May 19, 2012: Cruising the Mediterranean
	May 18, 2012: The Noordam Sails
	Return to the Index for Our Mediterranean Cruise

Before we cross the Atlantic, it would probably be a good idea to familiarize you with the ship we are on. I'll do this by including on this page the pictures that we took in our stateroom, on the various outside decks, and inside in the various public areas. For example, we were in and out of our stateroom all the time, and we took pictures there on lots of different days. It just makes sense to bring them all together in one place (and eliminate repetition). The same is true for the various outside decks and the various public areas. Some of the public areas, such as the dining areas, will be shown on pages a bit later on.

For now, let's begin with some information about the Noordam itself. Then I can show you our stateroom, we can move to the various decks, and I can show you some of the public areas.

Holland America's MS Noordam

Christened in New York City on February 22, 2006, by the actress Marlee Matlin, the MS Noordam is one of the many ships in the Holland America fleet. (The Holland America Line is a division of Carnival Corporation.) As the fourth addition to Holland America's Vista-class of ships, Noordam is sister to the MS Oosterdam, MS Westerdam, and MS Zuiderdam. The ship's name is derived from the Dutch translation for the northern compass point, and is pronounced "Nor-dam."

The passenger capacity of the ship is 1,819, with space for 805 crew. It is a mid-size ship, 935 feet long and 106 feet wide, and its gross tonnage is 82,000. It has a maximum speed of 23 knots through the water. The Noordam is not by any means a "mega" ship like many of those popular today. Other ships we'd been on had more spectacular architectural features (like the nine-story atrium on our first ship, Royal Caribbeans "Jewel of the Seas") or amenities (like the large movie theater on Celebrity's "Century"). But it was certainly large enough and quite comfortable.

We didn't partake of all of its features, but there was a free Digital Workshop; a Culinary Arts Center a demonstration kitchen offering interactive gourmet cooking lessons; the Greenhouse Spa & Salon; the Pinnacle Grill, a small, reservations-only venue offering premium beef and seafood; the Canaletto Restaurant (where we ate three times) that offeed premium Italian fare in the evenings; the Explorations Café, which was a library and coffee house environment; the Crow's Nest, offering sweeping 270° views; and, of course the Vista Lounge- the large showroom where we saw shows almost every evening. You'll see some of the pictures we took of these areas a bit later on.

The Layout of the MS Noordam: Deck Schematics

It's probably a good idea to orient you first of all to the layout of the ship- at least those parts that we visited. A few of the decks are entirely staterooms, and we never went to any of them except the deck on which our own stateroom was located. But most of the decks contained public spaces that we DID frequent (although many of them also had sections of staterooms), and I thought that I would first show you the plans of those decks, so that when we talk about the public areas and venues later, you'll have some idea of where we are on the ship.

Deck 6: Upper Promenade Deck

Let's begin not at the top or bottom, but with our own deck- the Upper Verandah Deck- Deck 6.

At left is a scrolling window that holds the deck plan for our deck. If you use the scroll bar at the bottom of the window, you can scroll left and right across the plan of this deck. As with all the deck plans, we will put the bow ("front" or "forward") of the ship at the left and, of course the stern ("back" or "aft") of the ship at the right. Obviously, this means that the right ("starboard") side of the ship is at the top and the left ("port") side of the ship is at the bottom. Our suite is marked; it was Suite 6052 which is forward and on the port side, right at the point where there is a jog in the interior layout and the staterooms along the side of the ship become a little smaller.

Getting from our stateroom to anyplace else on the ship simply depended on whether our destination was forward or aft. If it was aft, like the dining room, we simply left our stateroom, turned right, walked to the end of the corridor and out into the elevator/stair lobby. Then we either walked up a couple of flights to the buffet, or down a few flights to the dining room. Forward locations, such as the gym, were most conveniently reached by turning left outside our door, jogging around the bend in the hallway and going to the forward elevator/stair lobby. Then we could go up a few flights and be right outside the gym, or down a few flights and be right outside the Vista Lounge.

Of course, we could walk forward and aft on any deck, but the public decks are harder to navigate, as they are more crowded and because you have to go through or around things like the casino or the shops. So to get quickly from one end of the ship to the other, we either used our own deck or one of the upper, open decks.

Deck 9: The Lido Deck

The Lido Deck takes is name from the Lido Restaurant that is the main feature of the deck. This is where the traditional buffet is located, and we usually reached it via the midship stairways. Unlike some other cruises, Holland America doesn't have the full buffet in the evenings. In the evenings, only one side of the buffet is open and the choices are more limited. I guess they figure most people who want a big meal will eat in the dining room. But sometimes, we got tired of sitting through five courses in the dining room, and ate up here. Even the limited buffet closes at 8:30, opening again at 11, so if you just have to eat during that time, it is basically the pizza and pasta buffet that's always available.

Also on this deck, we spent a good deal of time at the stern, looking out the way we had come. On either side of the ship near the stern were outside stairs that led up to Deck 10, which we'll look at in a moment. The aft stairways ended at the Lido Deck, so if we wanted to get to Deck 10 from our stateroom, we'd either have to use the elevators or the forward or midship stairs.

Forward of the Lido Restaurant is the main swimming pool, and around it there are tables and chairs where you can eat lunch or breakfast (or dinner, if you want to carry food a longer distance). I've marked the spot where we usually met for breakfast. I've also marked the location of the grill that's open all day; it serves hamburgers and hot dogs and French fries all day long. (There was also a taco bar that was open until six or seven in the evening.) After shore excursions, we would usually come up here for a snack by the pool, before heading to the gym or doing something else.

At the forward starboard corner of the pool area is an enclosed spiral staircase that is the best way to get up to Deck 10 from this area. Inside, and forward of the pool is the forward elevator/stair lobby, and when we went to the gym we typically came up these stairs from the Rotterdam Deck. That way, we didn't have to go through public areas with our gym clothes on. The Fitness Center itself was a really good one, although the recumbent bikes didn't have their own TVs and earpieces. Most times, we were here late enough that the gym was pretty much empty; if it was an aerobic day, there'd be a recumbent bike available, and I either read the daily newspaper or one of my magazines or played a game on my iPhone. On weight-training days, I did just a short aerobic stint and then used the freeweights or machines for an hour or so.

Deck 10: The Observation Deck

The Observation Deck is mostly open deck space, at least along the sides of the ship. The two prominent features on this deck amidships are the stacks, which are the large unlabeled area on the diagram below, and the retractable swimming pool cover that can be closed so the Lido Deck pool can be used in inclement weather. It was quite a sight to watch the huge covers open and close.

Along the sides of this deck, which people used mainly for strolling or getting some sun, there are good opportunities for taking pictures- but not all the way along the deck. The deck area on either side of the stacks has a high plexiglas wall- and I am not sure why. There were shuffleboard alleys in this area, but I can't imagine anyone lofting a puck high enough to make it over a rail (seeing as how from the rail down to the deck is closed). The glass walls did shield the area from the wind, though, and maybe that was the intent. What that meant, though, was that while we walked through these areas on either side frequently, from the stairs up from the Lido deck aft to the baffles forward, we didn't take any pictures from this area. An area stretching thirty or forty feet from the aft stairs, and the area alongside the pool cover were open though, with just chest-high wood rails and enclosures below, and so when we wanted to take pictures coming into a port or something like that, we could do so from here.

All the way forward on this deck was the Crow's Nest Lounge. Here, in addition to the normal accoutrements of a bar/lounge, there were banquettes all along the arc at the windows forward, and this was a great place to get a view ahead. For my own part, I often like to be outside and looking ahead (like in the movie "Titanic"). On our first cruise, the Royal Caribbean "Jewel of the Seas," the bow was easy to get to and almost always open. On our second, on the Celebrity Century, the bow was never open. On our Panama Canal cruise on the Oosterdam, the bow was only opened twice- once when we went through the canal. But I did learn the way to it on that ship, which stood me in good stead here. On the Noordam it was, apparently, the practice to leave the door to bow unlocked, so if you knew how to get to it (via the starboard hallway down on deck 4) you could get out there at will. Sometimes, it was opened "offically," as when we passed Stromboli on our second cruise, and at those times there were signs in the forward stairs/elevators directing passengers to it. But this cruise was more like our first one in that I could usually get to the bow when I felt like it.

Usually, late at night, there were solo performers here in the Crow's Nest Lounge, and Fred and I would come up sometimes to have a listen. Also on this deck, in the starboard Oak Room, the LGBT Meetings were held during the cruise, and there were usually ten to fifteen guys there. This is where we met David and Frank, a very nice couple who alternated between homes in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, and Marbella, Spain. They were a pleasure to talk to, and we have invitations to come visit them in Mexico some winter when they are there.

Deck 3: The Promenade Deck

Although we were on Deck 4 a few times, when the ship allowed access to the bow, it was entirely staterooms. Let's go down to the Promenade Deck, one of the two decks devoted entirely to public spaces. At the bow one could access the balcony of the Vista Lounge- the main showroom onboard. We didn't usually sit in the balcony, although we did once or twice. The view was usually better from the main floor. Just aft of the Vista Lounge there were two public spaces where we spent a lot of time. One was the Explorations Cafe on the starboard side, where you could read magazines and check out books and where you could also arrange for Internet access from the ship. Greg got a package of minutes that turned out to be just large enough to accommodate the email that we sent and received. On the port side were the card rooms. On the crossing and on sea days, we played bridge each morning in the Stuyvesant Room, and in the afternoons I played duplicate with a partner I picked up on the first day. (We did pretty well, finishing first one day, second another, and no lower than 5th on the rest of the days- out of thirteen or fourteen pairs each day.)

We totally skipped the "shopping opportunities" presented by the Arcade, but walked through it frequently. Aft of it where the midship elevators and stairs. Here, there were also two pairs of outside glass elevators on either side of the ship. We took these most of the time, since in addition to the ride up or down you got a view as well. You could also take these elevators down to the debarkation station for the shore excursions. Further aft was the three‑storey Atrium. On this level, there were winding stairs down to Deck 2 and the Atrium itself was surrounded by bars. In the evening, there was usually live music somewhere around the atrium on this level. You can see the stairs down both to Deck 2 and to Deck 1 here.

Finally, all the way aft on this level was the upper level for the Vista Dining Room. The dining room itself was open in the center to the deck below, and there were winding stairs up and down. I supposed that out of the nineteen nights we were on the cruise, we ate here twelve of them. When we did, most of those were with all six of us, although there were a couple of times when the other guys were doing their own thing and it was just Fred and I.

Deck 2: The Lower Promenade Deck

The Lower Promenade Deck was also entirely public space. Forward, there was the main floor of the Vista Lounge. We watched shows here almost every night. Aft of the main showroom was the Piano Bar. Here, we joined Greg in listening to Jim Fischer, the piano player for this cruise. Each night was a different theme- such as Elton John songs, movie themes and, on a couple of nights, "Name That Tune."

Further aft was a smaller showroom that we patronized a couple of times, as it was here that the movies were shown. This venue used to be a dedicated movie theatre, but I suppose that the cruise line realized that it was underused just for movies. So it was converted to the Culinary Arts Center- where cooking demonstrations and classes alternated with movies and various small shows. Crossing the midship elevator lobby (on this deck and below the glass elevators are totally enclosed) we come again to the Atrium. On this level portside was the Pinnacle Grill. Most cruise ships have these specialty restaurants that charge a fixed additional fee but serve more upscale food in a more intimate setting. We ate in this restaurant twice on the Oosterdam, but on this cruise we didn't; we went to Canaletto when we wanted to avoid the Main Dining Room.

Further aft starboard was the Explorer's Lounge. This area served coffee, pastries and drinks, and there was usually some live music, mostly subdued strings, and so it was a good place to just sit and relax. Finally, all the way aft was the main floor of the Vista Dining Room. As I said, we ate here quite a few times. Sometimes we were seated upstairs, sometimes down. Unlike our first two cruises, dinner seating was variable; you could make a reservation for any time you wished, or just show up and wait for a table. The first night we allowed the maitre d' to assign us to a large table; that's how we met Jim and MaryEllen. Other nights, we came with friends we had met, or just the three of us, or just Fred and I. On the second night of the cruise, when we learned that the maitre d' was "family" and what his name was, we introduced ourselves and from then on were seated quickly and at just the type of table we wanted.

Deck 1: The Main Deck

The deck diagrams are a bit confusing when it comes to the Vista Lounge. One accessed the balcony from Deck 3. The main floor was accessed from Deck 2. But since the seating sloped down to the stage, there was another exit at the bottom (where the little banquettes are in this diagram), and this exit was actually on Deck 1.

This was about the only time we were on Deck 1. Other than the bottom of the Vista Lounge, the customer desks amidships and some crew areas aft, this deck was also mostly staterooms. (No balconies here, just windows.) When we went on a shore excursion (of which we signed up for three), our tickets always had us meeting here in the Vista Lounge. When it was time for our group to board the tender or take the gangway to the dock, our tour guide would lead us out the starboard lower exit from the lounge, down the starboard stateroom hall and to the midship stairs and elevators. The bottom of the Atrium was on this deck as well.

Deck A: Shore Debarkation/Embarkation

There is no diagram for this deck, since the only time passengers are on it is to leave or return to the ship. The passenger stairways and elevators amidships end here (those forward and aft end on Deck 1.) If memory serves, we always used the port side of the ship to leave and re-board, but I think I saw a duplicate set up on the starboard side. All that's here is the debarkation podium where your ship card is scanned to record that you have left, and a similar podium when you return. For returning passengers, there is also the ubiquitous X-ray screening, though it it not nearly so stringent as at airports.

Our Stateroom: Upper Verandah Deck Suite 6052

For this cruise, Greg had already booked a verandah suite for himself and Paul, and when Paul couldn't go, we just decided to all bunk together. At left is a picture of a typical room like ours, but we got one that was upgraded. In our suite, the doors to the verandah were further out and angled, and at the far end of the sofabed there was room for the two chairs, and the little coffee table was in front of them. This really opened up the room, and also gave us more verandah space.

In a moment, I'll show you some still pictures of the suite, but a bit of description is in order. The entrance to the large bath was just on the left as you entered, and on the right was a large bank of closets and drawers. Each of us got our own closet and a couple of drawers there. Entering the room, the big bed was on the left, flanked by two nighttables. On the right was a large desk and mirror with a little stool chair. Further in, the sofabed was on the right. At the end of the suite, beyond the big bed on the left, there was another desk, a flat-screen television (the picture from Holland America at left must be an old one). This is where I set up the laptop, and there was a nice window looking out. This desk also contained the mini-fridge. Further back was the extra space we got for the upgraded suite, and the chairs and coffee table you see in the picture here were actually back in that area, opening up the room a great deal. Outside the deck window on the verandah was a circular table and two chairs, and on the right outside the door were two chaise lounges with footstools and a small table between them. All in all, the suite was perfectly suited to the three of us, and we never felt cramped.

If you will click on the small pictures below, you can see some of the pictures we took of our actual suite:

Beds and Small Desk Desk and Sofa Bed Looking Towards Door

Tub/Shower Bath Vanity Forward Verandah Aft Verandah

Those pictures give a pretty good idea of what the suite was like, but perhaps a movie would be even better.

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In the movie I made (which you can watch with the player at left), I'll begin out in the hallway, come in through our main door and then wander through the suite showing you just about everything. We'll end up out on the balcony with the views from there.

Since we first got a room with a balcony on our second cruise, we've gotten used to having it, and now probably wouldn't cruise unless we had that type of room. It is just a pleasure to be able to go outside, have a seat, and watch the ocean (or the land) go by. And we did a lot of that on this cruise.

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To introduce you to what we usually saw when we were outside on the balcony, have a look at the movie I made on our second day out from Fort Lauderdale. Because our balcony was right at the point where the line of the deck angled inward, we could get out where the chaise lounges were and have an unobstructed view back along the ship. (To see the view ahead, we had to lean out a bit, of course.) As you can see, we could look into the balcony of our aft neighbors just a bit, but they seemed rarely to be out on theirs.

Fred took a number of good pictures from the verandah during the cruise; click on the thumbnails below to see some of them:

Here are some other pictures that Fred took from the verandah during our cruises (click on the thumbnails to view):

Outside on Deck Aboard the MS Noordam

We spent quite a lot of our time aboard ship out on deck- taking pictures, just walking around, getting fresh air and so on. Since a lot of my narrative will refer to one deck or another, I thought it might be a good idea to orient you to them. This time, we'll begin on the top deck and work our way down. When we took some pictures of the ship itself on these decks, this will be a good place to include some of them.

Deck 11: The Sports Deck

The Sports Deck, Deck 11, is so named because it is on this deck that the basketball/volleyball court is located.

The Sports Deck is not continuous. It's like having two identical skyscrapers right next to each other; there's a 50th floor in each, but no way to go directly across from one to the other. One portion of the Sports Deck is at the bow of the ship, and the other is almost all the way back to the stern. It is on the back portion that the basketball court is found. The front portion, seen in the diagram at left, is an open deck area that arcs around the forward mast and radar towers. It is shielded from the wind by the same kind of smoked glass walls found down on deck 10, although here they are slanted inward. There are some lounge chairs around, so you can get sun but no wind. This may be important on some of the routes this particular ship follows.

On either side of the tower there is a stairway up from Deck 10, and these stairways are the only way (other than a crew elevator) to reach this deck. We didn't take many pictures from here; the smoked glass gets in the way. That's a shame, because this would be an excellent observation point to look forward at the sea ahead, and it would be an excellent place to observe the activities as the ship comes into a port.

We really didn't have occasion to use Deck 11, although we wandered up to the lounging area once or twice. And we didn't get any interesting pictures from the deck.

Deck 10: The Observation Deck

The Observation Deck is really the only totally open deck from bow to stern. Actually, the open part of the deck begins at the stairs down from the forward part of Deck 11. The area on this deck forward of the Lido Pool cover was a prime viewing area. On the starboard side, there is an enclosure for a spiral stairway leading down to the Lido Pool area. We used this stairway frequently, usually to get from the restaurant up to the open deck after breakfast or lunch. You can see this enclosure in a shot that Fred took one evening of me on deck 10. Since we'd taken lots of pictures of this deck when we were on the Oosterdam, we didn't think that more photos of essentially an identical deck were needed. However, I did get one very good picture of Fred on this deck midway through the cruise. It was taken just aft of the sport aft corner of the movable cover over the main pool on the Lido deck below, looking forward. You can see it here

Behind Fred in the previous picture is the Lido Pool's retractable roof (more in a bit when we go down to Deck 9). It is a huge mechanical affair, and it allows use of the pool area during cool or rainy weather, and this ship does do quite a few itineraries that take it into cooler, rainier climes. The open deck runs along either side of the cover, and these lengths are the longest unobstructed viewing areas on the ship. From the starboard open deck above the Lido Pool, you can see the pool, its retracted cover and the port side walkway here. On either side of the ship, just aft of the Lido Pool cover, the deck comes to a set of baffles that you have to navigate through to continue aft. Again, we presume that these baffles, which force you to execute a tight "S" curve, are to shelter the area beyond from the wind. On the port side of the ship, just aft of the first set of baffles, a door leads in to a Deck 10 area that is above the forward portion of the Lido Restaurant; it is the "Kid's Club" for the Noordam's younger passengers. (I doubt that I saw two kids on this particular cruise.)

As you walk aft after the forward set of baffles, you pass long rows of and then you come to and pass through the aft baffles. Past these, the glass wall ends the rail opens up. There are more deck chairs here, and there is also good viewing from this area. At the furthest aft portion of Deck 10, you find yourself on a balcony that overlooks the Sea View Pool that is at the stern of the ship on Deck 9. The balcony belongs to a larger suite, but I wouldn't like the idea of people looking down on me. At the aft end of this deck you can look out over the Sea View Pool to the view astern. The railing here is a good place to take pictures when leaving a port.

This as far astern as you can go on this deck. To continue aft, you have to descend a set of stairs down to the Lido Deck.

Deck 9: The Lido Deck

We'll go ahead and talk about the outside areas on the Lido Deck here, although the only constantly-open area is where the Sea View Pool is at the stern. The other open area is only open area when the mechanical cover over the forward, main pool is open (which it usually was).

The Sea View Pool

We went to the stern quite a bit to take pictures, almost always when leaving a port (since if you are just cruising, there is not much to see save for the ship's substantial wake). We did take quite a few such pictures, but they belong on the pages devoted to the various ports at which we stopped.

Mostly, passengers used the stern deck either as a seating area for the Lido Restaurant (just forward inside), or as an area to get some sun, or to attend special functions held out here occasionally. I believe this was the tail-end of a wine tasting that was held one afternoon.

At the stern of the ship, you can't actually look directly down at the water, though. There are staterooms at the stern of the ship; most of these being large suites for groups and families, and if you look directly down from the rail at the stern, you are looking at the verandahs of the stern staterooms on Deck 8- the Navigation Deck.

There is one other open area on the Lido Deck, but not many people knew about it as it is a bit tricky to get to. If you head along the port side of the ship and go by the Lido Pool, you'll enter the spa/fitness area. Crossing over to the starboard side of the ship through the elevator lobby, you can turn left (forward) and head down the hall to the gym. But instead of going into the gym, you can continue down the hall, through a doorway to the outside and onto a crescent-shaped observation area that wraps around the front of the gym. If the bow is not open, this is the best place to be for the view ahead. We took pictures from here, but they were when we were entering a port, and so you'll see some of them on the daily cruise pages.

Deck 4: The Upper Promenade Deck

There is only one open area on this deck, and it is my favorite, seeing as how I usually like the view ahead when I am traveling. My favorite area isn't even shown on the deck plans provided by Holland-America, perhaps because if everyone did know about it, there'd be problems.

Deck 4 is almost entirely staterooms, but if you take the forward elevator or stairs down to that deck, then go over to the starboard side of the ship and follow the residential hallway that leads forward, you'll find, at the forward end of the hall, a watertight door. Sometimes it is locked, but most times it is not. Pull down on the handle and step through the door and you'll be in a small anteroom, with another watertight door ahead of you. Open that one, step over the bottom of the doorway and you will be on the open bow of the ship.

The Bow

Ever since I went sailing with Grant, I found I liked sitting up on the front of the sailboat or power boat, and when we started cruising, I felt the same way. So I was glad to find out that, unlike the Oosterdam, the Noordam tended to allow access to the bow most all the time, and I came out here almost once a day- oftentimes bringing Fred as well. From here, you can look directly back at the bridge, which is on Deck 8. One day when Fred was out here with me, he used his zoom to get a close-up of some of the bridge officers at work.

We also came out here when the bow was "offically opened," as when we past one of the Italian volcanoes. At those times, the captain would make an announcement that they would put up directional signs in the forward elevator lobby directing people to the bow. (They'd also have crewmen positioned at both watertight doors to make sure people didn't trip on the raised doorframes, and sometimes even serve cocktails outside.)

Below are some thumbnail images for some of the other pictures we took out here on the bow; just click on them to view the full-size images:

Deck 3: The Promenade Deck

Take another look at the deck plan for the Promenade Deck:

Decking is represented by the areas covered by narrow parallel lines, and so you can see that on the Promenade Deck, you can walk all around the periphery of the ship.

(Mouseover Image if Video Controls Not Visible) Walking the Promenade Deck

One night after dinner, Fred and I went to walk around the deck, but we picked the wrong time to do it. It was probably the coldest evening of any on the trip- our third day at sea if memory serves. We went out one of the sets of midship doors and walked along under the lifeboats for a while. But it was a little more raw and a little more blustery than was to our liking, so after a few minutes we went back inside.

You can use the player at left to walk along with us.

You can see a picture of Fred, just before we went inside, here. We'd walked totally around the Promenade Deck on our second day at sea; the walk is continuous and you just have to dodge the joggers. Forward, the walkway actually goes in front of the Vista Lounge. But it is like a tunnel- there are staterooms above you and crew facilities in front, so while you are crossing from one side of the ship to the other you can't see much. At the stern, it is a little different. The outside walkway goes around behind the upper level of the Vista Dining Room and you can actually look out at the ocean behind. But along the sides of the ship, you are walking a deck that is open to the outside. While there no deck directly above you, once again you can't see much because the lifeboats are hanging above you on their davits.

Main Public Areas Aboard the MS Noordam

In this section of th1s page about the Noordam, I'd like to introduce you to the main public areas. We didn't spend a lot of time in some of them, but others are referred to frequently in the narratives that will follow. We also didn't take as many pictures as when we were on the Oosterdam, since then it was all new to us, while the Noordam is a duplicate of that first Holland-America ship. But we did take a few pictures, so I'll put them here. I think if you have an image in your mind of a particular area when it is mentioned in the later narrative, it will help you follow us on our travels around the ship. There aren't too many areas to cover, so we'll take them in no particular order.

Explorations Cafe and Library (Promenade Deck, Deck 3, Starboard Midship Forward)

One of the differences between the Oosterdam and the Noordam was the location of the Explorations Cafe and Library. On both ships, the area is where you find books and magazines, games and computers and a coffee bar. On the Oosterdam, it was located on Deck 10 all the way forward, but here it was on the starboard side, just forward of the midship elevator and stair lobby. It consisted of three areas- a computer, magazine and library area open to the path through the center of the ship, the coffee/pastry bar adjacent, and another, closed-in room for more quiet reading and games (like chess and checkers).

We didn't spend a great deal of time here (although we were frequently in the card rooms across the main walkway). I did come down with some computer access questions occasionally, or to pick up a daily newspaper. On our day docked at Civitavecchia between cruises, though Fred and I wandered through and took some photos. You can click on the thumbnail images below to have a look at them:

The Crow's Nest (Deck 10, Forward)

The Crow's Nest is a bar, lounge and relaxation area near the bow of the ship on Deck 10. It offers panoramic views out ahead and to the sides of the ship; for people who like to see out ahead, but don't want to deal with wind or temperature, the banquettes that line the curved glass windows that wrap around the front of the ship are the place to be. In the late evening, there is often solo entertainment here in the Crow's Nest. But the most frequent use we made of the area was to use the Oak Room on the starboard side as the meeting place for the LGBT folks each afternoon. We made a number of friends at these meetings, some of whom we'll keep up with, and on the last day of our first cruise, I had most of them sit by the panoramic windows of the Crow's Nest so I could get a set of pictures. Click on the thumbnails below to see some of the regular attendees at these meetings:

The Fitness Center (Lido Deck, Deck 9, Forward)

Fred and I spent some time in the Fitness Center every single day during the cruise, and Greg joined us most days as well. This is what helped us restrict our weight gain over the four weeks we were on the ship and within walking distance of a great deal of delicious food about 18 hours a day to perhaps a pound or two or three. The center had an array of cardio machines in an arc around the forward portion of the large room; behind those were two more rows of machines, including the recumbent bikes.

On the starboard side were the free weights machines, and on the port side were the weight machines- some of them similar similar to those at my own gym here in Dallas. Aft in the room was a mirrored wall and a large carpeted area that was used for exercise classes and yoga.

Use the player below to watch a movie I made in the gym on the morning we arrived in Lisbon:

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The Lido Pool (Lido Deck, Deck 9, Midship)

The Lido Pool was aft of the Fitness Center and Spa and forward of the Lido Restaurant. It was the pool that could be covered when necessary. I didn't much care for the pool with the cover closed; it reminded me of a Holidome somewhere in the upper Midwest. With the cover open and the sun out, though, it was a nice place for breakfast or our afternoon snacks. Although we never took the opportunity to play, at the forward end of the pool there was a gigantic chess set and a ping-pong table.

The pool was surrounded by lounge chairs and then by small round tables and chairs; this was a popular place for folks to eat at lunchtime, and we had breakfast in this area frequently. Just near the doors to the midship elevator lobby on the port side was the Lido Bar.

The Lido Restaurant (Lido Deck, Deck 9, Midship)

For all the time we spent in the Lido Restaurant (breakfast each day, lunch on sea days, snacks almost every day and dinner five or six times) we didn't take a lot of pictures here. The restaurant had a large serving area in the middle, with serving lines on each side- separated by cuisine. There was another, smaller area aft of that where you could always find salads and fruit. Drinks were at either end of the large serving area. There were seating areas along the windows on both sides of the ship, and another seating area forward of the serving stations. More often than not, we carried our meals either forward to the area aft of the Lido Pool, or aft out onto the open deck at the stern.

At night, one area of the restaurant was sectioned off and became the Canaletto Restaurant serving upscale Italian cuisine. Unlike the Pinnacle Grill, this "restaurant" didn't charge an additional fee, but you did need reservations. We ate there three times. Also at night, the buffet is more limited, as most people seemed to eat in the Vista Dining Room.

The Atrium (Decks 3, 2 & 1, Midship)

Here on the MS Noordam, there was a three-storey Atrium area, similar to that on Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas, but much smaller- only three decks high rather than seven, much narrower, and without the glass elevators. It was a nice place to come walk, though, surrounded by small lounges on Decks 1 and 2, and larger bars and the Pinnacle Grill on Deck 3.

The Atrium here on the Noordam was structurally identical to the one on the Oosterdam, although there were decorative differences. On the Oosterdam, the stairs were carpeted. Here, they were made out of green‑tinted lucite with brass accents. The other major difference was that on the Oosterdam, there was a large globe that is suspended from the ceiling of Deck 3, whereas here on the Noordam there was a more artistic light fixture instead. The net effect here, with the graceful, underlit stairs was very modern and bright (although having transparent stairs can be a problem when you get to the bottom, the stairs turn, and you aren't quite sure if there is another riser).

While we were in Civitavecchia between cruises, I had an opportunity to film the atrium (while the string quarted rehearsed). You can watch that movie with the player below:

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The Vista Dining Room (Decks 3 & 2, Aft)

The Vista Dining Room is the MS Noordam's main dining room. Like most ships, the Noordam offered two "dinner seatings," for people who liked to eat at the same time each day and sit with the same people. For out part, we chose "As You Like" dining, which had us arrive when we wanted and get seated by a maitre d' either with other folks or by ourselves. (You could also make reservations for prime times, but we never did and never had to wait more than a couple of minutes.)

The Vista Dining Room had an upper level and lower level, with some additional tables on on a mid‑level landing. The upper level was used primarily for the two dinner seatings, while the lower level was occupied by the "As You Like" passengers. (One evening, when just Fred and I came down here to eat, we had a table for two on the upper level, so the divisions are just generally followed, I guess.)

The "As You Like" passengers entered the dining room on Deck 2, where the maitre d' would take your seating requests and then either seat you immediately or have you wait just a few minutes just inside the entrance until your table was ready or the rest of your group arrived.

The food was great most of the time, although there was the occasional overdone steak or dry fish. Sometimes we got tired of sitting through five courses, and we just went to the Lido, but it was nice being served in some semblance of style.

The only complaint we really ever had was that the Vista Dining Room was oriented more to folks who liked to stretch out their dining experience, and perhaps make a lot of conversation between courses. That's OK, I guess, if you are eating with a large group of people you know nothing about as yet, but when it was just Fred and I, or just the three of us, it was often hard to fill the time with chit-chat. I didn't mind not eating in the Dining Room all the time, for the same items usually showed up at the Lido Buffet either the same day or the next day. On cruises, I have become particularly fond of lamb with mint jelly, and tend to order it whenever it is available. (It may just be that I am fond of mint jelly, as I tend to use a lot of it.)

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On our day in Civitavecchia between cruises, no meal was served in the Vista Dining Room at breakfast or lunch, and so when Fred and I were wandering around the half-empty ship in the afternoon, we found it was a good time to take some pictures here. I also made a movie that will take you around the dining room and to both levels. You can watch the movie with the player at right.

The Hudson Card Room (Promenade Deck, Deck 3, Port Midship)

Unlike the Oosterdam, but like the Celebrity Century, the MS Noordam offered bridge instruction and duplicate games, because on both ships there were stretches of sea days as we crossed the Atlantic (returning from Europe on the Century, and going to Europe this time). I went to the first class on our first sea day, and at the end of it, announced that I was looking for a couple of novice players to play with us (with Greg and Fred rounding out the table). I got three or four responses, and two of those folks actually showed up to play with us later.

However, by the third day we had made friends with Jim and MaryEllen Schembri, and so they became our regular partners for the morning foursome that occupied us all the way across the Atlantic. At other times during the cruise(s), when I felt like playing, I could usually find a game in the card room. And each afternoon, I played duplicate with a man I met at the first duplicate session. He was pretty good, and we tended to do well.

I enjoyed being the observer/advisor/teacher at our morning games; except for one morning when I'd been taking pictures up on deck before our game, none of us brought our cameras, so the only picture I have is the one of Fred lost in thought that you can see at left.

The Vista Lounge (Promenade/Lower Promenade Decks, Decks 3 & 2, Forward)

The Vista Lounge was the ship's showroom (and meeting place for the various shore excursions).

There was a show or some kind of performance in the Vista Lounge almost every night of the cruise, and we attended as many of them as we could. Rather than talk about all of them here, though, I'll save the pictures, movies and narrative for insertion on the album page for the appropriate day.

For now, I just want to introduce you to the Vista Lounge. Each of the showrooms on our cruises has been an opulent space, and the Vista Lounge was no exception. It takes up three decks. The balcony is entered from Deck 3, while the main floor is entered from Deck 2. Two interior staircases connect the two. The main floor slopes down from the Deck 2 entrance so that by the time you get to the banquettes right in front of the stage, you are actually on Deck 1.

On either side of the main room there were aisle stairs, and bordering them some really neat Art Deco lighting fixtures. We sometimes sat in the first row behind the banquettes- where the cross-theatre aisle was- but mostly we sat either in the balcony or halfway up the main seating section on one side or the other. It didn't matter much; unless you were right behind one of the six columns along the side, the view was excellent.

While we took lots of pictures here in the Vista Lounge, almost all of them were during shows, so we'll save those for later in this album.

The Piano Bar (Lower Promenade Deck, Deck 2, Starboard Forward)

Fred and I were in the Piano Bar two or three times, but Greg was there a lot more often. There were two piano players during our cruises- one for each cruise. The first one was better, and you'll see some pictures and movies of both of them on the album pages for the appropriate day.

But we did enjoy dropping by the piano bar just to listen, and both of the players were pretty good. As you can see in the picture, there is a counter that surrounds the piano. In front of the piano, behind the stools that were under that bar, there was a wall with a long bench seat along it. This is where we usually sat to listen.

Conclusion: Aboard the Noordam

Well, that's about it for this description of the MS Noordam. As I said, it was almost identical to the Oosterdam, and so it only took us a few minutes to get oriented, and most of that was learning that our suite was very much forward of where our stateroom had been on the other ship.

The MS Noordam: Ship Decoration

It seems as if each of the different ships we are on has unique decorative elements. These may be part of some sort of theme, or just eclectic artwork, sculpture or decorative fixtures. In any case, much of it is actually quite interesting, and some of it is actually beautiful. It is all designed to enhance the look of the vessel, and distinguish it from a hotel where every floor is exactly the same.

Fred and I took a number of pictures during both our cruises on the Noordam, and I have gathered them all together here in a series of galleries. I want to begin with the aft stairs, which, from level to level, showcased a great deal of nautically-themed, Holland-themed, and/or Dutch artworks.

Aft Stairs Artwork

The aft stairs contained numerous line drawings and pastels with the theme of Dutch Exploration and Shipping. Many of the pieces contained much small writing, which doesn't come through well here. On the lower public decks in the aft stairs the theme turned to still life- like this one, called "Flower Still Life" (Oil on Canvas, Dutch School, 18th Century).

"Some History of Navigation I" by Leentje Linders (The Netherlands, 2005)

Named Artworks

My guess is that not all the artwork displayed aboard the Noordam was original, but we did find out later that in fact much of it is- particularly a few of the paintings and sculpture. In this section, I want to put some of that artwork, and I have copied the title and artist information so you will know what you are looking at. You can click on each of the links below to see these named pieces:

Other Ship Decoration

Aside from the aft stairs and the themed collection of artwork therein, and the few pieces that I decided to record information about, the ship was full of all kinds of decorative elements- art glass, sculptures, drawings, paintings, and numerous other miscellaneous pieces.

Click on the Image Above to View the Slideshow

We took a great many pictures of this artwork during the four weeks we spent aboard the Noordam, and I have collected those photos into this section- rather than space them out randomly across the many days on which the pictures were actually taken.

Of course, with so many pictures, giving you a few score thumbnails to have to click on individually seems to me to be way too much of a burden for you if you want to see these pictures. So I have decided to put all these pictures into a slideshow, so all you will have to do is click to go from picture to picture. The pictures will be randomly arranged, except that the pictures we took of the ceiling of the Vista Dining Room (which was decorated with Chihuly-like art glass) will be grouped together.

To view the slideshow, just click on the image at left and I will open the slideshow in a new window. In the slideshow, you can use the little arrows in the lower corners of each image to move from one to the next, and the index numbers in the upper left of each image will tell you where you are in the show. When you are finished looking at the pictures, just close the popup window.

Now that you're familiar with the ship, let's begin the cruise!

You can use the links below to continue to another album page for the cruise.

	May 19, 2012: Cruising the Mediterranean
	May 18, 2012: The Noordam Sails
	Return to the Index for Our Mediterranean Cruise