gave you options with the flip up shelving...nice. A pleasant surprise were the 2 big drawers under the foot of the bed...still had room for those 2 29 inch suitcases to be stored away. Also a surprise to find 2 drawers in the front and at the base of the sofa....I didn't find them for 4 days!

The beds are all they say and more....like a comfy cloud wrapped with soft linens. Without doubt the best I've had on any ship.

In short I think you'll enjoy being AFT....at night we'd make the stroll back from the Crow's Nest along the upper deck and just loved doing that. Just the right length for an evening bedtime walk, then down the elevator and right at the cabins. DO enjoy!!

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding!

This review mirrors our experience on the Noordam last February. Wonderful ship and crew. Our server in the Pinnacle was Sarah and she was fantastic. The Renewal of Vows in the Oak Room was something every couple should do.

Enjoyed your review. We were on the Noordam in April- just wonderful.

What did you do for excursions?

Since I didn't say much in my review about the cabin (just too much other stuff to go on about I guess), I thought I'd answer you directly on this. We were very pleased with the VA AFT cabins...it was very quiet back there for openers.

 

We were very near the aft elevators which proved to be a fantastic bit of luck as we got more and more used to the ship and how we "lived" on her. Just pop out there, up 2 decks and there's the great aft pool for sunning or late afternoon drinks, or turn the other direction and there's the Lido filled with munchies!

 

At dinner time it was a quick pop out, elevators came in a virtual flash every time.....amazed us...and down a few decks to be right at the MDR. Or just a short, pleasant stroll forward to Ocean Bar or one deck down, what seemed to become our favorite, the Pinnacle Bar. For late seating Pinnacle didn't seem to be as busy as Ocean Bar did....perhaps because the Ocean Bar was right handy for 2nd seating folks to get to.

 

We found nothing to fault in the cabin.....very similar in size to the Britannia cabins we were used to on QM2 only with a better bathroom ( loved the little tub), bathroom storage and overall storage in the cabin. I do NOT travel light, especially when I can drive to the ship as we can easily from SC. I had plenty of room and only needed to ask for a couple of extra hangers.

 

We loved the way the closets handled storage and gave you options with the flip up shelving...nice. A pleasant surprise were the 2 big drawers under the foot of the bed...still had room for those 2 29 inch suitcases to be stored away. Also a surprise to find 2 drawers in the front and at the base of the sofa....I didn't find them for 4 days!

 

The beds are all they say and more....like a comfy cloud wrapped with soft linens. Without doubt the best I've had on any ship.

 

In short I think you'll enjoy being AFT....at night we'd make the stroll back from the Crow's Nest along the upper deck and just loved doing that. Just the right length for an evening bedtime walk, then down the elevator and right at the cabins. DO enjoy!!

 

Cheers, Penny

 

 

Penny, Thank you for taking the time to let me know your experience in your VA Aft cabin. We have had aft cabins on Princess and Celebrity and we're addicted. We are so excited to try HAL and the Noordam in March as we have heard so many positive reviews.

 

I understand the opening between the two balconies is not very large. I originally thought we would have a more open combined 10' x 20' area for cocktail time with our friends staying next door. This being said, I still think 10' x 10' is enough area for the four of us to relax and enjoy a bottle of wine or three. Did you find your balcony space to be adequate for a party of four?

 

Cheers,

Cobalt

This being said, I still think 10' x 10' is enough area for the four of us to relax and enjoy a bottle of wine or three. Did you find your balcony space to be adequate for a party of four?

Cheers,

Cobalt

We never spent much time on one balcony....only for sailaway and there was room for the 4 of us but that was standing...how cozy do you want to be sitting down??? ;) It's not a huge space and only 2 chairs....we never bothered opening the narrow doorway.

Cheers, Penny

Penny’s “Affair to Remember” QM2 Review Dec 2006

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=471053

November 2007...QM2 to the Caribbean again

October 2008...QM2 transatlantic in tandem with the grand QE2 on her final transatlantic voyage.

December 2008...QM2...back to the Caribbean

July 2009....QM2....transatlantic again...

August 2009....QM2... “home” to Norway

Feb. 2010....Emerald Princess to the Caribbean

Aug 2010...QM2... return to Norway, all the way to the top!

Aug 2011...Diamond Princess....North to Alaska!!

Dec 2011...Noordam to the Caribbean...outstanding!