Westerdam aft cabin questions

[hummingbird_206]

Thinking about booking an aft cabin on the Westerdam.  I'm a bit nervous given the stairstep design.  For those who have stayed in these cabins, does the fact that the cabin above you can look down on your balcony bother you?  Is it very noticeable and/or annoying?

 

Another thing that I question is how much, if any, cigarette smoke smell wafts down from the smoking area at the Sea View bar on the Lido deck?

 

The views look amazing from the aft balconies, but I don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

I have stayed in the Westerdam aft facing cabins plenty of time. Deck 4 and 5 really does not have much problems with anyone looking down on you. Deck 5 is 100% covered and deck 4 is pretty much covered. You would need to be really looking over 5 to see onto 4 and if on 4 be at the very edge. I cannot speak for 6, 7, and 8. I have never noticed any smoke smell nor have I seen anyone comment about that with the design of the Vista Class aft.

I love the aft cabins have sailed more times on the aft than I have fingers lol. But I will state there is a definitely a noisy vibration on the aft of the Westerdam. It may be more noticeable on decks 4, 5 and 6. I know that nothing has been done to change it. It is most noticeable when the ship is going at higher speeds (first night and last day. We always joke it is the Magic fingers bed and one of the perks of being in a Neptune Suite. If you have never stayed in the aft it may be a bit alarming. For us the view/locations beats out the vibration and noise. It has always been that way for the Vista Class ships. Although I will say in December we were on the Nieuw Statendam corner aft deck 5 and thought the noise and vibration was actually a bit worse than the Westerdam that we had been on in September. 

As long as you are aware of what to expect it will not be alarming, if you are taking Westerdam to Alaska the aft facing is one of the best locations!!

[hummingbird_206]

Thanks @LAFFNVEGAS  Is the noise a pretty steady sound that eventually just become white noise (or hum?) like a loud air conditioner?

[LAFFNVEGAS]

33 minutes ago, hummingbird_206 said:

Thanks @LAFFNVEGAS  Is the noise a pretty steady sound that eventually just become white noise (or hum?) like a loud air conditioner?

For the most part yes but there are some loud banging but some of it some of it is consistent with a loud pounding sound. For those that have experienced the aft staterooms a lot of it is just sounds that are normal for the aft of the ship. It is kind of hard to explain until you experience. I will state it is not the same as being more mid ship. As I mentioned it is far more noticeable when the ship is going a higher speeds which cruise lines try not to do too often so they can consume less fuel. 

[rover16]

We were on Deck 6 and never felt like we were being watched. Like 7 better because of the Neptune Lounge. Have never had an aft cabin  were noise or smoke were an issue.

[Gigi1977]

Just in an aft cabin on Westerdam in April & May - Japan + TP.   Love the aft views but as mentioned, there is certainly vibration especially at higher speeds and also when in higher seas.   It is definitely not a ‘white noise’ thing as it is not even.  We also experienced the banging noises especially on the TP.  
 

No smoke issues ever.  

[mobilemac]

We enjoyed our deck 7 aft veranda, located right on the center line of the Oosterdam, during our transatlantic crossing last October.  Didn't notice any vibrations, although occasional chaff from the smokestacks would deposit on the veranda overnight.  When it happened, we asked our stateroom attendant to mop it up, so it never became a real problem.  Loved the veranda depth and watching the ships wake ... a white noise that was very relaxing.  

[sciencewonk]

On 5/28/2024 at 5:09 AM, hummingbird_206 said:

Thinking about booking an aft cabin on the Westerdam.  I'm a bit nervous given the stairstep design.  For those who have stayed in these cabins, does the fact that the cabin above you can look down on your balcony bother you?  Is it very noticeable and/or annoying?

 

Another thing that I question is how much, if any, cigarette smoke smell wafts down from the smoking area at the Sea View bar on the Lido deck?

 

The views look amazing from the aft balconies, but I don't want to set myself up for disappointment.

I've stayed in aft cabins on decks 4 and 6.  I wasn't bothered by people looking down on our balcony.  I rarely saw it happen and usually they were more interested in the view than in my balcony.

 

On deck 6, I was able to smell cigarette smoke twice on a 34-day cruise. It was noticeable, but not overwhelming.  Both times were in the cabin, not on the balcony.  I don't know why, perhaps it is related to air conditioning intake?  In both cases, the odor persisted for about 15 minutes and then went away.

 

We liked our aft cabins so much that I doubt if we would cruise in any other cabin in the future.

Edited May 29 by sciencewonk

[Tulipbe]

We've booked aft cabin 5185 on the Westerdam for a warm-weather Asia cruise in 2015. I too have wondered about the noise and vibration, which many have responded to here. Also wondering how big the balcony is on 5185, and what chairs and tables will it have? Is the balcony comfortable for eating meals? I've read that the loungers have been removed "for safety reasons."

[Haljo1935]

32 minutes ago, Tulipbe said:

We've booked aft cabin 5185 on the Westerdam for a warm-weather Asia cruise in 2015. I too have wondered about the noise and vibration, which many have responded to here. Also wondering how big the balcony is on 5185, and what chairs and tables will it have? Is the balcony comfortable for eating meals? I've read that the loungers have been removed "for safety reasons."

We've been in 5185 a couple times and consider it the best of the best. The balcony is much deeper than on other decks - these compare it to deck 4. You'll have plenty of room for eating and wildlife watching. We like 5185 because it's center aft, so you get a full view left and right.

 

[Tulipbe]

Thx! 

 

[Crew News]

When looking down at the balconies below, one can only see the heads of those standing at the railings.  Of course Deck 5 is fully covered and very private.

 

My preferred staterooms on any HAL ship are aft-facing and especially Deck 5 on most of the Vista-class ships for their full overhead coverage.  While the ship is moving, there is no wind and you can enjoy meals on your balcony without being blown away. There is full shade from the sun and cover from rain which makes balcony time a nice experience.  I have never smelled smoke or seen soot on any of my HAL Deck 5 aft staterooms and greatly enjoyed the soothing sound of the wake for restful sleep. A big plus for 5185 and 5184 balconies is the privacy of taking photos of scenery on both sides of the ship while your are still in your pajamas. 

 

I have never stayed in Westerdam's 5185 rather 5184. I am pretty certain that these balconies are the deepest on the Vista-class ships.  The photo below was taken standing in the doorway and the chairs were about halfway to the railing.

 

Photo taken on Embarkation Day just after all outer decks were washed.  Footstools can be pulled from under the chairs to hold Room Service trays.