Veendam New Deck Plans now on HAL

[Seacruise]

Well this looks interesting at first glance but still not much detail for the new Lanai Cabins.

 

The new pool on the Lido deck is much smaller that the one it replaces.

 

Still trying to see how much more detail i can find on the HAL site.

 

Phil

[Krazy Kruizers]

That new pool really isn't a pool -- supposed to be a wading pool for the retreat area.

[bepsf]

Interesting...

 

...They're welding little balconies onto the forward C-Category outside staterooms (portside) and former crew staterooms (starboard) on Verandah Deck...

 

...Ripping out the escalators on Main Deck to make room for 2 more inside staterooms...

 

...Renaming the "Rubens Lounge" to "Showroom at Sea"...

(Did Seattle really think we might confuse it with a "Showroom Ashore"???) :cool:

 

...In reconfiguring the stern on Verandah Deck and Navigation Deck aft, there will be 8 aft-facing Category A verandah staterooms on each deck which will apparently cantilever out over the Dining Room windows below - but none of these will have wrap-around balconies like the old aft-corner BA's...

 

...but the idiotic "Oasis" lives on.

[Tampa Girl]

Interesting...

 

...They're welding little balconies onto the forward C-Category outside staterooms (portside) and former crew staterooms (starboard) on Verandah Deck...

 

...Ripping out the escalators on Main Deck to make room for 2 more inside staterooms...

 

...Renaming the "Rubens Lounge" to "Showroom at Sea"...

(Did Seattle really think we might confuse it with a "Showroom Ashore"???) :cool:

 

...In reconfiguring the stern on Verandah Deck and Navigation Deck aft, there will be 8 aft-facing Category A verandah staterooms on each deck which will apparently cantilever out over the Dining Room windows below - but none of these will have wrap-around balconies like the old aft-corner BA's...

 

...but the idiotic "Oasis" lives on.

 

What is your opinion as to how desirable these new "A" verandahs will be? Is being in the aft end of the ship really desirable?

[Atomica]

Interesting.

 

I'm still trying to picture Veendam with those new balconies jutting out from her side!

[sail7seas]

No one wants to see the "S" class ships (Maasdam) left just the way they are more than I..... but if it means HAL will hold onto them longer and we get to sail them more years if they make these changes, I'll get used to it.

 

I like there will be a bar at the new pool, but hate it will no longer be on Navigation Deck.It actually looks like quite a lot of space for lounge chairs. Seems to be room for more than there is space for now. Of course, there will be more guests aboard, too. :(

 

I hate they are adding more cabins but am happy we'll still have that pretty ship.

 

I don't much care about them adding more cabins at escalator, HM's Office, Culinary Ops and Bar Manager's Offices.........

 

They don't appear to be disturbing Ocean Bar. (Fingers crossed and holding my breath.)

 

Did you notice Explorer's Lounge shrunk? Like is really small in the deck plan......

 

I am practicing the art of positive thinking,,,,,,,, at least I am trying.

It isn't good there will be more guests occupying the same size public rooms. (Same size? Not sure. If Explorer's will really be as small as it looks. :eek: )

 

 

Where are they going to be seated in the dining room or they counting on AYW and alternative dining being able to shuffle the extra 'heads' around?

 

I love Maasdam just the way she is and am grateful we get to keep her the way she is for a bit longer. DH and I have many cruises booked to enjoy on her before her scheduled 'upgrades'.

 

I do have to say the lanai rooms intrigue me a bit. It will depend on how they manage the access from the cabin to Promenade Deck. If they have sliding glass doors and guests simply exit their cabin onto Promendade (which is left untouched), it would be okay, I think. If they mess around with the deck which impedes walking/lounging on the deck..... that would be awful. (But, what can they do? They can't mess around too much because of the life boats.)

 

She'll still have her amazing crew, beautiful dining room, call the Show Lounge whatever they want, we still get to enjoy the beautiful delft work in there...... She will still be Maasdam.

 

Okay, okay....... I hate it but am willing to 'wait and see'. Like I have a choice, right? :D

 

 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

The one area I don't think I will like will be the Retreat on the Lido Deck aft pool area.

 

It appears -- and I hope I am wrong -- that they are going to do something like the Cabanas on the Eurodam?????

[sail7seas]

There is a subtle undefined difference.

 

The Retreat vs. Retreat.

 

HAL is usually very consistent. ;)

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't know about you -- but I don't think I really want to see all those curtains flying around in the breeze back there.

[sail7seas]

Did you see Eurodam yet?

 

When we visited, we found Retreat area very much better than we expected. We kept an open mind until we saw for ourselves.

 

I still do not care for the cabanas at Lido Pool but that pool area is so very beautiful, to my eyes, it doesn't much matter. It is about a 1 on my 1 to 10 scale.

 

[bepsf]

What is your opinion as to how desirable these new "A" verandahs will be? Is being in the aft end of the ship really desirable?

 

They will be quite desirable - That would be my first location choice if I were booking aboard one of those ships post-conversion.

[Tampa Girl]

They will be quite desirable - That would be my first location choice if I were booking aboard one of those ships post-conversion.

 

Thank you, Brian! We are still waiting to see what HAL offers to compensate for our mini-suite on the Oosterdam, which will be taken off the 2010 SA itinerary. My TA said they would offer an "A" category, which I believe are the aft verandahs

[sail7seas]

There currently are "A" cabins on Statendam class ships. They are so-called Mini Suites or Verandah Suites on Navigation Deck.

 

Very Nice cabins. Verandas are exactly one half the size of "S" Suites.

 

[Tampa Girl]

There currently are "A" cabins on Statendam class ships. They are so-called Mini Suites or Verandah Suites on Navigation Deck.

 

Very Nice cabins. Verandas are exactly one half the size of "S" Suites.

 

 

But . . . aren't the "A" cabins the same size as all the other verandah cabins? Or are they the same size as the Vista class mini suites? Are the balconies any larger?

[lardor]

Interesting...

 

...They're welding little balconies onto the forward C-Category outside staterooms (portside) and former crew staterooms (starboard) on Verandah Deck...

 

...Ripping out the escalators on Main Deck to make room for 2 more inside staterooms...

 

...Renaming the "Rubens Lounge" to "Showroom at Sea"...

(Did Seattle really think we might confuse it with a "Showroom Ashore"???) :cool:

 

...In reconfiguring the stern on Verandah Deck and Navigation Deck aft, there will be 8 aft-facing Category A verandah staterooms on each deck which will apparently cantilever out over the Dining Room windows below - but none of these will have wrap-around balconies like the old aft-corner BA's...

 

...but the idiotic "Oasis" lives on.

 

If they don't REPLACE the A/C (it can't be "fixed"), there are still going to be many unhappy cruisers on this boat no matter what changes they make. I won't take the chance again, there are a lot of other ships to sail on...

[Tampa Girl]

If they don't REPLACE the A/C (it can't be "fixed"), there are still going to be many unhappy cruisers on this boat no matter what changes they make. I won't take the chance again, there are a lot of other ships to sail on...

 

 

I didn't know that there was anything wrong with the AC. There was nothing wrong with it last year when we sailed on her. What basis do you have for saying that it can't be fixed? The Veendam is my favorite. Sorry that you are so disillusioned with her.

[gophercruiser]

The Amazon Explorer of 36 days on the Veendam leaving Vancouver on Sept 26 of 0f this year had MAJOR air conditioning problems that even resulted in a "ac specialist" boarding the ship in Costa Rica to try and get the fouth unit working, improvements were made but the one unit is still not working and problems were still evident upon disembarkation on Nov 1..