Onboard self guided walking tour - Eurodam

[Tabbymom]

Several years ago on the Noordam, I was able to check out an MP3 player with a narrated art/history tour of the ship. It was very interesting and I’d like to do that on the Eurodam. I expect it works differently now so - has anyone done this lately? How and where can we get it? Thanks!

[cabinluvn]

There is no one that is in the Crow’s Nest library anymore. We loved the tour of the Noordam and also the Zuiderdam. There are no more tours, apparently. Have asked on every ship and no one knows about it anymore

 

 

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[Loreto]

I always enjoyed taking the art walking tours on various HAL ships...the collections are amazing and would be overlooked if not for the audio art tours. Alas, they seem to be a thing of the past now:(.

 

 

Karen

[Sea42]

That is a shame! We loved our "tour" of the Noordam. Did you try at the guset services desk?

 

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[cabinluvn]

I tried guest services on the Westerdam. They didn’t even know what I was talking about

 

 

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[Tabbymom]

I’m going to email the Events Coordinator who set up our Meet & Mingle and see if she knows anything. They should be able to load it into Navigator or whatever the onboard self-contained internet is called. Then it would be available to everyone on all ships.

[richwmn]

July 30, 2006: Featuring the world’s most extensive shipboard art collection, Holland America debuts self-guided art tours using handheld iPod devices. Available feetwide, tours cover the unique art and antique collections, together valued at tens of millions of dollars. This is the first time a cruise line offers museum-quality self-guided tours to its guests.

Recognizing the interest the tours have to art aficionados as well as on board cruise guests, the art tours became available for download on iTunes as free podcasts in February 2007, another industry first.

 

The art tours used to be available for download from the HAL site, but I can't find them at the moment. The above quote from the website may still be valid, but I don't have (or want) an iTunes account so I can't check.

[cabinluvn]

A few years ago I tried to find the in iTunes, but could not

 

 

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[syesmar]

I also enjoyed the mp3 tours. I tried to download the one for the Zaandam prior to our cruise, but could not find it. When I asked at the front desk, they said they didn't do them any longer. I do wish they would make them available for downloading, even if there is no one to distribute mp3 players on board.

 

I wonder if any past guest might possibly have them posted somewhere online still?

[Turtles06]

As a newcomer to HAL this year, I'd read about these tours here on the HAL board, and made a note to ask at Guest Services during our recent cruise on the Zuiderdam. So I did, and the Guest Services rep told me there was no such thing -- no list of the art work, no self-guided tour, nada. It didn't even sound familiar to her. Sadly, reading the comments above, it sounds as though this is a thing of the past.

[cabinluvn]

What was so neat about it was that there is artwork hidden in nooks and crannies that you would never see unless someone told you it was there. I bet we spent 2 hours on the art tours we took. It is beyond me why a cruise line would spend so much money on art and then not have a way passengers can see and learn about it

 

 

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[Tabbymom]

It will be interesting to see what the events coordinator comes back with. Probably they didn’t want to keep updating the tours. Or the iPods all walked away.

 

In the meantime, I found this (I think) 10 year old extensive description which I may print out and take with me to try and track all the described art down. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/holland-america-lines-new-ms-eurodam-blends-traditional-dutch-art-and-new-works-536337231.html

[ellieanne]

I managed to download the 2011 version of the Zuiderdam Art Tour, but I am not sure how current it is anymore. I am sorry they aren't making the tours available anymore, even on the website or iTunes. I understand not wanting to provided iPods, especially since Apple has stopped making the smaller iPods. But it is a shame to not have anything detailing the collection of art on board each ship - even a printed catalogue would be nice for those passengers who are interested in the art.

[TiogaCruiser]

I just did a search in iTunes podcasts and did not find any art tours. I even checked under several ships names.

 

Maybe you could email Guest Services and ask. The files used to be available for direct download from the HAL website. About a year and a half ago I tried looking for them on the website and they were no longer there.

[Tabbymom]

I already emailed the Events Coordinator who set up our Meet & Mingle to see who to ask about it. I suggested to her that they could maybe add the tours to Navigator for onboard use.

[kazu]

I already emailed the Events Coordinator who set up our Meet & Mingle to see who to ask about it. I suggested to her that they could maybe add the tours to Navigator for onboard use.

 

That's a great suggestion. Please let us know how you make out. If yours is willing to do it I may ask mine as well for our group.

 

I used to download them in advance and have them on my ipod. Alas the old one was broken, so they are no longer available. They are definitely not available in the Itunes store any longer.

 

I don't understand why HAL removed them. They were very informative.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We noticed that as the librarians disappeared, the iPods disappeared as well.

It would be nice to know something about the art work on a ship.

[tmore]

http://feeds.hollandamerica.com/ShipArtTours

[Tabbymom]

Tmore, I found that but the “Play now” link comes up “404 not found”.

[POA1]

HAL's website says that self-guided Art Walk tours are available. It's the last thing on the onboard experiences list for our Zuiderdam sailing. Maybe it's available via the HAL onboard intranet? I should have downloaded all of the tours when they were still available. BTW, I have the Nieuw Amsterdam version if anyone wants it. It's an m4a (Apple audio) file, but I can make an mp3 version if anyone needs it. (Cuz I gots mad skillz, yo.)

[Tabbymom]

Response from Events Coordinator:

 

That is correct, the MP3 player tour is no longer available for independent tours. Now we have partnered with ArtLink and an Art Concierge and Art Specialists will be on hand to provide information and background on the works and the artists, as well as lead guests through the acquisition process.

Per HAL's Art Link description:

During the launch period the galleries will feature works by a select group of emerging international artists. The general collection will gradually be replaced by changing exhibitions curated to reflect the regions of the world as the ships sail the globe. An ever-changing selection of photographs, sculptures, crafts, paintings and drawings will ensure that the collections remain fresh and relevant, revealing stories as they are uniquely portrayed by artists of the destinations visited. The works showcased in ArtLink galleries will be offered exclusively to Holland America Line guests.

So it sounds like they are more interested in selling than letting us learn about onboard art.

[syesmar]

WAYBACK MACHINE SHOWS OLD PAGE WITH DOWNLOADS

 

Hi All!

 

I entered an old link (http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-onboard/Activities.action?tabName=Art+Tours) into the Wayback Machine and the archive pulled up this page: https://web.archive.org/web/20141226204950/http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-vacation-onboard/Activities.action?tabName=Art+Tours

 

I downloaded the one for Zaandam and it works, so hopefully the others will work, as well! It opens the file in iTunes, I still need to figure out the controls, but scrolling the time bar forward worked to advance the tracks on my laptop.

 

Happy Sailing! :)

Edited October 8, 2018 by syesmar

[Vict0riann]

That's an amazing site, syesmar! I guess it is pretty old, though, there's nothing for Koningsdam, boohoo. Last time we were on Prinsendam, Kazu organized a scavenger hunt, and I saw a lot of art I had never even noticed before! It would be great to have something of an art tour available on each ship.

[Tabbymom]

Oh, wow, thanks syesmar! I got the Eurodam one to play in my iTunes store on my desktop. Now the question is how to get it into my iPhone or iPad. I'll work on that. Because I'm not bringing my desktop on the cruise ;).

 

Edit -at worst I’ll play it on the computer and record it as a voice memo on my phone. Not the best sound quality but whatever works! Next I’ll study if there’s a way to share a voice memo with someone else.

Edited October 8, 2018 by Tabbymom

[kazu]

Oh, wow, thanks syesmar! I got the Eurodam one to play in my iTunes store on my desktop. Now the question is how to get it into my iPhone or iPad. I'll work on that. Because I'm not bringing my desktop on the cruise ;).

 

If you are signed into Itunes on both, you should be able to sync it so it goes to your Iphone or Ipad.

 

I have had no problem transferring music from my Windows laptop to Ipods.

 

I tried on my Ipad but met with resistance so you use my Ipod and see how I do. I'd love to have the art tour back :0

 

Thanks syesmar :D