Won a free cruise while on koningsdam!!!

[Time For Dreaming]

Gotta love that Koningsdam!

 

On the very last day of our 11-night March 22 - April 1 Cruise I decided to buy a chance to win a free 7-night cruise to either the Caribbean or Mexican Riviera. This is for an inside cabin for two. I won!!! Thank you Koningsdam. The perfect "gift" for two elderly people celebrating their anniversary while onboard. Gotta love that Koningsdam!

 

We'd prefer the Caribbean but it wouldn't be a "free cruise" what with airfare (from Southern California), transfers, pre-night hotel, cabin upgrade, and shore excursions. So we decided to drive to San Diego for the Mexico cruise on the Oosterdam in February 2018 and not get off the ship.

 

Will be posting a separate message but if anyone reading this knows the answer to these questions, we'd appreciate it.

 

Is there any worthwhile difference between a standard balcony stateroom vs. a vista "suite?" If vista, we'd be interested in the bumped out section on either deck 5 or 6 (unless someone knows a better location) to get the double whatever it is towards our Mariner status.

 

Has the Oosterdam been dry docked lately? What condition is it in?

 

Which side faces the water - port for starboard?

 

Did we love that Koningsdam? Our review will be coming once we get settled in from our return. Hint: Gotta love that Koningsdam, but it's not problem-free.

 

Thank you all.

[FloridaTourist]

The Oosterdam was dry docked and sailed for the first time April 15 2016. We were on her. She is amazing. The signature suites and above look great as do all the public rooms. All new.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[DeeniEncinitas]

👍👍👍👏👏👏👏

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Love the Oosterdam!!

She used to be in our port of San Diego for a couple of years doing Sea of Cortez and Mexican Riviera. Been on her 4 times!

Would not hesitate to do her again!!

We will be on her older sister Maasdam which will be great! No hotels for us since we live right down the coast and will walk to our Coaster in Leucadia and ride in! Doing Inca Empires 2/25/18. So enjoy your cruise!

Denise:)

[Turtles06]

 

Which side faces the water - port for starboard?

 

 

Congratulations on winning the free cruise, what fun!

 

When the ship is underway, BOTH port and starboard face the water. ;p

 

When she's docked, it totally depends on factors you cannot predict, like which side will be doing life boat drills, things like that.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[AV8rix]

Is there any worthwhile difference between a standard balcony stateroom vs. a vista "suite?" If vista, we'd be interested in the bumped out section on either deck 5 or 6 (unless someone knows a better location) to get the double whatever it is towards our Mariner status.

 

Which side faces the water - port for starboard?

 

"Worthwhile" is for you to decide. IMO the best way to see any differences between categories of staterooms is to consult the deck plans to see the layout of the rooms, differences in square footage between the two, and check the dropdown "Amenities" menu attached to each category...the amenities differ between the verandah category and the suite category. Also to consider is if the difference in price for the double Mariner points is worth it to you.

I don't understand your question regarding sides of the ship. On a roundtrip such as Oosterdam's Mexico cruises in Feb 2018 the starboard side will be the water side outbound, then the port side will be the water side on the return.

Edited April 3, 2017 by Av8rix

[Krazy Kruizers]

Congratulations on winning a free cruise.

Do your homework on those "hump" cabins. The aft ones will get the winds when the ship is moving -- so you may not be able to use your balcony.

[POA1]

Gotta love that Koningsdam!

 

Is there any worthwhile difference between a standard balcony stateroom vs. a vista "suite?" If vista, we'd be interested in the bumped out section on either deck 5 or 6 (unless someone knows a better location) to get the double whatever it is towards our Mariner status.

 

 

Congratulations!

 

I was pretty sure that the the Oosterdam didn't have Vista Suites, so I double checked the deck plans. It does not, nor do any of the Vista Class ships.

 

The Oosterdam has verandah staterooms. In suites, it has Signature Suites, Neptune Suites, and Pinnacle Suites. The Signature Suites are about 1.5 times the square footage of the verandah rooms. Aside from the extra room, their big "perk" is a dedicated telephone concierge.

 

The Neptune Suites are double and come with all the extra suite perks. The Pinnacles are huge and have all the perks. By perks, I'm talking about the Neptune Lounge, Neptune Concierge, included laundry and dry cleaning, and an in room coffee maker.

 

On ships with Vista Suites, the rooms are basically the same square footage as a regular verandah. You get double cruise credit days and a telephone concierge. That's a dedicated hotline to the front desk.

[57redbird]

We loved our 'hump' cabin! more room in the cabin as well as on the balcony....enough room to rearrange the furniture to combat any wind.

Edited April 4, 2017 by 57redbird
typo

[madera1]

We were just in the bumped out signature suite on the Oosterdam in Feb. and it was great. Congratulations on your win.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[cbr663]

Congratulations on winning a cruise. We won a cruise in 2014 and wanted to share a couple of points with you.

 

The cruise certificate is for an inside cabin but it can be upgraded to any cabin category. When we used our certificate HAL had a promo running where the inside and veranda cabin were the same price, so it cost us nothing to upgrade to a veranda cabin.

 

It isn't a "free" cruise. You will still have to pay taxes, fees and a non-commissionable charge that will depend upon the original value of your booking. The result is a deeply discounted cruise, but not free. With this in mind, if you are interested in the Caribbean, you should look to see what options are open to you.

 

There are also very few promos that can be combined with the cruise certificate, as the cruise certificate is considered a significant promo.

[catl331]

... to get the double whatever it is towards our Mariner status.

I'm pretty sure you won't get the double points on an upgrade.

[DaveOKC]

I'm pretty sure you won't get the double points on an upgrade.

 

I am not sure either, so I recommend you call the Mariner Society of HAL and ask them before your decide (since this is an unusual situation). If you are upgrading yourself (not doing it though a HAL email upsell offer) you normally get the double credits - but again, check it out from HAL.

[AV8rix]

I'm pretty sure you won't get the double points on an upgrade.

 

No, you do not. And it states that fact in the email offering the upgrade. Darn, I just deleted my email last week when I accepted an upgrade to a suite....and I really needed those points 'cause I'm now close to 4 stars. Anyway, if I had not deleted it I would have uploaded that snip about no extra points.

[igraf]

We have done the Mexican Riviera three times and it would be a shame if you did not get off the ship! My mother in law stayed on the ship when she went by herself, but then toured the ports with us on a subsequent cruise. She thanked me afterwards for the shore excursions. Here are my thoughts on the Mexican Riviera ports:

 

Cabo San Lucas: My least favorite port. A superficial city with constant selling. The Coastal Highlights bus tour to San Jose del Cabo is an easy-going and relatively inexpensive HAL tour. San Jose del Cabo is much nicer than Cabo San Lucas.

 

Mazatlan: A very interesting "old Mexico" city. The best way to tour Mazatlan is to hire a private cab for a couple hours. We paid $20 per hour for two hours. Even three hours would be cheaper than most excursions for two people. Agree on price and length of tour before getting into the cab, and all will be fine. There is a lot of German history in the area which is why they brew such good beer.

 

Puerto Vallarta: A great cosmopolitan city. Buy a day pass at a resort near the old downtown (Romantic Zone). Taxis are only $10 each way. A very relaxing way to spend the day.

 

igraf

 

 

 

...So we decided to drive to San Diego for the Mexico cruise on the Oosterdam in February 2018 and not get off the ship.....

[DaveOKC]

No, you do not. And it states that fact in the email offering the upgrade. Darn, I just deleted my email last week when I accepted an upgrade to a suite....and I really needed those points 'cause I'm now close to 4 stars. Anyway, if I had not deleted it I would have uploaded that snip about no extra points.

 

Are you referring to the OP's situation or a paid upgrade that HAL sends out about 4 weeks prior to sailing.

 

In the OP's case, I think they are considering reserving the better cabin at time of booking, so it may well apply. My brother did a similar deal using a casino promotion (paid extra for a better cabin vs the free inside) and nothing in writing or said was mentioned about not getting double points.

Edited April 4, 2017 by DaveOKC

[sail7seas]

Are you referring to the OP's situation or a paid upgrade that HAL sends out about 4 weeks prior to sailing.

 

In the OP's case, I think they are considering reserving the better cabin at time of booking, so it may well apply. My brother did a similar deal using a casino promotion (paid extra for a better cabin vs the free inside) and nothing in writing or said was mentioned about not getting double points.

 

 

 

 

I think it was mentioned abo ve thtt Ooserdam and Maaasdam are sisters but that is not accurrate.

 

The current sister to Maasdam still in H AL's fleet is Veendam. Oosterdam and Westerdam, Zuiderrdam and Noordam are sisters.

Edited April 4, 2017 by sail7seas

[taba]

Are you referring to the OP's situation or a paid upgrade that HAL sends out about 4 weeks prior to sailing.

 

In the OP's case, I think they are considering reserving the better cabin at time of booking, so it may well apply. My brother did a similar deal using a casino promotion (paid extra for a better cabin vs the free inside) and nothing in writing or said was mentioned about not getting double points.

 

I won the "free cruise" and choose to pay the difference for an upgrade to a Signature Suite. I received double points.

 

On an earlier cruise a accepted an upsell to a Neptune Suite, but I didn't receive double points on that cruise.

[AV8rix]

Are you referring to the OP's situation or a paid upgrade that HAL sends out about 4 weeks prior to sailing.

 

In the OP's case, I think they are considering reserving the better cabin at time of booking, so it may well apply. My brother did a similar deal using a casino promotion (paid extra for a better cabin vs the free inside) and nothing in writing or said was mentioned about not getting double points.

 

Sorry, you're right. I was thinking about the usual upsell once you've already booked.

[OlsSalt]

We like the Mexican Riviera itinerary a lot and have done it several times. Not sure why you would not want to get off the ship.

 

All are great ports for DIY exploring. The very lovely Centro Historico in Mazatlan and enjoying lunch at Te Amor Lucy; Malecon strolling all along the waterfront in Puerto Vallarta to La Palapa restaurant after taking the local bus from the port to downtown; and the stunning new rebuild of the Cabo inner harbor to end up at the gorgeous new Hacidenda Hotel for outdoor patio heuvos rancheros with a mango smoothie. Anyway, that is what we now always do which makes this trip just lazy and fun each time.

 

Enjoy your "free" cruise regardless - a nice travel bonus for sure.

[DaveOKC]

I won the "free cruise" and choose to pay the difference for an upgrade to a Signature Suite. I received double points.

 

On an earlier cruise a accepted an upsell to a Neptune Suite, but I didn't receive double points on that cruise.

 

Thanks - perfect answer for the OP!!

[Time For Dreaming]

Lots of good information from everyone. We'll check out the deck plans very carefully and have a few stateroom choices in mind. Thanks for the water side question...I meant when docked which was answered.

 

Sounds like a really nice ship. We've taken this cruise on another line and have done land only trips. Nowadays we're concerned about safety in these ports. That's why we were thinking about just staying on board. But we'll see. Never been on a cruise when we didn't get off at a port. We'll want to do that at least once on this cruise.

[kangforpres]

Congrats-

 

We've had the good fortune of winning Cruise Bingo twice on HAL. We opted for the W. Caribbean on the Neiuw Amsterdam and now I'm forgetting what we did with the 2nd one. Anyway when we called to book we just upgraded to a veranda cabin and paid the difference.

 

Enjoy your "free" cruise!

 

-Paul

[OlsSalt]

Lots of good information from everyone. We'll check out the deck plans very carefully and have a few stateroom choices in mind. Thanks for the water side question...I meant when docked which was answered.

 

Sounds like a really nice ship. We've taken this cruise on another line and have done land only trips. Nowadays we're concerned about safety in these ports. That's why we were thinking about just staying on board. But we'll see. Never been on a cruise when we didn't get off at a port. We'll want to do that at least once on this cruise.

 

HAL worries about your safety probably even more than you do, so if HAL goes there, they are comfortable with passenger safety for general activities. Though wandering off into unsafe situations is always a problem, no matter where one visits. Mexico is not Switzerland or Singapore, that is for sure.

 

But these cruise ports also have too much to lose too if they don't keep the tourist areas safe too. We have been so impressed with all three Mexican Riviera ports and how much they steadily improved over the years with every new stop.

 

Cabo particularly -went from a party, hearty sort of seedy port to a very welcoming and elegant stroll with even very high end shops now, lovely vistas across the harbor and no more eager touts hustling you while you walk around shopping or dining. The hurricane that devastated the port with a direct hit a few years ago gave them a fresh start that brought them up more than a few notches from the old Cabo.

[VennDiagram]

Congratulations! That's wonderful :) The Mexican Riviera is a great place to visit. Check out the Mexican Riviera board here on CC for some ideas.

[avian777]

...Oosterdam!!... her older sister Maasdam ... Denise:)

 

I think it was mentioned abo ve thtt Ooserdam and Maaasdam are sisters but that is not accurrate.

The current sister to Maasdam still in H AL's fleet is Veendam. Oosterdam and Westerdam, Zuiderrdam and Noordam are sisters.

s7s, Thanks for correcting this error.

And, congrats to OP on your good fortune!!!

Smooth sailing (y)(y)(y)

Edited April 5, 2017 by avian777