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Cabin Selection Help.. Oosterdam


lightsleeper
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This will be our first time on HAL..

Main previous line was Princess

Traveling with three (3) adults

Looking at Med cruise in 2016 for

 

Considering either a Verandah cabin or a Signature Suite

Main concern is if there will be enough room in the verandah cabin for the three of us

 

your thoughts please

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On the 'O', and in the Med? I would recommend an SC wrap (HAL may have bumped them up to an SB category now), as a good compromise in inside cabin space, (more than a standard verandah but less than a full fledged SA suite), and giving you the most exterior private space on the ship. (Except the PS maybe, would have to measure sqft).

 

I'm partial to 5191, hehe. Link to pics of the aft-wrap below from an Alaskan trip.

 

 

*note - if you're not balcony people, or are planning on spending every possible moment in ports, the view and space may just change your mind. Haha.

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While I agree the more room the better, we've done 3 adults in a verandah for 17 days in South America/Antarctica with no problems.

 

A standard verandah on a HAL ship is roughly the size of a mini-suite on Princess, from our experiences. HAL bathrooms are larger.

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This will be our first time on HAL..

Main previous line was Princess

Traveling with three (3) adults

Looking at Med cruise in 2016 for

 

Considering either a Verandah cabin or a Signature Suite

Main concern is if there will be enough room in the verandah cabin for the three of us

 

your thoughts please

 

Signature suite will have alot more room and a larger bath. Plus you get double Mariner Day points with it.

 

Another thought - you can use the Spa showers when things get crowded in your cabin.

 

DaveOKC

Edited by DaveOKC
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I'd say it depends on how much time you expect all three of you to be in the cabin once. DW and I are mainly in the cabin only to sleep, change, or bathe, so we would opt for the standard verandah and spend the money elsewhere, like on excursions.

 

The Signature Suite would give you a 50% wider room and balcony, and I think a 3rd balcony chair. If you do opt for a verandah, I strongly suggest that you not choose any of the deck 5 VA in the 5053 to 5138 range, as they are just 4 ft deep, and a little cramped for even just 2 people.

 

Edited by jtl513
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I'd say it depends on how much time you expect all three of you to be in the cabin at once. DW and I are mainly in the cabin only to sleep, change, or bathe, so we would opt for the standard verandah and spend the money elsewhere, like on excursions.

 

The Signature Suite would give you a 50% wider room and balcony, and I think a 3rd balcony chair. If you do opt for a verandah, I strongly suggest that you not choose any of the deck 5 VA in the 5053 to 5138 range, as the balconies are just 4 ft deep, and a little cramped for even just 2 people.

 

edits in red
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Not sure about the price difference for a suite over a verandah but you could consider 2 cabins although the single will have to pay 150% or maybe more, but for a verandah and an inside it might work. Just a thought. m--

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If you enjoy the cabin life to read, and order breakie, and enjoy the verandah, then you'd want the SS/SY for three pax.

If you only use the cabin to sleep and change clothes, then a VA/VD style cabin can work.

You would just have to work out a schedule on the bathroom usage, and be very flexible and friendly about it :D

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three in the cabin? I'd go with a Signature suite. I don't know about you, but I don't enjoy sitting on the bed so DH can pass by.

 

I always enjoy when people say they don't spend time in their cabins.

 

My friend said that for years until she got a signature room and her tune changed astronomically.

 

with three, either a signature or two cabins. JMO.

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I always enjoy when people say they don't spend time in their cabins.

 

My friend said that for years until she got a signature room and her tune changed astronomically.

Well ... in Dec we had our first Neptune Suite ... a stern wrap-around ... and we didn't spend much more time in the cabin or on the balcony than we do with standard verandas. We really didn't need all that room. :)
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As means of comparison HAL veranda staterooms on the VISTA class ships, of which the Oosterdam is, are almost identical in size to Princess Mini-suites and have more than equal sized bathrooms. The only slightly limited space might be the hanging space in the closets. But, there is plenty of additional storage in the large drawers under the bed and the sofa.

 

If you decide to save the money and go with a veranda I recommend Deck 4, Upper Promenade, as the verandas are extra deep. I'd stay aft of 4134/4133 which will assure that the life boats below do not block any of your view.

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I'd stay aft of 4134/4133 which will assure that the life boats below do not block any of your view.
The lifeboats are not below 4123 to 4132 either, and the forward obstruction of the view by the lifeboats is very minor. Also 4043 to 4050 are completely unobstructed.
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The Oosterdam SS suites are perfect for you. The normal Verandah cabins are small (very short less than loveseat size sofa)...small desk too.

The SS are perfect...not the same as the Neptune Suites, but just right.

(For those who equated the verandahs on this class ship to the mini-suites of Princess, I would disagree...have had both. The verandahs on the smaller ships, i.e. Veendam, Maasdam, etc. are larger and are labeled now as "suites" and are more like the Princess ones.)

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Glad to read the replies to the OP question. I just booked a 21 day for next Feb. 8. I went back and forth on the verandah vs suite SY. I was only able to book a guarantee in the suite category but decided to live on the wild side.:) and booked.

It will be a birthday/anniversary cruise and as the years go on I have to agree with a previous poster about sitting on the bed when DH decides to sashay by.

It's a long way off but after this winter in MI I decided to get out of town and enjoy a cruise.

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  • 2 years later...

As for the bathroom/shower situation, my husband works out every day on the ship. Especially on formal nights he gives me more room to get ready by taking a shower and shaving in the gym locker room. I am just throwing that out there as a way to help with 3 people getting ready in one cabin.

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