Two questions about Koningsdam

[curtdesilets]

Something was curious on our last fully sold out cruise on Koningsdam.  I am an early waker and like to explore the ship on my early morning walks.  Surprised to find two people fully asleep with sheets and blankets on two of the upper level indoor pool lounges. (Not sleeping together, two separate mini beds)  I am a bad snorer and my wife grills me on it all the time  Is this an alternative? They seemed pretty comfortable sleeping there. 

Edited April 27, 2023 by curtdesilets
better explanation

[3rdGenCunarder]

13 minutes ago, curtdesilets said:

I liked them!  Since about 99.9% of us experience some sort of back pain, this was quite unique.  And it works! IMHO at least. I was considering bringing some marshmallows next time and cooking them while cooking my back. 

 

I have cured mild sciatica walking in the thermal pool. I find it good mild exercise, so I try to go in the morning when I might have the pool to myself without the annoying showers.

[Coolcruise02]

1 hour ago, curtdesilets said:

Something was curious on our last fully sold out cruise on Koningsdam.  I am an early waker and like to explore the ship on my early morning walks.  Surprised to find two people fully asleep with sheets and blankets on two of the upper level indoor pool lounges. (Not sleeping together, two separate mini beds)  I am a bad snorer and my wife grills me on it all the time  Is this an alternative? They seemed pretty comfortable sleeping there. 

Yes! I woke up at 5:00 one morning with a terrible headache. I went up to the Lido buffet and fixed me a cup of tea so I could take a pill. I went out to the pool to lay in a lounger and there were 2 men on opposite sides of the pool sleeping. Found out later at least one was getting away from a snoring wife.

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

......so I try to go in the morning when I might have the pool to myself without the annoying showers.

 

Can you please explain what you mean by "annoying showers'?

[3rdGenCunarder]

42 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

 

Can you please explain what you mean by "annoying showers'?

 

Those large, loud forceful downspouts in the hydropool. People like them as back massages, but I hate how they splash. On some ships, you can turn on the pool bubbles without turning on those showers. I even like walking in the pool with none of the actions turned on. It's quiet and peacful.

Edited April 27, 2023 by 3rdGenCunarder

[Ipeeinthepools]

3 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

... Others "claim" a chair to use for a while because they know the hogs will take them all day if they don't. ...

 

Doesn't this make them chair hogs too?  I'm not sure the reason is important, but if you "claim" a chair for a significant period of time without using it, then you're a chair hog.

[3rdGenCunarder]

11 minutes ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

 

Doesn't this make them chair hogs too?  I'm not sure the reason is important, but if you "claim" a chair for a significant period of time without using it, then you're a chair hog.

 

I suppose, but some hogs are worse than others. The worst hogs come out in early morning and leave things for hours. The "claimers" are the people who feel they need to leave things on chairs because it's the only way to get or keep one. Drop something on a lounger, spend 10-15 minutes in the pool, and go back to the lounger. I don't consider that hogging. 

 

On Eurodam in January, I had breakfast by the pool most mornings. I happened to be very early one morning, before 7:00 and there were chairs already claimed. I dawdled over breakfast and not one of the hogs came back. These are the people who claim a lounger because they might want it hours later, not because they're going to sit there soon. There were available loungers when I left after breakfast. So those early hogs didn't need to claim a lounger if they had any intention of using it soon after they claimed it. 

 

The sticker system mentioned earlier is a good idea. I travel solo and have nobody to "defend" my place. If I have a lounger and want to eat lunch by the pool, I have to leave something to "hold" the lounger for 5-10 minutes until I can get back with my lunch. It's like leaving something on your table at the buffet when you go back for dessert. So if they sticker my lounger while I'm at the buffet, I'll be back before they return to check the sticker and clear the chair. If I leave my stuff and go off somewhere for an hour, I deserve to have my markers taken away.

[Haljo1935]

The hydro pool is not really a giant hot tub, it's more like a warm bubbly bath as it's not hot. Bubbles are on a timer, separate from the sprayers; either can be on or off. The bars in the pool are great for stretching.

And yes, you can use the chairs in the relaxation room if there's any available.

[BobbiSox]

This is an annoying situation, and HAL could think of some way to control it, but why should they? There's no profit in regulating chair usage. They should do away with saving of chairs of any kind; buffet, entertainment and any other venues where chairs are involved. If I see someone in an overcrowded venue 'saving' chairs for 12 people, I have no problem sitting in one and ignoring any comments that are hurled my way.  Do people need to be reminded that this is not high school? First come, first served, no 'savies'. Furthermore, if people want to 'save' their seat, they should stay in it, or have no expectations of finding it vacant when they return from their lunch.

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by BobbiSox
typos

[Bruinboy]

27 minutes ago, BobbiSox said:

This is an annoying situation, and HAL could think of some way to control it, but why should they? There's no profit in regulating chair usage. They should do away with saving of chairs of any kind; buffet, entertainment and any other venues where chairs are involved. If I see someone in an overcrowded venue 'saving' chairs for 12 people, I have no problem sitting in one and ignoring any comments that are hurled my way.  Do people need to be reminded that this is not high school? First come, first served, no 'savies'. Furthermore, if people want to 'save' their seat, they should stay in it, or have no expectations of finding it vacant when they return from their lunch.

 

Two themes in this thread. Hydrotherapy and chair hogs. Love it.

 

Anyway, if the crew would simply enforce the "guidelines" or "rules" of chair engagement, this would no longer be a problem. Sure, guest services or pool attendants get an earful from the "hogs", but will also get an earful from the "rule followers" if they don't. Amazing that this continues to be a problem. Maybe it helps them sell the cabanas so they don't enforce the policy?

[OlsSalt]

The last HAL survey we got asked a lot of questions are charging for special  services ,especially poolside, including rentals of loungers, running a sunscreen kiosk. ......and their real kicker - paying a fee for staffers to apply sunscreen.

 

Some bean-counters must have had had a field day coming up with some of these ideas. The pool area uses seems to have the most focus.

 

Other questions were mainly about additional fees for dining times, reserved theater seats, priority tendering etc.  

 

Basically, what aspects about onboard life would we be willing to pay for special access for what is now all inclusive and/or part of the Mariner loyalty perks, but also parts of shipboard life being impacted by excessive demand.

[Colorado Klutch]

4 hours ago, BobbiSox said:

This is an annoying situation, and HAL could think of some way to control it, but why should they? There's no profit in regulating chair usage. They should do away with saving of chairs of any kind; buffet, entertainment and any other venues where chairs are involved. If I see someone in an overcrowded venue 'saving' chairs for 12 people, I have no problem sitting in one and ignoring any comments that are hurled my way.  Do people need to be reminded that this is not high school? First come, first served, no 'savies'. Furthermore, if people want to 'save' their seat, they should stay in it, or have no expectations of finding it vacant when they return from their lunch.

 

 

Years ago I went to see a very popular movie with some friends. When we went to take seats in a row with only one person, that person said, "Hey, this entire row is saved!". I promptly replied, "You can't block off an entire row for your buddies. Tell them to get their asses here or get lost!". And we took seats in that row. He called someone on the phone and said, "There's a guy here telling me I can't block off an entire row". Yeah, sorry for being Captain Obvious. 

[AFNavigator]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

Other questions were mainly about additional fees for dining times, reserved theater seats, priority tendering etc.

That's definitely a twist asking if passengers would be willing to pay extra for those features but it's probably not a stretch to ask for passenger input on reserving theater seats (at no charge).  In reading posts on other lines, Royal has been doing reservations for many onboard events to include theater seat reservations.  On their big ships, if you don't make a reservation soon after boarding, you likely will later find the theater, ice show, aquatheater, etc., events fully booked.  They aren't charging for the seat reservations--yet--but are definitely actively managing capacity at those venues.

[Bruinboy]

20 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

The last HAL survey we got asked a lot of questions are charging for special  services ,especially poolside, including rentals of loungers, running a sunscreen kiosk. ......and their real kicker - paying a fee for staffers to apply sunscreen.

 

Some bean-counters must have had had a field day coming up with some of these ideas. The pool area uses seems to have the most focus.

 

Other questions were mainly about additional fees for dining times, reserved theater seats, priority tendering etc.  

 

Basically, what aspects about onboard life would we be willing to pay for special access for what is now all inclusive and/or part of the Mariner loyalty perks, but also parts of shipboard life being impacted by excessive demand.

We received the same survey. I agree with the bean counters having a lot of fun coming up with revenue ideas. Thanks for putting that image in my head. It resulted in a smile during my morning coffee.

 

[Colorado Klutch]

Seems like cruise ships want to go back to the days of the class system like White Star Line. 

[BobbiSox]

I was on several cruises (years ago) on the old ships that offered Lanai cabins, which are advertised as including two private deck chairs just outside, which were placed there early mornings, and removed early evenings. Without fail, the many times I went to enjoy my deck chair, I would find passengers sitting there, in my chairs. I would have to explain, very politely, that those two chairs were a perk for the lanai cabins, and not for public use. This information was never met with great enthusiasm, and often met with everything from a 'stomping off' to  flat-out out cuss words being hurled at me, and most often, a refusal to vacate.  Reporting this every day to Guest Services didn't help. I decided to stop booking those cabins, because I don't cruising to get into fist-fights. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 hours ago, BobbiSox said:

I was on several cruises (years ago) on the old ships that offered Lanai cabins, which are advertised as including two private deck chairs just outside, which were placed there early mornings, and removed early evenings. Without fail, the many times I went to enjoy my deck chair, I would find passengers sitting there, in my chairs. I would have to explain, very politely, that those two chairs were a perk for the lanai cabins, and not for public use. This information was never met with great enthusiasm, and often met with everything from a 'stomping off' to  flat-out out cuss words being hurled at me, and most often, a refusal to vacate.  Reporting this every day to Guest Services didn't help. I decided to stop booking those cabins, because I don't cruising to get into fist-fights. 

 

I remember the lanai cabins. I was never in one, but I walked the promenade deck often. I don't recall noticing that the chairs were picked up every night. I do recall seeing home-made laminated signs on a pair of chairs that said they were "Reserved for Lanai Cabin 0000."