We had a guarantee in the superior vranda category and were quite surprised when we finally got our stateroom number (SY 5002 ) 2 days before the cruise. Surprised because we thought that all of the superior veranda suites were on deck 6 or 8 on the Noordam , and our romm was on deck 5. As it turned out 5002 is one of 4 SY category rooms on deck 5 . They are in the corners of the ship and are handicap accessible. Our room was at the front of the ship on the port side . It was huge . Bigger than the hotel room we had just left in Ft . Lauderdale . It had a window in the front of the ship as well as the veranda on the side. We loved all the extra room. The room was spotless and our cabin stewards , Waula and Romy did a great job .

The Noordam has the happiest crew of any ship we have seen . Not one disgruntled worker could be found and all service was cheerful and with a smile .

Dining room meals were of excellent quality , and we like the "smaller" portions they have now. Always felt full anyway. If you want more just ask. The "open seating " was the only thing available so we made the best of it and tried a different table with a different number of people each night . We ate at tables for 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10. Kind of fun . The Pinnacle grille was good , but not really exceptional . My wife's filet mignon was very good , but really just a thicker version of the dining room filet. I had a porterhouse , which I would not have gotten in the dining room . It was good , but not great , just about the same as I would have grilled at home. Pinnacle was a nice alternative for one night but I don't know if we would bother with it again. Read more