Zaandam cabin questions

[Appygirl]

We're possibly going on the Zaandam, we being my father, my husband, and me. So much for a nice romantic cruise with my husband! Oh well. My father is handicapped. He walks with a cane but we're bringing a folding wheelchair just to speed things up to push him along. We don't particularly need a handicapped accessible cabin, just enough room to put the chair somewhere that we're not all tripping over it. None of us have been on the Zaandam but Father has been on just about every cruise line and every destination several times and knows what he wants. Cabin must have a balcony. Must have a bathtub. Must be on a higher deck. Preferably close to an elevator that when it stops will be close to dining. Again we have a wheelchair so he doesn't need to walk so that elevator/dining criteria might not be a huge criteria. We'd like a fairly roomy cabin. I'm not sure if the Zaandam has suites? I'm quite capable of jumping into an upper bunk to sleep but if my husband or father has to get up in the night to use the toilet they won't want to hit their head on it. What suggestions do you have? Specific cabin numbers? We can go either way if cabin is designated handicap or not. Thanks for suggestions!

[kitegirl]

I hope u get a reply soon... i too have been looking at this ship and need a HC room.... was thinking the HC Suite might be best as the other balcony HC rooms are at the back of the ship....

[IRL_Joanie]

I've not been on any of the S or R class ships (Zaandam is an R Class ship...)

 

Now with that said, all I can do is to point you to photos and descriptions that fellow Cruise Critic Members have sent me for the Zaandam. Just click on the Deck Links Below (Click on a specific Deck) and then go down to where the actual CC members photos start (usually about 1/3 to 1/2 way down each page)

 

Deck 3 (Promenade Deck) is the largest deck of all, goes all the way around the ship:) You could get a LAnai Stateroom on Deck 3, they are the CA category.

 

Deck 6 and 7 are the Suites with Verandahs, with Deck 7 having bothl Suites and Penthouse with Verandahs

 

Deck 1 - Dolphin Deck Staterooms 1800–1964

Deck 2 - Main Deck Staterooms 2500–2715

Deck 3 - Lower Promenade Deck Staterooms 3300–3431

Deck 6 - Verandah Deck Staterooms 6100–6228

Deck 7 - Navigation Deck Staterooms 7001–7088

Zaandam Main Info Page [

 

Page 3 - HANDICAPPED (HC) STATEROOMS ON THE ZAANDAM

Page 2 - MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS FROM THE ZAANDAM

 

You can also check out the photos of the staterooms on the other R Class ships, the stateroom layouts will be almost the same, and I might have more photos of a stateroom that interests you there to use as a comparison... Just click on one of the links below to the other R class ships:

Amsterdam: http://abqreunion2008.com/Amsterdam/index.html

Rotterdam: http://abqreunion2008.com/Rotterdam/index.html

Volendam: http://abqreunion2008.com/Volendam/index.html

 

Hope these help. Wish I could be more helpful, but...

 

Joanie

[Modern_Viking]

We're possibly going on the Zaandam....

Cabin must have a balcony. Must have a bathtub. Must be on a higher deck. Preferably close to an elevator that when it stops will be close to dining.

 

If you would like a fairly standard sized cabin, by HAL standards (about 200 sq. feet plus the verandah), then I would suggest a category B on the verandah deck near the aft elevators. Or, you could get a category AA on the navigation deck. However, on the navigation deck, you will be below one or more of a kitchen, dining, bar, or open deck, and thus it may also be noisy. Also note that if your cabin is between the aft elevators and the mid-ship elevators, you will be over the engine room and feel some (not lots, but some) constant vibration coming from the engine rooms below.

 

The category AA and B cabins are available as triples, although not all are, so be careful with selection. Triples have 2 twin beds that can be pushed together into a queen plus a sofa that can fold out into a third bed. The cabins that are not handicap accessible have bath tubs. (Handicap accessible rooms have a shower instead of a tub.)

 

From the aft elevators, you can go up to the Lido restaurant (also home of canalletto at dinner) and down to the main dining room.

 

If you want a larger suite, there are category S cabins on Navigation deck. They are roughly double the size of an AA or B cabin. These also have two twins (or arranged as a queen) plus a sofa bed, they also have an extra vanity/dressing area outside the bathroom, which should help given there will be 3 of you in the cabin. You will be a bit further from the main dining room, but it might be 200 feet, or less, of walking from the cabin door to the correct elevators. These cabins are all under the pool/lido area so you may hear early morning noise each day during cleaning and arrangement of furniture.

 

On HAL, only "quad" cabins have an upper berth (i.e. bunk bed). Based on your dad's preference, it seems like a triple might be better.

 

This is all based on personal experience on the Amsterdam, which like the Zaandam, is a HAL R-class ship.

[jayteeaitch]

Hi Appy girl - if you can afford the extra between the 3 of you - the "S" suites are perfect for you - huge room with masses of space and storage - including a robe just inside the door for the wheelchair. - the tub is a whirlpool. the extra dressing room is a godsend for extra privacy whilst changing and the divan is a double - and the king bed section can be curtained off from the divan;)

 

The balconies are huge with table - 4 chairs and 2 loungers - plenty of room all round to swing the proverbial cat.

 

Request a suite from 7022 to 7032 and you will be a few steps from the elevator - and inches from the Neptune lounge where your dad - if he's not on the balcony - can sit around and enjoy the best coffee on the ship and nibbles all day - with help from the concierge guaranteed.

From the elevator to the dining rooms is approx 1/3 the ship length.

 

There are many threads as to the quality of life in a suite:D

 

I made a video recently of the suite and the ship and you will find it on

 

http://www.youtube.com/user/jayteeaitch?feature=mhee

[Krazy Kruizers]

Zaandam

Does not have lanai cabins.

B category -- nice -- Queen size bed -- and sofa bed opens and holds one person.

I do agree that if you can afford it -- the S Deluxe Suites are twice the size of the B cabins. It has a King size and the sofa opens for a queen size bed. There is not a curtain that separates the main bed and the sofa bed.

[Appygirl]

Joanie - thank you for the photos. The only HAL ship I've been on is the Zuiderdam and I had a great cruise - best food I've ever had! But I wasn't in a suite!

 

Modern Viking - thanks for the explanation on room categories and locations. Very helpful. I sleep with earplugs so something has to be really loud to wake me up. My father has always been able to sleep anywhere. Likewise my husband doesn't seem to have a lot of trouble sleeping. Aft might be better due to the elevators to the Lido restaurant. My father is pretty much over eating in the MDR on any cruise he's on though he might like to go there a couple of times.

 

jayteeaitch - I saw the photos of the S suites - very nice. And I might be able to talk my father into it with the bribe of good coffee and nibbles (his favorite things!) in the Neptune Lounge. Thanks for the link to the video! And for the heads up on the handicapped suite. My father definitely prefers a bath instead of shower. He has a cane and can walk around the cabin and we're there for assistance if he needs it. We're only bringing the wheelchair to speed things up. There's a lot of walking on port and on board and he walks slower than us. Once we get to the pool or the theater he could get up and walk the rest of the way.

 

Krazy Kruisers - thanks for the info - especially the lack of curtain in the larger suite. The short story is my father is paying for the cruise. Can he afford the S suite? Yes. Does he like to save money? Also yes (Scottish parents). I have a pretty good cruise travel agent and she recently gave me the heads up on this Hawaii cruise. Right now her prices are better than I've been able to find elsewhere but I haven't priced out an S suite yet so it doesn't hurt to check.

 

My father and his s/o cruise 3 or 4 times a year though they haven't cruised yet this year. My father wants to go on a cruise somewhere warm. The problem is he doesn't want to fly - he doesn't like heights or flying though he flies frequently anyway. He'd like the cruise to start and end in Vancouver close to our home so that really limits his options on a warm destination. The obvious choice is Alaska but its not warm and he's already cruised to several times. However the Zaandam has a Vancouver round trip cruise to Hawaii late September. He's interested in going if I can't find another warm weather destination that meets his criteria. His s/o does not want to go. They did this cruise 3 or 4 years ago from L.A. and she doesn't like all the sea days and she was just in Honolulu last month for 10 days. Father doesn't want to cruise alone so he invited us. Sea days don't bother me but I prefer to fly to Hawaii so this will be a new experience.

[jayteeaitch]

Thanks not necessary Appygirl - just enjoy yourself whatever your dad chooses - and if he's a crotchety G.o.M. like me - he'll love the space and ambience of the Zaandam.:D - and the NL concierge is a 20 YO Fillipini lady:);) who is the main dancer on the Filli night.

 

Whoops ----- sorry about the curtain - its actually between the door and the lounge area:o