New Holland America ship takes to the water

[Boytjie]

"Holland America's next ship took to the water this week for the first time.The 2,650-passenger Koningsdam on Thursday was "floated out" from a dry dock at Fincantieri's Maghera shipyard near Venice, Italy. The vessel is scheduled to debut in April 2016.

 

The initial stages of a cruise ship's construction take place in a dry dock facility. Once exterior outfitting is completed, the dry dock is flooded and the ship is floated to a wet dock where construction continues."

 

[more..]

 

 

And then I looked at the date... old news. Oops

Edited June 22, 2015 by Boytjie

[sail7seas]

Exciting. :)

[sppunk]

Yah she's been out since March. I haven't seen a new photo of her since the second week of March.

 

Great job, HAL!

[Krazy Kruizers]

That is great.

[Langoustine]

My wife and I saw her last month from the train as we went from Florence to Venice. Very impressive---and large. I think I prefer the smaller ships, but different strokes...

Edited June 22, 2015 by Langoustine

[Tante Amalie]

Every time I see an announcement about the K-dam, I feel a twinge of sadness.

 

Welcome to the future of HAL. Giant impersonal ships that will inevitably be pushed into shorter generic cruises. For those of you who like waiting in lines and being treated like sardines, congratulations on the new Holland America. The rest of us will be busy looking for different cruise lines and a higher quality experience.

[pv girl]

Every time I see an announcement about the K-dam, I feel a twinge of sadness.

 

Welcome to the future of HAL. Giant impersonal ships that will inevitably be pushed into shorter generic cruises. For those of you who like waiting in lines and being treated like sardines, congratulations on the new Holland America. The rest of us will be busy looking for different cruise lines and a higher quality experience.

 

It is sad when folks are so negative before trying something. We are all anxious to hear reports from the first cruisers, and I will reserve opinions and judgements until then.

 

I think it is just the right size for a new ship - has to be larger than existing S and R ships to offer all the different venues. 2600 isn't all that large when compared to the new mega RCC ships. My one trip away from HAL on Ruby Princess - a little over 3000 - and the only crowding was when the show let out and everyone went down one hallway to exit. MDR was spacious and lovely, even buffet wasn't too bad at breakfast rush - we always found a seat.

 

And yes, it will probably be used for shorter trips - that is where the money-making is. They could not fill it for a 30day or longer voyage. So we have the smaller ships for that - HAL has a good mix and a good plan.

Edited June 23, 2015 by pv girl
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[sppunk]

Every time I see an announcement about the K-dam, I feel a twinge of sadness.

 

Welcome to the future of HAL. Giant impersonal ships that will inevitably be pushed into shorter generic cruises. For those of you who like waiting in lines and being treated like sardines, congratulations on the new Holland America. The rest of us will be busy looking for different cruise lines and a higher quality experience.

 

Um have you not seen her schedules cruises? She is still a medium sized cruise ship, on the smaller side of that even.

[Boytjie]

It is sad when folks are so negative before trying something.

 

I remember the wailing that was going on before the Eurodam was launched and some of those became fans of the Signature class. The same thing happened on Cunard with QM2.

[Tante Amalie]

By today's standards, the K-Dam is a medium sized ship. If your standard of comparison is the mega ships of RCCI, then the new ship is not particularly big. My fear is that this will be the future of HAL. The R and S class ships will be retired through attrition or sales and HAL's fleet will become larger and larger ships over time. This inevitably leads to a lower ratio of public space to cabin space and a general feeling of crowding. Whether you are waiting for a tender, going to the gym, standing in line at the Lido, looking for a seat in the theater or trying to find a lounger at the pool, it all comes down to a feeling of scarcity and competition for limited resources. I don't like to spend my vacation that way.

 

I've always felt that HAL's strength was offering exotic itineraries on longer cruises. This won't be possible on the new generation of ships. They will have to offer trips for the least common denominator--- like week long Caribbean or Alaskan trips to the same old ports over and over again. It's the only way to keep load factors at a high level. I'm sorry to see HAL move into the cattle call segment of cruising. I hope I'm wrong, but I doubt it.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I remember the wailing that was going on before the Eurodam was launched and some of those became fans of the Signature class. The same thing happened on Cunard with QM2.

 

When I first started reading the HAL board just prior to actually joining CC it was right before the Zuiderdam came out. Oh My, I can remember so much complaining and people that were extremely skeptical of the Vista Class ship. Many of the posts are what kept me from almost not booking our 2nd cruise to be our first HAL cruise which was on the Zuiderdam. I am thankful that I took so many of the posts with a grain of salt. :)

[GUT2407]

Every time I see an announcement about the K-dam, I feel a twinge of sadness.

 

Welcome to the future of HAL. Giant impersonal ships that will inevitably be pushed into shorter generic cruises. For those of you who like waiting in lines and being treated like sardines, congratulations on the new Holland America. The rest of us will be busy looking for different cruise lines and a higher quality experience.

 

 

Unfortunately it seems to be the way they are all heading, look at the monstrosities Carnival have announced across a few of their brands, 6,600 PAX 180,000 tons, how many ports will be able to cope.

[GUT2407]

Delete duplicate

Edited June 23, 2015 by GUT2407

[Himself]

When I first started reading the HAL board just prior to actually joining CC it was right before the Zuiderdam came out. Oh My, I can remember so much complaining and people that were extremely skeptical of the Vista Class ship. Many of the posts are what kept me from almost not booking our 2nd cruise to be our first HAL cruise which was on the Zuiderdam. I am thankful that I took so many of the posts with a grain of salt. :)

 

Good point Lisa! It took me a long time to adjust to the Vista class ships and I felt the same way when the Eurodam came out. I tried it and found it to be okay. When the Nieuw Amsterdam came out I tried it for the heck of it. I did it because my first cruise was on the old Nieuw Amsterdam. She became my favorite ship and still is my favorite ship.

 

I am anxious to try the Koningsdam! If I find I do not like it, I don't have to sail her again.

[Tante Amalie]

When I first started reading the HAL board just prior to actually joining CC it was right before the Zuiderdam came out. Oh My, I can remember so much complaining and people that were extremely skeptical of the Vista Class ship. Many of the posts are what kept me from almost not booking our 2nd cruise to be our first HAL cruise which was on the Zuiderdam. I am thankful that I took so many of the posts with a grain of salt. :)

 

Not all of us are fans of the larger Cunard ships or the HAL Vista/Signature classes. My fears were realized for them and the Pinnacle class will take this trend a step further. You will have a large increase in the number of cabins combined with a slight increase in public space. The result is predictable. Some people don't mind waiting in lines or crowding. I wish I were more patient, but those things really bother me on vacation.

 

If you look at the itineraries for the larger HAL ships, they are quite different from the smaller R/S classes. If that's what you're looking for... great. I try to avoid them if at all possible. I'm at the point in my travel career that I'm looking for exotic and interesting ports. I've been to the standard places multiple times and don't need to keep repeating them.

 

Perhaps I will be pleasantly surprised with the K-dam, but I really doubt it.

[Copper10-8]

It appears the Front Office has been moved up two decks (compared to the Vistas and Signatures)to Prom Deck/Deck3 opposite the Dutch Café. Shorex stays on Deck 1 but is now in the center with meeting rooms (Hudson & Half Moon) on both sides. There are shops on both Deck 2 and Deck 3. Plus there's a regular size Queen's Lounge on Plaza Deck/Deck 2 and a smaller Queen's Lounge on Prom Deck/Deck 3

[Himself]

It appears the Front Office has been moved up two decks (compared to the Vistas and Signatures)to Prom Deck/Deck3 opposite the Dutch Café. Shorex stays on Deck 1 but is now in the center with meeting rooms (Hudson & Half Moon) on both sides. There are shops on both Deck 2 and Deck 3. Plus there's a regular size Queen's Lounge on Plaza Deck/Deck 2 and a smaller Queen's Lounge on Prom Deck/Deck 3

 

Friend:

 

Where will the Chaplain's Cabin be? Thanks for the information.

[Copper10-8]

Friend:

 

Where will the Chaplain's Cabin be? Thanks for the information.

 

Where is that cabin on the OSDM Father?

[Himself]

Where is that cabin on the OSDM Father?

 

It is in the port hallway on the Navigation Deck. However on the Eurodam and the Nieuw Amsterdam it is in the port hallway on the Panorama Deck.

[Copper10-8]

It is in the port hallway on the Navigation Deck. However on the Eurodam and the Nieuw Amsterdam it is in the port hallway on the Panorama Deck.

 

Could be either location on KODM; only time will tell ;)

[Himself]

Could be either location on KODM; only time will tell ;)

 

Thanks John. I love the cabin on the Eurodam and the Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

By the way John, this ahs been a great sail. The Whales are always near Captain Pieter Bos's sailing. He is a master at finding the Whales.

[Stakeout]

When I first started reading the HAL board just prior to actually joining CC it was right before the Zuiderdam came out. Oh My, I can remember so much complaining and people that were extremely skeptical of the Vista Class ship. Many of the posts are what kept me from almost not booking our 2nd cruise to be our first HAL cruise which was on the Zuiderdam. I am thankful that I took so many of the posts with a grain of salt. :)

 

still complaining here.. was on the Zuiderdam in January after getting off the Maasdam on a back to back.. 2nd time for us on the 'Z'-- was on it when it first came out only because we won a free cruise on it..what a mess that ship is.. that's all I'll say.. it starts with its being bigger and goes downhill from there.. if HAL convinces all its pax that bigger is better even after all those years they insisted they would never go 'big' they'll believe that hiring a new top dog with no experience in the cruise industry is better also--read his letter in this month's Mariner's Magazine.. it all comes down to making more money--- and bigger ships = more profit.. unfortunately it means HAL's days of smaller ships and the better more personal cruising experience is over so enjoy them while you can

[Tante Amalie]

I get the feeling that a lot of HAL passengers are in denial about this new generation of ships. They seem to think that the new big ships will offer the same cruise experience they have become accustomed to, but in a larger package. I really doubt that will happen. The small ships that many of us love will become a thing of the past and the new ships are likely to be impersonal and crowded. Yes, the new ship will be shiny and modern at first. But that will be small consolation when dealing with crowds and lines once on board. It really surprises me to see excitement about this new class of vessel. I feel sad every time I see an announcement about the K-Dam.

[sppunk]

I get the feeling that a lot of HAL passengers are in denial about this new generation of ships. They seem to think that the new big ships will offer the same cruise experience they have become accustomed to, but in a larger package. I really doubt that will happen. The small ships that many of us love will become a thing of the past and the new ships are likely to be impersonal and crowded. Yes, the new ship will be shiny and modern at first. But that will be small consolation when dealing with crowds and lines once on board. It really surprises me to see excitement about this new class of vessel. I feel sad every time I see an announcement about the K-Dam.

 

Our best HAL cruise were on Eurodam and Westerdam.

 

Veendam and in some ways Rotterdam paled in comparison and we're just as crowded. With less space to go.

 

A lot of us disagree with your premise.

[GUT2407]

I get the feeling that a lot of HAL passengers are in denial about this new generation of ships. They seem to think that the new big ships will offer the same cruise experience they have become accustomed to, but in a larger package. I really doubt that will happen. The small ships that many of us love will become a thing of the past and the new ships are likely to be impersonal and crowded. Yes, the new ship will be shiny and modern at first. But that will be small consolation when dealing with crowds and lines once on board. It really surprises me to see excitement about this new class of vessel. I feel sad every time I see an announcement about the K-Dam.

 

 

I dont want shiny and modern I want wood and glass and character.

 

But I think that is almost gone