Seeking Advice - Lanai Staterooms

[Happily@Sea]

14 hours ago, 32point5 said:

Hi GlennG, I'm going to be the negative Lanai supporter here.  We were on the Rotterdam from Feb 3-10/2019.  First the ship and her staff are spectacular and I would recommend the Rotterdam 100%.  I did not have a Lanai room however did walk past them many times using the Walking Deck.  I would not go out of my way to get one.  Yes the convenience to outside is great, especially if you had friends sharing a room nearby, but it seems like you are always on display.  I couldn't help but trying to take a peek in rooms if the door was open or looking at what people were doing while sitting on the chairs.  The chairs really need to be replaced, they are teak but well weathered and the chair mats are very stained and dirty looking.  If I had booked this type of room, I would have been disappointed.  Now I'll tell you my secret spot...we were on the second floor oceanview near the aft; at the end of the hall is a door with a porthole that backs right out on to an aft balcony with loungers.  Hardly anyone was ever out there, it was like my own personal aft stateroom!  Both 2nd and 3rd floors had this back aft balcony area. 

 

I was in that same area and didn't use the loungers because there are no cushions for them, and with a bad back, they were not my choice for any extended period. So after 1 try - I never used them again. But the area is great for docking and sailaways - if you like to watch that.

[Happily@Sea]

13 hours ago, Shmoo here said:

Did you have any issues with other people using your lounges?

 

The loungers are marked as reserved. There are a few unmarked ones that are available in those same areas - but not many. It is mostly a sea of 'reserved' mid ship.

[Vic The Parrot]

On 2/19/2019 at 10:50 PM, magictam said:

I have a Lanai booked on the Rotterdam in Sept. 2020. My first Lanai and I'm really looking forward to it. Do I really have to rent a cooler/refrigerator? If so, do per arrange that through guest services or after I get on the ship? Thanks for any feedback.

 

A few times when I had a cabin without an ice box, I purchased a bucket of beer, and used that as my cabin fridge.

 

Finish a few, then replenish with bottled water and sodas. Repeat.

 

And the cabin steward always kept fresh ice in it when needed.  😎

[Msrigby]

You can just ask your cabin steward for a bucket of ice.  We usually need one to chill wine.  S/he keeps it filled throughout the cruise along with our ice bucket.  I also think any bartender will provide one if asked.  I would tip the bartender as a courtesy. 

[Shmoo here]

10 hours ago, Happily@Sea said:

 

The loungers are marked as reserved. There are a few unmarked ones that are available in those same areas - but not many. It is mostly a sea of 'reserved' mid ship.

I know they are marked.  But the "reserved" plate is pretty small (at least it was on the ship I saw them on).  I was just wondering if sometimes people just see an empty lounger and take it.

 

[Happily@Sea]

Just now, Shmoo here said:

I know they are marked.  But the "reserved" plate is pretty small (at least it was on the ship I saw them on).  I was just wondering if sometimes people just see an empty lounger and take it.

 

 

On the Rotterdam, they were big blue chair-top covers. They covered the whole top bracket with big white lettering that said 'Reserved for Lanai Stateroom'. Impossible to miss or misinterpret. This was 3 weeks ago.

[Shmoo here]

4 minutes ago, Happily@Sea said:

 

On the Rotterdam, they were big blue chair-top covers. They covered the whole top bracket with big white lettering that said 'Reserved for Lanai Stateroom'. Impossible to miss or misinterpret. This was 3 weeks ago.

That's different than it was on our trip.  But that was a few years ago.  

[TAD2005]

We had cabin #3376 on the Rotterdam in March 2018.   That cabin is below the dishwashing section of the MDR galley and we did hear some noises in the early morning, but nothing to lose sleep over.

There was a sign above the lounge chairs marked as reserved for Lanai cabin guests.   (see pix below)  Only when we were sailing by the Pitons of St. Lucia did we have a couple camped out on our lounge chairs.   We wanted to use them, and we gestured to the sign above the chairs, and the guy said in broken English that he couldn't read the sign.  But the book on the lounge chair that he was reading at the time was in English.   The couple finally got the hint and moved on.   

There were very nice cushions on the chairs from 6:00 AM to about 8:30 PM.   The crew comes by every evening and removes the cushions, and returns them in the morning after washing down the promenade deck.  

[ithaca gal]

On ‎2‎/‎21‎/‎2019 at 7:22 PM, TAD2005 said:

We had cabin #3376 on the Rotterdam in March 2018.   That cabin is below the dishwashing section of the MDR galley and we did hear some noises in the early morning, but nothing to lose sleep over.

There was a sign above the lounge chairs marked as reserved for Lanai cabin guests.   (see pix below)  Only when we were sailing by the Pitons of St. Lucia did we have a couple camped out on our lounge chairs.   We wanted to use them, and we gestured to the sign above the chairs, and the guy said in broken English that he couldn't read the sign.  But the book on the lounge chair that he was reading at the time was in English.   The couple finally got the hint and moved on.   

There were very nice cushions on the chairs from 6:00 AM to about 8:30 PM.   The crew comes by every evening and removes the cushions, and returns them in the morning after washing down the promenade deck.  

Good catch on the English book!!!  When we sailed on the Rotterdam last fall, no one ever tried to use our chairs.  Thought it might be an issue but never was.

[HistoryTeacher]

My husband and I had a lanai stateroom on the Maasdam for the South Pacific cruise last spring, and we enjoyed it very much.  We like to walk, and it was convenient to have direct access to the Promenade Deck.  We also enjoyed our own deck chairs right outside our cabin.  We felt less isolated than in a veranda (which we had on other trips).  But this cabin will not be for everyone--the storage is less and the cabin is slightly smaller.  We did not have any problems with people on the outside seeing in; during daylight hours, the windows were reflective, and we kept the curtains drawn at night (with chip clips!).  Outside noise was not a problem; we could hear the tenders being lowered on tender port days, but we were up and dressing and it was not a distraction.

Edited March 1, 2019 by HistoryTeacher

[kickboxrca]

We had a lanai cabin on the Veendam going to Alaska.  It was the best cabin choice for us - we normally book a balcony, but if we are ever on a ship with a lanai, that would be our first choice.

 

On our ship, no one ever sat in our chairs, and the cushions were stored in our cabin at night - when the steward came in to turn down our bed, the cushions were stored behind the curtains.

 

I also tried to look in the windows, and could not see anything. 

[Rusty Scupper]

In January, we sailed 21 days on the Rotterdam and a week later boarded the Volendam for a cruise that ends tomorrow.    I had no problem with the Rotterdam, but it really was trending toward  shabby, with a lot of rust, chips and sloppy repairs, while the Volendam is remarkably well-kept. Even the mix of deck chairs on the Rotterdam was eclectic, with the traditional wood chairs only present outside the lanai cabins. The   outside doors on the Rotterdam's lanai cabins showed a lot of wear with makeshift repairs and patches. Overall, there was nothing terrible, but it was hard to believe that the two ships of similar age  belonged to the same fleet. We sailed on the Statendam shortly before she was sold, and she was in better shape.  On the other hand, the Rotterdam's crew and operations functioned better than the Volendam.

[CM1984]

On ‎2‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 5:39 PM, magictam said:

 I have the same cabin set for April 2020.   So I look forward to hearing your thoughts about it when you get back.  I hope you took lots of pictures and will share them.  And I hope you thoroughly enjoy yourself.

 

Hi magictam - I posted something about 3368 on Rotterdam Lanai Thread after the first night on the Rotterdam.  After we had a full week in the Lanai 3368, my opinion differed just a bit.  Here you go:

1.  Noise level from above, minimal, if you look on Deck Plans you will see just a "bit" of the kitchen is above, and we heard ONLY just a BIT.  The noise level is not an issue.

2.  3368 - Deck sliding door has moisture between 2 pieces of glass, but got less throughout week.  There is permanent clouding at bottom of door but was not an issue. 

3.  If you have been in a balcony cabin on another HAL, you will realize this cabin is smaller, but not significantly.

4.  Storage - I found it to have more  storage or better organized than the Eurodam or Zuiderdam.  Personal opinion - and I took just as much.

5.  No magnetic walls.

6.  NO noise from cabins on either side, barely heard their toilet flush.

7.  Only way you can look inside the cabin from the outside desk is press your face and hands against the glass.  Close those curtains at night.

8.  Couch only a 2 seater, not as big as a balcony

9.  Outlets - 2 USB on desk/vanity & 1 220 - 1 110v - that's it.  Bring an extension cord, multi-USB charger - I got one from Amazon, worked great.

10.  Okay - and I would rather not have to say, but you need to know - the A/C was working poorly throughout the week, without them being able to fix.  They gave us a fan, plus a dinner at Pinnacle plus $350 OBC.  VERY nice of them.  And I believe it was affecting other cabins in our row, too.

11.  Lastly, we did like the option of going out directly on the deck, but we really like the privacy of a balcony cabin better.

 

A few more: 

--Of all the ships we have ever cruised on, 2 other HAL within last year, the Rotterdam's water was outstanding!  I'd drink it anytime and not waste $ on bottled water, and I'm picky.  Everyone should learn from them!

--The crew was outstanding in service, professional and kindness! 

--We had Anytime Dining and never had a problem getting a table, BUT we were not picky, and enjoyed sitting with strangers, who then became friends.

[magictam]

21 hours ago, CM1984 said:

 

Hi magictam - I posted something about 3368 on Rotterdam Lanai Thread after the first night on the Rotterdam.  After we had a full week in the Lanai 3368, my opinion differed just a bit.  Here you go:

Thank you so much for your insights and suggestions. I 'm sure we will have a great time and hopefully the air problems will be resolved by 2020 🙂.  Again, Thanks!

 

[Dive Master]

21 hours ago, CM1984 said:

 

Hi magictam - I posted something about 3368 on Rotterdam Lanai Thread after the first night on the Rotterdam.  After we had a full week in the Lanai 3368, my opinion differed just a bit.  Here you go:

1.  Noise level from above, minimal, if you look on Deck Plans you will see just a "bit" of the kitchen is above, and we heard ONLY just a BIT.  The noise level is not an issue.

2.  3368 - Deck sliding door has moisture between 2 pieces of glass, but got less throughout week.  There is permanent clouding at bottom of door but was not an issue. 

3.  If you have been in a balcony cabin on another HAL, you will realize this cabin is smaller, but not significantly.

4.  Storage - I found it to have more  storage or better organized than the Eurodam or Zuiderdam.  Personal opinion - and I took just as much.

5.  No magnetic walls.

6.  NO noise from cabins on either side, barely heard their toilet flush.

7.  Only way you can look inside the cabin from the outside desk is press your face and hands against the glass.  Close those curtains at night.

8.  Couch only a 2 seater, not as big as a balcony

9.  Outlets - 2 USB on desk/vanity & 1 220 - 1 110v - that's it.  Bring an extension cord, multi-USB charger - I got one from Amazon, worked great.

10.  Okay - and I would rather not have to say, but you need to know - the A/C was working poorly throughout the week, without them being able to fix.  They gave us a fan, plus a dinner at Pinnacle plus $350 OBC.  VERY nice of them.  And I believe it was affecting other cabins in our row, too.

11.  Lastly, we did like the option of going out directly on the deck, but we really like the privacy of a balcony cabin better.

 

A few more: 

--Of all the ships we have ever cruised on, 2 other HAL within last year, the Rotterdam's water was outstanding!  I'd drink it anytime and not waste $ on bottled water, and I'm picky.  Everyone should learn from them!

--The crew was outstanding in service, professional and kindness! 

--We had Anytime Dining and never had a problem getting a table, BUT we were not picky, and enjoyed sitting with strangers, who then became friends.

 We were on the Rotterdam March 3 rd  through the 10 th. We had AC issues also. The cabin stayed about 82-85 degrees and got really stuffy at night. The Front Desk admitted we were not the only ones. They had run out of fans so we did not get one. We got a $300 credit but no Pinnacle dinner. This did not ruin our cruise but I prefer to have AC.