Our anniversary cruise on the Neiuw Statendam : Is the honeymoon over ? Part 2

[scubacruiserx2]

4 hours ago, KroozNut said:

 

Yes, another coincidence. This will be our first visit to Kauai. We've been to Oahu (Honolulu) and Maui twice. We're staying at the south shore in a rented condo in Poipu. Our highlight for this trip will be a catamaran trip along the Napali coast.

 

A great choice . The catamaran option at the time that we are going is quite rough and the Summer/Fall is better . But we do plan on driving to and hiking the Na Pali coast . We love this book and would recommend it as a great planer . Lots of maps , places to eat and good money saving tips .

 

[KroozNut]

59 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

A great choice . The catamaran option at the time that we are going is quite rough and the Summer/Fall is better . But we do plan on driving to and hiking the Na Pali coast . We love this book and would recommend it as a great planer . Lots of maps , places to eat and good money saving tips .

 

Awesome, and thanks for the book recommendation!

[scubacruiserx2]

15 hours ago, KroozNut said:

Awesome, and thanks for the book recommendation!

 

You're welcome . Are there any questions that we can answer for you about the Nieuw Statendam ?

[oakridger]

On 2/19/2023 at 8:10 AM, scubacruiserx2 said:

If you know of a nice hotel near the airport we would love a recommendation or 2 if you know any for the nights of the 26th and 28th .

 

Hi Joe. When I have an early flight out of SFO the two hotels where I like to stay are the Grand Hyatt SFO which is right at the airport on the AirTrain route.  The other is the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront. I haven't stayed at the Marriott post Covid. There are several decent hotels nearby, but I don't have firsthand knowledge.

 

Room prices can vary A LOT depending on demands from conventions in San Francisco and how soon beforehand you reserve.  I would book as soon as you are sure of your dates.

 

- Both have nice, but not remarkable standard King rooms.  I would stay at either again depending on cost and how close to the terminal I want to stay.

 

-  Marriott is generally less expensive for those standard rooms (currently $264 total for March 28th).  - 

-  Marriott has a really nice huge view lobby/restaurant/bar area overlooking the bay and planes         approaching.  There is also a nice bayfront outdoor patio.

- Service was good but no issues so nothing extra required

- there is a small bus shuttle to and from the airport.... about a 10-minute ride

- the bar restaurant had good food pre covid

 

-  Grand Hyatt SFO standard King room is $342 for the same night. 

-  Hyatt has a very nice lobby and bar area as well, with a tarmac/gates view. 

-  Service at Hyatt was excellent last time I was there in September because they helped me with

    two issues I had

-  It's right up the escalator from the lobby to the AirTrain.  Very convenient. AirTrain goes to the 

    car rental area as well.

-  The bar and restaurant have good food although the main restaurant had what I thought was an

    unusual selection of food.  I had a burger at the bar the last time I was there!

 

I hope your trip is wonderful!

 

~Nancy

[Native Floridian 26]

On 2/21/2023 at 10:32 AM, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

You're welcome . Are there any questions that we can answer for you about the Nieuw Statendam ?

Where there Happy Hours?  When, where and what was the discount?

[scubacruiserx2]

1 hour ago, Native Floridian 26 said:

Where there Happy Hours?  When, where and what was the discount?

 

From our Daily Program in the Dominican Republic . 25% off listed cocktails , wine by the glass , beers and entry level spirits between 3 pm to 4 pm in Billboard Onboard , 2 .

[scubacruiserx2]

14 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

Hi Joe. When I have an early flight out of SFO the two hotels where I like to stay are the Grand Hyatt SFO which is right at the airport on the AirTrain route.  The other is the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront. I haven't stayed at the Marriott post Covid. There are several decent hotels nearby, but I don't have firsthand knowledge.

 

Room prices can vary A LOT depending on demands from conventions in San Francisco and how soon beforehand you reserve.  I would book as soon as you are sure of your dates.

 

- Both have nice, but not remarkable standard King rooms.  I would stay at either again depending on cost and how close to the terminal I want to stay.

 

-  Marriott is generally less expensive for those standard rooms (currently $264 total for March 28th).  - 

-  Marriott has a really nice huge view lobby/restaurant/bar area overlooking the bay and planes         approaching.  There is also a nice bayfront outdoor patio.

- Service was good but no issues so nothing extra required

- there is a small bus shuttle to and from the airport.... about a 10-minute ride

- the bar restaurant had good food pre covid

 

-  Grand Hyatt SFO standard King room is $342 for the same night. 

-  Hyatt has a very nice lobby and bar area as well, with a tarmac/gates view. 

-  Service at Hyatt was excellent last time I was there in September because they helped me with

    two issues I had

-  It's right up the escalator from the lobby to the AirTrain.  Very convenient. AirTrain goes to the 

    car rental area as well.

-  The bar and restaurant have good food although the main restaurant had what I thought was an

    unusual selection of food.  I had a burger at the bar the last time I was there!

 

I hope your trip is wonderful!

 

~Nancy

 

Thank you so much for the great information Nancy , Patty is taking care of the business of staying . On the home front a lot of signs to an early Spring here . Our first Magnolia bloom , first pineapple and the strawberries are ripe in Publix today . Love that smell !

 

 

 

 

 

[loveapug]

On 2/21/2023 at 12:32 PM, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

You're welcome . Are there any questions that we can answer for you about the Nieuw Statendam ?

We will travel on the n statendam in 2024 and booked cabin 6075 which has a verandah . We’re wondering if there is a small sofa or what the seating is like in the cabin.  Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

[Overhead Fred]

53 minutes ago, loveapug said:

We will travel on the n statendam in 2024 and booked cabin 6075 which has a verandah . We’re wondering if there is a small sofa or what the seating is like in the cabin.  Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Have a look at https://halfacts.com/. They have photos of lots of different rooms. 

[scubacruiserx2]

1 hour ago, loveapug said:

We will travel on the n statendam in 2024 and booked cabin 6075 which has a verandah . We’re wondering if there is a small sofa or what the seating is like in the cabin.  Any help would be greatly appreciated! 

 

Here's the link to 7 photos from a room 2 rooms from yours ( 6083 ) on the sister ship the Koningsdam . Note there is a small sofa and how tight the walkway at the corner shelf where it meets the foot of the bed . It's about a foot wide so the person who sleeps on the couch side has a narrow opening if they use the bathroom at night .

 

https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/6083-koningsdam/

Edited February 23, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[KroozNut]

On 2/21/2023 at 7:32 AM, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

You're welcome . Are there any questions that we can answer for you about the Nieuw Statendam ?

 

I'm thinking your sailing was at full capacity, or close to it. Did the ship seem or feel crowded to you? I've read on these boards that the Pinnacle Class ships sailing at full capacity can feel crowded to some people (for various reasons), as opposed to say ships in the Signature or Vista Class.

[scubacruiserx2]

48 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

 

I'm thinking your sailing was at full capacity, or close to it. Did the ship seem or feel crowded to you? I've read on these boards that the Pinnacle Class ships sailing at full capacity can feel crowded to some people (for various reasons), as opposed to say ships in the Signature or Vista Class.

 

Yes , both the New Statendam and Nieuw Amsterdam were pretty full . Our favorite covered aft covered balcony was on the Zuiderdam ( Vista Class ) , our favorite room and ship was the Signature Class aft corner ( Eurodam and Nieuw Amsterdam ) because of the larger cabins /balconies and the Tamarind . The Pinnacle had smaller cabins and balconies to try to move people into the larger public venues ( to spend more money ) . There were larger public rooms with more people and noise . We usually try to avoid them for personal comfort and safety ( Health and crowd issues ) . So we might go to the NY Deli/Pizza and grab and go to a less busy place where we could hear each other talk like the Canaletto or our room . The fancy dining like Tamarind and Rudi's were quite and so was the Pinnacle but we could only book one date and that wasn't until 8 PM which was late for us to eat . We're more early birds than night owls . To us a small full room feels less crowded than a large full room .

 

Edited February 25, 2023 by scubacruiserx2

[scubacruiserx2]

In summary of our cruise on Nieuw Statendam.

Our first cruise on the Nieuw Statendam was February 24, 2019 in cabin

VS5200, an Aft View. We had a large crowd of some  aggressive "Spring Breakers" on a charter . It didn't go well .

 

This cruise was in 7089 Vista Suite, a more quiet room and better design.

Dining was many venues, but we did not do Club Orange. The MDR was only the first day lunch.

Embarkation was smooth.

We didn't care for the same dance show and they didn't have any tribute groups that we enjoy.

There were no Family this time.

Our Fitness and Recreation was walking ( usually on the floors with cabins to avoid crowds). We did have a Spa Pass which we really liked and used almost daily.

Public Rooms are huge and Pinnacle Class seems to be following the trend in Carnival ships of smaller rooms and balconies designed to get you into the larger, busy areas, where you might spend more money.

Service was excellent from a bunch of dedicated, but overworked and underpaid staff. It was a good value and allowed us to eat our meals at the Specialty Restaurants.

We will review the Specialty Restaurants separately, but overall about an 8 on a scale of 1-10.

 

 

[loveapug]

On 2/23/2023 at 1:54 PM, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

Here's the link to 7 photos from a room 2 rooms from yours ( 6083 ) on the sister ship the Koningsdam . Note there is a small sofa and how tight the walkway at the corner shelf where it meets the foot of the bed . It's about a foot wide so the person who sleeps on the couch side has a narrow opening if they use the bathroom at night .

 

https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/6083-koningsdam/

Thank you for this information.

[scubacruiserx2]

13 hours ago, loveapug said:

Thank you for this information.

 

You're welcome . We hope that you enjoy your cruise .

[shipfriend_max]

@scubacruiserx2 thanks for the detailed review!

i recall the small buffet with finger food from the Billboard Lounge on Koningsdam, on Nieuw Statendam it should be located close to the windows in the Billboard Lounge. Is this still in use and those small snacks are served?

And are waiters serving snacks during sailaway or Happy Hour?

[scubacruiserx2]

1 hour ago, shipfriend_max said:

@scubacruiserx2 thanks for the detailed review!

i recall the small buffet with finger food from the Billboard Lounge on Koningsdam, on Nieuw Statendam it should be located close to the windows in the Billboard Lounge. Is this still in use and those small snacks are served?

And are waiters serving snacks during sailaway or Happy Hour?

 

You are welcome . We're sorry that we can't answer as we were not near the Billboard during sail away . We also didn't go to Happy Hour either so it's an unknown in  our experience .

[robotpony]

7 hours ago, shipfriend_max said:

i recall the small buffet with finger food from the Billboard Lounge on Koningsdam, on Nieuw Statendam it should be located close to the windows in the Billboard Lounge. Is this still in use and those small snacks are served?

 

We saw the mini food station stocked around the duelling pianos on sea days for our August 2022 trip, but not in November/December 2022. It was a bit off-putting in August, as people kept using their hands instead of the provided tongs 😆

 

We enjoyed the NY pizza place in the later hours, as well as room service. We totally forgot about the Lido being open later too, so next trip we'll be trying it as a snack central between evening things.

[KroozNut]

3 hours ago, robotpony said:

We enjoyed the NY pizza place in the later hours, as well as room service. We totally forgot about the Lido being open later too, so next trip we'll be trying it as a snack central between evening things.

Agree, NY Pizza is the bomb. I had a Bronx every evening on our last cruise on Eurodam. Down side of that was that I gained several pounds after that one! 😕

[scubacruiserx2]

On 3/5/2023 at 9:13 PM, KroozNut said:

Agree, NY Pizza is the bomb. I had a Bronx every evening on our last cruise on Eurodam. Down side of that was that I gained several pounds after that one! 😕

 

We love the Tribeca Pizza and don't forget that they do breakfast @ NY Pizza on the NS . Loved the breakfast bagel .

[KroozNut]

55 minutes ago, scubacruiserx2 said:

 

We love the Tribeca Pizza and don't forget that they do breakfast @ NY Pizza on the NS . Loved the breakfast bagel .

Yes, the Tribeca is another one of my favs. I'll have to try that breakfast bagel... sounds tasty based on the menu description.

[scubacruiserx2]

5 hours ago, KroozNut said:

Yes, the Tribeca is another one of my favs. I'll have to try that breakfast bagel... sounds tasty based on the menu description.

 

They didn't always have the items available, but we would just run to the lido, which had a great selection for breakfast. Decisions, decisions.

[scubacruiserx2]