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Holland America's Westerdam Cruise Ship Emerges from Dry Dock With New Spaces


LauraS
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  • 2 weeks later...

I just saw pictures of the Westerdam atrium post-drydock on Facebook and it seems very different from what it was before - looks like the crystal ship is gone now and it is more modern looking, similar to the Koningsdam's atrium.

Edited by Boytjie
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I just saw pictures of the Westerdam atrium post-drydock on Facebook and it seems very different from what it was before - looks like the crystal ship is gone now and it is more modern looking, similar to the Koningsdam's atrium.

Remove that beautiful crystal? :eek: I wonder why.

 

Could it have been replaced by something that's lighter, in an effort to save fuel? I'm sure it isn't much, but every pound less is a bit of fuel saved, and it does add up.

Or is it an effort to change the focus from a traditional ship to something more contemporary?

 

In any case, I think it's a pity that the crystal ship is gone. I loved it.

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Remove that beautiful crystal? :eek: I wonder why.

 

Could it have been replaced by something that's lighter, in an effort to save fuel? I'm sure it isn't much, but every pound less is a bit of fuel saved, and it does add up.

Or is it an effort to change the focus from a traditional ship to something more contemporary?

 

In any case, I think it's a pity that the crystal ship is gone. I loved it.

Perhaps they are selling it on ebay?

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What do you mean by another library bites the dust? They took away the library? I hope not as they always have the best books of any cruise line! I hope I'm not a Luddite since I still love to read real books!

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What do you mean by another library bites the dust? They took away the library? I hope not as they always have the best books of any cruise line! I hope I'm not a Luddite since I still love to read real books!

 

Afraid so. What "library" remains is devoted to travel info. This is a common complaint reported by ships' staffers. Supposedly HAL is rethinking this, but it wouldn't hurt to notify Orlando Ashford of your displeasure.

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You don't say. I love HAL libraries and, not knowing about what happened, just booked one of those balcony cabins on the Observation deck that the Westerdam added during the recent dry dock next to Explorations cafe and Crow's Nest.

 

We took the Rotterdam over Christmas/New Year. It library had not been replenished, there was no librarian, but the selection was thought-provoking. Although I read usually my Kindle, on cruises I prefer dead wood.

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Nope, I just looked. ;p

 

Are we talking about the crystal object that hangs from the ceiling, like the seahorse on Zuiderdam? Those are nice, why get rid of them? Too difficult to clean?

Just speculation here, but I have two thoughts on the 'why', and they both could have come into play here.

First, crystal is not only beautiful, it's heavy. Replacing the crystal with something more lightweight could make a small difference in fuel usage. By itself, not much, sure. But when added to other reductions in weight (plastic glassware, lighter dishes), over so many ships and the course of time---it's something.

Second, those crystal objects scream 'traditional', and the Powers That Be have headed HAL off in another direction. The crystal is being replaced with something more contemporary, which accents that change.

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we sailed on the Oosterdam after its refurbishment. Appears that the Westerdam has suffered a similar redo. Library is a shape of its former self. No librarian. Ocean bar dance floor removed. Trivia has replaced mush of the music formerly playat cocktails. Now its cocktails! just returned from the Maasdam where the old (and better) HAL traditions linger sans the librarian.

 

HAL is betting the house on Bee Bee King.

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