RANDOM THOUGHTS

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We are approaching Port Lauderdale and it's still dark. Waiting for my coffee and juice. At 7:30 I disembark and head to the airport and home.

We have had wonderful weather. Except for the shower on Curacao it has been warm and sunny. It has been lovely to go on deck after supper and look at the stars or sit in a lounge chair in the shade and watch the passing scene. As we approached the east coast of Cuba the traffic increased. We passed close to another HAL ship, either the Neiuw Amsterdam or the Eurodam heading south. Off in the distance were other cruise ships, tankers, navy vessels and fishing boats.

The Noordam is a great ship. Of the large HAL ships they really got this one right. The library is wonderful as are all the public rooms. Most have ocean views. the decor is elegant and understated. The dining room ceiling looks like Dale Gohouly (sp) flowers. The staff works well together and the communication between departments works well. The internet connections were surprisingly fast and I find myself with almost an hour of unused time. I only have one complaint. When Vivian and the Hal Cats perform on deck 9 aft, I can hear them in my cabin on deck one. Not pleasant or necessary to have the sound blasting like that. While I would love to sit by the pool and enjoy some music it's just not possible with the sound system cranked up so loud.

As always the Indonesian and Philippine crew are wonderful. They always have a welcoming smile that reaches to their eyes. It's one of the main reasons I continue to sail on HAL. Enjoyed a chat with the Captain and had a brief visit with Liz who was the guest services manager on the Volendam.

The food is wonderful and varied. All my favorites made an appearance; rack of lamb, Burramundi, Alaskan King Crab, lobster, beef Wellington, escargot, pate, the wonderful chilled soups and on and on.

The passengers were mainly from the US and Canada with some Dutch, Germain and Italian. The age skewed to the older folks but more younger couples and singles sailed then on longer itineraries. There were a very few wonderfully well behaved children who were a pleasure to have around.

The selection of ports worked well for me and I enjoyed seeing my fish friends. On shore the people were friendly and helpful and I always felt safe.

Along the way we found ourselves docked with other cruise ships. The strangest looking was the Caribbean Princess. It is huge and very boxy. It must have every amenity imaginable on board. In Aruba we shared dock space with the Emerald Princess and a Fred Olson ship. This made for a busy port but still not too crowded. I dread the time we'll be in port with the Oasis of the Seas.

And now it's time to finish packing and shower. For anyone who wants a winter getaway I can highly recommend the Noordam and the south Caribbean itinerary.

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