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Nieuw Amsterdam Dry Dock

luvn2cruzzz

By luvn2cruzzz,
in Holland America Line

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lastlook

lastlook

Posted
Posted
We only caught the tail end of BB King one night so don't really have an opinion on it....let's just say it didn't grab my attention. We intended to see more however it was a matter of timing....we ate early (around 5:45 each night) so our usual evening consisted of Lincoln Centre Stage for their 7 pm concert followed directly by the show in the theatre at 8 pm which was usually an hour. By the time we were out of the theatre BB King was into their performance and we were getting tired! The venue did not seem to have the following on this cruise that we have seen in the past (standing room only). Groups change all the time so I'm sure some will be better than others.

Thanks very much. Do you know if they were ever the featured performers in the main show lounge? I think I've read in the past that one evening during a cruise, they were the headliners in the showroom.

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canadarocks

canadarocks

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Thanks very much. Do you know if they were ever the featured performers in the main show lounge? I think I've read in the past that one evening during a cruise, they were the headliners in the showroom.

 

No, the BB King group never performed in the main theater.

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Copper10-8 "Live from...." Rare

Copper10-8

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No, the BB King group never performed in the main theater.

 

Not on Koningsdam however, when HAL started with the BB King band on Eurodam in March 2013, they did perform one night in the main show lounge starting as a jive session on Beale Street in Memphis, in addition to their five nights in their "own venue". That concept was followed on the Nieuw A and the four Vistas. That "one night in the main show lounge" ended about a year and a half to two years ago and since then, they only perform in the Queen's Lounge aka the B.B. Kings Blues Club

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can_birdie

can_birdie

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I have a number of photos of the Nieuw Amsterdam taken this past week....unfortunately I'm unable to post them as I am told by CC that they are too large and I don't know how to resize them (they have to be much smaller).

 

Resizing photos is actually relatively simple! If you have a Mac, open the image in Preview, then click Tools>Adjust Size. If you have a PC, open the image in Paint, and click the Resize function under the Home tab. Hope that helped!

 

I don't know if this is HAL's new policy or just the CD Andy's style, but he made very, very few announcements....never knew when we had been cleared at a port, where the gangway was located or when all aboard time was. Apparently it is now up to the passengers to find all of this out for themselves. There were very few organized activities outside of the usual Digital Workshops and EXC talks and bingo.

 

 

I was on NA over the holidays and noticed the same thing about the lack of unique events beyond the standard offering, but there were plenty of the usual activities! Andy was the CD on my sailing as well, but my issue with the announcements was that I could rarely hear them - I was usually at the Seaview pool in the sunshine, away from the loudspeakers when they were made, so that's mostly my fault. I do agree that he made fewer announcements than usual though.

 

Will and Ivy are amazing.

 

I'm also glad to hear that you enjoyed Will and Ivy as much as I did! They ARE amazing!

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djhsolara

djhsolara

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Grand Turk was really crowded with Carnival passengers from the Vista - it was a zoo.

 

 

We’ve been to GT both on HAL and Carnival. We usually hang out in the pool at Margaritaville. The atmosphere there is SO different when Carnival is there with many more people drinking in general and drinking in the pool and using the pool bar. As well, we’ve found the music to be much louder when Carnival is there. We’ve been there many times with HAL and I know a few times that we were there with just HAL I know the swim-up pool bar wasn’t even open.

 

Not that either of these is wrong or that I’m complaining about either, it is just interesting to see how they cater to the different demographics on both lines.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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OlsSalt

OlsSalt

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As someone who uses the atrium stairs a lot, esp on the R and S class ships, what was the reason they are getting removed from the Vista class ships?

 

We will soon be spending some time on the Westerdam for the first time, after having known only known the Oosterdam and Zuiderdam among the Vista class ships. We know the library got displaced on the Vista ships, but what else should I expect to also see changed on the Westerdam from those original Vista ship layouts?

 

No stairs in the atrium - quite curious. Thanks

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Copper10-8 "Live from...." Rare

Copper10-8

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As someone who uses the atrium stairs a lot, esp on the R and S class ships, what was the reason they are getting removed from the Vista class ships?

 

We will soon be spending some time on the Westerdam for the first time, after having known only known the Oosterdam and Zuiderdam among the Vista class ships. We know the library got displaced on the Vista ships, but what else should I expect to also see changed on the Westerdam from those original Vista ship layouts?

 

No stairs in the atrium - quite curious. Thanks

 

When Westerdam came out of her Palermo dry-dock in April 2017, both the Atrium stairwell (Deck 2 to Deck 1) as well as her Atrium Bar had been removed to make way for "Rijksmuseum at Sea"

 

WEDM_Rijks3.jpg

WEDM_Rijks1.jpg

 

WEDM_Rijks2.jpg

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bucky21

bucky21

Posted
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Really enjoyed the post by maysdot. Many of the insights really resonate with us as we have cruised NA pre drydock. Loved all that was pointed out, as we will again be on board in less than a month. Just wondering if the retreat cabanas were left intact, or if they were butchered up ala Westerdam. Anyone have an opinion on this????

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*Miss G* "Live from...." Rare

*Miss G*

Posted
Posted
Really enjoyed the post by maysdot. Many of the insights really resonate with us as we have cruised NA pre drydock. Loved all that was pointed out, as we will again be on board in less than a month. Just wondering if the retreat cabanas were left intact, or if they were butchered up ala Westerdam. Anyone have an opinion on this????

 

I do! They'd better not be! lol

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lastlook

lastlook

Posted
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Not on Koningsdam however, when HAL started with the BB King band on Eurodam in March 2013, they did perform one night in the main show lounge starting as a jive session on Beale Street in Memphis, in addition to their five nights in their "own venue". That concept was followed on the Nieuw A and the four Vistas. That "one night in the main show lounge" ended about a year and a half to two years ago and since then, they only perform in the Queen's Lounge aka the B.B. Kings Blues Club

Thanks very much for the update on this as we'll soon be on the N.A. and wondered where the BB King group would be performing since the refurb.

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  • 2 weeks later...
jerseyjjs

jerseyjjs

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The TV's in the Gallary Bar are all set to the sports channel....that's where everyone gathers for the football games, golf, etc. It looks more like a gentlemen's club with wing chairs and sofas than a sports bar. They had the satellite feed for the football games on Sunday and Monday...and I think that they came through on the TV in the cabin as well. The cabin TV is very interactive....look up the menus for the day, etc. You can even download the HAL Navigator app on you devices. Ask at the desk how to do it.[/quote

 

 

So if I wanted to catch a basketball game during March Madness and have a few drinks, the Gallery Bar is the venue for that.

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canadarocks

canadarocks

Posted
Posted
The TV's in the Gallary Bar are all set to the sports channel....that's where everyone gathers for the football games, golf, etc. It looks more like a gentlemen's club with wing chairs and sofas than a sports bar. They had the satellite feed for the football games on Sunday and Monday...and I think that they came through on the TV in the cabin as well. The cabin TV is very interactive....look up the menus for the day, etc. You can even download the HAL Navigator app on you devices. Ask at the desk how to do it.[/quote

 

 

So if I wanted to catch a basketball game during March Madness and have a few drinks, the Gallery Bar is the venue for that.

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