Sailing before dry dock.

[bajae]

I just found out that I'm on the second to last cruise before the Zaandam is dry docked. Which coincidentally was the case with my one and only previous cruise. 

 

So while I'll miss out on whatever will be new and pretty, and may have to live with issues that are waiting to be fixed, I'm looking for the silver lining.  I am assuming the crew on the ship will have already spent weeks together and have the kinks worked out. Does this sound like a correct assumption? Holland is not likely to do a major crew change just a few weeks before dry dock are they? 

[CruiserBruce]

Crews are cycling constantly...they aren't all replaced at a drydock...in fact most work through drydocks. Other than some, like entertainers, the crew rotation has nothing to do with dry docks.

[bigbeergut]

Everything will probably be ok.  You may experience some areas closed off early so they can complete the work during the drydock.  You may also experience areas closed for a week or two after a drydock as well.  If I had a choice would try to avoid cruises either before or after a drydock.

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, bigbeergut said:

You may experience some areas closed off early so they can complete the work during the drydock. 

Unlikely, as the OP said the cruise was two cruises before the drydock, not the last one before. 

I have been on two last cruises before a major drydock, including one that was going to include a major renovation of removing the aft pool. 
There were workmen aboard for that final cruise, but you wouldn't have known until the final day when they started covering things (like padding the elevators) while we were enjoying Half Moon Cay, or noticing the steel toe shoes they wore, or that they cleared their own tables in the Lido. 

On the other last cruise before drydock, there was no difference from any other cruise. 

[bigbeergut]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

Unlikely, as the OP said the cruise was two cruises before the drydock, not the last one before. 

I have been on two last cruises before a major drydock, including one that was going to include a major renovation of removing the aft pool. 
There were workmen aboard for that final cruise, but you wouldn't have known until the final day when they started covering things (like padding the elevators) while we were enjoying Half Moon Cay, or noticing the steel toe shoes they wore, or that they cleared their own tables in the Lido. 

On the other last cruise before drydock, there was no difference from any other cruise. 

 

I guess you were lucky.  My experiences are different.

[OlsSalt]

One post-dry dock on the Maasdam they had rain every single day during their Bahamas dry dock, so there were crews on board finishing up a  lot of the outside work after we sailed. What is a "French Polishing Team" anyway, since they sported those tee shirts as they worked around the ship.  

 

We found it was interesting to see them at work, and learned to appreciate what it takes to actually get things into ship shape. It did not interfere in a material way that affected us as passengers. Some wet varnish railing areas marked off for a day or so.  But we see this often onboard anyway. 

 

And then ....a few months later, the dear Maasdam was sold ......... with a few more new coats of paint on the grand old gal.