One of the hardest things to do when it comes to writing these daily reports from a ship is not finding subjects to write about, but actually getting them online. Here on Holland America Line’s ms Noordam, the satellite Internet connection is giving me worse heartburn than an extra spicy Bloody Mary with a side of Tabasco sauce.
If I have one complaint about Holland America, it has to be their onboard Internet. It’s just painfully slow. This seems to be a recurring theme among each trip I take on a HAL ship, and hopefully one day they will upgrade the technology to provide passengers and crew with better connection speeds.
When I was on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas, I had one of the best Internet connections at sea, which almost rivaled my connection at home. In addition to a super-fast connection, it was also unlimited, meaning you can leave your phone connected to the wi-fi all day and your email, iMessage, etc would come in throughout the day as if you were back home.
As far as Internet onboard the Noordam, the entire ship is covered by WiFi so if you have your phone, tablet, or laptop, no matter where you go you’re good. If you didn’t bring one of these devices with you but want to check your email or stalk your friends back home on Facebook, you can head to the Explorations Cafe and use one of the computers there. Of course, no matter what route you take, there’s a charge:
- Pay as you go – $0.75 per minute
- 1,000 minutes – $250.00
- 500 minutes – $175.00
- 250 minutes – $100.00
- 100 minutes – $55.00
Minutes can be used until you disembark and no credit is given for unused minutes. One important thing to always remember to do when you’re done browsing is to type logout.com in your browser or the timer keeps running! The above rates are for Internet on the Noordam, I’m pretty sure these rates are fleet-wide but check the information card in your stateroom once onboard to confirm.
Day 2 started out with breakfast on my stateroom verandah. Prior to me hitting the sheets the night before, I filled out my room service card and hung it on my door. I asked for breakfast to be delivered between 9:30am – 10:00am and it arrived promptly at 9:30am.
As I mentioned yesterday, one thing I enjoy about being on a Holland America Line ship is the fact that you can order hot room service breakfast each morning. Other lines have a very limited, continental-style room service breakfast, and some even charge extra for it. Not on HAL. A quick rundown of some of the items available for breakfast include:
- Assorted juices, teas, and coffee
- Fruit and Yogurt – including Greek
- Different breads, muffins, and bagels
- Cold Cereals
- Two eggs prepared to your liking (egg substitutes and egg whites are also available)
- Omelets
- Meats such as ham, sausage, bacon
We anchored off Holland America Line’s private island of Half Moon Cay shortly before 8am and tendering operations began not long after. In addition to the Noordam, the ms Eurodam was also anchored. While the Eurodam was using the larger tender boats from the island itself, the Noordam was using her own tenders to ferry passengers to and from the island. Those with shore excursions had priority tender access, while those who just wanted to go to the island and dip their toes into the crystal clear water had to get a tender ticket and wait for their number to be called.
It wasn’t long before the lines cleared and tender tickets were no longer necessary.
With both ships carrying a total of around 3,800 passengers, the island was going to be a hub of activity so I debated as to whether or not to hop a tender and go ashore. Having been to Half Moon Cay several times already, and it being my number one cruise line private island, I took a tender in the afternoon and walked around to see how crowded it would be.
I was surprised that it wasn’t as packed as I thought it would be. In addition to the Island BBQ lunch, there were activities organized for those who wanted something besides just sand and surf. The shore excursion teams from both ships organized Noordam -vs- Eurodam beach volleyball and basketball tournaments. These of course are in addition to the many other activities to be had on the island including the famous private cabanas and Beach Villas, horseback riding, stingray adventure, and water sports rentals.
Back on ship, there were still activities to be had, but most of the action was taking place on the island. There were no issues with getting chairs around the ship’s pools or finding a shady spot to just relax. While I’ve been told this particular sailing is sailing “full,” I tend to think that we are not at our full passenger count of 1,918. I have not encountered any crowds anywhere on board and there are plenty of chairs around the pools at any time of the day.
Maybe I’ve just become used to being on larger ships where you’re fighting with double the number of passengers for a sunny spot and I’ve forgotten what it’s like to be on a mid-size ship!
Much of the day was spent relaxing up on Deck 11 in my Retreat Cabana, where I definitely took advantage of the hot sun to work on my already burnt skin. Charton and Mark, the cabana butlers, were once again attentive to my needs and kept the champagne, bottled water, and cold fruit coming throughout the day.
Once the last tender from shore made its way to the ship at 3:30pm, we began to sail away from Half Moon Cay and make our way to our next port-of-call, Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos.
Having enough sun for one day, I made my way back to my stateroom around 4pm, took a quick shower, and headed off to the fitness center to try to work off the two slices of pizza I grabbed from the Lido on the way.
On select Holland America Line ships, there is a separate “gourmet” pizza outlet called Slice. On Noordam, pizza is only available at the Lido Buffet. I snatched two slices of pepperoni and it wasn’t all that bad. I recall having a few slices from Slice on the ms Veendam and remarked how good it was.
After a short workout, it was off to the Promenade Deck for a few laps. 3 laps around equal one mile, for those who like to count those types of things.
The evening saw our first formal night of the cruise. I say it every time…. these nights should be banished unless you’re doing a transatlantic cruise on the Queen Mary 2. Being that this cruise is trending towards a much older crowd (voyages longer than 7 days usually due), I was expecting to see plenty of tuxedos and cocktail dresses. I was surprised to see the complete opposite. On my way to dinner at 8pm, I walked around the entire ship and most people were not wearing such attire. Most were dressed casually and some were still walking around in shorts (which isn’t allowed after 6pm BTW but wasn’t being enforced).
The best outfit of the night went to a middle-aged gentleman who was wearing a tuxedo with a pair of… Crocs. If Joan Rivers were still alive and saw that she’d probably drop dead or jump overboard. I couldn’t think of one reason his wife or mistress would allow him to even buy a pair of those things let alone wear them with a tux.
Oh, the humanity!
Dinner was in the ship’s steakhouse, Pinnacle Grill, once again. Upon arrival at 8pm there was a line at the entrance but no host/hostess to greet people. It took around four or five minutes for someone to come over and seat the couple in front of me. I’m not sure how long there were waiting prior to my arrival, but they were not in any way upset, while a group of six ladies behind me was not so patient.
Dinner started off with a small sampling of Lobster Flan, which I could have enjoyed more, it was so good. I was debating as to whether or not to have the Steak Tar Tare which was excellent the night before or go for the Crab Cakes, but the table next to me ordered Shrimp Cocktail and after seeing a table full of those come out, I quickly changed my mind.
Next up was a return of the Beefsteak Tomato Salad, the only other salad option is a Caesar, which I’m not a fan of.
For my main course, I opted for the 26oz Porterhouse (rare) with a side of grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes. The steak was the proper temperature although it was a little on the fatty side, but none the less enjoyable.
When it was time for dessert, my server remembered what I asked him to have prepared for me the night before and brought over a fruit plate. I thanked him for saving me 12 more laps around the Promenade Deck to work off the ice cream I was going to have.
After dinner, it was on to show-time. I debated as to whether to go to the 10pm performance of “Classique” performed by the ship’s singers, dancers, and musicians or head down to the B.B. King Blues Club. Being that the music that made Memphis famous is performed each night, I decided to take in the production show.
“Classique” took the audience through how classical music (that long bearded stuff!) and dance inspired artists of yesteryear right up to today. It was an interesting look at how music has evolved, yet hasn’t really changed much if you look at it from this perspective. Although I’m still not sure what Mozart would think about Z Z Top or Lady Gaga.
After the show, it was off for a lap around the Promenade Deck again before hitting the sheets.
A few things I’ve noticed so far:
- The deck where my stateroom is located at is a bit disjointed from the rest of the ship. This is due to the fact that this deck (10) and the one directly above it (11) where the cabanas are located, was added on to increase passenger capacity during the Noordam’s last dry dock in 2013. You cannot get from one end of the ship to another from my deck without doing down to deck 9.
- While the ship is maintained well, the carpeting in the stairways is in need of replacement. I’m assuming the last time this was done was in 2013 as well.
- There are no day-of-the-week mats in the elevators. Many Holland America Line regulars have complained about this in the past when they started being removed. In Joe Palko’s report from the Eurodam last week, he mentioned that they were only out in elevators on certain days – which didn’t make much sense. I would think that they would be out all week or not at all.
- There have been no issues with toilets, HVAC systems, or areas of the ship being too hot or too cold.
It’s almost noon and we are scheduled to arrive at the Grand Turk cruise terminal very shortly. For those who have been to Grand Turk, you already know there’s not much to do here. We’re only spending a few hours in port and I’ll probably make my way off the ship for an obligatory selfie to prove to the folks back home that I was indeed here.
Instead of breakfast in bed this morning, I opted to go to the Lido, grab some food and enjoy it in my cabana. The buffet was not crowded at all when I got there around 10am. No lines and plenty of empty tables, which again makes me think we are not sailing at capacity. The various stations were not self-service and plenty of staff was on hand to plate your food to avoid you touching utensils touched by hundreds of others before you.
I did have to ask for more bacon as the lovely lady in charge of the breakfast meat was a tat bit stingy with this heaven-sent pork product.
One final thought before I trade in the laptop for another glass of champagne and some Hawaiian Tropic. As I was going down for breakfast, I walked passed one of the hot tubs which had seven people in it. I can’t figure out for the life of me what people enjoy about getting into a steaming pot of water with total strangers dripping with sweat and various other human juices. I find these things, as well as public pools – on a ship and on land – to be less than inviting. But people can’t wait to jump into them!
I feel the same way about a massage. I got a little lost en route for bacon this morning and had to snake my way through the Greenhouse Spa in order to make my way out to the Lido. As I passed through, a lovely lady handed me a flyer with today’s spa special and a deal on a massage.
I may be the one person in the world who gets a little freaked out when a stranger asks you to strip down, get on a table and relax as they work their hands all over your neck, back, legs, and other legal-to-touch areas of your body. I don’t like shaking hands with people yet having them touch other assorted body parts. “Oh, but it’s so relaxing,” you may be saying to yourself. Yeah, I’m sure it is!
Oh look… off to the port side, it’s none other than Grand Turk! I can hear the people rushing back to their staterooms to grab their beach towels and head off to the shore.
Selfie coming right up!
Personal Day-By-Day Noordam Cruise Review:
Photo Tour of the Noordam:
Join me as we embark on a photographic journey to see this incredible ship and all that it has to offer. This tour will take you on a visual journey through this magnificent cruise ship, showcasing its beauty and elegance through the lens of my camera. From the stunning public spaces to the comfortable and luxurious staterooms, this Noordam Photo Tour will give you a glimpse into the unforgettable experience that I had on board the Noordam.