One Practical/Reasonable Thing?

[cruisin'girl]

hi Peaches, no worries - my first deluxe was the old Rotterdam. and we were enchanted. We do deluxe,

 

I have been on some S suites since (but not enough - we got diverted to the larger ships). when I looked at the pictures for the Prinsendam and the Maasdam they appeared the same as what we experienced on the Rotterdam. Ooesterdam is no comparison IMO. we were there too. but it is one large room.

 

anyways, if I am wrong, I am wrong, I'll find out in November, but I did the

video view of the Prinsendam and it looks similar to our wonderful experience the first time.:D

 

the same video tour looks the same on the Maasdam to me.

 

Maybe I'm missing the boat.

 

Oh well, ;) if I'm wrong, we will be very disappointed. :D

We're just catching up on threads since we have been on a land vacation "out west". I'm wanting to book HAL for 2012 and am now concerned after reading this thread about Deluxe S suites on various ships being different ship to ship. I know from your posts that is what you always book, KAZU. You mention being in S suites which had bed and sitting areas separated other than the old Rotterdam so I was wondering which ships you were on in an S and were they 1 large room or curtian-separated areas? I really need your help and experience in various S category on different ships before we decide. We would love to book a ship other than Prisendam which is a real 2 room suite like you have had. Call me crazy but we like to know what we are getting before we book!

[bksunbuddies]

Back to the original thread...I would like to see lower prices for internet service for everyone :)and discount it more for 4 star Mariners. The prices seem very high especially when cruising on a Grand Voyage.

[sail7seas]

We're just catching up on threads since we have been on a land vacation "out west". I'm wanting to book HAL for 2012 and am now concerned after reading this thread about Deluxe S suites on various ships being different ship to ship. I know from your posts that is what you always book, KAZU. You mention being in S suites which had bed and sitting areas separated other than the old Rotterdam so I was wondering which ships you were on in an S and were they 1 large room or curtian-separated areas? I really need your help and experience in various S category on different ships before we decide. We would love to book a ship other than Prisendam which is a real 2 room suite like you have had. Call me crazy but we like to know what we are getting before we book!

 

 

On "R", "S", Vista and Signature Class HAL ships, there are no Deluxe veranda suites that have a separate bedroom/sitting room. They are all one big room.

 

We have stayed in Deluxe Veranda Suites (multiple times) on Maasdam, Statendam, Ryndam, Veendam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zaandam, Volendam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam and Eurodam.

 

ALL of the "S" suites on all those ships have a combined bedroom/sitting room.

 

[lettienets]

IMO HAL should put a stop to putting the clocks ahead at 2.00pm!!! On land this would result in chaos.

This happened three times on Zaandam last week.

 

john

I am with you on this too. I just did the Spanish Crossing on NA in April. Daytime timechange is terrible. I was tired the whole trip, not wanting to go to bed by the clock time and getting up tired. That is the only transatlantic I have done going that way and it may be my last.

[Trader Ron]

Enforce the dress code. We will balance the budget before that happens.

 

No smoking on verandas or in the cabins.

 

No smoking in the casino.

[cruisin'girl]

On "R", "S", Vista and Signature Class HAL ships, there are no Deluxe veranda suites that have a separate bedroom/sitting room. They are all one big room.

 

We have stayed in Deluxe Veranda Suites (multiple times) on Maasdam, Statendam, Ryndam, Veendam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zaandam, Volendam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam and Eurodam.

 

ALL of the "S" suites on all those ships have a combined bedroom/sitting room.

 

That's been our experience, too, but Kazu speaks differently and says she only books S suites and they were not one large room. So it's confusing as to what ships she's talking about.

[Oceanwench]

On "R", "S", Vista and Signature Class HAL ships, there are no Deluxe veranda suites that have a separate bedroom/sitting room. They are all one big room.

 

We have stayed in Deluxe Veranda Suites (multiple times) on Maasdam, Statendam, Ryndam, Veendam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Zaandam, Volendam, Noordam, Westerdam, Zuiderdam and Eurodam.

 

ALL of the "S" suites on all those ships have a combined bedroom/sitting room.

 

 

Well, that pretty much seals the deal in my book! :p

You obviously speak from experience!

 

I've only been in a deluxe veranda suite on the Westerdam, though I have "visited" in some on other Vista ships and a Singature ship ... and I never saw any curtained area that can create two separate rooms.

[m steve]

Have one of the music tv stations show the day's menus and if there are announcements like the Captain's noon briefing, let it be heard in the cabins and not just the gangways and no Bingo calls. Limit smoking to one side of the ship, inside and out incl. Aft cabins. Have a smoking bar somewhere near the dining room and not just in the casino area with good ventilation. Have the bars offer more varieties of rum on the Caribbean cruises. Offer some late afternoon snacks like cheese and crackers in the Lido that you can take back to your cabin. Have more small singing shows in the cararet style in a lounge area like the ones they do an the NA and Westy. Have a second concierge area for passengers who pay extra like X does with concierge level cabins.

[sail7seas]

The only curtained area in those suites can give privacy at the dressing room.

 

[cruisin'girl]

The only curtained area in those suites can give privacy at the dressing room.

 

True, and in no way does that little curtian make an S a true suite or anything like what Kazu is describing. We've never even pulled it closed.

[kazu]

We're just catching up on threads since we have been on a land vacation "out west". I'm wanting to book HAL for 2012 and am now concerned after reading this thread about Deluxe S suites on various ships being different ship to ship. I know from your posts that is what you always book' date=' KAZU. You mention being in S suites which had bed and sitting areas separated other than the old Rotterdam so I was wondering which ships you were on in an S and were they 1 large room or curtian-separated areas? I really need your help and experience in various S category on different ships before we decide. We would love to book a ship other than Prisendam which is a real 2 room suite like you have had. Call me crazy but we like to know what we are getting before we book![/quote']

 

Hi cruisin'girl. I went on to my Hal history to check when we were on the Rotterdam. It was 2006. Definitely I remember the curtain. don't know if there have been changes since then. I now hesitate to say any other ship other than the Prinsendam with what Sail is reporting as she is very knowledgeable and I have not been back on the S & R ships since that sailing. Have been on the vistas, etc. (For reference none of the SA on the large ships have the curtain).

 

We are gladly going back to the smaller ships:)

 

I really don't want to steer you wrong, and I don't want to mislead you since it has been so long (too long) since we have been on the smaller ships. Whether the S's have a curtain or not is not a really big deal IMO. They are very nice rooms. I just liked the effect;)

 

NOTE - I just went on HAL's website to view the Deluxe Verandah and from what I can see (assuming the picture is accurate), the curtain area is gone - so I am assuming the rooms were changed.

[Oceanwench]

The Rotterdam - the one sailing now - wasn't it built in the late 90s?

I remember good friends sailing on her around 2000 or so.

It's their trip that got me interested in HAL! :)

[Hobbsey]

The Rotterdam - the one sailing now - wasn't it built in the late 90s?

I remember good friends sailing on her around 2000 or so.

It's their trip that got me interested in HAL! :)

 

Hard to believe she's been in service for nearly 15 years now.

[sail7seas]

The Rotterdam - the one sailing now - wasn't it built in the late 90s?

I remember good friends sailing on her around 2000 or so.

It's their trip that got me interested in HAL! :)

 

Rotterdam VI was built in 1997. We sailed her first New Years Eve on her (and it was great). :)

 

We also sailed Rotterdam VI for Millenium (Y2K - remember that? :D )

Christmas and New Years Cruises and they were fabulous. :)

 

So, Yes....... This Rotterdam, Rotterdam VI has sailed since 1997.

[Oceanwench]

Wow :eek:

That is a lot of years!

 

I have never had the pleasure of sailing on her, but maybe one day!

 

For us, the Vista ships have been the most accessible.

[Hobbsey]

Rotterdam VI was built in 1997. We sailed her first New Years Eve on her (and it was great). :)

 

We also sailed Rotterdam VI for Millenium (Y2K - remember that? :D )

Christmas and New Years Cruises and they were fabulous. :)

 

So, Yes....... This Rotterdam, Rotterdam VI has sailed since 1997.

 

Thanks Sail, very nice. I have always thought I'd cruise her, but have yet to do so. I think back to when she first came into service and reading all the posts from people who loved the V so much, and how sorry they were to see her go. I had hoped to cruise her as well, as Rembrant with Premier, but then they went bankrupt and the ship disappeared....

[ldog]

Please, please, please stop making all the musicians take their breaks at the same time each evening. There's music in every venue, then it all stops dead for half an hour, then it starts up again and at the next break the same thing happens. If they took rolling breaks, the pax would simply move to another venue, order drinks from another bar and their enjoyment would continue. As it stands, if you're starting to feel a little bit weary, the sudden cessation of music makes you think that you might as well go to bed. Lost revenue for HAL at all the bars.

 

I like whogo's and baggal's suggestions also.

 

I so agree with this one. I've often gone to bed at 9:30 because there is nothing happening. Or after the 10 o'clock show there is nothing happening.

[peaches from georgia]

 

I went on to my Hal history to check when we were on the Rotterdam. It was 2006. Definitely I remember the curtain. don't know if there have been changes since then.

 

NOTE - I just went on HAL's website to view the Deluxe Verandah and from what I can see (assuming the picture is accurate), the curtain area is gone - so I am assuming the rooms were changed.

 

But we were on the Rotterdam VI in 2002 and the S suites were one large room as they are today and were when Sails was on the Rott in 1997. Did they change to the curtain separate bedroom around 2006 and then back again? Could you have been in the Penthouse which does have the curtain? Hard not to remember being in the PH though! :D

[Randyk47]

I just went back and looked at my deluxe suite pictures from 2005 until this year. I don't see any curtain that could be pulled to separate the bed from the sitting area. Unfortunately my previous experience with a deluxe was back in 1995 on the Ryndam....I think it was what was numbered as Cabin 1010 back then or 0010 today....and the pictures from those were old film type and the ex probably has long done away with those. I don't recall a curtain but those photos would show it if it existed at least on the Ryndam back then. I'd be more than happy to give you all the ex's address and you can ask her for the pictures....though I suspect they went on the same bonfire as our wedding pictures. :rolleyes::D

[English_in_Spain]

We were on the Rotterdam in 2004 in a deluxe 'S' suite. There was definitely no curtain dividing the suite into 2 areas. Just the curtain by the door to give privacy when the door is opened.

 

I am sure Kazu is mistaken.

 

The way the suite is laid out it would not be possible to have a curtain between the bed and the sofa.

 

[kazu]

But we were on the Rotterdam VI in 2002 and the S suites were one large room as they are today and were when Sails was on the Rott in 1997. Did they change to the curtain separate bedroom around 2006 and then back again? Could you have been in the Penthouse which does have the curtain? Hard not to remember being in the PH though! :D

 

Peaches - I am confused myself :confused: I know I don't have memory loss yet and I distinctly remember the curtains as does dh. It was one of the things we loved and we were shocked when we got our next suite and it wasn't there. (newbies to suites) I don't think I have my cruises mixed up as I'm sure this was our first suite. We were blown away. The room was huge. Biggest suite we have ever had. :) So, I am at a loss to figure it out. We got it on an upsell. If it was the PH no one told me ;)

 

One of the reasons dh agreed to the Prinsendam was when he saw the curtains again. Sorry if I have caused confusion - not my intent at all.

 

I'm afraid I'm going to be wracking my brain today to make sure I didn't confuse my cruises! (how could even i confuse my first suite?)

[kazu]

We were on the Rotterdam in 2004 in a deluxe 'S' suite. There was definitely no curtain dividing the suite into 2 areas. Just the curtain by the door to give privacy when the door is opened.

 

I am sure Kazu is mistaken.

 

The way the suite is laid out it would not be possible to have a curtain between the bed and the sofa.

 

 

 

Carol - thanks for posting the picture - I already answered Peaches before I saw this. This is not at all like the room we had. I can't upload mine as it was in the old days of regular film and I am not skilled.

 

Our room was much larger and we had beautiful mirrored glass. I had to ask the room steward for glasses - he pressed the button the mirror opened (three lines of them) and there were enough glasses to serve many people. There were also some dishes and other things there. The sitting area was a huge distance from the bed. Very, very spacious.

 

This cupboard was so large we could store all our wine there.

 

thinking about this (driving myself crazy), I am now wondering if we were given a penthouse and didn't know it. :eek: It was our first suite so we had nothing to compare it too. It might explain why I was so taken aback by the size of our next suite - it seemed so much smaller

 

We definitely had the curtains - but our room wasn't like your picture, so I guess I must be mistaken:o

[thepoint]

I would like to be able to have a hard copy of shore excursions once I have booked my cruise. I guess we need to buy a better printer!!!

[English_in_Spain]

Kazu, did your suite look like this? You can just see a curtain going across the bottom of the bed.

 

[kazu]

Kazu, did your suite look like this? You can just see a curtain going across the bottom of the bed.

 

 

 

Yes, that is more like it. Thanks so much! :) Where do you get all of these tremendous pictures?:D