Zuiderdam Sig Suite vs. Koningsdam Verandah

[cabland]

So back in 2018, we took an Alaskan cruise roundtrip from Vancouver and loved it.  We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam and treated ourselves to a Signature suite.  Flash forward to this Summer, and we are looking at doing the same exact cruise, but this time on the Koningsdam in a regular Verandah room.  Having said that, I notice the Zuiderdam is sailing the exact same route and for just $300 or so more we could get a Signature suite (note: the signature and Pinnacle suites on the Koningsdam are thousands more).

 

So, my dilemma is "Do I choose the MUCH newer Pinnacle class Koningsdam with a Verandah room and all of the amenities of the newer ships or go for the older Zuiderdam and get the signature suite?".  Honestly, I am still leaning toward the Koningsdam as of now.  It is obviously newer, has BB Kings and the Rolling Stone rock room, Dutch Cafe, etc  and frankly, the most recent reviews are better than those I've read for the Zuiderdam.  I almost get the impression HAL is prioritizing crew counts and staff expertise for the pricier Pinnacle class ships (which, I suppose, makes sense).  Of course, we LOVED that darn signature suite on the Nieuw Amsterdam and I like the larger promenade deck on that ship too (in many ways the Nieuw Amsterdam has the best of both worlds).

 

We did a ton of excursions on our last Alaskan cruise, but I am trying to prepare for possible cancelations this time around which might put us "on the ship" more than last time.

 

Anyway, the lure of the Pinnacle is strong....but, well...thoughts?  opinions?  No wrong answers here!

 

Thanks All

 

[AFNavigator]

1 hour ago, cabland said:

So back in 2018, we took an Alaskan cruise roundtrip from Vancouver and loved it.  We were on the Nieuw Amsterdam and treated ourselves to a Signature suite.  Flash forward to this Summer, and we are looking at doing the same exact cruise, but this time on the Koningsdam in a regular Verandah room.  Having said that, I notice the Zuiderdam is sailing the exact same route and for just $300 or so more we could get a Signature suite (note: the signature and Pinnacle suites on the Koningsdam are thousands more).

 

So, my dilemma is "Do I choose the MUCH newer Pinnacle class Koningsdam with a Verandah room and all of the amenities of the newer ships or go for the older Zuiderdam and get the signature suite?".  Honestly, I am still leaning toward the Koningsdam as of now.  It is obviously newer, has BB Kings and the Rolling Stone rock room, Dutch Cafe, etc  and frankly, the most recent reviews are better than those I've read for the Zuiderdam.  I almost get the impression HAL is prioritizing crew counts and staff expertise for the pricier Pinnacle class ships (which, I suppose, makes sense).  Of course, we LOVED that darn signature suite on the Nieuw Amsterdam and I like the larger promenade deck on that ship too (in many ways the Nieuw Amsterdam has the best of both worlds).

 

We did a ton of excursions on our last Alaskan cruise, but I am trying to prepare for possible cancelations this time around which might put us "on the ship" more than last time.

 

Anyway, the lure of the Pinnacle is strong....but, well...thoughts?  opinions?  No wrong answers here!

 

Thanks All

 

You have to ask yourself, is the main focus of my cruise seeing Alaskan scenery and enjoying a very comfortable cabin or is it getting the best shipboard experience on sea days?  If the latter, then it sounds like the Koningsdam is a great fit.  If the former, then it sounds like the Zuiderdam is the better fit.

[DaveOKC]

8 hours ago, AFNavigator said:

You have to ask yourself, is the main focus of my cruise seeing Alaskan scenery and enjoying a very comfortable cabin or is it getting the best shipboard experience on sea days?  If the latter, then it sounds like the Koningsdam is a great fit.  If the former, then it sounds like the Zuiderdam is the better fit.

Ditto this good advice!  I also like the Signature suites on the Z and need to add one thing - being in a Signature Suite on the Z (and its sister sized ships) likely will offer you a decent chance at getting a good upsell to a Neptune Suite, as this ship has alot of both categories and often does not sell out its Neptunes.  In my case, I have received good upsell offers on 9 out of the 10 times I have booked a SIgnature Suite on this type ship.

[janmcn]

Itinerary is port-intensive so I’d go for K’dam in Verandah…on long cruises with lots of sea days, we go for SS’s since we like to stay in our cabin to read, etc.