Say it isnt so! Rotterdam

[shipcafe]

[quote name='PSR']We used to love the forward 'secret' decks on the HAL ships. Why does the new "improvement" cover 3 decks? the gym is only on 1 deck. It does look bad, but alot of the other cruise lines have that front. But that's why we choose HAL instead. We love to look at the sea. If you want an indoor gym you can stay home. May have to look at cruise lines that still want to have ships....but it seems that that choice is getting smaller and costlier. May just have to stay nearer to home and do a land vacation. Wish they would ask their long time passengers what they would prefer. We started in 1987 when we could first afford it, but don't like the direction the cruise lines are going. it used to be unique, but now everything is a land vacation at sea. We used to go to Vancouver BC 2 times a year before we started cruising. We may go back.

Penny :([/QUOTE]

[font=Book Antiqua][color=blue]The Greenhouse Spa does not consume more than the one deck the Ocean Spa has previously. She merely extends forward. Forward-looking observation decks still exist just below the Greenhouse Spa.[/color][/font]

[BernardNL]

More pictures over here: [url]http://www.aadhoogesteger.nl/cruiseschepen/rd070805pagina1.html[/url]

[mariner]

I vote no to the change.

I does have shades of QM2 and the NORWAY refit. I'm glad Ill be aboard MAASDAM before she gets her SOE facelift.

I just hope it doesn't change the view from the Crow's.

Yes, S7S, I'm sure it's like the spa on the Z-class ships, where you pay to use the thermals and Turkish baths. Too bad they couldn't have found somewhere else to put it.

I wonder if changing the bridge screen will cost them fuel efficiency or create new wind drafts.

[PSR]

[quote name='shipcafe'][font=Book Antiqua][color=blue]The Greenhouse Spa does not consume more than the one deck the Ocean Spa has previously. She merely extends forward. Forward-looking observation decks still exist just below the Greenhouse Spa.[/color][/font][/QUOTE]

Glad to hear that! From the picture I saw it looked like the new portion went three decks down.

Penny

[allen.crawford]

We aren't clear from the comments here, but is the gym bigger? Or was it just the spas that were enlarged?

[bruceh4]

[quote name='allen.crawford']We aren't clear from the comments here, but is the gym bigger? Or was it just the spas that were enlarged?[/QUOTE]The gym was enlarged and a new thermal suite was installed in the area that was the aerobics area.

[Copper10-8]

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=navy]Just came off the Roterdam on Friday and agree with everyone who says it's ugly! It did nothing for the clean lines of the ship! The gym is bigger but, like many have alreday written, it was primarily done to expand/introduce the Greenhouse Spa[/color][/size][/font]

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=navy]Added a couple of pics below[/color][/size][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=#000080][/color][/size][/font]

[Copper10-8]

[quote name='BernardNL']More pictures over here: [url="http://www.aadhoogesteger.nl/cruiseschepen/rd070805pagina1.html"]http://www.aadhoogesteger.nl/cruiseschepen/rd070805pagina1.html[/url][/QUOTE]

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=navy]Hartstikke bedankt voor die goeie fotos van de Rotterdam! Ik zat er op als passagier op de dag dat je ze maakte![/color][/size][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=navy][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=navy]Het beste![/color][/size][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=navy][/color][/size][/font]
[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=navy]JP[/color][/size][/font]

[bepsf]

[size=3][font=Georgia]...Since when did [i]Phillip Johnson[/i] become a [i]Naval Architect[/i]?:rolleyes:

...it looks like HAL welded one of his Mies-ian glass houses to the roof (note the vast picture windows) and painted it white...

Does anyone else think that the new aft deckhouses enclosing the new Club HAL is just too big too?


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[RevNeal]

[quote name='BernardNL']More pictures over here: [url]http://www.aadhoogesteger.nl/cruiseschepen/rd070805pagina1.html[/url][/QUOTE]

Excellent photos. Thanks!.

Does anyone know what THESE are?

[IMG]http://idisk.mac.com/revneal/Public/depthcharges.jpg[/IMG]

Dad calls the the "Depth Charges" ... because that's kinda what they look like. I agree .. they remind me of the the old WW2 Depth charges they used to roll off the back of Tin Cans (aka "Destroyers").

[mariner]

Those are life rafts Rev. They hit the water and open up and the raft inflates (or so the theory goes). That's what the crew would use in the event of an emergency.

[RevNeal]

That's interesting ... I had always thought that they might be transponder buoys. They kinda look like that too.

[PRINSENDAM]

[quote name='mariner']Those are life rafts Rev. They hit the water and open up and the raft inflates (or so the theory goes). That's what the crew would use in the event of an emergency.[/QUOTE]


Hi Mariner,

Actually they don't inflate on hitting the water. They have a small diameter rope coiled up inside... when this is pulled out to it's full length it opens the Co2 bottle and the raft inflates. One end of the line remains attached to the ship so that if one forgets to pull the line all the way out, the sinking ship will! No, it won't pull the raft under because inside the raft the rope it attached by a 'weak link'.

Just in case there is no crew there to put the rafts overboard they are each fitted with hydrostatic releases which will releast the raft as the ship sink. There are enough rafts on board for all the crew plus a lot of passengers should they all not make it into the boats.

Rev Neal.... Why depth charges? Whu not 'mines'? For the NCL ships following astern?:eek:

Stephen

[RevNeal]

[QUOTE]Rev Neal.... Why depth charges? Whu not 'mines'? For the NCL ships following astern?[/QUOTE]

:D
LOL ... not bad! Not bad at all!
Now ... what kind of "games" can we think up that would involve the Club HAL Kids and these raft-canesters???

"Here ... young man ... hold onto this rope." ;)

[arzz]

Oh, yeah! Who said those things are "rafts" -- we have been sure for years that they are depth charges -- we assume to be used to make artificial waves so that the HAL kids who are trolling the water at the rear can practice their surf boarding skills -- or are they for the crew to use while fishing for our dinners?

[mariner]

We've decided a long time ago. we'll get off with the crew and we'll sing the theme from the ``Love Boat'' as they inflate.

[PRINSENDAM]

Back in the 1930s a British Member of Parliament was heard to say that he would never cross the Atlantic in British ship. He always sailed on 'foreign' ships. When asked why he replied, "Because foreogn ships don't have any of that silly "Women & children first!" nonsense!":)


Stephen

[zlato]

Where is Neptune when you need him? Where are the sailing gods of yesteryear? Are they sleeping? Are they aware of the continuing trend at HAL to compromise beauty with efficiency (in the guise of modernization)? Alas, alas: while the old gods slumber, the high priests of profit have seized the temples!

[bobpatj]

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but is the forward deck on 6 gone, too? That was/is such a great viewing area. Is this what will be done to the Amsterdam. too? Boo!

[bruceh4]

[quote name='bobpatj']It's hard to tell from the pictures, but is the forward deck on 6 gone, too? That was/is such a great viewing area. Is this what will be done to the Amsterdam. too? Boo![/QUOTE]The only deck effected by this change is the lido deck in front of the gym. In order to install the thermal spa they had to extend the front of the gym, thus eliminating the observation deck. There is still a small area of observation deck on either side of the extension. The deck below that is the bridge which of course was not effected nor were any decks below the bridge. As for the Amsterdam, she will be going into drydock the end of Sept and it remains to be seen what changes they will make, but because the Rotterdam and Amsterdam are the same class ship there is no reason to believe that she will not recieve the same UGLY change.l I will find out on Oct 6th when we board for the Asia Pacific cruise.