Koningsdam Promenade Deck, judge for yourself (video)….

[Traveller1]

Thank you for posting--we have heard so much abt this narrow deck--WONDERFUL to see it close up--it's horrible! You can barely even see the ocean with the lifeboats right in the way..and NO seating--.Whoever designed this cannot have been a cruiser ...sad.

[Alphen]

Thank you for the video.

Looking at how narrow the Promenade Deck is in places -- lifeboat drill definitely has to be inside. That is a good point.

Walking side-by-side is almost impossible in places.

I feel sorry for the people who love to sit in loungers and view the sea -- all gone.

 

 

As the captain told us, when asked about the drill, space is not the main reason for having the muster inside.

 

It actually is a lot faster, attendance is recorded with hand held devices, both in the muster location and in an actual event, again when entering the life boat.

 

Most of the times mustering station is ordered in the event of an incident without having to abandon ship immediately. Mustering in the World Stage and the Main dining room in this case, will protect everyone from standing outside for a longer period exposed to hot or cold, without having to abandon in the long run. When abandoning has to be executed, groups will then be sent to their respective life boats, not bounded by pre designated numbers.

[RedmondCruiser]

My only comment is "SAD". Less passenger space, smaller staterooms and more cabins. That seems to be the trend. I wonder if the same person at HAL came up with this design was the same person who destroyed the Sea View Pool on the Rotterdam and the Veendam ? That was done to put in five or six extra inside cabins.

 

Whats next - water slides ? (for a fee of course)

[Clarea]

Thank-you for the video.

[jtl513]

Hopefully this trend will be reversed on future classes of ships in years to come.

Not likely IMO.

[Cruising-along]

Thank you. I think it's pretty sad, especially the very narrow section along the galley and MDR. I saw in the the clip that two people were walking clockwise. Back in that narrow section they may need traffic lights! :(

.

 

Not a bad idea (traffic lights!). There is always "that" person or persons who go against the flow. ;) Could be dangerous for slow and fast walkers alike.

 

Thank you OP for posting this. I'm diabetic and get my cruise exercise by walking (at a good clip-- well up until this). Looks like I may have to walk more often but slower on the Koningsdam. ;)

[eroller]

At least on Celebrity's newest ships there are a couple spots wide enough for padded loungers with no view obstruction.

[OlsSalt]

Oh dear - exposed, no overhead protection in many parts. Didn't HAL know what a signature feature its 360 protected teak deck promenades were for many of its return passengers? This one looks like an after-thought- tacked on utilitarian rather than a gracious traditional feature.

Edited April 16, 2016 by OlsSalt

[Topsham]

As the captain told us, when asked about the drill, space is not the main reason for having the muster inside.

 

It actually is a lot faster, attendance is recorded with hand held devices, both in the muster location and in an actual event, again when entering the life boat.

 

Most of the times mustering station is ordered in the event of an incident without having to abandon ship immediately. Mustering in the World Stage and the Main dining room in this case, will protect everyone from standing outside for a longer period exposed to hot or cold, without having to abandon in the long run. When abandoning has to be executed, groups will then be sent to their respective life boats, not bounded by pre designated numbers.

 

 

Thankfully things like 'incidents' (collision, fire and explosion) take lots of time to get inside and comfortable for musters before to get to the boats.

 

Anyone thinks that time is on your side... read the loss of the ROYSTON GRANGE. When they found officers and passengers sitting at table and were found there. Not even enough time to leave their seats.The 7,113 ton Royston Grange, carrying 61 crew, 12 passengers (including six women and a five-year-old child), and an Argentinian harbour pilot, was bound from Buenos Aires to London with a cargo of chilled and frozen beef and butter. As she traversed the Punta Indio Channel, 35 miles from Montevideo, Uruguay, in dense fog at 5.40 a.m. she collided with the Liberian-registered tanker Tien Chee, carrying 20,000 tons of crude oil. The Tien Chee immediately burst into flames and a series of explosions rapidly carried the flames to the Royston Grange, which burned particularly hot due to the cargo of butter and the oil escaping from the Tien Chee. Most of the crew and passengers were asleep. Although the Royston Grange did not sink, every person on board was killed in the fire, most of them probably by carbon monoxide fumes emanating from the refrigeration tanks, which burst in the collision.[2]

 

The Tien Chee also caught fire and ran aground, blocking all traffic in and out of the port of Buenos Aires. Eight of her 40 crew, who were mostly Chinese, also died, but the remainder along with the Argentinian pilot managed to abandon ship and were picked up by cutters of the Argentine Naval Prefecture.

 

Aftermath[edit]

 

 

Royston Grange Headstone at the British Cemetery in Montevideo

The remains of the victims, mostly little more than ashes and charred bones (much of the flesh having been stripped from the bones by the hoses used by Uruguayan tugs to put out the fire), were buried in six urns in two communal graves in The British Cemetery Montevideo on 20 May 1972 by the Right Reverend Jonas Ewing White in the presence of 130 relatives who had been flown out to Uruguay by the ship's owners. A memorial service was held at All Hallows-by-the-Tower in London on 8 June.

[Sir PMP]

Here is a link to a video I shot on board Koningsdam of the Promenade Deck...

 

 

 

HD version to follow shortly....

 

Don't know what to make out of this, it almost feels like it was an afterthought to put in a prom deck...

[POA1]

I'll take it over Celebrity ships with less place to walk than the tiny 148 passenger Wind Star any day. I'll be interested though in the first time for On Deck for a Cause.

 

Roy

They're going to have to grease the participants to allow passing. ;) I suppose that the really competitive walkers will figure out that there are only limited passing opportunities.

[SilvertoGold]

OP: thanks so much for posting this video.

 

Oh well, you can at least walk all the way around. That is better than the ships of some lines.

 

There seem to be a few small areas where they could put a couple of lounge chairs. Not many, though.

 

A few of those hard as rocks wooden benches so you sit and try to peer thought the life raft areas. Sheeesh!

 

A good ship for port-intensive cruises where no one much has the time to sit outside or walk.

 

I wonder how good the higher decks are? Is it all lounge chairs or is there lots of room for walking up there?

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Clearly this is an area that is going to force many-star Mariners to adjust slightly to how they do things aboard Pinnacle class ships. I'm guessing that HAL preserved a true wrap-around promenade for folks who want to walk. For folks who want to lounge, there are expanded lounging opportunities at both the Lido Pool and by the Sea View Pool. Both are now two levels and offer tables, lounge chairs and pool-club type furniture in sun and shade. In my humble opinion, this is actually a better lounging option. And of course, there's always your verandah if you want the secluded "watch the world go by" experience. Just trying to point out the options, but I recognize this is a big change for some. :)

 

Thanks, Alphen, for posting your excellent video.

Edited April 16, 2016 by Cruiser Bruiser

[Topsham]

For folks who want to lounge, there are expanded lounging opportunities at both the Lido Pool and by the Sea View Pool. Both are now two levels and offer tables, lounge chairs and pool-club type furniture in sun and shade. In my humble opinion, this is actually a better lounging option.

 

.

 

 

Bandstand at the Sea View Pool or the TV Screen at the Lido Pool... which has the LEAST noise?

[edgekid]

After seeing all the beautiful photos and videos of the Koningsdam, put out by HAL, and eagerly awaiting reviews as we have booked a December cruise, I thought I was watching a video of an “employees only” work area…I’m sure that was not a representation of what’s to follow, but wow, what a 1st video letdown...

[ski ww]

I also do not like the promenade deck on this ship for all the reasons posted by others. For those that like to jog or do power walks I'm told there is space on the Panorama deck. I guess we better get used to it as it looks like this is the future.

Allan

[pillow]

(could be by design since jogging is not supposed to be done anyway.)

 

 

 

Really? You're not supposed to jog? We are cruising on her next summer. Have only sailed DCL and my fav thing to do in the mornings is jog on the promenade. Bummer. :(

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Really? You're not supposed to jog? We are cruising on her next summer. Have only sailed DCL and my fav thing to do in the mornings is jog on the promenade. Bummer. :(

 

Not supposed to run on the promenade decks in Princess or NCL either. I think this is fairly standard. But they both have upper deck running tracks.

[pillow]

Not supposed to run on the promenade decks in Princess or NCL either. I think this is fairly standard. But they both have upper deck running tracks.

 

Good to know - thanks!

[Mary Ellen]

Sadly the video looks exactly as I expected. Not being able to sit out on the shady deck, watching (and hearing) the sea go by is a big disappointment. HAL is making themselves just like every other cruise line. We've expanded our cruise horizons because of this. Before we were willing to pay the price to sail on the ships we loved. Not now.

 

Really? You're not supposed to jog? We are cruising on her next summer. Have only sailed DCL and my fav thing to do in the mornings is jog on the promenade. Bummer. :(

 

On some ships there are cabins below. Would you like someone jogging on your ceiling? You'll find a jogging track on an upper deck.

[Lizzie68]

Really? You're not supposed to jog? We are cruising on her next summer. Have only sailed DCL and my fav thing to do in the mornings is jog on the promenade. Bummer. :(

 

You cannot jog on the ships with cabins beneath. But on some you can - I forget which ones.

[patrick65]

I was really excited about booking passage on Koningdam prior to this video. I am thankful for the video.as it gave me all the reason I need to completely void this ship. There are no deck loungers or even chairs. I did see however see several benches. I gather from the video there are a total of 4 benches. This would seat 12 people. I bet the top deck where there may be deck loungers is a complete zoo.

[POA1]

Thanks for the video. It is really helpful.

[jtl513]

For folks who want to lounge, there are expanded lounging opportunities at both the Lido Pool and by the Sea View Pool.

Too high! Not the same as being down where you can see and hear the white water, and see the flying fish. And I'll bet that loungers in the shade will be pretty scarce up there. IMO this is a major mistake on HAL's part, comparable to the Retreat fiascos on the Veendam and Rotterdam.

[janmcn]

Thanks for posting the video! Well-done. At least now I know I won't rush to book the K'dam...I love the big, wide promenade, so won't be eager to give that up. May never book on it after seeing this.