Noordam Emerges from Drydock with Music Walk’s Billboard Onboard and Upgrades Throughout
When Noordam re-entered service last month following a scheduled 14-day dry dock, the ship had received a refresh and several upgrades as part of a $300 million brand enhancement initiative.
The most notable new additions are Billboard Onboard to the Music Walk area and Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop where guests can create mementos from their photos, along with upgrades to Pinnacle Grill, Explorations Café, Greenhouse Spa, Dining Room and the suites.
Music Walk Expands with Billboard Onboard
Noordam guests have more live music options than ever before with the addition of Billboard Onboard, which joins the wildly popular B.B. King’s Blues Club and Lincoln Center Stage in the Music Walk area. Billboard Onboard — in partnership with Billboard, the leading global destination for charts, news, trends and innovation in music — features the talents of two pianists playing 50 years of chart-topping hits.
Suite Accommodations Just Got Sweeter
Noordam suites received the upgrades that are rolling out on the line’s Signature-, Vista- and R-class ships. The main living area in each suite was refreshed with new furniture, carpet, wall coverings and soft goods. Electronic upgrades included a new USB outlet added to the bed’s headboard, bedside LED reading lights, upgraded electrical outlets and a lighted closet rod. Suite bathrooms received designer glass tile and a refreshed vanity area. All staterooms received new verandah furniture and new sofa beds were installed in staterooms with that sleep option.
New Interactive TV with On-Demand Movies
A new interactive television system was installed in all staterooms, featuring large LED flat-screen TVs with complimentary movies on demand as well as easy access to the daily program and shipboard information including restaurant overviews, spa services and account status.
Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop
Guests can now create unique photo mementos and gifts at the new Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop. Using photos taken by guests or the shipboard photographer, the new Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop makes it easy to design mounted 3-D photos, keepsake boxes, metal panel prints and more.
Upgrades to dining venues, bars, lounges and other public areas:
• Pinnacle Grill and the Pinnacle Bar have a fresh look with new furniture, carpet and design details.
Pinnacle Grill.
Pinnacle Grill.
• Sports Court was converted to a Pickleball Court where guests can join a fun and fast-paced racquet sport on the open-air count.
• The Dining Room received new furniture, carpet and soft goods; new chairs and tabletops were installed in Lido Market; and the Neptune Lounge has new furniture, carpet and a bar.
Noordam’s main Dining Room.
Lido Market.
Noordam’s Neptune Lounge, pre-COVID.
• Explorations Café was upgraded with new carpet and furniture and Microsoft Studios was added to the venue?.
• Gamers can look forward to playing new slot machines and tables at the Casino.
• Guests looking for a bit of pampering can indulge in upgraded treatment rooms and an enhanced hydropool at the Greenhouse Spa, while fitness enthusiasts will appreciate upgraded gym equipment and floors.
Noordam is scheduled for another dry dock in Nov. 2022 to further enhance the ship with the addition of Gallery Bar, a venue with an eclectic and whimsical mix of artwork including portraits, landscapes, still-life paintings and abstract pieces; High Score!, a new family game room with a video arcade, Skee-Ball, four-player air hockey, foosball table, board games, tilting labyrinth and more; and Explorations Central in the Crow’s Nest, a comprehensive resource and engagement center.
Holland America –
What a wonderful Christmas surprise.
This is our 3rd Christmas NYE cruise in a row.
Looking forward to enjoying her very soon
Kindest regards
Anna
Wow! The Noordam upgrade looks amazing. We have had several trips on the Noordam always enjoying it but this will make our next trip in just two weeks extra special. So looking forward to it.
Will the Noordam be coming to Tampa Port anytime?
We just finished our 2019 South Pacific cruise. Vancouver to Sydney. The look of the Noordam was fantastic. Enjoyed everything on board.
We will be on that ship next June, can’t wait!
Looking forward to again being on the Noordam, our favourite ship, and first Christmas/New Year cruise.
Looking forward to our 2nd Noordam Cruise in January and enjoying the upgrades.
We will be on Noordam next summer. It looks stunning! Can’t wait to experience the fresh new look!
Taking a trip to Alaska on the Noordam the first week of August. Will the High Score room be complete by then?
Hi everyone.
I’m on the Noordam at this moment.
Ask me anything ?
Cheers
C s
Took our 1st cruise (Alaska) with HAL in May 2002 aboard the Statendam. Cruised Circle Hawaii in 2014 and Panama Canal in 2016 aboard the Veendam. Excellent cruises. Cruised the Australia transpacific in 2018 aboard the Noordam and in April of 2020 will be on board the Noordam once again for the 39 day Au/Nz 39 day transpacific in one of the upgraded Signature suites on deck 8. Can’t wait to see and enjoy the upgrades from just 2 years ago!
On Noordam in January 2021. Looking forward to enjoying the changes/upgrades above. Anything being done to Oceanview cabins in this dry dock or the end of 2020 dry dock? I ask because Cruise Critic reviews suggested the ship was “old & tired”.
Not sure if it’s a form of censorship, but my earlier blog comment/query about the Ms Noordam & MS Zaandam were “moderated”, then disappeared. So, I’ll try again. Per article above it appears that the MS Noordam recently underwent a 2-week drydock. Common areas & suites got upgrades/refurbished. No mention of “lesser” cabins. I asked if they had or if the 2020 drydock would do so. A Cruise Critic review states the reviewer’s cabin had the new TV, but cabin “tired”, though they had heard the suites had been refurbished. When do you plan to do the rest of the cabins? I ask because we’re on the MS Noordam inJanuary 2021.
So excited about the renovations! You told us about the Suite’s makeover and it sounded wonderful. But, what about the Verandah staterooms…were they upgraded also?
Julie, we will be on Noordam to Alaska in May 2020. There are about three different colors showing up on Veranda VA photos online. Do you know if the drapes and spreads will be similar to what is shown on the HAL website or are the older “orange/red” color? Just idle curiosity…will give me some idea of what to expect…
Hi. Is there a bar in the Noordam Neptune Lounge. Have a Neptune suite booked for September 2020.
The article said the Noordam Neptune Lounge has a bar? I hadn’t read that before in any of the info.
We were just on Noordam the last half of January and the Neptune Lounge did have an “honor bar.” I saw bottles of liquor, but as a non-drinker, did not look at it closely.
Looking forward to Australia & New Zealand in March 2020. This will be our third time on MS Noordam and once on Nieuw Amsterdam.
Have there been updates made on the Noordam with rooms with Verandas?
Can’t wait to sail in a suite at the end of June for our Alaska trip. We got a great deal making a suite a better value than the standard midship balconies. Can’t wait to be spoiled!
Hello? Hello? Anybody listening? I posted a reply asking for an updated status of the Noordam’s 2020 renovation; neither it nor a response are posted. I asked because Cruise Critic comments suggested the cabins were “old and tired”; it appeared all/most of the 2019 renovation focused on suites/common areas; and 2020 was/is going to address the rest of the cabins. I ask because we have a verandah on Noordam in January. Perhaps Julia has been laid off or furloughed.
Coronavirus has had a lot of impact on you folks at HAL; and those of us who want to sail with HAL. I know before the pandemic and the pauses the Noordam was due for further renovations/refurbishment late 2020. Has this been canceled/postponed? I ask because we’re booked on her for a 30 January sailing (unless it’s canceled).
Assume MS Noordam’s late 2020 renovations/refurbishment was canceled. Has it been rescheduled? If not known yet, then when will the updated renovation/refurbishment schedule be posted?
See ship had some upgrades/updates in October 2019. Suites got the most upgrades; non-suites got some upgrades with more planned during 2020 dry dock. Pretty sure that didn’t happen. In December I asked when that dry dock had been moved to and what as planned for the public areas and Verandah cabins – no response, yet. I ask because we’re on her next March. Thanks
HAL Guest Relations sent me an email. MS Noordam has had her dry dock rescheduled to 4-18 December 2021.
Here’s hoping to cruise depart Auckland, NZ 3/25/2023 return Vancouver, BC 5/2/2023! Two cruises cancelled 3/2020 and 3/2021. I now notice that Verandah, Signature Suite and Neptune & Pinnacle Suites are unavailable for the 39 day cruise! Glad to have booked this far out!
Are there any photos of the refurbished Neptune Lounge? I loved the atmosphere of it before so I’m hoping it didn’t change too drastically. Thank you!
Thank you so much Julie! All other photos I’ve seen are pre-refurbishment, so I really appreciate it. This might be unrelated to the original topic of this post, but it would be great if HAL had a place to see photos of the Neptune Lounge from each ship, since I know they all have their differences in atmosphere, decor, etc. Having said that, there are probably only a select number of people who even care about that. Thanks again!
I see on HAL website that the Noordam is the Fall 2022/Spring 2023 Australia ship. Any idea when the Fall 2023 Australia cruises will post for booking & if the Noordam will continue sailing those routes?
I will be on the Noordam in October 2022 when was the last time the Noordam has been updated .
Looking forward to the Xmas/New Year cruise to New Zealand 2022
We are scheduled to sail from Auckland to Vancouver, 3/2023. Will I have to wear a mask onboard for the entire cruise? Should masks be optional, at what point before embarkation could they be made mandatory? I do not wish to cruise if masks are mandatory. Thank you.
Julie, we are booked on the Noordam for the 39-day Auckland to Vancouver cruise 3/2023. We initially purchased the Famous Oahu Sites and Bites excursion on April 22nd. This excursion was cancelled on 9/12/2022. I noticed that this excursion, as of 9/16/2022 is still available on the website. Why would the excursion be cancelled and still be available for purchase? Thank you.
Hello Julie, my wife was able to rebook. Maybe there was a change in the activities that were scheduled as well as a different restaurant. Thank you.
Julie, I read this headline today: Third Australian cruise in weeks turns into ‘nightmare’ after fungus outbreak prevents entry into New Zealand. My spouse and I are scheduled for the March 25th departure from Auckland on the Noordam. What has Holland America done to assure me this cruise will depart successfully Auckland? Thank you.
Hi Stephen, we are diligently following health protocols, stringent cleaning and working with local authorities to ensure our cruises operate safely.