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Very satisfied. Will go again. by
Tony from Corning, CA Sailing date: Aug 2007Pros: Over all attitude of staff. Rewarding. Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
Children's Programs
26 out of 30 people found this review helpful.
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   10 day Holland American Cruise by
A Traveler from FL Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Great food, fabulous entertainment, good size pools Cons: food dishes not clean, mold in bath, room furniture & carpet not clean & worn The staff needs better instruction in cleanliness. Perhaps tired at end of contract, however cruise line should be aware of this and oversee the staff tasks instead of standing & watching guests. Ship Quality
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
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Oranjestad, ArubaDon't Miss: Aloe factory very informative Roseau, Dominica
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.waste of time
Curacao
9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
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a mediocre cruise by
Ruth W from Rotonda West, FL Sailing date: Dec 2010Pros: I love being on the ocean Cons: the food was extremely disappointing the ship was decorated lovely for Christmas and the staff were quick to wish you a Merry Christmas which we loved.
Having been on six "DAM" ships we expected great food. We were severly disappointed in the food. Many nights we could not eat the soup presented. We had table mates, and they too were horribly disappointed in the food.
The main desk gal was surly when I asked about dining in the Pinnacle grille after recieving a gift certificate for the grille.
We left a Christmas bonus for our cabin boys and never saw them again!
I got sick and ordered room service and they sent what they felt like sending, not what I ordered.
We definately would not go aboard the Noordam again. Ship Qualitysome of the furniture needs to be replaced. Dining/FoodThe food was never hot coming out of the kitchen. It was always luke warm. That may be ok for some foods, but others you want hot. Stateroom Qualitywe had a deluxe suite and we were surprised that it was smaller than the one we had on the Zandaam. The veranda was gorgeous! Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activitiesthe comic neeeds to find another profession. the rest of the shows were great. The sound man needs to turn the music down so it doesn't drown out the singers.
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Ocho Rios, Jamaicawe did a private taxi tour of the island, one side that is. The poverty is astounding.
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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Never again on a ship this size. by
John from Portland, OR Sailing date: Jul 2007
Dining/Food
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff Quality
Entertainment & Activities
5 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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First time cruisers and loved it! by
Beth and Sam from New York Sailing date: Jul 2009Pros: The crew aboard the Noordam Cons: It was all good This ship is kept clean. The food was excellent. The ships crew goes above and beyond customer service. How they remember names is amazing. I would highly recommend this ship and will definately cruise again on it. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe food choices were plentiful. Even picky eaters could find something to his or her liking. Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualitySome of the crew found out it was my daughters birthday and had a cake made for her! Entertainment & Activities
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Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey
Corfu, Greece
Dubrovnik, Croatiawould definately go back
Santorini, Greecetake the donkey ride up the hill
Katakolon (Olympia), Greece
Piraeus (Athens), Greece
Messina, Sicilyunfortunately we weren't in port long enough
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
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Ship Review by
Rich from SC Sailing date: May 2007
Entertainment & Activities
7 out of 11 people found this review helpful.
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A pleasant experience by
A Traveler from Boca Raton, FL. Sailing date: Dec 2011Pros: The crew was very nice Cons: The food was erratic, the entertainment was fair We have been on the Holland America Line before on the Old Rotterdam and the Noordam. We remember them fondly. This cruise did not live up to our memories.
It was very pleasant. However the food was sometimes excellent and at others tasteless. The entertainment was uneven. Some very good and others just okay.
We asked for a table for 2 each evening and either had to wait or were seated with other people at a table for 4. No one mentioned wether we should or could make reservation. We had "Open Seating". Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe Optional restaurants were excellent. Stateroom QualityThe room clean, comfortable and in pretty good condition. Our location was excellent. Ship Staff QualityWe sent our laundry out and it got lost. We had to call the front desk to locate it in the laundry. Our room steward finally went to the laundry and found it marked "no name" Entertainment & ActivitiesThere were no lectures of special interest to attend which are available on several other ship lines. These are interesting and educational 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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From the moment we stepped on board. by
Russell from Layton, Utah Sailing date: Jul 2007Pros: I liked the view from various places on board, from the Crow's Nest, the Lido Restaurant, the balcony from our room and even from the glass elevators. The crew took great care of us from the moment that we first stepped on board. Our first experience was moments after we boarded when a member of the crew showed us to the elevator and took us to the Lido Deck were we had lunch. We couldn't believe the lunch buffets were fantastic. We always had a great variety of choices. Sometimes there were so many it was hard to choose. We had a wonderful time on the ship. We loved our stateroom. It was very comfortable. On those rare occasions when we spent time in the room there was always a good selection of entertainment available on the ship's closed circuit television system. The cabin steward was wonderful as well; he knew our names and always asked how we were doing and if we needed anything. If ever we said that we needed something it would appear in our room a short time later. We enjoyed our daily walks around the deck each afternoon. There were plenty of places to explore on board for the week that we cruised. Dining/FoodThere was always a good food selection. The food that I had always tasted delicious.
Stateroom Quality
Ship Staff QualityThe staff was very attentive. They were always very pleasant and accomodating.
Entertainment & Activities
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Cruise Glacier BayGlacier Bay.
We cruised through the fjords in Glacier Bay and saw numerous glaciers as they touched the icy waters of the bay. The high point was our stop at the Margerie Glacier where we saw enormous chunks of ice calve off from the face of the glacier and drop into the water below.
Don't Miss: Margerie Glacier. Juneau, AlaskaOur Day in Juneau.
We left the ship and road the tramway to the top of Mount Roberts. It is a steep ride up to the top, with a fantastic view. From above we had a clear view of the harbor and could see our ship at its mooring. We visited the nature center and saw the bald eagle. There is a network of trails at the top. We walked along one of the trails and treated ourselves to the sight of waterfalls and verdant hillsides. In the afternoon we went whale watching. From our small boat we saw perhaps a dozen different whales in the water all around us. From time to time we could see waterspouts as the whales came to the surface to breathe. e saw their dorsals fins as the mighty animals prepared to dive into the deep waters of the bay. On occasion we would see the tail flukes and even caught sight of one whale as it breached from the water.
Don't Miss: Whale watching. Ketchikan, AlaskaKetchikan, a look back in time.
When we stepped off the ship we went directly to the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. We watched two teams of lumberjacks face off to see who was the best at chopping logs with an axe cutting with a chain saw, climbing poles and rolling logs. The lumberjacks showed us their skills. The competed with each other and would occasionally pull a few dirty tricks on the other team. Over all the show was very entertaining and was certainly worth seeing. We also visited Creek Street, which was just a short walk from the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Here we walked on a boardwalk along the creek, through old restored buildings, which were once the heart of the old city. While crossing over the creek on a bridge I looked down and saw a seal swimming in the water.
Don't Miss: The great Alaskan Lumberjack Show. Sitka, AlaskaA day out in Sitka.
We rode the tender from the ship into Sitka. On the way in we saw seals and sea otters swimming in the water. The crew of the tender was kind enough to heed our requests to stop and let us watch these animals for a few minutes. We first went to St. Michael's Russian Orthodox Cathedral. It was a very small church, but it held a number of beautiful Russian icons and other works of art. We wandered through town and saw the reconstruction of one of the towers from the old Russian fortress which stood at Sitka as well as a Russian grave. Later in the day we walked down to Sitka National Historic Park. In the Visitors Center we saw a movie depicting the lives and the history of three of the area's notable groups of inhabitants, the native Tlingit, the Russians, and those who came more recently from the lower 48. There were exhibits on metal working, weaving, and totem carving. Of great interest to me was an exhibit with a native man who actually carved totems and would an
Don't Miss: Sitka national historic park. 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Great family trip. by
Cora from Gas city, Indiana Sailing date: Jun 2007Pros: Outstanding service. We all enjoyed the service ans pampering we recieved during the intire cruise. The food was to die for, and the intertainment was very good. I would recomend this cruise. Entertainment & Activities
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Cruise Glacier BayBreathtaking.
Glacier Bay was beautiful.
Don't Miss: The outdoor look of the ice Glaciers. Juneau, AlaskaNatural Forest.
We were blessed with great weather, the view on top of Mt Roberts was beautiful. I would recomend the Salmon Bake excursion, the Salmon was the best I have every eaten.
Don't Miss: The view from Mt. Roberts, the Salmon Bake, and the wonderful shops. Ketchikan, AlaskaPlane rideto Misty Fjords.
The weather was perfect. We landed on a lake and saw some bears as we were landing. The tour was two hours and one hour ands twenty minutes was in the air. Well worth the money you spend.
Don't Miss: Seaplane ride. Sitka, AlaskaSitka.
We were not in port long enough to enjoy all Sitka had to offer, but what we did have time for was a good experience.
Don't Miss: The bald eagles in the forest, and the totem poles. The old Church and shopes. 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Will never sail with Holland America aga by
Jane from New York, NY Sailing date: Apr 2006Pros: Dining crew. Catered to the elderly too much... not enough for the younger pre teen children. Entertainment & Activities
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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