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Ocean Liner History and Stories from the Sea, Past and Present. With an In Depth focus on Holland America Line

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26 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

The sun was merrily shining today over Venice, making it a nice start for the Easter Weekend and a good thing for the ship as well, as today we started our practical drills; bringing into practice what had been learned during the individual training sessions.

For everybody there is a lot to learn and to practice, indeed for every department and every rank. The Koningsdam has been built with the most recent technology which takes time to master but also we are different from the rest of the fleet as we have indoor mustering for the guests. This requires a total rethink of how to deal with traffic flows and the crew involved; with counting guests, guiding guests towards to right location and locating guests who do not show up or who have strayed into the wrong territory. There are about 15 teams involved with this, apart from the regular lifeboat crews, they all have specific functions which have to fit into a large jigsaw puzzle where no piece can be missed.

The Ocean Spa equipment being tested. Never thought about the fact that those monitors above the equipment have to be fully tested as well ? Not a bad job for the Ocean Spa Ladies.

The Ocean Spa equipment being tested. Never thought about the fact that those monitors above the equipment have to be fully tested as well ? Not a bad job for the Ocean Spa Ladies.

And these drills which involve all 1036 crew members will only intensify in the coming days. That is why it was so nice to have a sunny day today as it involved a lot of standing outside, just waiting, while in the ship the officers and trainers where checking if what they had taught was also correctly implemented by the crew. And as there is always one………………………………  You have to find that one and that takes time.

The Retreat behind the Crowsnest. All Cabanas are lined up in an U shape around the outside deck railing.

The Retreat behind the Crowsnest. All Cabanas are lined up in a U shape around the outside deck railing.

While the ship’s crew was taken through its paces the shipyard is continuing with it’s clearing up. Area’s which were already more or less complete but had thus far not been  visible as the deck area was used as a sort of storage and work area for various locations. One of those areas is the private Cabana deck, officially called “The Retreat”, on deck 12, right behind the Crows nest. As this deck has a large open space, it was very convenient to park the garbage skips here and thus you could not see a single Cabana anymore.

The Lido Deck, almost clear off all the workmen's clutter.

The Lido Deck, almost clear of all the workmen’s clutter.

Similar for the Lido Deck. This location is really a ship outfitters dream. Large and spacey and inside when it rains (close the Magrodome) and open when the sun shines (open the dome again). So it was not easy to get everybody out and it was not until todaythat is was sufficiently cleared to get a better impression of the layout and space. For me personally this is the most impressive space on board, two decks centered around a nice pool and two Jacuzzi’s, surrounded by the food outlets and 2 bar’s (upper and lower) and the various sitting areas. It really has a wow factor when you walk in.

Inside the ship, the yard has sent in a whole army of cleaning ladies. The crew who had been helping out is now fully immersed in trainings, drills and getting their work areas ready and thus the yard now has to rely more and more on their own lady-power. Today I counted 18 of them in the Queens Lounge, hovering, scraping (always those glue rests), cleaning and polishing. Polishing is another thing; while our other ships have a lot of brass in the public areas, the Koningsdam has nearly nothing. It is either wood or it is shiny stainless steel where normally brass would have been. The only brass I have found thus far is the melted shoe, the art in the main staircase, which I showed a picture of in one of the previous blogs.

Tamarind View towards the sb bar area.

Tamarind View towards the sb bar area.

As predicted the Tamarind Restaurant has now been completed and the service staff here are busy with bringing in all the linen, utensils, crockery and cutlery. They have been working already on dry runs on how to run the restaurant in the most efficient way and now the tools are brought in to make it more life like.

The first customers of the Lido. As usual everybody tried to get in, right at opening time but because of the food station lay-out there were not long lines.

The first customers in the Lido. As usual everybody tried to get in right at opening time but because of the food station lay-out there were no long lines.

In a similar way the Lido has come to life. For the first time it opened today for lunch so the chefs could do the test runs to see if it all works. The lido restaurant on the Koningsdam is officially called the Lido Market and the cooks will now work at specialized stations each with a themed item. The next step will be to run this new setup under pressure, e.g. with a lot of customers and thus the earlier they open, the better it is. It will certainly reduce the lines in the Lido as you can now go straight to the section of your interest and are no longer held up by somebody dilly-dallying over a piece of bread which you do not want.

 
Happy faces. Finally they can do what they came for: Cooking.

Happy faces. Finally they can do what they came for: Cooking.

With the Lido cleared I could now also get a clear view of the Canaletto Restaurant which is located in a corner of the Lido and will offer Italian food in the evening. It is not as large as on some of the other ships but with more Restaurants available there is no need for it. There is plenty else to choose from if one restaurant would be full.

The Canaletto Restaurant located on deck 9 starboard forward in the Lido Market.

The Canaletto Restaurant located on deck 9 starboard forward in the Lido Market.

Tonight we are going an hour forward and everybody is quite interested to see if all the ships clocks are marching according to the command from the Master clock on the bridge. In the last few days the installers have been adjusting and aligning all the clocks in the ship and tonight they can do a real time test.

I am ending again with a piece of art. Now all the work is out of the way, the larger pieces of art are being brought in and today this piece was revealed opposite the Explorer’s Bar on deck 2. I have no idea yet what it means but its light texture forms a nice contrast to the darker tones of the wall paneling of the remainder of the public area.

 

The official un-wrapping of a piece of art in the Music Walk.

The official un-wrapping of a piece of art in the Music Walk.

 

25 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

Today is the 25th. and we have just a week to go until the delivery of the ship on the 31st. of March. Then  3 days later we should be ready to commence our first cruise. Which will be a 4 day shakedown cruise from Venice to Rome.

The Hydro pool in the Ocean Spa with all the coverings removed

The Hydro pool in the Ocean Spa with all the coverings removed.

Today it is a grey and dull day outside and they are working inside deck 2 and 3 where the preponderance of the public rooms are located. Today it is a major delivery day and section by section the protective covering is removed for final inspection. This final inspection is not done by the Officers of Holland America but by the Design & Building Team of Carnival Corporation. They ordered the ship, approved the drawings and the building specs and they have been directly responsible for its progress and delivery. We represent the future owner and operator and our job is to get the ship operationally ready.  When things are not working or not correct as it should be “Remarks” are made and these “Remarks” are then sent back to the yard. After follow up and correction, they are returned to check and double check again. I say “we” but it is really the officers who are doing this, each his or her (we have two lady officers in the team) assigned specialty which they will also be responsible for once the ship sails.

The Medical Department surrounded by crew collecting their papers.

The Medical Department surrounded by crew collecting their papers.

Part of all this work is focusing on changing all crew members from a 1000 loose persons into a highly cohesive group called the Koningsdam crew. What is the same for everybody, regardless of function and rank is the safety aspect and that is governed by the safety function. Third Officer Administration assigns each crew member based on his/her skills and normal function on board, a Safety Function. A lot of safety functions are connected to the job and are thus the same over the fleet. Thus the Captain’s function will always be Overall Command, the Exe Chef a boat commander as he has leadership skills and a Cast Member Communicator in the Lifeboat as he/she has empathy and communication skills.

Walking into the Dining Room you will see these sculptures located behind the entrance desk. They represent "Mediteranean Sea Lady and Gentleman" are made by an artist called Choi Sung Chul who specializes in painting with car spray.

Walking into the Dining Room you will see these sculptures located behind the entrance desk. They represent “Mediterannean Sea Lady and Gentleman”. They were made by an artist called Choi Sung Chul, who specializes in painting with car spray.

Today everybody received their “lifejacket card”. All lifejackets have a pouch which takes this card. The card has a safety number which relates to the Emergency Plan of the ship and this number then correlates with the function to be executed during an emergency.  Thus today there was a steady throng of crew descending on the Dining room and picking up their Lifejacket card and receiving back their medical passport after it had been verified by the Medical Staff to ensure that all shots and checks were still valid. We are now all part of the same safety machine. My function is “As Directed” as there cannot be two captains on the ship and thus I can be used for anything needed.

The Ocean Bar has two sitting area, one which serves as a walking / cocktail room for those going to the Sel de Mer of Pinnacle and the other for regular cocktails with a piano player in attendance.

The Ocean Bar has two sitting areas. One which serves as a waiting / cocktail area for those going to the Sel de Mer or the Pinnacle straight across and the other one for regular cocktails with a piano player in attendance.

Thus today the focus was on the delivery of deck 2, where we have the Culinary Arts Centre, The Sel de Mer, the Pinnacle, the Ocean Bar & sitting area, the Lower part of the Queens Lounge and the Music Walk.  As a sort of ripple the clearing up moved from the stern to the bow, stopping at the Queens Lounge and the rest of the Music Walk. Today the chairs and everything loose was installed and then that area is complete, apart from the tinkering with small items which will continue until the ship is finished and maybe even into the Shake Down cruise.

Finally we can see all they aft over the Plaza Deck. Deck 2. To the left is the Ocean Bar.

Finally we can see all the way aft over the Plaza Deck, Deck 2. To the far left is the Ocean Bar.

That is why we are doing a shakedown cruise from Venice to Rome. I have now been involved with several new-buildings, re-buildings and major refits and it is amazing what pops up as soon as the ship is really taken through it spaces. (Or when everybody flushes the toilet at the same time……..) Thus there will be a riding crew to catch what was not caught during the delivery process. By the 8th. when the official first cruise starts everything should be 100%.

The displays on the hall ways have been switched on advising what is going on.

The displays on the hall ways have been switched on advising what is going on.

In the meantime, as all the final wires, buttons and handles are installed, more and more is coming to life. Last night we had a total water stop for 12 hours to see if all the machinery in the ER worked and today, the lights go out and on, section by section of the ship to see if the safety trips are working under load.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main thing the crew now worries about is if everything they need is there and if not, will it get on board in time from the warehouse. There was great relief today in the Dining Room when the napkins were found for the specialty restaurants, hidden under a pile of other boxes ……………. and thus life goes on.

What also came on and is currently being tested is the ambient lighting of the Atrium. During the day the colors refected by the central sculpture will slowly change reflecting the mood of the day.

What also came on and is currently being tested is the ambient lighting of the Atrium. During the day the colors reflected by the central sculpture will slowly change reflecting the mood of the day. As I am not a professional photographer, the lights came out much more blue than in reality. It really looks very subtle.

24 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

Things are heating up; we have the USCG on board for three days. Because the ship will be calling at USA ports it has to be inspected by the USCG before they can issue a certificate of acceptance. You can do this in the USA itself and then the ship will be docked in the first port of call for an inspection lasting three days. The challenge is if they want a modification or a change then you do not always have labor and parts available while there, as most ships are European built. So for most new cruise ships who will be calling at the USA it is done at the shipyard. The USCG has an office in Europe which also deals with these sorts of things. Thus the yard people are currently going around with the Officers to check and inspect each safety item on board.  Once this all is done the ship will receive a certificate which will remain valid until a regular inspection is carried out in an USA port. That inspection will then be similar to what each cruise ship goes through every six months.

Two chinese hard a work on the ladder and at  least six Italians carefully supervising.

Two Chinese hard at work on the ladder and at least five Italians carefully supervising what they are doing to their ship.

It all happens in between all the yard people running around and finishing up all sorts of items left right and centre. Today the large Atrium sculpture was permanently secured to its supports as the work around it is finished. As the whole installation was made by a Chinese company its own fitters came today to finish the work.

Today this appeared, a # D painting. Hard to photograph but when you walk by several items suddenly push themselves forward.

Today this appeared, a 3 D painting. Hard to photograph but when you walk by several items suddenly push themselves forward.

As mentioned before at the moment mainly smaller things are taking place. But a lot of it as we still have a 100 yard people on board. Carpet suddenly appears, a chest of drawers pops up in an empty space, wall and floor coverings are being removed showing yet another sort of carpet.

All the Ocean Spa Ladies (and Gents) sitting in the window. listening to a shore side company instructor.

All the Ocean Spa Ladies (and Gents) sitting in the window. listening to a shore side company instructor.

Training and instruction is going on at full speed. Not only the Safety Training but also work specific. One of the areas of the ship which is considerably different than anything we had we before is the Greenhouse Spa. There are more treatment rooms and they are over two decks with an internal spiral staircase connecting them.  More treatments mean more Spa Ladies and today they had corporate training about the new setup. They are all waiting to be able to finish off installing their inventory but most of the rooms are still awaiting final delivery.

When the ship eventually goes to Alaska you can be nice and warm inside while it is freezing cold outside.

When the ship eventually goes to Alaska you can be nice and warm inside while it is freezing cold outside. Currently there is only a rather boring look at the warehouses of the shipyard.

One of the more intriguing rooms in the Spa are the saunas on the portside. They are not internal and they have a large window. So while you are sweating off last night’s dinner, you can overlook the ocean and any scenery that might come by.

Nice purple is never a bad color. The others are hidden behind the movie screen.

Nice purple is never a bad color. The others are hidden behind the movie screen.

Same is going on with the area around the two story Lido Deck area. Still lots of completions going on. The movies screen is working and now the protection has been removed from around the back of the screen and as you can see they have installed a number of shower cubicles behind it. As the screen blocks any view from this area this dark corner has been chosen for having the showers. To make it a bit more lively the shower cubicles have been painted in the vibrant colors of Purple, Green,and Orange. Very vibrant but as they are obscured by the Movie screen it does not look out of place and livens it all up.

The Cafe serves Beer, Coffee and other refreshments for which you have to pay. Nibbles and Dutch food such as the famous "Bitter Ballen' are free of charge.

The Cafe serves Draft and Bottled Beer, Fresh Coffee and other refreshments for which there is a charge. Nibbles and Dutch food such as the famous “Bitter Ballen” are free of charge.

Today they finished the Grand Dutch Café and I am a happy camper today as they will have my favorite Beer on tap, Hertog Jan from Belgium. This is hard to get where I live in England, so now I have a plan B for the occasional pint when I am not in Holland. A nice detail is what they have done to the high tables in the Grand Café.

A Dutch Street in minaiture under glass in the table.

A Dutch Street in miniature under glass in the table. They are reflected on each side by mirrors.

There is a groove in the tables which is covered by glass. In the groove are miniature Dutch houses which are real copies of what can be found in Zaandam and other Dutch heritage villages.

A square rigged ship is being installed. Until ...........

A square rigged ship is being installed.  ……………

With all the Art being installed, very nice and sometimes unusual art, I was getting worried about nothing being nautical. But today installation was in progress with a fusion between nautical and music. A sailing ship in the form of a musical instrument.  It is being placed in the lobby of the forward staircase on deck 9.

....................Until you look at the side and you see it is a square rigged Violin.

………………..Until you look at the side and you see it is a square rigged Violin or Cello.

With the ship being in the delivering process it is very hard to walk around. Everywhere areas are being closed off with Fire Screen doors, caution tape and cardboard. This makes it a puzzle to get from A to B and even more difficult to take some nice photos. Tomorrow should be better.

23 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

Another dry day to enjoy but it was overcast so it felt as a very chilly day in March. Last night we had another shipyard initiated Black Out with further tests to conduct by simulating an emergency. Once again we were booted off the ship as they did not want to have anybody walking through the ship while the closing of the fire screen doors was in progress.

Then today they locked off the outside decks as they wanted to sand down these decks and square everything away. Not that it mattered much to us as everybody was bogged down in training or in paper work for completing the ship. When not so occupied it was back to cleaning and delivering materials to the various locations again. Today many of the chairs came on board, thus far stored in the warehouse ashore.

Entrance to the Ships Recycling Centre.

Entrance to the Ships Recycling Centre.

Apart from “Above Decks” (Main deck and higher) below decks everything is progressing as well and today enough cabling had been removed for me to walk around without a Safety Helmet. One of the areas which has been delivered is the Recycling Centre or as we normally call it: the garbage room. It goes in as garbage and what comes out are recyclables.  In this area we can find, two incinerators for burning food waste and non-recyclable carton. Two shredders (to break up glass), densifiers (to squeeze plastic into small bales), compactors (to turn tin cans in to small aluminum bricks) and compactors (to reduce the volume of any item which cannot be processed in any other way). Dry carton is folded and flattened and then put on pallets for off loading. Glass is shredded into small pieces and collected in large canvas bags (4 x 4 x 4 ft.) and also given ashore.  What can be burned goes into incinerators and then we give ashore the ash for further processing. I do not know what they exactly do with this ash but there is a usage for it.   For all the recyclables we receive money and that money goes into the crew fund for activities.

Wet food rests and carton go into a drying tank = see the silver top = and is then later incinerated.

Wet food rests and carton go into a drying tank = see the silver top = and is then later incinerated.

I finally managed to get into the Tamarind Restaurant which was not cluttered today with boxes or with technical inspections going on. Contrary to the Signature Class, the Tamarind on the Koningsdam is located looking aft over the Sea View Deck instead of over the Dome /Lido Deck.  Also a few changes have been made to the interior.

Sb. side Tamarind. In the background the Sushi Bar.

Sb. side Tamarind. In the background the Sushi Bar.

The separate bar, The Den, has been removed and merged into the Tamarind. On the Signature Class this bar was really under used and has now been reborn into a smaller bar in the Sb. Aft corner.  Opposite is a Sushi Bar for those guests who do not want the full Tamarind Menu but just Sushi. The centre of the area is then the Tamarind, surrounded by black lattice so it gives a private dining feeling.

When you enter the Tamarind you will be greeted by two Asian Lions. Who at the moment fully in accordance with the safety rules of the yard, wear a safety helmet.

When you enter the Tamarind you will be greeted by two Asian Lions. Who at the moment fully in accordance with the safety rules of the yard, wear a safety helmet.

In the Crows nest on Deck 12, Observation Deck, they have now removed the carpet coverings and are placing the furniture. The area is still setup in the same way as on the other ships. Captains Corner on the portside, the Crowsnest itself and bar in the centre and the Library and Internet Café on the starboard side.

Captain's corner is receiving its furniture.

Captain’s corner is receiving its furniture.

What is different: there is a staircase which goes from in the inside of the Crowsnest starboard sitting area to Deck 14, the sky deck.  It looks a bit quirky but they have hidden this staircase inside a Silver Egg. Rather different than what we are used to but it does forms a sort of focus to the area while at the same time hiding an ugly series of steps.

This Elephant can be found while walking up the staircase to the Tamarind.

This Elephant can be found while walking up the staircase to the Tamarind.

The installing of the Art carries on day and night as the ship will be full of paintings and pictures and now they have also started with installing little sculptures. These will grace the centres of the Elevators Lobbies on the various decks and will break up the space in a nice way.  Again the name plates have not been installed yet and until that time it will be guessing what the artist was really meaning but that does not make it less fascinating to look at.

Small sculptures adorn the Elevator Lobbies.

Small sculptures adorn the Elevator Lobbies.

22 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

Another day in our Venetian Paradise with sunny skies and not too warm weather. The ship is now so far with cleaning up that we now have the requirement from the shipyard to wear shoe covering when walking around. Security at the gangway is handing out shoe sleeves with the aim to keep the ship as clean as possible.  Thus we now wear a helmet to protect ourselves and sleeves to protect the ship.

This will be the Coffee Bar in the Crowsnest, opposite the Library. Two front panels had been removed as they were busy with connecting the coffee machines.

This will be the Coffee Bar in the Crowsnest, opposite the Library. Two front panels had been removed as they were busy with connecting the coffee machines.

Everywhere in the ship there are now huddles of crew sitting together receiving instruction and training from their supervisor about the work in their future area. There are a lot of background things which have to happen before you will get your drink served in a professional way at your table. Thus we have Training, Training and more Training.  Safety Training, Orientation Training and Service Training.

Housekeeping is still busy with supplying materials for the cabins. Yesterday I received my Lifejacket and today I became the proud owner of an ice bucket, a fruit bowl, and a vanity cover for over the bed and the luggage protection cover.  Also the Elemis soap dispensers where installed. I am now waiting for somebody to fill up my fridge and then I can start the cruise.

A French Street scene adorns the wall of the Sel de Mer Restaurant.

A French Street scene adorns the wall of the Sel de Mer Restaurant.

With the wall protective covers coming off, more and more is revealed about the interior of the various venues.  The Sel de Mer has a distinct French Theme and the menu is A La Carte (priced per item) and the courses are similar to what you will find in a French Brasserie. The food,  especially the fish, will be sourced fresh daily from local markets and thus we will see one of the chef’s go ashore every morning to see what is available in a specific port for the evenings fare. The venue is not so big and thus it will bring the intimate sphere of a French restaurant.

The wall mural in the Pinnacle Restaurant.

The wall mural in the Pinnacle Restaurant.

Yesterday I blogged about wine today a few words about coffee. No we are not going to have Starbucks on board but we have Beukenhorst. Special coffee imported from Holland for the various venues. We have regular coffee service in the Dining Room and Lido but for the Crow’s nest and for the venues of the Music Walk special coffees are available. I do not drink coffee so I have no idea but as the Dutch know everything about coffee (at least they claim so, until you speak to the Danish, they claim they know it even better) an animated discussion ensued about Starbuck versus Beukenhorst.  When I left a consensus had not been reached yet and it probably never will. The Java Café we have on the other ships is on board the Koningsdam combined with the bar in the corner of the Billboard.

A few Italain Contractors testing out the Bar stools of the Grand Dutch Cafe.

A few Italian Contractors testing out the Bar stools of the Grand Dutch Cafe.

As the Dutch are big coffee drinkers, the Grand Dutch Café serves coffee as well, apart from Dutch Beer and the company expects this to be a very popular coffee-quaffing-gathering place. Today the contractors were already testing the bar. As a little it-bit of information, the colors of the Café are blue and white. Why? because the Holland America flag is blue and white. The walls have the forms of Dutch Houses to get as close to the motherland as possible.

The painters touching up the ships hull. Perfect weather at the moment to do so.

The painters touching up the ships hull. Perfect weather at the moment to do so.

As we are coming close to the delivery, the ship is sailing in only 9 days; the outside of the ship is now being spruced up. If you look at the stern of the ship you see it is not straight but has a sort of “balcony” below the Dining Room. This is called a Duck Tail and its purpose is to reduce fuel consumption and it also helps with stability. When the ship makes speed, the stern goes down, drawn down by the Azipods. This is called Squat and then this ducktail sits on the water. Then it acts as a sort of spoiler you also see on race cars where they use it to keep the car more glued to the tarmac. They say it can add about 5 to 6% to the speed and thus reducing fuel consumption and over a whole year of sailing 5% has a considerable impact on the total fuel bill.

I call this Smoke in a Subway station but the real title will only be revealed when the ship sails and the signs are on.

I call this Smoke in a Subway station but the real title will only be revealed when the ship sails and the signs are on.

I am ending again with two pieces of art.  Apart from the large pieces in the staircases, all the smaller frames have been installed now.  The art is from a great variety ranging from classical to surrealistic. Whatever you are going to think about it all, one thing is sure, the various pieces will result in a lively discussion among our guests. And that is exactly what the company tries to achieve with the Koningsdam; Guests interacting with the ship in as many ways as possible.

Today I had to explain what this was to one of our youngest crew members. She had even heard about Casette Tapes.

Today I had to explain what this was to one of our youngest crew members. She had even heard about Cassette Tapes.

 

21 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

With the weekend behind them all the regular Fincantieri yard people streamed back on board to augment all the sub-contractors who kept working through the weekend. Again a lot of cables and wall covering disappeared and step by step it is starting to look like a ship. When walking around it does not look as if much progress is being made at the moment but there is. The last stages of fitting out takes the most time to accomplish and for the naked eye there is not much happening but the final touches to each area simply take time.

Hanging the Art continues anywhere were the work has been completed. This painting is called The Light Searcher.

Hanging the Art continues anywhere where the work has been completed. This painting is called The Light Searcher.

The themes for the interior design of the Koningsdam are Music and Food & Drink. Hence we have the Music Walk and all the extra restaurants. I will come back to all of that in the coming days. Today a few photos of all the drink options.  There are bars in every public area but a few areas are special. An improvement close to my heart are cup holders in the arms of the seats of the World Stage. Always nice to enjoy the show with a good pint in hand.

Corner of the Explorers Bar and Wine Display.

Corner of the Explorers Bar and Wine Display.

In the main part of the Music Walk there is the Lincoln Center with in the corner the Explorers Café. Here we find a nice display for wine bottles. The logic is of course that classical music is even more enjoyable while savoring a good glass wine. Right opposite is NOTES, this is a circular bar/sitting area for Whisky Tasting and the plan is to have 130 Whiskies on show/available. A lot of guests enjoy a good whiskey and there is much more out there than just Johnny Walker.

NOTES. Whisky Display in the centre of the Music Walk.

NOTES. Whisky Display in the centre of the Music Walk.

There is no bar in the Queens Lounge but the Ocean Bar is nearby.  The Ocean Bar has now a large lounge area with a Piano Player. The best dance floor is of course in the Queens Lounge which is much bigger. In the Atrium we have in the sweeping surround of the staircase a large wine display to serve the Pinnacle and the Sel de Mer Restaurants.  Over 2000 different bottles will be available to choose from while dining in the two Restaurants.

Difficult to photograph but this wine display curves with the Atrium staircase.

Difficult to photograph but this wine display curves with the Atrium staircase.

Then we come to the Culinary Arts Centre. Here is a dining option as well. This is called from Farm to Table and of course a good glass of wine will not go amiss while enjoying the chef’s creations. For that purpose there is a wine display in the corner.

Wine Rack for the Culinary Arts Centre.

Wine Rack for the Culinary Arts Centre.

Right opposite we have the Wine Experience which we call the Blend. Here you can mix your own wine to find the perfect blend for your specific taste.  Once you have created your own perfect wine, you can have it served with dinner in one of the restaurants, or if you cannot wait to drink you own creation, take it to the cabin.

Soaring through the whole height of the Dining Room this wine tower forms a real focus point for all the diners.

Soaring through the whole height of the Dining Room this wine tower forms a real focus point for all the diners.

Finally we come to the Dining Room. The anchor of the curved upper and lower level is a two story wine rack. Not just for display but operational.  It will give the option to have a look first at the bottles instead of just choosing from the Wine Menu.

What better way to get you Guest Room Lifejacket delivered than with a smile?

What better way to get your Guest Room Lifejacket delivered than with a smile?

While I was dreaming of wine bottles and opening them work went on without let up.The crew are busy with carrying amenities into the cabins, storing up the dining room or huddled in trainings & meetings. Meetings for Safety but also the preparations for work. The attendants for the Pinnacle and the Sel de Mer have to learn the menus and to figure out the best way of serving and moving around the tables. And that is just a small example.

Forward Staircase. Three composite photos of wellknown musical artists.

Forward Staircase. Three composite photos of well known musical artists.

I am ending again with a piece of art. This photo/painting is made up from computer keys and I think it is Jimmy Hendrix in the picture, but I am not certain as the signs are not in place yet.

20 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

By the time we are finished the whole crew will speak fluent Italian.

By the time we are finished the whole crew will speak fluent Italian.

Another dry day today but on the chilly side. Work in the ship yard slowed down a little bit today as there were a major number of area’s which were going through their final delivery process.  Then you cannot have every 5 minutes somebody barging through and it seemed it was all planned that way.

Although a lot of work was still going on, especially in the Guest Corridors and on the lower decks, the biggest impact today was made by our crew members. We have still crew coming in but they are the last groups to complement what we already have on board. All that crew needs to be trained and we start each crew members life on board with a ship’s tour and some basic safety information. For the ship’s tour we have two Training and Development Managers on board who take group by group on a nearly 2 hour tour through the whole ship. So they know what the ship looks like and they will start taking ownership of the Koningsdam. It is their ship from now on and if they understand how it all works, what the musical theme stands for, and why certain rooms are laid out in a certain way, then they will be able to answer the questions of the guests. Getting a 1036 crew through this process is a lot of work but it is worthwhile the effort as everybody is really starting to take pride in what Holland America is bringing to the World.

Chris the Training and Development Manager on yet another tour. About 850 crew have done the tour thusfar.

Chris the Training and Development Manager on yet another tour. About 850 crew have done the tour thus far.

As we have a lot of crew on board now, work gets done in groups and sometimes in very large groups. Today all the boxes with Dining Room crockery and cutlery came out of the Galley and went into the Dining room itself. The upper level has been handed over to the ship and thus we can make it ready for the guests.

A long line all the way from the Galley to the aft diningroom

A long line all the way from the Galley to the aft dining room.

Of course you can use a trolley to bring all the boxes from A to B but if you have over a 100 dining room stewards available, you can also make a Conga Line and go hand over hand. It goes faster as well. Today the boxes were moved out and then the unpacking will start. A similar process was going on in the Culinary Arts Centre where the lockers have been delivered and thus the crockery could be stored away.

Club Hal consists out of the Childrens play area, the Teens and the Tweens area's. then on the port and starboardside are outdoor area's as well.

Club Hal consists out of the Childrens play area, the Teens and the Tweens area’s. Then on the port and starboard side behind the indoor spaces are open air area’s as well.

An area I have not mentioned yet is the Club Hal. Our Youth Centre, located midships above the Lido Deck. The shipyard has now cleared part of the area and the outfitting the toys and things will shortly start. This is the Childerens playroom for the smallest on board. Note the low wash basin. Holland America is all about washing your hands often.

 

Double Bunks, a desk, a TV on the Wall and a Bathroom at the other side. This is a standard crew cabin.

Double Bunks, a desk, a TV on the Wall and a Bathroom at the other side. This is a standard crew cabin.

Most of the crew share two to a cabin with their own private facilities on C, B, A and Main deck. Most of the Officers live on A deck and Main deck aft and the Captain and the Ship’s Staff live behind the bridge. Everybody is quite close to the Mess Rooms and the Recreational Facilities with the exception of the Officers Bar which is located all the way forward on A deck. Quite a walk to go from the stern to the bow to get a drink. But at least the Bar is out of the way and there is direct access to the Forward Open Deck where there is also a Jaccuzi for the Crew.

Also today  the first Art appeared in the ship. Some of the art which is integral to the wall paneling itself had been installed a long time ago but now the art which comes in picture frames is being put in position where the work has been completely finished. As the ship has a musical theme there are large number of paintings and other decorations which follow that musical theme. So it is not surprising to find on Beethoven Deck (deck 4) art representations of Beethoven.  On the deck, not named after the composers, there is a variety of art which links into the ships theme on a different level.

Deck 4 Beethoven Deck.

Deck 4 Beethoven Deck.

Hanging in the Forward Staircase. An example of this is a painting or collage from old Floppy disks which make up the back ground for a ladies face.

I am quite impressed how the artist combined various media including floppy disks to make this portrait.

I am quite impressed with how the artist combined various media including floppy disks to make this portrait.

 

19 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

Spring might be in the air as we had another sunny and hazy day a today and you could walk outside without a coat on. The coverall and helmet was sufficient to “brave” the weather. It also makes the shipyard works happier as they can do their dusty work outside.

a long queue entering the HAL ware house to comply with the labor law of daily logging the working hours.

A long queue entering the HAL ware house to comply with the labor law of daily logging the working hours.

And the crew was very happy as we are still living in two places and we have to leave the ship regulary. Some of the offices are still off the ship as the computer network is not yet fully up to speed. This means for the crew there is a daily pilgrimage to the shore side office of the Crew Officer to log in their hours from yesterday. Then it is in parade back to the ship for receiving the job orders for the coming day.

the Asst. Housekeepers handing out the daily orders to the Cabin Stewards.

The Asst. Housekeepers handing out the daily orders to the Cabin Stewards.

While the weather gods are keeping things dry, it is now the shipyard who are making things wet. The promenade deck with the lifeboats has been completed and they have started hosing down the bulkheads and the boats. Then there will be some more touch up with paint again and then all the protective covering will be removed from the lifeboats. Everywhere the lifeboats are touching the davits arms there is still padding and plastic in place.

This what a sailor likes to see hosing down the decks and making it nice.

This is what a sailor likes to see: hosing down the decks and making it nice.

The lifeboats are already in use as the 2nd officer Training has organized a Lifeboat Boat Assistant course for those who are part of the lifeboat crew. The Commander and Asst. Commander get official training and certification shore side and need on board only refresher training. For the other lifeboat crew, in depth training is given on board and they also will receive a certification. As the crew has been coming from all the other ships they were not necessary involved with lifeboats there and thus they still have to go through this training. It takes about 14 days with theoretical and practical, followed by an exam.

Finally the dance floor in view. It will still need some TLC before the first dancers can twirl away.

Finally the dance floor in full view. It will still need some TLC before the first dancers can twirl away.

Today most of the protective material was removed in some of the lounges which now are ready for final cleaning and putting in all the Hal material. Thus the floor of the Queens lounge was revealed which will now be the focus of attention for the polishers.  Billboard and Lincoln Centre are now completely clear and the Grand Dutch Café is nearing completion.

Housekeeping has taken over the cleaning of the shops. The cleaning ladies from the shipyard have now started on corridors, and the Shop Staff are busy with getting boxes on board.

Housekeeping has taken over the cleaning of the shops. The cleaning ladies from the ship yard have now started on the corridors and the Shop Staff are busy with getting boxes on board.

In the show lounge, officially called The World Stage, things went differently this morning. Unlike in the past days when they tried to switch on as much as possible to see if it all worked, today they switched off as much as possible. Better said they switched off everything. It was a sort of “black-out morning”. Purpose was to check if the whole lounge was indeed black and no light was coming from anywhere to disturb the show.  Luckily most of us now have a cell phone with a flash light option and we did not come un-stuck when suddenly all the lights went out, and then out again. But I can guarantee, it was dark, pitch dark, leaning towards pitch black.

A small selection of at least 20 pallets with various greenery and flowers.

A small selection of at least 20 pallets with various greenery and flowers.

That the ship is nearing completion came with a strong hint today; the plants and flowers came on board. Holland America is famous for having more greenery on board than with any other cruise company and that fact was re-emphasized today. It made us feel at once a bit more ship-like.  Some plants have already been put in place and the rest will follow shortly. It will really bring the ship alive. I am personally  waiting to see how green the Culinary Arts Centre will be as there is a whole wall section devoted to the on board growing  of all sorts of herbs. Luckily garlic does not smell much when it grows otherwise it would be an interesting area to walk through. Or is garlic not an herb??

The Front Office Guest desk is in its final outfitting stages.

The Front Office Guest Desk is in its final outfitting stages.

As explained yesterday, with the pyramid example, today there was not much delivered or cleared away from other areas. Some lounges where having a heady mix of carpenters, electricians, tile setters, cleaners and other technical folk trying to do their job all at the same time.

 

The Back Office of the Front Office is already in full swing. The Guest Relation Manager is preparing with her team for the first voyage.

The Back Office of the Front Office is already in full swing. The Guest Relation Manager is preparing with her team for the first voyage.

So I finish today with another picture of behind the scenes; our bakery is working! And it is churning out fresh bread and desserts for breakfast, lunch and Dinner. But our Baker was not a happy man this morning, just while his dough had risen, somebody switched off the power to the Oven. His whole team had to run and move everything upstairs to the warming cabinets in the main Galley. But he got it done on time and we had excellent rolls for lunch time.

Beautiful Cakes and pastries in the Oven. This time the power remained on.

Beautiful cakes and pastries in the Oven. This time the power remained on.

18 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

Today we are enjoying another sunny and beautiful day in the shipyard and without it being too cold. We are now moving from a period of “controlled mayhem” to a period of “controlled confusion”.  This does not mean the people do not know what they are doing, but they just have a hard time finding out when to do it. 

The fitting out of a cruise ship is similar to a pyramid model. In the beginning (the wide base) everybody can do their own thing and work progresses on multiple fronts.  Then more and more items are completed but not everything. Nowadays everything is interconnected and it all revolves around electricity, Wi-Fi and networks and when one item is not available, the other one cannot work or progress with work.  Thus the whole Sr. Management is busy with managing the 1000 and one little things; sometimes it all hinges on a misplaced key for one door and are thus busy with “putting out little fires” as they call it. A lot of people are now waiting for each other so each and every one can add the final touch to an area to make the delivery complete.

The liferafts for the crew are being installed. This had to wait until all the welding and painting was completed.

The liferafts for the crew are being installed. This had to wait until all the welding and painting was completed.

One of all these Top of the Pyramid items is the final connection of all Audio and Visual equipment. For a TV / monitor you need brackets, Cabling, a Control location, Software and finally the people who will operate it. Today all those items came together in the Queens Lounge and the big screen above the dance floor went on for the first time. Somebody had connected it to the surveillance camera for the dance floor and so you could see yourself walking around. Quite a nifty idea, seeing yourself dancing during cocktail hour.

The big screen above the Queens Lounge Dance Floor. Scaffolding is still in place as they are cleaning the lamps.

The big screen above the Queens Lounge Dance Floor. Scaffolding is still in place as they are cleaning the lamps.

One item which is not so obvious but which is an intrinsic part of our security, are piracy gates. Ever since the troubles in Somalia started the aft mooring deck has always been considered a danger area. It is a little bit lower that the other access decks and thus the logic was for pirates to use this area to board a ship. With cruise ships this chance is remote as it is still too high above water to just jump over and the ship travels too fast to try for a skiff to come alongside and climb on board but it is still a lower deck. Thus to close the whole mooring deck area off, while at sea but also in port, we now have piracy gates. When the ship is docking and undocking they are hinged open and the rest of the time they close off the mooring deck.

Piracy Gates. On the aft mooring deck. These are made of stainless steel but not yet painted and thus easy to recognize.

Piracy Gates. On the aft mooring deck. These are made of stainless steel but not yet painted and thus easy to recognize.

We now have nearly all our crew on board, there are still new people boarding but it is down to a trickle, and training is in full swing plus the movement and collecting of Stores, Provisions, Spare Parts and Inventory. We have at least 10 trainers running around varying from USPH to Firefighting to Lifesaving and a plethora of other items. With much more to come. In between the crew goes back to storing and cleaning. Our Italian shipyard men are getting quite a kick out of seeing all the small Filipina Ladies carrying big boxes and or pushing big trolley’s, while wearing a safety helmet at the same time of course.

Nearly all the Gym Equipment has arrived and only needs securing and assembling.

Nearly all the Gym Equipment has arrived and only needs securing and assembling.

All through the night the delivery of pallets and equipment has continued and then during the day time it can be put in place. Either by the Shipyard or by the ships complement. The logic which is followed here is mostly, if it needs a screw or a clamp or a nail, then the ship yard does it, if I can just be placed in place, then it is normally company stuff and the crew are doing it. And thus the regular crew is mainly in action with three things. Cleaning the various areas completed, carrying boxes from one place to another or (especially today) moving cabin. All the crew who came on board last week went into guest cabins, now the crew cabins are finished, so they can move and the Guest cabins can be prepared for the first voyage.

Not everybody is involved with loading. The catering for a 1000 crew goes on as well. Here the Sr. Butcher is supervising the preparation of the meat for to-nights dinner.

Not everybody is involved with loading. The catering for a 1000 crew goes on as well. Here the Sr. Butcher is supervising the preparation of the meat for tonights dinner.

For the wine lovers I can report that all the wine displays and the Wine Experience have now been completed apart from the TV monitors. They will be installed at the last minute to reduce the chance of getting damaged.

The Wine Barrels are in place from where you will be able to Tap & Mix your own blend.

The Wine Barrels are in place from where you will be able to Tap & Mix your own blend.

17 March 2016; Marghera, Italy.

Last night we were all ordered off the ship again for our second planned black out happening. This time they wanted the ship completely empty to see if all the Fire screen doors would close and then stay closed without anybody still walking through them. The Cruise Director had organized a movie in the Canteen of the shipyard which is large enough to accommodate the complete crew. Still many went to the little café outside the gate again and it almost burst out of its seams with at least two crewmembers per square foot of café floor space. I am now sure the proprietor can retire early after a few more of these Black outs. And he/she still has the Seabourn Encore, A Carnival ship and the TBA-dam coming after us, all with their required blackouts.

Thusfar the crew has only being dry-sweeping. Today it was bucket day issue for Housekeeping and now the real anti dust battle starts.

Thus far the crew has only been dry-sweeping. Today it was bucket day issue for Housekeeping and now the real anti dust battle starts.

Today we had a glorious day. The cold northerly wind disappeared and the sun shone making it a beautiful early spring day. All the yard people took advantage of it and moved their cutting and sawing work to the outside where they were not hampered by the dust flying around.  Although large areas of the ship are now so far advanced that there is only fine tuning work going on, but in some areas there is still work done with wall panels and the fine dust penetrates everywhere. Every time Housekeeping thinks they have things under control, they have not and the cleaning starts all over again.

This is a state of the art LED screen and can be seen under nearly every angle.

This is a state of the art LED screen and can be seen under nearly every angle.

This morning was also the first time I saw the large screen in the Lido Pool area being switched on. Not much more than a lot of red but it is working. Eventually there will be Movies under the Stars screened here and as the Lido deck has two levels with dedicated seating area’s I think it will be a great success. With Gelati’s (The ice cream parlor), Dive Inn (Hamburger Bar), New York Deli and a Beverage Bar on each level it has the potential of becoming a very popular spot on board.

The Low Level Lighting Monitoring Panel on the Bridge.

The Low Level Lighting Monitoring Panel on the Bridge.

What is a lot more technical and on occasion causing some loud Italian noises is the installation of the Low Level Emergency Lighting.  In case of a black out or other mayhem which will cause the regular lights to fail, the LLL will come on and clearly indicate the escapes routes to safety. Every corridor and every staircase has these strips and the sub-contractors who are busy with installing them have to work through the locations where everybody else is working. As you cannot coordinate the progress of everything all the time, there is occasionally a “discussion” going about who should be here and there first or later. As the LLL is a very important safety system it is controlled from the bridge. Not so much to switch it on, it does that by itself when the pertinent alarms go off, but to keep an eye on which sections might fail. With trolleys in the ship, water being spilled and strips being hit, there is nearly always a section under repair and then it is handy to have a screen which tells you where the fault is located.

I thought I will do a Selfie this time. This is the room dedicated to things related to Sit & be Fit. etc.etc.

I thought I will do a Selfie this time. This is the room dedicated to things related to Sit & be Fit. etc.etc.

Today also the installing of the Green House Spa on Deck 09 started. During the night all the torture equipment for the Gymnasium was lifted on board and now it is being fitted to the deck. Also the spa Ladies are starting to bring their treatment potions and everything else on board and that will keep them going for quite a while as it is a very large area. There are in total 16 treatment rooms for massage/ facials /body treatments  etc. and then we have all the other areas such as the Hair Dressing Salon, Sauna’s, Steam Rooms, Wellness areas, etc. etc. For the first time we will also have a dedicated Barber salon on board with a licensed Barber.

One of the serving stations in the Lido. The decoration is now being installed.

One of the serving stations in the Lido. The decoration is now being installed.

The Lido Restaurant is nearing its final outfitting stages. It is now called the Lido Market and for a good reason. There are now a large number of stations which each are specialized in serving one item. Not just Hot & Cold, but under names such as Homestead, Breadboard, Wild Harvest (salads), Etc. Etc.  I am greatly in favor of these stations as it reduces the standing in line enormously. You just go to the section that you fancy and get served straight away.

This is smoke with a Capital S.

This is smoke with a Capital S.

A thing which we only see in dry dock or as now during a new-build is a Smoke Extraction Test for the Atrium. Although an Atrium is beautiful to have, from a safety point of view it is a difficult area. As it goes up three or more decks, smoke can freely travel from one deck to another. If this would happen in an emergency then there is a Smoke Extraction System which sucks away the smoke making it possible for people to still use the escape routes around it. So today at noon time, the Atrium was filled up with Stage Smoke until nothing could be seen and then the Smoke Extraction System was switched on. It worked well, after a few minutes we could see three decks down again.

And this is the same photo after the Smoke Extraction fans did their work.

And this is the same photo location after the Smoke Extraction fans did their work.

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