Veendam aft vista suite question

[trident one]

Just booked 093 aft Vista, Navigation deck on Veendam for 7/11/15 cruise. Deck plan looks like the balcony is deeper then the port or starboard side vista suites. Does this mean the cabin is shorter from front to back? Hopefully, these cabins are not as narrow as they look in the pictures elsewhere. This a port intensive cruise so cabin size should be ok, but we really love our balcony. I know there is not a large enough table to eat breakfast on the balcony, which we love to do, but hopefully we can manage our coffee out there.

 

Really hope the upsell fairy will offer decent price for a Neptune suite, I really do not think that will happen, but one can always hope.

 

Thank you for any help you can give me.

[sapper1]

We were in 093 to Bermuda in 2010 and while I didn't take any measurements, I don't recall being displeased with the size of the balcony. The cabin also seemed about the same as other balcony cabins on the smaller HAL ships.

 

The one thing I do remember about that cabin was the noise like a coffee percolator that came from the sink in the bathroom. We had to make sure the door was always closed at night so it wouldn't keep us awake. It was most peculiar and we have never encountered that issue in any other cabin we have been in.

 

Overall, we were pleased with the cabin for a seven day cruise. For a longer cruise, storage may have been an issue---for us anyway as we don't travel light.

Edited February 26, 2015 by sapper1

[trident one]

Thank you Snapper 1 for your quick reply.

 

Unfortunately, we do not travel light either. This will be a first for us in this size cabin on

Holland. Had a Neptune on the Ryndam 12 years ago and I never saw inside any of the Veranda cabins, as they were named then. I am spatially challenged when it comes to looking at drawings of cabin layouts and the photos look like the walk way between the bed and the wall and the coffee table and the desk are really, really tight. At least we are not claustrophobic.

 

Usually noise is not a problem for us, but I do hope they fixed the bathroom sink, as that would be very annoying.

 

Hope your snow is starting to melt up there, Spring can not come to soon this year.

[0bnxshs]

We were a deck down from you in 2010 in 232 and found the size of that Vista cabin to be adequate for 3 adults for a 17 night cruise to Antarctica and South America. We had family (2 more) too and we would often gather in our cabin and balcony for viewing. Again, no problems with size.

 

The cabins at that time were the same size and I doubt have been changed; the balconies varied in depth from rail to glass door, deepest in the middle and less so at the corners. We could all 5 stand at our rail and enjoy the scenery. I have personal pictures posted of 232 on that site of facts about HAL cabins if you'd care to look there for them. We are large people and still managed comfortably.

Edited February 26, 2015 by 0bnxshs

[trident one]

We were a deck down from you in 2010 in 232 and found the size of that Vista cabin to be adequate for 3 adults for a 17 night cruise to Antarctica and South America. We had family (2 more) too and we would often gather in our cabin and balcony for viewing. Again, no problems with size.

 

The cabins at that time were the same size and I doubt have been changed; the balconies varied in depth from rail to glass door, deepest in the middle and less so at the corners. We could all 5 stand at our rail and enjoy the scenery. I have personal pictures posted of 232 on that site of facts about HAL cabins if you'd care to look there for them. We are large people and still managed comfortably.

 

Thank you for your response.

 

I saw your pictures and if that cabin had been available I would have booked it in a New York minute for the balcony. We definitely spend most of our time when not off the ship on our balcony. Use room only basically to dress, sleep and have room service breakfast.

[sapper1]

Thank you Snapper 1 for your quick reply.

 

Unfortunately, we do not travel light either. This will be a first for us in this size cabin on

Holland. Had a Neptune on the Ryndam 12 years ago and I never saw inside any of the Veranda cabins, as they were named then. I am spatially challenged when it comes to looking at drawings of cabin layouts and the photos look like the walk way between the bed and the wall and the coffee table and the desk are really, really tight. At least we are not claustrophobic.

 

Usually noise is not a problem for us, but I do hope they fixed the bathroom sink, as that would be very annoying.

 

Hope your snow is starting to melt up there, Spring can not come to soon this year.

 

The walkway between the end of the bed and the wall will be wide enough for one person to pass at a time------two if you are very good friends. :)

 

We will be doing the Bermuda cruise again on the Veendam in June in a regular balcony cabin and I know we will enjoy ourselves. For longer cruises we prefer the larger HAL ships so we can get an SS. That is just a perfect size with lots of storage for two travelling gypsies.

 

The snow is unrelenting this year. It is over our heads and does not melt between storms. It's one for the record books, I'm sure.

[silvercruiser]

I was in the cabin right below, on Veranda Deck and absolutely loved it in 2013 on Voyage of the Vikings. There's never any wind on the balcony, half of it is covered and it's quite large. The cabins on either end have larger balconies that go around the side a bit.

The view is wonderful. You'll love it. I took it as an upsell and, as a solo cruiser, had to pay double the upsell price, but it was worth it. One of the best cruises ever and I have over 800 days of cruising. The Veendam will be sailing out of Tampa next year, a handy nearby port, but I'll have to settle for something less than my one-time treat of that rear suite.

[galensgrl]

We were in 093 to Bermuda in 2010 and while I didn't take any measurements, I don't recall being displeased with the size of the balcony. The cabin also seemed about the same as other balcony cabins on the smaller HAL ships.

 

The one thing I do remember about that cabin was the noise like a coffee percolator that came from the sink in the bathroom. We had to make sure the door was always closed at night so it wouldn't keep us awake. It was most peculiar and we have never encountered that issue in any other cabin we have been in.

 

Overall, we were pleased with the cabin for a seven day cruise. For a longer cruise, storage may have been an issue---for us anyway as we don't travel light.

 

Hi! Thank you for sharing this bit of information regarding the sink and tub in these aft cabins on the Veendam. We booked an aft cabin for our first cruise with HAL, Boston to Bermuda in May, and I had read about that glug glug detail while reading other reviews. But I'm sitting here wondering if we encounter that little annoyance in our cabin bathroom, if pulling the stopper closed and putting a few inches of water in the sink will help. I'm thinking if the water keeps the drain plug shut, we won't hear the glug glug gurgling.I would only do that at night before we go to bed, and unstop it in the morning when we get up. Thanks for jogging my memory about this little quirk of the aft cabins. Happy cruising! :D

 

Lorie

[0bnxshs]

Hi! Thank you for sharing this bit of information regarding the sink and tub in these aft cabins on the Veendam. We booked an aft cabin for our first cruise with HAL, Boston to Bermuda in May, and I had read about that glug glug detail while reading other reviews. But I'm sitting here wondering if we encounter that little annoyance in our cabin bathroom, if pulling the stopper closed and putting a few inches of water in the sink will help. I'm thinking if the water keeps the drain plug shut, we won't hear the glug glug gurgling.I would only do that at night before we go to bed, and unstop it in the morning when we get up. Thanks for jogging my memory about this little quirk of the aft cabins. Happy cruising! :D

 

Lorie

 

Interestingly, that noise is a mild annoyance we've heard in a few different cabins but not one I can say we ever noticed in an aft cabin. I do think your solution would settle the matter though. :)

[Marigold252]

We were in Veendam 095 last February for the Panama Canal and in Ryndam 120 in December. The cabins were the same size, plenty of storage for two weeks for us, but we are moderate packers. We loved the aft wrap balcony for its panoramic view. The stern curves outward a bit so the middle balconies are a little deeper than what we had, just not so wide. The view of the wake is mesmerizing and I was amazed how often fishing boats fished the edge of our wake. We did have a bit of glug glug noises from the sink, but I don't recall it keeping us awake. There were also some loud noises coming from below when we backed up, but they never lasted long. The side door to the outside stairway, while heavy, was very convenient for going to and from the Lido on the deck above us. Enjoy your cruise!

[localady]

We were a deck down from you in 2010 in 232 and found the size of that Vista cabin to be adequate for 3 adults for a 17 night cruise to Antarctica and South America. We had family (2 more) too and we would often gather in our cabin and balcony for viewing. Again, no problems with size.

 

The cabins at that time were the same size and I doubt have been changed; the balconies varied in depth from rail to glass door, deepest in the middle and less so at the corners. We could all 5 stand at our rail and enjoy the scenery. I have personal pictures posted of 232 on that site of facts about HAL cabins if you'd care to look there for them. We are large people and still managed comfortably.

 

I wanted to thank you for your pictures. :D They convinced me to go ahead and book the cabin for our upcoming cruise. I will let you know how we enjoyed "your" digs! ;)

[trident one]

The walkway between the end of the bed and the wall will be wide enough for one person to pass at a time------two if you are very good friends. :)

 

Oh yes Sapper 1, we have been very good friends for 53 years. :)

 

Must apologize to you for calling you Snapper 1 in previous post. Seems like my bifocals are not working as well as they should.

 

WE were able to change booking to 095, should be a great cruise.

 

Thank you for your input.

[0bnxshs]

I wanted to thank you for your pictures. :D They convinced me to go ahead and book the cabin for our upcoming cruise. I will let you know how we enjoyed "your" digs! ;)

 

Happy to help out! Please do let us know how you liked the cabin and the Veendam. We still count that cruise as our very favorite, both for the itinerary and the ship. Hope your cruise is as memorable. :)

[Ladysmith]

Trident one, we have just returned from an 18 day cruise on the Veendam in an aft cabin on the Navigation deck. (089). The cabin is the same size as the typical balcony cabins. Our daughter was in an A category cabin and the interior was identical. The balcony will be noticeably deeper. My 2 comments on your 095 location is you will hear a bit of deck chair 'shuffling" in the morning around 7 or so and likewise in the early evening for about 15 minutes when the staff cleans up or positions the loungers. It did not bother us although you can hear noise.

I don't know your itinerary but if you get into rough seas you will experience a significantly greater movement, particularly the pitching up and down. We have had other aft facing cabins and were prepared for this type of movement which does not bother us.

On the plus side, there is a stairway on the starboard side which goes up to the pool area on the Lido which is handy. Also, people looking over the aft railing on the Lido CANNOT look down directly into your balcony (they can on some of the other ships)

Enjoy your trip!

[redhot1]

We were booked in 091 for this past New years cruise and we looked at 093 and booked it for next New years but 076 became available and is a little more centraly located so have that instead. The room is average for cabin size and we entertsined our DSL & Dau a bit tight but stll plenty of room. The balcony is nice size with 2 chairs and a table and a loungeer. We were on it often and liked it to sit in the morning for coffee and light breakfast and afternoon drinks and snacks. We liked it and booked the same type again. We thought it was a great locastion and easy to get to and only 1 deck down from the Lido deck and easy to go up there for the pool, lido grill and anything else. I think you'll love it. Have a great cruise.:):):)

[trident one]

Trident one, we have just returned from an 18 day cruise on the Veendam in an aft cabin on the Navigation deck. (089). The cabin is the same size as the typical balcony cabins. Our daughter was in an A category cabin and the interior was identical. The balcony will be noticeably deeper. My 2 comments on your 095 location is you will hear a bit of deck chair 'shuffling" in the morning around 7 or so and likewise in the early evening for about 15 minutes when the staff cleans up or positions the loungers. It did not bother us although you can hear noise.

I don't know your itinerary but if you get into rough seas you will experience a significantly greater movement, particularly the pitching up and down. We have had other aft facing cabins and were prepared for this type of movement which does not bother us.

On the plus side, there is a stairway on the starboard side which goes up to the pool area on the Lido which is handy. Also, people looking over the aft railing on the Lido CANNOT look down directly into your balcony (they can on some of the other ships)

Enjoy your trip!

 

Thank you Ladysmith.

Noise will not be a problem. I am sure we will be eating room service breakfast at 6:30am or close to it. Whether at home or on vacation we are early risers. Itinerary is Canada/New England - Boston to Quebec to Boston. Praying for no Nor easterners or hurricanes in the second and third week of July.

 

We know there could be quite a bit of motion in rough seas. We survived a bad storm between St. Thomas and Nassau on the Meridian and huge rollers in the Pacific from Vancouver to Hawaii from the tail end of a hurricane off of Cabo on the Mercury. In fact we were two of the maybe 20 people who showed up for dinner that night. I will n---- say n----- because, we all know what happens when you do. I remember people on the Ryndam (love that ship, sorry we won't get to sail her again) our last day returning to Vancouver via the inside passage in a tiny rain storm thinking that it was rough. Remember laughing to myself thinking" Oh people you have no idea what rough is."

 

My next question may have been is the balcony open to the Lido. Thank you for the answer to that question.

[trident one]

We were booked in 091 for this past New years cruise and we looked at 093 and booked it for next New years but 076 became available and is a little more centraly located so have that instead. The room is average for cabin size and we entertsined our DSL & Dau a bit tight but stll plenty of room. The balcony is nice size with 2 chairs and a table and a loungeer. We were on it often and liked it to sit in the morning for coffee and light breakfast and afternoon drinks and snacks. We liked it and booked the same type again. We thought it was a great locastion and easy to get to and only 1 deck down from the Lido deck and easy to go up there for the pool, lido grill and anything else. I think you'll love it. Have a great cruise.:):):)

 

We were able to get our cabin switched to 095. I think we will have a little more wrap around to starboard side and hopefully the same furniture configuration as what you had and what I assume 093 has.

[trident one]

I was in the cabin right below, on Veranda Deck and absolutely loved it in 2013 on Voyage of the Vikings. There's never any wind on the balcony, half of it is covered and it's quite large. The cabins on either end have larger balconies that go around the side a bit.

The view is wonderful. You'll love it. I took it as an upsell and, as a solo cruiser, had to pay double the upsell price, but it was worth it. One of the best cruises ever and I have over 800 days of cruising. The Veendam will be sailing out of Tampa next year, a handy nearby port, but I'll have to settle for something less than my one-time treat of that rear suite.

 

Silvercruiser, Oh my, 800 days at sea. We haven't cruised in awhile. We started doing driving vacations. Probably about 300 days and more miles behind the wheel then we care to think about. We are so happy to be going to sea once again. As the commercial says leave the driving to us or should I say the sailing to Hal.

 

If you leave from Tampa, do hope the notorious fog will never be a problem for you.

 

You never know the upsell fairy ( the elusive upgrade fairy would be better ) could sprinkle fantastic pixie dust on you for a rear suite or a mid-ship Neptune suite. That cabin and balcony will spoil you for life. I know from experience.

[trident one]

We were in Veendam 095 last February for the Panama Canal and in Ryndam 120 in December. The cabins were the same size, plenty of storage for two weeks for us, but we are moderate packers. We loved the aft wrap balcony for its panoramic view. The stern curves outward a bit so the middle balconies are a little deeper than what we had, just not so wide. The view of the wake is mesmerizing and I was amazed how often fishing boats fished the edge of our wake. We did have a bit of glug glug noises from the sink, but I don't recall it keeping us awake. There were also some loud noises coming from below when we backed up, but they never lasted long. The side door to the outside stairway, while heavy, was very convenient for going to and from the Lido on the deck above us. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Thank you Marigold,

 

You must have had a spectacular view of the closing of the lock doors. Would love to do that cruise again. DH won't go back until everything on the bucket list is done first. Unfortunately, some things on that list will not happen because of his health ( mostly health ) and world events

 

For most of our cruises we have had port side mid-ship balconies and one almost bow. Definitely time to be mesmerized by the wake ( can't wait to see the St. Lawrence )of the ship and hopefully, not to feel like your in a wind tunnel when standing at the rail.

[trident one]

We were in Veendam 095 last February for the Panama Canal and in Ryndam 120 in December. The cabins were the same size, plenty of storage for two weeks for us, but we are moderate packers. We loved the aft wrap balcony for its panoramic view. The stern curves outward a bit so the middle balconies are a little deeper than what we had, just not so wide. The view of the wake is mesmerizing and I was amazed how often fishing boats fished the edge of our wake. We did have a bit of glug glug noises from the sink, but I don't recall it keeping us awake. There were also some loud noises coming from below when we backed up, but they never lasted long. The side door to the outside stairway, while heavy, was very convenient for going to and from the Lido on the deck above us. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Marigold,

 

Thank You,

 

You must have had fantastic views of the lock doors closing. We are looking forward to the view of the St. Lawrence , being mesmerized by the wake and hopefully not feeling like your in a wind tunnel when standing at the rail.

 

I would do the Panama cruise over but, Dh will not go back to a place until the bucket list is completed. Unfortunately, because of health reasons and world events ( mostly his health ) I don't think the list will be completed. We have managed to cross off most of it.

 

Now that I think about it, we had glug noises and noxious odors occasionally in our sink on the Ryndam in 2002 and that was a mid-ship cabin on the Navigation deck. Could be a design flaw in the plumbing for that class ship.

[trident one]

We were in Veendam 095 last February for the Panama Canal and in Ryndam 120 in December. The cabins were the same size, plenty of storage for two weeks for us, but we are moderate packers. We loved the aft wrap balcony for its panoramic view. The stern curves outward a bit so the middle balconies are a little deeper than what we had, just not so wide. The view of the wake is mesmerizing and I was amazed how often fishing boats fished the edge of our wake. We did have a bit of glug glug noises from the sink, but I don't recall it keeping us awake. There were also some loud noises coming from below when we backed up, but they never lasted long. The side door to the outside stairway, while heavy, was very convenient for going to and from the Lido on the deck above us. Enjoy your cruise!

 

Marigold,

 

You must have had fantastic views of the lock doors closing. We are looking forward to the view of the St. Lawrence , being mesmerized by the wake and hopefully not feeling like your in a wind tunnel when standing at the rail.

 

I would do that cruise over but, Dh will not go back to a place until the bucket list is completed. Unfortunately, because of health reasons and world events ( mostly his health ) I don't think the list will be completed. We have managed to cross off most of it.

 

Now that I think about it, we had glug noises and noxious odors occasionally in our sink on the Ryndam in 2002 and that was a mid-ship cabin on the Navigation deck. Could be a design flaw in the plumbing for that class ship.

[Marigold252]

FYI, the other thing I forgot to mention, since the balcony is only partially covered, was the soot that accumulated on the railing, especially on sea days. Our cabin stewards were awesome, cleaning it daily and bringing in the cushions each night. We had booked a vista suite guarantee and were thrilled when we got the assignment. We loved it!

[trident one]

Thanks Marigold for telling me about the soot. Will be sure to pack some handi-wipes. We will be out on the balcony in the morning long before our cabin steward comes to clean the room. Made note to self to make sure cushions are in at night.

[galensgrl]

Trident one, we have just returned from an 18 day cruise on the Veendam in an aft cabin on the Navigation deck. (089). The cabin is the same size as the typical balcony cabins. Our daughter was in an A category cabin and the interior was identical. The balcony will be noticeably deeper. My 2 comments on your 095 location is you will hear a bit of deck chair 'shuffling" in the morning around 7 or so and likewise in the early evening for about 15 minutes when the staff cleans up or positions the loungers. It did not bother us although you can hear noise.

I don't know your itinerary but if you get into rough seas you will experience a significantly greater movement, particularly the pitching up and down. We have had other aft facing cabins and were prepared for this type of movement which does not bother us.

On the plus side, there is a stairway on the starboard side which goes up to the pool area on the Lido which is handy. Also, people looking over the aft railing on the Lido CANNOT look down directly into your balcony (they can on some of the other ships)

Enjoy your trip!

 

Hi, thank you for addressing the issue about noise from above from the deck chairs in that area of 089. We are in an aft cabin on the Navigation deck, and someone told us the noise will be horrible because we have a public space above us and not cabins. That made us worry a little, but if you have experienced staying in one of the aft cabins and you say it's not bad, I choose to believe you, an educated opinion is always better than an uneducated one lol :D This will be our first HAL cruise and not having a frame of reference yet of what the Veendam and HAL are like, we are going into it blind. Luckily the majority of people who post are people who love their HAL cruises, so we feel a little more confident every day that HAL will be a good fit for us.

 

Lorie

[Marigold252]

In two weeks we hardly ever heard the sound of moving the deck chairs. There aren't many that close to the rear rail. Smoking is allowed in the "Retreat", but that only bothered me when walking past a smoker, never when I was on my balcony.