We sailed out of NYC on the Noordam on 1/27/07 which was great because it avoided flying plus added expenses and inconveniences. The ship was late coming into NY but we were notified in ample time about the later embarkation. We sailed through a bad storm the second day at sea with 100 mph winds and 35 ft. waves. That was the adventurous part with dishes flying off tables in the dining room, but strangely enough, we did not witness anyone getting seasick. As a result of the delays we were unable to reach our first port of Tortola which was a bit disappointing since we had never been there. However, we were compensated $50 for the late departure plus $14 for missing the port of Tortola. This was unexpected and appreciated (class act).
The ship is beautiful and the crew exceptional. This was our 13th cruise and the crew members have almost always been great (except for Costa Magica (Tragica, the worst), but this once exceeded them all. We have sailed on Celebrity, Cunard, RCCL and Costa and this was our second HAL cruise. The most difficult part of the meals was selecting one of the choices because they were all so good.
The ports of call were good as usual. St. Thomas, St. Maarten and Dominica which was new to us and a very pleasant surprise. Not enough time in San Juan though.