Königsdam brochure in the new Mariner magazine

[ski ww]

So this is the first big picture of the ship I've been able to study. Perhaps this has been discussed before, but the position of the lifeboats appears to block the view from virtually all the promenade deck. Could that be correct?

 

Just received our new Mariner mag. today. According to the deck plans the Promenade Deck is clear it shows the life boats on deck 4, Beethoven Deck.

If I read this correct it means that all the cabins on that deck have obstructed views?

Allan

[Fouremco]

Received our copy yesterday, and I'm suitably impressed by the Koningsdam. Our cruise bookings through 2017 are already made or planned, but I'd love to squeeze one more in, perhaps late next year to the southern Caribbean aboard the Koningsdam.

[Boytjie]

The brochure shows a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas on November 9th, 2016 but I can't see it on the HAL website. The Nov 13, 2016 cruise is showing.

[sail7seas]

I don't think it is available for booking....... yet?

 

[CateW]

I was able to book the 21 day collectors cruise to the Caribbean in February 2017. Got the last aft vista suite that wasn't a guarantee. It is in the Beethoven deck but the lifeboats won't be a problem from back there. Have to escape the northeast in February/March!

 

 

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[serendipity1499]

Just received our new Mariner mag. today. According to the deck plans the Promenade Deck is clear it shows the life boats on deck 4, Beethoven Deck.

If I read this correct it means that all the cabins on that deck have obstructed views?

Allan

 

I saw that too, in the deck schematic, but the actual picture on the front cover shows Promenade deck 3 is enclosed fore & Aft & the middle is blocked with the lifeboats..

 

Perhaps this is really not a picture of it..

 

Wish that Copper, or someone from HAL or even someone who knows ship building would come on this thread & tell us where the life boats are actually placed..

 

I truly hope you are right as it might be nice to cruise on the new ship just once, even though we enjoy the smaller ships..

Edited June 25, 2015 by serendipity1499

[sppunk]

I saw that too, in the deck schematic, but the actual picture on the front cover shows Promenade deck 3 is enclosed fore & Aft & the middle is blocked with the lifeboats..

 

Perhaps this is really not a picture of it..

 

Wish that Copper, or someone from HAL or even someone who knows ship building would come on this thread & tell us where the life boats are actually placed..

 

I truly hope you are right as it might be nice to cruise on the new ship just once, even though we enjoy the smaller ships..

 

They will be blocking the Promenade Deck. You can see a good luck here:

 

[RuthC]

They will be blocking the Promenade Deck.

It sure looks from the picture, other pictures I've seen, and the deck plan in the brochure, that there will be no place to sit out there and enjoy the sea in peace and quiet. :mad:

 

I'm going to miss not being able to do that. From the looks of it, my one trip on the Koningsdam may be my only trip on that ship.

[POA1]

I think that they're up far enough that you can see out from under them. I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that the lifeboats are going to be right down on the deck.

[Diver2014]

Mariner Mag came to us day before yesterday. Koningsdam is a beautiful ship! We'd like to do the Norse Legends or S Caribbean itineraries on her.

Sad to see that the Statendam is being taken out of service - one of our favorites.

[InTheWASide]

I think that they're up far enough that you can see out from under them. I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that the lifeboats are going to be right down on the deck.

 

If it mimics solstice it'll look like this... but everything on the deck plans indicates it will be a little wider on Koningsdam than in this picture

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

If it mimics solstice it'll look like this... but everything on the deck plans indicates it will be a little wider on Koningsdam than in this picture

 

 

I agree except I think the life boats will hang a bit higher. Also I want to mention that there will no longer be any Obstructed view cabins by what it appears they are doing which will be great.

Edited June 26, 2015 by LAFFNVEGAS

[sppunk]

I too think the lifeboats will hang just above the railing. Maybe a bit higher. We should know in two or so months once she gets ready for sea trials.

[catl331]

I think that they're up far enough that you can see out from under them. I could be wrong, but I can't imagine that the lifeboats are going to be right down on the deck.

 

I too think the lifeboats will hang just above the railing. Maybe a bit higher. We should know in two or so months once she gets ready for sea trials.

I sure can't make out any railing showing below them in the picture. I think they'll be like those in the Solstice picture so that they can be loaded without lowering.

.

Edited June 26, 2015 by catl331

[sprockie]

It looks beautiful. What surprised me was the chairs in the Lido. I hope they're more comfortable than they look!

[philsuarez]

Makes me laugh all the moaning about the new ship design before anyone has even had a chance to try it out. If HAL need any voluntary passengers to try it out more than happy to oblige lol

[Boytjie]

Makes me laugh all the moaning about the new ship design before anyone has even had a chance to try it out.

 

It happens with every new class of ship built, no matter the cruise line! :)

[Tarpeian Rock]

Makes me laugh all the moaning about the new ship design before anyone has even had a chance to try it out. If HAL need any voluntary passengers to try it out more than happy to oblige lol

 

 

Except that an uninstructed wrap-around promenade deck has been a HAL signature item, and the loss of that is a significant deviation from the traditional HAL experience. One need not be a nautical engineer to draw conclusions from the HAL-provided artwork that this feature could well be missing. Since HAL has been silent on this score, people who loved this feature are entitled to express concern.

[RuthC]

Except that an uninstructed wrap-around promenade deck has been a HAL signature item, and the loss of that is a significant deviation from the traditional HAL experience. One need not be a nautical engineer to draw conclusions from the HAL-provided artwork that this feature could well be missing. Since HAL has been silent on this score, people who loved this feature are entitled to express concern.

Thank you for saying that.

If there's no shaded, lower deck on which to sit outside, it is a huge loss. So far, HAL has done nothing to allay that concern.

[sppunk]

Except that an uninstructed wrap-around promenade deck has been a HAL signature item, and the loss of that is a significant deviation from the traditional HAL experience. One need not be a nautical engineer to draw conclusions from the HAL-provided artwork that this feature could well be missing. Since HAL has been silent on this score, people who loved this feature are entitled to express concern.

 

But what we don't know is whether this is a HAL-mandated change or one brought forth by SOLAS. There is no clear answer - and probably never will be.

 

The reason for lifeboats at that level is for speed in evacuation. After the Costa Concordia disaster this was brought up and SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) made changes to the lifeboat structure. You need to be a ship engineer to understand them, of course.

 

So even if this promendate looks identical to Celebrity's, I have a hard time throwing HAL under the bus here.

 

And since I can think of no newbuild in years that's had a real promenade I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt.

[InTheWASide]

But what we don't know is whether this is a HAL-mandated change or one brought forth by SOLAS. There is no clear answer - and probably never will be.

 

The reason for lifeboats at that level is for speed in evacuation. After the Costa Concordia disaster this was brought up and SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) made changes to the lifeboat structure. You need to be a ship engineer to understand them, of course.

 

So even if this promendate looks identical to Celebrity's, I have a hard time throwing HAL under the bus here.

 

And since I can think of no newbuild in years that's had a real promenade I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Third]

Lower hanging lifeboats would be a loss for the pleasure, not for the safety. I think that since the bigger ships the ratio balcony cabins / non-balcony cabins has changed. Should less people enjoy an promenade-deck then in earlier times?

[sppunk]

Lower hanging lifeboats would be a loss for the pleasure, not for the safety. I think that since the bigger ships the ratio balcony cabins / non-balcony cabins has changed. Should less people enjoy an promenade-deck then in earlier times?

 

No. Longer hanging lifeboats are specifically for speeding up evacuations. You can step directly into them from the promenade deck regardless of a ship's tilt. The existing models this isn't possible (See: Concordia).

 

Yes it impacts people but safety advances aren't always painless.

 

Also, "in earlier times" promenade decks were not in existence or randomly enclosed. I present you Rotterdam V, the most beloved HAL ship probably ever and a floating museum and hotel in its homeport. It's promenade deck is NOTHING like a current HAL ship.

 

Last I checked that ship has a devoted following and many, many, lamenting it no longer sails.

 

I don'[t mean to be rude, but there are two sides of this coin and the grass was not always greener than today.

[Third]

Thanks! I learned a lot.

[Fouremco]

Received our copy yesterday, and I'm suitably impressed by the Koningsdam. Our cruise bookings through 2017 are already made or planned, but I'd love to squeeze one more in, perhaps late next year to the southern Caribbean aboard the Koningsdam.

Couldn't resist! :) We've booked an aft Vista Suite on the Schubert Deck for a 10 day southern Caribbean cruise next November. We were originally looking at an aft veranda but noticed that there was only a difference of $300 and change.

 

Now, if we can move quickly when they open up bookings for the 4 day Bahamas cruise that immediately precedes it, maybe we'll stretch it out with a b2b.