Trying to get excited about the Pinnacle class

[Wayward Son]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

If you haven't ever had the opportunity to sail on smaller (HAL) ships, then you are comparing to larger ships on other lines in a vacuum. 

 

I don't understand your logic. It's still a comparison. I sailed on the Carnival Holiday in 1992 w/ 1450 pax. Does that count?

 

In any case, I look forward to comparing "the masses" on Rotterdam vs. NCL Encore. 👍

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Go to the N.Y. Deli after 9pm 

[NCTribeFan]

I haven't sailed a true Mega Ship (and I don't ever plan on doing so), but I've been on MSC Seashore (5440 pax, 169 gtw) and Carnival Vista & Horizon (4700 pax, 134 gtw).  Those aren't Mega Ships, but are too large for my taste.

 

What people need to pay attention to is the space ratio.  HAL ships tend to have a better space ratio that you find with other lines.  Spirit-class ships on Carnival are close (they're a different animal from Carnival's other ships and were originally intended for Costa, thus the different layout).

 

Pinnacle-class doesn't have as good a space ratio as HAL's other classes, but it's still better than on many other ships of the same general size, thanks to the layout.

 

Buffet areas on every ship on every line are crowded at peak times.  Try the NY Deli for breakfast!  I love it up there (until they turn on the big TV or start blasting bad pop music (which is my #1 complaint on every ship I've sailed on every single cruise line)).

 

I spent several of my sea-day mornings on Rotterdam in the library, parked in one of those big, comfy chairs looking out over the sea, reading.  Nice and quiet there.

[Wayward Son]

5 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

I haven't sailed a true Mega Ship (and I don't ever plan on doing so), but I've been on MSC Seashore (5440 pax, 169 gtw) and Carnival Vista & Horizon (4700 pax, 134 gtw).  Those aren't Mega Ships, but are too large for my taste.

 

 

Those certainly are mega ships. The term "mega ship" was here long before the ships you mentioned were built. The newer 6000+ plus ships have no classification, other than the "Insane Class".

 

[atexsix]

I've always felt any HAL ship was just right.  And the Pinnacle class was perfect for us.  Well laid out, the decks don't dead end anywhere.  And because of this the extra passengers never make it feel overcrowded, even in places like the Lido during the peak breakfast hours.  

[BermudaBound2014]

3 hours ago, atexsix said:

 Well laid out, the decks don't dead end anywhere.  

You must not have sailed on the Koningsdam or attempted to use deck 10 or 11 for walking. 
 

At the aft pool on deck nine you can walk up glass stairs on the starboard side to a small deck that is no longer openly connected to the rest of deck 10 unless you try to cut thru the tamarind. Same thing aft port side. Walk up the stairs to a very small area that dead ends at stairs that lead to the new crew smoking area. This means that deck 10 Is cut off mid ship also. In other words, you can’t walk all the way aft on deck 10 from forward without hitting a dead end.  Deck 11 is worse and it’s the deck with the walking track.
 

 It seems that they made a large crew only smoking area on deck 11 aft which gives  the Koningsdam a unique deck plan that does, in fact, have numerous dead ends.
 

I know because I found them all :). 
 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

22 hours ago, Wayward Son said:

In any case, I look forward to comparing "the masses" on Rotterdam vs. NCL Encore. 👍

 

I sailed back to back (well, one week in between) on both the Encore and Koningsdam. 
 

The Encore handles crowds in their version of the crows nest (ncl calls it observation lounge) much better than the Koningsdam (and they offer a couple small tapas buffets to grab a quick snack thus eliminating need to visit the lido). Also, the Encore’s promenade (which is technically called the waterfront and also offers several outdoor eateries and bars) is INFINITY nicer than the promenade on the Pinnicle  class. Offering comfy couches with plenty of seating and nice thick cushions and servers to take bar orders. 

 

The lido on the Koningsdam also has some design flaws that could be easily corrected and would help with the over crowding. Example- you must actually enter the buffet area to get coffee/lemonade as opposed to offering multiple stations outside of the lido (or at the very beginning)  so those just wanting some coffee don’t need to enter the buffet itself. The empty gelato counter outside the lido is a perfect place to position a few urns of coffee in the morning.

 

The Koningsdam is a great ship, but IMO she does not move crowds well. There is no doubt that the 6,000 passenger oasis class feels less crowded than the Koningsdam most of the time. Just because a ship is large does not mean she will automatically feel more crowded. 

 

I’ve never met a cruise ship that I don’t love. No matter the size, they all offer positives and negatives. The Pinnacle class is no exception. Even so, I’m excited to sail on her again in 2025. Then again, I would be excited to sail on the SSMinnow. For me its all about the journey :).

 

 

Edited June 3 by BermudaBound2014

[Wayward Son]

5 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

The Encore handles crowds in their version of the crows nest (ncl calls it observation lounge). Also, the encores promenade (which is technically called the waterfront and also offers several outdoor eateries and bars) is INFINITY nicer than the promenade on the pinnacle.

 

I’ve never met a cruise ship that I don’t love. No matter the size, they all offer positives and negatives. 

 

There is a reason that Encore is our favorite NCL ship. But since most of Encore's upper space is taken up by things we never use, the comparison to Rotterdam will be interesting. Also, I have never been on another ship that can compare to Encore's Waterfront or Observation Lounge.

 

I also agree that I've never been on ship where I've said, "I'll never sail this ship again".

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BermudaBound2014]

26 minutes ago, Wayward Son said:

 

There is a reason that Encore is our favorite NCL ship. But since most of Encore's upper space is taken up by things we never use, the comparison to Rotterdam will be interesting. Also, I have never been on another ship that can compare to Encore's Waterfront or Observation Lounge.

 

I also agree that I've never been on ship where I've said, "I'll never sail this ship again".

 

 

 

 

 

 

NCL got it right with the waterfront concept. Noting on HAL compares (even the lovely Rclass promenades). And, when compared to the competition, the crows nest on pinnacle class falls short in terms of both what is offered and comfort level.
 

But, there is much to love about the pinnacle class. For me, HAL isn’t the be all/end all in cruising. Its u unlikely I’ll ever be loyal to one cruise line; but right now HAL offer excellent long itineraries at very competitive pricing and that’s enough to keep me booking (at this time). 

 

Edited June 3 by BermudaBound2014

[Wayward Son]

5 minutes ago, BermudaBound2014 said:

but right now HAL offer excellent long itineraries at very competitive pricing and that’s enough to keep me booking (at this time). 

 

Another argument for smaller ships is that as more and more ports limit their capacity, the super-duper-mega ships are going to have fewer and fewer places to go.

 

Personally, I think once the current "cruise boom" is done, the biggest ships are going to find themselves in the worst position.

 

[Kay S]

16 hours ago, Wayward Son said:

 

Another argument for smaller ships is that as more and more ports limit their capacity, the super-duper-mega ships are going to have fewer and fewer places to go.

 

Personally, I think once the current "cruise boom" is done, the biggest ships are going to find themselves in the worst position.

 

I agree on all points.  It's nice to dock in the town rather than be tendered in from a half mile away.  This "cruise boom" can't last forever, IMO, and I will be happy to see it.

 

On the topic at hand, I have sailed the Kdam a few times now, and I find it not "too big" or crowded.  You will find me in the Crow's Nest most days with a latte and a book.

[Icarus20]

I have found the pinnacle ships too overcrowded when full.  Definitely not enough staff to handle a full ship.  As a result there is little to no personal service.

[crystalspin]

We were on the [full] Koningsdam over NewYears 22/23. The only place we observed unpleasant crowding was the wait for MDR on first night. Pax all up and down the hall with pagers! We never did go back to MDR. The Lido was never the madhouse it is made out to be. (Having the sectors' menu on the Navigator helped -- not to have to cycle through all of the lines to get what you wanted.) We usually got two seats somewhat removed from others as our goal was to stay in good health.

 

Occasionally there were no two seats near each other in the Crows Nest, then we would go to GDC! I remarked that there were enough venues for everyone. 

[caminomama]

We were on the Koningsdam for an 18 day Hawaii Cruise. The grand Dutch Cafe was lovely and most food items are included at no charge. There was lots of space if you wanted to participate in games, trivia, Tai Chi but limited space in the art room for doodling, brush writing or painting classes. We especially enjoyed the band in the Rolling Stone Lounge.

We only went to the dining room once when it opened and found it to be a little rushed. Lido Buffet had plenty of choices and once you found a seat you could take your time. The pizza and panicotta on the pool deck was something to try many times.

The pool chairs were often taken but the smoking pool was not so crowded and not very smoky. Pickle ball lessons and casual tournaments were fun.

All staff were amazing!