Zaandam - Canada/New England stateroom recommendations

We are looking to book a cruise to Canada and NE summer 2019 and would like some feedback on rooms. We've only sailed Royal Caribbean and Viking River.

About us: we will (hopefully) be sailing with friends and do not typically spend a lot of time in our rooms. This is assuming there are nice places to "hang out" on the ship and visit or play cards, etc. Although I love a balcony, I find we don't usually spend much time on them. We've never booked an interior cabin - they tend to be small for our liking. That said, our room on our Viking cruise was very small but it didn't bother us because we were only in there to shower, change and sleep.

Ocean View is only a couple hundred more than Interior, which seems like it may be worth it, but Vista Suites are double the price of an OV. Is that price "worth it" in your opinion (I get this is totally subjective)?

TIA!

Personally, I find I never use the balcony enough to justify the cost. I prefer cabins as low down and as forward as possible, especially on the Canada/New England Itineraries. I like to be able to look out and see activity on the docks or the shoreline along the St. Lawrence River. (Just a note, make sure to pull the sheers if you keep your curtains overnight, people on shore can see in if the ship is docked on that side.)

Only you can say if the balcony is worth the cost to you. My parents always have a balcony on the Canada/New England cruises -- the cooler climate make it worth it to them. Like the ocean-view cabins, they prefer forward balconies, and if they can see the bridge from the balcony, so much the better.

Hard to compare a European river ship to an ocean going one- cabins aboard Zaandam will be universally larger than anything onboard a Viking river boat.

What will be like being on a river boat is the large amount of scenic cruising on a St Lawrence trip as compared to a cruise on the open ocean. Certainly makes a case for at least an ocean view but also a balcony. I’d go for the balcony- frankly it’s fantastic sleeping weather in the early and late season if that makes any difference.

Please don't keep your balcony door open, no matter how wonderful the "sleeping weather." Keeping balcony doors open on HAL ships effects the A/C for cabins on the same circuit and means that passengers in interior or Ocean View rooms get hot while you're selfishly enjoying the lovely breeze/sound of the ocean. If you want to sleep with the sound of the ocean, please make appropriate arrangements to sleep on your balcony.

Thank You,

Ocean-View Cabin dweller who HATES to be hot.

Please don't keep your balcony door open, no matter how wonderful the "sleeping weather." Keeping balcony doors open on HAL ships effects the A/C for cabins on the same circuit and means that passengers in interior or Ocean View rooms get hot while you're selfishly enjoying the lovely breeze/sound of the ocean. If you want to sleep with the sound of the ocean, please make appropriate arrangements to sleep on your balcony.

 

Thank You,

Ocean-View Cabin dweller who HATES to be hot.

Very well said. We also can not sleep when we are hot.

Vista Suite is it worth it?

A BIG yes from me! JMO...

No substitute for a balcony

The OV cabins are worth the small extra price over an Interior - if like me you really need to see the light of day every morning and keep a sense of what is happening in the outside world. We like cabins towards the back of the ship because they are close to the often rarely used open aft decks - where there can be some deck loungers and wonderful 180 degree sea views. Take a look at the deck plans and you can see what cabin numbers these are. We have never really noticed if the seas feel any rougher in any particular cabin location forward-aft-middle ourselves.

We have sailed on the Zaandam 3 times. Twice we chose an obstructed cabin under the Main Dinning Room on the Lower Promenade.. We still had light, some view and loved that the deck was steps away (but don't get the room right next to the outside deck doors...noisy.) Don't book the center of the Lower Prom...it is under the main galley and noisy ( we made that mistake only once!) The room under the MDR was quiet at night and a good value! Other time (Antarctica Holiday Cruise) we chose a verandah, which was perfect.

The Zaandam is a gracious ship and you will enjoy her!

Karen

Thanks to all for the comments - very helpful!