This was our first Holland America cruise. We have sailed Celebrity, Princess, Royal Caribbean and Carnival. It was our tenth cruise. I am 54 and my husband is 56.

We arrived at the pier at 10:25. The Noordam had just arrived in New York at 10 AM because of slowing down due to a storm on Tuesday night. We were told we would not be able to board until 3:00. My husband and I and I both received a $15 OBC. There were shuttle buses to take us into the city if we wanted. It was raining so we decided not to go. The last of the passengers were off about 1:45 and then they started embarkation around 1:55. The process was so smooth once it started. We were on the ship and in our cabin at 2:15. We had a VA aft balcony cabin 8136. Our muster drill and sail away were rainy. We had AYW dining and ate at 7:00 the first night and went to the 9:00 show. After dinner we noticed that the ship was very rocky. This lasted almost all day Thursday. You could not walk up the halls without bumping back and forth into the walls. The waves were only 12.5 feet. It was the wind that made for rough sailing. Friday was much better. Saturday/Grand Turk. This was our third time there and I have to say the, nicest. The Noordam was the only ship in port which is usual for that stop. Our last visit was in August on the Crown Princess and Carnival Triumph was also there. Each ship holds approximately 3,000 passengers, I'm sure you can imagine what it was like. This time it was not as crowded as even our first visit. I guess alot of people may not get off the ship. The stores were not crowded so it was good! We even got a lounger this time. We took a walk on the beach while the crew did their water safety by the ship. Sunday/Tortola. We did not do anything there but get off the ship and walk. It was amazing to see roosters just walking in the street there. We're used to seeing cats, not roosters. It was cute. Here we saw one of the famous Caribbean donkeys with the flowers and sunglasses. We saw one of his relatives in St. Thomas. The temperature was a beautiful 84 degrees, and not humid. Monday/St. Maarten. We did the Explorer Sea and See which is a double decker catamaran ride and an island tour. We got the bus at the pier and a lovely woman from Holland was our tour guide. We drove to the boat and sailed around the island. We docked on the French side for 1hr 15min. of shopping. It was Easter Monday so many stores were closed. We enjoy just walking around anyway looking at the sites. We went back to the Explorer and gathered and then on to a bus for a one hour tour and back to the ship. The excursion was almost 4 hours. We were back around 12. I would recommend that if anyone is interested. I hear the America's Cup is a good excursion also. Tuesday/St. Thomas - we visited with friends that live on the island and visited the St. Thomas Synagogue. This day was cloudy and overcast. We had a little rain but it did not hinder any plans.

Wednesday/San Juan from 7-1. We got off the ship and walked. There was one other ship in port that day Silver Wind I think the name was. There were not many crowds there either. It was a nice time. The crew and staff were the friendliest we have encountered on our cruises. They really make you feel special and you can see that they like what they are doing. The Noordam singers and dancers were great. The stage was fantastic with steps moving, people coming up from the floor, etc. Read more