Zaandam - Nieuw Statendam??

[Tedferg]

Looking at first HAL cruise, Canada New England this fall. Zaandam and Nieuw Amsterdam are the options. Port intensive cruise so thinking of Ocean View. Any suggestions as to which ship?

 

Zaandam looks attractive for smaller ship experience, but Statendam looks to have more choice for entertainment and restaurants.

[oakridger]

The thread title says Nieuw Statendam (Pinnacle Class) but your first sentence says Nieuw Amsterdam (Signature Class).  There are differences between the two as far as entertainment and dining venues available is why I ask!

 

~Nancy

[Florida_gal_50]

2 minutes ago, oakridger said:

The thread title says Nieuw Statendam (Pinnacle Class) but your first sentence says Nieuw Amsterdam (Signature Class).  There are differences between the two as far as entertainment and dining venues available is why I ask!

 

~Nancy

The nieuw statendam is the one that is doing Canada New England.

 

op easy choice.  The nieuw statendam by a mile.  I don’t enjoy old ships.

[oakridger]

2 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

The nieuw statendam is the one that is doing Canada New England.

 

op easy choice.  The nieuw statendam by a mile.  I don’t enjoy old ships.

 

Oh, DUH on me!!  Thanks Florida Gal, I should have known better because the Nieuw Amsterdam will be in Alaska then Panama Canal to FLL next fall and......I'm booked on it!!!  🙄

 

~Nancy

[OlsSalt]

I love the older ships and will always choose them first, but for this itinerary not sure it matters which one you take - small and more intimate, easier to get around with larger cabins, or larger ship, newer and more onboard variety but smaller cabins.  Do you want to share the experience with about 1400 other passengers or 2500 other passengers?

 

Great itinerary. Good thing, you won't lose either way. 

[Tedferg]

9 minutes ago, oakridger said:

The thread title says Nieuw Statendam (Pinnacle Class) but your first sentence says Nieuw Amsterdam (Signature Class).  There are differences between the two as far as entertainment and dining venues available is why I ask!

 

~Nancy

Sorry, fat finger, I meant Satendam.

[oakridger]

Oh dear @Tedferg!!!  I first read your comment as Satan dam??!!!  😲

I'd better get some new glasses or coffee or something!!

[Tedferg]

8 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

op easy choice.  The nieuw statendam by a mile.  I don’t enjoy old ships.

 

2 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

I love the older ships and will always choose them first, but for this itinerary not sure it matters which one you take - small and more intimate, easier to get around with larger cabins, or larger ship, newer and more onboard variety but smaller cabins.  Do you want to share the experience with about 1400 other passengers or 2500 other passengers?

 

Great itinerary. Good thing, you won't lose either way. 

We are 82 and 83 and still very active, never had small ship experience but BB King etc. sounds like more to do in the evening, plus more Specialty Dining choices. 

[*Miss G*]

1 minute ago, Tedferg said:

 

We are 82 and 83 and still very active, never had small ship experience but BB King etc. sounds like more to do in the evening, plus more Specialty Dining choices. 

 

If those two items are important to you then definitely the Nieuw Statendam.

[Florida_gal_50]

3 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

 

We are 82 and 83 and still very active, never had small ship experience but BB King etc. sounds like more to do in the evening, plus more Specialty Dining choices. 

I really enjoy the specialty restaurants.  It’s rare for me to eat in the dining room.

[Florida_gal_50]

17 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

I love the older ships and will always choose them first, but for this itinerary not sure it matters which one you take - small and more intimate, easier to get around with larger cabins, or larger ship, newer and more onboard variety but smaller cabins.  Do you want to share the experience with about 1400 other passengers or 2500 other passengers?

 

Great itinerary. Good thing, you won't lose either way. 

Will the ships be full at that point? Do tell.  I know some like to be fawned and doted on by the crew that may get to know them better on a smaller ship. That doesn’t register on my radar.

[Tedferg]

4 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

 I know some like to be fawned and doted on by the crew that may get to know them better on a smaller ship. That doesn’t register on my radar.

Not on our radar either, feels like Nieuw Statendam is the way to go. Thanks for your help. Now I need to work on OV versus Verandah 🙂

[RuthC]

If I were deciding between the two ships, it would always be the Zaandam over the Nieuw Statendam. 
I much prefer the smaller ships with the much larger cabins. It's easier to get to know people when you run into the same people more often. The Zaandam has a lovely promenade deck on which you can sit and enjoy the scenery. There's no comfortable sitting on the Nieuw Statendam promenade. 

The Canada/New England cruise is port intensive, so is not a late night kind of cruise. There is sufficient night life on the Zaandam for this itinerary. 

[Tedferg]

Several posters mention larger cabins in Zaandam, but HAL site says OV is 175 - 282 on Statdam and 140-319 on Zaandam.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Tedferg

[Florida_gal_50]

35 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Not on our radar either, feels like Nieuw Statendam is the way to go. Thanks for your help. Now I need to work on OV versus Verandah 🙂

The veranda won’t be that much more money on the nieuw statendam than an oceanview.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Florida_gal_50

[Florida_gal_50]

9 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Several posters mention larger cabins in Zaandam, but HAL site says OV is 175 - 282 on Statdam and 140-319 on Zaandam.

The cabins without a doubt will be larger on the zaandam.

[RuthC]

27 minutes ago, Tedferg said:

Several posters mention larger cabins in Zaandam, but HAL site says OV is 175 - 282 on Statdam and 140-319 on Zaandam.

In comparable categories, the cabins get smaller as the class of ship gets larger; they tend to down-size in every other ship class. The larger end of the range would be the accessible cabins. 

The S- and R-class ships had (Zaandam and Volendam are the only remaining R-class; there are no remaining S-class) identical cabins. They are the largest in the fleet, in general. 
Next came the Vista and Signature classes, where, in general, the cabins shrank. 
Now the Pinnacle class (Nieuw Statendam is one), have even smaller cabins. 

[Andi Land]

It’s a mixed bag for me. I love the dining venues, the thermal suite, and the retreat cabanas on the larger ships. I hate the size. Too big. Too many people. 
 

I love the small ship size.  The passenger to space ratio is great. The ship never feels crowded. You get to know people onboard because you see them more often. 
 

All that to say, I booked his itinerary and chose Zaandam. 

[OlsSalt]

4 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Will the ships be full at that point? Do tell.  I know some like to be fawned and doted on by the crew that may get to know them better on a smaller ship. That doesn’t register on my radar.

 

I would never call the HAL experience one where one gets "fawned or doted on". Save that for the high priced cruise lines. We like smaller ships for their sense of space intimacy and connection to the sea. 

 

We don't like "fawning or doting"  either and why we never went back on Crystal - too much of that. HAL felt just right - reserved, but professional and always courteous service. We don't ask for much but always enjoy the overall friendly and helpful attitudes of HAL crews that make them very pleasant ships overall. 

[Caribbean Chris]

Here’s my take on it. They are both good and larger ships like NS will be available to book for years to come. But ocean liners like the Zaandam (with cabins you can reserve right on a wide, wrap-around promenade deck) are rare and gradually disappearing.

 

We’ve booked NS for Montreal to Ft. Lauderdale this year but also will be on Zaandam’s Christmas cruise as one more chance for classic ocean cruising before we wake up one day to hear they are all gone.

[FlaMariner]

Nieuw Statendam.....

• balconies are plentiful and affordable
• ship is newer
• ship has all the new venues

We've been on her and all her sisters (Koningsdam and Rotterdam) and they are our favorites for the reasons above and more.....Zaandam is a great ship also...our first HAL ship....but if choosing between the two for similar itineraries, hands down Nieuw Statendam. 

 

Enjoy....as long as you are on a 'dam ship, you are good!

[SLC1954]

Another plus for the Zaandam is that she sails further up the St Lawrence to Montreal.  The larger ships only make it to Quebec. 

[Mary229]

16 minutes ago, SLC1954 said:

Another plus for the Zaandam is that she sails further up the St Lawrence to Montreal.  The larger ships only make it to Quebec. 

That, is for me, a very big plus.  2 or 3 days in Montreal is a real plus. We are sailing the Zaandam for that very reason. 

[CruisinShips]

I had the choice between the NS in the fall Quebec City to Boston trip, or the Zaandam's Montreal to Port Everglades trip (and I live in South Florida, so that would mean only one plane ride).  We chose the NS because of the ships.  The only HAL cruise we have been on before was the Zuiderdam, and the thought of a trip with several sea days on a ship even smaller than the Zuiderdam (and with no Retreat Cabanas) was not appealing.

[0106]

I would select the Zaandam because it begins (or ends) in Montreal instead of Quebec.  We really enjoy cruising the St. Lawrence River on our way from Montreal to Quebec.  (I prefer smaller ships.)