I'm a college student now, and I love to travel. Before now, I have never visited the Southern Caribbean. This April, I took the Holland America Noordam on a ten day cruise, and I couldn't be happier. I have sailed on Holland America before, but only on the Westerdam. As I'm sure most of you know, the Noordam and the Westerdam are sister ships, and are therefore almost identical.There, are, however, a few minor differences between these two fine ships.    First, and most noticeably, the Crow's Nest on the Westerdam is much smaller than the Noordam. For those who haven't sailed, the Crow's Nest is a lounge on deck 10, the top of the ship, that has a 180 degree view of where the ship is headed. Personally, this is my favorite lounge, as it provides beautiful, breathtaking views, especially at sunrise. Also, it is a great place to look out from as the ship pulls into port. Now, on the Westerdam, the Crow's Nest is divided into two sections. On the left is the lounge, but n the right is the ship's library and internet cafe. Personally, I feel this was a waste of space, as I bring my own book, and the internet is far overpriced, so I don't use the library much. Even though there was plenty of seating on the Westerdam, it was often difficult to get a seat by the window. On the Noordam, I was happy to see the library moved to deck three, and the Crow's Nest almost doubled in size. Now, there are plenty of seats, except during happy hour, and the lounge is much more relaxing, quiet, and less crowded.    Also different on the Noordam are the shops. Instead of all of the high priced items being in a separate circular room, as on the Westerdam, they are displayed in wall cases in the halls near the shops. Other than that, the two ships are almost identical, with a few minor seating rearrangements which you won't notice after the first day.    This was my first time eating at the Pinnacle Grill, which is the restaurant which you pay extra for. Honestly, I was skeptical of paying $25 a person when there is already 5 star dining down the hall in the main dining room. However, I was not disappointed. While some of the food is served in the main dining room, the Vista Dining Room, the Pinnacle appears to offer finer quality. I had filet mignon in both restaurants, and was shocked by the difference. The Pinnacle's beef was fantastic, and I could literally cut it with my butter knife. It is not a stretch to say that it was one of the finest steaks I've had, and I have eaten at some nice steakhouses.    This was also my first time eating at the Canaletto Restaurant, which was not yet on the Westerdam (however I hear it soon will be!). This is, like the Pinnacle, a separate restaurant, however this one is included. The food was excellent, however it is a little noisy because this restaurant is just a sectioned of part of the Lido. We were able to eat there once, as we made reservations early on, however after that we were unable to make reservations again. This is one of the few things I was disappointed by on this cruise. When I called to make reservations, the host claimed it was booked up, but they always left half the restaurant open for walk-ins. Now, when I went up there for a walk-in, the same man claimed he had no idea what I was talking about, and that the restaurant was fully booked. However, there was only three couples in it, and plenty of tables.  In fact, there is always about eight tables in the restaurant that are never used, no matter what day or time it is. Getting a seat at the Canaletto is the most common complaint on this ship.    As for onboard entertainment, well, there's not much for us under 50. Just about every night, they put on their singers and dancers, who were okay. They also had a piano player who told a few good stories, and was okay doing covers of old songs. I missed the comedian and the opera singer, although I heard they were just average. The band, Kat and the HALCats, were rather good poolside, but I wouldn't go out of my way to listen to them. Personally, my favorite performer was a guitarist named Gary T'To,  who was actually very good. He played mostly older songs, from artists such as the Beatles, Jimmy Buffett, and Peter Frampton, but was always looking for requests and played just about everything he was asked.      As for ports, this was a Southern Caribbean cruise. Our first stop was Aruba, which had good shopping, and nice beaches if you venture out to Eagle Beach by the resorts. We did not. It was your typical Caribbean shopping island, nicer than St. Maarten, but not nicer than Grand Cayman. Everything was clean, and the locals were friendly. Only one shopkeeper really harassed us for a sale.    Next was Curaçao, which was very nice. We arrived on a Sunday, however, and some, if not most, things were closed, but there was still plenty to do. This is also a shopping island, but the prices on Aruba were better. In my opinion, the city was nicer than Aruba. We docked right at the Renaissance Hotel, which was gorgeous and had plenty of shops. Next to that is a fort, which I thought would be an actual historic fort. Turns out, they hollowed it out and put in more shops. I think that that is kind of a shame, but I suppose that makes more money than historic tours.    Bonaire was the third stop. Many people were telling us, including the crew, to not even bother getting off because there was nothing there. Not true. There was a beautiful little town, with lots of shops and very nice locals. It wasn't an Aruba when it comes to shopping, however the countryside is far prettier. Take a tour. I was lucky enough to take the Mangrove tour, which was the highlight of my trip. The whole island was gorgeous, and you will not be disappointed.    After Bonaire was Samana, in the Dominican Republic. Here, you will be disappointed. I can honestly recommend not getting off the ship. This is the only island of the dozen or so I've visited that I will tell you this. There is literally nothing there but beggars, street performers, and men begging you to buy their junk so they can feed their families. It's truly heartbreaking. If only the government could get organized or a corporation would invest and change these peoples lives. But until then, I would not go back. Obviously, this was a cheap port for Holland America, but for the life of me, I cannot see why they would stop here.    Next was Grand Turk, a favorite stop for all Holland America cruises. This is a nice but tiny island. There isn't much, except the world's largest Margaritaville, which is the overpriced burger restaurant owned by Jimmy Buffett. Margaritaville is fun to sit around in, and they have good drinks, so I would recommend visiting even though the prices are a little high. The upper deck of the restaurant has the best view of the island, so ask to sit on the second floor. If you don't want to eat at Margaritaville, you can still at their pool, which is very nice, or just get a lounge chair on the beach, which there is no shortage of. Grand Turk also has the nicest and cheapest duty free I've seen, so feel free to stock up on your drinks.    The last stop was Half Moon Cay, Holland America's private island. This island has some of the nicest beaches I've seen, along with the most clear, turquoise water I've seen. Here, I would just recommend hanging out on the beach. I would strongly advise renting your own cabana. This way, you have a nice little hut to sit in when taking a break from the sun. Also, cabana holders receive free soft drinks and a few light snacks. Plus, you don't have to worry about saving a spot on the beach. The barbeque is good, but I'd skip the ribs. They're a little dry. But the chicken and burgers are good, and the line is fast and efficient.    I would just like to say a few things about Holland America in general. First, you should know that about 99% of the crew is Filipino or Indonesian. This doesn't bother me, but in fact is the best part. These men and women are some of the nicest and most hard working individuals I have come across. Because they are from other countries, some don't speak perfect English. Most do, but there are a few who don't. Simply be patient, and they will do anything for you. But there are some individuals who are impatient and become frustrated with them and yell. This is sad, because these workers want nothing more than to make you happy, and to make your cruise as enjoyable as possible. Just give them a chance.    Also, you should know that most of the patrons of HAL are older, and since this cruise line is a little more upper class than other, there tends to be more upper class individuals. I don't have a problem with this, but as you can imagine, there are some stuck up and, dare I say rude, individuals on board. The plus side of this is that the line is quiet and relaxing. The downside is that some people look down on you. Don't let it bother you.Overall, I was extremely happy with this cruise. The only thing that could use improvement is the entertainment. I probably would avoid Samana, but the stops were great and the shore excursions were excellent. As I said, the finest part of HAL is the service, and I have yet to meet a rude employee. Both the Westerdam and the Noordam are beautiful ships, some of the nicest I've seen. I would assume all HAL ships to be like this, and I am eager to investigate that myself. I would recommend Holland America Line and the Noordam to anyone. I hope you will give it a try.