A relaxing vacation

Item: Noordam
Rating: 4
Author: AnneC

Noordam Cruise Review to Europe - Western Mediterranean

AnneC

Contributor Level: Deck Hand

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 4

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

Verified Review

7 Night Riviera Romance (Rome Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 12, 2010

Ship: Noordam

Cabin type: Balcony

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 14 years ago

Review summary

The Noordam is a beautiful ship. Its venues are underused, however. They could/should have activities going in all these fabulous rooms every day--not just the lone "at sea" day. A no-smoking policy would be appreciated (their "suggested" smoking areas were only loosely adhered to--as was the "adults only" policy at the aft pool.)

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

It's hard to do a quality job with such large numbers. The specialty restaurants--the Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto's--were excellent. The regular dining room was a step down from service in years past.

Entertainment

3 out of 5

This seems to be where this ship spared expenses. In the past, I have even skipped shore excursions to stay onboard for particular classes and activities. I would have been playing Solitaire on this cruise, had I done so. I will definitely explore on-board activities/lectures/classes before booking my next cruise.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Overall, excellent.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ports of call

Barcelona, Spain

5 out of 5

We particularly enjoyed exploring the Gothic quarter.

Thumbs Up 0

Cannes, France

5 out of 5

A beautiful port with good shopping.

Thumbs Up 0

Trapani, Sicily

5 out of 5

Very accessible--a short walk into town with abundant good shopping.

Thumbs Up 0

Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands

5 out of 5

Beautiful, but we arrived on a major religious holiday when everything was closed. We had a very pleasant walk, though, and did some sight-seeing. It's a long walk into town--a shuttle would have been appreciated here.

Thumbs Up 0

La Goulette (Tunis & Carthage), Tunisia

5 out of 5

My favorite stop--largely because of a terrific tour guide who really brought the history and culture of ancient Carthage to life.

Thumbs Up 0

Pros: dining in the two speciaty restaurants onboard (Pinnacle Grill and Canaletto's)

Cons: too few onboard activities

Recommends Noordam? Yes!

1 Comment

Gwbigdog 2 years ago

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us.

Thumbs Up 0

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