Ryndam versus Noordam

[Plankton1]

I am torn between the two cruises in December. On the one hand, the Ryndam is out of Tampa and I live nearby. It also has a couple scuba excursions that the Noordam does not. On the other, the Noordam is a good bit cheaper and may be worth the extra 2 1/2-4 hour drive each way. Which do you prefer and why? Your opinions are appreciated.:confused:

[trophy_23]

I have been on the Ryndam and the Eurodam (which I assume will be similar to Noordam) and found both to be great. I think the Ryndam was a bit less crowded and with a lot less people onboard was a nice experience. It comes down to what you like. The bigger ship usually will have better pricing for balcony cabins as they have a lot more to offer. I loved both and found pro's and con's to each class. As for the itinerary haven't been on either so someone else will have to comment on that.

[LuAnn]

I have not been on your other choice but I loved the Ryndam! It is so elegant and laid-out well. We were initially not going to go on this particular cruise as the price was too high but as the sail date grew closer the price dropped and balconies were available. It's become one of my favorite ships! LuAnn

[Silverwing]

Both wonderful ships - loved Ryndam in Alaska and Noordam in the Mediterranean! I think it depends on what size ship you prefer - being so much bigger there's certainly a lot of walking on the Noordam. Both were fully booked, yet still felt spacious and we had excellent food and service on both ships. Sorry that's not really very helpful, but you can be sure of a great cruise whichever one you choose.

[Sunshine91]

Which cruises are you considering? Ryndam is doing 7-days out of Tampa & Noordam is doing 10+ days out of Ft. Lauderdale. Unless you're thinking about the holiday cruises? Itinerary is an important factor in choosing a cruise, not just which boat or how far away is the home port.

 

We've been on both. Noordam is our favorite HAL ship. She's beautiful, she sparkles, her crew is very attentive & happy - eager to please & ready to fulfull the smallest of requests. The Crow's Nest is an actual Crow's Nest. The Explorations Cafe (is that the right name?) is a wonderful space for reading, surfing the net, listening to music, getting a gourmet coffee....As a Vista class ship, she can hold almost 2,000 passengers & she's got LOTS of balcony cabins. Hint: avoid the forward VFs on deck 4 - they have a solid steel wall instead of a plexiglass wall. If you are sitting in your cabin, you can't see OUT thru that steel. We like the VDs - the balcony is about 1.5ft deeper so you have a bit of extra space. If taking this cruise, be sure to ask about the homeport bus. For a reasonable fee, HAL will get you to the port on a chartered bus. Then you won't have to drive & pay for parking.

 

We just cruised Ryndam last month in Alaska. She's much smaller, holding only about 1,200 passengers. More cozy & intimate. She's also a "mature" girl & showing some signs of wear & tear, but is going in for dry-dock early next year. My understanding is that the cabin bathrooms will be upgraded, the cabin soft-goods (linens & the like)are to be replaced & some public spaces will be re-configured. But these aging items in no way affected our enjoyment of the cruise. Our dining room steward was utterly charming. If any one in our group of 8 gave him a bit of sass, he realized it was all part of the fun, & sassed right back. The only cabins w/balconies are suites. We had a great cabin on deck 6 aft (the one w/the wrap-around deck). I think it was a D category overlooking the wake, instead of out the side of the ship. Out our cabin door was another door to the outside deck - it was almost as good as a balcony! And we really didn't hear the walkers in the morning.

 

So......enjoy the Caribbean in the winter. If we knew which itinerary you were considering, that would help - is Half Moon Cay on either trip? To me, that's a not-to-be-missed. And welcome to CC. :)

[netingirl]

Just got off the Ryndam today in Tampa. Cruise was nice, but wasn't happy at all with the dining room service (and I'm not particularly fussy as a rule). They were slow and inattentive at best. Maybe we just got bad sections though... After several disappointing nights we gave up and just went to the Lido. Pinnacle Grill service was good though.

 

Cruised the Noordam in 2006 for the Transatlantic and service was fantastic. Go for the extra days on the Noordam...

[Plankton1]

Sunshine 91--We are looking at cruises during the holiday week. Both ships go to almost the exact same ports.