Koningsdam Library

During a recent "Ask The Captain" session on board the Koningsdam, the captain said the ship is due its first guarantee dry docking in November 2018.

During dry docking they plan to introduce a proper library. This announcement got a round of applause from the audience.

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That should make a lot of people happy. There has been a lot of negative comments here on the lack of a proper library on her. Just did a cruise on the NA and noticed a lot of empty spaces on the book shelves. There were books but a lot more reference material. I guess we'll have to wait & see.

Allan

That is good news.

Wonder if HAL will bring back the librarians????

Also -- what is HAL going to do about the ships -- like the Westerdam -- where the library is gone??

That is good news.

Wonder if HAL will bring back the librarians????

Also -- what is HAL going to do about the ships -- like the Westerdam -- where the library is gone??

No problem. HAL is always reinventing areas.

When I was on the Koningsdam in March, one of the biggest complaints was there was no library. I like the idea of the library being brought back.

No problem. HAL is always reinventing areas.

That and the fact they need a space to put Oprah's book selections in ;p

I'm going to get a lot of hate for the following I'm sure. Although I enjoy real books in my hands, if I were going on an extended cruise, I'd rather control my destiny and load my kindle or equivalent with as many as I thought I'd need. I don't know how long it would take to download an ebook with shipboard internet, but I reserve almost everything I read in hardback from our Public Library, and about every title is available in ebook as well.

BTW, I can barely use a smart phone!

I'm going to get a lot of hate for the following I'm sure. Although I enjoy real books in my hands, if I were going on an extended cruise, I'd rather control my destiny and load my kindle or equivalent with as many as I thought I'd need. I don't know how long it would take to download an ebook with shipboard internet, but I reserve almost everything I read in hardback from our Public Library, and about every title is available in ebook as well.

BTW, I can barely use a smart phone!

We never travel without our e-books. Nonetheless, particularly on a long cruise, it is so nice to be able to walk into the library and browse and try out new authors. Apparently, many others feel the same since HAL seems, hopefully, to be backtracking on its library-less ships.

That and the fact they need a space to put Oprah's book selections in ;p

I can see it now - small but select collection. What is the Dewey decimal number for "O?"

If holland insists on removing or downsizing libraries MAYE they would / could at least create an area with a bunch of empty bookselves for a much more active take one/leave one system.....If every passenger would just bring and leave one paperback etc it would not take long to have several thousand books available...at ZERO cost to HAL.

I started sailing with HAL in2008 on the small ships which have superb libraries. Ships are almost the only place I will read a book and I found a great selection on HAL. The Koningsdam was a big disappointment, no books, no magazines! Bring back the library!

I don't think there were any librarians. Just clerks who worked in library--checking out books and checking them in.

I don't think there were any librarians. Just clerks who worked in library--checking out books and checking them in.

I've never seen "clerks" working in the libraries. I think HAL considered anyone checking books in/out to be the librarians.

I was on a HAL cruise perhaps two years ago and had a conversation with the librarian. I was amazed to learn, at least on that cruise that her only duty was to be a librarian. i have noticed librarians in the manning the area where people boarded the tenders.