Do you ever wonder " such an underused use of space" ?

[Gunther1]

Every time I'm on a HAL ship, I see a space and wonder to myself why it's configured for a specific purpose.  For example, I rarely see anybody using the sports deck .  I'm sure they are used occasionally, but from my personal observation, it's pretty rare.

 

At the  risk of raising the ire of those who disagree, which area do you always wonder the same about ?  What could your pick be used for instead ?

 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Gunther1

[robotpony]

The sports deck was busy in November/December on NS when we were in the Caribbean, but empty on our summer Alaska cruise. I assume it depends on the demographic and weather.

[3rdGenCunarder]

Ocean Bar on Eurodam. There was an unused dance floor and a sad untouched piano pushed way to the back of the little stage. Bring back live music in the Ocean Bar!

[OlsSalt]

The unshaded tiers of decks above the aft pool on the Konigsdam.  

Great views, out of the way, plenty of empty loungers fresh air, but no shade. 

 

Hardly saw anyone use them. Either set up a discount Coppertone kiosk, or install some shade canopies and windbreaks for some of the area. 

[MTAK]

15 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

The unshaded tiers of decks above the aft pool on the Konigsdam.  

Great views, out of the way, plenty of empty loungers fresh air, but no shade. 

 

Hardly saw anyone use them. Either set up a discount Coppertone kiosk, or install some shade canopies and windbreaks for some of the area. 

I agree, this was also the case on our Rotterdam trip and I noted that in my post-cruise comments. The Sun Bar was never open either.

[MTAK]

Another comment I had was in regard to Billboard.  They have all those video screens hanging on the walls, and it would be nice if it was used more as sports bar during the day. They could play various sporting events on all the screens.

 

I wound up at the casino bar on a sea day to watch a golf tournament, which was not an ideal place for that.

[Roz]

Somewhat related,  I've tried to figure out how the Dutch Cafe could be retrofitted onto the Vista class ships. 

[cruisingrob21]

48 minutes ago, Roz said:

Somewhat related,  I've tried to figure out how the Dutch Cafe could be retrofitted onto the Vista class ships. 

Given that the ships seemed to have abandoned the Gallery Bar, this would seem to be a good place for it even though its very close to the Casino.  Alternatively, the Pinnacle Bar would be a decent spot.  This may not be for all ships but certainly for the NA and Eurodam.

[Mosaic]

The under used spaces are some of the best on the ship!

[weix]

Since the Dutch Café has to be attached to a kitchen , the port side of the ocean bar may work better. for that idea. 

[OlsSalt]

19 minutes ago, Mosaic said:

The under used spaces are some of the best on the ship!

 

Let's make them NO PIPED-IN MUSIC ZONES too.

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, cruisingrob21 said:

Given that the ships seemed to have abandoned the Gallery Bar, this would seem to be a good place for it even though its very close to the Casino.  Alternatively, the Pinnacle Bar would be a decent spot.  This may not be for all ships but certainly for the NA and Eurodam.

On Eurodam, the Casino has expanded into the Gallery Bar, so that underused spot had a new use.

[cruisingrob21]

36 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

On Eurodam, the Casino has expanded into the Gallery Bar, so that underused spot had a new use.

Yeah, we noticed that last summer on the Eurodam.  I was pretty disappointed, I really enjoyed the space as the Gallery Bar/non gambling game area/sports bar in 2018 but it was probably too hidden to be well used.  And of course, it didn't generate much revenue, so CCL overlords couldn't calculate a ROI on it.

[DaveOKC]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

On Eurodam, the Casino has expanded into the Gallery Bar, so that underused spot had a new use.

Same in the N.A.  My DW says more machines on the NA than on Eurodam.

 

[PACD_JG]

I've only been on two ships (both Pinnacle class), but the biggest underused use of space I've seen is the World Stage Theater.  From their website:

 

World Stage, the largest theater on board is home to a variety of performances day and night. Our exclusive EXC® Talk lecture series features captivating regional stories told by local experts and narrated by your Cruise & Travel Director. In the evenings, Step One Dance Company, vocal sensation Cantaré, BBC Earth in Concert and more take the stage. Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam bring the World Stage experience to the next level by surrounding you in spectacular sight and sound with a two-story, panoramic LED screen.

I've seen too many 1/4 - 1/2 filled shows in this venue - mostly because the events they list aren't must-sees, even on a sea day.  In other words, wasted space.

 

[AFNavigator]

5 hours ago, MTAK said:

The Sun Bar was never open either.

On the Nieuw Statendam last December, it appeared the Sun Bar was being used as a crew-only bar.  The bar was open when I walked by a number of times but the area around it, as well as a deck area around the funnel, was roped off with crew-only signs.

[AFNavigator]

3 hours ago, cruisingrob21 said:

Given that the ships seemed to have abandoned the Gallery Bar, this would seem to be a good place for it even though its very close to the Casino.  Alternatively, the Pinnacle Bar would be a decent spot.  This may not be for all ships but certainly for the NA and Eurodam.

If the Lincoln Center Stage area is being abandoned on the non-Pinnacle ships, as appears to be the plan from reading other posts, then that area plus the adjacent abandoned art gallery area (or at least that was the configuration on the Eurodam last year) would have more than enough space to install a Grand Dutch Cafe kitchen, storage, bar, and seating area.

[Banditswife]

42 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

I've only been on two ships (both Pinnacle class), but the biggest underused use of space I've seen is the World Stage Theater.  From their website:

 

World Stage, the largest theater on board is home to a variety of performances day and night. Our exclusive EXC® Talk lecture series features captivating regional stories told by local experts and narrated by your Cruise & Travel Director. In the evenings, Step One Dance Company, vocal sensation Cantaré, BBC Earth in Concert and more take the stage. Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam bring the World Stage experience to the next level by surrounding you in spectacular sight and sound with a two-story, panoramic LED screen.

I've seen too many 1/4 - 1/2 filled shows in this venue - mostly because the events they list aren't must-sees, even on a sea day.  In other words, wasted space.

 

I agree, we thought they could have used those multiple screens for more or different types of shows. highly unused capabilities.

[cruisingrob21]

3 hours ago, AFNavigator said:

If the Lincoln Center Stage area is being abandoned on the non-Pinnacle ships, as appears to be the plan from reading other posts, then that area plus the adjacent abandoned art gallery area (or at least that was the configuration on the Eurodam last year) would have more than enough space to install a Grand Dutch Cafe kitchen, storage, bar, and seating area.

It would be a nice addition - and certainly the first question asked by CCL/HAL management will be "does it make money" and I think the specialty foods and drinks that the GDC sells would check that box.  Although, putting the photo gallery down in the Lincoln Center Stage area and the GDC where the photo gallery is would allow easy access to a galley as well as the potential for alfresco seating on the exterior deck in warmer climates.

[syesmar]

4 hours ago, PACD_JG said:

…but the biggest underused use of space I've seen is the World Stage Theater…

I've seen too many 1/4 - 1/2 filled shows in this venue - mostly because the events they list aren't must-sees, even on a sea day.  In other words, wasted space.

What a difference a few years makes! On my 2019 NS sailing, if we didn’t arrive at least 20 minutes early for a show we wouldn’t get a seat in the World Stage Theater! There was definitely a demand then for quality entertainers and shows.

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, syesmar said:

What a difference a few years makes! On my 2019 NS sailing, if we didn’t arrive at least 20 minutes early for a show we wouldn’t get a seat in the World Stage Theater! There was definitely a demand then for quality entertainers and shows.

 

(bold is mine) More than 20 minutes on my 2018 K'dam cruise. Step One was only two shows in the cruise, and there were guest entertainers some nights.

[Infi]

Spaces that are, IMHO, not well utilized/laid out or poorly utilized during certain times of the day:

 

• Ground floors of the atriums (wide open space with nothing but crew offices on R class, sad remainders of a failed bar on some of the Vistas)
• Explorers/LCS after Lincoln Center is through for the evening
• Ocean Bar, especially when no music is offered (Vistas and higher)
• Merabellas/shopping arcades on the Vistas - understand HAL has to make money, but the space is cavernous and lacks logical flow
• Gallery bar (RIP), Billboard Onboard, and BB King (former Queen's Lounge) during the daytime (Vistas/Signatures)
• Sports decks

[3rdGenCunarder]

53 minutes ago, Infi said:

Spaces that are, IMHO, not well utilized/laid out or poorly utilized during certain times of the day:

 

• Ground floors of the atriums (wide open space with nothing but crew offices on R class, sad remainders of a failed bar on some of the Vistas)
• Explorers/LCS after Lincoln Center is through for the evening
• Ocean Bar, especially when no music is offered (Vistas and higher)
• Merabellas/shopping arcades on the Vistas - understand HAL has to make money, but the space is cavernous and lacks logical flow
• Gallery bar (RIP), Billboard Onboard, and BB King (former Queen's Lounge) during the daytime (Vistas/Signatures)
• Sports decks

 

This is a good list. Unfortunately, utilization would require HAL to do something (enrichment?  entertainment?) in some of these spaces and they don't seem inclined to do that.

 

Is the cooking set-up from the days of the Queen's Lounge still on the revolving stage in BB King, or has that been removed to give BBK a larger stage?

 

[OlsSalt]

Shops on the Konigsdam were "under-utilized" in the evening.

 

This was because the noise from the nearby and open BB Kings performance area was so deafening and we avoided this area completely.

 

I believe the "space" in the atrium needs to are kept relatively open and free, so it can be utilized as an emergency large crowd gathering area?

[Infi]

22 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

This is a good list. Unfortunately, utilization would require HAL to do something (enrichment?  entertainment?) in some of these spaces and they don't seem inclined to do that.

 

Is the cooking set-up from the days of the Queen's Lounge still on the revolving stage in BB King, or has that been removed to give BBK a larger stage?

 

 

Thanks, and agreed. To be clear, I don't expect the lounges to be hopping with activity or planned events 24/7. I just think back to the days of America's Test Kitchen and other enrichment programs, where the Queen's Lounge, Wajang theater etc. wouldn't sit empty all day long and would have a few activities sprinkled throughout the day. I'm not even saying it all needs to be enrichment, either - they could also be used to host revenue generating activities, like spa or shopping talks. 

 

Good question about the cooking set-up on the Vistas; I have no idea. HAL spent a mint to retrofit those spaces so I would hope so. I do know that the demo kitchen is still there on the R class ships. We were told on Zaandam over the holidays that there was a plan to bring back Port to Table (cooking demos) in the new year. We shall see.