It Will Be North to Alaska for HAL's Noordam

After arriving from Fort Lauderdale, the ship starts a summer Alaska season that ends in October.

After a two-year wait, the Noordam for Holland America returned to service yesterday in Fort Lauderdale. The ship that was built in 2006 will begin two repositioning cruises, with its final destination being Vancouver, Canada. From there, she will start her summer season in Alaska.

The Noordam's first reposition cruise will be a 17-night adventure from s from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego. The ship will make stops in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Mexico on that cruise. The Noordam will also transit the Panama Canal. From San Diego, it will be a quick four-day cruise to Vancouver with a stop in Victoria.

After completing its summer Alaska season in October, the ship will sail a 34-night repositioning cruise to the South Pacific. The itinerary sails to Sydney and features calls in Hawaii, Kiribati, French Polynesia, Cook Islands, Tonga, and Australia – where the ship is scheduled to spend the next winter season.

According to a press release, the Noordam originally entered service in 2006 as the fourth ship in a series of four 82,000-ton cruise ships known as the Vista Class. In 2019, the 1,900-guest vessel received a major refurbishment that included several upgrades to its cabins and public areas. Additions comprise the Billboard Onboard to the Music Walk area, the Microsoft Studio in the Explorations Café, and Fujifilm Wonder Photo Shop.

Suites were also refreshed with new soft goods, furniture, bathrooms, and other areas such as the Pinnacle Grill, the Pinnacle Bar, the Greenhouse Spa and Salon, the Dining Room, and Lido Market received extensive enhancements.

In addition to the Noordam, six cruise ships are currently sailing with guests for Holland America Line.