 |
 |
|
Note - this page contains multiple reviews.
Name: Anne Twitchell
Email: atwitch@home.com
Age: 70
Occupation: retired librarian
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Noordam
SailingDate: November 10, 1999
Itinerary: Panama Canal
Cabin: 431-1
FoodDiningRoom: 92
CruiseDirector: 100
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 93
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 65
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 70
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 78
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 92
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 98
EmbarkDisembark: 70
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 85
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 21 Feb 2000
Time: 13:24:12
Remote Name: proxy1-external.ashvil1.nc.home.com
Remote User:
Comments
We had a marvelous time. There were a great variety of shipboard activities and they were well run
for the most part. We were pleasantly surprised to find that our cabin was large enough and very
well-equipped. The cabin steward was always very accommodating even though his English was
minimal.
Food in the main dining room was excellent and beautifully served. Our steward had the chefs make
our table of five a special dessert to order on our last evening. For lunch waiting in the cafeteria line
was a slow process, so we usually opted to eat from the separate salad bar or bring hamburgers in
from the deck.
We enjoyed the entertainment, especially as we had read that entertainment on the Holland America
Line was mediocre. There was an excellent magician and the Noordam Cast gave two lively shows. I
especially want to mention Assistant Cruise Director Eric Dowis. His irreverant wit, the aplomb with
which we ran so many activities, and his fabulous good looks were a big hit.
The shore excursions were the most disappointing part of our trip. Santa Cruz Huatulco was not
worth the long waits for the tenders coming and going. On our Costa Rica stop we chose a trip to
the Carara Biological Reserve; it was a nice walk, but we didn't see any animals. Those who had
opted to go on the coffee plantation excursion, however, were extrememly enthusiastic about it.
Cartegena would have been interesting but it was pouring down rain and there were aggressive
vendors everywhere. Nassau was cooler and pleasant.
Going through the Canal was a unique and worthwhile experience. My one objection was that there
were virtually no shipboard activities on the day of the crossing, although it was far too hot, even in
the shade, to stay out on deck all day.
Embarkation and disembarkation were badly handled. Long slow-moving lines in a crowded building
marked our embarkation. Our disembarkation number was not called until the very end, so that we
almost missed our planes.
Crew members were extremely accommodating and friendly. This above all made for a wonderful
cruise which I would highly recommend to anyone over 30.
Name: Mike Lanham
Email: gjtigress@aol.com
Age: 61
Occupation: Retired Physician
NumberOfCruises: 13
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Noordam
SailingDate: Feb 5, 2000
Itinerary: Rio de Janeiro - Valparaiso
Cabin: E 711
FoodDiningRoom: 93
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 99
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 92
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 89
CabinQuietness: 85
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 93
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 82
GoodForHoneymoon: 85
CasinoStaff: 85
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService:
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 91
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 94
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 93
Casino: 85
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 91
EmbarkDisembark: 65
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 91
ShopsOnBoard: 82
SpaceRatio: 93
OverallCruiseValue: 92
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Feb 2000
Time: 12:38:30
Remote Name: spider-tr014.proxy.aol.com
Remote User:
Comments
We felt this South American cruise was an excellent value for the money and particularly because of our
cabin E711. There are two cabins on the Noordam configured like ours 711 and 716. While the standard
E cabin is around 140 square feet, ours was 255 square feet and no extra cost. It was a huge cabin,
some 12 feet square with lots of drawer and counter space. The food was excellent with a great variety
and well presented. The entertainment was excellent and the three flagship lecturers were superb. We
learned about shipping in general, South American exploration and discovery, and three excellent talks
by a retired NATO general on the Unification of Europe. There were a great number of ship board
activities for every taste. The fitness program was excellent although we did not participate. We took the
moderately priced shore excursions and did not do the Antartica flyover for $1399 or the Igazu Falls trip
for $699. They had superb weather for the flyover, but I heard the Igazu Falls trip was not good, with only
a limited time at the falls.
The general city tours, and especially the Barbecue at the Rancho in Buenos
Aires were excellent, but pricey. It's been my experience that if four people are able to hire a car and
driver that is probably worth while, but for two people it becomes very expensive and the ship tours are a
better deal. Also, we did not get to tender in to Stanley in the Falkland Islands because of inability to
launch the tenders, which according to one of the cruise staff is not unusual and they only make it into
Stanley about 1/3 of the time. The only real criticisms come regarding the embarkation in Rio de Janeiro
which was a nightmare. We were loading at the same time as another ship, the lines were disorganized
and it was a madhouse. The debarkation went much smoother and the all day tour in Santiago made the
day go much easier.
We did wait in line 2 1/2 hours in Santiago to check in on our American flight back to
Miami, but three flights were leaving that evening. Another thought has to do with the HA policy of
optional - not NO - tipping. While our cabin steward was marvelous and we left him a significant tip, I felt
the dining room staff were not as attentive or friendly as on other lines. The service was never bad, it just
wasn't as personal as o other cruises we've been on. However, I should mention that others at our table
liked the fact that the wait staff wasn't hovering over you at every instant. All in all it was a great time.
Having never been to South America, we found it all fascinating, particularly cruising through the
Argentinian and Chilean fjords with their glaciers. Dr. Mike Lanham Grand Junction, CO
Name: Pamela Partsch
Email: pepbooks@yahoo.com
Age: 47
Occupation: Medical Secretary
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Noordam
SailingDate: October 1, 1999
Itinerary: Panama Canal
Cabin: 225
FoodDiningRoom: 90
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 85
FoodRoomService: 85
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 90
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 70
FoodVariety: 89
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 50
GoodForHoneymoon: 50
CasinoStaff: 80
PrivateIsland: 99
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: 70
TenderService: 50
GoodForSeniors: 99
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 70
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 85
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 70
EmbarkDisembark: 5
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 70
Stabilization: 50
ShopsOnBoard: 75
SpaceRatio: 70
OverallCruiseValue: 65
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 May 2000
Time: 21:40:09
Remote Name: ip227.reading8.pa.pub-ip.psi.net
Remote User:
Comments
Panama Canal Cruise Oct. 1 - 10, 1999. MS Noordam
My husband and I had previously taken a cruise on the Carnival Cruise Line, Imagination, to the Western
Caribean. This was such a wonder ful experience, we decided that we would go for it and traverse the
Panama Canal before the U.S. lost control of the facilities. I had heard that to travelwith HAL was the
experience of a lifetime. The service was outstanding and the ammenities were truly amazing. I, also, had
heard that an 'older crowd' traveled this cruise line. Little did I know that this was so true. The median age on
this ship was about 75 or 80! I was not prepared for this type of age group. Of course, I did not expect to
have a 'party boat' but I felt like it was a floating nursing home. The ship was older and the wear is surely
showing. We decided to make it a truly full trip and booked the Fly/Cruise package and begin our trip in
Acapulco. That part of the trip went fine. However, the hotel, the Acapulco Princess is over rated in my
opinion. It was the rainy season and this particular hotel does not have enclosed sides on many of the down
stairs hall ways, and also, the upstairs hall ways are partially open. This was wonderful in terms of viewing the
sceenery but, because of the rain, which blew in most of the time, the mildew and the odor of must and mildew
was quite over powering. For the price of the room, I would definetely not recommend this to anyone. The
actual stay in Acapulco was ok, we were downtown, in the flea market district of old Acapulco, when the
earthquake that hit outside of Mexico City, was felt. We did not know immediately what happened, but quickly
figured it out. We were not injured in any way thank goodness. The trip we took around Acapulco was
interesting, but very commercialized.
The trip to the ship went without incident and embarkation was a breeze. The room was spacious, but very
noisy. We were actually situated over a bar, the Piet Hein Lounge. The noise, every night, was very
distracting. If I had had a layout of the ship, I would have chosen a different location. We had a full bath tub
and shower, the bathroom was spacious and had alot of storage. However, the tub backed up nearly every
day and sometimes when we had not even used it, brackish water would back up into the tub. Disgusting. The
flush on the toilets was very loud and annoying. However, we always had hot water, and plenty of fresh
towels. The cabin steward was excellent. He was always attentive and whenever we asked for something, he
was quick to please.
The food was out of the world. It was beyond my expectations. This was another recommendation that I had
heard, that the food and service were wonderful. They certainly were. I especially enjoyed the dining room
every evening. Our table mates were pleasant and we truly looked forward to this part of the day. The food
was wonderful, the service excellent and the quality top notch.
As for the tour excursions, the weather that season was very poor. We had just had a hurricane and another
was on the way. We embarked in Acapulco and the trip from Los Angeles had been especially rough. We
experienced much turbulance throughout the whole trip. So, consequently, many of the ports of call were to
be tendered. This was usually delayed because of high seas. And even when the tender was operational, it
was very scary, as it was bobbing up and down like a cork. If anyone was prone to sea sickness, this trip
would have done them in. I do not get sea sick, but the constant movement was very annoying and you had
to really call on your balance many times, to prevent youself from falling over. I have heard of rough seas, but
this was truly bad. The sleeping was sometimes difficult because of the noise from the bar and the swaying of
the ship. The trip to Huatulco, Mexico was not very exciting. There is not much to do there, except shop. I
found the shopping mediocre. This was my least favorite port of call. The next was Costa Rica, one of my
favorite port's. We went to the Los Angeles Cloud Forest excursion. The sceenery is breath-taking,
mountains and coffe plantations everywhere. The countryside is truly beautiful. We were on a fabulous
air-conditioned bus with a witty, english speaking (sort of) tour guide. At least he was animated. He had to talk
for 4 hours, (2 going and 2 coming back)! The rain forest is exactly that, lush, dense and very interesting. We
were promised to see monkeys, birds and sloths. We did not see anything but a large wild turkey. However, I
know wild animals are not on a schedule so we were not too disappointed. We had a wonderful lunch in the
hotel that is on this property, included in the tour price. I do feel, however that the price of this trip at
$99/each was a little pricey. But, like always, you are there, and figure when will I have the chance to do this
again? We had a side trip to San Jose that was very interesting. We stopped and visited a very old Catholic
Church that was just beautiful. This trip was long and safe. That is to say, the roads in Costa Rico are much
better than many in Mexico. I would recommend this to anyone.
The next event was traversing the Panama Canal. This was truly to whole reason for our trip. It took 8 hours
to complete the crossing and that is an extremely long day. Practically the whole ship was jammed on the
front of the railings to witness the event. The whole process was fascinating and I am glad that I was able to
experience this first hand. I had read and studied about this for so long, even when you are there, you can
hardly believe it! It was terribly hot and humid so it became tiring quickly to stand and watch for very long.
Many of the passengers were elderly as I had mentioned before, and they were very testy. I guess they felt
they deserved to see the sites more than anyone else did. Anyway, I tried not to let this get to me, and just
enjoyed the sites. This was the highlight of the trip, needless to say. We had sun, clouds and rain, all in one
day. The locks are amazing and so is the whole process. I highly recommend that if you can ever do this, you
should.
The next port of call was Cartagena, Columbia. This was a very nice port of call also. You need to take a
guided tour, the city is large, like New York and not particularily safe alone. We had a wonderful tour guide
that was very informative and friendly. We enjoyed the trip to La Poppa, the Monestary, and Fort San Felipe.
The tour also included a stop at a shopping center that was very interesting. I have not mentioned the street
vendors. They are at every port of call. This is not extrodorinary or any more irritating than in Mexico or
Jamaica. They are just there, you either deal with them or not. We really enjoyed this tour and felt it was well
worth the $39/each.
That leaves 2 days at sea, to recover. Then, on to the Half Moon Cay beach. This was one of our favorite
beaches. I have never seen such pristine sand and water. The day there was very enjoyable. They tendered
us to the beach, provided towels, chairs and refreshments. They also provided lunch for us and some
shopping at the complex. I really enjoyed this day. I would highly recommend that you get off the ship and go
to the beach!!
Disembarkation was the worst experience I have ever had. That sounds pretty bad and it was. Because we
had embarked in Acapulco, with a passport, they instructed us to report to the theater for clearance of
customs. We went and waited for about 2 hours. NO ONE knew what was going on. In fact, we did not need to
be there, it was for aliens, with other than U.S. passports to be cleared. They implied that we needed further
clearance. When we were finally able to proceed to the customs tables, they merely glanced at us and did not
say anything. I mean not even OK. We were left to think that another process was to take place, so we
circled( as did other passengers) around and went thru again!!! This was not necessary and caused total
confusion. The elderly people were irrate, screaming at personel, when they could find someone to scream at
and millilng around. Pushing in front of everyone, it was total bedlam. I am not exaggerating. After all this, and
they finally convinced us we were free to go, we went and stood in the hall way for 2 more hours. I have never
seen such confusion. The cruise line needs to seriously redesign how this process works. Someone, who
speaks every language on the planet, should be announcing instructions to the general public. The process
was delayed because some sweedish people did not know what was going on and did not report to customs,
so that held up the whole ship. Every cruise line has this same problem. COMMUNICATION is not a priority for
the cruise staff.
Every time we were to take a tour, and board a tender, we had to meet in the small lounge. All the elderly
were there about 3 hours before they needed to be. The lady who was handling the tender process, that is
issuing tickets for the various tours, as they are called, did not use a loud speaker. Most of the passengers
could not hear what she was saying, this caused much confusion and gripping. The older passengers
complained alot on this trip. They all arrived at the lido restaurant before it opened, and complained about
that. It was just a trying experience for me. I am usually patient and kind to everyone, but these people tested
the patience of everyone.
I also liked and disliked the deck that wrapped around the ship. Some people were joggers and were
obsessed with this pass time. They would mow you down if you dared to cross into their paths. Also, there
was a walking program that rewarded you with points if you walked so many miles. Fine and good, except for
the obsessed people that even insisted on walking their miles, and jogging their miles, even as we went thru
the Canal !! They could not even stop for that. One guy was really upset with all of us because we were
standing on the front of the ship looking at the Canal. We were in his way.
In closing, we enjoyed the trip overall. I would not go on a HAL again, until I am 65 or so. I sound age biased, I
hope I am not. I had not expected to feel this way, but I truly feel that anyone who has not used this cruise line
before, needs to be informed of the age range. After the trip, when I was booking another cruise, I mentioned
this to that agent and he said everyone knows that the age range for HAL is usually 60 and up. I would
recommend this trip and say that overall, we really did have a trip of a lifetime. If you are in this age range,
rest assured, you will be surrounded by a bevy of your peers!
Name: James Tagliani
Email: James_Tagliani@Gap.com
Age: 30
Occupation: Real Estate Finance
NumberOfCruises: 30
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Noordam
SailingDate: May 22, 2000
Itinerary: Rome to Istanbul
Cabin: Cate B # 006
FoodDiningRoom: 75
CruiseDirector: 70
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 65
CabinAmenities: 85
FoodLidoDeck: 75
DiningRoomService: 85
CabinQuietness: 75
FoodMidnightBuffets: 70
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 80
DeckService: 70
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 75
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 75
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 85
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 100
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 70
CruiseActivities: 75
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 80
DiscoNightclubs: 85
DeckSpace: 80
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 80
SpaceRatio: 60
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 29 Jun 2000
Time: 13:26:25
Remote Name: gateway3.gap.com
Remote User:
Comments
Here is my review of our May 22, ten-night cruise on board Holland America's Noordam from Rome to
Istanbul. My last few cruises have been on HAL, on the Rotterdam VI, Veendam and Statendam. In addition
we have sailed on Home Lines, Windstar, Princess, Carnival, Regency and Royal Caribbean. We are very
well seasoned cruisers!
This cruise visited Italy, the Greek Islands and Turkey.
Embarkation: B-
We arrived in Rome the evening before to get over the jet lag from the west coast and to make sure we
gave ourselves some room incase of a flight cancellation (United is never on time out of SFO!). We stayed
at the Sheraton Rome, which I had stayed before. It's a nice convention hotel on the outskirts of town
between Rome and the airport. We had arranged for a car from the concierge and it was about $20 more
for two, in comparison to the HAL transfers, so it was well worth it.
We arrived at the ship in the port city around 1:00. The gangway was out so we boarded the ship and was
directed to the card room for check in. No one was on the pier to take pictures and there was no fanfare for
boarding. We were given our papers and directed (not escorted) to our cabin on Sun Deck.
The Cabin: A
We had cabin 006 on Sun Deck. The cabin was in great shape with new carpets and a fresh bathroom with
a full size tub. The cabin was a great size, about 20% larger than the standard outside cabin on the
Statendam class ships. We were just next door to the Crows Nest so it was convenient for that room. Our
cabin steward was good, but I only met him once. The only draw back was that there is a bare metal
sundeck above these cabins and you hear every deck chair being moved and stacked all day long.
Note: Peeked in to the Mini-Suites and they were totally gutted and redone in wonderful shades of gray and
mint green. They are stunning and unlike any HAL cabin I've seen.
The Ship: B
The Noordam like her sister N. Amsterdam are the oldest ships in the HAL fleet and are either sold or up for
sale. The Noordam just emerged from a freshening before the European season with new carpets and
upholstery. The ship looked very clean and fresh. The carpets are similar to those on the newer ships.
Most of the public rooms are on two decks with a large lounge midship and the lido in the aft leading to one
of the two pools. Our cruise was full and it showed in the larger public spaces. The Lido was re-configured
so its better than it was, but the aft pool is crowded, as are many other parts of the ship. The Noordam has
a lower passenger allocation for food and flowers (per one of our officers) than the newer ships (hence the
$999 rates) and it shows. Very limited on the flowers throughout the ship.
The main show lounge is lovely at a lounge but horrible for shows. All, but a hand full of seats have site lines
and most passengers had to stand. The casino is nice but a bit crowded on full sailings. The Horn Pipe club,
or the disco was very dark and we were told they did not do too many renovations to this area so they just
keep lowering the lights.
Now for the vibration. Anywhere you are you can feel it. When the ship is under way be sure to visit the
liquor store. All the bottles rattle together so much that its funny. While lounging by the pool body parts
vibrate, including those on many of the asleep passengers. It's like being on a vibrating bed in a cheap
motel! The ship is like a big pager set on vibrate!
Also, I found it quite tacky to have "bug zappers" outside the lido by the pool. Who wants to hear bugs frying
over hot lights when getting their food at the outdoor grill or laying by the pool.
The Food: B-
Some of the worst we ever had on HAL. Apparently they now get their desserts flown in from Cheescake
Factory and some nights they hit our table still frozen in the middle. I asked our Head waiter and he
confirmed that they now make very little of their desserts on board. What a shame. I am a big sweet tooth
and passed up dessert many times.
Entrées were unmemorable, soups and salads just OK. I had asked our head waiter for plain iceberg lettuce
with some oil and vinegar and was told they could not accommodate such a request. Is iceberg lettuce so
exotic
In addition many nights our food arrived luke warm to room temperature but never hot.
The dinning room did do a nice transformation for the second formal night. It was a black and white them
with white slipcovers on the chairs and black and white table linens. Nice touch.
Our waiter was great as usual with the seasoned HAL crew
Bar Service
This is a subject that I never think about, not being a heavy drinker or ever thinking about the quality of a
drink, but this is another example of the cheapness of this ship. Each night our group would meet in one of
the various bars (usually the Crows Nest) for a cocktail before dinner. I am a Manhattan drinker and as
anyone knows you put a cherry in the glass. Unfortunately there were none on the ship and with a port a
day you would think they would go out and get some knowing they had passengers requesting them, but no.
Finally in Athens I had to go to the local market and buy a jar and give it to the bar tender just to have a
complete drink. Needless to say they couldn't find the cherries the next night. "When was the last time
HAL?"…
The Crew: B
The European cruises saw 200 new crew board the Noordam and you could tell. Many of the Indonesian
and Filipino could not speak English. In addition they were going through training on board so their last
focus was on the passengers. There were some shinning stars in the Crows Nest Lounge and we had a
wonderful waiter.
I would love to know if the front desk staff of this HAL ship went through classes on being surly. One front
desk supervisor (Tracy Fox) was the most confrontational rude front desk person ever at sea. Example: A
woman was getting out of the Navigation deck pool and the wooden step of the ladder broke sending her
back into the pool. She yells for help and the bar tender and those helpful Steiner girls walk on by. A
passenger got her out of the pool while another called the front desk to get the nurse. The woman was
bleeding. Ms Fox told the passenger to have the woman to come down to the infirmary because they were
busy. The passenger finally got her and the nurse up on deck with the woman being taken care of by
passengers and she proceeds to tell some others by the pool that if the woman was not so overweight she
would not have broken the step. The woman was not overweight and over hearing this had me thinking of
trying another cruise line.
Otherwise we were told "No" so many time on board it became a joke. "Could I have an Ice Tea?.. No", "will
there be photos taken as we get off the ship in Greece…No". "Could we get a deck chair by the
pool?"…"No". Actually that last "no" is a funny one. There were empty spaces between the deck chairs near
the larger aft pool, so we had asked on of the deck personnel if they could get us a chair out of one of the
stacks one deck up so we could sit with friends, He said no, that the chairs were by deck and they had to
stay that way. We had to navigate the stairs with our own deck chairs. Other passengers saw this and it
became a "bucket brigade" of deck chairs so that people could sit by the pool. A big Zero for HAL service in
this case.
In the Greek ports the photographers could not take any photos off the ship. They said it was from the local
government, so we had none of those port pictures that we love so much. Funny, Princess' Royal Princess,
that we shared some ports with, had their photographers pier-side….Hmmm.
The Ports: A
Rome: We took the train from the port city into the main terminal of Rome. It was easy and only $12 for the
Eurostar train. We roamed anround Rome and had lunch. Since we had been to Rome before it was nice to
just hang out in the city and not be too concerned about all the sights. We had lunch at a great cafe
Naples: We took a cab to Pompeii. It was a must see! The town is so interesting to walk through. Make sure
to visit the Brothel, a must on any tour!
We spent the afternoon in Naples enjoying the city and having lunch (are you noticing we ate as many
meals as we could off the ship!)
Crete: We tour Knosos which was interesting. That's about it for Crete. The main city of Heraklion was
nothing great
Santorini: A magical island. We took the donkeys up the hill, a bit smelly but so worth it for the view and
experience. The city is perched on tope of these sheer cliffs, absolutely wonderful. Shopping is also great
with lots of jewelry shops and great prices.
Athens: Go see the Acropolis then get back on the ship and lay by the pool
Mykonos: Another magical island and another great seaside lunch in the little Venice area. Don't forget to
see those famous windmills
Kusadasi: Emphases is a must. Its like beings transported back in time. Get on stage in the amphitheater,
it's a kick!
Istanbul: East meets west in this great ancient city. It was worth the trip for the sail into the Istanbul harbor. It
was just wonderful. Seeing all those mosques as we sailed in sure set the stage for the three days post
cruise we spent in this city. We also had some of the best food of the trip
In Conclusion
We have always enjoyed HAL. This was number 13 for me and I celebrated 40,000 miles on the Statendam
last year. I have to say this cruise was not up to the standards of the newer ships (we had such a wonderful
cruise last year on the Statendam to/from Hawaii). The over ambiance of this ship suffers from a surly front
desk, a training ground for new crew and that damn vibration. I know there are people out there that will say
"it's a classic ship" so you have to put up with a bit more than you would in a newer ship. My response is that
my vacation is too important to me and I want perfection (or close to) in things that do not have to solely do
with the physical ship like food and service. Also HAL needs consistency in their product, even on their older
ships. The Noordam fell short. Not that we did not have a memorable cruise, we did, due to the ports and
the group we traveled with.
Will I sail on HAL again? Sure, we are off on the Ryndam (only the newer HAL ships from now on!) in
October but our next long cruise we booked on Princess to Asia because we feel its time to look at some of
the competition. After Princess in March maybe we will try Celebrity. Listen Up HAL it only takes one bad
cruise to sour a passenger on your line. With all the competition out there keep your product consistent!
James Tagliani
Name: Sondra S. Ettlinger
Email: sondra.ettlinger@home.com
Age: 64
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Noordam
SailingDate: May 2, 2000
Itinerary: Lisbon - Lisbon
Cabin: 102
FoodDiningRoom: 70
CruiseDirector: 50
CabinComfort: 49
FoodRoomService: 90
CruiseStaff: 40
CabinAmenities: 49
FoodLidoDeck: 70
DiningRoomService: 40
CabinQuietness: 40
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 60
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 85
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 80
GoodForHoneymoon: 50
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 50
LoungeService: 50
TenderService:
GoodForSeniors: 50
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 50
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 60
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 49
Casino:
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 70
EmbarkDisembark: 10
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace:
Stabilization: 30
ShopsOnBoard:
SpaceRatio:
OverallCruiseValue: 50
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 24 Jul 2000
Time: 19:40:22
Remote Name: proxy1-external.srst1.fl.home.com
Remote User:
Comments
TIME AFTER TIME, THE SERVICE WAS INADEQUATE. WHEN WE RETURNED HOME, I WROTE
THE FOLLOWING LETTER TO THE HOLLAND AMERICA CORPORATE OFFICE:
'On May 11 we completed your Intrigue of Iberia & Northern Africa cruise aboard the Noordam
disembarking at Gibraltar. I am writing to you to communicate our disappointment with the poor
service we encountered on this trip.
We have only taken one other cruise (last spring with Norweigian Cruise Lines) and the comparison
was dramatic. After the outstanding service on our NCL cruise, we were anxious to cruise again. By
contrast, if this had been our first cruise, we would never have taken another. I hardly know where to
begin to describe the poor service we encountered on your ship, there were so many examples. A
partial list includes:
After asking the steward to fix some mechanical problems in the cabin, with no follow through, we
took a written list of ten problems to the main office. The service representative went through each
item on it indicating in a negative way why the problems would not be solved.
Several times we asked various personnel for help (light bulb burned out, laundry door locked, etc.)
and each time we were sent somewhere else to solve the problem ourselves. No one seemed to want
to take the time to help us.
One afternoon I stood in line for 20 minutes to buy postage stamps only to find when I reached the
front of the line that they had run out that morning. No one had thought to post a notice so that we
would not have had to needlessly wait.
Though we had arranged ahead to disembark a day early, we had difficulty getting clear answers
about the procedure and were continually given misinformation.
In the dining room we sat next to the windows and wanted to enjoy the view. However, guests at the
next table found it drafty with the drapes open and wanted them closed. There was a continual
conflict with our group opening the drapes and the other group closing them. We asked the head
steward for help and he refused to get involved, saying we would have to work it out ourselves.
I was served a glass of wine in the lounge that had a splinter of broken glass in it. I brought it to the
attention of the head supervisor. He apologized for the over site and told me he would see to it that
we would not be charged. However, when we checked out, no credit had been issued and our
account charged for the drink.
On our final night aboard, I contacted the ship board supervisor Tracey Fox. She finally gave us the
information we needed for early disemparkation. However, when I spoke to her about our
dissatisfaction concerning the poor service I was amazed at her response. At first she denied any
knowledge of the list we had made early in the trip, then a few minutes later alluded to items on that
list telling me why the couldn't be fixed.
The real shocker though was Ms. Fox's comment as follows: 'Well, you know, you get what you pay
for. This is an old ship, and you didn't pay much' (It had been the most expensive cruise/vacation we
had ever been on)
The Holland America Line is in the hospitality business, and I believe there is no excuse for poor
service. We could possibly have understood the many mechanical failures of this older vessel, but we
do not understand the disregard for those personal touches which made our previous cruise such a
pleasure.'
AFTER WAITING SEVEN WEEKS, I FINALLY HAD A REPLAY FROM HOLLAND AMERICA
They regretted that we were dissatisfied, said they took passenger comments seriously and
forwarded a copy of the letter to the Hotel Manager on board the Noordam. While they said they
understood an apology will not erase the frustration we experienced on board, they appreciated my
taking the time to provide them with such a detailed account of my experience. They stated my
experience was an exception, rather than the rule.
They didn't even offer to compensate me for the drink with the glass shard in it.
In the future, we'll choose another cruise company. Holland America doesn't seem to care.
Name: Anthea Caruana
Email: acaruana@gibnet.gi
Age: 50
Occupation: Teacher
NumberOfCruises: 2
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Noordam
SailingDate: 8/1/00
Itinerary: Mediterranean
Cabin: 415
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 98
CabinComfort: 97
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 98
CabinAmenities: 98
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 80
FoodMidnightBuffets: 95
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 96
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 97
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 97
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 97
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 99
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 99
OverallPortsofCall: 96
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 95
Casino: 96
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities: 90
ShipCleanliness: 99
EmbarkDisembark: 99
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 75
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 97
OverallCruiseValue: 96
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Aug 2000
Time: 14:48:52
Remote Name: 195.166.195.1
Remote User:
Comments
This was my second cruise and from the first, the thing that bothered me was the fact that the ship
was about half the size of the previous one.I was pleasantly surprised as all the activities
accommodation etc. was well up to my expectation.The service by the ever smiling Indonesian
Stewards was excellent,how they were always cheerful I do not know! The Cabin.....Our cabin was on
A Deck almost at the front on the ship.It was an interior cabin and I thought it might be claustrophobic
but it was spacious and well cooled by the air conditioning which was easy to regulate.As I do not like
sleeping in the dark I took a night light and we plugged it in.The stewrd gave us extra pillows and the
fresh fruit was always ready for us to pick at.Various papers were slipped under the door to keep us
in touch with either the ship's goings on or the World's News. The Food......Excellent.I had read about
HAL's food being bland, well it wasn't for me!There was plenty of choice and exciting dishes to
choose from.On Dutch Dinner Night the ladies were all given a cloth Dutch hat to wear and the men a
cap!This caused a few ripples of laughter!I am sure that all of us put on weight,I know I have
done.There was a fridge in the Lido where you could choose a slice or slices of Gateaux at different
times of the day...very tempting! The Entertainment....Very Good.We had an excellent violinist who
even stood on his head to play, fantastic performances by the resident dancers and singers which
were very professional and other artists.The musicans in the lounges were gentle to listen to and
calmed the nerves when on rough seas!!! The Ports of Call ... Obviously you choose the cruise
thinking of where you are going but I suppose sometimes it doesn't work out as you thought.Our
Cruise started in Lisbonand the next port was Gibraltar.As we live there we joined the ship in Gib.The
ports we then visited were; Barcelona,Marseilles,Sardinia,Tunisia,Malta,Sicily and Civitavecchia for
Rome.I enjoyed all of them but of course some where nicer than others.Only one had to have a
tender and that was a lot of fun as the sea was getting rough and the water covered the tender when
we hit a wave!Fortunately the boat had a roof on!!
What I have written so far has all been positive and now comes the negative which I haste to add is
not much!The main 'problem' if it is one to you is the infamous vibrations that the ship has.Even in
port it jitters but when it is moving, in certain places it becomes pretty bouncy.We were watching a
show on the upper deck of the Admirals Lounge when my friend started to laugh as she saw my body
parts bouncing!If I go on the Noordam again I will invest in a Sports Bra.!!Our Cabin was also too far
forward and we felt the movements of the ship.We also hit a bad storm off Barcelona and the Captain
told us to secure all our belongings and hold on to the Bars along the corridors!!But that was an act
of God and not the ship's fault! All in all I had a wonderful time and even though we had some rough
seas I would definitely go with HAL again and I would also go on the Noordam tomorrow if I could.
Want to book your cruise at a great rate?
Click here.
Questions or comments? Mail to webmaster@cruiseopinion.com.
Copyright ©1996-2001 CruiseOpinion.com. Last modified: August 21, 2000.