Holland America - maybe not just yet.

Item: Noordam
Rating: 3.7
Author: Dallas1954

Noordam Cruise Review to South Pacific

Dallas1954

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 7+ cruises

Reviews: 2

Helpful Votes: 52

Overall rating:

3.7 out of 5

23 Night Pacific Treasures & South Australia Holiday (Sydney Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 22, 2018

Ship: Noordam

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 5106

Traveled as: Singles/Friends

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

It was a bucket list experience. I travel with a different cruise line each year. What do they have to capture me. What pleases me and what does not. My quest continues.

Embarkation

4 out of 5

A little slow. They had not started the clock on my arrival. Sat for 30-40 minutes. But after that it was pretty much crowd free.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

4 out of 5

Main restaurant was traditional in setting. Furniture original to age of ship. Menu was American influence to taste. Small portion size. Well presented. Canaletto offered too few Italian choices and butted up against the Lido buffet with little segregation. All open planning. Only one visit to "give it a whirl'. Once was enough. I used simple meal choices a the buffet; mostly prepared deli type bread rolls. Overall buffet was limited when stacked up against other cruise lines.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Cruise ships are all about the swimming arrangements. Too many kids. Nuff said.

Entertainment

2 out of 5

No gala or Broadway type shows. The "Noordam singers and dancers" grew pretty thin, pretty quick. One size does not fit all. BBC Earth was good. Thank you big time for BB Kings Blues Club. A fantastic New Years show on the pool deck.

Children's Programs

I am 64 and travelling alone.

Service and Staff

4 out of 5

Each and every member of staff were extremely effective at meeting passenger requests. Personal rewards were commensurate to performance.

Ship Quality

4 out of 5

Comparisons to other lines are difficult to avoid. Noordam is clean and fit for purpose but is showing it's age. Ship staff were on a constant cleaning regime. Day and night. Well done!

Cabin / Stateroom

4 out of 5

Adequate for me in size. Comfortable, though it took a while to get the AC temperature right. Initially set way too cold. USB power connections great. TV poor, small and ancient. Not interactive. Programming too repetitive. Still promoting shore excursions after all ports had been visited and we were heading home. Always clean and tidy. Always !