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Need info: Pros & Cons of my cabin on Volendam


pichulita
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We are first time cruisers and really don't know much about the cruising experience so I would appreciate any input you may have about the cabin that we booked on the Volendam.   We're in cabin G2711.  I know it's suppose to have a porthole but how big is the porthole?  We're wondering if it's better to just scale down to an inner cabin if we won't have much of a view anyway and save that extra money we can spend on our vacation.

 

Also, we need to have access to wifi and wondered if the Volendam has good, free reception in the public areas or should we plan on buying the wifi package? 

 

.....and in general, what are the pros and cons of being in the cabin we are booked in now?

 

 

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13 minutes ago, pichulita said:

We are first time cruisers and really don't know much about the cruising experience so I would appreciate any input you may have about the cabin that we booked on the Volendam.   We're in cabin G2711.  I know it's suppose to have a porthole but how big is the porthole?  We're wondering if it's better to just scale down to an inner cabin if we won't have much of a view anyway and save that extra money we can spend on our vacation.

 

Also, we need to have access to wifi and wondered if the Volendam has good, free reception in the public areas or should we plan on buying the wifi package? 

 

.....and in general, what are the pros and cons of being in the cabin we are booked in now?

 

 

No free internet onboard.  Likely in ports however.

Your cabin is at the extreme end of the ship, which means you could get alot of motion if seas kick up.  For a first timer, this could be difficult.  Your porthole will give you natural light, but thats about all the benefit IMO.  I would go for a mid-ship Inside, and research which ones on this ship are the larger ones.

 

 

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We like the inside cabins on Deck 3 on the Volendam.  They are the same size as the ocean view and if you can get 3395 it is only 8 steps to get to the outside deck.  We spent 75 days on this ship in 2020.  Great ship.

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2 hours ago, pichulita said:

We are first time cruisers and really don't know much about the cruising experience so I would appreciate any input you may have about the cabin that we booked on the Volendam.   We're in cabin G2711.  I know it's suppose to have a porthole but how big is the porthole?  We're wondering if it's better to just scale down to an inner cabin if we won't have much of a view anyway and save that extra money we can spend on our vacation.

 

Also, we need to have access to wifi and wondered if the Volendam has good, free reception in the public areas or should we plan on buying the wifi package? 

 

.....and in general, what are the pros and cons of being in the cabin we are booked in now?

 

 

We sailed on the sister ship (maybe step sister since she was slightly different) ms Amsterdam in 2019.  We were in one of the upper 26## oceanview cabins.  The location of these cabins is pretty good and you will be very close to the "secret" aft open deck.  It's literally out your room and the next door on the left.  It's has a stairway to get up to the promenade deck, and honestly,  you can walk all the way up to the aft Lido deck by way of stairs if you wish.  The Volendam is comparatively a small ship these days which means its pretty easy to get around and a short walk to everything.  I think you'll enjoy the cabin, especially if you haven't cruised before.

 

The porthole is window is actually a double porthole, each about 1' diameter.  You may occasionally hear some noise when the ship is docking/anchoring from the area below your cabin.    In the image with this post I circled your cabin (on the other side of the ship) showing 2 portholes, and then a line showing the semi private deck 2 open deck, and the stairs up to the wrap-around 3rd deck promenade.

image.png.895b9ac4ef832327f17a1649c2068307.png

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Others have reported the closer to the water line, the more fun to observe sea life passing by, even from a port hole.

 

I would always take a cabin with natural light myself, even it there is no real view. Agree with others, this ship is small and has lots of outdoor viewing spots so you will not need to get them only from inside your cabin. We have been on all these sister ships and they are our most favorite ones of all. Good way to get started cruising -a very easy ship to fall in love with. 

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3 hours ago, pichulita said:

.and in general, what are the pros and cons of being in the cabin we are booked in now?

 

 

A cabin that is in a very poor location is my judgement having sailed on Volendam and others of her Class many times.  You will hear/experience the thrusters when they are activated during docking.  Just below the Lower Promenade Deck, I promise, you will hear footsteps from above.  Ships pitch.  Think of a seesaw.  You are at the very stern.  When the seas are active, your end of the seesaw will go further up and down than those cabins closer to the middle.  

 

I can't recommend an inside cabin.  I have had an inside cabin and I much prefer one with natural light.  An outside cabin with an obstructed or partially obstructed view on Lower Promenade Deck likely be a few more dollars than an inside, particularly what you have booked, but, it will likely be more satisfactory than what you now have.  

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11 minutes ago, cruisingrob21 said:

Never heard anything.  The deck chairs are wooden so they dont vibrate like metal ones do either.

 

It is not the sound of deck chairs being moved.  It is the sound of footsteps of those guests walking around on the deck above you!  Terribly objectionable?  No.  It was something that I had not expected until I had a cabin on that deck just below Lower Promenade.  

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2 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

It is not the sound of deck chairs being moved.  It is the sound of footsteps of those guests walking around on the deck above you!  Terribly objectionable?  No.  It was something that I had not expected until I had a cabin on that deck just below Lower Promenade.  

Agree to dissagree then.  We never heard a thing.  OP, where are you sailing on this voyage?  Promenade foot traffic may be less in cooler climates, and more in warmer climates. 

 

That being said, if you are concerned with the possibility of hearing foot traffic, better to book a different cabin elsewhere

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9 hours ago, pichulita said:

We are first time cruisers and really don't know much about the cruising experience so I would appreciate any input you may have about the cabin that we booked on the Volendam.   We're in cabin G2711.  I know it's suppose to have a porthole but how big is the porthole?  We're wondering if it's better to just scale down to an inner cabin if we won't have much of a view anyway and save that extra money we can spend on our vacation.

 

Also, we need to have access to wifi and wondered if the Volendam has good, free reception in the public areas or should we plan on buying the wifi package? 

 

.....and in general, what are the pros and cons of being in the cabin we are booked in now?

 

 

Go to the big box store website and do a cruise inquiry.  Have a look at other available cabins and then call HAL or whom ever you booked with and switch cabins.  I would try to get an inside or an outside cabin one deck up (Lower Promenade Deck).  Good luck.  P.S.  I love the Volendam.

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I really appreciate all your input and, Cruisingrob21, your explanations and photo are a wonderful help.  I told our AAA travel agent that I am prone to seasickness and I'm disappointed that she put us in this cabin.  Perhaps I should just call Holland America and deal with them?  

I also want to make sure that if something goes wrong while we're cruising, I can contact someone who can possibly help us.  

 

Here's another question for you:  Through whom do you make your cruise reservations and why?

 

I am trying to weigh my options to see which route we will take. Have a great day!

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8 minutes ago, pichulita said:

I told our AAA travel agent that I am prone to seasickness and I'm disappointed that she put us in this cabin.  Perhaps I should just call Holland America and deal with them?  

 

If your booking is through a travel agent, if you call Holland America, they will ask you to contact your travel agent.  They are unwilling/unable to work directly with you once your reservation has been placed by a travel agent usually.  

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11 minutes ago, pichulita said:

I also want to make sure that if something goes wrong while we're cruising, I can contact someone who can possibly help us.  

 

Here's another question for you:  Through whom do you make your cruise reservations and why?

 

Your travel agent has the ability to serve as an ombudsman if things go awry.  Call your travel agent and tell him/her that you want a different cabin.  If the agent drags his/her feet, cancel your booking and seek a new agent.  

 

I have always used a travel agent to book a cruise because of the service that I receive from them, their price for my cruise,  the perks that the agency can add to my booking, and, as I said, if assistance of some kind is required during a trip, an e-mail or phone call to the agent helps to solve whatever concern that I have.  

 

 

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18 minutes ago, pichulita said:

Hmmm....well, maybe I can cancel the reservation and rebook with Holland America.  Is it really advantageous to book through Holland America anyway?

 

There has been over the years much, much discussion on the CC Message Boards about booking through HAL vs travel agent.  Many have been perfectly pleased by booking directly with HAL.  Many have been perfectly pleased working a travel agent.  There have been negative comments about both methods.  Agents who lack knowledge, are unresponsive, etc.  But, I have read comments from those who have worked directly with HAL's employees who also have minimal knowledge of the product that they are selling.  

 

My opinion:  one needs to do their own research before making a booking.  Study the ship's deck plan very thoroughly, decide what cabins/areas of the ship that suit you, read the fine print as to the details of the cruise and have questions ready to ask, if you have any, about those details.  All of this ought to be done before one begins the booking process.  

 

OP, given what little I know about your situation, I think you still have adequate time to do the above so that you will be as prepared as possible to enjoy a pleasant first cruise.  

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1 hour ago, pichulita said:

 

 

Here's another question for you:  Through whom do you make your cruise reservations and why?

 

I am trying to weigh my options to see which route we will take. Have a great day!

We use the big box "C" store. They have the same prices as dealing directly with HAL plus they offer extras at times. With each cruise we do get one of their shop cards. Amount depends on price of cruise but generally $200-400. They have always been good at contacting HAL to get a better price of whatever I'm asking.

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You can still continue to deal with your travel agent if you are comfortable with that person.  Just inquire about getting a different cabin.  You should still be in time enough to get a decent mid-ship cabin!  

 

If you are not comfortable with the particular travel agent then cancel the cruise, and rebook either with HAL or find an agent that will work for you.  Recommending a specific travel agent by name or name of company is not allowed, which is why you are being directed to figure out what others are recommending.

 

Personally, I would not like that particular cabin, either as a first time or a seasoned cruise.  And I have been in my share of inside cabins.  

 

Good luck!  I am sure that you will get this figured out!

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I'll add a few thoughts about agent vs cruise line.  It's best to think of them in regards to the level of service you will get and I see 5 options when booking a cruise:

  • Cruise line direct - as a consumer, you have the most "control" over your booking, but are at the behest of the cruise line's customer service department if something goes wrong.
  • Cruise line "Personal Vacation Professional" or similar - essentially a travel agent that works FOR the cruise line so similar pro and con to above.
  • Online travel agency where its very hard if not impossible to ever actually talk to someone - you might find the best "deal" here, but the agency may not be reputable, have no number to call if something goes wrong, and might have significant terms and conditions like change fees or cancel fees
  • Big box travel agency - these are the ones that advertise at at brick and mortar warehouse stores or have branch locations.  They are reputable and dependable but may not always have the best deal.  These also can be tied to airlines or credit card travel vendors.  You can almost always talk to someone on the phone or in a retail location, but it may not always be the same person or the person who books your voyage is different than the person that handles a change
  • Small local/home based agents - these agents primarily deal with face to face/phone/email/text interactions and provide a level of service above the others generally, but may not have the resources to find the best deal or price.

Let me explain my story which touches on all of these tiers.

 

A few years back I only booked through the cruise line, and while I enjoyed the more control over my booking, I was always paying more than I would with a travel agent.  On longer and more expensive voyages, this added up to significant money because travel agents are allowed to sell unpublished group(think "bulk) rates which can be several hundred dollars less than the cruise line published rate.  Additionally, the agents earn a commission from the cruise line (which passengers never see) which they can further discount a cruise fare or provide onboard credit.

 

Then I looked into the "Personal Vacation Professional" - at the time, they were nothing more than "a person" I could call at the cruise line, but it became two-way, and they would call me with promotions for cruises I wasn't interested in - I knew what voyages I wanted and didn't care for the sales calls.  When I explored this route, there was no price difference.

 

Then I used a website that you put in your desired voyage and multiple travel agencies will submit confidential "bids" to you.  I booked one voyage with one of these, and the voyage was fine, but the price was only slightly less than the cruise line charged, and I would have appreciated on board credit rather than the "free bottle of wine" I got from the travel agency.  Fortunately I never had to make changes or "refare" due to a better promotion because the fine print said they would charge me $25 for each time I did one of those.  You see, when the price drops, the commission drops for agencies as well, so some agencies make that up by charging change fees.

 

Then I used a big box travel agent chain for several years.   While I saved money on some bookings and got onboard credit, they were ultimately a middle man and anytime I called to make a change, they would often have to call the cruise line and would put me on hold while they were on hold with the cruise line.  So while I saved money, I lost time because I would have to be on hold to talk to a representative who then put me on hold while they were on hold with the cruise line.  The last straw with the big box was that they stopped offering onboard credit and instead offered store credit at their warehouse.  Now I would use the store credit at their warehouse, but as a personal preference, I would prefer onboard credit.

 

In 2019, I found a "home based travel agency group" - an umbrella organization that allowed me to become my own travel agent, and market my services to as many or as few people as I wanted.  They take a portion of the commission, but I get to keep the rest and can provide a percentage of that to the friends and family I book for.  After all this experience, if you want a optimal combination of service and savings, this is why you should look for a local/home based travel agent (this is based on how I work with my friends and family who are my clients most of the time)

  • I may not have the best price, but I can get darn close, and sometimes my price is lower than the other agencies.
  • I always provide onboard credit
  • All my clients payments go to the cruise line - if I lose it one day and go on a world cruise, none of my clients payments will be locked up in a defunct LLC in bankruptcy proceedings
  • My clients call, email, text me whenever is convenient, and I respond pretty quick.  If I need to call a cruise line for them, I do it, make the adjustments, and then let them know when its complete.  They dont have to call me and remind me of their name, voyage, birthday, etc etc and they dont have to stay on hold while I'm on hold.
  • For repeat cruisers, I have all their info on file other than their credit card numbers (I always input those for payment and never write them down unless they want me to)
  • Because I do this as a less than part time gig (I have a 40+ hr per week day job), I take joy in watching for discounts and promotions and make adjustments for my clients if its a better deal.  I know what they like and I'll move them around to desired cabins without them needing to ask me.
  • Finally, my hold music is awesome - in that I have none!

 

So that's a rundown of the different ways to book a cruise.  I would say a local/home agent is the best of all worlds (I am biased), especially right now as I sat on hold times with the cruise lines are kind of insane lately.  I was on hold with Disney Cruise line for 3 hrs the other day to make a voyage swap.  My client had written me a text saying they wanted a swap, and then got a text from me when it was done, literally took a minute of their day.  I sat on hold for 3 hrs but was able to do other things and the cruise line was able to fill up more spots onboard - everybody won.

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