Noordam Hydro Pool ?

[GeezerCouple]

We have just booked our first HAL cruise, on the Noordam for New Zealand & Australia.

 

We'd like to get a bit more first-hand information about the Hydro Pool.

I am a *total* wimp with respect to cold water, so hot tubs and therapy pools are "just my speed" 

 

Is the Hydro Pool indoors or outdoors, and if outdoors, is there a canopy of some sort for shade?  I'm having a bit of difficulty figuring it out from some photos.

Any approximation of the water temperature?  (Ditto for the outdoor hot tubs near the pool?)

And the water temperature of the two regular pools?

 

What is the charge for the Hydro Pool?  (We are in a Neptune Suite, on the off chance that it is part of suite perks.)

And if there is a charge, which I assume from some comments, are other areas/services also included in that fee?

 

Many thanks!

 

GC

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, GeezerCouple said:

We have just booked our first HAL cruise, on the Noordam for New Zealand & Australia.

 

We'd like to get a bit more first-hand information about the Hydro Pool.

I am a *total* wimp with respect to cold water, so hot tubs and therapy pools are "just my speed" 

 

Is the Hydro Pool indoors or outdoors, and if outdoors, is there a canopy of some sort for shade?  I'm having a bit of difficulty figuring it out from some photos.

Any approximation of the water temperature?  (Ditto for the outdoor hot tubs near the pool?)

And the water temperature of the two regular pools?

 

What is the charge for the Hydro Pool?  (We are in a Neptune Suite, on the off chance that it is part of suite perks.)

And if there is a charge, which I assume from some comments, are other areas/services also included in that fee?

 

Many thanks!

 

GC

 

The hydropool is part of the "thermal suite," which also includes sauna/steam and heated loungers. It's indoors and the water is pleasantly warm, not overheated the way some hot tubs are. You need to buy a pass to the thermal suite. You can check the price for your cruise by logging into your voyage personalizer and looking at packages that you can buy. One-day passes to the thermal suite MAY be available to purchase on the ship, but they do limit access, so if enough people buy the full passes there won't be any day passes. 

 

No discount/access included in the price of a Neptune suite or any "spa" cabin. I don't know about the temperatures of the outdoor pools.

 

[rkacruiser]

The hydrothermal pool and the Thermal Suite are the most significant features on the ships of the Vista, Signature, and Pinnacle Class ships for me.  I have nothing like them where I live.  I truly enjoy them and always book a pass for the entire cruise.  

 

The pool's close to body temperature water and bubbly-bubbly action along with the whirlpool in the center of the pool and the goose-neck faucets that supply an upper torso water message:  surely worth whatever time I spend in the venue and whatever $$ spent for it.

 

 

[GeezerCouple]

Thanks, 3rdGencunarder and rkacruiser.

 

This sounds delightful.

As nice as having a therapy pool "outside" can be, DH can't handle too much direct sunlight, so that always meant that we couldn't spend much time in one until the evenings.  (Um, we aren't usually rise-at-dawn folks when on vacation...)

 

We'll get a cruise-long pass, so we don't risk being shut out for day passes.

 

About how large is the Therapy Pool?  One of the photos I've seen makes it look much larger than the diagram on the deck plan seems to show.  (But of course, that's often the goal of some photos, etc...)

 

Thanks very much!

 

GC

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'd guess 12 ft x 14 ft, maybe larger. This is the hydropool on Zuiderdam, so Noordam's should be similar. 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

Question for others who are reading this. Is the spa run by HAL or is it a vendor, like Canyon Ranch on Cunard?

 

[GeezerCouple]

5 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I'd guess 12 ft x 14 ft, maybe larger. This is the hydropool on Zuiderdam, so Noordam's should be similar. 

 

 

Thanks.  That's a good size... well, depending on the number of people wanting to use it at any given time.  Do they tend to get very crowded, especially on sea days?

 

Approximately how deep is it?  I think I read that there is some sort of seating at one end?

 

What is that in the middle?

 

Thanks again!

 

GC

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 minute ago, GeezerCouple said:

 

Thanks.  That's a good size... well, depending on the number of people wanting to use it at any given time.  Do they tend to get very crowded, especially on sea days?

 

Approximately how deep is it?  I think I read that there is some sort of seating at one end?

 

What is that in the middle?

 

Thanks again!

 

GC

 

IIRC, it's about 3.5 feet deep. Deeper than waist-deep for me. I walked off a mile case of sciatica in the hydro pool. DH and I would go in the morning when there was hardly anyone there. He could walk in it for therapy and I walked to relax my muscles. There is seating at the end where I stood to take the picture. It's a line of continuous pipes that form the shape of a lounger. Sounds strange, but quite comfortable to relax in. I think there are some jets at the side to massage your legs when you stand in front of them.

 

I love the spa on the Vista ships! I think they're better than K'dam's spa.

[RuthC]

43 minutes ago, GeezerCouple said:

Do they tend to get very crowded, especially on sea days?

Not in my experience on the Vista and Signature class ships. 

[tommui987]

Perhaps I was looking at the wrong page, but I didn't see anything about it in the "Spa"  brochure in the HAL webpage.

 

Do you make the reservation for a pass onboard?

[rkacruiser]

5 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

IIRC, it's about 3.5 feet deep. Deeper than waist-deep for me. I walked off a mile case of sciatica in the hydro pool. DH and I would go in the morning when there was hardly anyone there. He could walk in it for therapy and I walked to relax my muscles. There is seating at the end where I stood to take the picture. It's a line of continuous pipes that form the shape of a lounger. Sounds strange, but quite comfortable to relax in. I think there are some jets at the side to massage your legs when you stand in front of them.

 

I love the spa on the Vista ships! I think they're better than K'dam's spa.

 

I confirm what 3rdGenCunarder posted.  There are massage jets along both sides of the pool.  I confirm that I love the spa on the Vista and Signature Class ships.  The Hydrotherapy Pool on the Nieuw Statendam (and I would assume the Koningsdam) is a the same as the others, but I think it is slightly larger and has a built-into-the-pool wall on one side a flat seating area in addition to the stainless steel "rack".  The NS's spa is somewhat of a confusing layout initially.  Even then, the trek from/to the Men's locker room and the Pool and Thermal Suite is longer than the other two Classes of ships.

[3rdGenCunarder]

12 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I confirm what 3rdGenCunarder posted.  There are massage jets along both sides of the pool.  I confirm that I love the spa on the Vista and Signature Class ships.  The Hydrotherapy Pool on the Nieuw Statendam (and I would assume the Koningsdam) is a the same as the others, but I think it is slightly larger and has a built-into-the-pool wall on one side a flat seating area in addition to the stainless steel "rack".  The NS's spa is somewhat of a confusing layout initially.  Even then, the trek from/to the Men's locker room and the Pool and Thermal Suite is longer than the other two Classes of ships.

 

I forgot about the long distance from the pool to the locker rooms on the Pinnacle Ships. K'dam pool didn't have the side jets, which was disappointing, and the shower thing was so strong everyone got splashed when someone stood under it. I also don't like that you enter the pool by walking through the lounger area. People walk through, talking and disturbing what should be a relaxation area.

 

On the Vistas, it is a bit of a bother to have to go down the hall between the pool and the loungers, but it isn't too far to go. Queen Elizabeth, a Vista, gets it right. You enter the pool area and the loungers are in a room off that. So the loungers are quiet and you don't have to walk down a hall from one area to the other. (Locker rooms are in the same position as on the HAL Vistas)

[rkacruiser]

17 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I forgot about the long distance from the pool to the locker rooms on the Pinnacle Ships. K'dam pool didn't have the side jets, which was disappointing, and the shower thing was so strong everyone got splashed when someone stood under it. I also don't like that you enter the pool by walking through the lounger area. People walk through, talking and disturbing what should be a relaxation area.

 

 

Isn't interesting what one poster forgets another remembers?  You are spot on as to my experience on NS.