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MS Noordam

MS Noordam
The MS Noordam was launched in 2006 and is a Vista class cruise ship operated by Holland America Line. She was officially christened on February 2006 by actress Marlee Matlin. This class of ships has four ships, the MS Zuiderdam, MS Oosterdam, MS Westerdam, and the MS Noordam. Each ship has been named to represent the points of the compass in Dutch. Noord for north, Zuid for south, Oost for east and West for West. All four ships were originally planned to be built identical, however, with the introduction of the new on board improvements across the entire fleet, the MS Noordam, was actually built after this planned upgrade and was therefore changed before she was built, which gave slightly more flexibility and therefor changed the layout and weight slightly, overall she is almost identical. There is also an additonal sister ship, P&O Cruises' MS Arcadia, this was a ship originally ordered by Holland America Lines but sold to P&O Cruises.

The MS Noordam is lavishly decorated with a fantastic array of paintings and other fine works of art, in a collection that is valued in millions. Holland and America Lines is proud of their collections, placed on board each ship and have produced a on board Ipod self tour, to allow passengers to really explore and appreciate the collection. Each of the vista class ships have, as part of their collection, a painting of Queen Beatrix by pop culture artist and icon, Andy Warhol. This collection is one of the few Andy warhol complete collections. The rest of the collection ranges from museum quality paintings such as an oil painting of the city of Utrecht painted in 1842, as well as contemporary art like the series of photographs of music greats Dizzy Gillespie and BB King. One of the most valuable pieces of furniture onboard the ship is a remarkable inlaid chest flanked by carved wooden 17th-century Baroque columns. Made in Germany in 1885, the chest is inlaid with ebony and precious stones. We think you will enjoy every piece as you move around the decks.

A well known feature of all Holland America Lines ships is the atrium containing a spectacular central feature. The MS Noordam is no different, with a huge Waterford crystal gyroscope hanging from the ceiling of the atrium. The gyroscope gently changes colour as you watch.

The Holland and America Lines ships always have an amazing atrium, with Dining on board the MS Noordam is based around a number of restaurants which passengers can alternate their dining experiences at no extra cost with the exception of the premium dining room. Passengers are treated to a main dining room with outstanding decorations, with finely crafted five course meals accompanied by fine wines, ensure all passengers remember this part of their cruise. The alternatives to the main dining room include the traditional self serve buffet with plenty of choices, the new easy dining option and a premium speciality restaurant for those special moments.

The ship also has plenty of activities and public rooms, there is also plenty of late night fun and entertainment with a casino, the crows nest lounge and nite club and the Northern Lights Disco. The MS Noordam also has a more unusual treat for passengers, it has education programmes. These programmes are based in either the Culinary Arts Centre, with presentations by Food & Wine magazine with gourmet cooking demonstrations and interactive classes or in the Wine Tasting Room. Here the ship's expert sommelier, will help you navigate your way through a wine list. With additional knowledge and advice this is great for beginners or to enhance your knowledge of vintages and labels further. If wine or cooking is not for you, there is also the Windows Digital workshop. This is a free program designed to teach passengers to make more use of their computers and cameras, with small workshops with some basic and some more advanced subjects. Learn to share all your memories on blogs, social media. There is something for everyone and its free which is bound to keep everyone happy.

Whatever your preference, you are bound to enjoy your stay on the MS Noordam.

Ship Stats

Launched: 2006
Start of service: 2006
Decks: 11
Lifts: 14
Length: 285.3 m
Beam (width): 32.2 m
Tonnage:82,318 GRT
Speed: 24 knots
Capacity: 1,924 passengers
Crew and staff: 800
Registry: Netherlands

Ship Features

4 restaurants
5 bars
air-conditioned throughout
2 swimming pools and whirlpools
Library and card room
Internet access
beauty salon & Spa
stabilised worldwide satellite telephone, telex and fax
Children's club
Casino

Ship particulars

Food
The MS Noordam has several restaurants. The main restaurant is called the Vista Dining Room, and has two evening sitting dining times. The restaurant serves five course meals on fine china and crisp white linens which will please any passenger. The chefs and galley staff work constantly to ensure each meal is cooked to perfection and the menu's providean excellent choice of continental cuisine,including vegetarian and low carb options . The restaurant has two grand staircases and floor to ceiling windows on three sides which allow plenty of light to enter and provide amazing views .

For those not wishing to be waited on, there is always the Lido restaurant, offering a relaxed ambiance for all three meals and features a variety of fresh, cooked to order specialties. The Lido has plenty of serving stations for those who prefer to graze over small amounts of many varieties rather than having a main meal. The Pinnacle Grill is smaller and at an additional cost, but is very exclusive. Your meals are served on distinctive Bvlgari china, Riedel stemware and Frette linens giving you that elegant touch. Reservations only, the restaurant, offers a chance to have that special, candlelight evening. The menu features specialist dishes to tempt you and the deserts are out to get you. This restaurant can get booked up, so if you are planning a visit, its well worth booking well in advance when you board. There is a charge for using the Pinnacle Grill, but for that special occaison or just for a indulgent treat, you are sure to enjoy the delights of this special restaurant.

Excercise

The MS Noordam has a greenhouse Spa and Salon. Relax and pass the time of day enjoying the facilities here. There are plenty of treatment rooms available which include a Hydrotherapy pool, steam room aromatic rooms. Here passengers can relax and unwind with a variety of beauty and wellness rituals. There are plenty of treatments available, such as facials, hot stone massages, hair styling, nail manicures and to top it off, steam treatment in a thermal suite. The beauty salon does get very busy during days at sea and during the day of a formal night so it is often advisable to book in advance as soon as you board.

The MS Westerdam also has a top class gym. there are plenty of fitness machines. There are also free weights and cardio equipment all carefully supervised by gym staff, who can also advise on any training you may wish to undertake and can assist. For passengers wishing to exercise with new friends, there are the sports courts, where an impromtu game of football or basketball can be quickly arranged, or for an informal pace of exercise, theres always a chance of a pleasant stroll around one of the public decks.

Formal nights

On the MS Noordam, there are approximately two formal nights a week. passengers receive a daily program to their cabin with instructions for daily dress codes. Holland America insist passengers dress for comfort on the whole however, T shirts, jeans, swimsuits, tank tops and shorts are not allowed in the dining room, Lido restaurant, or public areas during the evening, even when dress code is casual, as evening wear is considered smart casual. Formal evenings, business suits or tuxedos for the men and evening gowns for the ladies is suggested, this is not compulsory, smart jackets and trouser suits are perfectly accceptable. The majority of passengers do appear to like and join in on the formal evenings. Ladies can even pre ordered an outfit for use during the cruise.

Holland America also requests that passengers following the dress code for the entire evening.

Smoking

On board the MS Noordam, all indoor areas are designated non-smoking with the exception of the Casino, Seaview Bar, Sports bar and Northern Lights Disco.

All showrooms are nonsmoking during performances and there are selected areas of the outside decks where smoking is allowable. Cigar and pipe smoking is only permitted on the outside decks.

The ship does not currently have "nonsmoking" staterooms; however, all rooms are thoroughly cleaned after each cruise to assure the comfort of passengers. This is due to change after January 2012, when all staterooms will be non-smoking areas, in addition to the other areas that were already defined as non-smoking. Smoking will continue to be permitted outside on stateroom verandahs