Amsterdam stateroom advice

[Assateague Island Princes]

We are considering HAL's wonderful new 2010 Alaska itinerary, 14-day roundtrip from Seattle for our third trip to the great land. Since this is a 14 day cruise, don't think we can swing our beloved verandah cabin, so are looking for recommendations of oceanview staterooms with quick and easy access to a viewing deck, thereby having our "verandah" so to speak. I see there are some cabins on the lower promenade and also on the navigation deck that might meet our needs. Would like to hear from someone with experience with specific cabin numbers, perhaps with photos:pshowing the view out the window and the closeness to access to the deck. Any and all assistance would be greatly appreciated!

 

Originally, we were planning a 7 day land tour on our own followed by a southbound cruise to Vancouver, but when we saw this itinerary with exciting new ports like Anchorage, Kodiak, Homer, etc., it seemed to meet all our needs. Again, thanx all for your responses!:D

[Boytjie]

On our Alaska cruise we were in 3384 on the Lower Promenade deck, a fully obstructed outside. It was a nice cabin - we had outside light, no direct view and easy access to the Promenade deck, the largest balcony on the ship. :D

 

Sailing in to Juneau I got up early (6 am), walked outside and was watching whales. It was also great on a wet dreary day in Glacier Bay as we stayed under cover.

[Padraic]

My wife and I were on the Amsterdam in 2007 for 64 days in C3337 on the Lower Promenade deck. Quick around the corner to the deck and across the hall for the laundry (no noise). I looked through our pictures and the only one within the stateroom was one of my wife holding a towel animal! We were more than pleased with the location.

 

Padraic

[catl331]

We were on the other side of the ship from Boytjie on a Canal cruise. Same floor. Loved where we were; easy access to all parts of the ship BUT there was wheeling cart noise and banging from above starting about 5 a.m and also after 10 at night. I sure do love the Amsterdam.

[mygate]

At the very front on the veranda deck, there are 3 oceanview rooms. If you don't have a problem with motion, these would be great as there is a door just outside these rooms to a large front deck on the ship. A lot of people don't know about this deck so it is seldom used, but with just a few steps you have the best panaramic view on the ship. On each side of the ship, there is a covered area in case it is raining.

You will love the Amsterdam. We were on it for the world cruise and used that big front deck for all the scenic cruising areas. Have fun.

PS one of these oceanview staterooms is a handicap, but the other two(D6100 and D6102) are not.

Mygate

[Assateague Island Princes]

Thanx to all who responded and please, anyone else? Chime in - I'm all ears! I'm going to consider all options as presented here and am just about to jump on HAL's site to scope out the specific cabins you mentioned. Greatly appreciated!

 

Just got some really nice prices from our TA for cabin 7086 on the Navigation Deck (aft), which has sort of a "private" little known deck right behind it. I hear though that the cabin is kind of small and oddly shaped(?), but everyone seems to rave about the easy access to this little known deck, not to mention the convenience of the staircase up to the Lido. Any comments or opinions on stateroom 7086? Would LOVE to see photos as well as hearing your opinions.

 

Again - big thank you to all my CC pals who ALWAYS come thru in a pinch! Really getting excited about this trip and the itinerary - a shame its over a year away!:(

[JimVrhovac]

For most of us the Alaska cruise is a "once in a lifetime cruise" so if can can swing it anyway try to get a verandah, even if it is a gurantee.

 

The pleasure of sitting on the balcony sipping on coffee or a class of wine and watching the glaciers glide by is the ultimate experience...

 

Good luck no matter what you do

 

Ruth & Jim

[Assateague Island Princes]

Oh Ruth and Jim, I couldn't agree more!!! Loved having a balcony in Alaska! This will be our third cruise to Alaska - and originally, we had planned on 7 days on land on our own in the Homer/Seward area, with a southbound (with balcony again!) to Vancouver. BUT then the 2010 itineraries came out with that wonderful 14 day cruise with those amazing new ports - Anchorage, Kodiak,Homer, etc., so we're thinking of changing our plans to do this instead in 2010. (Don't worry....still gonna do that land tour - but now it looks like it might be 2012!).

 

Sooooo...in order to have extra $$$$ to do some amazing and awesome shore excursions in these new ports, we thought we'd save this time by booking an outside w/easy access to a deck. Otherwise, it would be verandah all the way! I spent hours and hours on our verandah - scoping the sea for whale blows, tails and humps, gazing at the magnificent scenery while enjoying breakfast (yes! even the cooler weather and rain didn't deter me!), so....sigh....I hear you....LOL!

 

Thanks so much for your response. I'll keep hoping someone can help with suggestions - heard 7056 would be a nice alternative, just waiting to hear from someone who has sailed in that cabin! (BTW - I think in a previous post, I said 7086, sorry, I meant 7056! oops!:rolleyes:)

[Boytjie]

Pictures of our cabin:

 

 

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[RuthC]

Pictures of our cabin:

 

 

Is that the "inside/out" cabin, Peter? It has an unusual configuration, but I could live with it since I'm by myself.

[Boytjie]

Is that the "inside/out" cabin, Peter? It has an unusual configuration, but I could live with it since I'm by myself.

 

It is a fully obstructed outside cabin. Not sure what you mean by inside/out. :confused:

 

I don't know how unusual the configuration is - our other HAL cabins have been the same verandah cabin (VD 4043). This one seemed just a bit smaller with the the window where the balcony door would be. I tried to get rid of the chair as it was a bit in the way, but was told it could not be done.

 

We were OK in the cabin and loved the Amsterdam in Alaska.

[RuthC]

It is a fully obstructed outside cabin. Not sure what you mean by inside/out. :confused:

Yeah, I figured it out now. I was confusing the cabin in the picture with one on the Volendam/Zaandam. It's not the same cabin.

Seeing the couch at a right angle to the wall between cabins is unusual to me; they have always been placed along the wall in my cabins.

And that couch sure looked short! More like a generous chair!

 

Thanks anyway.

[Boytjie]

Yeah, I figured it out now. I was confusing the cabin in the picture with one on the Volendam/Zaandam. It's not the same cabin.

 

Seeing the couch at a right angle to the wall between cabins is unusual to me; they have always been placed along the wall in my cabins.

And that couch sure looked short! More like a generous chair!

 

Thanks anyway.

 

Yes, it was a small love seat! And the extra chair was just a bit too much in that space, but we worked around it.

[arzz]

Our problem with C category cabins is that they are smaller than the other outside cabins and when staying in them DH and I have to plan our movements as in most directions only one person can pass at a time. Yes, we have experienced the short couch with a table and bed in front of them -- room for everything except legs!

 

For Alaska I would definitely recommend something with a window that has a full view (so you can determine when you need to get out on deck -- or relax in your cabin and enjoy the scenery) but you do not really have to have your own veranda. An obstructed view is like no view (you might as well have an inside) -- only day light -- in Alaska you deserve more. And, remember that there is daylight most of the time in Alaska, so just because it is 10 pm there can still be a view.

 

We recently spent 64 nights on the Amsterdam and she is definitely a lovely ship. We were in a EE cabin on dolphin deck (less expensive than those C cabins, more than the HH) -- we had a lovely large window, scads of storage space -- a nice midships ride (we were in a EE very close to midships, aft) -- we were only two decks below the promenade deck and a short elevator ride from the Crow's nest and top level outside decks. It was easy to access that view whenever we wished. We have cruised in veranda cabins occasionally (when the wallet allows) but we did not miss it at all on our long voyage. We actually had more storage in our "steerage" digs than that provided in the veranda cabins.

 

We had friends on that cruise that were assigned an inside on the veranda deck (deck 6) and they were seriously compromised on storage as well as space. They had a couch that faced a wall with virtually no leg room so it was useful, primarily, as extra storage.

 

For us the itinerary and the ship make the cruise but a poor cabin choice can definitely negatively color the trip -- it is best to be comfortable with what you choose.