Report on Zaandam piano bar for Ruth C

[luxurysailer]

Ruth, you said in a post that I initiated concerning dancing on the Zaandam 'round the Horn cruises that you didn't know if it had a piano bar or a piano lounge. I confess that I don't know the difference, but will call this venue a piano bar and tell you what I observed.

 

The piano bar was located on deck 5 adjacent to the sports bar. The performer, Lee Struck, presented entertainment every evening with various name that tune/performer type themes. This was a very popular venue, which made it necessary to arrive early in order to get a seat for the performance. I hope this information is helpful to you.

[RuthC]

Thank you very much for thinking of me, and reporting back! I love to keep track of what's happening on HAL's various piano entertainment areas, so your information is appreciated.

 

I don't recall specifically what I said, but I was probably referring to not knowing if Zaandam had a Piano Lounge or The Mix. Zaandam (none of the R-class ships) ever had a true piano bar; they had piano lounges. The Piano Lounges all had a dance floor, but The Mix does not.

The Amsterdam still does have a Piano Lounge; the Volendam does not. I had not kept up with the status on the Rotterdam or Zaandam. The Piano Lounges on these ships, and the remaining S-class ships, are being converted to The Mix.

With the switchover to Billboard on Board on the Vista/Signature ships, pretty soon there will be no piano bars left on any HAL ships. Sad to say, as they used to be great fun.

[mudscraper]

It is sad to see the Piano Bars being removed on HAL. I suppose Mr. Ashford could remove all the pianists from HAL and install a few player pianos for our enjoyment.

[luxurysailer]

There were no areas on Zaandam specifically designated piano bar or sports bar. Instead, there was one large area on the upper promenade deck located between the midship elevators/stairs and the atrium. This area was designated The Mix and with separate areas serving as the piano bar and sports bar. There was no dance floor in The Mix.

 

HAL has made and continues to make many changes which, in my opinion, are not improvements; but I suppose they're making changes based upon what their market research tells them future cruise customers will want.

 

One other thing I noted on this cruise is that the dress code was absolutely ignored by a very high percentage of passengers.

[RuthC]

There were no areas on Zaandam specifically designated piano bar or sports bar. Instead, there was one large area on the upper promenade deck located between the midship elevators/stairs and the atrium. This area was designated The Mix and with separate areas serving as the piano bar and sports bar. There was no dance floor in The Mix.

Thanks, I have the picture now. I've been on ships with The Mix a few times, so know exactly what it looks (and is) like.