Background.
My wife and I both were 65 at the time of the cruise in February 2010. Previously we had been on cruises in 1993 on the M.V. Royal Majesty, 2007 on the Carnival Paradise, and 2008 on the Island Princess. The latter had been our longest - seven days. This one on the Holland America Lines (HAL) Noordam comprised two back-to-back 10-day cruises.
Embarkation.
We were so glad we got a "large" (207 square foot) Inside Stateroom. We never felt cramped and, in fact, didn't even use all of the storage space. It didn't bother us that we could not see the ocean through a window or have natural light coming in. At times we did wish for some fresh air, especially toward the end of the cruise. The king bed and pillows were comfortable. There was adequate lighting and fine amenities in the bathroom. The only thing that was a little inconvenient was that the hair dryer could be plugged in only at the desk in the room. Being in an inside stateroom, we especially liked the live TV cameras on the bow and stern of the Noordam. It was handy to have a small refrigerator and a safe. We wondered if the room would be noisy being on the Main Deck between the Vista Lounge and Atrium. But it was very quiet. Occasionally we heard creaks and bumps, but we rarely heard people in the hall and not even doors closing. As you can imagine, it also was nice and dark for sleeping. We were glad we brought a nightlight for the bathroom.