We love cruising...it is great for sightseeing a wide variety of ports around the world (and you only have to unpack once). It is especially delightful for us northerners who relish having a break from the cold during the winter months. This year we decided to take one of the cruises that leaves from the Northeast and spends a few days going down to the Caribbean and back. We have cruised eight times on Royal Caribbean and Princess and decided to try the Noordam because we had heard that HAL (Holland America Line) has a reputation of being a "step up" from the other lines.
First, let me say that we had a wonderful time. The weather in the ports was perfect and just what we needed. The choice of ports brought us to some places we have never experienced before. The people we met on board were delightful and enhanced our trip tremendously. Contrary to what we had heard about HAL and longer cruises, we found a mix of age groups on this cruise. A controversy even arose on deck when several families took their diapered babies into the pool. Our concerns about leaving from a northern port were not unfounded. We hit some high seas for about 24 hours going south and for several hours on the return. Many people were not well but the worst part for us was having to hold on to do anything. There are a couple of other things regarding the trip that is worth highlighting and a couple of glitches that deserve mention.
EMBARKATION: We paid the cruise line for a bus from NJ to the port in New York City. This was a disaster as the bus broke down right before the Lincoln Tunnel and it took over an hour for a substitute bus to arrive. There was poor communication to the passengers during this time. Eventually we arrived near the pier but for some reason the bus drove past the terminal and it took another hour for it to get around the block. At the terminal, we were given a number and then herded into numerous lines. We began to feel like we were being processed through Ellis Island. Again, there was very little communication explaining this disorganization and confusion. Later we learned that the terminal lost power for a while, but we don't know if this was to blame for the delay. It took us almost as long to get from NJ to NY as it would for us to fly to Florida to catch a ship. When our baggage was transferred from the bus to our cabin, our new luggage arrived filthy as if it had been dragged through mud.