Comparing the Noordam with other Vistas

Part 1 (since they only allow 5 images)

Here are some deckplan comparisons between the Noordam, on the right, and the Oosterdam on the left. These examples represent the most apparent discrepancies between the two ship's deckplans. Has anyone found any others? I'll be on the Lower Promenade Deck and work up.

Lower Promenade Deck -- Windstar Cafe vs Pinnacle Bar.

Promenade Deck -- Internet Center vs. Explorations Cafe

Upper Promenade Deck -- Note: I don't see a substantial difference here

Verandah Deck -- Note: Aft cabins have smaller Verandahs

Upper Verandah Deck -- Note: Aft cabins ditto

CONTINUED NEXT POST

Rotterdam Deck -- Note: Yet again, Aft cabins

Navigation Deck -- Note: This time not quite as much of a verandah loss (if any)

Lido Deck -- Note: the changes in the lower deck have extended the open space on the aft Lido deck. This should make for more public events space ... skeet shooting anyone? How about parasailing off the aft of the ship????

Speaking of ClubHAL;) :

ClubHAL on Observation Deck midships -- Note: Does this reconfiguration represent an increase in space? Looks like it to me.

All in all, I would say this is an improvement, though I must admit that for those few who relish Verandahs that are as large as the interiors of their suites, this would appear to be a loss.

For the most part, it appears to be a subtle tweaking of the design.

Sorry they did not include self-serve laundries. P&O's version of the Vista class did include them, I am told.

I looked for such, but in vain. Unless they didn't detail it on the deck plans, they didn't add them. Most unfortunate. Shows that HAL doesn't listen to their comment cards ... I know DOZENS (and have been told that there are many hundreds) who have put on their cards that they would like there to be a self-service laundry aboard. They had a perfect chance to respond to the overwhelming requests of their passengers. Oh, well ... maybe the next ships will have them.

Thanks for this post.

I was disappointed that HAL added 35 more cabins, bringing the "100pc occupancy" pax total to 1918, as compared to 1848 on the earlier Vistas.

We've been on the other Vistas and felt 1848 occupancy was as large as we wanted to go. We'll board Noordam April 15 for a repositioning from NYC to Civitavecchia. I doubt we'll notice any crowding on that cruise - most categories are still available - but on a Caribbean cruise with more families and children, there could be an impact when third and fouth pax are added to many cabins.

Thanks for posting the differences between the older 3 Vista class ships and the Noordam.

Why does the Pinnacle need another bar? If you remember on the older Vista class ships, there is a bar already inside the Pinnacle. I heard a rumor once that when the Windstar Cafe would be taken out, a wine tasting bar like on the Ryndam would go in its place.

Now we all know that the new Explorations Cafe is a combination Library, Internet Room, and coffee bar.

So what will happen to the old Erasmus Library? What is going in there?

Or are they not going to incorporate a library in with the Explorations Cafe like on the Ryndam?

Why does the Pinnacle need another bar? If you remember on the older Vista class ships, there is a bar already inside the Pinnacle. I heard a rumor once that when the Windstar Cafe would be taken out, a wine tasting bar like on the Ryndam would go in its place.

Well, the in the Pinnacle is rather small. I noticed, on the Westerdam, huge lines gathering at the entrance to the Pinnacle and spilling out into the walk area of the Atrium neverly every night. I thought "why don't these people just show up at their reserved dinner time" but, then, when we went for our Pinnacle Grill dinner I discovered that it didn't matter what time our reservation was -- we were precisely on time, but it still took 10 minutes before they could seat us. Why, I don't know ... there were PLENTY of tables available at the time we had scheduled. I suspect they were just inefficient -- an inefficiency we've seen mentioned here in several posts.

PERHAPS they decided to create a "bar" or Pinnacle Lounge that could double as a very nice waiting room??? I don't know.

I think it will be very interesting to see these differences between the Noordam and other Vista-class ships. I don't think the change in number of passengers will be noticeable, however - I doubt that 70 more passengers will change the passenger-space ratio. Still, I'm looking forward, interestingly enough, to seeing what interior color scheme they choose for the Noordam :)

I wonder how much difference there really is on those aft verandas. They are HUGE on the other Vista ships but the deck plans make Noordam's look about half the size. We prefer mid-ship cabins so it won't impact us but I know many people book those cabins seeking the tremendous verandas.

The aft verandahs will certainly hold fewer people. But I wonder how many people really host large parties out there, like 20 or more guests?

The aft verandahs will certainly hold fewer people. But I wonder how many people really host large parties out there, like 20 or more guests?

We had a CC party on the aft cabin 6th deck on the Westerdam, and a second party on the last night, leaving HMC, both having over 20 people. It looks like that would be impossible except on the 8th deck on the Noordam.

Rick

I looked for such, but in vain. Unless they didn't detail it on the deck plans, they didn't add them. Most unfortunate. Shows that HAL doesn't listen to their comment cards ... I know DOZENS (and have been told that there are many hundreds) who have put on their cards that they would like there to be a self-service laundry aboard. They had a perfect chance to respond to the overwhelming requests of the passengers. Oh, well ... maybe the next ships will have them.

I don't think their omitting the laundries means they don't listen......I'm sure they 'heard' and considered but decided against them for their own reasons. I don't know their reasons. Just because some ask for something doesn't mean they HAVE to be granted their wish. IMO

I don't know their reasons. Just because some ask for something doesn't mean they HAVE to be granted their wish.

Come on $ail, we all know their rea$son$ for not including a $elf $ervice laundry aboard the Vi$sta$. It'$ not cla$$ified. :)

And, a$ for your $econd point above ... well ... one of the $tated rea$on$ for the implementation of the new dining $cheme i$ that many pa$$enger$ a$ked for open $eating. They didn't have to grant them THEIR wi$h, but they did ... $o why can't they grant u$ our$??? ;)

Regarding all the cabins in the aft section of the Noordam, I think there's more of a loss than just the aft facing balconies. On the Veranda Deck, the difference to stern is 23 ft. on Oosterdam vs. 17 ft. on Noordam, a difference of 6 feet. They have added one VC category cabin on both port side and starboard, and cabins are more than 6 feet wide.....which means to me that they had to slice a couple of inches off the other 16 cabins in that section to make up the difference. So each cabin loses maybe 2-1/2 to 3 inches in width, which seems like no big deal...until you notice you're banging into the wall every time you walk around the bed...(Mabel, am I losing my mind or does this room seem smaller than the one we had on Oosterdam???)

Same situation on Upper Veranda Deck where they have added four VB category cabins, two per side, although just eyeballing the side-by-sides, that deck appears to be a little longer on Noordam than on Oosterdam...unless it's just an "optical delusion." Deck plans aren't always exact or to scale. Nevertheless, it appears they might have "squeezed" the other cabins a little here, too.

The specs say that Oosterdam is 951 feet long vs. 950 feet on Noordam, so they're actually getting more out of less. :( Their gain, our loss.

Because they decreased the size of the aft balconies on the Verandah, Upper Verandah, and Rotterdam Decks, each decrease enabled a lengthening of the deck above and the installation of more cabins; that lengthening compounded with each deck and propagated UP the ship. Hence, the Upper Verandah, Rotterdam, AND Navigation Decks ARE progressively LONGER because of the decrease in size of each verandah on the deck beneath. The "stairstep" appearance of the aft of the Noordam will be steeper than the other three Vistas.

The "stairstep" appearance of the aft of the Noordam will be steeper than the other three Vistas.

I'd guess it'll probably resemble the appearance of the sterns of ships like the Carnival Pride & Spirit, both of which use the same basic hull design. Which won't be bad...just steeper. I think P&O's Arcadia has this same stern design too, but one which more closely resembles HAL's design.

As long as they don't tinker with the wonderful forward deck space - I love ships that have forward deck space like the Oosterdam, and it's becoming a bit of a rarity nowadays.

Thanks for posting the differences between the older 3 Vista class ships and the Noordam.

 

Why does the Pinnacle need another bar? If you remember on the older Vista class ships, there is a bar already inside the Pinnacle. I heard a rumor once that when the Windstar Cafe would be taken out, a wine tasting bar like on the Ryndam would go in its place.

 

Now we all know that the new Explorations Cafe is a combination Library, Internet Room, and coffee bar.

 

So what will happen to the old Erasmus Library? What is going in there?

 

Or are they not going to incorporate a library in with the Explorations Cafe like on the Ryndam?

KK--

What better place to put a wine bar than as a replacement for the Windstar and use it as a larger waiting/congregation space for Pinnacle? Incidentally, there will be additional tables in the space where the Pinnacle Bar would have been...

Upon study of the complete deckplans on HAL's website, one will see that the Library remains in the same space. There is a utility (crew only) staircase and set of emergency fire-doors between those two spaces, so without doing a minor reshuffle of public spaces, the Library and Explorations Cafe end up adjacent, yet divided, on Noordam...

***BEPSF is pleased knowing that he had predicted these changes over a year ago...***

:D

***BEPSF is pleased knowing that he had predicted these changes over a year ago...*** :D

*BEPSF is pleased knowing that he had predicted these changes over a year ago...*

Oooooh ... what are my Lottery numbers? I want to do that 64 cruise on the Prinsendam in 07. :D

Having sailed on the 10/22 sailing on the Zuiderdame in S5187 corner aft I hate to see the huge balconies go. I mentioned in a previous posting that Mr. Deering mentioned this at a Cruise Critic meeting he had with us that the Noordam would be having the same design as most of the other new ships now on other lines with the straight up and down back rather than tiered. He also said that the other Vista class ships would also within the next 5 years be redesigned to this. Too bad. I guess they'll be getting lots of shade now like the sides, at least the corners still do wrap around.

He also said that the other Vista class ships would also within the next 5 years be redesigned to this. Too bad.

Now that is a Dam-ed shame...

:mad:

He also said that the other Vista class ships would also within the next 5 years be redesigned to this.

I was chatting with a friend at Fincantieri yesterday who was telling me that the NOORDAM was all but complete when the decision was made to rebuild her upper decks aft to add the extra cabins. In fact she had already done technical trails etc when she went back into dock to have the work done.

Yes, if it is successful I can see all the other Vistas being rebuild over the next few years..

Stephen

Having sailed on the 10/22 sailing on the Zuiderdame in S5187 corner aft I hate to see the huge balconies go. I mentioned in a previous posting that Mr. Deering mentioned this at a Cruise Critic meeting he had with us that the Noordam would be having the same design as most of the other new ships now on other lines with the straight up and down back rather than tiered. He also said that the other Vista class ships would also within the next 5 years be redesigned to this. Too bad. I guess they'll be getting lots of shade now like the sides, at least the corners still do wrap around.

Oh, I really hope they do not do this :mad: the way 5187 is right now is the way I like it. That is why we changed cabins from Mid Ship SA when 5187 became available. The lay out of that cabin and the very large verandah makes it extra special. I love the fact that it is open, it was wonderful for stargazing at night:)

I was chatting with a friend at Fincantieri yesterday who was telling me that the NOORDAM was all but complete when the decision was made to rebuild her upper decks aft to add the extra cabins. In fact she had already done technical trails etc when she went back into dock to have the work done.

 

Yes, if it is successful I can see all the other Vistas being rebuild over the next few years..

 

Stephen

This is a shame, in my opinion - adding a few extra cabins after technical trials??? Hopefully, there won't be any problems as a result of this...

Geez, and I thought the Vista class ships already held quite enough people as they are.