Quiet(-ish) area in Nieuw Amsterdam MDR?

[nanlaur]

We are about to book our second HAL cruise (woo-hoo!), and I'm going into super-anticipation-planner mode. We will likely request late, fixed dining. Does anyone know if the second level MDR on the Nieuw Amsterdam is quieter at the edges near the windows or in the middle near the open stairway? We both wear hearing aids and would like to find a table where we are getting less background noise.

[POA1]

I think the edges would be quieter. Less noise filtering up from below. Of course your neighbors will be the wild card. As long as they're not too loud, you will be fine.

[nanlaur]

I think the edges would be quieter. Less noise filtering up from below. Of course your neighbors will be the wild card. As long as they're not too loud, you will be fine.

 

Definitely have had some noisy dining neighbors at times! I was wondering how much sound bounced off the walls and windows. Though I imagine the drapes would absorb some of that at night.

[POA1]

Definitely have had some noisy dining neighbors at times! I was wondering how much sound bounced off the walls and windows. Though I imagine the drapes would absorb some of that at night.

 

Drapes are generally drawn for dinner, especially second seating.

[kelleherdl]

We generally have a 6-top for late-fixed on the aft windows. It is quieter there. Most evenings the drapes were NOT drawn, so you will have the evening deck walkers, particularly with calm seas. Another quiet area on the NA are the tables in the staircase area. We had a very nice set of dinners on the Eurodam at one of these tables.

 

Dennis

[POA1]

Drapes are generally drawn for dinner, especially second seating.

 

Clarification: Since draw can mean either open or close with respect to curtains, I should have just said "open."

[catl331]

Do not sit near the large round tables. Gets noisy after they all get seated

[nanlaur]

We generally have a 6-top for late-fixed on the aft windows. It is quieter there. Most evenings the drapes were NOT drawn, so you will have the evening deck walkers, particularly with calm seas. Another quiet area on the NA are the tables in the staircase area. We had a very nice set of dinners on the Eurodam at one of these tables.

 

Dennis

 

Thanks, Dennis, that's very helpful. We were thinking of the aft 6-tops and I'm glad to hear it's quieter back there. We can wave at the walkers if we get bored :)

[nanlaur]

Do not sit near the large round tables. Gets noisy after they all get seated

 

We've noticed that, too, Carol. I think it's because people have to raise their voices to be heard across the table. Though we've been near some family groups that got pretty rowdy at the big tables, too.

[POA1]

Here is the dining room layout courtesy of HALFacts.com. You might want to see if you can put a table request on your reservation notes. I'm not sure if it will work, but it doesn't hurt to try.

 

http://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/NADM.pdf

[nanlaur]

Here is the dining room layout courtesy of HALFacts.com. You might want to see if you can put a table request on your reservation notes. I'm not sure if it will work, but it doesn't hurt to try.

 

http://halfacts.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/NADM.pdf

 

Exactly what we had in mind! This will be the first time using a PCC at HAL. We'll see how great the service really is ;)

[POA1]

Exactly what we had in mind! This will be the first time using a PCC at HAL. We'll see how great the service really is ;)

 

Let us know how it works out.

[kelleherdl]

If you are booked in a Neptune suite you will get your choice.

Dennis

 

Sent from my VS950 4G using Tapatalk

[nanlaur]

If you are booked in a Neptune suite you will get your choice.

Dennis

 

Sent from my VS950 4G using Tapatalk

 

We aren't. But it doesn't cost anything to try ;)

[POA1]

We aren't. But it doesn't cost anything to try ;)

 

We've been in NS/PS and were never given a choice of where to sit. We always eat late fixed. That said, we're never had a problem with our table.

 

Print out the dining room map from the link in my earlier post and highlight or circle all the tables you think would work for you. The biggest challenge for you is that a lot of the deuces are near the center of the room by the balcony that overlooks the first floor.

[nanlaur]

Well, late dining is waitlisted, so we couldn't pick a table. We are only number 7 on the list, so we should clear by February, though. Our PCC did take our preferences. But...who really cares...WE ARE BOOKED!

[kazu]

For the OP - we were on the Nieuw Amsterdam and had a table that I thought should have been a good one - it was aft - next to the windows not quite centre but a bit towards the left.

 

We heard every word one people at a table were saying due to the acoustics in the MDR so I don't think the aft portion is a solution.

 

They weren't loud - they were probably 3 tables away, but somehow we heard everything. It was disconcerting to say the least.

 

We were on about 6 months after she launched so with luck that issue has been resolved - but I did want to share in case.

[nanlaur]

Thanks, Jacqui. That's good to keep in mind. It's kind of a weird acoustical design for a dining room.

 

We aren't going to stress about location. It's pretty minor in the whole scope of things, but if we can't hear, we can always change on the second leg of the B2B I imagine. Unfortunately, on our last cruise the people we were eating with made us "that" noisy table. Blegh.