Promenade deck on Koningsdam

[dockman]

That line about a RUN is truly weird.

 

It is tough enough to do a brisk walk around the decks without bumping someone....all we need is a few RUNNERS zooming around slow walking, some handicapped, people where all it takes is one small step at the wrong time and WHACK.

 

Not to mention the people whose cabins may be below the deck who have to lilsten to the pounding of runners footsteps above them.

 

SURELY if the Kdam has an even more narrow deck than other Holland ships which appears to be the case they would not allow RUNNING? Makes zero sense.

[InTheWASide]

Read the deck plans. Deck 2 is also public spaces. No one will have a room below and hear footsteps.

[dockman]

Read the deck plans. Deck 2 is also public spaces. No one will have a room below and hear footsteps.

 

You are correct no rooms under P deck...BUT...same deck plans sure seem to show how very narrow the deck becomes in places and certainly NOT CONDUCIVE to joggers/runners trying to RUN in spot where many older people are walking slowly and often unaware of someone who comes zooming around a corner. WHACK.

 

Holland has it right: NO RUNNING on the walking/strolling deck.

[Former Goalie]

With this attitude about the only ships you can book now are the three Cunad sisters, HALs current ships and um maybe an old RCCL ship.

 

Promenade decks are out the door and around the corner for multiple reasons. HAL having one - and it still will just less places you can lounge - is actually against the new norm.

 

Actually, newer RCCL ships, as well. I've sailed Oasis and Allure, and they have a substantial wrap around deck, with deck chairs in some places.

[Laurino]

I really like HAL's promenade decks.

 

I find it interesting that Carnival's (Dream class) and also (I think?) NCL's (Breakaway-class) new builds probably have more open and useful promenade decks than HAL's new build will. And HAL makes a big marketing number of their promenades. Carnival's and NCL's ships seem to have the life boats and the promenades hanging outside the hull and actually two promenades - one 'technical' totally obstructed only for boarding the boats and another 'real' unobstructed promenade ontop.

 

Carnival and NCL also have revenue-areas on their promenades, such as restaurants, lanais and retreat-like areas. So you could see the promenade deck as an asset too. However those ships have so many more passengers than HAL ships, that they can have 3 public decks, so no cabins are obstructed. Also the first full veranda deck doesn't have to overlook the life boats. However it also seems that their promenades are uncovered and exposed to sun (since no boats overhead) and seems to be exposed to wind (since they're hanging outside the hull) and therefore have high glass railings, sun & wind - both of which I would hate... Is there no one that could design the perfect promenade deck? :p

 

However I haven't been onboard any of those Carnival and NCL ships, but I'm mighty curious. I'm actually 'afraid' :o to try those lines, that I might get a bad experience, since I'm so pleased with my cruises on HAL, Celebrity (and somewhat Princess) :)

[Chris86]

During Muster Drill, all of the chairs on the Promenade Deck are folded and put out of the way. The deck itself is filled with passengers and crew, with little or no extra room. In the case of an emergency, those chairs clearly would take up a lot of real estate needed by the passengers. It doesn't take facts recorded from past emergencies to understand the issue and the captain's concern.

 

So sorry this is a spurious argument. The wrap around promenade with a few nice teak chairs is not a hazard at all. I believe the cruise lines are brainwashing. They are simply reducing the width of these promenades from 4m to around 1m. dropping the lifeboats to accommodate another level of balcony rooms.

 

They have simply lost the space to place the small loungers. Oh and lets see how safe it will be loading 4000 passengers onto life boats via a 1m hallway instead of those beautiful wide promenades.

 

Recently cruised on the Dawn Princess and the promenade was so well used. Its so devastating to see this being lost. I welcome the many changes to the cruising industry but just cant get my head around this. Goodbye to the morning runs, goodbye to watching the flying fish, dolphins and birds. good bye to the relaxation, goodbye to the shade. Oh well guess we are backing in the sun or choosing a land vacation!

 

Its a shame the cruise lines don't look into making these areas more revenue making. Dare I say at least NCL have the waterfront...

[Myrtle Ave. Mayhem]

Shame on the mass market cruise lines for building new ships without usable promenade decks. The excuse that this is for safety reasons seems contrived to me. I guess cruise line management must be thinking "God forbid that people are sitting in a quiet area away from all the stimulation and revenue production opportunities" ! I fell in love with promenade decks and sitting there in a cushioned lounger on the original Dawn Princess, the former Fairwind, when I started cruising. Cruise lines seem intent on redesigning and changing what has worked for many years and replacing it with something else cooked up by management all in an effort to appeal to the "younger generation"..... of which I am and much to my disgust. I'm not at all impressed with the latest changes to HAL, Princess, Celebrity, or RCI. Another casualty is the elimination of aft view pools, public use aft outer deck space, interior to sea connection. How sad that there is a whole new generation of cruise traveler who is being led to believe that the best place on a ship is in front of the stadium size TV screen at the main pool. With changes in the current mass market cruise product I feel that I am being propelled to the likes of Oceana & Viking.

[Chris86]

Hello. I found a construction photo showing the incomplete promenade deck behind the lifeboats. Good news it looks much wider than Royal/ Regal Princess. Yes ok. you don't get much of a view behind the lifeboats and by no means do I think this is going to be a beautiful promenade.

 

Though lets see how its dressed. Hopefully the deck will be teak and appealing to serve for a somewhat nice walk with nice views in the sections where you are not behind the boats.

 

My opinion is no room for teak chairs. I think it will be upright seating if anything. Opinions?

 

http://www.beak.net/KoningsdamConstruction.html

photo is just after the halfway point (to the left)

[RuthC]

With changes in the current mass market cruise product I feel that I am being propelled to the likes of Oceana & Viking.

I agree with so very much of your post. One does not have to be elderly or infirm to enjoy sitting on a teak deck chair on the promenade, relaxing and communing with the sea. It's something that cannot be done at home, so should not be replaced with the kind of things that can be done elsewhere.

 

However, I don't know that Oceania will fill your needs in this regard. At least the larger of their ships doesn't have any outdoor deck space on which you can sit and look out to sea. Although there are a couple of higher decks with lovely padded chairs (they got that part quite right! :)), those chairs look inward, are too high up, and are behind glass. Not at all the same as the quiet, low, promenades that have been a HAL hallmark.

Very disappointing. :(

Edited February 18, 2016 by RuthC