zesti1

Thanks for the update Zesti1. With the new updates to the "Muscic Walk" area, when they did away with the sports bar did they replace it with a new sports bar or any thing with multiple TV sets for sports fanatics like me?

The Neptune suites are nice so I wonder how the new balcony rooms that were added to deck 10 during dry dock stack up to other balcony cabins? Did anyone stay in those deck 10 cabins that you might have met?

Noooooo and my husband was a little bummed about the no sports bar with multiple tvs.

I didn't notice anyone staying up on that floor, nor did I hear of anyone. When I first went up there there was no staircase hand rail, no carpet on the stairs and the strong smell of stain was in the air. I don't think I was supposed to venture up there but it wasn't blocked off either. Door at the top of the stairs was locked.

I went back to the same area the second to the last day and everything in the stairwell was completed. Hand rail and carpet were there and no smell of paint or stain in the air. Door was still locked at the top. Peeked through the window and I could see the cabanas but same as before it seemed very quiet up there.

Possibly they were still working in that area when we arrived? Maybe the first rentals will come on the group that boarded after we departed.

zesti1 - thanks very much for the info and posting the pics. We are in the same cabin, only port side, on an upcoming Med cruise, so we are very interested to learn more. Do you happen to have any pics of the bathroom? If not, do you remember if it was all "brand new"? I had read that they were completely redoing all the bathrooms but someone posted a pic of a Signature Suite bathroom and it was still the old tub and shower in the picture. Don't know if the Signature Suites were not redone and it was only the Neptune Suites, so wondering about the bathroom...

 

Thanks so much,

 

Canuck

I don't have a picture of the bathroom. I don't know what it looked like before but I know the room steward was very excited to show us the new tile in the bathroom and the new night light feature in the bathroom. The walls had a herringbone tile pattern in the softer muted colors of the new decor. Floor tile was new as well.

On the Zaandam we had a Neptune Suite mid ship with a regular bath tub & shower combo in a beige plastic color. The Oosterdam had a separate shower stall on the right when you walk in the bathroom. Further down on right, separated by a glass wall yet still in line with the shower stall was a jacuzzi tub & shower combo which I used quite a bit and really enjoyed. Tub was the same beige plastic color as the Zaandam. Straight ahead was the toilet and running the wall length on the left was the dual sinks and mirrors.

Hope this helps!

I also share your interest in regards to these deck ten rooms as we will be sailing in October on this deck. Would also love to hear about and see photos of the new "Music Walk" area. Have they upgraded the TV's to larger flat screens? It's been a while since our last HAL cruise and back then they were still the old CRT TV's!

We just finished a cruise on the Oosterdam. We were in 4185 which is a wrap around balcony Neptune Suite. I don't know what the decor looked like prior to the dry dock the only other HAL ship we've been on was the Zaandam. Our room was beautiful.

My husband loved the big flat screen tv. I'm not sure how to attach a pic here but I'll try! They have free movies, tv series (like year 1 of Vikings) news stations, shore excursion info and ESPN channels all available with a touch of your remote. The only draw back to the tv (which is temporary) is the non emergency cruise announcements are not broadcast through that one tv station yet. Depending on your hearing level you have to open your room door for cruise director announcements. It will be corrected soon they said.

I walked up to the level above the Crows Nest peeked through the window, the cabanas are out there and look ready. A sign on the locked door said to contact guest services for rental information.

The Billboard bar which is new after the dry dock is really cool with the two piano players. They play fixed sets so you can't make requests but they are so good no one seemed to mind. They have music theme drinks, we tried a couple and they were very good.

Hope this helps!

Also, will they be allowed in the Neptune Lounge with us?

Thanks!

Kippie

We were on the Zaandam in November and in a Neptune suite. The Neptune lounge on our ship was not that big, it gets very crowded at peak times with people crowding the concierge and it didn't seem that there was a formal process keeping track of who, what, where etc.

We didn't like the crowded atmosphere so we would bring our ice bucket tray down to get coffee, breakfast items and bring them back to the room to eat on our balcony. Same with lunch and evening snacks. It seemed other passengers did the same we noticed.

Have a great trip!