[QUOTE]The premium line also is making additional enhancements to the first three Vista-class ships, carrying on the spirit of Signature of Excellence. The fourth Vista-class ship, ms Noordam, was delivered in February with all Signature of Excellence enhancements installed, including an Explorations Café and Pinnacle Bar. These venues, which have been enthusiastically received by guests on Noordam and the rest of the fleet, will be added in the next few years to ms Westerdam, ms Zuiderdam and ms Oosterdam. Those ships also will receive new aft staterooms, increasing their guest capacity to 1,918 — the same as Noordam. All of these changes go beyond the original scope of the Signature of Excellence program. The spirit of excellence also is reflected in the new namesake Signature-class ship, which will be named in the near future and debut in the summer of 2008.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Maasdam:
This messege on HAL.com

[QUOTE]...will be added in the next few years to ms Westerdam, ms Zuiderdam and ms Oosterdam. Those ships also will receive new aft staterooms, increasing their guest capacity to 1,918 — the same as Noordam...

---

[ 10-18-2006: Message edited by: CGT ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by CGT:
Eh...."Explorations Cafe" destroys the tradtional library by adding pastries and coffee. Yeah, spill some pastry crumbs and cofee all over that book you're reading. Who thinks of these ideas? No thank you.

[ 10-18-2006: Message edited by: CGT ]

---

Actually the space is more inviting thene the traditional library. The space a/b the Zaandam was really favorit by manny passengers. And spill pastry crumbs and cofee, was also possible in the old situation. Passengers took those books all over the ship. Inn that nothing have chansed.

Now this lounge have become the modern version of the traditional library of yesterday. Now passengers could read a book, listen to there favorit music, serve the net, sending e-mails, and rent a DVD (actually there are 1000 DVD a/b) Above all drink a verry good cup off cofee. The library 21th century style.

quote:

---

Originally posted by CGT:
Eh...."Explorations Cafe" destroys the tradtional library by adding pastries and coffee. Yeah, spill some pastry crumbs and cofee all over that book you're reading. Who thinks of these ideas? No thank you.

[ 10-18-2006: Message edited by: CGT ]

---

Sorry, but having been on the Noordam & Volendam which both have the Explorations Cafe, I much prefer this setting to the old library. Most people take the books back to their cabin to read.....there were very few people reading in the EC. Most were listening to music or on the computers. I don't think I saw anyone sitting there drinking a coffee or eating a pastry - we took ours either to our cabin or out to the Lido.

You could spill your coffee on a book if you were reading it in your cabin/verandah or elsewhere on the ship, so what difference does it make!

I must say that I associate 'Coffee' with chatting (and sometimes even piped jazz) but a Library with SILENCE! Yes, I'm old fashioned.

quote:

---

Originally posted by CGT:
[QB]Coffee and Pastries don't belong in libraries. Try partaking of coffee and pastries in your local public library, what do you think your librarian will tell you?
QB]

---

They seem to be turning the on-board libraries into bookshops, where the current trend is to offer an in-house coffee shop. Go to any Borders or Barnes & Noble these days--more people are drinking and munching than browsing books!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Grant:
A coincidence? Starbucks and Holland America both hail from Seattle!!

---

There is no link between Starbucks and HAL. The cofee ussed a/b HAL is comming frome the Netherlands and is a small companny i forgat the name.