Found some great post-drydock Volendam photos

Found these from a couple different sources. http://www.shipparade.com and the http://www.travelingwiththejones.com blog that is regularly mentioned in these forums.

Here's a couple of the pictures that show Mix (totally brand new) and the Explorer's Lounge (almost impossible to recognize but I find of like it)

MIX:

EXPLORERS LOUNGE:

Thank you. The Explorer's Lounge used to be one of our favorite places to spend time. All of the seating in there was relaxing and welcoming. That is no longer the case. Those chairs with the tables remind me of a 'budget' venue.

Hopefully we'll find a new location.

Thank you. The Explorer's Lounge used to be one of our favorite places to spend time. All of the seating in there was relaxing and welcoming. That is no longer the case. Those chairs with the tables remind me of a 'budget' venue.

 

Hopefully we'll find a new location.

I believe the intent was to have it available for a variety of purposes. With the flexible seating it could accommodate dancing (especially as the floor is no longer carpeted), possibly some lectures, auctions, etc as well. There's still a piano so this is still a music venue. Dancing wasn't possible before so maybe this is the solution?

While the new decor in the rooms for SOE 2.0 has been around for YEARS now the big Volendam news was changing the bathrooms, taking out tubs and installing new, larger shower stalls.

I am HIGHLY impressed by this new bathroom arrangement.

Again, photos from the http://www.travelingwiththejones.com blog

The comfy chairs are still situated along the windows .... Those should still be nice to sit in, but those small chairs distributed around on the dance floor look uncomfortable ... Back too low, seat too narrow. Oh, well.

I'll be aboard in 18 days.

I like the look of the new showers, replacing the tubs.

Nice.

I like the look of the new showers, replacing the tubs.

Nice.

Yeah, I'm very highly impressed.

Volendam was my first ever cruise ship with any line ever. We were on again a few years later and the ship was looking so old and tired I wasn't sure I'd want to sail on her again.

Now I'm starting to rethink that.

Thanks for the photo's of the Volendam. Love the looks of those showers. So much safer for passenger then those tubs.

Found these from a couple different sources. www.shipparade.com and the www.travelingwiththejones.com blog that is regularly mentioned in these forums.

 

Here's a couple of the pictures that show Mix (totally brand new) and the Explorer's Lounge (almost impossible to recognize but I find of like it)

 

MIX:

 

 

 

 

EXPLORERS LOUNGE:

 

The MIX looks okay.

But I sure do not like the Explorers Lounge.

While the new decor in the rooms for SOE 2.0 has been around for YEARS now the big Volendam news was changing the bathrooms, taking out tubs and installing new, larger shower stalls.

 

I am HIGHLY impressed by this new bathroom arrangement.

 

Again, photos from the www.travelingwiththejones.com blog

 

 

 

The new all shower concept is great.

The shower stalls look like a vast improvement over the previous tub/shower combos. I do dislike the 'open' concept for toiletry storage. The clutter won't be attractive and small items easily slide under the railing. Could get ugly in heavy seas.

While the Explorer's may be 'better' :rolleyes: for night time use now, other than the (limited) seating by the windows, it looks worthless for daytime. Not a place that seems at all welcoming.

Found these from a couple different sources. http://www.shipparade.com and the http://www.travelingwiththejones.com blog that is regularly mentioned in these forums.

 

Here's a couple of the pictures that show Mix (totally brand new) and the Explorer's Lounge (almost impossible to recognize but I find of like it)

 

MIX:

 

 

 

 

EXPLORERS LOUNGE:

 

Oh my, these pictures depict a butt ugly decor, so cheap and garish looking. I've never been very impressed with HAL decor but this ship is especially fugly. Some of the photos remind me of college dorm public spaces.

The Explorers Lounge is the ONE lounge we go to with complete regularity. "Was", I suppose on this ship!

Dam these designers! What on earth? No carpet, cheap-looking chairs. Atrocious color. If this is supposed to be modern.......

This lounge can be very crowded with a good Duo performing, so all in aid of getting more seats for all the pax who want to listen to the music?

Holland America has significantly cut back food quality and service levels. Now it appears the furniture budget has been cut to K mart level. I keep looking at the Explorers Lounge, I wouldn't sit thirty seconds in there.

Holland America has significantly cut back food quality and service levels. Now it appears the furniture budget has been cut to K mart level. I keep looking at the Explorers Lounge, I wouldn't sit thirty seconds in there.

Not much bar service in the Explorers Lounge as it was. This will funnel more pax to the Ocean Bar and Mix.

Mix, by the way, is looking good! Typical, with a few changes. Nice!

Holland America has significantly cut back food quality and service levels. Now it appears the furniture budget has been cut to K mart level. I keep looking at the Explorers Lounge, I wouldn't sit thirty seconds in there.

We've been on a number of HAL cruises - most recently (Feb-Mar '15) on the MAASDAM in SoAmer (Carnaval and the Amazon). BOTH the food AND the service were certainly the best we've ever had on a HAL ship.

So, while there may be lapses, to term there have been "cut backs" w/o the facts to support seems a bit meaningless. :(

Looks like HAL is moving the Volendam (probably others, too) to a coffee bar/house atmosphere in the Explorers Lounge that makes more room for all and more place for conversation - with less formality. Not sure that conversation is good with Adagio in the background. :confused:

Not that I necessarily like it/dislike it based on the pix, but I won't know 'til we sail on one of the transformed ships and experience the difference. Could be good - but maybe/maybe not. :cool:

I don't much like the look of the Explorers' Lounge. Maybe they did it so no one will fall asleep during after dinner listening to the Adagio duo!

The pictures we took and published were from the first cruise on the Volendam after dry dock - we noted our assumption that the Explorer's Lounge was not completed when we were on the ship.

Perhaps someone who has sailed on the Volendam in February or March can comment how it looks now?

The pictures we took and published were from the first cruise on the Volendam after dry dock - we noted our assumption that the Explorer's Lounge was not completed when we were on the ship.

 

Perhaps someone who has sailed on the Volendam in February or March can comment how it looks now?

Since you popped up on here, thinks for taking some great photos! Hope you don't mind that I shared them as I did also give you proper credit :)

Any other areas where you noted a particular change in decor/style? Your photos were understandably focused on the biggest changes but anything else that caught your eye?

Thanks for posting the photos I was most interested in seeing the bathroom shower change since yesterday I did something I thought I would never do and that was take a Down Sell offer [emoji47][emoji51] they had to offer it to me several times because I really did not want to budge off the Navigation Deck but ended up taking a Lanai. If that is the shower for lanai cabins I will be happy. They did a nice job on that.

As for the Mix it looks nice but I did not fine it comfortable on the Veendam. Then the Explorers Lounge [emoji33][emoji31] I hope those chairs were temporary. That does not at all fit how that area should look and feel but I guess I will find out for myself in about 55 days [emoji4]

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Have all the tubs been removed?

So much for curling up with something to read in the Explorer's Lounge during the day. With the amount of traffic that place got, there won't be room in the few comfy chairs that are left. :rolleyes:

And those little tables and chairs? Who was thinking??? Dancing to the music of the Adagio Duo? Unlikely.

Mix is Mix, apparently. The former Piano Lounge has lost its charm. Same fabrics as on the other ships, although I notice the carpet is different.

I do hope that the chairs in the piano area have been improved. The chairs were far too low to get out of, and the piano barstools were too high to climb up on! :eek: I'll know soon enough.

Since you popped up on here, thinks for taking some great photos! Hope you don't mind that I shared them as I did also give you proper credit :)

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Since you asked, we will clarify for all -- it is okay to link to photos from our blog (or any published material) with a credit; it is not okay to "lift" or copy photos from our blog or any other copyright material without prior permission. (To link, you click on the photo and copy the URL.)

 

As to other information on our experience on the Volendam over the Asian Holiday cruise, we shared our insights on the cruise and the ship in details on Cruise Critic on this thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2140276

I am horrified that the elegant Explorer's Lounge now looks like a cheap hamburger joint. Hopefully it wasn't finished.

I have used it in the past as a quiet comfy place to read during the day, or an elegant place to sit and enjoy pre and post dinner classical music - as well as the "fashion parade" before dinner on formal nights. It has also been a nice place to enjoy a quiet and elegant pre-dinner drink.

What were they thinking?