Inside cabin Zuiderdam so tiny.

[maxmia]

Just returned from Alaska Inside Passage cruise. Loved the ship the ports and everything except our cabin. (could not call it a stateroom) We booked a guarantee M category after seeing pictures and descriptions in the brochures and HAL website. We were not looking for an upgrade just what we booked. Our cabin was L5005 so small that we could only get into bed by walking sideways, and our suitcases could only stand in front of the wardrobes, no possible way of getting them under the bed. Consequently each time we needed access to the cupboard or wardrobe, they needed to be moved.

Also the bathroom door opened against the wardrobe, just adding to the crush. The cabin door when opened, brushed the end of the bed. We are 72kgs and 67kgs, so I hate to think how it would have been if we had been bigger people. We would never have been able to have room service as there was no room to move, and we would have had to sit on the bed.

We did not complain on the ship, as we did not feel it was their problem, but have sent and E Mail to HAL outlining our disappointment. It was our first HAL cruise, and have paid a lot less previously on Princess for a better inside stateroom. This cabin is only suitable for one person. We loved everything else about the cruise, and could not find fault with the ship.

[DutchByAssociation]

Category L and M are both identified as "Standard" not "Large" and while you still got a 1 category upgrade, you stayed within the same kind of room.

 

Sorry to hear you were disappointed, but as is the case with Guarantee bookings, you did get precisely what you paid for (actually a little more as L would have carried a slightly higher price with it than M did) but if you wanted to avoid the "Standard" rooms, you should have booked a guarantee at a level where the only possibilities are "Large" and Reservations agents can advise you or your TA of that if there are any questions or concerns as to how the guarantee process works.

 

As for the price you paid on Princess vs. HAL, keep in mind various lines have various price points depending on the experience they provide. Lets say for instance all the following lines have a ship that is identical to one in another fleet and you can have the exact same room and itinerary on:

 

Carnival

Costa

Princess

HAL

Cunard

Seabourn

 

I guarantee you the pricing will be all over the map!

 

Conversely, you may be able to get something that is simply palatial on Carnival for the same price as the tiniest little room imaginable on Seabourn

 

Again, I'm not trying to dismiss your disappointment, just trying to help you better understand the process of guarantees and helping you to understand that various lines offer various experiences and as such, price accordingly.

 

I hope that on your next cruise your room meets your expectations.

[maxmia]

Thank you for your response Dutchby Association, we did see a M Stateroom on the main deck, and it was much more roomy than ours. It was sad for us, as we had traveled from Australia to join the cruise, and my DH had just recently completed radiation therapy, and is at present in remission, so we are not sure what the future holds. Our TA did not explain the differences of the inside staterooms, and we only picked M by the photos and plans in the brochure. We did not want a tub, as it is difficult for my husband to climb over and he feels more stable in a shower stall. Well its over and done now, but I would be very hesitant in recommending a guarantee with HAL.

We had other cheaper cruise line options for this trip, but chose HAL because of the glowing reports we had read. Could not fault the ship, crew or itinerary, only the cabin. Sorry!

[sparky-elpaso]

The description of an inside stateroom on the Zuiderdam is:

 

2 lower beds convertible to 1 queen-size bed, shower. Approximately 170-200 sq. ft.

 

Which means the 170 sq. ft. is probably about 8 x 21 feet - including the bathroom, closet, etc.

 

Our cabin on the Westerdam was listed as 197 sq. ft. - I measured and it was 9 x 21 feet.

 

What I did ahead of time was to find a room in our house that was about the same square footage - the kitchen / dining area which is 10 x 20 - 200 sq. ft. So I knew that our cabin would be slightly smaller than that. So I could somewhat visualize what we would have. It helped a lot.

[sevenseasnomad]

So sorry to hear about your husband. Hope remission continues.

 

There are no M cabins on Main Deck Zuiderdam. There are some MM & M cabins on Upper Promenade. From the brochure deck plans, they do appear to be larger than yours, however when I go to Holland's site and trace one of them and overlay it onto 5005, they are identical in size. But who can judge from a deck plan, since the cruise line itself states that the deck plans are only representational, not to scale?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Sorry to hear about your husband -- hope he continues well through remission.

 

Also sorry about the size of your cabin.

[maxmia]

I have had a look at the deck plans, and I must have looked into a J stateroom on Main deck, I asked the cabin steward what category it was and he said M. Sorry for the mistake. Its done and dusted now but we will know if we are able to cruise with Hal again what to ask for. Thanks everyone for your good wishes, Barb.

[Storylady]

I have had a look at the deck plans, and I must have looked into a J stateroom on Main deck, I asked the cabin steward what category it was and he said M. Sorry for the mistake. Its done and dusted now but we will know if we are able to cruise with Hal again what to ask for. Thanks everyone for your good wishes, Barb.

 

You are correct about the J stateroom on the Main Deck. I believe most of the insides on the Main Deck are Large Inside J and Large Inside K--approximately 207 sq feet. We had a Large Inside J and our stateroom was larger than (certainly more floor space in the bedroom portion of the cabin) the Outsides on the same deck. We heard people on the Westerdam that were in the Standard Insides which you had complaining about how small they were. Our stateroom is similar to the photos in the HAL brochures. All of the above applies to the Vista and Signature class ships. The R and the S class insides are all basically 182 sq ft which is definitely liveable.

 

Someone mentioned that they called HAL or asked their TA to check what the size of the room was before they booked.

[RuthC]

I believe most of the insides on the Main Deck are Large Inside J and Large Inside K--

Yes, they are all "large" J- and K-category cabins. But keep in mind that they are also larger than the J- and K-category cabins on other decks.

They are the absolute best of the insides.

[cruz chic]

I'd be interested to hear which ships on Princess she feels are bigger. I really like Princess but the cabins are tiny. All cabins I've had on HAL have been bigger then Princess.

[Aruba]

We have booked a category K room (549) on the Maasdam for next summer's 35-day Voyage of the Vikings.

Can folks who typically sail in inside staterooms tell me some of the tricks they use to make the room feel larger, more "homey" or more comfortable in the absence of a window and natural sunlight?

I have already heard about leaving the tv on and tuned to the ship's webcam. Any other suggestions? THANKS.

[PennyAgain]

I can understand your problems in trying to make comparisons when the deck plans are shown in square feet.

 

I had a smiliar room to yours which I booked at a cheap price. For what I paid, I was happy with it. But understanding feet and inches I was able to visualize what I was buying.

 

Best of luck to you and your husband.

[mudscraper]

We have booked a category K room (549) on the Maasdam for next summer's 35-day Voyage of the Vikings.

Can folks who typically sail in inside staterooms tell me some of the tricks they use to make the room feel larger, more "homey" or more comfortable in the absence of a window and natural sunlight?

I have already heard about leaving the tv on and tuned to the ship's webcam. Any other suggestions? THANKS.

If you can`t fit your luggage under the bed, tell your room steward. He`ll take it from you and store it.

 

 

Rich

[lettienets]

Just returned from Alaska Inside Passage cruise. Loved the ship the ports and everything except our cabin. (could not call it a stateroom) We booked a guarantee M category after seeing pictures and descriptions in the brochures and HAL website. We were not looking for an upgrade just what we booked. Our cabin was L5005 so small that we could only get into bed by walking sideways, .............

I had L5005 on Noordam and it was just as small, horrible. I was solo and wondered how a couple could stand that kind of cabin. I had the beds separated just to make an aisle and the room feel bigger.

[Jemima]

We have booked a category K room (549) on the Maasdam for next summer's 35-day Voyage of the Vikings.

Can folks who typically sail in inside staterooms tell me some of the tricks they use to make the room feel larger, more "homey" or more comfortable in the absence of a window and natural sunlight?

I have already heard about leaving the tv on and tuned to the ship's webcam. Any other suggestions? THANKS.

 

Inside cabins on the R & S class ships are very nice and usually about the same size as oceanview cabins. We've had both insides and oceanviews on these ships. The main difference on the R & S ships is lack of window.

 

Cabins on the new Signature class ships (Eurodam & Nieuw Amsterdam) are smaller in most categories. We had an A balcony on the Eurodam last fall and a BB balcony on the Zaandam this spring. The Zaandam cabin had more space, more storage and was easier to move about in. It was only slightly bigger, but seemed much bigger.

[Jemima]

I'd be interested to hear which ships on Princess she feels are bigger. I really like Princess but the cabins are tiny. All cabins I've had on HAL have been bigger then Princess.

 

We found the same thing with an inside on Princess.

[SwissMyst]

Does it make anyone feel any better we were just 42 days on a ship where the standard cabin was 132 sq ft - the old "Love Boat" sister ship.

 

Cruising expectations have changed a lot since those days when ships like the Island Princess and the Pacific Princess stood for glamour on the high seas.

 

I am sorry your first experience with HAL left so many disappointments, but very pleased to hear that outside of the cabin issue the rest of the trip and ship were fine as we take the same ship and cruise in just a few days.

[catl331]

On a Carnival ship in the 90's my adult daughter and I had a room we couldn't turn in. The bed was a single and another came out of the wall from the side. We had to announce that we were coming out of the bathroom so we wouldn't collide with each other. Talk about claustrophobia!! The Caribbean ports were great though and we had a good time out of the room. Alaskan cruises are very popular and those small rooms get premium price because of competition.

[catl331]

Alaskan cruises are very popular and rooms usually do not go empty. The can ask and get premium prices for those rooms. I had a smaller room on a Carnival room with a single bed and one coming down from the wall. Also had the smaller room every in a hotel in London. That one was more money than Carnival and no food included.

[RuthC]

Can folks who typically sail in inside staterooms tell me some of the tricks they use to make the room feel larger, more "homey" or more comfortable in the absence of a window and natural sunlight?

As already mentioned, your cabin will feel as spacious as the outsides on the ship before you even start.

I keep mine picked up. There's something soothing about entering a cabin that's neat. There are six drawers at the desk, so there's plenty of storage. Check for an end table, too. If there is one, then there's shelves inside.

You will have a decent size medicine chest in the bathroom, and a narrow shelf along the mirror. There is no shelf under the sink, so plan accoringly.

There also should be a shelf over the bed, behind the curtain. Don't put anything too heavy there (in case it goes flying in rough seas---like while you're sleeping ;)), but it's a good place for more storage.

 

Best tip I can give? Don't spend a lot of time in your cabin! Get out and have a good time.

[PennyAgain]

From what others have posted on CC. People from Australia seem to pay much higher prices than we can get.

 

Thus more disappointment.

[cruz chic]

From what others have posted on CC. People from Australia seem to pay much higher prices than we can get.

 

Thus more disappointment.

We also pay more in Canada regardless of the fact we can book in USD. I think some research is great. I've been in many cabin as a single wondering how 2 people would fit in it. I get floored when some people ask if 4 people could fit in an inside room. IMO that's wouldn't happen without somone going overboard:D.

[Aruba]

Best tip I can give? Don't spend a lot of time in your cabin! Get out and have a good time.

You know us Ruth and have given us a better prescription than any doctor every could. We will definitely be getting out and having a great time! ;)

[RedmondCruiser]

I agree with the OP. An L on a Vista ship is too small and poorly layed out. We have also been in a 139 sq ft cabin on princess and that was far better than the L class cabin that we had on the Westerdam. We once booked very late and the only thing available was an inside guarentee -- so to parrot DBA "thats what we paid for and thats what we got" They list the square footage (on line) as 170 to 200 sq ft. I'd list it more like 120 (and thats generous)

[Storylady]

We have booked a category K room (549) on the Maasdam for next summer's 35-day Voyage of the Vikings.

Can folks who typically sail in inside staterooms tell me some of the tricks they use to make the room feel larger, more "homey" or more comfortable in the absence of a window and natural sunlight?

I have already heard about leaving the tv on and tuned to the ship's webcam. Any other suggestions? THANKS.

 

If you have an inside cabin on the Voyage of the Vikings, I think you will be very happy that you chose to do so. You are so far north that it is light later at night and light earlier in the morning. Having an inside means that you will get a better nights rest as it will be dark inside the cabin. Light does creep in when you have a Veranda or Oceanview stateroom. Also, on the Maasdam you will have a curtain with a light behind it. This looks exactly like an oceanview cabin. Having recently tried inside cabins to see if we could handle it, we are now booking an inside for most cruises. We save enough money by booking the inside to pay for most of our shore excursions.