I'm not normally someone to complain and I generally try to approach things with empathy but I was so disappointed by this cruise.
First of all, we booked my parents (aged 65-70) an accessibility room which was not at all accessible. The cruise line refused any type of compensation even though one of the staff suggested they fight for it. At 6'5 My father couldn't even fit on the bed and my ...
I always tell people to take reviews with a grain of salt - some people are just complainers ... and some see everything with rose-colored glasses. But when the same complaints come up again and again, do not ignore the warnings. The negative comments regarding this ship - are accurate.
1. Noordam is OLD, tired, and worn out. It deserves a major overhaul. Not only is the furniture, art, ...
Couple 60s, 26 cruises with various cruiselines worldwide.
This 10/12/23 cruise was our 3rd HAL cruise and our first since mid 2019. Previously we cruised on the old Statendam and in 2019, Maasdam. Both were excellent, entertaining, enriching, educational overall fabulous cruises.
We had such high hopes for returning to HAL on the Noordam December 10 2023 round trip Sydney-NZ-Sydney cruise. ...
It took over an hour embarking and we were there when only a few people were waiting. The way of doing things in general appeared much slower than other cruise ships we have been on. The first feed days of the cruise during the day there was always a long line for guest services counter. The guest were mainly older Americans. The entertainment on the ship was very poor, some acts did repeats on ...
We (my wife and I, (a retired couple) chose this cruise as there was good deal on offer including 2 nights in Singapore and return flights (we live in Sydney). We were also keen to try Holland America.
The ship was a bit smaller than we are used to with limited entertainment options. The food in the main dining room and Lido was average at best. We ate in the Pinnacle twice and it was excellent ...
We chose this cruises from Sydney to Honolulu as we wanted to visit the islands and Hawaii. also to try out HAL for first time, we have done 27 other cruises mainly on Princess but also on Cunard, P&O, Celebrity, Carnival. Embarkation was ok. Had VD verandah cabin, aft near elevators, ok with cabin. Bed fine, settee a little hard. Shower ok. Ecko our steward was fine.
Had various meals in ...
This was our 33rd cruise and our fifth time on HAL. We chose this itinerary as a means to return to North America after a long adventure in Australia.
First the things we liked: The BB King All Star Band was terrific every time they performed, playing excellent cover versions of classic pop, soul and funk songs The BB King club was a great place to relax and dance. Overall the food was good ...
Sailed on Holland America four other times. Never on prior cruises was I told we are sorry but we out out of that. On this cruise we were told sorry we are out of diet caffeine free coke White Wines, Beers, Teas, Ice Creams, Limes, wafers for Ice Cream. I didn't pay all my money not to have the ship properly provisioned my table mates had the same problems and felt the same way, this made the ...
We sailed recently on this ship from Sydney to New zealand on a two week voyage. Unfortunately we found that it is in need of a major overhaul -not just in terms of the decor itself, but also with the entertainments team -who appear to be somewhat complacent in their approach to the job! Granted the general age of passengers is elderly, but the programme provided lacked fun and enthusiasm, and ...
Chose this cruise for the itinerary and to be honest that's the only good thing about it. Ship is very dated and the fabric of it needs a complete overhaul. Problems started as soon as we got to the cabin with holes in the sheets and white stains on the overcover!!! Bedside lights were loose and dangerous, the bathroom door closer was loose too and was eventually removed completely, chips on the ...