Cruise Talk: OOSTERDAM ARRIVES IN SOUTHAMPTON

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Topic: OOSTERDAM ARRIVES IN SOUTHAMPTON

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 07-25-2003 07:49 AM

I had an e-mail last night from a friend who boarded the Oosterdam yesterday for it's sailing tonight to Rotterdam. Here is part of what he said:

"I was in a unique situation where I had not seen the predecessor Zuiderdam this past year. I took an immediate liking to this ship. She retains all of the wonderful qualities of Holland America Line tradition and introduce state of the art cruising. From what the rest have said, this ship is dramatically toned down from the look of
the Zuiderdam. She uses a lot of soft colors, warm woods, and fantastic artwork. Nearly every "glitch" that had been reported from the Zuiderdam has
apparently been rectified here."

He took over 100 pictures yesterday - can't wait to see them.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 07-25-2003 10:46 AM

If is great to know that HAL has fixed the glitches that happened on the ZUIDERDAM!

I can't wait for the pictures either!

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

cruiseny
First Class Passenger
Member # 2928

posted 07-25-2003 06:52 PM

Having loved parts of ZUIDERDAM, and hated other parts, I will be very interested to see what they've actually changed on OOSTERDAM.

I imagine many glitches will NOT have been fixed though. For instance the cabins are likely to be the same, and they are not very well-designed or furnished. The Queens Lounge will probably still exist, and I think the only way to fix it would be to throw the thing overboard. And the deck plans do not indicate that she will have self-service laundries either.

The thing that I'm sure will be "fixed" is the decor, and honestly I don't think it was "broken" to begin with, except maybe in the main lounge, the dining room, that awful Queens Lounge and the cabins. MOST of the decor was actually very attractive IMO and most people who have been on her seen to agree.

Posts: 4730 | From: New York, USA | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged

Barryboat
First Class Passenger
Member # 33

posted 07-25-2003 09:31 PM

Regarding the laundry.....what's the point? The reason the older HAL ships had laundry was because they were designed for longer world cruises...these new HAL ships are designed for Caribbean and Alaska...not world cruises. If you can't pack for a week away without laundry...maybe you should try shorter 3 or 4 night cruises.

I'm still amazed at you cruiseny...in fact I'd love to chat with you on the phone sometime...if you're up for that, leave your phone number in my private message section.

Posts: 1851 | From: Bloomington, Minnesota (Home to the Mall of America) | Registered: Mar 99 | IP: Logged

cruiseny
First Class Passenger
Member # 2928

posted 07-26-2003 12:05 AM

Barry - check OOSTERDAM's summer schedule! Not a week-long cruise in sight!

Sure we can pack for a week-long cruise without a laundry. In fact I don't think we've ever used a laundry on a week-long cruise! That's beside the point - HAL's other ships have them and they seemingly "forgot" them on the new Vistas. HAL's excuse is that self-service laundries are "un-premium". What BS - their more upscale corporate cousin Cunard has them! So does Crystal and plenty of other cruise lines that are more expensive than HAL.

Posts: 4730 | From: New York, USA | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 07-26-2003 12:17 AM

quote:
Barryboat said:
The reason the older HAL ships had laundry was because they were designed for longer world cruises...these new HAL ships are designed for Caribbean and Alaska...not world cruises.

Eventually, wouldn't these "Z-class" ships replace the older generations on the world cruises and/or longer cruises?

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

cruiseny
First Class Passenger
Member # 2928

posted 07-26-2003 12:23 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Keitaro:
wouldn't these "Z-class" ships replace the older generations on the world cruises and/or longer cruises?

Some longer cruises, perhaps, but these ships would be sheer disaster on a world cruise. They're just not suited for it!

The two-week Europe cruises, the longer Caribbean cruises, and the like they can handle, but the REAL long cruises simply aren't what these ships are made for.

They're too big, and they're just not designed for it.

On the other hand QUEEN VICTORIA will probably take over from QE2 eventually. We'll see how that works out - I'm not optimistic.

Posts: 4730 | From: New York, USA | Registered: Mar 2002 | IP: Logged

sail7seas
First Class Passenger
Member # 1550

posted 07-26-2003 09:39 AM

They had a dismally small number of pax on World Cruise on Amsterdam this year. Barely 500 pax did the WC this year and that is the reason Prinsendam will be doing WC next year. If they can't half fill Amsterdam they certainly could not get enough pax on a Vista ship.

Posts: 40 | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

BTF
First Class Passenger
Member # 2024

posted 07-28-2003 12:56 PM

At least the Prinsendam is designed for long distance cruising and will probably do a very good job for Holland America on the World Cruise route. Her passenger complement of 793 is about equal to the market as it exists now. The HAL Vista class will probably be doing the major mass markets, Caribbean, Alaska and Europe with the S-Class doing the second tier market segments and the Amsterdam/Rotterdam set doing the longer cruises.

Posts: 287 | From: Ottawa, Ont. Canada | Registered: May 2001 | IP: Logged

Karsten
First Class Passenger
Member # 1509

posted 07-28-2003 03:02 PM

Photos of OOSTERDAM (1)

Photos of OOSTERDAM (2)

and new:

Photos of OOSTERDAM (3)

[ 07-29-2003: Message edited by: Karsten ]

Posts: 875 | From: NRW/Germany | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

sympatico
First Class Passenger
Member # 797

posted 07-28-2003 03:43 PM

Thanks Karsten. She looks so pretty all lit up at night.

Great shot of the Rotterdam and Oosterdam, nose to nose.

I can't wait until Steve (ShipCafe) returns home next week with his 1000 or so pictures.

Posts: 3305 | From: Toronto, Ont. Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Karsten
First Class Passenger
Member # 1509

posted 07-29-2003 02:55 PM

Photo part 3 added, see above.

Posts: 875 | From: NRW/Germany | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

sail7seas
First Class Passenger
Member # 1550

posted 07-30-2003 10:22 AM

Wonderful pics...thanks for posting them. The bows are sooo close (wasn't it about 10' separating them?). I'm really eager to see Steve's interior shots.

Posts: 40 | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

Karsten
First Class Passenger
Member # 1509

posted 07-30-2003 04:38 PM

The next one:

Photos of OOSTERDAM (and ROTTERDAM) - 4. part

Posts: 875 | From: NRW/Germany | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

Green
First Class Passenger
Member # 171

posted 07-31-2003 03:38 PM

Wonderful pictures, Karsten!

Tks for posting.

Posts: 2913 | From: Markham, Ontario, Canada | Registered: Jul 99 | IP: Logged

Karsten
First Class Passenger
Member # 1509

posted 07-31-2003 04:24 PM

Photos of OOSTERDAM and ROTTERDAM - part 5

and one more
(click also on the links on the left side)

Posts: 875 | From: NRW/Germany | Registered: Aug 2000 | IP: Logged

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