Hollow America Zuiderdam

[Ians Grandma]

Thanks for having the courage to say what I deleted.

 

I don't doubt that the ship has problems in the hottest climates, but I'm skeptical on this report. Did they keep their curtains closed when out of the stateroom? Did they have a fan? Did they prop their door open? Etc... On my recent Zuiderdam trip our outside temperatures were not above 85, so I can't judge the extent of the problem. But proper AC levels is a very individual matter. I am not one that claims all is well, despite the reports. I'm just suggesting that "your mileage may vary."

 

It is instructive to note that many office building set their AC at 78 degrees.

 

Shrimp56, I have always been told that propping a door open causes problems with the AC in other cabins. We were in an aft cabin on the Westerdam and our neighbors always left their sliding door open and propped their cabin door open...we couldn't cool our cabin, nor could our neighbor on our other side. So, perhaps, propping a cabin door open is a bad suggestion. Does anyone know the facts about this issue?

[shrimp56]

Shrimp56, I have always been told that propping a door open causes problems with the AC in other cabins. We were in an aft cabin on the Westerdam and our neighbors always left their sliding door open and propped their cabin door open...we couldn't cool our cabin, nor could our neighbor on our other side. So, perhaps, propping a cabin door open is a bad suggestion. Does anyone know the facts about this issue?

That was exactly why I asked that question. It was a question, not a suggestion.

[Ians Grandma]

That was exactly why I asked that question. It was a question, not a suggestion.

 

Oh, excuse me, I misunderstood. I thought that closing the curtains, getting a fan or propping the door were thoughts that you had to remedy the situation.

[Mtn2Sea]

Oh, excuse me, I misunderstood. I thought that closing the curtains, getting a fan or propping the door were thoughts that you had to remedy the situation.

 

Grandma, you're not the only one who misunderstood.

[shrimp56]

My apologies for a lack of clarity.

 

Sent from my LG-P769 using Forums mobile app

[Aqua's Mom]

We were on the Z for Christmas week in 6056. At the start of the cruise, everything seemed to be working well. On Thursday, Dec. 26, our "air handling system" and that of our area of the ship, was turned completely off for maintenance. We were forewarned by a small, easily overlooked note in our mailbox,that this would be happening from 8am to 5pm. Unfortunately for us, coming in from Half Moon Cay and wanting to get ready for our early dining was a bit steamy. Once the air came back on all was well. Guess they didn't do a great job of fixing it and we "sweated with the oldies" for not.

[MermaidWatcher]

Shrimp56, I have always been told that propping a door open causes problems with the AC in other cabins. We were in an aft cabin on the Westerdam and our neighbors always left their sliding door open and propped their cabin door open...we couldn't cool our cabin, nor could our neighbor on our other side. So, perhaps, propping a cabin door open is a bad suggestion. Does anyone know the facts about this issue?

 

Whatever you do to the door in your cabin has no effect on anyone else. That is just a storyline often given to passengers because it sounds plausible and people tend to accept it.

Unlike a home ac which circulates cold air to rooms through ductwork and can easily be overcome with demand if excess hot air is introduced into the air supply, the ship's system is chilled water.

A chiller unit in an equipment room cools water which is then circulated through a piping loop through whatever zone of the ship that system is for. Each individual cabin has it's own (behind the access panel in the ceiling usually) coil and fan unit, tapping cold water out of the main loop, and running it through the coil, over which the fan blows air, thus cooling the air. The water goes back into the main loop, and back to the chiller, and starts the cycle again. There is no interaction of air between the cabins, and it does not, or should not, matter in a properly designed system if I leave my door open 24/7, my room will of course be hot, but that is all.

The typical design parameters are based on water exiting the chiller at 45 degrees F. and still being 55 degrees when returning to the chiller. So even at the warmest 55 degree temp, the properly operating system should be capable of making any space within its zone uncomfortably chilly. This of course assumes that the system was properly designed in the first place and is properly maintained and able to perform to its designed temperature set points.

Edited January 6, 2014 by MermaidWatcher

[RuthC]

Whatever you do to the door in your cabin has no effect on anyone else. That is just a storyline often given to passengers because it sounds plausible and people tend to accept it.

 

Funny how this "storyline" is given by people in a position to know. It's been explained on here more than once by people who work on the ships.

I'll take their word for it. :rolleyes:

Edited January 6, 2014 by RuthC

[Linda&Vern]

Funny how this "storyline" is given by people in a position to know. It's been explained on here more than once by people who work on the ships.

I'll take their word for it. :rolleyes:

I ditto Ruth ^^^

[zelker]

We were on the Z for Christmas week in 6056. At the start of the cruise' date=' everything seemed to be working well. On Thursday, Dec. 26, our "air handling system" and that of our area of the ship, was turned completely off for maintenance. We were forewarned by a small, easily overlooked note in our mailbox,that this would be happening from 8am to 5pm. Unfortunately for us, coming in from Half Moon Cay and wanting to get ready for our early dining was a bit steamy. Once the air came back on all was well. Guess they didn't do a great job of fixing it and we "sweated with the oldies" for not.[/quote']

 

We have a cabin booked in what might be "that area of the ship", as you describe it, next month. Do you know which cabins specifically were affected? And can you clarify your last two sentences because one makes it sound like it was only an issue the one day and the last sentence makes it sound like you had continuing problems. Thanks.

[California Traveler]

Now I'm really worried - we will be in a aft cabin on deck 6 - I do have medical issues. This is a very special crusie for us celebrating our 20th anniversary. I am praying there will be no problems with our A/C.

 

CT

[Blondebomb]

Now there is some concrete evidence of an A/C problem area on Zuiderdam.

 

Starboard Rotterdam Deck:

 

gigianne- 7077

wpmccoy- 7087

wpmccoy's relatives- 7089

 

Hubby and I are in cabin 7099

 

Sure hope it is not an AREA thing with the AC. We board Z next Monday. Fly Sat to Ft Lauderdale. While it might be a minus 13 degrees here today in Indiana, I sure don't want to be sweating in my room either on vacation.

Susan keeping fingers crossed here in Indiana

[scuba70]

We were in 7089. We kept the balcony door closed and the drapes pulled. Even with the ac problems we decided to stay onboard. We found other places that were cool. It made sleeping at night a problem but it got a little better after we headed west and didn't get the afternoon sun directly on the room. We were told by the staff that the problem was with a number of rooms and was also on several decks. The main problem seemed to be that there was no airflow. They checked the vents, the air ducts and couldn't find the problem.

 

We did like the Pinnacle Grill, the food and service was excellent.

 

Other than the ac problem we enjoyed the cruise.