JAMESCC Posted August 19, 2006 #1 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I'm new to cruising as i have only been on one. I was on the Crown princess that had the list problem. I am now looking into my next cruise and I am keeping all lines open for my next. I am curious to what the "Explorations Cafe powered by the New York Times" is? I work for the NYT and was curious. Also the MS Noordam looks like a gorgeous ship. Actually another question just popped up. Does Holland America have plans to enter into the giant ship building phase going on? Thier ships while gorgeous are on the smaller side for todays standards. Do they have plans for bigger ships? Thanks for the help Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funlovin'cruiser Posted August 19, 2006 #2 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I'm new to cruising as i have only been on one. I was on the Crown princess that had the list problem. I am now looking into my next cruise and I am keeping all lines open for my next. I am curious to what the "Explorations Cafe powered by the New York Times" is? I work for the NYT and was curious. Also the MS Noordam looks like a gorgeous ship. Actually another question just popped up. Does Holland America have plans to enter into the giant ship building phase going on? Thier ships while gorgeous are on the smaller side for todays standards. Do they have plans for bigger ships? Thanks for the help Hey there, it's basically the "coffeehouse" of the ship. It's a great place to read the paper, relax and drink coffee. One of my favorite things is that there are tables with some of the best NYT crosswords on them that people can use special pens/pencils to fill out and then erase after they are done. Additionally, since it's sponsored by the NYT, access to the NYT on the computers is free, unlike other sites which you pay per minute for or use minutes from a plan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMESCC Posted August 19, 2006 Author #3 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Hey there' date=' it's basically the "coffeehouse" of the ship. It's a great place to read the paper, relax and drink coffee. One of my favorite things is that there are tables with some of the best NYT crosswords on them that people can use special pens/pencils to fill out and then erase after they are done. Additionally, since it's sponsored by the NYT, access to the NYT on the computers is free, unlike other sites which you pay per minute for or use minutes from a plan.[/quote']Cool thats sounds like a really cool room and the virtual tour online looks like a beautiful room too. So the NYT is on the computer not a real newspaper right? I mean they can't print daily NYT's on the ship. In any event the room sounds and looks really cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcorey Posted August 19, 2006 #4 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Thier ships while gorgeous are on the smaller side for todays standards. Do they have plans for bigger ships? Thanks for the help I really hope they wont. The smaller number of passengers is what drew me to HAL in the first place. The vista class ships are equivalent in size to the Carnival ship we sailed on, but they carry 800 less passengers which equates to more space per passenger. They have announced a new signature class ship, with the first to possibly be launched in 2008 but I dont think that they have said anything more about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMESCC Posted August 19, 2006 Author #5 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I really hope they wont. The smaller number of passengers is what drew me to HAL in the first place. The vista class ships are equivalent in size to the Carnival ship we sailed on, but they carry 800 less passengers which equates to more space per passenger. They have announced a new signature class ship, with the first to possibly be launched in 2008 but I dont think that they have said anything more about it. Yeah I'm not saying go the way of Royal Caribbean but maybe up to the 110,000 range. I'm curious about the new ship class. Anyone else have information on it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raadsel Posted August 19, 2006 #6 Share Posted August 19, 2006 According to a Holland America news release, the new ships will be 86,000 tons and 2,044 passengers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhannah Posted August 19, 2006 #7 Share Posted August 19, 2006 So the NYT is on the computer not a real newspaper right? I mean they can't print daily NYT's on the ship. Well, sort of. They do produce a printed daily news recap that's four pages. The info comes from the NYT and it's delivered to your stateroom almost every day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMoney Posted August 19, 2006 #8 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I am not a big HAL fan but I love the Noordam and the Explorations Cafe. I think it's the nicest room of its type at sea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMESCC Posted August 19, 2006 Author #9 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Well, sort of. They do produce a printed daily news recap that's four pages. The info comes from the NYT and it's delivered to your stateroom almost every day.Interesting thanks. I think thats actually a cool concept. I would have loved to have a real daily newspaper on the Crown princess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMESCC Posted August 19, 2006 Author #10 Share Posted August 19, 2006 I am not a big HAL fan but I love the Noordam and the Explorations Cafe. I think it's the nicest room of its type at sea.It sure looks like a beautiful room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grannynurse Posted August 19, 2006 #11 Share Posted August 19, 2006 HAL has the largest cabins in all categories and almost all cabins have bathtubs. On the S and R class ships there are whirlpool tubs in veranda cabins and above. On the Vista class (Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, and Noordam) there are full size whirlpool tubs, added separate shower stalls, and double vanity sinks in SZ categories and higher (SY, SS, SA, SB, and SC, and PS). The passenger to space ratio is just about the highest afloat, giving you that un-crowded feeling, and the amenities are great in all cabins. Hope you'll join us as HAL cruisers, and Welcome to this board. GN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMESCC Posted August 19, 2006 Author #12 Share Posted August 19, 2006 HAL has the largest cabins in all categories and almost all cabins have bathtubs. On the S and R class ships there are whirlpool tubs in veranda cabins and above. On the Vista class (Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, and Noordam) there are full size whirlpool tubs, added separate shower stalls, and double vanity sinks in SZ categories and higher (SY, SS, SA, SB, and SC, and PS).The passenger to space ratio is just about the highest afloat, giving you that un-crowded feeling, and the amenities are great in all cabins. Hope you'll join us as HAL cruisers, and Welcome to this board. GN Thats great to know because The Crown Princess was PACKED! I mean it was a very crowded ship. Almost to the point of being annoying but it is a very,very large ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashuma Posted August 19, 2006 #13 Share Posted August 19, 2006 The Vista class is as big as I want. I hope HAL does not go any bigger. If they do, they can keep those ships in the Caribbean and leave the nicer, smaller ones for us who do not like a mob and are Caribbeaned-out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GMoney Posted August 19, 2006 #14 Share Posted August 19, 2006 It sure looks like a beautiful room. The only drawback is that it is highly utilized. You get lots of folks who just camp out, which can make it tough to set a seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JAMESCC Posted August 19, 2006 Author #15 Share Posted August 19, 2006 The only drawback is that it is highly utilized. You get lots of folks who just camp out, which can make it tough to set a seat.Boy that must be true on all ships huh? There were certain places on the Crown Princess that were either tough to get into or you had to be super early to get a seat.I figured with such a large ship like the Crown Princess with plenty of things to do there would not be that problem but there was. We always got there early for the Princess theater to get a seat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juanita462 Posted August 19, 2006 #16 Share Posted August 19, 2006 The Explorations Cafe is the only place I have met with downright rudeness on HAL - you are right, it is sometimes hard to find a seat. A woman was using the jigsaw puzzle table for her laptop and when my friend politely asked her to move to a table meant for laptops she snapped "no" and wouldn't move - she liked the light there better. There are only 2 tables with a special topping that are meant to be used only for jigsaw puzzles but a lot more places for laptop use. My friend had to wait 2 hours before she could set up and do what she enjoys doing on a cruise. I have seen people sleeping in those lounge chairs with the foot rests - they look so comfortable but are usually occupied. The thing I miss in the new lounge is the old quizzes - the new ones are all NYTimes and are not as much fun - people often take them to the computers and look up the answers in just a few minutes. Sort of makes for an uneven competition. We do them for fun as we have enough HAL memorabilia to last a lifetime but some people take them very seriously indeed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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