New Itinerary in a balcony, or Repeat in a Signature Suite?

[msmayor]

So my husband and I are already booked on Nieuw Statendam for March 2022 in a balcony stateroom on deck 4 with an ENORMOUS balcony - stateroom 4156.  It's an 11-night voyage to a few places we've never been, and will be our first true 'big' vacation since the pandemic.  Our last cruise was in fall 2019, and we're really looking forward to getting back on a ship and relaxing.

 

Now I'm having second thoughts on a 'new' itinerary as the pandemic continues and the questions of just what cruising will be continue to be posed.  I'm fairly certain I'll need to prove a vaccine, and plan to get it as soon as I can.  But in wondering just what our ability to move freely about on the islands makes me wonder...should I consider a repeat itinerary and just take the time to enjoy the ship and the relaxation?

 

The Eurodam is doing a partial Panama Canal (which we did on Zuiderdam in 2017) which is one night less than the NS trip we booked, but for just a couple hundred more total I can book a Signature Suite instead of a balcony.  Lots more space to relax away from crowds.  We were on the Eurodam in 2019, have never been on NS.

 

I'm curious to know what my Cruise Critic friends might do.  My husband doesn't care...he just wants to go away.  He's leaving it in my hands.

[leerathje]

Is the Signature a guarantee, or will you pick your room?

 

L.

 

[msmayor]

9 minutes ago, leerathje said:

Is the Signature a guarantee, or will you pick your room?

 

L.

 

I would be able to pick - no guarantee.  I also think all the same perks I have on the NS booking (drink package, internet, etc.) are all still in effect.  

 

The other attractive piece here is that it is less of a stretch to a Neptune upsell, if available.  

[kevingastreich]

Go with the new itinerary. If it doesn't go then you can do something else. Nobody knows what life holds so new experiences are good to get when you can.

[tuolumne couple]

58 minutes ago, msmayor said:

..should I consider a repeat itinerary and just take the time to enjoy the ship and the relaxation?

The Eurodam is doing a partial Panama Canal (which we did on Zuiderdam in 2017) which is one night less than the NS trip we booked, but for just a couple hundred more total I can book a Signature Suite instead of a balcony. 

 

good question. If this is your first signature suite and your not sure of the "new normal" the spaciousness  inside and the outside veranda are great for relaxing and well worth it. 

[leerathje]

That balcony is humongous....have you seen how deep they are? LOTS of room to be away from others.  And more to do on the NS than the Euro if you ARE stuck on board.

 

L.

 

[DaveOKC]

My Dec, 2021 cruise is a "repeat" on the NS.  We got a great casino deal on a Neptune, so really looking forward to that.  After that we are doing a "semi-repeat" to CA in March, 2022.  I will wait until things clear up before I book a "new itinerary" cruise.

 

As to the Signature on the Eurodam, there are only 50 of them vs 100 on the Zuiderdam (and other Vista class ships).  On both groups there are 60 Neptunes.  Not sure if this will make an upsell easier or harder to come by.

[Aquahound]

I would pick a balcony on NS over a SS on Eurodam anyways, especially after my last cruise on Eurodam.  The new itinerary would just be the icing on the cake.  🙂

[terrydtx]

If you have never tried a SS you need to know it is a "suite" in name only with no real extra benefits. Having said that once you do stay in a SS is is really hard to go back to any standard balcony cabin. For a few hundred dollars extra you get soooo much more space and a much bigger bathroom.  We will never sail with HAL in anything less than a SS, just like on Celebrity we sail in nothing less than Aqua class cabins.

[AncientWanderer]

Seems like it really depends on your frame of mind, @msmayor

We were pondering much the same thing when sorting out future travel plans.  Ultimately, I realized that for me, this lockdown has clipped my wings a bit.  Before the pandemic hit, we had a whole bunch of really adventurous cruises book...all of which cancelled.  Now I find myself only willing to dip a toe back into travel.  After so much that has happened this past year, I'm a bit shell-shocked and just craving comfort and familiarity.  So we've booked a nice signature suite for a Panama Canal cruise that departs from our home town and plan to enjoy a lot of specialty dining and other things to make the trip a "soft" one.

 

Others may be really anxious for adventure, after being home so much, but for some reason, I'm not.

[sail7seas]

IMO, if you are a couple traveling on you own why would you want an enormous veranda? ..  especially given the pandemic is still active   Personally, I would NOT attend nor    host a large gathering on any verandah  for  a good long time yet to  be in the future.

 

 

 

[bennybear]

I would go with the Nieuw Statendam,  that balcony will be amazing, lots of room away from the crowds.   It probably is bigger than the balcony on the signature.   Hopefully you will be able to enjoy the new ports.   Just my two cents. 

[Vict0riann]

We were in 4045 on Koningsdam, which I imagine is a similar balcony.  It was long, over 14 feet, IIRC, and we had 8 (family and friends) on it for drinks before dinner almost every day...  That being said, it does not have a dining table, like a Neptune would, just a little side table.  The other thing we really liked about the room was the spaciousness of the room itself.  No squeezing around the bed to get to the other side of the room.  We had a regular balcony on NS, and that was fine, too, for two or maybe 4.  We like both ships for all the extras - Sel de Mer, Tamarind and the Grand Dutch Cafe.  We like Eurodam, too, but she only has Tamarind.  

 

Balcony on Koningsdam:

 

Edited January 25, 2021 by Vict0riann

[DaveOKC]

Note the lifeboats on deck 4.

 

[oaktreerb]

21 hours ago, msmayor said:

So my husband and I are already booked on Nieuw Statendam for March 2022 in a balcony stateroom on deck 4 with an ENORMOUS balcony - stateroom 4156.  It's an 11-night voyage to a few places we've never been, and will be our first true 'big' vacation since the pandemic.  Our last cruise was in fall 2019, and we're really looking forward to getting back on a ship and relaxing.

 

Now I'm having second thoughts on a 'new' itinerary as the pandemic continues and the questions of just what cruising will be continue to be posed.  I'm fairly certain I'll need to prove a vaccine, and plan to get it as soon as I can.  But in wondering just what our ability to move freely about on the islands makes me wonder...should I consider a repeat itinerary and just take the time to enjoy the ship and the relaxation?

 

The Eurodam is doing a partial Panama Canal (which we did on Zuiderdam in 2017) which is one night less than the NS trip we booked, but for just a couple hundred more total I can book a Signature Suite instead of a balcony.  Lots more space to relax away from crowds.  We were on the Eurodam in 2019, have never been on NS.

 

I'm curious to know what my Cruise Critic friends might do.  My husband doesn't care...he just wants to go away.  He's leaving it in my hands.

I chose 4156 and added Club Orange on the Koningsdam.  We won’t have to take the elevators to access the dining room and showroom.  We prefer not to use the Lido buffet.  

[oaktreerb]

14 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Note the lifeboats on deck 4.

 

mid-ship lifeboats and VH cabins, not forward, aft or center.  I wouldn’t choose a VH guarantee.  

[DaveOKC]

2 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

mid-ship lifeboats and VH cabins, not forward, aft or center.  I wouldn’t choose a VH guarantee.  

I just booked a good deal with the View and Verandah promotion.  Opted to pay $70 pp more to pick a great location (IMO).

[kevingastreich]

9 hours ago, terrydtx said:

If you have never tried a SS you need to know it is a "suite" in name only with no real extra benefits.

Signature Suites actually DO have many extra benefits over a standard veranda room.  Too many for me to list here but they are detailed on the HAL website.

[msmayor]

9 hours ago, sail7seas said:

IMO, if you are a couple traveling on you own why would you want an enormous veranda? ..  especially given the pandemic is still active   Personally, I would NOT attend nor    host a large gathering on any verandah  for  a good long time yet to  be in the future.

 

 

 

 

Thanks Sail...true we would be sailing on our own but we do enjoy a spacious verandah.  I've been spoiled by the few oversize afts we've had, and a couple that had odd angles and felt larger. 

 

This balcony looks like this (credit to photos found on Halfacts):

 

We are hoping that with some generous encouragement to the staff, we can ensure that there are loungers and maybe a slightly larger table.  The idea behind choosing this space was that we would have our own private 'deck space' to stay away from any crowds.

 

Regarding others comments, we have been in a Neptune (once) and absolutely LOVED it...but that trip was one where we scored an amazing deal and I haven't seen anything close to what we paid on that trip since.  

 

I appreciate all the opinions.  One in particular struck me...following along the theme of 'you never know what might happen, so just take the chance'.  Kind of like the phrase "Get busy living..."  I think we'll stick with the new itinerary on NS.  Now to wait for my turn to get the vaccine...and then really plan this trip and hope it happens.

[leerathje]

9 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

We were in 4045 on Koningsdam, which I imagine is a similar balcony.  It was long, over 14 feet, IIRC, and we had 8 (family and friends) on it for drinks before dinner almost every day...  That being said, it does not have a dining table, like a Neptune would, just a little side table.  The other thing we really liked about the room was the spaciousness of the room itself.  No squeezing around the bed to get to the other side of the room.  We had a regular balcony on NS, and that was fine, too, for two or maybe 4.  We like both ships for all the extras - Sel de Mer, Tamarind and the Grand Dutch Cafe.  We like Eurodam, too, but she only has Tamarind.  

 

Balcony on Koningsdam:

 

 

Twice as deep and no lifeboats.

 

L.

 

[terrydtx]

13 hours ago, kevingastreich said:

Signature Suites actually DO have many extra benefits over a standard veranda room.  Too many for me to list here but they are detailed on the HAL website.

Other than a choice of Pillows,  pair of binoculars, no host mini bar and fresh flowers (from HAL website),  what REAL amenities or extra benefits do you get from a SS?  I prefer the SS over a standard verandah cabin because of the larger cabin, balcony and bathroom but when it comes to amenities they have nothing close to the REAL Neptune and Pinnacle  Suites. 

 

Here is the link on HAL that compares what you get in a SS with Neptune and Pinnacle suites:

Cruise Ship Rooms - Suites & Staterooms | Holland America 

Edited January 26, 2021 by terrydtx

[kevingastreich]

12 hours ago, terrydtx said:

Other than a choice of Pillows,  pair of binoculars, no host mini bar and fresh flowers (from HAL website),  what REAL amenities or extra benefits do you get from a SS? 

Those aren't real?

[sail7seas]

By "real" if you mean, the  flowers, We have always had  fresh flowers in our Neptune Suites.   EVERYtime !,   And on many of our cruises in Neptune Suites, we have had new bouquets of fresh flowers delivered  to  our cabin as a most pleasant surprise  courtesy of the ship.    (Not so on Princess or  "X0When we do b-to-b's staying in the same cabin for  the next segment, we always have new flowers on 'turn around day'.  🙂

[terrydtx]

On 1/26/2021 at 6:32 PM, kevingastreich said:

Those aren't real?

By real, I mean amenities of some real value. You get for example, no priority boarding, priority tendering, spa access or special dinning venue and lounges,  like most true suites on most cruise lines. We have sailed with Celebrity and on their Aqua Class you get most of the above in a class that is not designated as a suite.  In my opinion the only amenity of real value is a much bigger and enjoyable cabin. When we cruise with HAL we do so in nothing less that a SS like nothing less than Aqua Class on Celebrity. 

[bennybear]

6 hours ago, terrydtx said:

By real, I mean amenities of some real value. You get for example, no priority boarding, priority tendering, spa access or special dinning venue and lounges,  like most true suites on most cruise lines. We have sailed with Celebrity and on their Aqua Class you get most of the above in a class that is not designated as a suite.  In my opinion the only amenity of real value is a much bigger and enjoyable cabin. When we cruise with HAL we do so in nothing less that a SS like nothing less than Aqua Class on Celebrity. 

We all have to decide what’s worth it to us based on cost and personal budget.  But keep in mind we all have only so many go go years of travel,  can’t take it with you.