Volendam

[Sidney24]

Is anyone aware of any recent changes to the Volendam ?

We last sailed on Volendam Feb/March last year.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Check out this link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2187783&highlight=volendam

[RuthC]

Is anyone aware of any recent changes to the Volendam ?

We last sailed on Volendam Feb/March last year.

Good grief, I hope so! Some of the changes that were done in her dry dock over the winter were terrible!

 

That's not to say that all of them were; they weren't. Many (not all) of the bathrooms were redone, and they are nice. What's more, someone in Seattle got a brain and ordered the bathroom electrical outlet be lower than on other ships. It can be reached now. The bathroom shelves are larger than on other ships, too.

 

Most of the public areas are refreshed nicely. The one huge exception was the Explorers Lounge. Terrible. Hideous. Ugly. Uncomfortable. Awful.

I could go on.

Word was (this was in May) that the Explorers was to be redone to something more suitable in June or July. I haven't read any reports.

[Vict0riann]

I did a few "befores and afters" of the Volendam from our cruises on her, here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2225930. We were also on her last year, in the Far East. I'm also hoping that there will be more improvements to the Explorers' Lounge.....

[OlsSalt]

Breaks my heart to see what they did to the Explorers Lounge on this ship we also enjoyed before these unbelievable changes. MIX was bad enough, but this is unforgivable.

 

Please put it back and never ever think of doing this to any other ship. The grace of the Explorers Lounge is a key feature of HAL ships. This looks like a utility garage space now. Hard surfaces, tacky seating and zero, zero, zero appeal.

 

This was the one quiet retreat space enjoyed during the day by those wanting to get away from other organized activities, and the most gracious way to enjoy the fading hours of the evenings. It was bad enough when the art people took over this space temporarily, but this abomination now is permanent.

Edited July 19, 2015 by OlsSalt

[Vict0riann]

Breaks my heart to see what they did to the Explorers Lounge on this ship we also enjoyed before these unbelievable changes. MIX was bad enough, but this is unforgivable.

 

Please put it back and never ever think of doing this to any other ship. The grace of the Explorers Lounge is a key feature of HAL ships. This looks like a utility garage space now. Hard surfaces, tacky seating and zero, zero, zero appeal.

 

This was the one quiet retreat space enjoyed during the day by those wanting to get away from other organized activities, and the most gracious way to enjoy the fading hours of the evenings. It was bad enough when the art people took over this space temporarily, but this abomination now is permanent.

 

Definitely agree! One day they were setting all those little white chairs in rows for some instructor, and I thought - gee, no one is going to fall asleep, or if they do, the chairs will topple over, with those little spindly legs!:eek:

[OlsSalt]

HAL is making other brands look more and more appealing; while they become for some strange reason more appalling. This was 100% dunderheaded.

[OlsSalt]

On the other hand, I can see HAL possibly creating a specialty coffee lounge in this Explorers Lounge space to generate more retail sales, which could be why they put in the hard surface flooring. The current coffee bar on a passageway setting is neither fish nor fowl right now.

 

Admittedly the Explorers Lounge is a large space with little financial return for HAL, as I saw few people buying drinks at night, but instead simply just enjoying the comfortable lounge and quiet ambiance - night and day. How novel.

 

The sight of this loud clatterly floor space and tacky chairs makes my ears hurt just to look at it. A Zumba class emporium? Thank goodness there are no cabins underneath it.

 

I think they wasted a lot of space on MIX re-design as it is rarely filled except for the now cramped piano bar backed by the blazing lights of the nearby shops, but we rarely see anyone in the martini, champagne or beer sports bar areas. Who blew their survey demographics for this design-passenger mis-match?

 

They hit a home-run on the Dive-Inn and improved Canaletto --but one step forward, two steps backwards on the Explorers Lounge and the stern deck "Slice" - get your cold pizza while it is hot, not.

Edited July 19, 2015 by OlsSalt

[holacanada]

Hello fellow cruisers !

 

I am leaving in almost seven months - Feb. 14th (!) on the Volendam.

Asian Adventure from Singapore and back. Are someone know if the dry dock will be complete at that time ?

 

Thanks in advance !

 

Holacanada

[RuthC]

I am leaving in almost seven months - Feb. 14th (!) on the Volendam.

Asian Adventure from Singapore and back. Are someone know if the dry dock will be complete at that time ?

The Volendam just had an extensive dry dock very early this year (or was it late last year?); anyway, it was recently.

What makes you think the Volendam will have another dry dock before next February?

[erewhon]

Hello fellow cruisers !

 

I am leaving in almost seven months - Feb. 14th (!) on the Volendam.

Asian Adventure from Singapore and back. Are someone know if the dry dock will be complete at that time ?

 

Thanks in advance !

 

Holacanada

 

The Volendam went to Dry Dock in Singapore, December 2014.

During our Australian Circumnavigation Cruise, October /November 2014, some equipment to be used during the Dry Dock was loaded at various ports.