Inside Cabin.... where to go see the views?

[RileyFox]

If I choose an inside cabin (with no window), where do i go to get the best views?
Where on one of the decks can i get a panoramic view of the fjords?
I was thinking about getting an AFT but they are all sold out?   Seems to me that a veranda room that only looks one direction is not much better than an inside cabin
 

I appreciate any and all feedback.

Thanks
Riley Fox 

 

where to see the views if you have an inside cabin

[*Miss G*]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

What ship are you on? Anywhere on the outside decks will get you a great view. Inside, you can view from the Crow’s Nest or Lido pool.

 

In your room you can tune to the aft or bow cams. The bow cam will also have any commentary or announcements.

 

A verandah is far better for views than an inside.  Where else can you step outside when first waking to capture this in the early morning?

 

 

 

 

[Moriah]

While obviously from a veranda you can see "a view" - the great thing about Holland America's ships is there are SO many wonderful outside decks where you can see the view from ALL sides of the ship!! Go to deck 3, where you will find a deck that takes you, literally, to the view in ANY direction.  Go to the Crow's nest if you want a vista from indoors, and deck 9/10/11 (depending on what ship?) for views from, again, wonderful outside decks.  I've sailed in every category of HAL cabin, on the entire fleet, and I would not hesitate to take an inside cabin because, as I said, while you'll see nothing from inside that cabin, you will have infinite views just steps away, no matter where that cabin is located!! My favorite is always the Sea View pool area - there is comfortable seating and you can be partially protected from weather as well as see more than 180 degrees of vistas.  Enjoy your cruise!!

[Moriah]

Also, I'll add that when you are cruising through the fjords you are not going to want to stay in your cabin, even if you have a balcony!  You'll want to walk the decks and take it all in from all directions!!

[SightCRR]

It will depend very much on what ship you are on. For the ship you are considering watch youtube tours and study deck plans. Also if you want to spend outside make sure you dress for wind/rain. Our recent Westerdam deck 3 had no forward viewing but great port & stbd viewing. Deck 9 in front of gym had great viewing but was closed 30% of the time. The bow was open several times as was deck 6. Deck 10 near Club Hal lets you cut across ship. If you go on the cruise spend the first sea day exploring the ship with a deck plan from home and plan for sun and rain. My camera does not do well behind glass so that changed where I wanted to view. We booked an inside and HAL gave us free upgrade to fully obstructed behind tender in better location. 

[Petronillus]

I assume that you are looking for outdoor viewing that improves (or at least replaces) what you get from a private verandah. For that I would have to point you to the Promenade Deck, which, however, is fraught with at least two drawbacks: (1) When the sea gets at all rough, the Promenade Deck is closed off. More likely than not, you will not encounter rough seas in the j fjords themselves. (2) By and large the deck chairs that used to grace the Promenade Deck are gone. You will be on your feet until you decide to venture back indoors.

 

DW and I have had only one experience with an inside cabin, and decided that it was not our cup of tea. I found the absence of any natural light oppressive; especially, I like to wake up to morning daylight, and, I recall, our special alarm clock did not do the trick for me. I did think, however, that perhaps we might someday try booking an inside cabin together with a 2-person cabana in the Retreat. Not for the fjords of Norway, however,

 

We did the Norway fjords last summer culminating in three days above the arctic circle, on a "Midnight Sun" cruise. We enjoyed it immensely. I was surprised at how deeply inland some of the fjords penetrate and marveled at the profusion of waterfalls. And the Norwegians in the port towns were the epitome of gracious.

[esimon]

On 7/31/2024 at 11:00 AM, RileyFox said:

If I choose an inside cabin (with no window), where do i go to get the best views?
Where on one of the decks can i get a panoramic view of the fjords?
I was thinking about getting an AFT but they are all sold out?   Seems to me that a veranda room that only looks one direction is not much better than an inside cabin
 

I appreciate any and all feedback.

Thanks
Riley Fox 

 

where to see the views if you have an inside cabin

That’s the nice thing about cruising you can pick whatever room you want.  personally Cruise without a veranda, but that’s personal preference. Every Holland ship has a deck plan. You can pull up online and look at most ships have seating on deck three plenty of views from decade and up 

[esimon]

I did not say that well lol. I never cruise without a veranda.

[lcand1923]

On 7/31/2024 at 12:26 PM, SightCRR said:

If you go on the cruise spend the first sea day exploring the ship with a deck plan from home and plan for sun and rain.

 

This is the best advice that anyone can give you.  

 

Depending upon weather conditions, you may want to change your “best views” spot.  Sometimes the wind is so strong, that you cannot open doors from one side of the ship, so you got to the other.  Other times, portions of the deck may be closed and you need to find another spot for views.

 

If you have a good feel for the deck plans and where you want to stand, you can quickly move around the vessel.

[Banditswife]

 

Due to our being frugal with our money, we usually book inside cabins... But have never felt we didn't get good views from the outside public decks.  Most ships have great public places to get great views.  HAL ships have the "Crows Nest," a higher deck w/ large windows & inside where it is warm or cool, depending on weather conditions of your particular itinerary.

[rj59]

A balcony is the worst place to see fjords and glaciers, because you're getting a narrow, limited view, far from the water, where there are brilliant blue ice floes with birds and seals on them, as well as whales that surface by the ship. Any place near the promenade deck is best, in my experience--on Zaandam in June I walked outside my inside cabin, and in 20 steps I was outside on the promenade, on whichever side has the best views. When the captain or naturalist announced a whale spotting, I was there in 10 seconds and could quickly get from side to side. The crow's next is next to useless, because of dirty glass, limited views, and crowds. The next best place is the aft open deck, where you can also go from side to side, so when dozens were on one side, I saw a whale surface next to the ship and everyone could dash over. Even the buffet makes a good option, because you can stay warm and see the water or scenery well. Finally, when in my inside cabin I always have the bow cam channel on the tv, so I can see any upcoming good scenery, and the captain makes announcements on that channel for whale or other sightings, and for his mid-day announcements, which on my cruise announced times when they usually spot whales, narrow passages they'll go through, and other things. People going to Alaska also don't realize how bitterly cold and windy it gets on a balcony, so it will blow things around the room, slam the room door, and make it cold inside. And if there's rain, you won't see well outside the balcony, so in Glacier Bay again the best views were on the promenade deck, or on the bow, which they open for glacier days (although the wind and cold can be brutal). You also get mugs of hot pea soup if you go outside, and cocoa. 

[SilvertoGold]

For Insiders the bow and aft cams are great. They give you a sampling of the weather, a bit of an idea of what is out there. We always take a look before going out, even when in outsides and balconies.

[TiogaCruiser]

On 7/31/2024 at 1:03 PM, Petronillus said:

For that I would have to point you to the Promenade Deck, which, however, is fraught with at least two drawbacks: (1) When the sea gets at all rough, the Promenade Deck is closed off. More likely than not, you will not encounter rough seas in the j fjords themselves. (2) By and large the deck chairs that used to grace the Promenade Deck are gone. You will be on your feet until you decide to venture back indoors.

 

Can you tell us please what ship(s) the deck chairs (on a Proper Promenade Deck) are missing from?

 

I’m of course assuming you are not referencing the Pinnacle class ships, which never had the chairs. 

[esimon]

2 hours ago, rj59 said:

A balcony is the worst place to see fjords and glaciers, because you're getting a narrow, limited view, far from the water, where there are brilliant blue ice floes with birds and seals on them, as well as whales that surface by the ship. Any place near the promenade deck is best, in my experience--on Zaandam in June I walked outside my inside cabin, and in 20 steps I was outside on the promenade, on whichever side has the best views. When the captain or naturalist announced a whale spotting, I was there in 10 seconds and could quickly get from side to side. The crow's next is next to useless, because of dirty glass, limited views, and crowds. The next best place is the aft open deck, where you can also go from side to side, so when dozens were on one side, I saw a whale surface next to the ship and everyone could dash over. Even the buffet makes a good option, because you can stay warm and see the water or scenery well. Finally, when in my inside cabin I always have the bow cam channel on the tv, so I can see any upcoming good scenery, and the captain makes announcements on that channel for whale or other sightings, and for his mid-day announcements, which on my cruise announced times when they usually spot whales, narrow passages they'll go through, and other things. People going to Alaska also don't realize how bitterly cold and windy it gets on a balcony, so it will blow things around the room, slam the room door, and make it cold inside. And if there's rain, you won't see well outside the balcony, so in Glacier Bay again the best views were on the promenade deck, or on the bow, which they open for glacier days (although the wind and cold can be brutal). You also get mugs of hot pea soup if you go outside, and cocoa. 

I don’t spend the cruise on the verand.  I come out of my room and agree with you on what to see where.  Love opening the drapes and looking out at the scenery while drinking my first cup of coffee.  

[TiogaCruiser]

On 7/31/2024 at 1:03 PM, Petronillus said:

I assume that you are looking for outdoor viewing that improves (or at least replaces) what you get from a private verandah. For that I would have to point you to the Promenade Deck, which, however, is fraught with at least two drawbacks: (1) When the sea gets at all rough, the Promenade Deck is closed off. More likely than not, you will not encounter rough seas in the j fjords themselves. (2) By and large the deck chairs that used to grace the Promenade Deck are gone. You will be on your feet until you decide to venture back indoors.

 

 

22 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

Can you tell us please what ship(s) the deck chairs (on a Proper Promenade Deck) are missing from?

 

I’m of course assuming you are not referencing the Pinnacle class ships, which never had the chairs. 

Just curious- which non-Pinnacle ship(s) have lost their deck chairs?

[RileyFox]

23 hours ago, rj59 said:

 

23 hours ago, rj59 said:

A balcony is the worst place to see fjords and glaciers, because you're getting a narrow, limited view, far from the water, where there are brilliant blue ice floes with birds and seals on them, as well as whales that surface by the ship. Any place near the promenade deck  i 

in June I walked outside my inside cabin, and in 20 steps I was outside on the promenade, on whichever side has the best views. When the captain or naturalist announced a whale spotting, I was there in 10 seconds and could quickly get from side to side. 

What is the Promenade deck called on the Rotterdam?
Thanks

 

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, RileyFox said:

What is the Promenade deck called on the Rotterdam?

It is Deck 3 Promenade!

[terrydtx]

We have never cruised in anything less than a Lanai cabin and will only cruise with an open air balcony. This is why we have stopped cruising with Celebrity as their new E Class ships do not have traditional balconies anymore. I am a very early riser and my wife sleeps in, so I can wake up and enjoy my time on the balcony until my wife gets up and not disturb her.

[carolina_yankee]

We have had great cruises in ocean view and balcony cabins. I wouldn't do obstructed view, unless it was just a bit of super structure that can easily be ignored. The clutter would annoy me. I've thought about inside cabins, and I could see doing it on an itinerary I really liked for the ports and needed to save money. 

 

If the itinerary is less important, then I want a space to relax and enjoy the views. Obviously the public areas can be a lot of that, but it's also about waking up in the morning or hanging out before or after dinner, or taking a mid-day break.

 

I agree that Edge Class ships with Celebrity have problems - while I didn't mind the so-called infinite verandah at all, it is not ideal. What really bugged me was no promenade and no forward viewing locations on the top decks. In that kind of scenario, I want a balcony as place to hang out.

[FlaMariner]

On our Oosterdam Mediterranean cruise in April, the Captain was generous in opening up the bow deck...front of ship....Seems like he did it about every evening for sail away.....

 

Listen out for the announcement and enjoy those views!

[EtaC]

3 hours ago, FlaMariner said:

On our Oosterdam Mediterranean cruise in April, the Captain was generous in opening up the bow deck...front of ship....Seems like he did it about every evening for sail away.....

 

Listen out for the announcement and enjoy those views!

I have an upcoming cruise on Oosterdam. Hope he continues to do this.

[ukpylot]

We had a balcony for South America last year and every view was on the other side. And the one glacier we stopped at where the captain said they would do a 360 so everyone could see everything the winds came up before our side came around  and we had to hightail it out. 
 

But like someone else said, for the really good stuff the captain opened the bow deck and that’s where I headed each time. Unbelievable views. Though I’ll admit I struggled to find how to get out there.