On my site more interior pictures today i post 4 new ones.
web page

[ 05-27-2004: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

[ 05-28-2004: Message edited by: Commodore ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Thanks Maasdam.

Do we have some Carnival and Costa interiors, it would be fun to compare the decore of similar rooms on each ship, like the Atrium or dining rooms, for example.

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I have post 4 new interior pics Malcome the are on the Oosterdam pages 1 and 2 and markt with new.

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Originally posted by Commodore:
I'll see what I could do as far as the Carnival Legend photos go. Keep in mind she has some of the most hideous interiors I have ever seen!

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Decor is always going to be subjective, just like food. There is no right or wrong, only opinions. Ask 100 different people and you will get 100 different answers.

Carnival interiors (even CARNIVAL LEGEND) don't bother me. While not always tasteful, and certainly not what I would decorate my house in, I find them interesting and amusing. I've also come to expect the daring and outrages from Carnival. Isn't that exactly what Carnival's interior designer is shooting for after all? A cruise vacation on Carnival is supposed to be an escape from the every day hum-drum life. I think Carnival's decor achieves exactly that. You know the saying, "you ain't in Kansas anymore." As I stated earlier, I much prefer it over the homogenized decor of Princess and some other lines. Basically, I can find that same decor at any local Marriott or chain restaurant. Princess is smart though, their decor appeals to middle America and what they are familiar with. No surprises here and of course they are also very successful with this strategy.

If there is one line that probably has my least favorite decor, it's Holland America. Everyone thinks it's so tasteful but I think most of it is tacky. Way too much use of burnt orange, purple, hot red, smoked mirrors, and gold. These are not soothing colors and when mixed together like HAL does, they are hardly tasteful. I'm also not a fan of the huge displays of so-called "art" thrown throughout the ship, most of it which of course has nothing to do with the decor to begin with and just seems out of place. A lot of it is reproduced anyway. The Vista class ships seem to be the biggest offenders, and frankly I find many of Carnival's ships to be more subdued. My partner summed it up best when we sailed on the MAASDAM last June. First he asked if the ship was built in the 70's. All that burnt orange carpet and smoked glass mirrors gave him that impression. It was totally understandable. Then when we were dining I asked him what he thought of the two level dining room. He said it reminded him of what an Asian whore house would look like, mind you he has never been to one! I'm afraid I had to agree with him, on both accounts.

So back to the moral of the story, we each have our own opinions of the various ship decors. None are right or wrong regardless of how much some of you might think otherwise. Frankly I'm just happy we have so many styles to choose from to suit just about any taste.

The perfect ships for me in terms of style and decor are Celebrity ships, and the QM2.

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Originally posted by eroller:

Decor is always going to be subjective, just like food. There is no right or wrong, only opinions. Ask 100 different people and you will get 100 different answers.

Carnival interiors (even CARNIVAL LEGEND) don't bother me. While not always tasteful, and certainly not what I would decorate my house in, I find them interesting and amusing. I've also come to expect the daring and outrages from Carnival. Isn't that exactly what Carnival's interior designer is shooting for after all? A cruise vacation on Carnival is supposed to be an escape from the every day hum-drum life. I think Carnival's decor achieves exactly that. You know the saying, "you ain't in Kansas anymore." As I stated earlier, I much prefer it over the homogenized decor of Princess and some other lines. Basically, I can find that same decor at any local Marriott or chain restaurant. Princess is smart though, their decor appeals to middle America and what they are familiar with. No surprises here and of course they are also very successful with this strategy.

If there is one line that probably has my least favorite decor, it's Holland America. Everyone thinks it's so tasteful but I think most of it is tacky. Way too much use of burnt orange, purple, hot red, smoked mirrors, and gold. These are not soothing colors and when mixed together like HAL does, they are hardly tasteful. I'm also not a fan of the huge displays of so-called "art" thrown throughout the ship, most of it which of course has nothing to do with the decor to begin with and just seems out of place. A lot of it is reproduced anyway. The Vista class ships seem to be the biggest offenders, and frankly I find many of Carnival's ships to be more subdued. My partner summed it up best when we sailed on the MAASDAM last June. First he asked if the ship was built in the 70's. All that burnt orange carpet and smoked glass mirrors gave him that impression. It was totally understandable. Then when we were dining I asked him what he thought of the two level dining room. He said it reminded him of what an Asian whore house would look like, mind you he has never been to one! I'm afraid I had to agree with him, on both accounts.

So back to the moral of the story, we each have our own opinions of the various ship decors. None are right or wrong regardless of how much some of you might think otherwise. Frankly I'm just happy we have so many styles to choose from to suit just about any taste.

The perfect ships for me in terms of style and decor are Celebrity ships, and the QM2.

Ernie

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Ernie i agree totally on the tast isseu. Buth not as you probilly no on the commant about the interior design of HAL. Buth hey tast is tast.

Buth there is one question i would ask you:

Why iff you found the HAL interior bath taste you would sail with theme. If i don't like the surroundings i would not go there ore sail in it. Even if the overall service is good i would not go.

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Originally posted by Maasdam:

Have the QM2 not also a repro interior based on styles frome yesterday?

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Two things:

1) QM2's interior design is classic.

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Originally posted by CGT:

Two things:

1) QM2's interior design is classic.

2) 1970's decor is just gross, and what's worse, I don't think HAL intends to make their ships 1970's retro, they just decorate and somehow it comes out that way. Scary!

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hey CGT do you really have nothing to do than traying to make poeple angry. Buth than i think CGT is a very sad little person who have nothing to do than make stupid remarks and post opinions from other persons. Really this post have nothing to do with the discusion between me and Eroller ore the interior design off Holland America.

And iff you look at my pictures post in this topic and on my site you will see that there interiors are not at all 70's. That is way i disagree with Eroller and ask that question why sailing HAL. In that my remark about the fine QM2 is totaly in line with the discusion.

Youre replay is only to insult me ore to make me angry.

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Originally posted by Maasdam:

hey CGT do you really have nothing to do than traying to make poeple angry. Buth than i think CGT is a very sad little person who have nothing to do than make stupid remarks and post opinions from other persons. Really this post have nothing to do with the discusion between me and Eroller ore the interior design off Holland America.

And iff you look at my pictures post in this topic and on my site you will see that there interiors are not at all 70's. That is way i disagree with Eroller and ask that question why sailing HAL. In that my remark about the fine QM2 is totaly in line with the discusion.

Youre replay is only to insult me ore to make me angry.

And now i never discuse with you any more. Until you will show your respect to us here at Cruise Talk. Goodbay sad little person.

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I'm so shattered Maasdam. I expressed my opinion, sorry it makes you angry .

[ 05-29-2004: Message edited by: CGT ]

Here are some interior shots of Costa Atlantica taken last week.

For my own safety I will refrain from making any official statement about these interiors... ;-) The only thing I want to say is that during my visit to the ship, the guests seemed to like them!

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Originally posted by Bart:
Hi all,

Here are some interior shots of Costa Atlantica taken last week.

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Is it the work of Joe Farcus?

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Originally posted by Bart:
Hi all,

Here are some interior shots of Costa Atlantica taken last week.

For my own safety I will refrain from making any official statement about these interiors... ;-) The only thing I want to say is that during my visit to the ship, the guests seemed to like them!

All the best
Bart

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Nice pictures Bart how do you think about those interiors. I'm think that they are not the style of Costa sadley. Buth people like those kinds of interior and that is good.

Thanks fore you pictures.

Greatings Ben.

[ 05-30-2004: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

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Originally posted by Maasdam:

Ernie i agree totally on the tast isseu. Buth not as you probilly no on the commant about the interior design of HAL. Buth hey tast is tast.

Buth there is one question i would ask you:

Why iff you found the HAL interior bath taste you would sail with theme. If i don't like the surroundings i would not go there ore sail in it. Even if the overall service is good i would not go.

Have the QM2 not also a repro interior based on styles frome yesterday?

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Well, it's not like I sail HAL all the time. I like variety and it had been many years since I sailed on HAL so I wanted to give them another try. Last June there was a great last minute deal to Alaska on MAASDAM so I jumped on it. Prior to MAASDAM it was probably 10 years since I've sailed HAL, on the WESTERDAM to the Caribbean.

Unfortunately the HAL experience was just not for me. I did not think the ship was all that clean or well kept, the passengers were a little too elderly for my taste, and there was little to no nightlife. This added to the fact that I did not find the ship the least bit attractive only confirmed that HAL is not my preferred cruise line. This is not to say I will never sail on them again, but they won't be my first choice. Of course given the right deal, timing, and destination anything is possible. I certainly don't hate HAL, I just like other cruise lines better.

NCL would be my last choice of lines to sail, and just above NCL would probably be HAL and Costa as least favorites. Please don't take it personal as I'm not trying to bash HAL or make you angry, it just wasn't for me.

Many don't like Carnival and I hear Carnival bashing day in and day out. I happen to like them, so go figure??

Regarding QM2, yes much of her style is based on yester-year, but thankfully that yester-year is not the 70's! HAL ships look very 70's to me based on the colors used, use of smoked mirrors, polished brass, and some furniture styles. I just don't find them elegant, but more a mix of styles and colors that just don't mesh well.

Being as Dutchman myself I personally thought she was rather Vegas Disney and could not recognize my own heritage in her.
Some parts were rather plastic and tacky. For instance these big imitation chinese lamps in the dining room and these whimsical delft blue tiles in the theatre etc etc.

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Originally posted by eroller:

Well, it's not like I sail HAL all the time. I like variety and it had been many years since I sailed on HAL so I wanted to give them another try. Last June there was a great last minute deal to Alaska on MAASDAM so I jumped on it. Prior to MAASDAM it was probably 10 years since I've sailed HAL, on the WESTERDAM to the Caribbean.

Unfortunately the HAL experience was just not for me. I did not think the ship was all that clean or well kept, the passengers were a little too elderly for my taste, and there was little to no nightlife. This added to the fact that I did not find the ship the least bit attractive only confirmed that HAL is not my preferred cruise line. This is not to say I will never sail on them again, but they won't be my first choice. Of course given the right deal, timing, and destination anything is possible. I certainly don't hate HAL, I just like other cruise lines better.

NCL would be my last choice of lines to sail, and just above NCL would probably be HAL and Costa as least favorites. Please don't take it personal as I'm not trying to bash HAL or make you angry, it just wasn't for me.

Many don't like Carnival and I hear Carnival bashing day in and day out. I happen to like them, so go figure??

Regarding QM2, yes much of her style is based on yester-year, but thankfully that yester-year is not the 70's! HAL ships look very 70's to me based on the colors used, use of smoked mirrors, polished brass, and some furniture styles. I just don't find them elegant, but more a mix of styles and colors that just don't mesh well.

Ernie

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Hi Erny.

i'm not angry. It was just a question thanks fore your replay. I now understand what you are saying.

The second time we sailed on Maasdam we did notice it needed some repairs. One of the Lido deck glass doors was out of order and overall it was looking a bit old. Hopefully with all the new improvements HAL is to be doing will help all of the ships. We are looking forward to a trip on HAL Amsterdam in Sept to Alaska so I'll be able to give more opinions then. We did attempt to go on the Diamond Princess (the shipwreck cruise) and the decor of what we saw was nice.

And yes everyone has opinions, I prefer the high class Hotel look to the flashy Vegas look.

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Originally posted by shadow:
In response to HAL ship decor, I have sailed on the Maasdam twice. The first time was my first cruise so I had nothing to compare to. The ship was clean and neat, food was great & they spoiled us. We had 13 in our group, all family. The decor was reasonable in my opinion. We went on Carnival Paradise & I didn't like the decor at all, Yellow leather & leopard prints are not at all my taste. The layout of Maasdam was much better - especially the dining areas. I much preferred the high ceilings & tables of Maasdam's dining to the low ceilings & booths on Paradise. At least Maasdam was light & airy feeling verses cramped & dark. Also in Lido on Carnival I hated the poles/lamps, whatever those things were, and the buffet bar was hard to work with. On Carnival-We despised "Showtime" in the dining room! All of a sudden all the waiters dissapear leaving you with no drinks and run off to dance around the dining room! We were not impressed.

The second time we sailed on Maasdam we did notice it needed some repairs. One of the Lido deck glass doors was out of order and overall it was looking a bit old. Hopefully with all the new improvements HAL is to be doing will help all of the ships. We are looking forward to a trip on HAL Amsterdam in Sept to Alaska so I'll be able to give more opinions then. We did attempt to go on the Diamond Princess (the shipwreck cruise) and the decor of what we saw was nice.

And yes everyone has opinions, I prefer the high class Hotel look to the flashy Vegas look.

Shadow

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Hi shadow here a picture of m.s. Amsterdam in here home port of Rotterdam.