Reviewed by: Richard Boyce & Ben Semple

Date: 6-10 February 2024

Cruise line and ship: Holland America Lines – ms Noordam

Year built: 2006
Year built: Fincantieri, Italy
Size of ship: 285.3 meters in length – 82,500 grt
Passenger capacity: 1,916 (Crew: 800)    
Where the ship cruises: Australia, New Zealand, South Pacific and Alaska
Currency onboard: USD

Check in and boarding – Joining the ship for the last four days of the cruise presented to no real issues. We simply turned up, checked in and went aboard. After going through the short formality of a small safety drill we were presented with our cruise cards and were soon in our cabin.

First impressions – On first boarding you notice the dark blue walls, polished brass and wide spacious areas. For a ship of this size the hallways and foyers are larger and more spacious than you might expect. The cabin corridors feature prints of past Holland America ships which is a nice touch and the forward stairwell features large spectacular oil paintings of past Holland America liners by world renowned maritime artist Stephen Card.

Cabins & Suites – There are inside and oceanview cabins both of which are a similar size. They are well laid out with a small couch, table and desk / chair that hides the well stocked mini bar. Balcony cabins are a similar size with the addition of the balcony that has two sun loungers and small table. From here the suites simply get larger with the addition of much larger lounge areas. The top suites add walk in wardrobes and separate dining area. All bathrooms are spacious enough to stow all your toiletries. An important note – the majority feature a shower over a bath, so if access is important you need to ensure you book one of the limited cabins with shower only.

Lounges – Surprisingly there is no main lounge rather than a series of intimate spaces. Starting on Deck 2 there is the Explorers Lounge – or what’s left of it. The forward end (formerly the bar) is now a room set up for art auctions, and the remaining portion often used as a photo venue. Opposite the Pinnacle Grill overlooking the atrium is the Pinnacle Bar which is perfect for those wanting to people watch or wait for their table to become available.

Forward of this is the large Rolling Stone Lounge. This room is used day time for multiple uses including Q&As and smaller presentations. At night it becomes a music and dance venue featuring big hits from the 50s to 70s. Just forward of this is Billboard Onboard (opposite the Casino). This lovely airy space features not one but two pianos for evening entertainment.

Further up on Deck 3 is the Ocean Bar which wraps around the atrium. This popular venue is perfect for evening drinks. Further forward is the Explorations Cafe & Library (see below). If you’re after proper coffee then this is the place for you. Opposite this venue is a series of three rooms, the Stuyvesant, Half Moon and Hudson Rooms which host everything from Bridge tournaments and religious services to meetings and smaller presentations.

Entertainment & Activities – From the outset I was struck by a less than packed schedule of daily activities. Aside from the expected ‘sales’, art auctions and religious meetings there was not a vast amount of offer. Team trivia, bingo, Bill W and Pride get togethers of course, a daily movie, a couple of evening shows and this was about it.

The evening shows, presentations and movies are provided in the World Stage, the onboard show room located on Decks 1, 2 and 3 forward. This semi-circular tiered rooms offers fabulous sight lines from all seats.

Your in room TV provides a select range of TV channels including various news channels and otherwise largely American shows. It does however provide a reasonable range of on demand movies including some Aussie titles which is a nice touch. Use your time wisely and bring a book. On that note – there is a large and well stocked library adjacent with plenty of novels and coffee table books available to borrow. There is even a used book exchange!

Smoking – If you’re a smoker then you’ll find a large covered outdoor area on Deck 3 adjacent to the  Sea View Pool and next to the Ocean Bar. There is plenty of tables and chairs making it a nice change from being in less than ideal areas on other ships.

Laundry – there are no passenger laundries onboard, so budget for sending your clothes our for the ship to wash or dry clean.

Casino – There is a large Casino with the usual slot machines and tables located on Deck 3.

Sports and exercise – There is a large gym, salon and spa located forward on Deck 9. All the usual machines are available together with a Thalassotherapy pool. Aft on Deck 10 a ball court is accessible including the latest craze Pickleball. Deck 10 also features a couple of Shuffleboard courts if you’d really like to get into some traditional deck sports.

Dining – Unlike many ships there is a distinct lack of dining options – but that doesn’t mean you will go hungry. Quite the opposite. To start with there is the large, two level dining room – named Dining Room – located aft on Decks 2 & 3, with large windows on three sides making the room light and airy despite it being decorated with dark maroon hues. White tablecloths, blue and white delft side plates and logo silver wear make this an elegant place to dine. The menus are generous with plenty of options. Servings are well sized and often feature from the Pinnacle Grill or from Holland America’s culinary council. The room can be busy early in the evening so if you’re happy to dine from say 7pm onwards you won’t find it difficult to get a seat, including tables for 2 or 4.

Pinnacle Grill is the extra charge fine dining restaurant, located on Deck 2 adjacent to the atrium. This bright and elegant space has plenty of tables for 2, 4 and more. The menus here feature the most spectacular food onboard, including lobster and the finest steaks. I would recommend you book well ahead for this in demand venue, and perhaps eat a little less than normal before attending to get the most out of your meal.

The Lido Market (buffet) located aft on Deck 9 is well laid out and provides a quite exhaustive range of dishes almost all day. Breakfast has everything you could possibly wish for including an omlette station where it’s cooked to your liking, loads of bakery items, a choice of sausages, meats, fruits, cereals etc. For lunch you’ll find Asian dishes, Pizza, an enourmous salad station, sandwiches, cold meats, cheeses, fruits and loads of deserts. Dinner is similar however each night featured at least one station offering a theme, such as Australian night.

Adjacent to the Lido Market and next to the Lido Pool is a self serve Taco and Nachos station, an unusual and nice touch for a quick snack. Next to this is the Dive-In Grill serving hot dogs and burgers American style. If you’re after pizza this is almost always available from the Lido Market at a dedicate station.

Part of the Lido Market each evening opens as Canaletto – an extra charge Italian Restaurant. Reservations are encouraged though you may be able to just turn up if there are tables available. No Australian will be unprepared for just what is on the menu and should enjoy the home made pastas and fine Italian salads and meats.

Drinks – It should be said at the outset that there is an large range of beverages on offer, so you are unlikely to miss your favourite drink. There was even a limited range of Australian beers onboard. However be prepared. Everything onboard is in USD and drinks attract a 18% tip so once converted to AUD the drinks are far from cheap. If you’re not a big drinker then this wont be of concern, however if you do like a couple of wines a day then consider a drinks package to minimise the damage to your credit card!

Staff and service – Not once did I come across a crew member anywhere onboard who was anything less than cheerful, polite and friendly. In fact the dining room staff could easily be the most friendly and professional I have come across on any ship for some time. If I had to be picky and find a downside it would be the lack of staff coming around on deck to offer a drinks service, resulting in often busy bars and slow service.

Shopping – the shopping area is quite enormous, including two boutiques selling watches and jewellery. The is a good range of Holland America Line logo wear, more than most ships. A note here that I was unable to find sizes larger than 2XL for men so bigger guys may be limited to a cap or bag as a souvenir. There is a generous range of perfumes (though I noted some brands curiously missing) and even a small dispensary should you need sun tan lotion, pain killers and the like.

Children – despite Holland America Line aiming at an older crowd there is a large children’s area located on Deck 10. Split into three different age groups activities are arranged depending on how many children are book on the cruise. We saw several younger ones onboard who all seemed to be well entertained. Parents should note however there is no dedicated children’s areas outside of the kids clubs, and most certainly not the bells and whistles like water slides or rock climbing walls featured by some other lines. If your children are happy with these arrangements and reasonably happy with a quieter cruise experience then they will be well catered for.

WiFi – All passengers are encouraged to download and use the HAL app. so you will need a smartphone for this. Once downloaded its a simple process to log in using your booking number and personal details. The app is free to use onboard by setting your phone to Aeroplane mode and turning on your wifi, then selecting the ships wifi. Connecting sometimes takes a little patience but once connected you are able to see what activities are on offer for the day and select which ones you are interested in. Your phone will then send you a reminder before the activity begins – very clever! You are also able to chat to others onboard and see your shipboard account at any time.

Internet access can be added either for the entire cruise, or just a day at a time. There are three levels that allow you to to simply send or receive emails, or go up to accessing Facebook to the highest level allowing virtually anything. This can be purchased through the onboard app.

Final thoughts – this ship isn’t for everyone. Indeed Holland America Line would say as much, aiming for the well travelled 60 plus passenger. While there is a distinct American feel to the onboard product, Aussies wont feel left out. Yes there is even Vegemite available for breakfast! Overall if you are looking for a pleasant, quiet and elegant cruise experience without masses of bells and whistles, ms Noordam may well be the ship for you.