This was my 11th cruise and my first on HAL. I started cruising 20 years ago and have seen a world of change. Some good, some not so good. Back in the days of small ships and small passenger lists we were amazed at the smallest amenities. These days it's a different story. Most of my experience is on Celebrity dating back to when it was Chandris/Fantasy Lines. "We've come a long way baby" as the expression goes. Embarkation in New York was one of the best I've seen. Being a "first timer" with HAL there were no "short cuts". Everything was well organized and the whole process took 30-40 minutes. We arrived at the pier at 12:50 and were in our cabins by 1:30. The cabin was what one would expect for a basic veranda type cabin. We found ample space for our belongings. No one mentioned the storage space under the couch or the two big drawers under the foot of the bed. We found those on the last days of the cruise. The veranda was ample, although I preferred the sliding glass doors on other ships to the heavy glass unit on Noordam. Throughout the cruise our cabin steward was unseen but seemed to know every time we went out. We never came back to an unmade cabin. Our bags showed up by 2:30 after we had run to the Lido for a snack. Prior to sailing we had the mandatory lifeboat drill. I'm always amazed at how inattentive some people are about something meant to save their lives. Some folks have questioned the decor onboard. Being a first on HAL, I can't compare to other HAL ships, but it looked pretty nice to me. The public rooms were small in number but seemed cozy. We found the Ocean Bar and its three piece band a great spot for a "Mexican Coffee" and a dance. Departing from New York is always a moving experience, watching the city slip away as evening descends. The weather was cooperative but the Noordam seems to be a bit of a roller. I think they were saving fuel by not using the stabilizers. The first day had a few folks under the weather. I stopped down at the Main Desk and they were handing out sea sickness med's on a regular basis. I had ordered flowers for my fiance but no one on board could find any record of my order. I did this online. I also made reservations for the Pinnacle Grill online but wound up calling and doing it on the phone to be sure of the details. That part worked. This brings us to the food. I do a little cooking on my own and can get pretty picky about food. That's why I won't sail on Norwegian again. I don't believe the idea of a buffet is to try to find something you would be willing to eat. The food on Noordam was, in my humble opinion, great. The old saying goes "You can't please all the people all the time." That understood; let me say, the food in the Pinnacle Grill was a 5+. We chose the fixed dining option because we enjoy the formality of the old time cruises. The food in the dining room was generally excellent. With the exception of the "Surf and Turf" there was little room for complaint. The service was always very good. We tried the casual dining in the Lido one evening and that also was very nice. Lunch at the Lido, however, has room for improvement. The food itself was not bad for that type of dining. I tried the pasta and got rubber linguine and being from NY was not overly impressed by the pizza. My major complaint was not the food but the management. I'm 62 years old and have been drinking coffee for most of those years. I don't need someone to fill a cup from the machine and stand in the way of the milk. I also do not need someone to stand in the food line and hand me a tray and then put a plate on it. Thanks be to God both my arms still work. What I could have used was someone to bus tables and put out silverware. I also saw older folks struggling with trays. A better use for the coffee guy, I think. We chose not to take any excursions from the ship having been in most of the ports before. Turks and Caicos was new and between the beach and "Margaritaville" we thought that was enough. Not much else to see on the island. Cockburntown made one want to lock the doors on the car. Unfortunately we made Tortola, one of my favorites, on Sunday. Still a fun spot. St. Martin was nice. We got a beach chair and umbrella and had a swim. Always a nice thing to do in March. St. Thomas, it seems, is starting to get like Jamaica with too many people trying to sell you something as you walk by. It becomes difficult not to be rude after the fortieth "no thank you". San Juan just makes you wonder why they bother. We did get a few last minute gifts there so maybe that's why. With the great size of today's ships the walk down the pier can take a while. As HAL seems to have a "more mature" clientele, and they strive to be "a first class operation" I thought a few golf cart like units on the piers might have been a big help to some of the guests. All in all it was a wonderful trip. A great if sometimes misdirected staff, a beautiful ship, and a lot of "bang for the buck" in my opinion.