Promenade deck sitting and chairs, Rotterdam

[vmom]

We have booked the Panama Canal cruise on the Rotterdam.

 

Looking at pictures of the ship.  Looks to me like there are large sliding glass cabin doors on the Promenade deck with  two chairs next to each door/window.

 

Are these chairs reserved for the cabin occupants?   Am I looking at the correct pictures of the promenade? 

 

Is there some other deck other than the Lido deck to sit on the lounge chairs, relax and look out at the water.  If the promenade deck lounges are not reserved for the cabins if I sit on one am I going to get dirty looks and push back from the occupants of the cabins?   Any other better alternative lounge chairs that are in the shade (important) and not around the pool with a good view of the water? 

 

I have cruised on the Zaandam, Noordam, Nieuw Amsterdam, and Eurodam and never before seen a promenade deck like the pictures I see of the Rotterdam.  Any feedback would be much appreciated. 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes there are 2 loungers reserved for each Lanai cabin.

 

There will be a few that are not reserved that you can sit on.  There are little metal plates on the reserved ones.

[vmom]

Just now, Krazy Kruizers said:

Yes there are 2 loungers reserved for each Lanai cabin.

 

There will be a few that are not reserved that you can sit on.  There are little metal plates on the reserved ones.

Thank you.

That's very disappointing.  If I had know that most of the loungers on the promenade were reserved, I would not have booked this ship.  I guess lesson learned.  I thought it would be more similar to the Zaandam.  Never heard of reserved loungers on Promenade deck before so I guess it wasn't even on my radar. 

 

Do you remember if there were many available loungers someplace else that are not close to the pool (too congested and noisy) and yet in the shade?  

 

[catl331]

39 minutes ago, vmom said:

If I had know that most of the loungers on the promenade were reserved,

The reserved loungers are only next to the CA (Lanai) cabins in the center of the ship, roughly from 3328 to 3381, excluding 8 D cabins mixed in. That's less than half the deck length.  Loungers next to HH, H, and EE cabins are available to all.

[sevenseasnomad]

I know you want to be outside to enjoy the sounds of the ocean, and I don't blame you.  If you want a panoramic view, try the Crow's Nest, but, of course, it's indoor seating.  It's also quiet (most of the time).  There are tables and chairs in a covered area at the pool on aft Lido Deck that we enjoyed a lot.  It was shaded and quiet, since it's supposed to be an adult-only area, at least it was on our cruise.

 

We also splurged and booked a Lanai Cabin.  It was wonderful having the reserved deck chairs waiting for us whenever we felt like using them.  Once, we even had room service lunch delivered there. 

 

As your embarkation date approaches, keep checking prices.  If there is a price drop, you may be able to snag one of the Lanai Cabins for a few $ more than what you've already paid. (Sorry, but I'm assuming you booked an inside because if you are in a balcony you have a private spot to sit outside.)  Of course, it would mean rebooking and possibly losing a set dining time etc.  Just a suggestion to assure you have a deck chair on Promenade.  Something to think about, maybe?

[MAVIP]

1 hour ago, vmom said:

Do you remember if there were many available loungers someplace else that are not close to the pool (too congested and noisy) and yet in the shade?  

 

On the ms Rotterdam you can find loungers on Main deck Aft to be reached by the doors near cabin 2702 and 2709.  DH and I remember to have seen them over there on several cruises on the ship.

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, catl331 said:

The reserved loungers are only next to the CA (Lanai) cabins in the center of the ship, roughly from 3328 to 3381, excluding 8 D cabins mixed in. That's less than half the deck length.  Loungers next to HH, H, and EE cabins are available to all.

This may be true, but the area with the reserved loungers is the section of the deck with the open rails. Elsewhere on the deck, you may be looking at the solid  rail and not the water.

 

Hint: only two lounge chairs are reserved for the lanai cabins. All the space in front of those cabins is not reserved. Get a lounge chair and place it in the public space not occupied by the reserved chairs (Don't block the cabin entrance).

[Homosassa]

5 minutes ago, sevenseasnomad said:

 

 

As your embarkation date approaches, keep checking prices.  If there is a price drop, you may be able to snag one of the Lanai Cabins for a few $ more than what you've already paid. (Sorry, but I'm assuming you booked an inside because if you are in a balcony you have a private spot to sit outside.)  Of course, it would mean rebooking and possibly losing a set dining time etc.  Just a suggestion to assure you have a deck chair on Promenade.  Something to think about, maybe?

Just keep in mind that if you book a lanai cabin, there may be days when your side of the ship is not the preferred side to be on because of wind, weather conditions or sun.

 

It is also possible that scheduled maintenance may need to be done that either closes the section of the deck where your chairs are located or the noise will drive you elsewhere.

 

Also, you will hear deck noise in the lanai and oceanview cabins on that deck as people talk outside your cabin and the nightly/early morning ritual of deck clearing and chair removal and setting up happens.

[sevenseasnomad]

1 minute ago, Homosassa said:

Just keep in mind that if you book a lanai cabin, there may be days when your side of the ship is not the preferred side to be on because of wind, weather conditions or sun.

 

It is also possible that scheduled maintenance may need to be done that either closes the section of the deck where your chairs are located or the noise will drive you elsewhere.

 

Also, you will hear deck noise in the lanai and oceanview cabins on that deck as people talk outside your cabin and the nightly/early morning ritual of deck clearing and chair removal and setting up happens.

Yes, I'm aware that can happen, (we'd been warned beforehand but wanted to try this category cabin, since I've stayed in all the other categories at least once)but we were never aware of any of it.  I suppose we either slept too heavily, or we weren't in the cabin when people were talking.  Our cabin seemed to be very sound-proof.  I have a lanai booked for our Christmas cruise 2020 on Volendam.  

[Homosassa]

I was posting the information for the OP.

 

I am a light sleeper and had problems with the deck noise when we were upgraded to an ocean view cabin on that deck.

[BJzink]

4 hours ago, vmom said:

Thank you.

That's very disappointing.  If I had know that most of the loungers on the promenade were reserved, I would not have booked this ship.  I guess lesson learned.  I thought it would be more similar to the Zaandam.  Never heard of reserved loungers on Promenade deck before so I guess it wasn't even on my radar. 

 

Do you remember if there were many available loungers someplace else that are not close to the pool (too congested and noisy) and yet in the shade?  

 

I just disembarked the Rotterdam on 11/20/19, 32 day cruise.  There were lots & lots of loungers over & above the Lanai ones.  I usually found one at the stern.  No problem finding them......

 

[BJzink]

2 hours ago, Homosassa said:

This may be true, but the area with the reserved loungers is the section of the deck with the open rails. Elsewhere on the deck, you may be looking at the solid  rail and not the water.

 

Hint: only two lounge chairs are reserved for the lanai cabins. All the space in front of those cabins is not reserved. Get a lounge chair and place it in the public space not occupied by the reserved chairs (Don't block the cabin entrance).

Isn't that where people walk?

[vmom]

Thank you for your great feedback and suggestions.

 

We are booked in a window/outside view cabin. This was booked last minute and all the veranda and Lanai cabins were taken.  Our choices at the time were suites, outside view and inside cabins.  If an up sell comes along I’ll grab it.  

 

Edited December 8, 2019 by vmom

[existentialtraveler]

9 hours ago, vmom said:

Thank you for your great feedback and suggestions.

 

We are booked in a window/outside view cabin. This was booked last minute and all the veranda and Lanai cabins were taken.  Our choices at the time were suites, outside view and inside cabins.  If an up sell comes along I’ll grab it.  

 

We were on the Rotterdam in March 2019 and had similar concerns about the Promenade deck. No need to worry. There are plenty of "public" loungers. You may want to take a look at my youtube video from that cruise. It is a bit long with lot of photos of my wife and me, but also LOTS of photos of the ship and the ports. It might help allay some of your fears.

 

Edited December 8, 2019 by existentialtraveler

[MAVIP]

35 minutes ago, existentialtraveler said:

We were on the Rotterdam in March 2019 and had similar concerns about the Promenade deck. No need to worry. There are plenty of "public" loungers. You may want to take a look at my youtube video from that cruise. It is a bit long with lot of photos of my wife and me, but also LOTS of photos of the ship and the ports. It might help allay some of your fears.

 

Pity, blocked, not to be viewed in our country.

[existentialtraveler]

1 minute ago, MAVIP said:

Pity, blocked, not to be viewed in our country.

Copyright laws. One or more of the songs I used must violate copyright laws in your country and the video is, therefore, blocked. 

[Homosassa]

14 hours ago, BJzink said:

Isn't that where people walk?

I am not sure  what your question is?

 

Yes, the Promenade deck is where people walk and some inconsiderate people will jog.

 

The Promenade is wide. Lounge chairs are placed along the walls, not the rails, allowing plenty of room for walkers or standing at the rail (I have run into a few Lanai passengers who though they "owned"  all the space in front of their chairs and told us to move when we were standing at the rail during a port departure because we were blocking their view - it didn't happen).

 

My suggestion was about placing lounge chairs in the wall space in the Lanai cabin area next to the reserved loungers.

 

[MAVIP]

3 hours ago, Homosassa said:

My suggestion was about placing lounge chairs in the wall space in the Lanai cabin area next to the reserved loungers.

 

If I understand you well, my answer would be: they (quite d few) already are. Anyway during the last cruises we did on the Rotterdam. And most trips we had a cabin on the Lower Promenade deck. 

[Homosassa]

29 minutes ago, MAVIP said:

If I understand you well, my answer would be: they (quite d few) already are. Anyway during the last cruises we did on the Rotterdam. And most trips we had a cabin on the Lower Promenade deck. 

Glad to hear that. 

 

On our last Rotterdam cruise, the "public" chairs were placed beyond the the Lanai cabin areas  in thesolid metal rail area.

[DeeniEncinitas]

25 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Glad to hear that. 

 

On our last Rotterdam cruise, the "public" chairs were placed beyond the the Lanai cabin areas  in thesolid metal rail area.

That is how it was also on the Rotterdam for us and on The Maasdam too!

Denise😊

[vmom]

4 hours ago, Homosassa said:

Glad to hear that. 

 

On our last Rotterdam cruise, the "public" chairs were placed beyond the the Lanai cabin areas  in thesolid metal rail area.

So basically the chairs with a sea view are the reserved seats and the seats that are open to anyone are the ones in back of the white metal sides on the ship, usually a solid  half walled railing. Disappointing. 

 

[Homosassa]

28 minutes ago, vmom said:

So basically the chairs with a sea view are the reserved seats and the seats that are open to anyone are the ones in back of the white metal sides on the ship, usually a solid  half walled railing. Disappointing. 

 

That is why I reminded everyone that any open wall space in the Lanai Cabin area is fair game for a lounge chair   Lanai cabins  have the right to the space in front of the cabin door and two lounge chairs placed next to each other (and that doesn't mean a "space" hog setup with the chairs more than twelve inches apart).  Just move a lounger into any open space (don't block the lanai cabin doors).

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, vmom said:

So basically the chairs with a sea view are the reserved seats and the seats that are open to anyone are the ones in back of the white metal sides on the ship, usually a solid  half walled railing. Disappointing. 

 

Near the atrium there are some offices, so the space on the outside is public seating. There is railing across the walkway there. 
There are also outside cabins next to the doorways. The loungers in front of those cabins are public, too. 

I have sat out there on public loungers and not seen anyone else sitting out many, many times. 

[MAVIP]

7 hours ago, RuthC said:

Near the atrium there are some offices, so the space on the outside is public seating. There is railing across the walkway there. 
There are also outside cabins next to the doorways. The loungers in front of those cabins are public, too. 

I have sat out there on public loungers and not seen anyone else sitting out many, many times. 

Exactly! If I used a lounger on LP deck I always found a place "with a view" without hindering Lanai passengers.  And once in a while you have to take care of chairhogs or wait a little till a chair is available, but so is life.  

[Dog Drool]

there is also open loungers aft on the walkway  and on A deck  I was outside aft A lot.