Avoid #5056 on the Nieuw Amsterdam!

Just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam yesterday. I took an upsell offer three days before our cruise to a guarantee balcony. Big mistake (at least initially).

We went from my chosen 1063 (an extra large inside J) to balcony cabin 5056. Quite literally the worst balcony possible. Ridiculously tiny and bent halfway so there was room for just two small chairs and a tiny table. The view literally consisted of lifeboats and other larger balconies.

Due to a very long and complicated embarkation issue, we did not end up staying there. Thank goodness we ended up with a wonderful location and an awesome balcony!

But avoid #5056 on the Nieuw Amsterdam by all means!

Thank you for the warning.

What cabin did you finally end up in?

Thank you for the warning.

What cabin did you finally end up in?

We ended up (at 9pm on embarkation night :eek:) in #4051, an accessible cabin that fortunately was not being used. It was FABULOUS with the complete opposite balcony as #5056. Huge with two full loungers, two smaller chairs, and two tables. And a perfect unobstructed view. We've stayed in a double wide balcony on the Eurodam and this was just as great. :)

to balcony cabin 5056 ... and bent halfway ...

bent? It looks normal rectangular on deck plan.

bent? It looks rectangular on deck plan.

 

Trust me, it's "bent". I can't think of a better way to describe it. We should have taken a picture.

Trust me, it's "bent". I can't think of a better way to describe it. We should have taken a picture.

Are you saying 5054 is narrower than shown, giving a little additional triangular piece to 5056?

I never saw 5054 so I can't tell you its size. So hard to explain, but picture a straight railing for about 2 1/2 feet that then bends and juts out towards the sea for about another 2 feet. Which shrinks the actual balcony space in that section to a small triangle. That's 5056. :(

I've stayed in 5053 and yes the veranda is bent.

... and juts out towards the sea for about another 2 feet. Which shrinks the actual balcony space in that section to a small triangle.

Shrinks? I just can't understand how the railing jutting outward can make the balcony smaller than a rectangle such as 5058 has. Forget it ... it's not that important to me. ;)

Deck 5 on the Signature class ships has a narrow balcony section. The cabin the OP is talking about is probably where the balconies transition from wider to narrow. If you are going to book a balcony or SS on a Signature class ship, do yourself a favor and book deck 6.

I'm not sure if this holds for the Vista class ships, but perhaps someone here knows.

Just got off the Nieuw Amsterdam yesterday. I took an upsell offer three days before our cruise to a guarantee balcony. Big mistake (at least initially).

 

We went from my chosen 1063 (an extra large inside J) to balcony cabin 5056. Quite literally the worst balcony possible. Ridiculously tiny and bent halfway so there was room for just two small chairs and a tiny table. The view literally consisted of lifeboats and other larger balconies.

 

Due to a very long and complicated embarkation issue, we did not end up staying there. Thank goodness we ended up with a wonderful location and an awesome balcony!

 

But avoid #5056 on the Nieuw Amsterdam by all means!

How much was the upset offer, and how did you get the original upset cabin changed once you got onboard?

Same for Vista-class ships, as we had a cabin two doors away from the forward transition on Deck 5. One thing I did like is that there was no wind our small balcony. There is also an overhead deck sticking out from Deck 6 which offered extra shade (this could be good or bad). One thing I didn't like was that the passengers with the actual diagonal balcony were looking towards us.

igraf

Deck 5 on the Signature class ships has a narrow balcony section. The cabin the OP is talking about is probably where the balconies transition from wider to narrow. If you are going to book a balcony or SS on a Signature class ship, do yourself a favor and book deck 6.

 

I'm not sure if this holds for the Vista class ships, but perhaps someone here knows.

How much was the upset offer, and how did you get the original upset cabin changed once you got onboard?

The upsell offer was $199 ($251 Canadian) per person. How and why we got the cabin changed would involve far too long a post. But after the embarkation day from hell (this was the day of the Florida airport shooting as well), we finally were moved to accessible cabin #4051 at 9:00pm.

On a recent cruise on the NA we booked 7019. HAL decided some time later that it was a guarantee and slam dunked us into 5046 without telling us. It opens directly into the elevator lobby, which is exactly what we were trying to avoid with 7019. By the time we discovered the change it was late, and they refused to move us back.

HAL cannot be trusted with cabin assignments.

Deck 5 on the Signature class ships has a narrow balcony section. The cabin the OP is talking about is probably where the balconies transition from wider to narrow.

Red box is 5056, green is 5058. It looks to me like 5056 is larger because of the triangular jut-out.

Trust me, the triangular jutout section is barely wide enough to stand in. But those of you who doubt me can certainly go ahead and book that cabin. :p

Red box is 5056, green is 5058. It looks to me like 5056 is larger because of the triangular jut-out.

 

I thought the OP reported the view was blocked by the lifeboat.

Trust me, the triangular jutout section is barely wide enough to stand in. But those of you who doubt me can certainly go ahead and book that cabin. :p

Did you think it was a good deal to get any verandah cabin for the small upgrade price, when compared to spending the same time in an inside cabin?

Sorry you had to go through the FLL nightmare - I imagine HAL was stressed overtime so all's well that ended well with your final cabin.

Did you think it was a good deal to get any verandah cabin for the small upgrade price, when compared to spending the same time in an inside cabin?

 

Sorry you had to go through the FLL nightmare - I imagine HAL was stressed overtime so all's well that ended well with your final cabin.

No, the inside J (#1063) that I booked we had already stayed in on the Eurodam. It is huge and I'd book it again.

After less than a minute out there, I knew we wouldn't spend any time on #5056's balcony.

But you are definitely right that we were very pleased with our final cabin. :)

Red box is 5056, green is 5058. It looks to me like 5056 is larger because of the triangular jut-out.

 

I appreciate this photo.

You can see clearly where the 5056 divider is and it is certainly not where it is in the HAL brochure drawing (post 4). There the 5056 balcony looks like all the other rectangular balconies.

I didn't realize HAL's drawing are suspect.

I appreciate this photo.

 

You can see clearly where the 5056 divider is and it is certainly not where it is in the HAL brochure drawing (post 4). There the 5056 balcony looks like all the other rectangular balconies.

 

I didn't realize HAL's drawing are suspect.

5056 is 1.5 feet (457 cm) narrower. You essentially lose the room for the footstool for your chairs. I'd have never known it from the diagrams, but we visited some CC friends on the Nieuw Amsterdam who were in an SS on Deck 5. We had an SS on Deck 6. DW noticed the depth difference right away. I, being fairly non-observant, didn't notice until she pointed it out. When we booked our Eurodam cruise, our TA initially put my father in VA (plain old V on the deck plan) on Deck 5. We had him moved to a deeper balcony on Deck 6. I think it was a VC, so he saved a little.

No, the inside J (#1063) that I booked we had already stayed in on the Eurodam. It is huge and I'd book it again.

 

After less than a minute out there, I knew we wouldn't spend any time on #5056's balcony.

 

But you are definitely right that we were very pleased with our final cabin. :)

Did HAL offer to give you your money and your old interior cabin back?

Did HAL offer to give you your money and your old interior cabin back?

I tried to do that the day before we sailed when I found out which guarantee we ended up with. No deal. And we tried again on embarkation day with no luck.

So we were surprised and pleased when they eventually moved us at no charge.

I tried to do that the day before we sailed when I found out which guarantee we ended up with. No deal. And we tried again on embarkation day with no luck.

 

So we were surprised and pleased when they eventually moved us at no charge.

One can only wonder what the final cabin assignment task actually is like, once one gets beyond the image of someone on a squirrel wheel tearing their hair out. Who does it, where does it get done, and how much leeway still exists onboard after the fact.

Particularly when an event has disrupted embarkation and there may have been multiple cancellations. A fierce snow stormed cancelled a lot of NY flights to Barcelona once, and we ended up with a complimentary Neptune upgrade at the very moment we embarked, while our previously tagged luggage went to our old cabin.

They had a lot of last minute cruise cancellations on that that trip. Who juggled that nice cabin change around at the last minute? We never knew. And our luggage finally caught up with us but our pre-purchased cabin gift did not.