This was our 3rd cruise on Holland America and the first on this Noordam ship. We sailed on March 16th and since this was our longest cruise (10 days) we were a little unsure of whether we would enjoy it. Boy did we ever. It was our best cruise ever. It really helped that there were only 3 sea days and the itinerary was great.

Our cabin was lovely, yes the ship is looking a little older, but aren't we all? It was clean and we loved the larger balcony and being on the port side of the ship, the sail-aways were fun. Our room steward team was fabulous. They took such good care of us, from ice cubes to clean glasses. We did have an issue with our air conditioning not working 100%. It took 2 days to get someone to look at it and they claimed they fixed it, but it only worked well for a day and then stopped again. Our TV also needed a half hour to warm up and stop flickering. But we don't go on vacation to watch TV, so that did not bother us.

We did not take advantage of all the on-board activities. We cruise to relax and enjoy each other's company. There were plenty of activities to choose from. The first 2 days at sea found me at the spa which was very good. Yes, they did try to sell me their products, but it was a soft sell. We enjoyed the late show each night. We saw musical and dance numbers as well as a gymnast and magician. All were quite entertaining. Remember, this is not Vegas. Read more