We really enjoyed our trip and had a lovely stateroom with balcony (7011). We have travelled Holland America before (Veendam, Vollendam and Statendam), all of which we enjoyed. We had never been on Noordam before and have to say that the ship design is not to our liking. Some bizzare planning meant that Greenhouse staff at reception desk were continuously interrupted by guests travelling through their area on the way to Lido pools and restaurant. Also, one had to walk through the shop when travelling from one end of the desk to the other. Dining was fun with our table mates in second sitting, although we were surprised occasionally that the dishes didn't match the description. Although the courses were small, we never went hungry! We were disappointed that a restaurant breakfast and/or lunch were not offered more frequently as we really disliked the scrum of Lido. It was often so crowded that one of us had to sit at the table while the other was finding various sources of food. Hence, we rarely managed to eat a whole meal together other than in the Dining room.

Like another reviewer commented, we too had an early morning rude awakening for a level one fire alarm. Luckily, as I had read the other review prior to our trip, I was not too concerned, but some fellow passengers had donned their lifeboats or sorted out warm clothes for evacuation. I'm glad that HAL take safety so seriously but alarming people in the muddles of the night was perhaps a little over-cautious.

The entertainment was not as good as I remembered from previous cruises, and although the shows put on by the resident team were excellent, I would have liked more choice from guest performers. There two two during our cruise, a classical/jazz fusion pianist who was excellent but appealed to a very small number of guests. Perhaps it would have been better to have his performance in a smaller venue. The comedian also seemed popular, if not our cup of tea. Read more