Embarkation- We arrived in Civitavecchia (Rome) on the Navigator of the Seas, transatlantic from New Orleans. We took a bus to the entrance of the port and got on another bus going to the Noordam. We were the first to arrive at the check-in tent so we waited 45-60 minutes before boarding the ship. Everything was well organized and painless.

Ship information- The ship had been in dry dock for two weeks in Palermo, Sicily and it should had been left in dry dock for another two weeks to complete the work. They were adding more cabins on the 10th deck, painting, sanding, welding during the day and during the night. One couldn't sit by the pool without being disturbed by the construction noise. They had also just installed new carpet which was pilling badly and never seemed to be vacuumed. There were always crumbs on the floor under the tables from the night before. Since we had just left the Navigator of the Seas, with beautiful and elegant decor, the Noordam seemed to be "cheaply made".

Activities - There were plenty of activities to keep one busy, especially since this was a port intensive cruise. HA employees a person who gives a overview of each port, history of the area, and gives tips on getting around without a shore excursion. The information that he gave was so helpful and made each area more interesting. Read more