Nieuw Amsterdam Alaska Question re Neptune Suite

[emjayel56]

Hi All. I just booked the inside passage from Vancouver on the Nieuw Amsterdam May 2017. I booked a Neptune Suite, cabin 6060 which is pretty mid-ship. I have the opportunity to book a Neptune Suite in the aft corner (8169, 6164 or 5186). I am leery because it is the back of the ship and worry about the motion of the up and down as well as any vibration noise from engines. Have any of you sailed in any of the cabins and if so, any pros and cons you can suggest.

 

I believe the corner suites have balcony on both sides so if that's the case I won't miss anything from the side but would welcome any comments, suggestions from you veteran travelers. Many thanks.

MaryJo

[kazu]

Hi All. I just booked the inside passage from Vancouver on the Nieuw Amsterdam May 2017. I booked a Neptune Suite, cabin 6060 which is pretty mid-ship. I have the opportunity to book a Neptune Suite in the aft corner (8169, 6164 or 5186). I am leery because it is the back of the ship and worry about the motion of the up and down as well as any vibration noise from engines. Have any of you sailed in any of the cabins and if so, any pros and cons you can suggest.

 

I believe the corner suites have balcony on both sides so if that's the case I won't miss anything from the side but would welcome any comments, suggestions from you veteran travelers. Many thanks.

MaryJo

 

Mary Jo,

 

there are a lot of fans of the aft cabins out there so you will get lots of reasons to book them.

 

the verandah is larger but the room is smaller.

 

We only did one and DH doesn't like the vibrations, etc. And is subject to mal de mer. He only goes out to the balcony to look and sit for an hour or two (I am perched there a lot). He likes his space in the cabin.

 

So, for us a mid ship location that with a room that is larger is better. The verandah does the trick for both of us.

 

It comes down to YOUR preference.

 

where are you BOTH going to spend your time? What if you have really inclement weather or hit rough seas?

 

The views from an aft are tremendous but stoopid me, I don't like to see where we have been - I want to see where we are going.

 

So, it comes down to preferences. Some of the ships we sail on do not have aft cabins (and bigger Verandahs)

 

for those that do, we opt for mid ship.

 

But, if you have no mal de mer issues, noises and vibration don't bother you (it's not that bad) and you spend your time on the verandah, then I would do the aft.

 

If any of the above apply,I would stay where you are.

 

I know I could be flamed since the arts are loved by many, but they are not for everyone.

Edited August 5, 2016 by kazu

[Krazy Kruizers]

People we met on an Alaskan cruise had a party in their aft wrap around balcony.

We noticed how much smaller the cabin was.

We like to sit on our verandah and people watch.

The biggest part of the aft wrap around balcony is at the rear -- not the side . We could not fit 2 chairs and table on the side.

Like the above poster, we like to see where we are going and not where we have been.

[3rdGenCunarder]

I'm not going to flame Kazu--there are pros and cons. I'm glad some people don't like the aft corners--cuts down on the competition for them. :D

 

I love them for the large balconies. We've only done corner afts on the Vistas, where some are very large. I think the balconies on NA are not like that. Still a wrap, which is nice, just not huge. FWIW, three times in a corner aft (twice on 7, once on 8) and no vibration issues at all. NA is similar to the Vistas so I would think you'd be OK for vibrations.

 

But yes, if the seas get rough, you do get more movement at the ends of the ship. One time, we were pitching so much that the drawers under the bed kept sliding open!

[Crew News]

Hi All. I just booked the inside passage from Vancouver on the Nieuw Amsterdam May 2017. I booked a Neptune Suite, cabin 6060 which is pretty mid-ship. I have the opportunity to book a Neptune Suite in the aft corner (8169, 6164 or 5186). I am leery because it is the back of the ship and worry about the motion of the up and down as well as any vibration noise from engines. Have any of you sailed in any of the cabins and if so, any pros and cons you can suggest.

 

I believe the corner suites have balcony on both sides so if that's the case I won't miss anything from the side but would welcome any comments, suggestions from you veteran travelers. Many thanks.

MaryJo

 

As a devotee of aft-wrap staterooms and occupier of SB5186 in May 2016, I can report that it is an ideal verandah for seeing Alaska. IMHO 20 of your fellow passengers can stand at the railing on the side portion of the verandah and at least five more on the aft portion. While standing at the railing (out of the wind), you have a much wider panorama view than those in the side Neptune Suites.

 

With an aft verandah, you can enjoy it even when the ship is moving because you are out of the wind. Lunch and dinner while the ship is moving is a real treat. The side portion is fully-covered and the aft portion is 2/3d covered. The difference in cabin size appears to be about three feet less distance between the bed and the coffee table in the aft-wrap staterooms. There is ample room to drive in and turn around a scooter.

 

Here is a link to my SB5186 photos from May 2016:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-nieuw-amsterdam-on-board-images/ms-nieuw-amsterdam-cabinsstaterooms/nggallery/page/3

 

A favorite advantage of an aft-wrap is the short elevator ride up to the Lido Market and down to the MDR. It is also a short elevator trip from Room Service to your stateroom that ensure hot foods remain so when delivered. There is also very little foot traffic in the corner. It is also necessary to state that it is a good stroll to the Neptune Lounge if that is a major concern.

 

I don't remember any vibration or excessive engine noise. The sound of the wake does make for some very peaceful sleeping.

Edited August 5, 2016 by Crew News

[emjayel56]

As a devotee of aft-wrap staterooms and occupier of SB5186 in May 2016, I can report that it is an ideal verandah for seeing Alaska. IMHO 20 of your fellow passengers can stand at the railing on the side portion of the verandah and at least five more on the aft portion. While standing at the railing (out of the wind), you have a much wider panorama view than those in the side Neptune Suites.

 

With an aft verandah, you can enjoy it even when the ship is moving because you are out of the wind. Lunch and dinner while the ship is moving is a real treat. The side portion is fully-covered and the aft portion is 2/3d covered. The difference in cabin size appears to be about three feet less distance between the bed and the coffee table in the aft-wrap staterooms. There is ample room to drive in and turn around a scooter.

 

Here is a link to my SB5186 photos from May 2016:

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/photo-reviews/ms-nieuw-amsterdam-on-board-images/ms-nieuw-amsterdam-cabinsstaterooms/nggallery/page/3

 

A favorite advantage of an aft-wrap is the short elevator ride up to the Lido Market and down to the MDR. It is also a short elevator trip from Room Service to your stateroom that ensure hot foods remain so when delivered. There is also very little foot traffic in the corner. It is also necessary to state that it is a good stroll to the Neptune Lounge if that is a major concern.

 

I don't remember any vibration or excessive engine noise. The sound of the wake does make for some very peaceful sleeping.

 

Thank you for sharing your pictures and input. Thank you alll this is very helpful information in making my decision. I appreciate all the details you shared. Happy sailing everyone. MJ

[alwaysfrantic]

I have been aft, aft wrap, side, higher, lower. I honestly have never felt any difference in movement. The aft views are the best because you can see everything, including the same side view in the wrap one. I absolutely would pick the aft wrap if money is not a hinderance.

[Heartgrove]

We had SA7065 this past May. I liked being on the same deck and conveniently close to the Neptune Lounge. Handy for afternoon coffee and treats - among other amenities! ;)

 

The sea day after we left Ketchikan (same day that the Celebrity Infinity wrecked Pier 3 in Ketchikan) was the only day we didn't use the balcony with the somewhat rough seas until getting into protected waters. I would think that the aft wraps felt some motion that day.

[bennybear]

With luck you should only have a small amount of open water as you are doing the inside passage. We were on a wrap on navigation deck on the NA in the med and I who am subject to queasiness only had a few hours but so did most of the ship, the cabin was a dream and the balcony heaven! I loved the wake, so each to their own. One of our best memories is having a full dinner on the balcony complete with linens as we sailed through the Greek islands. Have fun!

[kalliekae]

We had 8169 on a Caribbean cruise. I'm glad we booked it and we enjoyed the wrap around balcony as the views were very nice. As others have stated, there really isn't much room on the side balcony so we rarely used it other than to stand there for a quick look see. It was also quite windy when we were at sea. We did feel more movement than what we had felt on previous cruises when we stayed mid ship in a Neptune suite. We ran into a storm one night and I was very queasy. The drawers under the bed would not stay closed and that was annoying. I needed some duct tape! One disadvantage of this cabin was the long walk to and from anything on the ship including the Neptune lounge. Although we enjoyed this cabin on that cruise, we will not book it again. We prefer mid-ship cabins.

[jvalentine]

We try and get the aft wraps whenever possible...this cruise you'll have a little bit of open water, but a majority of your time you'll be in what should be fairly smooth seas as others have said. And...you'll love the balcony in Alaska. Did the same itinerary a few years ago on the Noordam in a wrap. It is amazing!