Are these good cabins? Westerdam - VB and VC (balcony)

[cruisingattitude]

Hi. We initially planned to book two outside cabins in Westerdam, but after reading reviews here that for Alaska cruise, balcony cabins are essential, I am leaning towards them.

 

Upon checking availability, it appears that 5012 (VB-quad) and 5014 (VC-double) are available right now as connecting rooms.

 

Do you think these will be a good choice? Anything I should be mindful of? FYI, we are first-time cruisers of two seniors, two adults, and two children (9 and 6.)

 

[SilvertoGold]

Looks as if these are both VCs and not connecting rooms, although both are quads.

 

Forward that far can have a bit more movement than other cabins, but they look OK to me. No outstanding negatives!

[cruisingattitude]

Looks as if these are both VCs and not connecting rooms, although both are quads.

 

I checked HAL website, and it appears that the image I posted is an outdated one. Here is the current one.

 

[SilvertoGold]

I checked HAL website, and it appears that the image I posted is an outdated one. Here is the current one.

 

 

That is better!

 

Not sure why you think these are connecting cabins.

 

And one is a quad, one a regular double.

Will this be enough for 6 pax?

Edited February 17, 2016 by SilvertoGold

[jtl513]

Hi. We initially planned to book two outside cabins in Westerdam, but after reading reviews here that for Alaska cruise, balcony cabins are essential, I am leaning towards them.

I disagree that balcony cabins are "essential". We've been on two AK cruises in Outsides and whenever we were in scenic cruising areas we went to upper public ship decks. If you have a balcony what you want to see at any given time may be on the other side of the ship, and you have to go elsewhere.

 

Also, weather can make your balcony virtually unusable. On one of our two AK cruises a friend had a balcony, and I think she used it maybe two hours total the entire week.

[SilvertoGold]

I disagree that balcony cabins are "essential". We've been on two AK cruises in Outsides and whenever we were in scenic cruising areas we went to upper public ship decks. If you have a balcony what you want to see at any given time may be on the other side of the ship, and you have to go elsewhere.

 

Also, weather can make your balcony virtually unusable. On one of our two AK cruises a friend had a balcony, and I think she used it maybe two hours total the entire week.

 

I agree with this assessment. Having sailed Alaska twice annually for many years I concur with the idea that outside is way better for scenic viewing.

 

Considering when the OP is planning to sail, I know it could be too cold for using a balcony much. Wind is a big factor, too.

 

My other concern is the "V" cabins have a bad arrangement for quads, with one bunk right over the main bed, making that bed's head room very low.

 

Three to a cabin would perhaps work better.

Edited February 17, 2016 by SilvertoGold

[Viesczy]

I disagree that balcony cabins are "essential". We've been on two AK cruises in Outsides and whenever we were in scenic cruising areas we went to upper public ship decks. If you have a balcony what you want to see at any given time may be on the other side of the ship, and you have to go elsewhere.

 

Also, weather can make your balcony virtually unusable. On one of our two AK cruises a friend had a balcony, and I think she used it maybe two hours total the entire week.

 

^great points to consider!

 

Warm weather, I have no worries/concerns/hesitations to justify a balcony.

 

Cold weather, the cost per day difference compared to the time spent on the balcony can really make that time on balcony stupid pricey.

[janmcn]

Personally, the larger inside "J" cabins on the Westerdam would fit your needs better. Sleeping is better in the dark and they handle 3 and 4 passengers well (we have 4 booked for the NA in Ak this summer.) I agree that you will want to be on the Promenade Decks or up high or Crow's Nest more than on your own verandah. Look into those "j"s...they go fast though.

 

 

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[Lizzie68]

I disagree that balcony cabins are "essential". We've been on two AK cruises in Outsides and whenever we were in scenic cruising areas we went to upper public ship decks. If you have a balcony what you want to see at any given time may be on the other side of the ship, and you have to go elsewhere.

 

Also, weather can make your balcony virtually unusable. On one of our two AK cruises a friend had a balcony, and I think she used it maybe two hours total the entire week.

 

Absolutely true. For Alaska - and the Panama - you need to be viewing from all areas of the ship, do not just stick to your balcony or you can miss lots. I remember the last Alaska cruise where my DH and our cabin-neighbour totally missed the fabulous show put on my the pod of whales on the other side because they stayed on the balcony.

[AliceS]

Personally, the larger inside "J" cabins on the Westerdam would fit your needs better. Sleeping is better in the dark and they handle 3 and 4 passengers well (we have 4 booked for the NA in Ak this summer.) I agree that you will want to be on the Promenade Decks or up high or Crow's Nest more than on your own verandah. Look into those "j"s...they go fast though.

 

 

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I'm happy to hear you say that the j cabins are nice. I have one for a cruise in April and was getting concerned about the inside room. I've never been on Holland and the cruise was so expensive that inside was my only option.

[RuthC]

I'm happy to hear you say that the j cabins are nice.

It's the J- (and K-) cabins on Main Deck only that are huge. The J-cabins on higher decks are not.

Hope that's where you are located.

There really is plenty of room to move around in them; the bathroom is plenty adequate (except for enough upper shelf space).

[summersigh]

Hi. We initially planned to book two outside cabins in Westerdam, but after reading reviews here that for Alaska cruise, balcony cabins are essential, I am leaning towards them.

 

We had a balcony when we did our Alaska cruise (the one that hooked us on cruising :) ) We used it a lot. We had windbreaker jackets with us so that wasn't an issue and we were lucky to have weather that was great for spending time outside. We took a lot of photos from there as well as enjoyed more than a glass or 2 of wine out there watching the scenery slip by.

 

For "big viewing events" like Glacier Bay we did go up on deck but in Alaska, more than anywhere else, I'd want a balcony.

[cruisingattitude]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I haven't finished my booking yet. :(

 

Now, hopefully the final question.

 

If you have a choice for two balcony rooms, would you choose,

 

1. a set of VB5004 and VB5003

 

or

 

2. a set VB5004 and VB5006

 

The first option is to have both rooms on one side of the ship, while the second option is to have one room each on both sides of the ship.

[Boytjie]

If you are still looking for cabins that connect (that is via a door between the cabins and not via the balcony partition being opened), you need to find combination marked with a '+' next to it, e.g. 5115/5117.

[Boytjie]

I don't think one side would be better than the other, necessarily. Some say that at glaciers one side may get more view time than the other when the ship swings around.

 

I would book aft cabins before I book one that far up front, if I was a new cruiser. The front feels movement more than the back.

 

I agree with those that say you a need a balcony cabin is not essential in Alaska; we had an obstructed view when we went - quick to get to the promenade deck for any viewing and we could get natural light in the cabin but looking straight out the window we saw part of the ship, not scenery.

 

Having just traveled in one of the large inside cabins on Main deck (K and J categories), I would suggest looking at getting two of those that connect. Those cabins are very big and with six people,that would be nice to have.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Boytjie

[cruisingattitude]

Having just traveled in one of the large inside cabins on Main deck (K and J categories), I would suggest looking at getting two of those that connect. Those cabins are very big and with six people,that would be nice to have.

 

Thanks so much for your detailed response. Unfortunately for the date we would like to travel, J and K cabins appear to have been all sold out.

[jtl513]

Sorry to resurrect this thread, but I haven't finished my booking yet. :(

 

Now, hopefully the final question.

 

If you have a choice for two balcony rooms, would you choose,

 

1. a set of VB5004 and VB5003

 

or

 

2. a set VB5004 and VB5006

 

The first option is to have both rooms on one side of the ship, while the second option is to have one room each on both sides of the ship.

If you took opposite sides (003/004) then four of you could go to whichever side had the better view at the time. But note that when doing "scenic cruising" in Glacier Bay the bulkhead doors out to the front deck should be open and you can all go out there.