Amsterdam NOISY Staterooms Warning!!

[IRL_Joanie]

Just received the following from Spinner2, a trusted CC member who does extensive research before booking her cruises. If she says this is a problem, you better believe it is!!

Quote: "Joanie, we're aboard the Amsterdam now and while this isn't a photo (our cabin is a standard Lower Prom outside and I'm sure you have a multitude of photos of those) the cabin we have now has a noise problem that is not like any we've heard of. The sound, at ALL times, 24/7, resembles the chug-chug-chug of a train going by you a a good speed. That would be acceptable occasionally, but it hasn't stopped since we left Seattle and per Guest Relations, it's a "normal" ship noise; it's the casing on some engine, and it is not something to repair. But the constant, never-ending sound level makes it totally unacceptable. We need to warn people that on the Amsterdam, 3372, probably our neighbor 3374 and judging from the noise level (and the vibrations!) in the corridor, the block of 5 cabins starting at about 3368 and going aft to 3378 are not good assignments. It's the constant, never-ending noise that's the problem; it does improve slightly when the ship slows but returns to its standard chug-chug-chug with any pick up of speed.

Other than that, it's the usual great cruise! Even if we get moved (right now there's no place to move to) that won't solve the problem for future cruisers. I have notified the Roll Call for the next cruise (assuming there is one; I'm pre-writing everything so I can just toss it up there when I go online) because they will be getting cabin assignments soon, if they don't already have them.

Hope you are well!

marney" Unquote

I have added this as a warning to my site.

Joanie

[kazu]

Thank you Joanie and spinner2. These types of warnings are very helpful to the rest of us when we are choosing our cabins:) So sorry Spinner2 is experiencing this :(

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you fpr the warning.

[MsSteinrunner]

We were in Amsterdam's 3370 on an earlier cruise this summer, and the cabin, while always noisy because of galley noises, became a nightmare of sound & vibration when the ship slowed speed. After a week, we finally complained and were moved down a deck. Our second cabin was blissfully silent.

We understand routine noise - chairs scraping on deck, being under the galley or a theatre; this was not routine noise - it was torture!

[gte937k]

Joanie, is there a sticky or some other list of these sorts of cabin-specific noise complaints?

I think it would be very helpful to keep a list someone so they don't get lost once the thread scrolls off the front page.

[IRL_Joanie]

We were in Amsterdam's 3370 on an earlier cruise this summer, and the cabin, while always noisy because of galley noises, became a nightmare of sound & vibration when the ship slowed speed. After a week, we finally complained and were moved down a deck. Our second cabin was blissfully silent.

We understand routine noise - chairs scraping on deck, being under the galley or a theatre; this was not routine noise - it was torture!

Can you send me a review of both of the staterooms?? This is one of the ways that we can get the word out to our fellow passengers of what staterooms to book/accept and /or what NOT to book or accept.

If you have photos that would be awesome also:)

Joanie

[IRL_Joanie]

Joanie, is there a sticky or some other list of these sorts of cabin-specific noise complaints?

I think it would be very helpful to keep a list someone so they don't get lost once the thread scrolls off the front page.

It is labor intensive to keep that sort of list. That is why when someone sends me the info of these sort of warnings I post them to my site.

It is easier for me to maintain the Stateroom pages and to include both the good and the bad about all of them. As you can see, if I am told it is bad, I DO POST IT!! And, just as an aside, I do not edit anything I receive from any of you. What you say is what I post, spelling and grammatical errors and all:)

As far as I know there is no site on the web that has only the "bad" staterooms.

Joanie

[Hlitner]

Good info but not surprising when you see the deck plan. That cabin is located adjacent to the main vent shaft (smokestack) which means you have huge ventilation shafts, pipes, blowers, etc. We tend to think a bit different when it comes to choosing cabins (DW says I am very different :) ). Although most folks think that amidships is the best place to be, the heaviest mechanical equipment on the ship is centered around the ship's center of gravity which means the center of the ship. There is also a lot of noisy mechanical equipment centered around the so-called stack which is always aft of amidships. And the aft end of the ship also can have noise issues related to the Azipods (for ships that have Azipods) and the vibration and cavitation related to the props. So, the least popular part of the ship (the quarter of the ship towards the bow) is generally the quietest section of any ship. Most ships have little to no mechanical systems towards the bow (other then the seldom used thrusters) and even at the lowest levels of the ship that part of the ship is usually used for storage.

Hank

[portofrome]

Thank you for the warning.

[Himself]

It is labor intensive to keep that sort of list. That is why when someone sends me the info of these sort of warnings I post them to my site.

It is easier for me to maintain the Stateroom pages and to include both the good and the bad about all of them. As you can see, if I am told it is bad, I DO POST IT!! And, just as an aside, I do not edit anything I receive from any of you. What you say is what I post, spelling and grammatical errors and all:)

As far as I know there is no site on the web that has only the "bad" staterooms.

Joanie

Joannie: What is your site?
Himself

[kazu]

Joannie: What is your site?
Himself


It's the sticky at the top of the HAL page by IRL Joanie. she has a link to her website - in fact it's in her signature as well ;)

HAL Staterooms/Cabins Web Site http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/
HAL HC Info http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/HAL_HC-Info.html

[Cruzman]

We were in 3341 last June on the Amsterdam. Each time we left our cabin headed for the dining room, we noticed the chugging in the area described. I made a mental note to not ever book a cabin in that area because that noise had to be irritating to passengers in that area.

[erewhon]

Thank you for alerting everyone to this problem.

[CRUISEADIK]

We just got off the Amsterdam, Friday. We were in 3329. There was no noise--from above, below, or outside. Just thought I'd give you a good cabin number. We loved it.

Sandy

[surfsidemary]

3310 and that whole area of the bow was very quiet. Spent 69 days there and would request it again. I did notice the chugging sound and vibration as I walked through the corridor toward the stern on the LP and also made a mental note not to go there.

[TiogaCruiser]

I noticed similar noise in the hallway on dolphin deck of Amsterdam when I delivered notices to Our rollcall last year. That was in the hallway- not sure what they were like inside the cabins. We had 3357 and only got a fer chairs being mOved In PG above at night. We would book it again.

~TC

[RAJKR74]

Just received the following from Spinner2, a trusted CC member who does extensive research before booking her cruises. If she says this is a problem, you better believe it is!!

Quote: "Joanie, we're aboard the Amsterdam now and while this isn't a photo (our cabin is a standard Lower Prom outside and I'm sure you have a multitude of photos of those) the cabin we have now has a noise problem that is not like any we've heard of. The sound, at ALL times, 24/7, resembles the chug-chug-chug of a train going by you a a good speed. That would be acceptable occasionally, but it hasn't stopped since we left Seattle and per Guest Relations, it's a "normal" ship noise; it's the casing on some engine, and it is not something to repair. But the constant, never-ending sound level makes it totally unacceptable. We need to warn people that on the Amsterdam, 3372, probably our neighbor 3374 and judging from the noise level (and the vibrations!) in the corridor, the block of 5 cabins starting at about 3368 and going aft to 3378 are not good assignments. It's the constant, never-ending noise that's the problem; it does improve slightly when the ship slows but returns to its standard chug-chug-chug with any pick up of speed.

Other than that, it's the usual great cruise! Even if we get moved (right now there's no place to move to) that won't solve the problem for future cruisers. I have notified the Roll Call for the next cruise (assuming there is one; I'm pre-writing everything so I can just toss it up there when I go online) because they will be getting cabin assignments soon, if they don't already have them.

Hope you are well!

marney" Unquote

I have added this as a warning to my site.

Joanie


We were on the Amsterdam on 7-8-11 for the 14 day Alaska cruise in room 3368. After taking the Kitchen tour we figured out that our cabin was below the kitchen. We did not experience as much of the noise as Spinner2 did. We did occasionally hear the chug, chug, chug sound. Sometimes we could hear the sounds in the hallway. We also had some noise from the bakers in the early morning as they worked in the kitchen. It did not bother us that much and we got used to it after a few days because the bread and rolls were the best we have had on any of our 4 cruises. We accepted it as normal cruise ship noise. The cruise was one of the best ones we have taken and the staff were excellent.

Here are three links to photos of cabin 3368 from our Microsoft Skydrive albums:

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=07afc87cdf2f6dca&sc=photos#cid=07AFC87CDF2F6DCA&id=7AFC87CDF2F6DCA%212860&sc=photos

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=07afc87cdf2f6dca&sc=photos#cid=07AFC87CDF2F6DCA&id=7AFC87CDF2F6DCA%212861&sc=photos

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=07afc87cdf2f6dca&sc=photos#cid=07AFC87CDF2F6DCA&id=7AFC87CDF2F6DCA%213186&sc=photos

Rick

[startwin]

Oh dear this is making me nervous - we have 3370 on the Zandaam in a couple of weeks. It has white space above it on the deck plan too. We booked late so this seemed the best of what was available. The ship is fully booked so no chance of changing cabins. Guess we'll find out just how bad it is,:( and I'll let you know.

[IRL_Joanie]

Joanie, is there a sticky or some other list of these sorts of cabin-specific noise complaints?

I think it would be very helpful to keep a list someone so they don't get lost once the thread scrolls off the front page.

Oh dear this is making me nervous - we have 3370 on the Zandaam in a couple of weeks. It has white space above it on the deck plan too. We booked late so this seemed the best of what was available. The ship is fully booked so no chance of changing cabins. Guess we'll find out just how bad it is,:( and I'll let you know.

Startwin I sure hope you have no problems!! I know you are really looking forward to this cruise and I cannot imagine the noise that Spinner2 and others have described going on 24/7:( That would drive me to the brink of "total" insanity!!:D

I wish you and your DH the most relaxing cruise ever, disturbance free!!

Joanie

[vbmom87]

I mentioned the noise in my review which I posted on the Alaska Board and also submitted to the review section. Here is what I said:

"I had read about the Amsterdam being a noisy ship. The place we noticed a significant noise and vibration was as we walked down the hallway to our cabin from the forward part of the ship. You hear engine noise and feel significant vibration. One day as someone exited one of these cabins I asked if they heard this noise in their cabin and they said they sure did. I would not have been happy in one of those cabins. That is the only place we noticed noise. "

We were in cabin 3384. We had galley noise, but it did not bother us. However that chugging and vibration noise, would definitely have annoyed us. I would have trying to get a new cabin if at all possible. It was significant in my mind.