This was the 3rd cruise on HAL, the second on the Noordam. In the time between Jan 2013 to Nov 2014 this ship has seen a Major overall decline.
The room, verandah, was so outdated and worn, the air conditioning never worked right, even with numerous calls and supposedly work by technicians, and the bathroom sink plugged. The pillows were hard and the decorative pillows that were placed on top of the ones I lay my head on were dirty and stained.
Food - eatable but not at all like it was before. There was no presentation on the plates (I am a foodie and eat with my eyes first); there was nothing that made me think wow. Same things every nite, Really, just with a different sauce. I really think the Lido deck had better choices than the Vista dining room. The food on the plate was minimal at best and very bland. Wilted Caesar salads. Instead of anchovies one nite it was sardines! Thanksgiving dinner was horrible!!!!
Good position of room, that is the only positive.