Holland America plans snazzy decktop 'retreat' on five cruise ships

[mercedes]

Holland America is making some big boasts about the pool deck it plans to add to five ships starting next year.

The line says the new upscale area, to be called The Retreat, will include a "first in the industry" pool concept in which lounge chairs are placed directly in the water.

The pool will, obviously, be extremely shallow -- no more than eight inches in most places.

“The Retreat is a totally new approach for us,” says Holland America executive vice president Richard Meadows. “We’re creating an area where guests can relax outside in a sophisticated environment.”

The wide-but-shallow pool that Holland America plans for the deck will be divided into three main sections separated by low, curving walls. The middle section will be 16 inches deep and include built-in benches in the water for sitting. The two side sections will feature dozens of lounge chairs in eight inches of water.

The Retreat also will boast an outdoor movie screen, allowing passengers lounging in the water to watch movies. It'll also have a stage for musicians and a pizza outlet called Slice.

The Retreat will be retro-fitted onto the back of Holland America's 1,258-passenger Statendam and the ship's three sisters, the Maasdam, Ryndam and Veendam, during dry docks planned over the next three years. The line also plans to add a Retreat to the 1,316-passenger Rotterdam.

Holland America is spending $200 million to upgrade the five ships.