Nieuw Amsterdam Vibration

[hmorrow]

We're on the NA now. Th.e first night we ate in Tamarind and sat aft by the window. The vibration was TERRIBLE. We're eating there again, tonight, and hope for a different table.

 

The food was WONDERFUL. Ate lunch there one day not as aft as first night and it was not bad, but come to think of it, we might have been in port that day. ALL the food has been great, as well as the service

Most enjoyable cruise

Helaine

[kjw869]

We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam in January in a aft wraparound cabin on the Navigation Deck (Deck 8), and felt no vibration. We did, however, notice mild vibrations in the Tamarind on both evenings we had dinner.

Edited November 23, 2013 by kjw869

[voyageur9]

#4: HAL Cheerleaders out on deck practicing their routines. :cool:

 

Cower in fear of the Suitehearts' wrath;

pounding aweigh at any who dare,

raise a brow or two o'er matters amiss,

on HAL's beloved buckets of bliss.

Edited November 23, 2013 by voyageur9
punctuation

[OlsSalt]

Cower in fear of the Suitehearts' wrath,

Pounding aweigh at any who dare,

raise a brow or two o'er matters amiss

on HAL's beloved buckets of bliss.

 

Very good! :p

[Chelly]

Although most frequent cruisers have their own preference when it comes to cabin location, we think that basic engineering does dictate some basic rules (which are always subject to some differences depending on the actual ship). Vibration on a ship generally has 4 causes. 1. Cavitation! This is the vibration created by the turbulence of the sea water between the prop and the hull. In most cases this is the worst vibration...and it is only felt in the rear third of a ship. Cavitation can increase or decrease with the speed of the ship and props. A famous marine engineer told us that it is one of the most difficult problems for a marine architect when they design a ship. 2. Engine and Motor vibration. This is simply caused by the large engines/motors and tends to be at a maximum near the center of the ship since that is the location of the main engines. and 3. The Bow thrusters. This is often felt near the bow...but is only an issue when a ship is entering or leaving a port.

 

So, having spent more then 3 years on cruise ships what have we found? In our case we prefer the less popular cabins located in the forward 1/4 of the ship (near the bow). The downside of these cabins is that any movement of the ship is maximized (DW and I actually like to feel a ship move). But the advantage is that there are fewer mechanical systems located near the bow so these cabins are often among the quietest on a ship. There is generally no vibration felt in these cabins except when they are using the bow thrusters....and we find this can be a great alarm clock to wake us as we are docking.

 

Hank

Agree 100% Hank. I prefer forward cabins as well for same reasons.

Added plus is viewing the flying bridge.

Edited November 23, 2013 by Chelly

[Hlitner]

So what do you think about vibrations?

 

DW likes some vibrations :). Ok, this is all true. A few years ago we were on the maiden voyage of the Enchantment of the Seas and we quickly found ourselves in their Schooner Bar which was located along one side of Deck 6. Our couch seat had a very pronounced vibration (probably caused by a mechanical room located nearby) which made our entire group laugh. The vibration was compared to what one would expect from a vibrating bed in some hotels (where you often pay for the treat). As the cruise continued over the next few days DW mentioned that she notice that any woman sitting in that particular area had a smile on her face. So I guess all vibrations on ships are not bad :)

 

As an afterthought, we have not been back on that ship since she was stretched by RCI. We now wonder if that seat still has the same vibration of if the later modifications eliminated the problem (or treat).

Hank

Edited November 24, 2013 by Hlitner

[Oville]

We were also on this cruise.

We chose not to eat in the main dining room which is aft. Did you feel any vibrations there?

We felt them in the Tamarind. Didn't feel that when we sailed on the Nieuw Amsterdam 3 years ago.

We also prefer cabins mid ship.

Sorry you were disappointed in Le Cirque.

 

We too felt vibration Tamarind but not as bad as our cabin.

 

It wasn't we were disappointed as much as we didn't think the food was any better from the Pinnacle Grill, same lamb and filet.

Edited November 24, 2013 by Oville

[Oville]

We made the NA aft cabin mistake - never again!

 

There are vibration problems on the Eurodam too. I hear those are to be fixed in the near term. I had a spa cabin on the NA and there was a fair bit of vibration but it wasn't as bad as you mention.

 

You can only hope Hal will change to smoking policy soon.

 

Thanks, glad I'm not the only one who has felt the vibration.

[Oville]

Although most frequent cruisers have their own preference when it comes to cabin location, we think that basic engineering does dictate some basic rules (which are always subject to some differences depending on the actual ship). Vibration on a ship generally has 4 causes. 1. Cavitation! This is the vibration created by the turbulence of the sea water between the prop and the hull. In most cases this is the worst vibration...and it is only felt in the rear third of a ship. Cavitation can increase or decrease with the speed of the ship and props. A famous marine engineer told us that it is one of the most difficult problems for a marine architect when they design a ship. 2. Engine and Motor vibration. This is simply caused by the large engines/motors and tends to be at a maximum near the center of the ship since that is the location of the main engines. and 3. The Bow thrusters. This is often felt near the bow...but is only an issue when a ship is entering or leaving a port.

 

So, having spent more then 3 years on cruise ships what have we found? In our case we prefer the less popular cabins located in the forward 1/4 of the ship (near the bow). The downside of these cabins is that any movement of the ship is maximized (DW and I actually like to feel a ship move). But the advantage is that there are fewer mechanical systems located near the bow so these cabins are often among the quietest on a ship. There is generally no vibration felt in these cabins except when they are using the bow thrusters....and we find this can be a great alarm clock to wake us as we are docking.

 

Hank

 

Thanks. Our NA cruise was our 79th in 7 years. We've been everywhere on cruiseships and this was far and away the worst vibration we have ever had. Perhaps something as gone wrong with one of the pods, but you could see every none heavy thing in our cabin shake.

[Oville]

We were recently on the NA in #4178 on the stern - in the Med and then 14 days "across the pond".

I never felt any vibrations...so perhaps this is something recent.

Nor in the MDR, Yonnie.

 

We were in 4180.

[Oville]

Please, please please not another drawn out thread about smoking. I'm not a smoker but it really is getting old- yes we know how many feel about it- but over and over and over.....

 

My smoking comment was an aside. I happen to have asthma and if someone was puffing on a stogie next door our veranda would have been useless to us.

 

So to you, "please, please, please" chill. We are all entitled to our curiosity and opinions. I think HAL would benefit from restricting smoking on balconies,

[Oville]

The irony is many of us have experienced vibrations, odd noises, quirky internal systems, smells, failed service, and all of the above but roll with it because we accept this is part of the price of sea travel. Point being, if fixed and stable are urgent travel requirements, it might be too much to ask of sea travel …… on any ship or cruise line.

 

You assumed I'm not a seasoned cruiser but I am. I do know a thing ot two about "vibrations, odd noises, quirky internal systems, smells, failed service....." and I do roll with it. This was something very unusual.

Edited November 24, 2013 by Oville

[Oville]

To all of you, thank you for your comments and suggestions. We have now booked another cruise on the NA near the aft elevators. We noticed a signicant decrease in vibration in that vicinity. My fingers are crossed.

Edited November 24, 2013 by Oville

[gatorbill62]

We just got off the NA today after 2 weeks.

I noticed more vibration on this ship than any of other HAL ships.

Our cabin was on deck 7, midship.

Did not really bother us, but it was noticable

[doublebzz]

We just got off the NA today after 2 weeks.

I noticed more vibration on this ship than any of other HAL ships.

Our cabin was on deck 7, midship.

Did not really bother us, but it was noticable

 

I do believe this vibration thing has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Oville]

I do believe this vibration thing has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

Huh? What does that mean?

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

There are vibration problems on the Eurodam too. I hear those are to be fixed in the near term. I had a spa cabin on the NA and there was a fair bit of vibration but it wasn't as bad as you mention.

 

You can only hope Hal will change to smoking policy soon.

 

I second that......I just got off the Eurodam and there seemed to be a bad vibration in certain parts of the ship. The night we ate in the Tamarind, the dishes almost vibrated themselves off the table and I felt like I was sitting on a chair that was like those old vibrating beds from the motels in the 70's......you know, you put the quarter in the machine and the whole bed shook! Noticed it in many parts of the ship at different times. Really weird.

[OlsSalt]

I do believe this vibration thing has become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

 

Happens. Research shows the psychology of an experience can be as vivid as the actual objective sensory input of the experience. Thresholds are highly individual and one study at UCSF even found ethnic perceptions to be vastly different to the exact same physical stimuli.

[doublebzz]

Huh? What does that mean?

 

See Oldsalt's response above - it explains it clearly.

[OlsSalt]

See Oldsalt's response above - it explains it clearly.

 

Another example to illustrate this from real life was hearing from two different friends who lived close to one of our highly unfortunate wild land fires.

 

The Red Cross set up an evacuation center. One friend said the fire was a couple miles away and we took the family down to the evacuation center and stayed here. The other friend said because the fire was still a couple miles away, they did not worry about it.

 

Both were right.

[Hlitner]

Must disagree as vibration on many ships is quite real. As I tried to explain earlier, it is a real headache for the Marine Architects who design cruise ships because cavitation problems do not always show-up in computer and water tank models. For anyone who cares about "cavitation" it is simply turbulence caused by the motion of the prop through the water...so it can vary depending on the prop speed and speed of the ship. This turbulent water crashes against the ship's hull (between the prop and hull) and causes vibration which can vary from nothing to quite severe. In some cases this cavitation can actually damage a ship's hull....although that is very rare these days due to careful design.

 

The worst cruise ship vibration we even encountered was in the aft end of the MDR on the Carnival Spirit. The noise and vibration were so severe (at certain speeds) that it was nearly impossible to carry-on a conversation in parts of the MDR. We have not been on this ship for several years and would assume that Carnival has fixed or minimized the problem by now.

 

Hank

P.S. Just the facts.....not biased, no bull, no agenda, no cheerleading :)

Edited November 25, 2013 by Hlitner

[Irish Eyes Are Sailing]

Must disagree as vibration on many ships is quite real. As I tried to explain earlier, it is a real headache for the Marine Architects who design cruise ships because cavitation problems do not always show-up in computer and water tank models. For anyone who cares about "cavitation" it is simply turbulence caused by the motion of the prop through the water...so it can vary depending on the prop speed and speed of the ship. This turbulent water crashes against the ship's hull (between the prop and hull) and causes vibration which can vary from nothing to quite severe. In some cases this cavitation can actually damage a ship's hull....although that is very rare these days due to careful design.

 

The worst cruise ship vibration we even encountered was in the aft end of the MDR on the Carnival Spirit. The noise and vibration were so severe (at certain speeds) that it was nearly impossible to carry-on a conversation in parts of the MDR. We have not been on this ship for several years and would assume that Carnival has fixed or minimized the problem by now.

 

Hank

P.S. Just the facts.....not biased, no bull, no agenda, no cheerleading :)

 

 

Yes, it was not "imagined" it was very real. We asked the staff about it and they admitted it was present and bothersome and they offered apologies for it (this was in the Tamarind). It was not all the time, and it was not just in one place. We experienced it in several areas of the ship. Others noticed it as well. We were not alone in this.

[OlsSalt]

…..We have not been on this ship for several years and would assume that Carnival has fixed or minimized the problem by now.

 

Hank

P.S. Just the facts.....not biased, no bull, no agenda, no cheerleading :)

 

What can be done to remedy this, after the ship is built? Thanks. A tutorial about ship building would probably be very interesting and to also learn what passenger comfort conditions have been addressed with more modern technology over time since cruising went mainstream.

[aliaschief]

On our recent Eurodam cruise we were told the Tamarind on the new Pinnacle Class ship will be above the Lido more toward the aft. Maybe something they learned from the Signature Class design.

[cruz chic]

I second that......I just got off the Eurodam and there seemed to be a bad vibration in certain parts of the ship. The night we ate in the Tamarind, the dishes almost vibrated themselves off the table and I felt like I was sitting on a chair that was like those old vibrating beds from the motels in the 70's......you know, you put the quarter in the machine and the whole bed shook! Noticed it in many parts of the ship at different times. Really weird.

Welcome back!