Big Screen TV's Being Removed

[Roadwork]

Does anyone know why the big screen TV's are being removed? I always enjoyed sitting in the casino bar watching a sporting event.

[sail7seas]

In the place where Maasdam had the big screen TV at Casino Bar, there are now slot machines.

[dakrewser]

In the place where Maasdam had the big screen TV at Casino Bar, there are now slot machines.

I always thought that was called the "sports bar". Hmm <checking deck plans>, nope that must have been on another line's ships....:)

[RevNeal]

In the place where Maasdam had the big screen TV at Casino Bar, there are now slot machines.

 

The deck plans for the Maasdam have always been wrong about that lounge area to port of the casino. They depict it as if it's the Casino Bar/Sports bar on the Statendam when, in reality, it's laid out more like that area on the Volendam.

 

So, are they expanding the size of the Casinos and getting rid of that lounge area on the other S and R class ships too?

[gizmo]

Mr. Gizmo will be very disappointed. :( He enjoys sitting in front of that big screen after dinner. It has always been an ideal place for him to meet people and he still keeps in touch with many.

 

I guess the question is why? Remove the TV to put in a couple of slots? Are the bean counters at work again?

[TampaMike]

On the Veendam it was known as the ESPN bar, just between the Casino & the Shops. It was a favorite hang out of mine and fun to watch people. It was also the coldest part of the ship after a hot day ashore.

 

I had heard it was being removed to expand the Casino area. Anyone been aboard since the last drydock before this Alaska season?

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

So far the only ship we have encountered where the big screen TV was removed was the Maasdam.

Removing them from the other "S" and "R" ships to have more casino room doesn't sound like an SOF.

:)

[grannynurse]

We were not able to get the Soccer championship games on TV this summer, and we were in Europe! The crew, however has a big screen, and they were able to watch the games in the crew lounge and on their in-room tv's.

GN

[elmorejj]

I was quite surprised on the Maasdam in Dec. to see that the sports bar had been removed to make way for more slots. We always enjoyed watching the soccer matches there.....jean :confused:

[sail7seas]

The deck plan in the Caribbean 2004 brochure calls it Casino Bar. I was sorry to see they removed the TV. Actually, Maasdam was the first to have it put in place as when Statendam first came out, she did not have it. It was added later.

[Roadwork]

I am glad to hear others that will miss this too. I might drop Holland America a line. I also thought it was a good meeting place and the area was always nice and cool.

[dakrewser]

On the Veendam it was known as the ESPN bar, just between the Casino & the Shops.

That's why I think of it as the "sports bar" - the Veendam was my first HAL ship. Watch the World Series there in '99, and on the Volendam last year.....

[CLapple]

Mr. Gizmo will be very disappointed. :( He enjoys sitting in front of that big screen after dinner. It has always been an ideal place for him to meet people and he still keeps in touch with many.

 

I guess the question is why? Remove the TV to put in a couple of slots? Are the bean counters at work again?

 

 

Are they ever! The carnivalization of HAL continues!

[ekerr19]

In the place where Maasdam had the big screen TV at Casino Bar, there are now slot machines.

 

We wondered about it at the time. They have these big mega slots there now. We were onboard when the NCAA Final Four games were being played. The Casino bartender hooked up a 19-inch TV and set it on the bar - it was packed. They were only able to get one or two of the games, but the guys loved it!

 

I thought the addition of the mega-slots in place of the big screen wasn't too well thought out. Many parents parked their kids on the floor, just outside the casino boundaries, so they could sit there and play the mega machines.

[dexter]

Here we go again with that statement "the Carnivalization" of HAL. HAL has been owned by Carnival Corp. since 1988 so I would think that the Carnivalization is just a natural turn of events by now. Do sports fans still bemoan the fact that Steinbrenner owns the Yankees? I truly don't understand why Carnival ships get such a bad rap. I have been on five of their ships and have had only one "semi bad" cruise and that was because there were too many kids. Actually the food rivaled Celebrity or Princess. I will sail HAL in three weeks so hopefully I can say Zuiderdam beats the Carnival ships.

[Host Walt]

One memory of our Baltic voyage on the Rotterdam VI in 1998 that we still talk about is our close friend Piet, from Rotterdam, who excused himself from dinner when the World Cup Football (Soccer) match was televised on that big screen.

[elmorejj]

Walt, I would have been sitting right with him for the World cup! I`m an avid soccer fan.....jean :cool:

[divinggirl]

On the photos of the "casino bar" on the Zuiderdam, there are several prominently displayed smaller televisions. We'll be sailing during the Olympics, am I to understand that there is no TV at all in any bar?? Please say it ain't so...:confused: :( I'd love to have a beer and watch any sport they'll show me!

[Roadwork]

All Hal ships have small TV's in the casino bar. My question was about the large big screen TV that is in an area adajcent to the casino bar on the older style ships. My butt prefers the chairs for an extended period of time and the big screen is much easier on my eyes. I am sorry to see them go. :(

[divinggirl]

Thanks for the clarification, I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't be without baseball for a week, couldn't handle that.

[TampaMike]

Has anyone been aboard Veendam since the pre-Alaska drydock? I am curious if the ESPN Bar / Big Screen TV was remodeled as extended Casino space? If so...where are those magnificent sailing ship models that were in huge glass display cases which flanked the big screen TV? They actually served as a dividing wall between the ESPN Bar & the Casino.

 

I often speculated how I would get 6 foot by 4 foot models into my suitcase.

[gizmo]

Thanks for the clarification, I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't be without baseball for a week, couldn't handle that.

I don't know how much baseball you will see. It will depend on the feed. I don't know what the Vista's have but the S class ships show ESPN International the majority of the time. You should be able to catch at least one game.

[divinggirl]

Well, I think that even were the earth to explode ESPN would still have the Yankees on, at the least :mad: :D :rolleyes: and I guess that's better than nothing, but not by much!!