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LIVE from the Noordam-- a Disasterdam

cruiser4801

By cruiser4801,
in Holland America Line

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kjw869

kjw869

Posted
Posted
This is a classic. I love it!

 

I am no cheerleader and will report it as I find it. I am in a Neptune Suite and that is only because I love my space and we really got a good deal when Explore 4 ended and we switched from an SA to an SC, which was originally an SA and saved $6000. It better be worth it.

 

It's a big birthday and I'm celebrating it on this cruise. i want it to be good. I'm not looking for the bad. As a matter of fact, I actually may ignore the bad just to make it a good birthday.

 

Terri

 

Terri, Wishing you a Happy Birthday and a wonderful cruise!

 

You have a wonderful attitude! ;)

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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

Posted
Posted (edited)
We had zero problems with the laundry and dry cleaning service when we sailed the preceding month. We also stayed in Neptune Suites on both of our 11-day cruises on the Noordam two years apart. It has been the only ship that returned the laundry back the same day--both cruises. Even when we have stayed in the Pinnacle Suites, we have never experienced that same day service.

Some of our fellow passengers who had been on for a few weeks were complaining that their whites were dingy. I felt sorry for Erick and Gabriel in the Neptune because some passengers were pretty cranky. We were only on the ship for 10 days, so there really wasn't a whole lot of time to see if our whites were going to change color. But, when you're grabbing a little sandwich from the remote controlled, refrigerated snack pod in the afternoon, and someone comes up to you complaining about their undershorts - asking if yours are coming back grayish, you sort of hightail it out of the Neptune Lounge. Otherwise, you lose your appetite for your little sandwich.

 

I had a sport coat and a tuxedo vest get washed, dried, and ruined on separate days. They were marked for dry cleaning, so it was operator error. HAL reimbursed me for the garments, so all is well.

 

Other than that, we really didn't have any problems besides the Explore 4 Pinnacle overload. The ship was in fine shape and everyone was great - our cabin stewards, our MDR waiters, and everyone in the beverage department.

 

I feel bad that the OP is having a bad cruise. She's on the ship right now, and we're not.... If you have a cruise scheduled on the NDAM, I can tell you that two cruises prior to ours there was a poster who set our expectations for non-stop plumbing issues and most of the public restrooms being out of order. We didn't have any problems and I can honestly say that we didn't see any out of order public toilets.

Edited by POA1
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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
Posted
This is a classic. I love it!

 

I am no cheerleader and will report it as I find it. I am in a Neptune Suite and that is only because I love my space and we really got a good deal when Explore 4 ended and we switched from an SA to an SC, which was originally an SA and saved $6000. It better be worth it.

 

It's a big birthday and I'm celebrating it on this cruise. i want it to be good. I'm not looking for the bad. As a matter of fact, I actually may ignore the bad just to make it a good birthday.

 

Terri

 

Have a great time celebrating that big birthday Terri and a great cruise.

 

Looking forward to your live report and appreciate any time and $ you can spare to do it.:D

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cruz chic

cruz chic

Posted
Posted
If two cruises on the same ship in the same year were so different, could it not be that the passenger mix, the itinerary, the weather, your attitude, etc. were more responsible for the different results than the condition of the ship or the level of service?

 

I just don't understand this at all. Yup, it was the weather, pax and my attitude.

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Cruzin Terri

Cruzin Terri

Posted
Posted
hi, I read that Napels is changed for your Noordam 25th cruise?

we sail 14/8 did not hear something about this change...

where did you hear it?

 

The change is for the stop on September 15. I first saw on the HAL website and then received official notification from HAL.

Terri

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IRL_Joanie

IRL_Joanie

Posted
Posted
Sorry, Mr. Bontenbal has been on NODM since 29 May; Another HD (not Mr. Pells) is relieving him and joining on 03 Aug

 

Thank You John for affirming what I said about Ron being aboard her already!!

 

Ron told me in his last email, yesterday, that he will be going on vacation and returning to Noordam after that. Unfortunately he will be on vacation when we board her in May 2015.

 

I believe our HD on Westerdam just a week or so ago, told us that he was leaving the Westerdam on 19 July and Mark Pels was taking his place. I would assume that Mark Pels is a roamer?? Filling in where needed for vacationing HD's? I wonder though as I thought that a HD or any other position Officer wise was at minimum a 2 or 3 month stint, not a 2 week stint................

 

Joanie

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Cruzin Terri

Cruzin Terri

Posted
Posted (edited)
Thank You John for affirming what I said about Ron being aboard her already!!

 

Ron told me in his last email, yesterday, that he will be going on vacation and returning to Noordam after that. Unfortunately he will be on vacation when we board her in May 2015.

 

I believe our HD on Westerdam just a week or so ago, told us that he was leaving the Westerdam on 19 July and Mark Pels was taking his place. I would assume that Mark Pels is a roamer?? Filling in where needed for vacationing HD's? I wonder though as I thought that a HD or any other position Officer wise was at minimum a 2 or 3 month stint, not a 2 week stint................

 

Joanie

Joanie,

I don't follow these people around. I contacted ship services to set up a Meet and Greet. The first person told me the HD was changing on Aug. 3 and did not yet know who it was. the second person told me the HD was Ron. So I thought Ron was joining the ship on Aug. 3

 

I am glad you are right and I'm sure you are happy you are right.

Terri

Edited by Cruzin Terri
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innlady1

innlady1

Posted
Posted

Joanie, FYI, Mark Pells is not a "roamer" (1st time I've heard that one).

 

He's been on the Noordam for several years and is highly regarded by passengers and his crew alike. We've been on the Noordam several times when he was the HD, most recently in February.

 

I was hoping he'd be on our upcoming TA, but it's not meant to be.

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sapper1

sapper1

Posted
Posted
That that the opposite of the tongue sticking out emoticon : p or :p ?

 

Maybe it's the mouth-agape, toothpick or cigarette hanging from lip?

 

:D

 

Puleeze---up until now this has not been a smoking thread. :D:D

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Cheese2525

Cheese2525

Posted
Posted
This is a classic. I love it!

 

I am no cheerleader and will report it as I find it. I am in a Neptune Suite and that is only because I love my space and we really got a good deal when Explore 4 ended and we switched from an SA to an SC, which was originally an SA and saved $6000. It better be worth it.

 

It's a big birthday and I'm celebrating it on this cruise. i want it to be good. I'm not looking for the bad. As a matter of fact, I actually may ignore the bad just to make it a good birthday.

 

Terri

 

Happy Birthday Terri. See you when we join the cruise on the 25th:)

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CowPrincess

CowPrincess

Posted
Posted

This is pretty interesting. I'll be keeping an eye on reports on the Noordam as one of the options I am considering for next year is a B2B to Alaska on the Noordam in May. A big reason for considering the Noordam was that we really enjoyed our one cruise on her. (Also considering a few other itins/plans)

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innlady1

innlady1

Posted
Posted
Puleeze---up until now this has not been a smoking thread. :D:D

 

LOL, sapper! Good one......

 

On another note, I will certainly report back on my findings in October. It will be interesting to see if she has morphed into an old lady...kind of like me. :eek:

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sapper1

sapper1

Posted
Posted
LOL, sapper! Good one......

 

On another note, I will certainly report back on my findings in October. It will be interesting to see if she has morphed into an old lady...kind of like me. :eek:

 

Well that morphing business is a hazard. You look in the mirror one day and everything is fine and the next time you look you wonder what the heck happened! :eek:

 

On a serious note, I look forward to your report.

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chrispb

chrispb

Posted
Posted
I enjoy complaining as much as the OP, but the espresso machine was out of order is a "disaster?"

 

It would be for me:cool: some of us rely on coffee to get us going in the morning. Not sure why HAL doesn't carry 1 or 2 spares - they don't take up too much space.

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