Recently Rebecca was fortunate enough to experience five blissful nights cruising on board Holland America Line’s Noordam from Hobart to Sydney all in the name of work!
I loved this classy ship. It has something for everyone. Noordam is a medium-sized Vista-Class ship which accommodates just 1,972 guests. With a generous 2 to 1 guest-to-crew ratio there was always a friendly, smiling crew member ready to take your order or help you in some way.
From October to March during the Australian summer cruise season, Holland America has two ships visiting our shores. Noordam is one of fourteen ships in their fleet cruising worldwide, year-round.
The ship is spacious. The cruise was fully booked but it never felt crowded and we never had to queue for anything. A big feature of the Noordam is the vast array of museum-quality art featured throughout the ship. The stunning mid-ship atrium which towers three decks high is topped by a rotating Waterford Crystal globe of the world while beautiful exterior glass elevators provide fabulous ocean views.
There are fresh flowers everywhere! Holland America pride themselves on this attention to detail and the gorgeous flower arrangements throughout the public spaces are a very lovely touch.
My comfortable balcony cabin had a fabulous bed, a nice little sitting area, lots of storage space, a full-length mirror and room service available. There were plenty of towels and I just loved the lovely Elemis Aromapure bathroom products.
The Noordam features two outdoor swimming pools, one with a retractable sliding glass roof that can be closed when the weather isn’t great or if the temperature drops and plenty of deck chairs to relax on.
The Greenhouse Spa & Salon was my favourite spot on the ship! I spent lots of time in the large thermal pool, the ceramic heat beds and tropical shower were an absolute treat. The friendly staff offer spa treatments and a variety of salon services. It was a good idea to keep an eye on the daily specials for discounted prices on massages and treatments.
For those who like to keep fit on holidays there is a large high-tech gym located forward of the top deck with floor-to-ceiling windows featuring fabulous ocean views. The wraparound teak promenade deck is popular with the walkers on board – on one of our sea days the Noordam hosted a 9km charity walk. A great way to get everyone moving for a good cause.
The food and entertainment on board was fabulous, we sampled lots – but that is another story!
