Presidential Suite Location, WHY?

[EngineerDel]

Question for experienced, well-travelled cruisers!:cool:

Have you noticed that on all eleven HAL ships, the PS category (most expensive) is located on the 7th deck, with the exception of the Princendam where it is on the 8th deck. Not only that, but the PS is ALWAYS at or near the FRONT or "bow" of the ship and located on the "Starboard" side. :rolleyes:

The exceptions being the Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the Zuiderdam, all of which has more than one PS, located on both sides of the ship, but still at the front.

According to most threads, the front of the ship receives the most motion so why would the most expensive and elegant suites be located where the occupants would feel the sea motion more? It's a known fact that mid ship is the smoothest ride. And the higher up, the more "sway" since a ship actually rotates on its axis. There MUST be an logical explanation! Maybe it's just the layout of HAL's ships.

By the way, I noticed all Celebrity ships have their most expensive suites located at "mid ship." And they usually are on decks 5, 6, 7, and 8. But, again, most of their ships have them located on the "Starboard" side. WHY?

Actually, I personally prefer a "mid ship" suit on the Portside, whether it's on the 6th (Verandah) or 7th deck (Navagation). Don't ask me why!
Your comments please! :p

EngineerDel

[sail7seas]

There are very many feet from the bow of the ship to the actual location of the PS Suites. We cruised in it once and we had no more motion of the ocean in the PS than we experience in the "S" cabins we always book.

Loads of feet from bow to bridge. From Bridge until the "PS" on Navigation are some Officer Cabins.

The "PS" Suite are very, very comfortable.

[AWED23]

Question for experienced, well-travelled cruisers!:cool:

Have you noticed that on all eleven HAL ships, the PS category (most expensive) is located on the 7th deck, with the exception of the Princendam where it is on the 8th deck. Not only that, but the PS is ALWAYS at or near the FRONT or "bow" of the ship and located on the "Starboard" side. :rolleyes:

The exceptions being the Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and the Zuiderdam, all of which has more than one PS, located on both sides of the ship, but still at the front.

According to most threads, the front of the ship receives the most motion so why would the most expensive and elegant suites be located where the occupants would feel the sea motion more? It's a known fact that mid ship is the smoothest ride. And the higher up, the more "sway" since a ship actually rotates on its axis. There MUST be an logical explanation! Maybe it's just the layout of HAL's ships.

By the way, I noticed all Celebrity ships have their most expensive suites located at "mid ship." And they usually are on decks 5, 6, 7, and 8. But, again, most of their ships have them located on the "Starboard" side. WHY?

Actually, I personally prefer a "mid ship" suit on the Portside, whether it's on the 6th (Verandah) or 7th deck (Navagation). Don't ask me why!
Your comments please! :p

EngineerDelI echo 7seas words plus you may wish to know that on the Prinsendam, the penthouse suite is port side on deck 12....

[EngineerDel]

Sail7seas & AWED23:

I have no doubt that the PS is the absolute finest suits on the ships but couldn't understand why HAL didn't locate them in the absolute best spot which undoubtedly is mid ship. Not that they are in a BAD location. In fact, I wish I could afford to book one but unfortunately a retired Structural Engineer like myself can't handle $10,000 for 7 days at sea.:)

Considering location ONLY, usually the cabins in the same location, but on a different deck, (directly under the PS) are considerably cheaper than those in the middle of the ship, on that same deck. You know the old saying: Location, location, location! So, I was just curious!

By the way, AWED23, I've never been on the Princendam and didn't know she had 12 decks, being only 38,000 tons. I was going by the deck plans shown on o2Cruise.com which shows her to have only 8 decks. But it does show the PS on the Portside which is different from the others.

Thanks for responding.

EngineerDel

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have stayed in the PS on the Rotterdam - never felt any more motion that the suites we usually book - 004, 006, 008.

One of the reasons why they aren't more midships, is because right above the midship area on the R and S class ships is the pool!! And you will hear the lounge chairs being moved, tables being moved, etc., a good part of the day. It can be very noisy at times - expecially if you want to take a nap in the afternoon.

[TedC]

First Class is in the front of the airplane, isn't it. That's the part that generally hits the ground or water first, also.

In those spacious Penthouse Suites if there's motion in the room toward the bow just walk back to a room farther aft.


The least motion is probably in the lowest deck amidship - and you save yourself a lot of money.

[sail7seas]

Some of the ships have Penthouse Suites on both Startboard and Port side. The "S" Sisters have only one Penthouse and that one is far forward on starboard. Same for Volendam and Zaandam.

Amsterdam has two....one on each side of the ship and
the Vista ships have two......Also, one on each side of the ship.

But, Rotterdam, has FOUR. Two on each side of the ship.

[krewzin]

Just got off the Zuidy 7/22 and had the PH. When we were in open sea it got a little rough for 1 day and I really saw very little difference between lower decks midship, and our cabin up on the Rotterdam deck.

The motion seemed slightly more exaggerated, while the PH location IMO is preferable over a lower deck primarily because of the incredible view it affords.

[krewzin]

Just got off the Zuidy 7/22 and had the PH. When we were in open sea it got a little rough for 1 day and I really saw very little difference between lower decks midship, and our cabin up on the Rotterdam deck.

The motion seemed slightly more exaggerated, while the PH location IMO is preferable over a lower deck primarily because of the incredible view it affords.

[ashuma]

We were in the Penthouse Suite on the Amsterdam. I liked the location. Motion wasn't worse than others. Plus it had more privacy on balcony than some of the cat S suites have. It is near an elevator bank and stairs, though. A lot of people would look in when we were opening our door. But it didn't bother us.

When we book Cat S suites, though, we do book mid ships except on Vista class since those are near the glass elevators and people can see onto your balcony if your suite is right by the elevators. We book a little away from elevators on Vista class.

[EngineerDel]

Again:

In EVERY category, and on EVERY deck, the cabins located at mid-ship are the more expensive ones. The ONLY exception is on the 2 decks, (Verandah or Navagation) where the PS is ALWAYS located near the forward elevators; NEVER at mid-ship.

If THAT location is the best, then WHY are the cabins at mid-ship ALWAYS higher in cost?

I still don't understand why! I appreciate all the responses, but no one has been able to explain the reason why the PS is not located in the same position as the expensive cabins on all the other decks, which is at mid-ship!

I guess my curiosity is getting the best of me!

EngineerDel

[Grumpy1]

You mean that you, an engineer, are not aware of the automatic hydraulic motion compensation suspension that HAL builds into the Penthouse Suites?:D

The cabins toward midship are usually the most requested as there is the notion that they have a smoother ride. HAL noticed this trend a few years ago and started charging more for those cabins. You would be surprised how quickly people abandon that notion if they can save $50 bucks or so by moving further forward or aft.

As to why the Penthouse on a high deck forward... I can't answer, but perhaps you can tell me, since you are a structural engineer... why are fasteners with right hand threads the "standard" and left hand threads the exception? I suspect the answer to your question and mine is pretty much the same... because it's always been that way.

With the advent of hydraulic stabilizers on the ships, the motion is not as noticeable as it used to be.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I guess you didn't read what I wrote. The designers put the PS in the bow so that those individuals won't hear the noise of the pool area.

[PRINSENDAM]

I guess you didn't read what I wrote. The designers put the PS in the bow so that those individuals won't hear the noise of the pool area.


NO!!!! The PS is located on the starboard side forward.... adjacent to the captain's cabin.... so he can use the jaccuzzi and whirlpool bath when he feels like. ;)


Actually, hard to explain, but the starboard side of a ship is usually considered to be the 'superior' side. Ever notice that almost without exception the captain's cabin is always on the starboard side of the ship? This is so that the captain can look out of his porthole at any time of day or night and see if any other ships are approaching and that his Mate on watch is making the nesessary alterations of course. You are the 'give way' vessel when a ship is approaching from your starboard side. So..... starboard side is good enough for the captain... and the penthouse passengers. :)

Stephen

[EngineerDel]

Sorry Krazy Kruizers:

Your theory doesn't "hold water!" :D

If NOISE in the pool area is a concern.....then why aren't the "S" Suites presently located underneath the pool area CHEAPER than those located on the opposite side (Port side) of the PS near the bow? It doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

If I were booking an "S" Suit, I surely wouldn't want one under the pool area, especially at the price you pay. In looking at the Volendam, in which we love and are cruising on again in December, the VAST MAJORITY of "S" Suites are located underneath the pool area and according to your theory, are NOISY suites. Sorry, but I don't buy that! Besides, if you'll notice, even the NEPTUNE LOUNGE in under the pool area (actually the Dolphin Bar) and it is one of the QUIETEST places on ship as I recall.

Check it for yourself.

EngineerDel

[EngineerDel]

Grumpy1:

Why didn't I think of that! An "Automatic Motion Compensation Suspension System" built into the Presidential Suites. BRILLIANT!!!!:)

Imagine....a cabin on the ship that would stay level, even in the roughest seas. I have to give you credit, Grumpy1. NO ONE has ever thought of such a thing. Suppose the 2 of us could pattent that? We'd make MILLIONS!

Now, if we could only design one that has a "noiseless" hydraulic system that has left handed fastner theads.

How much could the charge for that PS????? Whatever they WANTED to!

And better still....locate the PS....on the deck "ABOVE" the pool area so that the "noise" from the deck chairs would't be a factor. I think we have somethinh here, Grumpy1! But, we'd still have to convince most people that it's just a "notion" that mid-ship is the best location.

EngineerDel