The big Z's dry dock (12/1-12/15)

[Destiny0315]

With the Zuiderdam scheduled for a dry dock during the first two weeks of December before it leaves Fort Lauderdale on its Grand World Voyage on 1/3/23, what do you think is on the service order or would like to see other than an oil and lube job and some buckets of fresh paint?

[rkacruiser]

The addition of the Dutch Cafe that the Pinnacle Class ships have.  Better internet for those onboard to transmit their reports for us ashore.  If the decision to eliminate the pop-ups of Sel de Mer is actual, the reversal of that decision.  

[sandiego1]

Per my discussion with Henk, they are not adding the Dutch Cafe to the Zuiderdam. The majority  of the work is “behind the scenes” repairs and refresh. There won’t be too many passenger visible changes.

 

Another cruiser (I think it was WCB) spoke to him recently and reported that HAL will convert the old screening room to a library. 

[Destiny0315]

Having a new library onboard will be a welcome addition for those going on the 128-day Grand World Voyage.

26 minutes ago, sandiego1 said:

Per my discussion with Henk, they are not adding the Dutch Cafe to the Zuiderdam. The majority  of the work is “behind the scenes” repairs and refresh. There won’t be too many passenger visible changes.

 

Another cruiser (I think it was WCB) spoke to him recently and reported that HAL will convert the old screening room to a library. 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, sandiego1 said:

Per my discussion with Henk, they are not adding the Dutch Cafe to the Zuiderdam. The majority  of the work is “behind the scenes” repairs and refresh. There won’t be too many passenger visible changes.

 

Another cruiser (I think it was WCB) spoke to him recently and reported that HAL will convert the old screening room to a library. 

I’m pretty sure wcb also said the same about the Dutch cafe.  I wish they’d add the New York pizza that they have on most ships.  I don’t have it that often but I do enjoy it when I do.

[Mary229]

The public area carpets were pretty worn in September.  Bring back true interactive TV. Improve the internet. 

[Tampa Girl]

12 hours ago, Destiny0315 said:

Having a new library onboard will be a welcome addition for those going on the 128-day Grand World Voyage.

 

 

For us, it would be a necessity.  I was relieved to hear this news.

[foodsvcmgr]

Zuiderdam’s original library on the Promenade Deck in 2007.

Interesting how trends reverse and now it may be back.

A good move if true.

[sunviking90]

On 10/7/2022 at 5:15 PM, sandiego1 said:

Per my discussion with Henk, they are not adding the Dutch Cafe to the Zuiderdam. The majority  of the work is “behind the scenes” repairs and refresh. There won’t be too many passenger visible changes.

 

That’s really too bad. When we sailed her in August we hadn’t been on her in a few years and really missed the snacks that had been available through the day at the Explorations cafe. With it being moved over and combined with the bar, there is a plate of biscotti and nothing else. 
One day we return from port around 3:30 and went to the Lido for a snack and there was literally no food there. They had all sections closed until dinner. I told my husband I couldn’t believe there was nothing to eat on a cruise ship! Room service (which was consistently great) saved the day! 
A Grand Dutch Cafe would really fill a void I think,
We were impressed with the overall condition of the ship as well as the new (to us) renovations.
 

Edited October 9, 2022 by sunviking90

[rkacruiser]

22 hours ago, foodsvcmgr said:

Zuiderdam’s original library on the Promenade Deck in 2007.

Interesting how trends reverse and now it may be back.

A good move if true.

 

One more of an example of an "Executive Vice-President of Whatever" that was a poor decision when he/she made it.  If the Library returns.

 

21 hours ago, sunviking90 said:

One day we return from port around 3:30 and went to the Lido for a snack and there was literally no food there. They had all sections closed until dinner. I told my husband I couldn’t believe there was nothing to eat on a cruise ship! Room service (which was consistently great) saved the day! 
A Grand Dutch Cafe would really fill a void I think,

 

Dive-in was probably available, but, this early closing of the Lido Restaurant has been occurring for some time and is certainly not for guest convenience.  

 

On 10/7/2022 at 9:41 PM, Florida_gal_50 said:

New York pizza

 

As it is on the Pinnacle Class ships is a special place with facilities that may be difficult to duplicate on the other Classes of ships.  

 

I don't object to the Screening Room being converted to a Library because a proper Library is needed (and, dare I say, a Librarian?), but the Screening Room was a very nice intimate and comfortable place to view movies.  That area of the ship where the Screening Room is located has been a difficult one for HAL to determine how to best use.  On the Westerdam, I saw evidence of an attempt for a return to the Coffee Bar that was outside the Wajang Theater on the R Class ships.  Must not have worked.  

[Florida_gal_50]

6 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

One more of an example of an "Executive Vice-President of Whatever" that was a poor decision when he/she made it.  If the Library returns.

 

 

Dive-in was probably available, but, this early closing of the Lido Restaurant has been occurring for some time and is certainly not for guest convenience.  

 

 

As it is on the Pinnacle Class ships is a special place with facilities that may be difficult to duplicate on the other Classes of ships.  

 

I don't object to the Screening Room being converted to a Library because a proper Library is needed (and, dare I say, a Librarian?), but the Screening Room was a very nice intimate and comfortable place to view movies.  That area of the ship where the Screening Room is located has been a difficult one for HAL to determine how to best use.  On the Westerdam, I saw evidence of an attempt for a return to the Coffee Bar that was outside the Wajang Theater on the R Class ships.  Must not have worked.  

I don’t care if it has the same set up.  I think most of the ships have the ny pizza.  I don’t care if ships have libraries but I know people lose their minds if you say that.  Just another place for people to sleep.  I put everything I want on my kindle.  It grosses me out thinking about someone thumbing through a book, probably licking their fingers to turn they page and then people wondering how they got Covid  or some intestinal bug 🤮 when they touched the book a little while later.

[rkacruiser]

5 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t care if it has the same set up.  I think most of the ships have the ny pizza.  I don’t care if ships have libraries but I know people lose their minds if you say that.  Just another place for people to sleep.  I put everything I want on my kindle.  It grosses me out thinking about someone thumbing through a book, probably licking their fingers to turn they page and then people wondering how they got Covid  or some intestinal bug 🤮 when they touched the book a little while later.

 

Respectfully, we will disagree.  If one looks closely at the New York Deli area on the Pinnacle Class ships, it differs significantly from the pizza facilities on the other Class' ships.  Their menu is broader because they have more potential to provide different cuisine experiences.  

 

9 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t care if ships have libraries but I know people lose their minds if you say that.

 

If the area in which you live the libraries depends upon tax dollars, voted on by the people, to support their services, I assume, based on your comments, that you are a negative vote on whatever levy to support such services on your ballot.  If so, your choice.  Not mine.  

 

 

[Florida_gal_50]

19 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

Respectfully, we will disagree.  If one looks closely at the New York Deli area on the Pinnacle Class ships, it differs significantly from the pizza facilities on the other Class' ships.  Their menu is broader because they have more potential to provide different cuisine experiences.  

 

 

If the area in which you live the libraries depends upon tax dollars, voted on by the people, to support their services, I assume, based on your comments, that you are a negative vote on whatever levy to support such services on your ballot.  If so, your choice.  Not mine.  

 

 

First of all I said nothing about the deli.  I don’t like deli meat so I don’t care about that part.  I’m not talking about libraries on shore.  That’s a totally different thing.  Also I’ve never seen anyone sleeping in a library where I live.  People tend to do that at home.  It’s more than free books on shore, at least where I live. We have lots of different programs in libraries where I live. 

Edited October 10, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[Destiny0315]

33 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I don’t care if it has the same set up.  I think most of the ships have the ny pizza.  I don’t care if ships have libraries but I know people lose their minds if you say that.  Just another place for people to sleep.  I put everything I want on my kindle.  It grosses me out thinking about someone thumbing through a book, probably licking their fingers to turn they page and then people wondering how they got Covid  or some intestinal bug 🤮 when they touched the book a little while later.

Geez my memories of libraries on HAL ships (and other lines) have always been good. Helping to work on and hopefully complete before debarkation day a group puzzle was always an extra treat on a HAL ship. A newbie on here would think that the libraries were filled with old and near homeless people like some inner city libraries are. And your theory on how the spread of Covid and even Norovirus may be linked to those library books needs to be brought to the attention of the CDC stat.

[rkacruiser]

11 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

First of all I said nothing about the deli.  I don’t like deli meat so I don’t care about that part.  I’m not talking about libraries on shore.  That’s a totally different thing.  Also I’ve never seen anyone sleeping in a library where I live.  People tend to do that at home.  It’s more than free books on shore, at least where I live. We have lots of different programs in libraries where I live. 

 

The New York Deli on the Pinnacle Class ships includes the "deli option" that you do not appreciate.  Others, please understand, do.  

 

14 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

 It’s more than free books on shore, at least where I live. We have lots of different programs in libraries where I live. 

 

As do my communities library do.  The availability of many services were once what I enjoyed on a HAL ship.  A librarian, who eventually became an IT guru, who became "missing in action", books (not video screens) that informed me of where I was visiting during my cruise and hard cover reference books to further my understanding of the ports that I would be visiting.  This is what a shipboard library ought to provide as well as good non-fiction and fiction books.  The most significant find that a cruiser may discover is the shelf where books left behind from other cruisers who found those books interesting.  

 

My goodness, when I cruised on Carnival Miracle a few years ago and even my most recent cruise on Coral Princess, there was a library.  Why ought I expect less when I sail on a ship of the Holland America Line?  

[Florida_gal_50]

25 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

Geez my memories of libraries on HAL ships (and other lines) have always been good. Helping to work on and hopefully complete before debarkation day a group puzzle was always an extra treat on a HAL ship. A newbie on here would think that the libraries were filled with old and near homeless people like some inner city libraries are. And your theory on how the spread of Covid and even Norovirus may be linked to those library books needs to be brought to the attention of the CDC stat.

Please highlight the part of my quote where I said there was homeless people.  Just because I don’t  have the same vision as some people on this board doesn’t mean you have to completely change what I said.  You don’t have to beat on people that feel differently than you do.  There is WAY to much of that going on here already. 

[Florida_gal_50]

15 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

The New York Deli on the Pinnacle Class ships includes the "deli option" that you do not appreciate.  Others, please understand, do.  

 

 

As do my communities library do.  The availability of many services were once what I enjoyed on a HAL ship.  A librarian, who eventually became an IT guru, who became "missing in action", books (not video screens) that informed me of where I was visiting during my cruise and hard cover reference books to further my understanding of the ports that I would be visiting.  This is what a shipboard library ought to provide as well as good non-fiction and fiction books.  The most significant find that a cruiser may discover is the shelf where books left behind from other cruisers who found those books interesting.  

 

My goodness, when I cruised on Carnival Miracle a few years ago and even my most recent cruise on Coral Princess, there was a library.  Why ought I expect less when I sail on a ship of the Holland America Line?  

People really like to stretch things.  I should know to explain everything so people don’t get confused.  I said I’d like the pizza.  You said there is no room for the deli.  I said I don’t like the deli.  Now you say that you do.  I never said you shouldn’t.  Again, please quote my post where I said that you can’t like it.  There must be disappearing words in my post. 

[Florida_gal_50]

Just now, Florida_gal_50 said:

People really like to stretch things.  I should know to explain everything so people don’t get confused.  I said I’d like the pizza.  You said there is no room for the deli.  I said I don’t like the deli.  Now you say that you do.  I never said you shouldn’t.  Again, please quote my post where I said that you can’t like it.  There must be disappearing words in my post. Anyway I won’t be coming back to this thread.  Surely the emails are flying now and the usuals will be arriving in droves to respond or like posts.

 

[sunviking90]

1 hour ago, rkacruiser said:

 

One more of an example of an "Executive Vice-President of Whatever" that was a poor decision when he/she made it.  If the Library returns.

 

 

Dive-in was probably available, but, this early closing of the Lido Restaurant has been occurring for some time and is certainly not for guest convenience.  

 

 

As it is on the Pinnacle Class ships is a special place with facilities that may be difficult to duplicate on the other Classes of ships.  

 

I don't object to the Screening Room being converted to a Library because a proper Library is needed (and, dare I say, a Librarian?), but the Screening Room was a very nice intimate and comfortable place to view movies.  That area of the ship where the Screening Room is located has been a difficult one for HAL to determine how to best use.  On the Westerdam, I saw evidence of an attempt for a return to the Coffee Bar that was outside the Wajang Theater on the R Class ships.  Must not have worked.  

Dive In was open, but also had a line up of about 40 people. This was a full cruise, so it was very strange that there weren’t more options. We cruised a few times earlier in the year on Princess with 30% capacity and buffet always had at least the Pizza/pasta section open as well as International Cafe. 
 

I am usually set for books already on my iPad on a cruise as our local libraries have great e-book availability for borrowing. I honestly never take out a physical library book anymore. I do like to see a library on the ship at least to have books on the ports, areas we are cruising to, and I always used to enjoy borrowing a copy of any John Maxtone Graham Ocean liner book available.

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by sunviking90

[Destiny0315]

The bottom line from anybody reading the last few posts here would be an agreement that many of the things you liked or disliked in the past on a Holland America cruise are gone or going and if they are coming back in any form on the older ships is the question that is still up in the air.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

On 10/8/2022 at 6:29 PM, foodsvcmgr said:

Zuiderdam’s original library on the Promenade Deck in 2007.

Interesting how trends reverse and now it may be back.

A good move if true.

HERE are some pics of the new library on the Rotterdam - looks more like a bookstore than a library.   The books are on display like they are for sale.    

 

How many different books can you count?  100-150?    Not very many unique titles.  

 

But -it's a start...

 

 

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[Sea42]

10 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

HERE are some pics of the new library on the Rotterdam - looks more like a bookstore than a library.   The books are on display like they are for sale.    

 

How many different books can you count?  100-150?    Not very many unique titles.  

 

But -it's a start...

 

 

 

Many public libraries are moving towards front facing displays. Patrons, especially those browsing for something different, enjoy seeing the covers rather than the spines of the books. I switched our children's books over to front facing and it has increased our circulation numbers quite a bit. I would love to do it for our adult books but our set up doesn't lend itself to that type of display.