Amsterdam post-drydock?

Can anyone tell us about what has been changed on Amsterdam during the drydock? I assume most of it is infrastructure (plumbing, air conditioning, carpets, etc), but I am wondering if anything was changed significantly. Someone posted photos of her sister ship, Rotterdam, after drydock & noted that Lanai cabins had been added (confirmed on HAL's deck plan), so I am wondering if they did that on Amsterdam as well.

Rick

She just came out of dry dock on May 12th and started her journey towards Alaska.

So far I haven't seen anyone doing a "Live" thread from her.

I just looked a little more & it appears that Rotterdam has had Lanai cabins for at least a couple of years, so I guess that's not necessarily a harbinger for Amsterdam's recent drydock.

No lanai rooms on the posted staterooms or deck plans on the HAL website for the Amsterdam. Also checked a large cruise booking website and none listed there either. Maybe she escaped that renovation.

I read somewhere on CC that the Volendam was going to redo their hideous iteration of the Explorer's Lounge to what was done on the Amsterdam so perhaps that is one of the changes done in the Amsterdam during the recent dry dock. We'll never know until someone posts that information.

I just looked a little more & it appears that Rotterdam has had Lanai cabins for at least a couple of years, ...

Those cabins were converted during the November, 2009 dry dock.

I was on the last cruise prior to that and remember the preparations during our cruise, especially the last night, very well.

So curious! Please someone on the Amsterdam let us know how she looks since her drydock. What was done? What changes were made? Please send any pictures if you can. How is the internet? Anyone in a Neptune suite towards the stern?

Know you are busy and having a great cruise! Fill us in when you get back on the West coast. Enjoy the Panama Canal.

Copper 10-8 is on there now. I had asked a similar question and my question was apparently mis-phrased and/or otherwise unclear. I am wondering the same thing since I am joining the ship in San Diego in just over a week. :) Cannot wait.

That being said, I will not notice differences, as I have not yet been on a HAL cruise.

By the way... after our trip you can expect a review either here or on our blog, or both. We get to Vancouver 30MAY, and there should be lots of photos....

Thanks so much. Any news/pictures would be fabulous. I have never cruised on the Amsterdam so I would like as much info as possible.

Can't wait to here..

By the way... after our trip you can expect a review either here or on our blog, or both. We get to Vancouver 30MAY, and there should be lots of photos....

I am so impatient! I cannot wait for your report! Have a great time.

I am interested to hear what happened at the drydock. We were on the World Cruise just prior and there were definitely problems that needed to be addressed. I was told while on the ship that they were going to begin to replace a lot of the plumbing (there were many, many leaks with buckets in the hallways on the trip!). They are also replacing carpet and all the mattresses in the cabins. We picked up a number of workmen in Europe near the end of the cruise and as we got off, a lot more were getting on and cranes were loading crates onto the top decks of the ship.

Regarding changing the Prom Deck rooms to Lanai's....they are not doing that. They were going to but the ships that they've done that one...they are not well received so it never got done on the Amsterdam. Thank heavens...she's my favorite ship and putting Lanai's there would have severely reduced the "open" deck chair options!

Linda R.

I will try to ask crew members what was changed, and check for buckets :). I will have a review of my 27-30MAY cruise from San Diego to Vancouver to post either here or on my blog after I get back (may not be straightaway because we will be in Canada for almost a week after arriving)...

If you are just off the Amsterdam give us an idea of what happened during her recent drydock.

Thanks

And has the internet/wi fi system been upgraded?

The WiFi was "upgraded" after the 2013 World Cruise. From what I saw on this years world cruise, it was much slower to nonexistent. Naturally, when you are in the middle of the ocean and there is no landmass around (they don't beam internet to where there are no people.), you won't get any internet. But, I had a hard time using my 1000 min. that I bought due to not even being able to get on near land. Heard lots of people talking about it taking 15 min. to download an email. I ended up using my husbands tablet (he got a local SIM card) to upload my blogs.

I probably won't bother with the ship internet next time; I'll use a SIM card in a tablet or use the $30/month ATT international package.

I felt bad for the librarian, Emily, although she was a saint dealing with the same stuff day after day from people!

Linda R.

And has the internet/wi fi system been upgraded?

The WiFi was "upgraded" after the 2013 World Cruise.

I suspect that Jazmyn was referring to the new system that combines shore towers with the original satellite uplink to provide much faster/cheaper service (when in range of shore towers). I'm not sure whether to hope they have it on Amsterdam or not, we'll be sailing on her this summer, and my kids are like, "no internet, what do you mean no internet?" with a glazed look in their eyes (we would not be buying the minutes package, but we *might* pop for the unlimited package they offer on the upgraded ships).

The internet does not connect to the shore based towers yet. Stein Cruse and Orlando Ashford said that is still planned (sometime in the future, not yet) when they did their yearly visit to the world cruise.

Regarding an "unlimited" package; I've heard nothing about that. Can't imagine HAL offering that....at all. If they did, I shudder to think of what the cost would be.

Linda R.

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Regarding an "unlimited" package; I've heard nothing about that. Can't imagine HAL offering that....at all. If they did, I shudder to think of what the cost would be.

 

Linda R.

We had unlimited WiFi on Westerdam. Very reasonable IMHO. We took the mid range pkg which cost $149 for the first 16 days and $35 for the next 4 days. Worked very well.

I stand corrected! I had no idea that this was available. You'd think that the President and CEO of HAL would have told us this on the world cruise....

Linda R.

We had unlimited WiFi on Westerdam. Very reasonable IMHO. We took the mid range pkg which cost $149 for the first 16 days and $35 for the next 4 days. Worked very well.

Here's the announcement from a little while back about the faster internet:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/3/carnival-corporation-rolls-out-faster-internet/

Greetings. We just got to Vancouver this morning, and I know many were waiting to know what happened during drydock. It is my feeling that the major things that took place were as mentioned by a previous poster. The carpets all looked new, there were no ceiling leaks, and the mattresses (at least in our two cabins) were brand new. (they were dated April or May 2015, as I recall). The mattress was quite firm. DH enjoyed, DW did not.

Beyond those changes, there was nothing notable. The explorer's lounge did not receive the overhaul that some people had been concerned with from previous ships' drydocks. I still intend to get a review out there on here and / or on our blog, but we are still on vacation for a few days, hanging in Vancouver. I promise there are reviews, photos, and videos forthcoming as soon as there is suitable downtime. :)

We were also on the Westerdam. The unlimited internet was available for a daily fee or for the entire cruise (Ft. Lauderdale to San Diego was one cruise and San Diego to Seattle was another). The "Social" package was $49 for the first cruise (not sure on the second because I had to leave the ship) and allowed unlimited access to Facebook, Twitter, etc. There was the $149 package mentioned before and also a faster and more inclusive package that was more expensive but would allow Skype. Since we were considered "Staff" we got the social package for free which turned out to be very useful when a family situation came up and I was able to communicate using Facebook messenger. It will be hard not to have that access on ships where this is not available.

I boarded the Amsterdam today and here is a picture of the Explorers Lounge.