RevNeal's LIVE Eurodam Report

[the2ofus]

I think the whole Eurodam cabana idea is ludicrous (sp?). The curtains separating them look like they would move in whatever breeze might find it's way to them. So you have curtains blocking most of the breeze and what breeze they catch will cause them to wrap around you or slap at you as you lie on those peculiar lounges. Then, to top it all off, the lounges are positioned so that they face the pool, not the seascape beyond the windows. When you pay for a nice stateroom with a comfortable bed and a window and/or verandah, why would you spend more money so you could sleep in public in these monstrosities? HAL, what were you thinking?????

 

Actually we know what they were thinking......follow the leader!! Other mass market lines have them so HAL must have them too. Must be the planners' mothers forgot that lesson about 'if all the other kids run in front of a truck, does that mean you should too?'

[rochelle_s]

Okay perhaps my mind is not where it should be, but when I saw the pictures of the cabanas and knowing that they are on the Lido I just can't help imagining what will happen if and when a couple rents their cabana, closes the curtain and decides to get amorous in the middle of the afternoon. Right there next to people lounging poolside, families enjoying the pool and folks enjoying a bite to eat nearby. Will a crew member have to go over and tell them to keep it down in their private sanctuary? To which I am sure they will reply with an "I paid for this private area". It never ceases to amaze me what people will do! I believe Greg has written before about people getting amorous in outdoor areas.

 

I am interested to see if they actually get rented out or not.

 

Rochelle

[sauvichick]

And I thought I was the only one thinking about people getting amorous in the cabanas:eek: ! I doubt anything would be said to passengers who would use them as they wish.

[kryos]

Will a crew member have to go over and tell them to keep it down in their private sanctuary? To which I am sure they will reply with an "I paid for this private area".

I could be wrong, but I think the people who are most likely to rent the ones on the Lido deck will be families with kids who want to be guaranteed a spot right at the Lido Pool. Having the cabana rented for the week will avoid the problem of chair hogs, and will ensure that the family always has a primo spot.

 

Also, from the way it looks to me, if you don't have a cabana, you won't have any sort of sea view.

 

Now the cabanas on the upper deck, those may be used for other purposes. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

We can only hope!

LOL ... or, here's a switch. On the next school holiday sailing, send all the teens up there in the middle of the night to "remove" them. :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

Let's hope that's the case. I can't imagine being stuck inside one of those cabanas behind the curtains and not being able to see what's going on around me...call me claustrophobic...the same reason I don't think I could do an Inside.

[/font]

I'm sure the curtains can be opened at will. You'd have to open them to enjoy any sort of a sea view.

 

My concern is more the stuffiness inside one of them. If HAL had done it right, they should have added some sort of ventilation system.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

A agree about the cabanas. A final evaluation will not be until the Eurodam has sailed in the Caribbean. My feeling is that they will not last long. Especially the ones on the Observation deck.

Trust me, if people rent them, they'll stay ... no question. In fact, if they rent out quickly, my guess is that HAL will start working on figuring out where they can add more, including on other ships in the fleet.

 

It's all about onboard revenue, folks. If the cabanas sell, then as far as HAL is concerned ... or any cruise line for that matter ... they're a winner and give the guy who thought up the idea a nice huge year-end bonus.

 

My guess is that these cabanas are an "answer" to the chair hog problem. A guaranteed spot to lay out, some privacy, and no worries about someone taking your space.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[kryos]

No need to change lines - the Rotterdam is doing 8 Northern Europe cruises in 2009, and the Prinsendam is doing one. Neither of them have cabanas.

For now. :)

The island cabanas are a whole different thing from those on board the Eurodam! :) And BTW HAL's cabanas on HMC have air conditioners to help keep them a bit cooler.

And, I would imagine HAL's engineers will figure out a way to cool the ones on the Eurodam down too.

 

I have no problem with cabanas on Half Moon Cay because they really don't infringe on the space of others. Even if you choose not to rent one, you still have plenty of beach access and lots of ocean views. For those willing to spend the money, God bless 'em.

 

But on the ship, I don't think having those cabanas is fair. They take away from the space that should be public ... usable by everyone. These cabanas, especially the ones on the Lido deck, are gonna be a real problem because they are taking away from the public space that people use to eat and to lounge. As RevNeal said, he was pressed to find a place to enjoy his breakfast, and clearly using a cabana for that purpose did not sit well with HAL's staff. What would he have done if all the cabanas had been occupied at the time?

 

I would imagine that as these cabanas become more and more popular and rent out completely, you're gonna start seeing a lot more activity back by the aft pool ... especially activity involing kids. I'll be honest ... and I know I'm gonna get flamed for this ... that if I had a child who wanted to swim, and I couldn't get a spot even remotely near the Lido Pool to keep an eye on him, I'd be taking that little child by the hand and walking him back to the aft pool, and I wouldn't give two hoots what the signs back there said about children. I'd tell him to go ahead and jump right in. Anyone has a problem with it, tell them to see me.

 

People pay good money for their cruises, and as such they have a right to the use of certain facilities. The last I heard, we were not going back to the class system on modern cruise ships. Yes, there are certain "perks" available to people who pay more for their accommodations, but those perks ... up to this point ... have not involved things that have taken basic rights away from other passengers. Sure, only certain people can use the Neptune Lounge, and that's fine, because not being able to use the Neptune Lounge doesn't take anything away from my basic entitlements I earn when I pay my cruise fare.

 

But these cabanas are taking away basic access rights. They are basically a way to "force" people to rent one ... at whatever price the cruise line wishes to charge ... if they want any real Lido Pool access. That is not fair and I'm very disappointed in HAL over this. The ones on Half Moon Cay, fine. The ones on the Observation Deck are probably fine too. But on the Lido Deck ... where public space has been removed to accommodate them ... that's just not fair.

 

I guess I shouldn't get myself all worked up about this ... because frankly I have no intention of sailing the Eurodam either now or in the future ... nor do I have any intention of sailing any HAL ship where the Lido deck public spaces have been reduced to make way for the private enclaves of only those willing to pay a premium for them.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[JLC@SD]

......those cabanas really look more like.......ca-Saunas.....;)

[Moriah]

I came back to this thread hoping to hear more about the Eurodam and see more of Greg's pictures. I ended up reading all of these posts about the cabanas! When I saw Greg's pictures I was confused - what makes them "cabanas"? They are just round couches with curtains around them - and roped off like the lines at movie theaters!?? Someone mentioned exactly what they reminded me of! Being in the emergency room at a hospital where your bed is divided from the others by a curtain! Why, oh why would this be a desirable situation poolside on a ship? I am completely confused - especially since I have never, not ONCE, seen the Lido pool area crowded or any lack of deck chairs whatsoever. Never. And I've been on all of the Vistas in a variety of itineraries and climates. This cabana thing is a definite head-scratcher.

:confused:

Moriah

[cferro514]

Rev,

You photo are wonderful.

You and your group have a great trip.

[jtl513]

So finally today you get rid of all the VIP's and TA's and writers, and a more normal cruise begins! I hope that all of the service on the ship takes on a more normal semblance too. Bon voyage for the next 20 days! :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

From what I can see -- those round lounge chairs for the Retreat on Lido can be gotten rid of very quickly and replaced with tables and chairs for eating.

 

And it appears that the other ones can also be taken aprat and gotten rid of.

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

I still don't understand why the Lido buffet area was made smaller knowing that the Eurodam holds more passengers.

 

There are days when the dining room isn't open for lunch thus forcing everyone to have lunch in the Lido.

 

The Tamarind can only hold so many for lunch. And I wonder if it will be closed some days (just like the Pinnacle) for lunch?

[jtl513]

From what I can see -- those round lounge chairs for the Retreat on Lido can be gotten rid of very quickly and replaced with tables and chairs for eating.

 

And it appears that the other ones can also be taken aprat and gotten rid of.

 

So far I haven't heard anyone voice any objections to the ones up in the Retreat on the Observation deck ... just the Lido-side ones. I hope they have a lot of problems with the latter, and they are quickly scrapped in favor of more tables and chairs.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Now that the regular 10 day cruises are starting, maybe we will start to hear more about those other ones.

 

[Boytjie]

[Removed, so as not to hijack Rev Neal's thread by kvetching about cabanas.]

[babyher]

Okay perhaps my mind is not where it should be, but when I saw the pictures of the cabanas and knowing that they are on the Lido I just can't help imagining what will happen if and when a couple rents their cabana, closes the curtain and decides to get amorous in the middle of the afternoon. Right there next to people lounging poolside, families enjoying the pool and folks enjoying a bite to eat nearby. Will a crew member have to go over and tell them to keep it down in their private sanctuary? To which I am sure they will reply with an "I paid for this private area". It never ceases to amaze me what people will do! I believe Greg has written before about people getting amorous in outdoor areas.

 

I am interested to see if they actually get rented out or not.

 

Rochelle

 

 

*LMAO*

 

After many years of working in clubs and bars , I can safely say .Don't ever be surprised wondering about the places people will find to do "Da Nasty Thing" *LOL*

 

It would be kind of funny to see what a HAL crew member would do in a case like that.

 

 

 

True story :

 

 

Several years ago in a town a few miles away from me. A couple was arrested for having sex on an outside table at McDonalds , in broad daylight/ *LOL* This was a homeless couple that were well know in town for loitering and causeing disturbances.

 

Of course it was a news story here, but it also got picked up by the wire services. I believe the story was on CNN , and even made the monologe on Jay Leno a few nights later.

 

 

After reporting the story, Leno quipped "You just know some wise guy teenage kid working the counter walked up to them and asked "Do you want fries with that?" :)

[SummerKruizer]

Rev Neal,

 

Thank you for your posts and photos. I hope that they get the kinks worked out with the main dining and the rest of your cruise is great.

[Sayyadina]

I'm in a G-category Outside cabin on Deck 4, midships (4104).

 

Oh hey! Cool, we'll be in #4106 on the 3-day from New York! Small world.:p

[Travelrd]

Can't you just cut the cabana postings or is it too late for that now? I want to read what RevNeal has to say not all your self absorbed statements. Look how much space has been wasted without one report from RevNeal. Lets leave this space for his comments and pictures and then a short note of appreciation from us.

 

Maybe someone should start a thread and call it "Comments regarding RevNeal Live from the Eurodam so we don't have to be bothered. Watch the comments fly now!!!!

[Susie51]

Finally, the "normal" cruise begins today. I hope for those who are already on board that things will be much better for you from here on out.

 

Thank you Rev Neal for posting. Each day I'm curious to know you're opinions on shipboard life. I also enjoy reading other people's comments about the Eurodam.

[jtl513]

Can't you just cut the cabana postings or is it too late for that now? I want to read what RevNeal has to say not all your self absorbed statements. Look how much space has been wasted without one report from RevNeal. Lets leave this space for his comments and pictures and then a short note of appreciation from us.

 

Maybe someone should start a thread and call it "Comments regarding RevNeal Live from the Eurodam so we don't have to be bothered. Watch the comments fly now!!!!

It's not necessary to "leave this space" - there's no finite size limit to any thread - or at least none that we're anywhere close to. No "space has been wasted". If you don't want to read feedback, just skip over any posts that don't say RevNeal at the top. In fact, if you click on the RevNeal name anyplace and then choose "Find all posts by RevNeal" you won't even have to SEE any posts except his.

[Travelrd]

Thanks for the advice, John. Now I can read RevNeal's postings like watching a tv movie without the commercials. I'm always glad to learn something new on CC.

 

And I can do the same for Brian's fabulous postings too!

 

Thanks again.

[djhsolara]

Can't you just cut the cabana postings or is it too late for that now? I want to read what RevNeal has to say not all your self absorbed statements. Look how much space has been wasted without one report from RevNeal. Lets leave this space for his comments and pictures and then a short note of appreciation from us.

 

Maybe someone should start a thread and call it "Comments regarding RevNeal Live from the Eurodam so we don't have to be bothered. Watch the comments fly now!!!!

 

 

AMEN!! After all the title of this thread is "RevNeals's Live Eurodam Report" not "Everyone's chance to give their opinions to HAL about what they feel should happen with the Cabanas".