Noordam in Moorea
Holland America Noordam has all the basic types of cruise ship cabins. These include inside cabins, ocean view cabins, balcony cabins, and suites. Of course there are some variations within each category. Often when booking those variations are only location within the ship, with cabins that are higher up and closer to the center generally deemed more desirable and therefore likely to have a higher price. Other variations include how many people a particular cabin holds which usually ranges from 2 to 4. Some cabins also have connecting doors between them, which is a plus if you book both cabins on either side of the connecting door, but less desirable if you have just booked one of those cabins as you are more likely to hear your neighbors through the connecting door than through a wall. The door will remain locked from both sides when the cabins are not booked together by the same party. The other major difference within any given category is accessible rooms, which are generally larger than other rooms of that category and have features like roll-in showers, some things that are usually high up lowered so they can be reached from a wheelchair, and wider doors than standard cabins so a wheelchair can fit through.
standard bathroom in Noordam ocean view and balcony cabins
One thing I did not like about the Noordam is that it is an old enough ship that it has central air that flows through multiple cabins and can’t be turned off. You can adjust it to more or less air to adjust the temperature in your cabin somewhat, but can’t change it from AC to heat and not being able to shut it off means it is noisy enough at night to keep you awake if you’re a light sleeper. Or maybe that’s just me. Most people are not bothered by it. That’s a standard thing on older ships. Newer ones are more likely to have individual heat controls in the cabin that you can change to hot or cold or turn them off.
large interior cabin
Inside cabins are the least expensive so they are good for budget cruisers, people who spend very little time in their cabin, and people who like darkness for sleeping when it is light outside. Some of these cabins are oriented with the short side to the hallway like most other cabins, but some are set long way toward the hall. Others are more squarely shaped depending on their location within the ship. With any cabin it will usually be quieter if you are away from elevators and on a deck that has other decks with just cabins and no public areas both above and below your cabin deck. Cabins of all varieties have closets and some other storage space as well as some sort of table and somewhere to sit besides the beds. Interior cabins range from 151-233 square feet. Larger ones are billed as large interior cabins, though the biggest of all in any category tend to be the accessible cabins.
ocean view cabin
Ocean view cabins come in both obstructed or not, with obstructed cabins being the least desirable and therefore less expensive. Some of those are fully obstructed by a tender boat, but others that are marked as obstructed will have a partial view so it’s a good idea to check where the cabin is located on the deck plan before booking because moving just one cabin over can mean the difference between looking directly into a tender or having a partial view between tenders. Cabins behind lifeboats rather than tenders may have some view above the lifeboat. Of course cabins with an unobstructed view are preferable. Cabins on the lowest deck are generally considered the least desirable by the cruise line and therefore less expensive than equal cabins on a higher deck, but if you like a close to the water view, convenience to the gangway at ports, or to head the opposite way of the crowd after shows or meals those rooms are actually a plus. They’re also beneficial if you don’t like the motion of the ocean because lower down as well as closer to the center will reduce the motion that you feel from the waves. Toward the back of the ship there may be engine noise so those aren’t the best for light sleepers. Toward the front you have the best chance of seeing flying fish, but you will definitely hear when they drop anchor, and when sailing in stormy seas it can sometimes sound as if the ship is running over logs in those cabins. On this ship everything other than inside cabins has a bathtub while the inside cabins just have a shower. This is not including accessible cabins which are more likely to have a roll-in shower than a tub. Ocean view cabins are about 174-180 square feet.
balcony cabin
Balcony cabins are a bit larger than ocean view and have the added bonus of a small private outdoor space. There’s a coulple chairs with footstools and a small table on the balcony. The size is pretty average for cruise ship balcony cabins, and it had lots of closet storage, but not much in the way of drawers. Or at least not drawers available for your stuff. Our cabin had a large drawer at the foot of each bed, but they were full of spare bedding and things for the steward. There’s a small refrigerator under the desk that came loaded with mini-bar items for sale, but the steward will clear that out upon request so you can use it for whatever you want. They will also fill the ice bucket in the room when they clean if you ask for that service. The walls are nicely magnetic and will hold clothes or other items on a magnetic hook. The tub not so much. Showers are often more magnetic than the cabin walls, but this one couldn’t hold a clothesline full of wet clothing on magnetic hooks. Good thing it had enough structure on both sides to tie the clothesline to instead. There is the one built-in clothesline you can pull across which may be sufficient if all you have to dry is a couple bathing suits, but more is needed for doing laundry in the cabin when on a long cruise as this ship has no self-serve passenger laundries. (You can send laundry out for the crew to wash, but that’s expensive.) Balcony cabins run about 213-359 square feet including the verandah.
signature suite
There are several types of suites on the Noordam. Their basic suite is the signature suite, which is roomier than a balcony cabin. Suites also come with perks not included in standard staterooms. Besides more space than a balcony cabin, with a signature suite you get a whirlpool bath instead of a regular bathtub, binoculars in the room, and a bigger balcony. These run about 372-384 square feet.
Neptune Suite
Their more premium suites are called Neptune suites. Besides being larger, they come with more perks. In addition to the extras in the signature suite, these have many more things including priority embarkation, free laundry service, in-room coffee machine, a better room service breakfast menu, breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, premium amenities, priority tender, and a few other things. They also have use of the Neptune Lounge where suite guests can go for convenient breakfast or snacks. Including the balcony these are over over 500 square feet. You can tell where the suites are when you walk past them down the hall because the doors are wider than the ones on standard staterooms.
Pinnacle Suite
The biggest suites are the pinnacle suites, of which there are only two. They are huge with expansive balconies that include a private whirlpool. Like the Neptune suites, these also have use of the Neptune lounge and amenities not offered with lesser rooms. These rooms are 1290 square feet including the verandah.
roll-in accessible shower with fold-down seat
The ship also has some accessible staterooms. As previously mentioned, these are generally the largest rooms of their category and have extra-wide doors like the suites do. Fully accessible rooms include an extra-large bathroom with a roll-in shower.
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