NOORDAM 1/6 Cruise - Where's The Details

[RevNeal]

Brian, CONGRATULATIONS DEAR, ON YOUR NEW JOB. I'm so happy for you. I don't know what Greg thinks, but I think you should tell about the "privavacy sign". It was such a hoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

:eek: No, Brian ... dangle it ... dangle it and make 'em speculate and beg! It's more fun that way!!!!!!!!

 

Adele, you are NAUGHTY! ;) Just for that, I'll share a photo that has been shared with me.

 

 

And, no, that has NOTHING to do with Brian's privacy card story. :D

But ... Adele, dear ... you need to SMILE more. :D

[RevNeal]

And ... for those who are impatient ... I have taken a little time this morning and have written up a preliminary report. It's not major, nor highly detailed, it just provides a "sense" of what the cruise was like along with a few "details" -- in which the devil can usually be found. :D I've got duties today, but I'll be trying to get it up online tonight.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

And ... for those who are impatient ... I have taken a little time this morning and have written up a preliminary report. It's not major, nor highly detailed, it just provides a "sense" of what the cruise was like along with a few "details" -- in which the devil can usually be found. :D I've got duties today, but I'll be trying to get it up online tonight.

 

 

Thanks, Rev. Until tonight, then. We await with bated breath........

[sail7seas]

Thanks for the photo, Greg. You both look wonderful.

 

I so enjoyed meeting Adele and her beautiful daughter and it was great sailing with you, Greg.

 

I've been working on getting a review up and posted, as well.

 

We're both slow this time but I've had 'other events' occuring since we arrived home.

 

[RevNeal]

Ok ... here's a MUCH demanded photo. Ruth and Scotty in the tub on the Penthouse verandah at sail away from New York!!!!!! :D

 

 

It was VERY funny. A bunch of us were out on the Verandah watching the city as we sailed away. And, Ruth comes out with a glass of champagne in hand, saw the tub, and said "is this THE tub!?"

 

"Yep!"

 

"I want IN!"

 

And she got in!!!!!!!

Scotty, not to be out-done, jumped in with her.

Gotta hand it to 'em ... they know how to enjoy life in style!

[RevNeal]

Another nice shot ... one of my favorite group photos:

 

 

Standing: John, Ruth, Sail, Greg

Kneeling: Bob, Emily, Susan, Brian.

[RevNeal]

Mother/Daughter on formal night

 

 

Adele (longtimecruiser)/Emily

[RevNeal]

Janice and RevNeal on Sunday (informal) night

 

[RevNeal]

Ruth and Brian on informal night:

 

[RevNeal]

And, finally, Greg and Brian at sail away.

This was, of course, a casual night ... yet, we're wearing sports jackets!!! AHHHHHHH!

 

[RevNeal]

AHHHHHHH ... double post!

[RuthC]

Greg, thank you so much for posting those photos. Believe it or not, I hadn't seen them! I LOVE the hot tub picture and have managed to save it for myself.

Oh, and the one of me and Brian (I'm in my pearl gray pantsuit w/black accent) is the first night---casual.

[Guest kookeekrisp]

I think the minister is out of control with the pictures from the Noordam...I'm almost afraid to see what's gonna be next...

someone stop him quickly! :eek:

 

oh by the way everyone...GUESS WHO THIS IS?!:D

[codyody]

And now I am clapping my hands in delight; both for Brian (lookin' good in all those fancy duds) and for the pictures. I can finally put faces with names. Some I would have guessed, some not...and I'm not telling which!;)

[RuthC]

...oh by the way everyone...GUESS WHO THIS IS?!:D

Emily? Is that youuuuuu? :confused:

[RevNeal]

It was an interesting, and wonderful, experience to cruise on the Noordam's Inaugural voyage and then, nearly one year later, board her again for another wonderful cruise. I so enjoyed being with so many of my CC friends, and to enjoy their company on one of the fleet's most lovely vessels is truly a pleasure.

 

What to say about the Noordam herself? After one year of service she looks spectacular. Even though she is a ship, is constantly at sea, and has cruised extensively in the Caribbean and the Med and the Atlantic since I was last aboard her, I must say that she is truly maintained ship-shape and bristol fashioned. Her public rooms do not show much sign of wear and tear, although the flaked paint-spot that Brian broke in the Crows Nest on the last night of the inaugural cruise is STILL THERE and needs painting (hear that, Captain Scott ... it's about mid-way between port and starboard, above the windows.)

 

Her best feature, however, is her crew. She has a spectacular crew ... among the very best in the damfleet. The service was impeccable: from the bar staff to my cabin steward and our dining room staff, they were all excellent. Many remembered me either from the Inaugural or, as was the case in several instances, from other even earlier cruises. Holland America's best asset is their wonderful crew ... they MUST take care of them! I want to offer a special word of thanks to Henk Minsink for being one of the best Hotel Managers in the fleet, his wife Crystal for her fantastic guest relations, and Captain Scott for commanding the whole ship in such an able fashion. Drew Murdoch was an excellent Cruise Director; I've worked with him before as Chaplain, and so it was great to see him again. The ship's cast was excellent, with the dancers being quite good and the vocalists a pleasure to listen to. I've seen many ships casts, and among this cast were several I have seen before on other ships, but as an ensemble this was among the best groupings I've seen in years. More than just a frenetic bunch of dancers, this group put true skill and feeling into the performances. I also enjoyed the several opportunities I had to chat with several of them.

 

The food in the main dining room was among the best I've had aboard HAL, and that's saying quite a bit because I found the food aboard the Zaandam in October to be good too. But the Noordam really pushed the envelope's edge in terms of variety, taste, and presentation ... all were excellent. I immensely enjoyed every meal in the main DR. The menus were a mixture of many of the "standards" that I have come to expect over the past several years, along with some new dishes mixed in for good measure.

 

Our group occupied tables 64 and 65 on the upper level, starboard side near the entrance. It's the first time I've been in that area and I REALLY liked it and really want to eat in that general vicinity in the future. For one thing, I found the temperatures to be far more agreeable than they were on the lower level. Also, the location gave me the ability to observe as people came in and left ... and, especially, of those being turned away when approaching while inadequately dressed. Yes, it happened ... in once case to the applause of several tables. For the most part our passengers observed the dress code to an exemplary level; even casual nights saw some men in jackets. However, there are always a few -- a very few -- who tried to buck the dress code; some got away with it, to a certain degree, but there appeared to be an unwillingness to allow them to get away with shorts and t-shirts on formal night ... more than one was sent to put on long pants and a jacket, and were denied entrance to the main dining room until the complied. I salute the Dining Room Manager for his willingness to enforce the code to the degree that it was enforced ... I'm sure it's not easy when HAL HQ doesn't help with inconsistent messages.

 

The Lido's food was as good as ever, although I must admit that I limited my meals there to breakfast and lunch. My breakfasts were always nice. I usually went after having walked 3 miles on the promenade ... and I usually had an omelet, though once I limited myself to cereal and, on another occasion, I opted for waffles. I love breakfast on damships ... always tasty. For lunch I would usually limit myself to a wrap (the sandwich station had excellent wraps), though more than once I enjoyed the Asian fare.

 

I ate lunch in the Main Dining Room three times, and while the meals there were fine and the service was quick and pleasant, the third time I ate there (the last afternoon of the cruise) the food was rather poor (the selection was rather icky). If it hadn't been for the company of my friends, I would have gone elsewhere.

 

I had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill twice, and enjoyed both times immensely. Both dinners were with CCer friends, and each time I found the rate of service to be acceptable (it was slow, but not as slow as it had been on the Inaugural ... where 3 and a half hours for dinner was not uncommon), and I found the food to be first-rate ... much better than what I experienced on the Zaandam in October. I also ate lunch in the Pinnacle once, and as usual I enjoyed it ... though, again, the company was the best feature.

 

The 11 day itinerary is better than the 10 day voyage; I really enjoyed visiting the natural beauty of Dominica, and Barbados' Atlantic shore is always a great visit. As usual, the shopping in St. Maarten was good, although I didn't end up buying much. We tendered at St. Thomas, and I must admit that I really liked this convenience better than docking. I always enjoy tendering, but at St. Thomas we tendered right in to downtown,which made it quick and easy to do a bit of shopping without having to negotiate the traffic in and around Havensight Mall, or taxi over from Crown Bay.

 

Evenings were fun aboard. The Northern Lights (the Disco) was the place where things were hopping most nights until very late. More than once I stayed up with my CC friends, dancing until we closed the place down around 2:30 am. It was great, and as usual I really enjoyed the "boogie time" on the floor. DJ Jazzy was, as usual, a real joy to have aboard and I was so very happy to see him again. Between dinner and dancing in the Northern Lights I enjoyed Name that Tune and other activities in the Piano Bar. RuthC's haunt became a favorite of many of us, and I particularly enjoyed watching her play "stump the Piano man." :D He took it is stride, however.

 

Before dinner most evenings I enjoyed cocktails in the Ocean Bar. The band here was good, but the singer was horrible, the volume was pumped up too high, and the singer sang with his mouth too close to the mic. The room was also a little too crowded for my taste, but it wasn't so bad that one couldn't find a seat.

 

This has been a mish-mash of thoughts ... and I'm sure I'll find I've left out some important points. However, I'm going to pull this to a close at this point. Overall, this was among my very favorite cruises; and, as I have discovered over the past several cruises, what made it so wonderful was being with, and meeting, so many wonderful fellow CCers. It makes me a little nervous about cruising on a ship where there are not a large number of friends from CC along for the ride. I'm sure I'll have a blast on my next cruise, but I'll miss the smiling faces and the wonderful times that I've had on the past several cruises, and on the Noordam in particular.

[RevNeal]

I think the minister is out of control with the pictures from the Noordam...I'm almost afraid to see what's gonna be next...

someone stop him quickly! :eek:

 

oh by the way everyone...GUESS WHO THIS IS?!:D

 

Easy ... Emily! Good to "see" you!!!! :D

And it was great meeting you aboard the Noordam, and I look forward to meeting you agian ... on some other damship!!! :D

[OceanFantasys]

Greg I just got home and tuned straight in to find your review and pictures.. What a treat !! I have been waiting patiently for this.. You and Brian look so handsome all dressed up. I would of never recognized Brian because his avatar picture looks so much different.. I have to agree it was nice seeing pictures of people we talk to on the boards daily.. Ruth looks to be having a good ol time in that tub.. lol... Thank you again for sharing your experience with us and I hope I can sail on a dam ship with you soon.. Oh yes, maybe so.. I am booking the Eurodam this coming Saturday when I board the Oosterdam.. So I will see ya on the inagural sailing !!

 

Rhonda

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Great review and pictures Greg.:) Oh how I wished I could have been with all of you. I am sure that someday we will manage to all cruise together. Thanks again for sharing with with us.

[hammybee]

:eek:

 

And, no, that has NOTHING to do with Brian's privacy card story. :D

But ... Adele, dear ... you need to SMILE more. :D

 

Yeah, dear Adele would be gorgeous if she were only smiling in this one. As for you, our dear Revneal....what can I say. Woo-Hoo guy ! You are looking good.

 

Warmly,

Hammybee

( who could be your just slightly older sister)

 

P.S. And while I could care less what other passengers wear, while on cruise, come on now, this pix say it all...it does not get much better than this and when people make an effort it shows and matters.

[localady]

Greg-

So great to hear that the Dining Room food is still as outstanding as it was on the TA in September. I found it to be a definite contrast to the food we had on the Volendam at Christmas which was disappointing. I think that the Noordam rated right up there with the best dining room meals consistently of any cruise I've been on!!:D

 

I thought of the gang here at CC and especially RuthC as I spent many a night warming a stool in the Piano Bar with Randall Powell on our Transatlantic cruise.:D I just knew that you all would have a great time with him, he is so out there and fun, and I've truly sorry I missed it.:cool:

[hammybee]

Ditto here on the busy!

Been readjusting to land...

(the floors dont' move anymore... :( )

...preparing for an NASD examination for my firm, plus received word last nite that I've been offered a new job w/ a 20% increase in salary/QUOTE]

 

And a mighty woo-hoo to you. The NASD is far more challenging than it once was and it's all about cramming the week before. The test is fairly conrcrete and you will know what you know, or not, and will be able to predict your own pass/fail. Given your apparent ability to grasp the nuance, I predict you will do quite well. And at the end of the day, no one cares about your score. Just pass the darn thing. We are rootin for you.

[hammybee]

And, finally, Greg and Brian at sail away.

This was, of course, a casual night ... yet, we're wearing sports jackets!!! AHHHHHHH!

 

 

Are those really Puka ( pucca?) shells?

[cruznon]

Thanks for the photos and post Greg. I've been looking forward to seeing pix for this cruise. Great picture of you and Brian with NYC in the background!

Congrats Brian. What is the NASD? (Thanks, just curious.)

[hammybee]

Ok ... here's a MUCH demanded photo. Ruth and Scotty in the tub on the Penthouse verandah at sail away from New York!!!!!! :D

 

 

It was VERY funny. A bunch of us were out on the Verandah watching the city as we sailed away. And, Ruth comes out with a glass of champagne in hand, saw the tub, and said "is this THE tub!?"

 

"Yep!""I want IN!"And she got in!!!!!!!Scotty, not to be out-done, jumped in with her.Gotta hand it to 'em ... they know how to enjoy life in style!

 

Finally the pix we have been waiting for.....I had a feeling it was Sir Scott with Ruth C, and shame on me for not remembering who had the PH. It was in the roll call and I am usually good at recalling useless info- like hello, I'm not even on this cruise, so why am I reading the roll call?