I have defected

[Bruin Steve]

We are also going on our first HAL cruise this coming July on the Maasdam...

We are doing this along with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law...who originally wanted all of my wife's siblings to come along...and we were the only ones who "bit"...Since we could only cruise during school vacation, we had to go with whoever offered this in July, so that limited us. Oceania had a great 16 night Montreal to Miami cruise that also goes to Bermuda--and we LOVE Oceania--but the fear was that it was too pricey for some of the family...so we settled on HAL...

 

When it came to choosing cabins, our first instinct is always balcony...We'll be coming off back-to-back cruises in the Med on RCCL just the week before where we have a great "hump" (oversized balcony) midship cabin...

 

But, when we looked at what the Maasdam had to offer, we were a little taken aback...Inside, OV, "Lanai", Suite...And the price differential from OV to Suite was outrageous...So, we opted for an OV...My sister-in-law, OTOH, went for a suite...She feels she just has to have a balcony and she really values her privacy.

 

When we thought about that "Lanai", we decided NO WAY! The nice thing to us in having a balcony is having quiet, private outdoor space...We like to lounge in our cabin and leave the curtains open to enjoy the natural sunlight--or sit out on the balcony and enjoy the fresh air and views of the ocean. But, with the Lanai, we'd really have to keep our curtains closed ALL OF THE TIME...And the outdoor space isn't ours. If we want to sit outside on a public deck, there are plenty of places on the ship to do that.

 

So, for my money, I'd rather have an ordinary OV cabin, be able to leave the curtains open and have a view of the sea without going out onto a public deck...and have more privacy...and if I want to go outside, maybe I'll just go to that Lanai deck and hang around outside other people's cabins!!

[Homosassa]

My colleagues at HAL gave me a quick education on Lanai Canins.

 

 

f you happen to be doing some scenic cruising, other passengers may stand in front of your windows and door, blocking your view.

 

 

Of course other passengers will stand at railing or on the deck in front of the Lanai Cabins. It is, after all, a public deck. The only reserved deck space for the Lanai cabins is the space taken up by the two deck chairs outside the cabin. Everything else is available for use by other passengers.

[hop2it]

<< and if I want to go outside, maybe I'll just go to that Lanai deck and hang around outside other people's cabins!!>>

 

OK, but watch out for my bucket of ice coming at you!