Unusual "wheelings" through the Noordam public spaces

[ltjr]

Did anyone else notice this on the Noordam or other HAL ships? On the 2/17 sailing, we often saw carts of dirty dishes from room service, stacks of buckets, trash cans, and other typically "behind-the-scenes" stuff being wheeled through the public areas and even on the passenger elevators. I never witnessed anything like this on 13 other cruises. I thought ships generally had interior passageways that the crew would use to tranport things like this. Clearly there are times in the cabin hallways that room service trays would be seen, but not on passenger elevators, through the atrium, etc. We were very surprised. Just curious...

[kryos]

I can't say I particularly noticed this ... but then, how are they gonna get the stuff from here to there other than through public hallways? A HAL ship is not like Walt Disney World ... there are not mazes of underground tunnels to transport garbage and the like through. Also, taking the stuff through crew areas may not be possible, because elevators don't service those areas. They'd have to get the full carts up and down steps.

 

Maybe the reason you particularly noticed it on this cruise is because the trolleys may have sat in passenger areas longer than before? Maybe because of reduced staff to handle them?

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[jtl513]

I don't recall seeing "stacks of buckets, trash cans, ..." on cruises in the last two years, but have often seen room service carts returning to the kitchen with dirty stuff. On the Veendam in Dec we saw a cart full of Virox 5 (sanitizing spray) bottles parked in our hallway for most of a day. :eek:

[sail7seas]

No..... I have never seen anything like that on any HAL ship and specically, we never saw that on our recent Noordam cruise.

 

We have been taken in crew elevators (by crew) and I have seen the facility for handling such things and never have I seen a dirty dish tray being transported in a passenger elevator.

 

[jtl513]

No..... I have never seen anything like that on any HAL ship and specically, we never saw that on our recent Noordam cruise.

You must have seen full carts going up to rooms on passenger elevators, though. That happens even more often.

[hammybee]

Can't say I have noticed anything like this on any HAL cruise.

 

BTW, I noticed you are a Holmdelian, as I once was. I lived in Walden Park. How about you?

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Ltjr:

 

I have to admit I've had a good chuckle every time I read the title of your post. I wasn't sure what "unusual wheelings" might be.....maybe something along the lines of UFOs.....

[Seago2]

I thought you were talking about the four-wheeling rugged looking walkers some of the passengers had.

 

YES, YES, YES I did in fact notice the "behind the scenes" stuff- enough to put it in my review. I have no idea why it was happening either- maybe some of the crew elevators were broken? I have never seen crew members with trolleys of toilet paper and things in main elevators- and yes, dirty room service carts as well. BUT IT WAS FINE WITH ME! I kind of liked it- it had a homey touch and the crew were (as usual) smiling and polite.

[innlady1]

You must have seen full carts going up to rooms on passenger elevators, though. That happens even more often.

 

Only twice did I see full carts delivering room service breakfast. The breakfast steward remarked to me that more and more people are ordering room service for breakfast, so maybe that's what's happening.

 

It has to get to the staterooms somehow. And unless they figure out a way to hoist it over a verandah and into the stateroom, the hallways seem the logical choice! ;)

[sail7seas]

You must have seen full carts going up to rooms on passenger elevators, though. That happens even more often.

 

No....... I have not seen full carts on passenger elevators. I do not every recall seeing food carts being transported along with pax. They have crew/service elevators in crew only space for that purpose.

 

I won't say at no time ever has a food cart come up on a passenger elevator because it probably has happened here or there for one reason or another. Perhaps the service elevator was out of order. I personally (in many days on HAL) have never seen it.

[sail7seas]

It has to get to the staterooms somehow. And unless they figure out a way to hoist it over a verandah and into the stateroom, the hallways seem the logical choice! ;)

 

Yes, of course, they bring the trays down the hallways to each guest's cabin.

[ltjr]

Thanks for the replies. I just never saw so much of it on other ships and wondered if the design of the Vista class ships eliminated a lot of "back stage" space. No big deal really. I know room service needs to go through the cabin halls at some point, it was the other things that surprised me.

 

Glad Middle-aged-mom got a chuckle out of the post title. Tried to use something to catch attention.

 

...and for hammybee, I've lived in Holmdel for several years but don't think our area has a name.

[innlady1]

Yes, of course, they bring the trays down the hallways to each guest's cabin.

 

 

I was being facetious, sail7seas, with my comment about hoisting the trays over the verandah! I hope you didn't think I was serious! ;)

[canadagal]

On the January 27th cruise I noticed room service carts several times on the public elevators and waiting to board the elevators. I did a double take when I saw that someone's shrimp cocktail was not covered......at least with food wrap. I wondered to myself, what if someone on the elevator jamned in beside the food cart were to sneeze or cough.

[sail7seas]

Perhaps the plastic wrap was pulled so tautly you didn't notice it. It would be an outrageous breach of their standard procedure to transport uncovered food. I certainly never saw that ever. EVERYTHING is covered; Always!

 

[sail7seas]

I was being facetious, sail7seas, with my comment about hoisting the trays over the verandah! I hope you didn't think I was serious! ;)

 

 

Sheila........

 

:D No, I did not think you meant for them to rig a block and tackle to bring someone's breakfast up to their veranda.

[caribbean girl]

I thought you were talking about the four-wheeling rugged looking walkers some of the passengers had.

 

YES, YES, YES I did in fact notice the "behind the scenes" stuff- enough to put it in my review. I have no idea why it was happening either- maybe some of the crew elevators were broken? I have never seen crew members with trolleys of toilet paper and things in main elevators- and yes, dirty room service carts as well. BUT IT WAS FINE WITH ME! I kind of liked it- it had a homey touch and the crew were (as usual) smiling and polite.

 

 

Between your review and the comments you post I keep asking myself...'Why oh why weren't you on our cruise?' Notice I said 'ours' since 'our' seas were so much calmer than on your sailing. No bouncing up and down on the beds when the big waves hit...it was smooth as silk all the way for us!!:D

 

I like your easygoing style...:p

[Seago2]

Thanks!:D