Insider Cabin for 3?

[ninefishes]

Hi,

 

We've booked Zaandam to Alaska in August (14-day): a couple in 40s and a 14-year old. While we've cruised on Disney, Celebrity and Princess a few times before, this will be our first time with Holland America.

 

Our agent booked an MM category for us knowing that we are all active and only use the room changing and sleeping. I learned that HAL's insider cabin is about the same size as Disney's, but still wondering whether it would be too small for three of us. :confused: I'd like to hear some opinions from you experienced HAL cruisers.

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

CZ

Edited May 3, 2015 by ninefishes

[1of4]

We had done two cruises as a family of 4 in "L" class interior staterooms with plenty of room. I have no experience with the MM category. One cruise was to Alaska on the Volendam and one to the Caribbean on the Ryndam.

 

We just finished a 20 day in a quad VC cabin on the Westerdam.

 

I can say from experience that Disney has more storage and a better layout, but we were never short of storage on either HAL ships. See if your TA can tell you the space difference between the L and MM categories.

[ninefishes]

Thanks, 1 of 4.

 

I talked to our TA and she told me that all large inside cabin categories (I, J, K, L, M and MM) are the same size and the price difference is due to the different locations. I'm not very convinced by her answer though.

 

CZ

[1of4]

If it helps, here is a picture of the L inside on the Volendam, cabin 2664. I was unpacking so please excuse the mess!

 

On the Ryndam we separated the main bed into two so it was like bunk beds on one side:

[ninefishes]

These photos are helpful!

 

It seems the cabin would be big enough for us. DD was expecting a bunk bed (she thought it was on top of the sofa bed, like the one in Disney Cruise cabin), and now she changed her mind after seeing the photos. :)

 

Thanks!

 

CZ

[oofroggie]

On most cabins on HA the 3rd bed is a couch and big enough for a adult. I am 71 years young and have spent many nights on that couch.

[take us away]

If you have the main bed separated as twins as in the 2nd photo, there is more floor space and the illusion of much more room in the cabin. Plus, no worries about hitting your head on the drop-down bed in the middle of the night. The "visiting" is also fun later in the evening........

[ninefishes]

Thank you, Oofroggie and Take Us Away!

 

Just called my TA to confirm that we need twin beds plus a sofa bed, instead of a queen. :)

 

Looking forward to our 1st time HAL experience!

Edited May 4, 2015 by ninefishes

[sunnygidget]

The closet area has a curtain to the main cabin, making it a great dressing room. We did 3 adults with no problems. Sometimes 1 showered, 1 was dressing in the curtained area and 1 was finishing in the main cabin. We just shouted out if it okay to enter an area and got an okay before moving thru, worked great.

 

Enjoyed the bunk bed as it can go up or down for more room, we had it a little lower so that I could sit in the top bunk without hitting my head. Having a bunk instead of using the sofa left that area as a sitting area and the end of the room where the beds were as more of a bedroom area.

 

We never seemed to get in each others way and had plenty of storage space for all of us.

[jtl513]

Just called my TA to confirm that we need twin beds plus a sofa bed, instead of a queen.

The "queen" beds on HAL are twins pushed together with a pad that covers the crack. When you first enter the cabin you will most likely see them set up as a queen, and the steward will split them when you ask. We almost always ask for the twin setup when booking, and have yet to find it when we board.

 

:)

Edited May 4, 2015 by jtl513

[take us away]

We have been fortunate to have twins specified and also set up that way when we have embarked in the past few cruises. If it is set up as a queen, just ask your steward, when he stops by to introduce himself/herself, to split these into twins while you are at dinner (and let him know when you will be at dinner).

[ninefishes]

We actually never had twin beds before. DH prefers queen bed, but agrees with me that we'll go with whatever it is when we get on board. :)

I guess we can ask the steward to make the change if we don't like the way it looks.

Edited May 4, 2015 by ninefishes

[jlp879]

Thanks, 1 of 4.

 

I talked to our TA and she told me that all large inside cabin categories (I, J, K, L, M and MM) are the same size and the price difference is due to the different locations. I'm not very convinced by her answer though.

 

CZ

 

I wouldn't be convinced by your TA's answers either. We had an inside J category on our last cruise, it was huge, the biggest cabin I've ever been in. 1074 Main Deck on Zuiderdam.

 

Another time on the Nieuw Amsterdam, we had an inside spa stateroom and that was certainly the smallest cabin I'd ever been in. That one was an inside guarantee. That was truly a cabin for only sleeping and showering!