Aft Balcony Westerdam

[dndcruisers]

Hello - are the aft balcony cabins on the Westerdam as good as the aft balconys on other ships. I've never noticed if HAL offers those large balconys on the cabins. Anyone know???? Thank you! :confused:

[doone]

I had suite 5187 on the Zuiderdam and I can tell you, that balcony was huge, it wraps around the side. We loved this suite and I would book it again in a minute.

 

If you go into search, Rev Neal and Candy have some spectacular photo's of some of these wonderful balconies.

[dndcruisers]

Thanks for the info!!!

Donna

[RedmondCruiser]

The aft cabins have hugh verandas. We were on the Navigation deck, which is covered - decks 5-6-7 have open verandas. They also have more furniture than do standard verandas. Including a lounge chair, which was nice. The suites have wrap around balconies. You'll enjoy the cabin.

[jtl513]

Hello - are the aft balcony cabins on the Westerdam as good as the aft balconys on other ships. I've never noticed if HAL offers those large balconys on the cabins. Anyone know???? Thank you! :confused:

You didn't say if you're interested in the SCs or the VAs, but even the VAs on 5/6/7 have about a 9 foot deep balcony vs 6 foot deep on the side cabins.

[O2B@C]

Yes, Westerdam does offer aft cabins with larger balconies, including two corner suites on each deck that have wraparound ones. HOWEVER, as you will discover if you read the numerous threads on this issue that have appeared on this board in the last few months (you can search for my posts - I think I've posted in all of them), those balconies will get smaller on decks 5-8 after Westerdam has her aft retrofit in early May. After this is done, W'dam's stern will be more straight up-and-down like Noordam's, rather than raked (diagonal) as it is today. Westerdam is the first, but all the Vista class ships will get this retrofit eventually.

 

So, if you are looking at cruising on Westerdam after May 9, which at this point I imagine you are, and you want to get an idea of what the aft balconies look like, you should look for photos of Noordam, not Westerdam. Also compare deck plans on HAL's website - they have both "before" and "after" versions posted.

 

That said, reviews of Noordam's aft balcony cabins have generally been very enthusiastic (except some people report the ones on deck 8 have noise from Lido deck), so it's still worth looking into W'dam's even after the retrofit - just be aware that if you're on decks 5-8, your balcony will not be quite as large as it would have been before. Cabin interiors will be about the same, however, as I understand.

 

You should also be aware that if you are cruising in an area where the scenery around the ship is one of the main attractions (e.g., Alaska), the aft balcony cabins (other than corner suites) may not be the best, as the reports are that it is difficult to see to the side from them, and what is directly behind the ship will generally be just water, for obvious reasons. Where the attraction is sun and warm weather, on the other hand, the aft balconies, including the center ones, may be considered preferable to the side veranda cabins, because they do get more sun (except on Deck 8, where they are covered by the Lido Deck). These comments apply both pre- and post-retrofit.

 

Happy cruising!

[bepsf]

You should also be aware that if you are cruising in an area where the scenery around the ship is one of the main attractions (e.g., Alaska), the aft balcony cabins (other than corner suites) may not be the best, as the reports are that it is difficult to see to the side from them, and what is directly behind the ship will generally be just water, for obvious reasons.

 

Happy cruising!

 

That's right - to see the side from an aft-corner suite, one has to go out on the deck and walk around the corner - there are no windows facing the side...

...but it does provide a tremendous amount of semi-private outdoor space - perfect for scenic cruising and parties.

[dww]

We just returned from the Zuiderdam, and I believe the Westerdam Aft balconies are exact ( it was next to us in Road Town ). We were 5187 and I can tell you that the balcony is GREAT. Our neighbors next to us said they normally book that Suite ( 5 times in the past ), but it was booked. She mentioned that they were in Alaska and that the scenery was great. Apparently the ship turns alot so that each side can view the other?

[jtl513]

Apparently the ship turns alot so that each side can view the other?

Not really. Certainly going in and out of Glacier Bay or Yakutat Bay each side gets a turn at each view ... but in those places I'm going to be up on the sports deck so I can see both sides and move quickly from one side to the other. In fact, in Alaska I'm only in my cabin when it's dark out. :)

[sanibelsandals]

Just returned from SC6156 Aft on Westerdam & balcony was huge, nice & sunny too - but little privacy if that is important - wasn't to us. It was large enough for the extended family to enjoy all week long! The retrofit in April will reduce these balconies quite a bit - so you need to check the deck plans!

[bmct]

Sanibelsandals do you have pictures of the interior of your suite 5165 on the Westerdam? If so could you share them as well? We are booked in a SC 5165 on the Oosterdam next month. I understand that this cabin is a handicap suite, does it have a bathtub, or just a shower? Any info you can give would be nice. Thank you.

[Sale Away]

Sanibelsandals do you have pictures of the interior of your suite 5165 on the Westerdam? If so could you share them as well? We are booked in a SC 5165 on the Oosterdam next month. I understand that this cabin is a handicap suite, does it have a bathtub, or just a shower? Any info you can give would be nice. Thank you.

 

I think you mean 6156? That's a handicapped cabin on the Oosterdam. If you do a search for any posts that that Candy has posted (use Candy and Zuiderdam as search words), her signature has links to photos of the handicapped aft suites and the non-handicapped aft suites. The handicapped suites would not have a tub - just a roll in shower. That's the main difference that I've seen.

[sanibelsandals]

Cabin 6156 on the Westerdam is a Handicapped Cabin - we didn't pick it--we were victims of the upgrade fairy! I almost turned down the upgrade because I misunderstood - they told me an upgrade to a SZ, and I wouldn't know where until boarding. I am a tub person and thought my VB4183 would be better, and we wanted to be AFT - boy did I get a nice upgrade!! There is a wonderful large bathtub with shower along with a 2nd large shower directly across from the toilet. This is the handicapped shower. It was great for us because I could soak in the tub while my husband pulled his curtain & showered at the same time! The bathroom is huge! No double sinks in this suite - but we didn't miss it...I had plenty of room to primp in the dressing room while hubby used the bathroom & sink. Unfortunately this was the first time I forgot to take pictures of the cabin - I was so in love with my balcony & the wake - I ignored the inside. I can tell you there was plenty of closet space - this one would be great for a very long cruise. The shower & second peep hole on the door (at wheelchair level) were the only real noticeable handicapped features, it was quite spacious & we loved the layout since our daughter, son in law & grandaughters shared our space daily with 2 strollers! Their VD cabin very close to the AFT was way to small for the 4 of them. GO FOR IT!

[bmct]

You were right, it is suite 6156. Got access to the pictures also, so we are happy. We did have a S guarantee and this is what they put us in, we didn't choose it. Was a bit worried about the handicap part but it looks ok. Thank you again for all the info, its what makes these boards so useful.

[JPSnipper]

I recently was on the Westerdam and stayed in cabin 4176. I specifically chose this cabin because it is one of the larger VA's and the balcony was enormous. The cabin looked funny because it was laid out like your typical veranda but had the same furniture that did not fill the space. This particular cabin was very long and it was difficult to see the TV from the bed, not that I watched much TV. There also was some pretty intense vibration from the engines that kept me up 2 of the seven nights. Captain Harris indicated that we were heading into 30kt winds and I'm sure this required a little more HP from the engine room. The balcony also gathered a bit of soot and my cabin steward said this is a pretty typical. Maybe this will change after the ship is reconfigured. I felt these were minor issues and still would book an aft cabin in the future. Next time, I'll see about moving up a couple of decks.

[sanibelsandals]

Bmct- Sometimes the boards can get you nervous too! I was concerned about all the comments about extra motion, vibration/noise etc. We had moderate seas all week, the last night having a strong wind causing choppy seas, and everything was fine!!

We did the O'dam last year and absolutely loved it! You are going to have a great time in this cabin, especially in CABO!!!

 

Have a wonderful cruise, smooth seas & enjoy the O!