Great vacation!
Noordam Cruise Review to South Pacific - Australia
Contributor Level:
Purser
Cruises: 7+ cruises
Review: 1
Helpful Votes: 69
Review summary
We celebrated our wedding anniversary on board. The restaurant staff made a special cake for us, and sang an Indonesian song for us. We had dinner with the Captain and wife, which was one of the highlights of all our cruises. Thank you, Captain Draper! The cruise was excellent, just what we wanted. In retrospect, we liked the sea days just as much as shore days,We may be more. A few of the ports of call were far from the main attractions, which meant paying for excursions and spending lots of time on buses. I would have preferred fewer stops, more sea days, and possibly an overnight at one of the main cities, like Wellington, Melbourne or Hobart.Embarkation
Embarkation in Auckland was great: easy, fast, no hassle, well organized. Best of all, our stateroom was ready by the time we embarked, which is not always the case.
Smooth operation.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
We dined every night in the main dining room. Location was good, food was so-so, hit an miss. A bit repetitive. Fish dishes were best. No "healthy" option, such as lots of vegetables and fruits.
Desserts were very sugary. I would have preferred a tasty fruit platter, as could be found in the buffet. But that was not available in the main dining room. Fruits were uniformly tasteless
Onboard Activities
We enjoyed the music challenge and the trivia quizzes. Also the entertainment, particularly classical music.
Entertainment
Few guest entertainers in the Main Theater. Magicians were good, stand-up comedy good, singers so-so. Most of the entertainment was the resident dancers and singers. They are good, in fact better than in other cruises, and the shows were creative, but after a while you think you've seen it all. I would have liked a few more guest entertainers in the main theater.
The pianist Stryker was outstanding, his performances were always packed. Why not choose a larger venue for his show, such as the Crow's Nest which was always empty.
The cruise director and asst. cruise director were both excellent. I highly recommend Erin for a promotion!!
Service and Staff
After a few hiccups at the beginning of the cruise, everything went smoothly. The Maitre d' and the Assistant Guest Relations Manager, Ms. Martinez, were outstanding in solving any small issues.
Ship Quality
Everything seemed OK. There was a funny smell on Deck 2, near one of the toilets. Other than that, no other problems.
Cabin / Stateroom
Cabin was OK. It had all we needed, although it felt smaller than in other ships. We had enough space for all our stuff.
We really like the bathtub on Holland American ships. Other cruise lines have a shower enclosure, which feels cramped. The cabin attendants were good.
Ship tip
If I had to choose a cabin, I would go for a balcony in the middle of the ship. It rocks less, and is more accesible from restaurants and buffet.
Thumbs up
0
Ports of call
Excellent! Good for a few days. I highly recommend the zoo, the waterfront, the museums, and just walking around.
Not much to do hear. The Art Deco is OK, but only a couple blocks in town. Not that impressive. The museum was outstanding!
Port Chalmers (Dunedin), New Zealand
Rented a car, drove to national parks, nature reserve, Mt. Wellington, and had dinner in town. Excellent place for 1 or 2 days.
OK, but main attractions are far away. Spent most of the day on a bus, going and coming.
Beautiful, exciting city. Excellent transportation system, with ferries, trains and buses on a single ticket. Good restaurants, many sights within short distance of center.
Disembarkation
Easy, fast, efficient. It went very smoothly. Great job, Holland American and the Australian border control office!