The Library on the Rotterdem VII

[JennysUncle]

Here are a couple of pictures of the Library on the Rotterdam.  It is just forward of the Rolling Stone venue, in the room that on the Koningsdam was the Microsoft demo room and on the Nieuw Statendam was the Arts & Crafts (replacing Microsoft) room.  Perhaps they will be made over in this form at their next drydock.

 

The content is good - there is an assortment of current best sellers across many genres,  with multiple copies of each.  My opinion is that instead of duplicates, they should have more variety.

 

The room is bright and spacious - actually wasteful of space.  The door is very heavy and the room is fairly soundproof.  The chairs are very comfortable, but there are only about a half-dozen.  The intention is obviously that you pick a book and take it away.

 

[NCTribeFan]

Yes, would be nice if there was more seating.  I'll be on the ship for 26 nights beginning 4/3/23 with the TA.  As someone who sails in inside cabins, it is nice to be able to find somewhere quiet to sit and read and not have to retreat to the cabin to get away from horrible background music and people who think they must bellow at full volume at all times.  I expect it will be too cold in the north Atlantic to sit out on the Promenade deck, which is typically where I park myself.

 

I'll make sure to visit the library early on and get some reading material.

[azalice]

I almost always have a problem finding a quiet place to read. Often I retreat to my cabin. If I am in an inside cabin, I particularly want a couch in the cabin as a reasonable seating area to read. I will be on the Rotterdam in September so it is disappointing that they have little seating in a library area. 

[foodsvcmgr]

What is the idea with the blankets?

[REOVA]

9 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

Yes, would be nice if there was more seating.  I'll be on the ship for 26 nights beginning 4/3/23 with the TA.  As someone who sails in inside cabins, it is nice to be able to find somewhere quiet to sit and read and not have to retreat to the cabin to get away from horrible background music and people who think they must bellow at full volume at all times.  I expect it will be too cold in the north Atlantic to sit out on the Promenade deck, which is typically where I park myself.

 

I'll make sure to visit the library early on and get some reading material.

Where can you sit on Promenade Deck on the Pinnacle Ships? No loungers and limited/narrower space to even walk. 

 

You may find a chair outside on deck 10 or 11 aft or deck 10 mid. Crows Nest/EXC area may have quiet seating at times.  Forward in hall outside Club Orange has chairs but small bar nearby so may not be quiet. We are happy they put in a Library on RDam (and may install on other Pinnacle ships) and while they do have multiple copies of books (too many), it's nice to be able to get a copy. (It's the first place my DW goes to get books to read -on all ships- as well as leave one/take one). The chairs face windows on each of the 2 sections of the library (limited seating) with the blankets. Pinnacle ships don't have many nooks to read books in silence. 

[albingirl]

This is a step in the right direction.  I really liked the full libraries on the older ships, though, with plenty of seating, as others have said. I travel with a fully loaded kindle but always love a paper book for a change. The odd claims that people were stealing them is pure garbage, I am sure.  Widespread theft on Holland America is a real stretch.

[cruisemom42]

Frankly, the pictures of the library don't make it look like a place I'd want to sit and read.  I guess the chairs must be facing windows but it looks very cheerless in the room.

 

And honestly, on cruises I was on before, when the ships still had libraries, it seemed to me that more people were sleeping than reading!

 

I'd rather read in a nice public room somewhere if I can't sit outside. My cabin would be my last choice. Is HAL background music really so loud that this is not possible?  

[Seasick Sailor]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

Frankly, the pictures of the library don't make it look like a place I'd want to sit and read.  I guess the chairs must be facing windows but it looks very cheerless in the room.

 

And honestly, on cruises I was on before, when the ships still had libraries, it seemed to me that more people were sleeping than reading!

 

I'd rather read in a nice public room somewhere if I can't sit outside. My cabin would be my last choice. Is HAL background music really so loud that this is not possible?  

 

I disagree. I an currently on Rotterdam for 45 days. On day 14. The library did not have filled chairs last year. 32 days Dec/Jan nor are they filled now during the crazy holidays. No music.

 

I take my coffee or cocktail down and read peacefully watching the sea. Cozy chairs and a blanket on each. My favorite spot for respite.

[NCTribeFan]

There are no deck chairs on the exterior promenade deck!?!?

 

I sailed K'dam 5 years ago.  I don't recall that being the case on that ship.  But that was one of the rare times I booked a balcony, so maybe I sat out there to read.

 

I just spent 32 nights on Carnival Pride and I thought that was the first cruise (probably close to 50 total) that there were no loungers out there.  I was not happy.  Try finding anywhere even remotely quiet on a Carnival ship!  Even empty lounges & other areas have awful pop music blasting 24/7.

 

I do wish this class ship had the wonderful large interior cabins like the Vista and Signature class ships have.  Love them.  So roomy.

 

Anyway, I most definitely will check out Rotterdam's library.  I'm just happy they actually have one!

[REOVA]

2 hours ago, NCTribeFan said:

There are no deck chairs on the exterior promenade deck!?!?

 

 

Sadly not of the 3 Pinnacle ships. They are too narrow and even walking with others is tough as you can't see who may be coming around the corner.  Plus the view is of tenders so not much to see on that deck except a few spots forward or aft.

[RuthC]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I'd rather read in a nice public room somewhere if I can't sit outside. My cabin would be my last choice. Is HAL background music really so loud that this is not possible?  

IMO, yes, the music is too loud for reading. I find it distracting. The 'white noise' of sitting on the promenade on the earlier classes of ships, even when the same decibel level, is not distracting to me. 

[TiogaCruiser]

4 hours ago, REOVA said:

Sadly not of the 3 Pinnacle ships. They are too narrow and even walking with others is tough as you can't see who may be coming around the corner.  Plus the view is of tenders so not much to see on that deck except a few spots forward or aft.

This, and the size of this class is why I plan to never board one of them.

[REOVA]

9 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

This, and the size of this class is why I plan to never board one of them.

If they put a Dutch Cafe on the smaller ships, we wouldn't either 🤣. HAL would have a perfect ship for us. 

[RAS4331]

I visited the library several times while on the Rotterdam.  There was never anyone in the reading chairs when I was there -- or even anyone else in the room!   I wouldn't choose to read there when there are so many other places with a view, but if you wanted to sit down for a minute while browsing books I can't imagine you'd ever find all the chairs full.  I think my only comment would be that the library is a bit hidden (though I'm sure those who are interested will seek it out!)

 

Admittedly I've only been on two HAL cruises, but I never experienced any problem with noise -- either loud music or loud talkers.  I found it peaceful to read in the Crow's Nest, around the pool, or in any windowed seating areas around the ship.  Maybe I was just on quiet cruises!

[saltshell]

Recently on Rotterdam. Crows nest is great for reading but chair hogs have found those wonderful leather chairs and stake them out and leave them for (what seems) hours. I found the library a good second choice.

[jimbob22]

On rotterdam, on the port side just outside the fitness center was a room that said something like 'relaxation room'.  It had loungers facing windows.  I (and likely many others) was not sure if that was a 'pay extra' area, but I asked a worker and she said anyone can go in there.  That could be a good place to read if you like silence and good views.

[DFD1]

We liked the library on Rotterdam, but agree that it has wasted space and not enough seating. When we were there, almost every one of the few chairs was taken. However, I'm glad the ship has a library.

 

We often go to the Crow's Nest in the mornings and read there. There is some slight noise, but not enough to disturb us...and the Bloody Mary is nice.

[Ozkarnak]

So on the Noordam now and confused how  we use the library?. The books seem to have a number, just no method to log them in or out?.

[REOVA]

4 hours ago, Ozkarnak said:

So on the Noordam now and confused how  we use the library?. The books seem to have a number, just no method to log them in or out?.

Probably a carryover from when they had a sign out sheet. It's now honor system checkout. 

[karan812]

We loved the library on the Rotterdam during our Nordic cruise back in July - it was a full cruise but the library was almost never full and was among the quietest places on the ship. We must have left 5-6 books there since we used it so much. We did get a lot of reading done on that cruise.