HOLLAND AMERICA WAYFARER SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE ON NOORDAM. The private garden tours led by Andre Viette were fabulous. The only positive aspect of the trip.

Embarkation was slow. Once on the ship there were very few crew members available to ask for directions. The ship smelled like mildew. The ship maps kind of matched the ship layout. We had a verandah room in the forward of the ship though we requested a midship room (travel agent issue). At the front desk we learned the travel agent had not given us the on board credit and they would not honor the promotion even though I had the paperwork. Also, they would not move us to another stateroom.

About the cruise and Holland America, I would never recommend Holland America Noordam ship. The ship is old, public areas had peeling wallpaper and scruffy carpet, lighting very dim and overall dingy. In the stateroom there are no safes or coffee pots. For several days, there was intermittent toilet service on the ship. At night you would go to bathroom only to find it would not flush. A couple of days the water in the sink did not work for a few hours. Read more