RevNeal Posted March 27, 2015 #26 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I will be aboard in 18 days for a 31 day voyage from Hong Kong to Vacounver. I will be looking forward to taking photos of everything public ... And what I can catch in staterooms ... And I'll make sure to post links to those photos when I can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilvertoGold Posted March 27, 2015 #27 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I will be aboard in 18 days for a 31 day voyage from Hong Kong to Vacounver. I will be looking forward to taking photos of everything public ... And what I can catch in staterooms ... And I'll make sure to post links to those photos when I can.[/quote YAY!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Himself Posted March 27, 2015 #28 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Found these from a couple different sources. http://www.shipparade.com and the http://www.travelingwiththejones.com blog that is regularly mentioned in these forums. Here's a couple of the pictures that show Mix (totally brand new) and the Explorer's Lounge (almost impossible to recognize but I find of like it) MIX: EXPLORERS LOUNGE: The MIX looked ok but I thought the EXPLORES LOUNGE looked a bit cheap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare erewhon Posted March 27, 2015 #29 Share Posted March 27, 2015 After several cruises on the Volendam we are horrified and disappointed at the downgrading of the Explorers Lounge, which we frequently used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare erewhon Posted March 27, 2015 #30 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I will be aboard in 18 days for a 31 day voyage from Hong Kong to Vacounver. I will be looking forward to taking photos of everything public ... And what I can catch in staterooms ... And I'll make sure to post links to those photos when I can. Will be interested to view your photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare puppycanducruise Posted March 27, 2015 #31 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Thanks for sharing those photos. I don't like the look of the Explorer's Lounge either. But the new shower stalls look good. Will be interested in seeing RevNeal's photos later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammiedawg Posted March 27, 2015 #32 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I wonder if Volendam is for sale, maybe she is worth something as a middle aged cruise ship. They haven't been able to drum up any cash for the elderly sisters. Perhaps the ship sales agent told them to spruce up the bathrooms and get rid of furniture clutter. Then K mart had a warehouse sale the same week Sears was getting rid of the leftover velour from the Kardashian Kollection. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted March 27, 2015 #33 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Then K mart had a warehouse sale the same week Sears was getting rid of the leftover velour from the Kardashian Kollection. The 'new and improved' :rolleyes: Explorer's Lounge does give off that 70s dorm rec room vibe doesn't it? It didn't look good in the 70s and hasn't improved with age. Actually, I was thinking IKEA knock down furniture, but K Mart works. Shows how little I care about the Kardashians. I didn't even know they had a Kollection, but the cheap, tacky look of that striped fabric would fit right in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ski ww Posted March 27, 2015 #34 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Don't like the Explorers lounge seats look very uncomfortable. Love the new bath room. Bar looks nice. Allan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevNeal Posted March 27, 2015 #35 Share Posted March 27, 2015 The 'new and improved' :rolleyes: Explorer's Lounge does give off that 70s dorm rec room vibe doesn't it? It didn't look good in the 70s and hasn't improved with age. What's next? Burnt orange shag carpet in the corridors? :eek::eek::rolleyes:;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InTheWASide Posted March 27, 2015 Author #36 Share Posted March 27, 2015 What's next? Burnt orange shag carpet in the corridors? :eek::eek::rolleyes:;) Not shag but that color has been a fixture on many HAL ships, carpet and otherwise, for many years... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammiedawg Posted March 28, 2015 #37 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Young people now call shag carpet "freize", not sure of the spelling. I didn't like it back in the day and I don't like it now. The Volendam decor is pretty sad. And I thought the Zuiderdam was ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussiedisneyfan Posted March 28, 2015 #38 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I can just imagine the noise of all the chairs moving around whilst Adagio are playing their set. My husband is most disappointed. Bathrooms look nice though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tooalto Posted March 28, 2015 #39 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Along the lines of "what were you thinking?" The Explorer's Lounge is our favorite after dinner place as well. We love the quiet, soft music, and subdued lighting. I can't imagine the noise now as some folks insist on yakking at full volume while Adagio is playing in spite of how rude that is to the musicians as well as those trying to enjoy the music. Now all that talking will be bouncing off the bare floor along with heels clicking and chairs scraping. While I love the traditional, classic look of HAL ships, I can live with some modern touches but this once beautiful room is just ugly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the2ofus Posted March 28, 2015 #40 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Love the look of the new bathrooms but have the same reservations about the lack of hidden cosmetic storage. Might be better for the housekeeping staff and probably just roomy enough for masculine types but not for the average woman, especially on longer cruises. I had the same reaction as the rest of the crowd about the Explorers Lounge. 70s dorm rec room for sure. I like the idea that maybe the area was not complete when photographed on that cruise. Looking forward to what Revneal will show us next month. Zaandam and Volendam are among my favorite HAL ships so I'm hoping they will always keep that classic look I love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevNeal Posted March 29, 2015 #41 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Not shag but that color has been a fixture on many HAL ships, carpet and otherwise, for many years... I know ... it's Dutch, don't you know. :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RevNeal Posted March 29, 2015 #42 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Zaandam and Volendam are among my favorite HAL ships so I'm hoping they will always keep that classic look I love. I love the R-class ships ... 185 of my 421 days on HAL have been aboard these four lovely ships. Pulling from my Cruise History on HAL's website: Zaandam -- 55 days Volendam -- 53 days, with another 31 days to be added this April/May Rotterdam -- 47 days Amsterdam -- 30 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sos1720 Posted March 29, 2015 #43 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Remember the "Background White Noise" from the air conditioning? Well, after the retrofit, the room was silent! A tremendous improvement from past cruises on many different HAL ships. It seems the ceiling diffuser or whatever had been changed and now wonderful silence, just the ocean. Bathroom and shower fantastic also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Folk Singer Posted March 29, 2015 #44 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Interesting. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Folk Singer Posted March 30, 2015 #45 Share Posted March 30, 2015 Thanks for the photo's of the Volendam. Love the looks of those showers. So much safer for passenger then those tubs. Agree very useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lettienets Posted April 2, 2015 #46 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Explorers lounge furniture looks very uncomfortable. Not lounge furniture which is usually soft. Chairs too small, stiff looking. Whether in there reading, listening to a lecture or music... not good seating. Will miss the softening effect of some carpeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Topsham Posted April 2, 2015 #47 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Explorers lounge furniture looks very uncomfortable. Not lounge furniture which is usually soft. Chairs too small, stiff looking. Whether in there reading, listening to a lecture or music... not good seating. Will miss the softening effect of some carpeting. I think the idea is that the Explorers Lounge will now become more of a coffee house. You can coffee at any time without having to change the carpets to wood floor and changing the comfortable seats to upright 'airport' style chairs. Do you remember the Java Bar... the coffee bar. On the maiden voyage of the Statendam, myself and Ted Arison were the only two ever using it. Dropped and then something else. Never seemed to work... even as Wine Bar. A bit like the Champagne Bar in Mix.... Hardly ever used for that purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susie51 Posted April 2, 2015 #48 Share Posted April 2, 2015 The showers are great! I liked the look of the Explorers Lounge so much better before the changes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brucory Posted April 29, 2015 #49 Share Posted April 29, 2015 (edited) Looks great!!! Love the showers in the new bathrooms - hope they do that for all the HAL ships!!! :):):) Edited April 29, 2015 by brucory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Himself Posted April 29, 2015 #50 Share Posted April 29, 2015 The Bathrooms look fine but the Explorers Lounge--that is for the birds.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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