September 2019 Update: HAL Dry Docks, Charters and Groups onboard.

[zelker]

51 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Rotterdam is not scheduled for dry-dock in 2020. Her last was in 2017 so, I'm thinking, 2021

 

We're on the same cruise with trident and the big question is - how can she end a cruise in San Diego on December 19th and start a cruise from FLL on December 20th?  Physically impossible!  

[Copper10-8]

1 hour ago, KaySaxony said:

 

Hello Copper,

many thanks for that Information !!!! That would solve the mystery surrounding the Westerdam for the 2 weeks in Singapore in January. Do you know what should be done? I hope they will handle everything because we are on the cruise from the 16th of January for 4 weeks on the ship. Do you have any experience if there are major problems on board after 2 weeks drydock if the workers can not handle the work?

Greetings from germany Kay

 

Guten abend, Kay!

 

Westerdam is the only one out of the four Vistas which has the "Rijksmuseum at Sea" in her Deck 1 atrium. That whole project seems to have been ground filed/not expanded on the other Vistas, Signature and Pinnacle-class ships.. unknown why. It wouldn't surprise me if it will be removed during her Singapore dry-dock. The remainder should be routine maintenance which should all be completed prior to your cruise on her post-dry-dock

 

Tschuss!

[Copper10-8]

11 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

We're on the same cruise with trident and the big question is - how can she end a cruise in San Diego on December 19th and start a cruise from FLL on December 20th?  Physically impossible!  

 

Obviously a minor faux pax in the HAL scheduling process 

[3rdGenCunarder]

48 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Guten abend, Kay!

 

Westerdam is the only one out of the four Vistas which has the "Rijksmuseum at Sea" in her Deck 1 atrium. That whole project seems to have been ground filed/not expanded on the other Vistas, Signature and Pinnacle-class ships.. unknown why. It wouldn't surprise me if it will be removed during her Singapore dry-dock. The remainder should be routine maintenance which should all be completed prior to your cruise on her post-dry-dock

 

Tschuss!

 

The end of the killer duck! (Or is it a swan or a goose?)

[Copper10-8]

4 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

The end of the killer duck! (Or is it a swan or a goose?)

 

 

The "threatened swan" 

 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

16 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

The "threatened swan" 

 

 

 

Thanks, Copper. Those swan pics are scary! Your new avatar pic, OTOH, is very nice.

 

[Cruiser Bruiser]

On 9/15/2019 at 12:32 PM, Copper10-8 said:

 

The other big question with NODM is whether, as the only one of her four Vista-class sisters, she will keep her Explorations Cafe/full Library on Deck 3 fwd starboard side where it is now, post dry-dock. The alternative is to move it up to the Crow's Nest as EXC Central like Zuiderdam, Oosterdam and Westerdam which have the combo Digital workshop/Merabella/Screening Room where NODM's Explorations Cafe is now. Of course, NODM already has Merabella and the digital workshop elsewhere, but doesn't have a screening room which, btw, is no longer used as such on her bigger half-sister Nieuw Amsterdam. The plot thickens! We need Clouseau and/or Colonel Mustard to figure this one out 

To make matters more confusing: the HAL website shows Noordam will receive Billboard Onboard in October 2020. That matches neither dry dock date. I'm trying to persuade friends to join me on Noordam in May. Having a few cosmetic updates in place would have been desirable.

Edited September 16, 2019 by Cruiser Bruiser
Added hyperlink

[Cruiser Bruiser]

3 minutes ago, Cruiser Bruiser said:

To make matters more confusing: the HAL website shows Noordam will receive Billboard Onboard in October 2020. That matches neither dry dock date. I'm trying to persuade friends to join me on Noordam in May. Having a few cosmetic updates in place would have been desirable.

HOWEVER, October 13, 2019 would match perfectly with Noordam going into dry dock at the end of this month as originally scheduled. Let's hope the website features a typo.

[Copper10-8]

25 minutes ago, Cruiser Bruiser said:

HOWEVER, October 13, 2019 would match perfectly with Noordam going into dry dock at the end of this month as originally scheduled. Let's hope the website features a typo.

 

 

I know what you're saying however, if you plug in the dates around Noordam's alleged 2020 Singapore dry-dock, they fit in perfectly also, hence we need Colonel Mustard with the rope to figure this one out

[zelker]

2 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Obviously a minor faux pax in the HAL scheduling process 

 

Yeah, not so minor.  They've got some weird scheduling conflicts on Rotterdam and Zaandam during the last few months of 2020.  Rumor has it that Zaandam will take Rottie's place but then the schedules become even more convoluted.  And to make it even more confusing, if you look at the 2020-2021 HAL Brochure that was released recently, it shows Zaandam doing this one in 2020 and Rotterdam in 2021.  When I called customer service, they of course were clueless and only could regurgitate what's in the system currently and said there were no drydocks planned for either ship "at that time" which was about 10 days ago.

 

So between this and the Noordie's double-booked drydock, to say I'm frustrated is putting it mildly.  Maybe it's true - ignorance IS bliss!  

 

[Copper10-8]

1 minute ago, zelker said:

 

Yeah, not so minor.  They've got some weird scheduling conflicts on Rotterdam and Zaandam during the last few months of 2020.  Rumor has it that Zaandam will take Rottie's place but then the schedules become even more convoluted.  And to make it even more confusing, if you look at the 2020-2021 HAL Brochure that was released recently, it shows Zaandam doing this one in 2020 and Rotterdam in 2021.  When I called customer service, they of course were clueless and only could regurgitate what's in the system currently and said there were no drydocks planned for either ship "at that time" which was about 10 days ago.

 

So between this and the Noordie's double-booked drydock, to say I'm frustrated is putting it mildly.  Maybe it's true - ignorance IS bliss!  

 

 

 

Hang in there! We should know more about Noordam in thirteen days/on the 29th when/if AIS shows her happily docked in Esquimalt, BC/Victoria shipyard or puttin' southbound in the Pacific

[zelker]

4 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Hang in there! We should know more about Noordam in thirteen days/on the 29th when/if AIS shows her happily docked in Esquimalt, BC/Victoria shipyard or puttin' southbound in the Pacific

 

What's AIS?  And where would she be "puttin' southbound" to if we're supposed to board her in Vancouver on October 13th?  Certainly they can't put together a two week or even 2 one week cruises at this late date, can they?  Assuming no, would they really just cancel the drydock and let her sit empty for two weeks?  

[Ryten]

I'm pretty sure the real problem is that Mr. Green has tied up Colonel Mustard with his own rope in the soon to be missing library HAL will be removing and can't decide to do with the soon to be empty spaces to bring in new revenue.

[Copper10-8]

6 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

What's AIS?  And where would she be "puttin' southbound" to if we're supposed to board her in Vancouver on October 13th?  Certainly they can't put together a two week or even 2 one week cruises at this late date, can they?  Assuming no, would they really just cancel the drydock and let her sit empty for two weeks?  

 

Here's where she's at as of six minutes ago:

 

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-132.6/centery:52.6/zoom:7

 

Try that on the 29th and see if she's in dry-dock in Esquimalt and no, they will not let her sit empty for two weeks

Edited September 16, 2019 by Copper10-8

[Copper10-8]

1 minute ago, Ryten said:

I'm pretty sure the real problem is that Mr. Green has tied up Colonel Mustard with his own rope in the soon to be missing library HAL will be removing and can't decide to do with the soon to be empty spaces to bring in new revenue.

 

Brilliant!  Rumor has it, the Colonel's ransom is set at a free (forget the $10 surcharge) second entree

[TAD2005]

1 hour ago, Cruiser Bruiser said:

To make matters more confusing: the HAL website shows Noordam will receive Billboard Onboard in October 2020. That matches neither dry dock date. I'm trying to persuade friends to join me on Noordam in May. Having a few cosmetic updates in place would have been desirable.

We are on the Rotterdam in Oct 2020.  I saw the HAL "Ships at a Glance" chart which shows Billboard Onboard will be in place and performing by Dec 6, 2019.   But to totally gut the Mix area and install Billboard, it would take a week or 2 in drydock.   I checked with HAL's Ship Coordinator for the Rotterdam, Kelli Gould, and she said that there are no drydocks scheduled for the Rotterdam through the end of 2020.   

[Ryten]

Or just the return of the Sterling candlestick..........

[boze9999]

I've heard the Rotterdam dry dock has been moved up to early 2020? Any truth to the rumor Copper?

 

[lindaler]

Check with HAL today due to the confusion of the Zaandan taking over Rotterdam cruises but they assured me that nothing would change through the end of March. Copper what is really going on.

[Copper10-8]

23 minutes ago, boze9999 said:

I've heard the Rotterdam dry dock has been moved up to early 2020? Any truth to the rumor Copper?

 

 

Rotterdam was last in dry-dock in Oct/Nov 2017. She is not on the schedule for a 2020 dry-dock. HAL, at this point, has five ships scheduled for dry-dock in 2020 and Rotterdam is not one of them

[mkkao924]

Woohoo! I was a little bit hesitant to book Westerdam for June 2020 considering her last dry dock was in 2017. I am happy I did so!

[TAD2005]

20 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

Rotterdam was last in dry-dock in Oct/Nov 2017. She is not on the schedule for a 2020 dry-dock. HAL, at this point, has five ships scheduled for dry-dock in 2020 and Rotterdam is not one of them

Fantastic news.   This guarantees that the Mix area and the traditional Piano Bar will still be there for our 29 day cruise on her in October 2020.   Much better entertainment than the Billboard Onboard dual pianos. 

[boze9999]

I so agree! We're on the same 29 day cruise and we are so looking forward to "THE Piano Bar"!

 

[travelbug615]

Eurodam has charter Nov 1-8, 2020 on Eurodam

https://maltshopcruise.com/whats-included/the-ship/

[VMax1700]

On 10/8/2019 at 3:29 PM, travelbug615 said:

Eurodam has charter Nov 1-8, 2020 on Eurodam

https://maltshopcruise.com/whats-included/the-ship/

 

Thanks, found it just in time for the latest update!