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

[POA1]

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

 

The artist rendering is very helpful. It looks like they are replacing the "crossword tables" with interactive tables. Truth be told, it doesn't look terribly different than the Crow's Nest on the Eurodam. The "sleeping chairs" look to be replaced with the chair / footrest chairs, but most of seating looks to be intact.

 

It looks like the seating in the Explorations Cafe side increases, which would make sense because it overflowed into the regular part of the Crow's Nest on our last few cruises on the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam.

[esimon]

I have an idea -- let's all complain and whine and hate this before any of us even seen the real thing.

[Tinknock50]

The artist rendering is very helpful. It looks like they are replacing the "crossword tables" with interactive tables. Truth be told, it doesn't look terribly different than the Crow's Nest on the Eurodam. The "sleeping chairs" look to be replaced with the chair / footrest chairs, but most of seating looks to be intact.

 

It looks like the seating in the Explorations Cafe side increases, which would make sense because it overflowed into the regular part of the Crow's Nest on our last few cruises on the Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam.

I agree with your take on it.

Am I looking at this wrong, or has the removal of the dance floor and installation of the a smaller bar actually increased the amount of seating area vastly in the center area too? Isn't this more true to the original concept and purpose of an "observation lounge"? Maybe no more packed and nowhere to sit situations on scenery intensive days. Great!

 

(Decor choices and chair comfort to be determined by actual experience with it).

 

So from my own expectations I don't see reason to panic.

Edited March 25, 2017 by Tinknock50

[sevenseasnomad]

Granted the drawings are interior design renderings, but I agree with an earlier post that it resembles a basement rec room, all hard edges and lack of art work. HAL's usual gracious ambiance definitely is lacking. No lovely flower arrangements either, although those seem to be less prevalent on other ships as well. Cut-backs, I suppose, to areas that repeat passengers notice.

 

Dislike that HAL feels the need to muck with a popular spot. Agree with RuthC that whenever we want a seat in the "Nest," we're hard-pressed to find one. The demise of the library with its fairly decent array of choices saddens us too. We've never felt it necessary to drag books from home, as we've always found a good book onboard.

 

I hope the interactive tables work better than those on the Veendam several years ago. All but one was broken the entire week we were aboard. Passengers banged on them repeatedly trying to get them to load properly which could be one of the reasons the tables broke in the first place.

 

Time will tell if this new venue is regarded as a stroke of genius or a monumental flop.

[roses313]

Wonder if trivia will be allowed to be held in this "new age" space? Or perhaps Ashford considers trivia to be "so yesterday"???

[rkacruiser]

Wonder if trivia will be allowed to be held in this "new age" space? Or perhaps Ashford considers trivia to be "so yesterday"???

 

I think your question is an interesting one and surely one that will be worth watching.

 

In my recent HAL cruising experience, Crow's Nest held trivia is very well attended with the Lounge Stewards/Bartenders very busy. Following trivia, Happy Hour began and the Stewards/Bartenders were even more very busy.

 

Even trivia of a variety of types is popular on vessels of Carnival Cruise Lines. If CCL cruisers enjoy such, it is not "so yesterday".

[jhsocal]

Our observation on Westerdam Alaska cruise last July similar to Ruth's experiences. Challenge to find a seat, especially in the afternoon. Agree with Sean, bar area dead until happy hour.

[pris993]

I couldn't have said it better. :(

Change enough of the basics that make HAL gracious and we'll be sashaying away (n)

 

I with you... lets kept HAL the cruise line we all love

[pris993]

these images look like someone has gone to conference vs a vacation... kind of crazy.

[Tinknock50]

Our observation on Westerdam Alaska cruise last July similar to Ruth's experiences. Challenge to find a seat, especially in the afternoon. Agree with Sean, bar area dead until happy hour.

On the plus side, the amount of seating seems to have increased which will help absorb the crowd on scenery days.

[Tampa Girl]

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.

 

Perhaps because you were on a port-intensive Caribbean cruise. We sailed on the O-Dam TA in November, and, trust me, the Crows Nest was usually crowded. And that has been our experience on every HAL cruise we have taken. We are 4* Mariners, so we have had a few cruises under our belt.

[Tinknock50]

Perhaps because you were on a port-intensive Caribbean cruise. We sailed on the O-Dam TA in November, and, trust me, the Crows Nest was usually crowded. And that has been our experience on every HAL cruise we have taken. We are 4* Mariners, so we have had a few cruises under our belt.

Good to hear it was also busy then. So do you think the smaller bar will matter, I mean did people generally sit on the bar stools, or just get served at seating throughout the Crow's Nest? The new configuration includes a bar, judging by the rendering.....and a lot more chairs.

I almost exclusively do Alaska cruises and there are always many up there, but not sitting at the bar. They are looking out the windows at the scenery. Not many people in the evening.

I should have been more precise during my earlier posts. I was referring to lack of crowds at the actual bar .....not the Crow's Nest in general.

Only 3 star here. :)

Edited March 26, 2017 by Tinknock50

[sail7seas]

Good to hear it was also busy then. So do you think the smaller bar will matter, I mean did people generally sit on the bar stools, or just get served at seating throughout the Crow's Nest? The new configuration includes a bar, judging by the rendering.....and a lot more chairs.

I almost exclusively do Alaska cruises and there are always many up there, but not sitting at the bar. They are looking out the windows at the scenery. Not many people in the evening.

I should have been more precise during my earlier posts. I was referring to lack of crowds at the actual bar .....not the Crow's Nest in general.

Only 3 star here. :)

 

 

Ihave spent many an hour siting on many a crows nest bar stool paticularly after dinner . We often were a group of 10+ with some folks sitting, some standing, some in uniform and all of us enjoying.oooh the fun we had, the friends we made the memories I treasure. The laughter, the friendship on those bar stools.

[Tampa Girl]

Good to hear it was also busy then. So do you think the smaller bar will matter, I mean did people generally sit on the bar stools, or just get served at seating throughout the Crow's Nest? The new configuration includes a bar, judging by the rendering.....and a lot more chairs.

I almost exclusively do Alaska cruises and there are always many up there, but not sitting at the bar. They are looking out the windows at the scenery. Not many people in the evening.

I should have been more precise during my earlier posts. I was referring to lack of crowds at the actual bar .....not the Crow's Nest in general.

Only 3 star here. :)

 

 

I don't think it is a matter of the size of the ship. I think it is more a matter of the itinerary and the number of sea days. However, during cocktail and dinner hours, we have found the Crows Nest bar is crowded. We have had some of our best conversations with people that we met at the bar. I hope that the bar is not downsized.

[RuthC]

... I mean did people generally sit on the bar stools, or just get served at seating throughout the Crow's Nest?

Many times I have seen every seat at the Crow's Nest bar filled.

There are times of scenic cruising that it becomes the best seat left in the house! The higher level gives a line of sight over the heads of those standing in the aisles around the chairs.

[jhsocal]

Sean, that was our observation on Alaska cruise. On a related note, have seen bar stools full in Ocean Bar during Happy Hour.

[roses313]

Agree with the comment that the Crow's nest will look like a conference room. Yes, it looks exactly like the conference rooms/meeting rooms we all try to escape from when we head out on a cruise. Does not have a relaxing look at all. Too bad...so sad.

[Tinknock50]

Sorry to hear that so many will miss the bigger bar, but personally I am happy to see the great increase in seating enabled by the removal of the larger bar and the dance floor.

 

I remember my first cruise on the Oosterdam and the cheap looking red and gold wall paper and poorly padded and uncomfortable tub chairs in the Ocean Bar. I am very observant of bad design, but I really don't remember it affecting my overall enjoyment of the cruise. ( I sailed her at least 3 times)

 

And who can forget the advent of the Zuiderdam and the shock from HAL fans at all the bright colors. No one talks about that anymore. Did they just get used to it or just learn to like it? ( Or maybe not much attention is paid to older ships?)

[pris993]

some of the best cruise evenings were spent listening and dancing to a 3 piece combo in the crows nest, I guess the only cruise line to offer this any more is cunard... with no dance floor that will not be an option on HAL

[rkacruiser]

TincKnock50, Re: your comment about the Zuiderdam--

 

I do remember the comments about the "bordello red" interior when she entered service.

 

Of the Vista Class vessels, and I have not sailed on Oosterdam so I cannot judge her decor, I am of the opinion that the Noordam has the most pleasant decor of the ships.

[Tinknock50]

TincKnock50, Re: your comment about the Zuiderdam--

 

I do remember the comments about the "bordello red" interior when she entered service.

 

Of the Vista Class vessels, and I have not sailed on Oosterdam so I cannot judge her decor, I am of the opinion that the Noordam has the most pleasant decor of the ships.

I had the pleasure of one night aboard the Noordam. I loved the beautiful traditional look instead of the modern decor of her sisters!

 

Which brings up another question, Are these redos of decor always exactly the same on each ship? I am not referring to the reconfiguration of rooms, but the furnishings.

[rkacruiser]

I had the pleasure of one night aboard the Noordam. I loved the beautiful traditional look instead of the modern decor of her sisters!

 

Which brings up another question, Are these redos of decor always exactly the same on each ship? I am not referring to the reconfiguration of rooms, but the furnishings.

 

Excellent question, but I have no answer. It would be interesting to hear from CC Members who have traveled on the ships pre- and post decor refreshments.

[doone]

Hate the idea. I wish they would bring back live entertainment to the Crowe's Nest, that's when you will see it fill up again. But this new adventure I vote as a failure and a huge waste of money. Who thinks up some of these silly things, time to get rid of that department😡.

 

HAL are you listening, most of us are not fans of this ridiculous change to the Crowe's Nest.

[vino100]

If you want to post full size pictures, put them on something like shutterfly, or some other similar site .. It is very easy to transport pictures to Cruise Critic from there.

 

I hope you will focus on window space and the seating near it to get an idea if the improvements are blocking them.

Have never done ****terfly ,but will try to figure it out. Does Tapa talk work ?

[Randyk47]

Hate the idea. I wish they would bring back live entertainment to the Crowe's Nest, that's when you will see it fill up again. But this new adventure I vote as a failure and a huge waste of money. Who thinks up some of these silly things, time to get rid of that department😡.

 

HAL are you listening, most of us are not fans of this ridiculous change to the Crowe's Nest.

 

Exactly and thank you.