carol

think of this ship for a European cruise in May any one know how old its and if cabins have balconeys?<BR>

Gerry

Hi Carolorry to tell you this but the Noordam is just about the oldest ship now with HAL. It entered service in April of '84 and looks pretty plain compared with the much newer ships of HAL and other cruise lines. There are no cabins with balconies and the main lounge is cetainly not big enough to accommodate the big production shows now common on most other ships.

Paul Therault

Hi Carol,<BR><BR>Although the Noordam was launched in 1984 so it is not really "that" old. It was refurbished in 2000 to the tume of 2.6 million dollars. You will find not much lacking. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.<BR><BR>Paul

John

Paul:<BR><BR>I think that you will agree that 2.6M is a drop in the bucket when it comes to upgrades. Sounds like a lot, but it is not-especially if interior structural changes are required. <BR><BR>I would say that they spent the least possible amount of money to complete some cosmetic changes. The reason. Simple...get another year or so out of the old tub before they dump it. Motel 6 is still Motel 6, regardless of the new exterior paint job and the new picture and dresser in the room!<BR><BR>My advice...there are lots of beautiful ships to select from so why not give the sub standard ones like this a miss.<BR>

BJ

Carol, Holland America Lines (HAL) has its own website and it is a very good one with rather detailed information about each ship in their fleet.<BR>Here is the website address (URL):<BR><BR>http://www.hollandamerica.com

Gerry

Also forgot to say in my above post. Noordam has a very good 14 day Southern Caribbean cruise that I'd love to take.Right now I'm waiting until HAL retires the old girl and replaces her with one of their many newer ships.

Old

This thread is fascinating, especially in the overall context of this site. People are always looking for the "best deal" (know an agent who'll knock $25 off a $1,200 price? sign me up) but they say "stay away from old tubs." My first cruise was on Song of America, then already long in the tooth. She was great. A few years ago the new ships were costing the lines $200 million, now they're up to $400 million. Hard to expect good deals if we punish them for keeping the ships in service for more than a few years.

Paul Therault

Quite a few good points here. This is why a forum like this is great for finding out about a ship before one books. But ...... one must read with an open mind. Watch out for "general" statements like. "The ship" was tired" or "it was a dump."<BR><BR>Granted the older ships are going to have coat on top of coat, of paint, some rust here and there, but there is no excuse to have mold in the bathroom, many stains on the carpets and old dirty bedding.<BR><BR>This is why it is so important to call and talk to the hotel manager if your accomodations are unacceptable.<BR><BR>Paul

maryann

we just cruised on the Noordam, Feb.3rd on the 14 day Southern Caribbean cruise. Yes, the ship is older but much easier to get around than the big newones, the ports were great but we like more 'at sea' days, crew was the best of all the lines we have cruised, some problems were with the plumbing and water pressure but quickly fixed. overall you can't go wrong with HollandAmerica whichever ship you choose, they do credit you if the price goes lower if YOU or your agent catches it and calls them.