Changes to Crow's Nest, starting with the Westerdam (two threads merged.See post #29)

[rkacruiser]

WISCruiser's beginning post is the first that appears to directly link this change in the Crow's Nest to President Ashford's decisions. Assuming that the information is correct, in addition to posting your objections on CC, snail mail and e-mails to Mr. Ashford expressing your concerns seems appropriate to me. Contacts with Stein Kruse, who is Mr. Ashford's superior, are in order as well. And, if you are a shareholder of CCL, there is information in the Proxy Statement or Annual Report as to how to contact the Lead Director of the Board to express your concerns. A cc of such a letter to CEO Arnold Donald wouldn't hurt either.

[kangforpres]

Overall, I appreciate HAL's attempts at becoming more modern like the Music Walk. I think as a compromise they should keep the comfy chairs in the Crow's Nest where people read and fall asleep in them. Since that is a really popular spot for many on Sea days. R & S and Signature ships I guess will not change their Crow's Nest at all?

 

-Paul

[catl331]

I didn't care for the Crow's Nest on Koningsdam. The chairs were like dollhouse chairs-small and close to the floor. Obviously not wanting Seniors to use the room anymore. Trying to get the younger crowd. HAL: Bye Bye

[Copper10-8]

Will this be the first of the Vista class ships to be changed? Hope they do not change the )0osterdam before our Fall cruise.

 

Yes; W-dam will be the 1st Vista. O-dam was in dry-dock last year so, No, not yet. Looks like, besides W-dam, Nieuw A will also get the conversion this year. The other ship in dry-dock this year is an "R"-class, Rotterdam, so we shall see if this thing will go on the smaller ships also

Noordam has her Explorations Cafe "downstairs" on Deck 3/Promenade Deck, so it'll be interesting to see if, during her next dry-dock (she had her last one in 2015) there will be some major changes to that

[HUNKY]

Even during two-for-one Happy Hour on Koningsdam, the Crow's Nest was never full. I imagine on smaller ships this redo might take up too much space. The design looks similar to the Viking Ocean ships.

 

I do like the Hub and Virtual Bridge info!

[Tinknock50]

Forget it! We were recently on the renovated Oosterdam. The dance floor had gone away, as well as live music in the Crows Nest. According to the artist's drawing, provided in an earlier post, it doesn't even reflect a bar. Awful, awful, awful! The Crows Nest and the wrap around promenade were the two best features of the HAL ships. Apparently the K-dam has done away with the former, and now the Crows Nest is going away. Oh, forgot to mention the former library.

 

How about the areas where you could just sit and enjoy the view? How was that affected with the changes?

 

Any pictures you could share?

[Maureenxx]

Not another "improvement"! Like most of you we really enjoy our time in the Crow's Nest just watching the sea and relaxing. That used to be what cruising was about. Apparently now it about plugging into devices. Horrible!! If Ashford is so good at technology he should concentrate on getting good internet service on his ships. Obviously his new ideas are not being met with good feelings by the long-term, loyal fans of HAL. If all these new ideas become fleetwide we will be trying to hopefully find another cruise line with medium size ships that are still lovely and quiet and looking for customers who just like to enjoy the ocean and explore new places. That's what drew us to HAL in the first place. Hope everyone will comment on these changes on their next cruise.

[Maureenxx]

Agree,agree, agree!!!

[Tinknock50]

Judging by this picture , my concerns have been lessened. I think the relaxing scenery viewing will be safe.

[Tinknock50]

Unless....the area right of this picture has some sort of giant screen....but I am thinking they would show that if that is the case.

[rkacruiser]

Judging by this picture , my concerns have been lessened. I think the relaxing scenery viewing will be safe.

 

The area known as The Captain's Corner on the aft Port Side of the Crow's Nest appears to be replaced by Theater EXC. Some pleasant viewing area dedicated for that space, as well as small group gatherings (i.e. LBTG groups, travel agency groups, Maiden Port Call receptions, Cruise Critic Roll Call meetings, et al?) will loose such a pleasant space,

[sail7seas]

Yes; W-dam will be the 1st Vista. O-dam was in dry-dock last year so, No, not yet. Looks like, besides W-dam, Nieuw A will also get the conversion this year. The other ship in dry-dock this year is an "R"-class, Rotterdam, so we shall see if this thing will go on the smaller ships also

Noordam has her Explorations Cafe "downstairs" on Deck 3/Promenade Deck, so it'll be interesting to see if, during her next dry-dock (she had her last one in 2015) there will be some major changes to that

 

 

 

IMO, Noordam has the est EXp Cafe, library in the fleet and it is, indeed located beautifully.

[igraf]

A comprehensive study was most likely, considering the value of a cruise ship fleet.

 

Appeared to be so on our last cruise. The Crow's nest was pretty much a ghost town.

 

Probably. Shore excursions are a significant revenue source.

 

HAL seems to think otherwise. I personally think that the new designs are better than people falling asleep in the old view chairs.

 

igraf

 

 

 

I wonder what study (if any) was done by HAL to determine if this change was warranted? Was the Crow's Nest underutilized by passengers? Will this result in more sales for shore excursions? There seems to be little justification for the change that has been publicized by HAL.

[Manhattan Cruiser]

Terrible idea except for a decent library area.... a comfy ,attractive observation lounge is a big plus on ships,and has been traditional on HAL and Cunard. This and the other changes I have been seeing on HAL will,sadly, make me seriously reconsider sailing with them in the future.Very unfortunate decisions.

[dogo88]

How about the areas where you could just sit and enjoy the view? How was that affected with the changes?

 

Any pictures you could share?

We were on the 3/10-3/17 cruise. Absolutely loved the upgrades they did to the Oosterdam. Wide screen TVs and USB charging in the rooms. Lot's of digital access via the TV. Smoking was not noticeable. Was a nice change. Felt like HAL got into the current century. But upgrades were not overpowering. Just felt like a different ship. We were impressed enough to rethink future cruises with HAL.

 

Crow's Nest didn't have a lot of changes.Looked the same to us. Every time we stopped by, most every afternoon, it was empty. No pics. Didn't need to make any. Room was usually empty. Which is probably the reason for the changes. While I understand a lot of folks like to sit up there and watch the seas. In most times we stopped up there very few people were there. It's a large space underutilized.

 

Dan

[daisybertie]

Not another "improvement"! Like most of you we really enjoy our time in the Crow's Nest just watching the sea and relaxing. That used to be what cruising was about. Apparently now it about plugging into devices. Horrible!! If Ashford is so good at technology he should concentrate on getting good internet service on his ships. Obviously his new ideas are not being met with good feelings by the long-term, loyal fans of HAL. If all these new ideas become fleetwide we will be trying to hopefully find another cruise line with medium size ships that are still lovely and quiet and looking for customers who just like to enjoy the ocean and explore new places. That's what drew us to HAL in the first place. Hope everyone will comment on these changes on their next cruise.

Couldn't agree more.

[c-cruise]

Agreed. The Crow's Nest is probably one of the least used spaces on the ship except at Happy Hour. I'm willing to wait and see.

 

Totally agree, virtually no reason to go up to the Crows Nest now so adding anything of interest to the space would be an improvement. Really wish they would move the Explorations Cafe out of this space to someplace more conveniently located.

[Tinknock50]

We were on the 3/10-3/17 cruise. Absolutely loved the upgrades they did to the Oosterdam. Wide screen TVs and USB charging in the rooms. Lot's of digital access via the TV. Smoking was not noticeable. Was a nice change. Felt like HAL got into the current century. But upgrades were not overpowering. Just felt like a different ship. We were impressed enough to rethink future cruises with HAL.

 

Crow's Nest didn't have a lot of changes.Looked the same to us. Every time we stopped by, most every afternoon, it was empty. No pics. Didn't need to make any. Room was usually empty. Which is probably the reason for the changes. While I understand a lot of folks like to sit up there and watch the seas. In most times we stopped up there very few people were there. It's a large space underutilized.

 

Dan

I think the itinerary is what makes a difference. Alaska has been pretty much my only destination in recent years and the Crow's Nest gets lots use for scenery watching, especially if the weather is bad. Alaska is very scenery intensive. When I noticed the Crow's Nest is dead was when they have a late night Disco and it is mostly crew up there trying to make a party because very few passengers attended.

[Scrapnana]

I certainly hope they don't put in that "crazy quilt" carpeting that is shown in the drawings! That is enough to make you seasick even without the ship moving.:eek:

 

If they took the bar out the area would be utilized even less. Although I couldn't see one in the drawings, a bar was mentioned in some info we had seen previously.

[Tinknock50]

Judging by this picture , my concerns have been lessened. I think the relaxing scenery viewing will be safe.

 

I certainly hope they don't put in that "crazy quilt" carpeting that is shown in the drawings! That is enough to make you seasick even without the ship moving.:eek:

 

If they took the bar out the area would be utilized even less. Although I couldn't see one in the drawings, a bar was mentioned in some info we had seen previously.

 

The small bar appears to be mid-picture, near the top.

 

I have never seen the current bar full of people, at least during the day.

[catl331]

I think the itinerary is what makes a difference.

On the day we cruised Greenland's Prins Christian Sund the Crow's Nest was full before sunrise and stayed that way all day!

[bobchico]

Will the NA get this new Crow's Nest during its drydock in Dec?

[RuthC]

On the day we cruised Greenland's Prins Christian Sund the Crow's Nest was full before sunrise and stayed that way all day!

Agreed. Every time I've sailed through the Sund I couldn't get a seat near the front.

Same was true in Antarctica, rounding Cape Horn, the Panama Canal, and too many other places to count.

Add in bad weather sea days, where the Crow's Nest is jam-packed with people reading, and I have seen that room too full to find a place to sit.

[cruzngal]

After looking at the design drawings, I don't see any loss of windows. If you think about it, even for a minute, you can pretty much rest assured that a cruise ship isn't going to give up windows. That would make no sense whatsoever.

 

I'm laying two to one odds that the Crow's Nest will not lose windows. Email me with your bets. :D

 

You're right, I see the windows are still there in the Library photo. Seating seems to be reduced, and less comfortable. I get what they are trying to do, but until there are climbing walls and water slides (:rolleyes:) this kind of stuff is going to be a waste of space. And at the point where they've got the water slides and climbing walls, I'll be looking for another cruise line.

[Randyk47]

After years of bad decisions that slowly but surely degraded the Crow's Nest I think they've finally hit the low point short of boarding it up and making it storage. The Crow's Mess would be more appropriate.