VEENDAM REFITTED: RETREAT Area

[JimVrhovac]

Set #1 of pictures

[JimVrhovac]

More pictures

[JimVrhovac]

More

 

Hope these pictures give you an idea of what area looks like.

 

This pool has a special recirculating system which recirculates pool water every 5 minutes.

[Druke I]

Might just be my eye - but I think that red is garish!

[leoandhugh]

It certainly does not look impressive but will give it the benefit of the doubt until I can experience it in person. Does this mean that since HAL has decided not to go ahead with the refits of the other 3 S-class ships that Veendam will be the only one so equipped?

[JimVrhovac]

It is my understanding that the Statendam will get the new cabins added but will have the old pool reinstalled. Don't know how they are going to do this.

 

HAL's reasining was the wanted diversity in their fleet. They sound like politicians now.

[kakalina]

Jim, could you smoke at the tables in that area?

[JimVrhovac]

This is considered and outside deck area and smoking is allowed.

 

Some of the Veendams crew will be on te Rotterdam with us.

[sail7seas]

Rotterdam is still going to get the full refit, isn't she?

 

What do you think of the Retreat, Jim? Like it?Live and in person, how much was Lower Promenade impacted with the Lanai cabins being added? Were there dedicated deck chairs just for them? Were walkers still able to pass the same as always?

 

Thanks for great photos.

 

 

[JimVrhovac]

There were dedicated chairs with a small brass plate that was hard to see or read. Some of the people in those cabins were upset about that.

 

Don't know about the Rotterdam.

 

It was too cold to see if the Retreat will be well used. It will take couple Caribbean cruises and reviews from there to see what the reception is.

 

What we and most of the Cruise Critic people on board think (discussed during Meet & Greet) WHAT IS THE LOGIC OF THE AREA????? One senior officer told me that corporate did studies on it from perspective of land based resorts but none were done using cruise ased resorts.....

 

If you want a quiet area to relax and get a suntan this is not it as the television is on all the time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Walkers should pass without any problems.

 

Did not go into any of the Lanai cabins.

 

Ruth & Jim

[rkacruiser]

I agree that the red color is a bit "loud". Having been recently on Carnival Freedom with her Seaside Theater (the outdoor MUTS-type of venue), I wonder if the screen on the Veendam is really large enough for whatever is being shown to be easily seen.

[ViolaSwamp]

I would hope that TV is not on during the day. What a distraction that would be!! I would hope that the TV is only on at night.

[jtl513]

Rotterdam is still going to get the full refit, isn't she?

RevNeal's "Flash" said:

 

The Rotterdam will receive the refit in November per-plan (although there is still some question as to the nature of the pool portion of the refit ...they may just be raising the deck and adding a few verandahs and some aft verandahs).

[GeriatricNurse]

Might just be my eye - but I think that red is garish!

I agree! What a God awful colour scheme! Looks like someone's nightmare!

[GeriatricNurse]

Jim, could you smoke at the tables in that area?

 

This is considered and outside deck area and smoking is allowed.

 

Some of the Veendams crew will be on te Rotterdam with us.

 

 

 

Smoking should only be permitted on starboard or port side; NOT everywhere on the deck! NOT FAIR!

[JimVrhovac]

Don't you just love color blind marketing people that come up with unusual ideas and then push tem as the greatest idea since credit cards for you spouse,,,,,

 

Ruth & Jim

[JimVrhovac]

The TV isa on 24 hours a day but will be hard to see te impct of the area until they do some caribbean cruises,

 

Ruth & Jim

[bobpatj]

PLEASE HAL, put the aft pool back on the Rotterdam!!!

[DFD1]

I agree, from your pictures, the red counter seems a bit much.

 

I understand from another post that wind and rough weather caused the pool to overflow enough to wet the carpet in the Lido doorways.

 

Thanks for sharing the pictures. Hope things smooth out for Veendam pretty soon.

[JimVrhovac]

When the Veendam left San Diego for some reason there was a jerk and the fol sent a wave about 12" high (per others) over the side of the pool and got a lot of stuff wet.

 

OOPS OOPS OOPS OOPS OOPS

 

THAN YOU ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS FOR LOOKING AT A LAND BASED ITEM AND PUTTING IT ON A SHIP THAT MOVES --- hello --- ALL SHIPS MOVE AND ROCK.....

 

Ruth & Jim

[GatorV]

What brain decided to put a TV there and leave it on all the time? We go to a casual dinner on land and there is the TV, blaring all the time, in most places, steak joints, chain restaurants etc. I grew up with TV, just now in mid 50's and i cruise for a change of style, and to relax

 

I have been on Veendam twice, old Nordam and Maasdam, plus other HALS.....how very, very sad for us all. The art of quiet is being lost...does HAL really think anyone will look at the web site and say..."OH, lets take a HAL trip because we can sit on deck and watch TV" AND then what do we get the pleasure of watching...CNN, FOX or old sports events?

 

I will still of course cruise HAL but will need to find another place to rest, drink my beer and watch the ships glide through the water... I need a drink

[ScottishMaid]

smoking on aft deck/ the Retreat:

there were ashtrays on the Starboard tables for four but not on the port side. People were honoring that when I took food out to eat.

[Loves to dance]

What brain decided to put a TV there and leave it on all the time? We go to a casual dinner on land and there is the TV, blaring all the time, in most places, steak joints, chain restaurants etc. I grew up with TV, just now in mid 50's and i cruise for a change of style, and to relax

 

I have been on Veendam twice, old Nordam and Maasdam, plus other HALS.....how very, very sad for us all. The art of quiet is being lost...does HAL really think anyone will look at the web site and say..."OH, lets take a HAL trip because we can sit on deck and watch TV" AND then what do we get the pleasure of watching...CNN, FOX or old sports events?

 

I will still of course cruise HAL but will need to find another place to rest, drink my beer and watch the ships glide through the water... I need a drink

 

I hear you on this! Movies scheduled for particular times, OK, but broadcast TV all day long? Sigh... I don't go on vacation to be distracted- I have enough of that in my everyday life. Instead I want peace and quiet and a chance to concentrate on nature or my sweetheart. I guess that we will have to go up another deck for that.

[Himself]

Perhaps if the reaction is negative enough, HAL will just raise the aft pool up to the Lido deck and call it the Sea View Pool.

[Quince]

I hope they use the large TV on deck the way they did on the Carnival Freedom. It wasn't for TV shows. Instead, they showed the port and disembarkation talks on it, so that you didn't have to go to the theater in the middle of the day to get that information. You could lie by the pool, get some sun, and still find out everything you needed to know about the cruise. Plus at night they showed "Dive-in Movies" on the big screen. The big screen was a fun addition to the cruise -- give it a chance!