We booked with Holland America again--there are advantages for loyalty. By the end of this cruise we will have sailed with them for 200 days and become 4-star mariners. When we reach that point we'll have priority check-ins, less wait for tenders when the ship is not docked, and more.  This time we are on the Noordam, which is a larger class than the others we've sailed on with a capacity of 1900 instead of the approximately 1200 to 1400 on the smaller ships. It's 90 feet longer, a few feet wider (It wouldn't make it through the Panama Canal, though.), and 2 stories taller. So we spent the loading day learning the layout. While there are familiar features (the crow's nest, the atrium, the theater at sea, the promenade deck), it has a different feel.  We were told that the ship is sailing at a near capacity load, so there are a lot of people.

The cruise terminal in Ft. Lauderdale is across from a barrier island state park.

So here's a short ship tour:

The atrium is a multi-story open space near midship. The atria in the smaller ships tend to have sculptures that span all the stories and have an open multi-purpose space at the base.  (See the Amsterdam, Statendam & Veendam atria.)

Here there is an art-deco bar at the base of the atrium. The stairs are frosted glass and the globe sculpture with its interesting rings only hangs down from the ceiling a little way.

The front office and the excursion desk are on the level above the bar. Le Cirque, a high-end, specialty restaurant, wraps around the railing on the next level--you can see it at the bottom of the sculpture photo below-right. 

     
They rotate the colors of the lights illuminating the sculpture, so it keeps changing.

 
Whimsical art: An elephant in a china shop and violins on the wall with 2 violin chairs.

The back pool deck on the ninth or Lido deck.

The mid-ship pool on the Lido deck is covered with a retractable, stadium-type roof. They close it at night and when it's raining. 

The library trying hard to look like a club room with its dark wood decor, leather chairs, and Persian-type carpet.

The Vista Theater is the main auditorium and theater. We walked through during rehearsal.

The Culinary Arts Center is also the movie theater.

   
The eclectic collection of artwork includes a wide variety of sculptures.