Amsterdam questions

[kruskat]

Questions regarding cabins on the Amsterdam below the Lido Deck. Any infomation would be grately appreciated. Thanks

We are looking at the Noordam verses Amsterdam to Alaska next year.

Currently available suites on the Amsterdam cabins are (SA) cabins forward that look to be under the Terrace Grill on the Lido Deck and aft (SB) cabins. The SB cabins are under the rear pool and just aft of the Lido restuarant.

1. Are these SA or SB cabins noisey due to foot traffic and chairs moving from above.

3. Is there some reason why none of the (SA) cabins between those currently listed between the front and rear of the ship, are not showing available? Do think they are sold out or an agency has a big block of them?

3.Are all the suites noisey being under the Lido or are some better than others?

4. 1. The website also indicates shower only for the SB cabins? I thought all suites had the jacuzzi tubs?

Any information regarding these cabins would be sincerely appreciated.

We are considering the Amsterdam because we thought it would be interesting to try a smaller ship after reading so many great reviews. Honestly, it would be difficult to top our trip last year on the Westerdam.

Thanks to anyone that can share info

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Questions regarding cabins on the Amsterdam below the Lido Deck. Any infomation would be grately appreciated. Thanks

 

We are looking at the Noordam verses Amsterdam to Alaska next year......[snip]

 

 

 

Thanks to anyone that can share info

 

Kruskat:

 

Will try to answer some of your questions. Yes, there will be some noise due to early morning cleaning of the Lido deck. It's not enough noise to be an issue for us, but you may differ. The middle SA cabins closest to the Neptune Lounge are the most popular, and will go first. Yes, the SB suites only have showers; they're cheaper for that reason and because they're a little farther from the Neptune Lounge. From what I have read, Noordam is considered the best of the Vista Class ships (Zuiderdam, Oosterdam, Westerdam, Noordam). Amsterdam is the co-flagship with Rotterdam of the HAL fleet.

 

I'm sure others with more experience will check in later.

 

Karin

[kruskat]

Thank you Karin,

 

Have you been on the Amsterdam lately. Others have said some of the older ships are showing their age. Certainly the Westerdam was a pristine ship.

 

I appreciate your help.

 

Kathy

[Krazy Kruizers]

Have sailed on the Amstedam a couple of times.

 

Yes, the SB suites have showers only -- thus the cheaper price.

 

We always pick a suite under the beauty salon. You will hear traffic above from the Lido pool areas -- chairs being moved in the morning for deck cleaning, chairs being moved during the day as people adjust them, chairs being moved moved for the BBQ, etc. When we were on the Amsterdam last Mar/Apr, the BBQ was set up on the port side -- you could smell it on the verandahs below -- only for 1 night.

 

Cabins under the Terrace grill do smell the food being cooked all day.

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thank you Karin,

 

Have you been on the Amsterdam lately. Others have said some of the older ships are showing their age. Certainly the Westerdam was a pristine ship.

 

I appreciate your help.

 

Kathy

 

 

Hi Kathy:

 

We'll be cruising on Amsterdam for the first time in December. She's only six years old, and received her "Signature of Excellence" upgrades just last year. She departs in January on the Grand World Voyage. I figure if Amsterdam's good enough for the world travellers who will be onboard for a total of 3 1/2 months, she'll be good enough for us during our two weeks in December/early January :). I intend to write a review upon our return.

 

Noordam's received some pretty good press lately, though, and she's less than a year old, so if it's "new" you prefer, then go with Noordam.

 

Karin

[kruskat]

Thanks Karin and Krazy Kruizers for the good info.

 

Karin, I hope you have a great cruise in December. How exciting. I look forward to hearing about your trip.

 

Cheers,

Kathy

[duck tune]

DH and I were on the Amsterdam for an Alaska cruise - cabin 7033. There was some noise from the Lido deck when moving furniture, etc. but did not seem extreme to us. We also had a cabin on the Zaandam that was directly below the Lido and we had some noise there but we had a surprise upgrade at the pier so certainly had no problem adjusting to the occassional noise. I would suggest that you look for the least busy area of the Lido to book a cabin directly under. It has always seemed a bit odd to me that HAL would put the most expensive cabins right under the deck that has the most activity. Seems like a little more insulation between the Navigation deck and Lido deck would have been a good idea!

[kruskat]

Thank you duck tune,

I am researching for my parents. The rooms listed available were either far forward under what looks to be the Terrace Grill which, would probably be quite noisy. The others cabins were in the back, SB suites without the Jacuzzi, but I would think might be quieter. For some reason none of the in between cabins are listed. Since we are considering an Alaska cruise perhaps the aft pool will area above the cabin will not be as busy. I will have to check and see how much my folks would miss the tub. It is kind of a shame not to have Jacuzzi available if they would enjoy it. I will keep researching and appreciate the help.

Kathy

[Old As Dirt Mom]

Thank you duck tune,

 

I am researching for my parents. The rooms listed available were either far forward under what looks to be the Terrace Grill which, would probably be quite noisy. The others cabins were in the back, SB suites without the Jacuzzi, but I would think might be quieter. For some reason none of the in between cabins are listed. Since we are considering an Alaska cruise perhaps the aft pool will area above the cabin will not be as busy. I will have to check and see how much my folks would miss the tub. It is kind of a shame not to have Jacuzzi available if they would enjoy it. I will keep researching and appreciate the help.

 

Kathy

 

Kathy:

 

You could always book one of the SB cabins in the rear, but request to be put on the waitlist for some of the mid-ship SA cabins. Chances are you'll get one of those, as other passengers either cancel their cruises before final booking, or travel agencies who may have holds on those cabins release them back into circulation. HAL may also be holding some of those SA cabins for potential cruisetour clients, those passengers who purchase both a HAL cruise and a HAL Alaska land tour.

 

Also, just fyi, the jacuzzi tubs in the SA cabins are not really that large. They're basically the size of a standard bath tub, with jacuzzi jets. The only truly large jacuzzi tubs, are, I believe, in the penthouse suites. The Amsterdam has a thermal suite in the Greenhouse Spa area, and Noordam has both the thermal suite and a hydrotherapy pool. Perhaps if your parents enjoy a good, warm soak in a big tub that would be something to look into. There's a fee of about $20 per day per person for those water treatments, and you can also purchase a pass for unlimited use of the thermal suite and/or hydrotherapy pool. Check with the onboard spa staff for available packages.

 

On Noordam, if you got an SA or SB cabin located on Rotterdam deck, which is two decks below the Lido deck, the Lido noise wouldn't be an issue on that ship. The cabins on Navigation deck would act as a buffer between the Lido and Rotterdam decks. So that's something to take into consideration.

 

Your parents are lucky to have such a nice daughter to do all the research and planning for a cruise:)

 

Karin

[kruskat]

Dear Karin,

 

Thanks, for the wonderful input regarding both ships. It helped out a lot. I was leaning towards the Amsterdam since it is smaller and may provid more of a “ship” feel and be more intimate. My thoughts were that perhaps the crew would be able to provide more personal attention in the dining room and Lido, etc. The Noordam, however, may just fit the bill considering the cabin situation. It sounds really great as well. You have certainly provided good information for me to present to my mother and that is what I am attempting to do. I guess you will discover the Amsterdam personally soon enough. You must be so excited. I sincerely hope you have a super trip.

Kathy

[European_CruiseGirl]

 

3. Is there some reason why none of the (SA) cabins between those currently listed between the front and rear of the ship, are not showing available? Do think they are sold out or an agency has a big block of them?

 

 

Are you looking at the availability from HAL's website or an (online) TA's site?

 

I'm asking this because when I looked for availability of cabins for my upcoming cruise (Noordam) I could find VA cabins available only on lower decks when I checked an online TA's webpages (actually I checked several online TA's pages and they all showed the same available cabins). As I really wanted a VA cabin from the Navigation deck just below the beauty salon I checked also the availability from HAL's webpages. And surprise surprise - although the online TA showed only 7 VA cabins (on lower decks) available I found lot's and lot's of VA cabins available on Navigation deck from HAL's web pages!

 

So what did I do - I contacted a non-online TA and asked a quote for the specific cabin number I knew was available. She contacted HAL directly as (I assume) she couldn't book it directly from her system and I got the cabin - with the TA's price (not HAL's which was quite a bit higher)!

 

Edit: So the above mentioned makes me think that perhaps HAL keeps some of the best cabins first for themselves to sell (if someone doesn't request a particular cabin through a TA) and only later releases them for sale through TA's also... This is just me speculating - don't have any proof of this... :D And then again I know that not all like the Navigation deck and don't consider it being the best but still...

[kryos]

We are considering the Amsterdam because we thought it would be interesting to try a smaller ship after reading so many great reviews. Honestly, it would be difficult to top our trip last year.

I can't really help you with your cabin questions, because I generally don't book cabins in that category and thus have never researched them. But I can help you with some general information regarding the ship. I just got off of her on October 30th, and also was on her for 30 days this past January.

 

The Amsterdam is an absolutely beautiful ship, and I honestly cannot say I saw any signs of wear and tear on her at all. How could there be when everytime I would be walking around the ship, I would see people cleaning, polishing, painting, and doing other general maintenance tasks? I don't think her crew allows her to develop any signs of wear or tear.

 

She got her Signature of Excellence upgrades, including that wonderful bedding, last fall. The ship itself is elegant, and one area that your folks are absolutely gonna love is the Explorations Cafe. It's like a quiet oasis where you can browse the internet, check email, read, do crossword puzzles and even listen to music via these neat music listening stations where you program your selections from an extensive playlist and then sit back in these comfortable chairs with your headphones on. You can easily kill a whole day in there and actually wonder where that day went.

 

The ship itself is very comfortable and the walking manageable (a very important consideration if your folks are older). The problem I have with the Vista class ships (like the Westerdam) is the amount of walking necessary to get from point A to point B. While I am not yet a "senior," I do have issues with my legs due to a serious accident back in '99. I love the smaller "R" and "S" class ships because you can go from one end of the ship to the other (such as you have to do to go from the dining room to the show lounge) and the walk is not that taxing. On a Vista, it can get rough.

 

The other nice thing about the smaller ships is that they don't carry anywhere near the number of people that the larger ones do. Also, they are not as well equipped for large groups (with extensive meeting facilities, etc.) and thus don't tend to draw them as much. With a smaller passenger complement, the ship is more "cozy." You get to know the staff in the bars or lounges that you frequent, and that fact alone makes for a much nicer cruise. I kind of like it when I walk into my favorite lounge and the bartender only has to look at me for a signal to bring my favorite drink. On a Vista ship, you wouldn't see as much of this because there are simply just too many people.

 

I also like the fact that on the smaller ships you can get to know your fellow passengers a bit more. You will see them around the ship frequently and thus it is easy to start conversations. On a Vista ship it is entirely possible that you will never see, for example, your dining companions around the ship during the day, or will never again see that woman who you enjoyed a great conversation with at the pool the other day.

 

Yes, I agree ... ships like the Westerdam do have more bars, more lounges, more facilities, etc. But I guess the choice of ship is more determined by if you are looking for these things. Do you like to try a different bar every night, or do you prefer to just find your favorite and then stick with that? While the "S" and "R" class ships do have a variety of bars and lounges ... Ocean Bar, Explorers Lounge, Piano Bar, Sports Bar, Crow's Nest, etc. ... I am sure the Vistas have even more.

 

My money will always be on a smaller ship because that is my preference. You'd have to determine what your parents' preference would be and then go from there.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[jtl513]

... I found lot's and lot's of VA cabins available on Navigation deck from HAL's web pages!

 

Could you please explain how you find out what specific cabins are available on HAL's site? Since it is off-topic, please email me at jtloncc{at}bellsouth.net. Thanks.

[kruskat]

Greetings,

 

European CruiseGirl

 

Hmm.. interesting. I have been looking at online TA sites trying to get the best price available and stateroom option for my folks. For the rest of us, that is if we are able to go, we will be staying in the most economical inside cabin. The most important cabin arrangement and cruise consideration is for my parents. I wondered if perhaps rooms were being held by HAL or another agency. It sounds as though this is the case. Without the help of posts such as yours it would be alittle daunting to try and figure out how the system works and get the hoped for cabins, etc. Great info.

It is so much fun to be able to communicate online to learn and see what is going on in the cruise world isn't it? The people on this board are so gracious when it comes to taking the time to share info.

 

kryos

 

Well, you have answered many questions about the Amsterdam. She sounds just wonderful. Thanks for taking the time to write so much info. I am going to print this page for my folks to ponder. Honestly, I don't think you can make a bad choice with either ship but the decision is made easier with so much good information. I think the only option is to plan two cruises, one on each ship.:-))

 

middle-aged mom

 

Karin, it sounds as though you will have a terrific time on the Ms. Amsterdam. What fun.

 

Cheers

 

Kathy

[ndavis7515]

I just returned today from the Amsterdam. We were in 7021. I never heard a sound from above, or even from the hallways. The only noise I heard was when we were out on our verandah.

 

 

 

We had a tub with the whirlpool jets & shower.

 

 

I was on the Zuiderdam last year and I thought the Amsterdam experience was nicer. The only complaint I had was since the Zuiderdam is bigger, the buffet was divided into stations. The Amsterdam had stations, but they were all included in a buffet line. You could go around people but some people didn't realize it which caused a back up on occasion.