The aft pool is about 5 1/2 to 6 ft. Just a bit too deep to stand but good to get some exercise treading water. There are plenty of hand holds and I think a ledge to stand on around the perimeter of the pool. The center Lido pool is about 4 1/2 or 5 ft. Good for standing on the bottom.
I think the aft pool is a lot deeper than 6" - more like 8-9' because a lot of kids dive into the deep end and no one in their right mind would dive into a 6' pool...........mind you diving is not allowed, but they do it anyhow.
The shallow end is about 4' as I am 5'2 and have no trouble standing there.
I've never been in the mid-ship pool so have no idea how deep it is.
I see on another board that they are saying the aft pool is 5 1/2 - 6', so I could be wrong.
I have heard that Maasdam is/was scheduled to go into drydock in early January 09 to have cabins added and the aft pool moved up a deck. If they do I assume they will be making the pool shallower to help reduce weight. The destination calender on HAL's website shows Maasdam under construction for the month of January 09 but when I check for cruises Maasdam has a full schedule of voyages for January so I assume they have postponed the refit.
I have heard that Maasdam is/was scheduled to go into drydock in early January 09 to have cabins added and the aft pool moved up a deck. If they do I assume they will be making the pool shallower to help reduce weight. The destination calender on HAL's website shows Maasdam under construction for the month of January 09 but when I check for cruises Maasdam has a full schedule of voyages for January so I assume they have postponed the refit.
The dry dock plans for Maasdam have changed. She will go to dry dock for only about a week in January 09 and new itineraries are now available on the HAL site that fill the previously blocked off weeks.
Veendam will be the first "S" Class ship to get the second phase SOE upgrades instead of Maasdam being first as originally scheduled.
Maasdam now gets her SOE last.....sometime early 2010 I think.
And yes...... Navigation Pool (at the stern) is being removed. Cabins are going in that space. Lido Deck (one deck up) will have some sort of fountain/water where lounge chairs will be placed for sunning.
Additional cabins are being put into the area of the escalator and Hotel Manager, Culinary Operations Manager and Bar Manager's offices. Those offices are being moved.
And yes...... Navigation Pool (at the sterm) is being removed. Cabins are going in that space. Lido Deck (one deck up) will have some sort of fountain/water where lounge chairs will be placed for sunning.
Man, and I wouldn't want to be on a sailing with a lot of kids. That one pool left is gonna be an absolute mob scene.
I am afraid HAL continues to become Carnivalized. I am not sure what will be next, a water slide & rock climbing wall or a circuis act performing over your head in the main dinning room.
The Aft pool isn't being removed. The pool is just being moved up one deck as they extend the verandah staterooms aft on Navigation Deck.
This is from HAL's August 30th press release:
The most dramatic alteration will be to the aft portion of the ships, allowing for a new resort-style pool area on Lido deck called The Retreat with a shallow area where guests may lounge in chairs and dip their fingers and toes in the water or relax on the bench and dangle their legs in the refreshing water. A new pool bar and an upscale pizzeria called Slice will be installed, as well as a canopy and wind screens to provide additional covered seating for the Lido Restaurant.
They couldn't possibly do with only one pool on the ship.!!
If you do a 10 days or more on HAL . There won't be many children. I did a 10 day cruise last nov. on the Maasdam. there were a few
minors, but there was no problem with them.
Careful planning makes for the 'cruise of your dreams'.
My heart goes out, though, to those people who have no choice but to cruise when school is out ... perhaps because they work for a school system.
One pool on the ship is gonna make it practically unbearable for a sunworshipper. You're gonna have screaming, running, splashing kids all over that pool deck. And, you really can't blame them. They have to have fun too ... and they're really not doing anything more than being kids.
I think this is a bad move on the part of HAL personally. True, it will increase onboard revenue since there will be a few more cabins available for sale ... but it will lessen the onboard ambience for the rest of us.
Why not wait until you see what they are building before dumping all the negativity on planned changes? How much detail do you have? To determine how awful it is over a year in advance of when the ship is going to drydock for it is unproductive and not helpful or useful to anyone.
Sorry I even posted on this thread. This sort of doom and gloom position is not fun to read or participate in.
Give them the benefit of at least making the change, having real guests experience it and maybe even see for yourself before declaring it a diseaster would be my suggestion.
Why not wait until you see what they are building before dumping all the negativity on planned changes? How much detail do you have? To determine how awful it is over a year in advance of when the ship is going to drydock for it is unproductive and not helpful or useful to anyone.
Sorry I even posted on this thread. This sort of doom and gloom position is not fun to read or participate in.
Give them the benefit of at least making the change, having real guests experience it and maybe even see for yourself before declaring it a diseaster would be my suggestion.
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