staterooms at very rear of ship Pro,s Cons

[natski]

We have finally got a stateroom

But at very rear of Westdam

I remember a cruise where the way the wind was blowing that the people at the rear of the ship could not use there Balconies due to the diesel smoke from the engines blowing down and swirling around the rear part of the ship .

Any thoughts pro or con on the rear staterooms would be appreciated

Wonder what it will be like if there are rough sea,s lol I can see the Prettyone going airborne as the ship drops lol ( shhhhh do not her I am laughing )

[Cruzin with BQ & CQ]

Personally, we like the aft cabins. Like looking at the wake from our balcony. In fact, we are booked in an aft balcony for November on the Nieuw Amsterdam. I like the location on the HAL ships as it's close to the aft pool and the buffet, but a little bit of a walk to the front of the ship.

 

We have never had the issue with the smoke, but I've heard that can happen, but sailing in March I think you will be fine. Have a great cruise and enjoy your stateroom!!

[natski]

Thanks Very much appreciated Cruzin

[PatsyAnne]

We had one once on the Noordam in Alaska. It was wonderful when we were in Glacier Bay, watching scenery and looking for animals. That room was a little larger and the balcony a little larger than the sides. I would like to get it again. I thought it was a little calmer than the side balconies when we were moving.

[natski]

TY Much Pat

[0bnxshs]

We've had aft cabins on several different ships on different lines and loved them all. Only once did we notice soot on the deck of the balcony and that seemed to have happened overnight; it was quickly washed away by the cabin stewards.

 

I will say it seems it is something you would have to be a fan of though; many people report vibration and noise. We have never had a problem with either but we all have differing sensitivities and perceptions. But you don't know until you try! :)

[natski]

Very true have always been interested in them , Thanks very much

[freestyling]

We have been in an aft wrap stateroom on 3 cruises in the Carribean and loved it. We felt the aft stateroom provided a better chance of not receiving second hand smoke either from the stack (s) or fellow shipmates. We were correct on all three occasions. We also liked the fact that we were walking abit more than in a mid-ship room. Helped justify eating desserts:D

[natski]

We have been in an aft wrap stateroom on 3 cruises in the Carribean and loved it. We felt the aft stateroom provided a better chance of not receiving second hand smoke either from the stack (s) or fellow shipmates. We were correct on all three occasions. We also liked the fact that we were walking abit more than in a mid-ship room. Helped justify eating desserts:D

 

Hmmm guess they will not like Me back there I smoke but I am very considerate to those that do not , yes the stack smoke was a bit of a thought to us think that will depend on the wind which I or the ship can do nothing about , Vibration was another thought but it is cheeper then putting a buck in the vibrating bed lol

 

Thanks Freestyling appreciate your help very much

[BellBoys]

We have stayed in cabin 4180 on the Westerdam and did not have any issues with soot. The cabin next to us did smoke and on occasion we did notice it but it wasnt a bother. You do feel the seas a bit more at the back of the ship than you do in the middle. We did enjoy the panoramic view from the balcony.

 

Enjoy!

[Alberta Quilter]

We were on the Westerdam last fall on a repo cruise. It was our first aft cabin. We liked it quite a bit. Yes, there was vibration at times but it wasn't that bad. And, once, I heard singing from the MDR below. I would book an aft cabin again. But, maybe not on Deck 4 where the balcony is only partially covered by the deck above. And I would watch for the slightly smaller aft cabins on Deck 4 as they have reduced closet space; could make a difference on a longer cruise.

[jhannah]

We really loved our stern cabin on the Eurodam, and have booked one on the Rotterdam. It's nice to see port and starboard views at the same location. The considerably larger size is icing on the cake. We had no issues with smoke/soot.

[natski]

TY much appreciated

[natski]

TY much appreciated J

[natski]

We were on the Westerdam last fall on a repo cruise. It was our first aft cabin. We liked it quite a bit. Yes, there was vibration at times but it wasn't that bad. And, once, I heard singing from the MDR below. I would book an aft cabin again. But, maybe not on Deck 4 where the balcony is only partially covered by the deck above. And I would watch for the slightly smaller aft cabins on Deck 4 as they have reduced closet space; could make a difference on a longer cruise.

 

Great advise were on the 4th hmmmmm

[jankn]

our favorite of all suites is the rear corner, they have much larger balconies and on deck five are pretty much covered so ash isn't a concern, and another nice thing is that if its shady or windy on one side, we just moved to the other, plus you can see so much more than on a deck with one side.....the suites inside are quite a bit larger too but I spend all of my time out on the beautiful deck, except for meals, and even often have out there often too....These suites are more expensive but are really worth it if they are in your budget.. vibration, motion etc have never been any more of an issue to,us out there than midship,etc...once you have one of these balconies, it's hard to revert back, that's the only downside! ;-)

[sp2]

HI Natski!

Glad to see a valley lad here on the boards! I am a native of Eganville myself, but have lived in Ottawa(Kanata-Stittsville) for over 30 years now.

 

We have been in 5191 aft wrap on the Westerdam, and 5185 aft balcony (right in the middle of the aft) on Zuiderdam. Loved both; balcony is very large on both and fully covered from elements. You do feel a bit more motion than mid-ship but we did not mind it. 5191 had two loungers, two armchairs, footstool, small table, and two regular chairs with a larger table. Great for having breakfast on your balcony or just lounging. 5185 was a very long balcony and accommodated two loungers, two chairs, a footstool and small table. You do not get as much breeze there though. We had 5185 for our recent partial Panama Canal transit and loved it; great for watching the operation of the locks. I think either would be great for anytime of scenic cruising (like Alaska). We never had any problems with soot.

 

The aft balconies on deck 4 are quite open to the elements and you are overlooked by the decks higher up. Not sure whether this matters to you.

 

You will get spoiled in one of these balconies!

[natski]

Thanks so very much sounds like we are gonna enjoy this Jankn, I have always been interested in them but never thought of it until we were just assigned them last nite .

We have always had our breakfast on the Balcony a bit of a ritual for us , we plan what were gonna do that day there , I am a very early riser where as the Prettyone likes to continue doing the laundry ( Pressing Sheets ) and sleep in a bit , so I retreat out there and stare at the ocean .

Thanks very Much

[natski]

HI Natski!

Glad to see a valley lad here on the boards! I am a native of Eganville myself, but have lived in Ottawa(Kanata-Stittsville) for over 30 years now.

 

We have been in 5191 aft wrap on the Westerdam, and 5185 aft balcony (right in the middle of the aft) on Zuiderdam. Loved both; balcony is very large on both and fully covered from elements. You do feel a bit more motion than mid-ship but we did not mind it. 5191 had two loungers, two armchairs, footstool, small table, and two regular chairs with a larger table. Great for having breakfast on your balcony or just lounging. 5185 was a very long balcony and accommodated two loungers, two chairs, a footstool and small table. You do not get as much breeze there though. We had 5185 for our recent partial Panama Canal transit and loved it; great for watching the operation of the locks. I think either would be great for anytime of scenic cruising (like Alaska). We never had any problems with soot.

 

The aft balconies on deck 4 are quite open to the elements and you are overlooked by the decks higher up. Not sure whether this matters to you.

 

You will get spoiled in one of these balconies!

 

Wow small world here lol

Yes vacationed here for app 45 years and always knew I would retire here and did so near Carson Lake , Toronto boy all my life till retired .

We are on the 4th , not to worried about being observed they want to stare at a old plad dressed red neck there welcome lol Jokin My swim trunks are not plad socks maybe !

Sounds like we are going to enjoy this Thanks a ton for this , hope to keep in touch Tc have a great next cruise

[rkacruiser]

I enjoyed an SC stateroom aft on the Westerdam and thoroughly enjoyed it. This was my first aft stateroom. No smoke issues other than some soot residue; would recommend taking the seat cushions inside the stateroom when not being used. Vibration: no. A curious "twisting" kind of motion when the ship was sailing against the wind, but certainly not unpleasant.

 

The only "con": I use the hydrothermal pool and Greenhouse Spa frquently on a cruise and it was a l-o-n-g walk to the forward elevators. (But, that helped to work off the calories gained from the good cuisine!)

[natski]

Thanks very much rkacrusier appreciated

[bwhink]

we always book an aft suite, we love the larger balcony size. It also provides a stunning view, and we always have the sail away party here, with frinds we cruise with.

[natski]

Thanks bwhink seems that everyone likes these , we are there to recharge and have done the route before ,really wanted to see and spend time on the ship . Were Hal fans so with this being our first at the rear of the ship its very new for us and sounds like we are gonna enjoy

Thanks alot

[Crew News]

There are a number of advantages to an aft cabin:

 

1. Two-minute elevator ride to the Lido Retaurant.

2. Two-minute elevator ride down to the MDR.

3. Aft suites have 270-degree photo ops.

4. Two-minute elevator ride up from the Room Service kitchen on Deck 3 so food should be nearly perfect temp.

5. Very little foot traffic past your door.

6. You can sit outside on the verandah even when the ship is moving at 18 knots without being blown away.

7. The sound of the ship's wake is perfect for sleeping even during the day.

8. You can escape from the sun by just walking around the corner of your aft-wrap verandah.

9. Aft wrap suites have two loungers in addition to normal suite furniture.

10. The aft-wrap round table is 42-inches in diameter and when fitted with a 70-inch round tablecloth makes a morning breakfast a bit more classy.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Crew News

[Lizzie68]

And if you use the stairs instead of all those 2-minute elevator rides, you can work off some of the cruise food.;)