12 days on Rotterdam vs 21 days on Zaandam

[mightycruisequeen]

 21 days on the Zaandam! 

[idiebabe]

Zaandam for sure!  

[AKJonesy]

In their day, the older ships were great.  But in recent times, I've sailed the old ships and am tired of the leaking ceilings in common areas, carpets that are old and worn and some of the rooms that still have the old tvs and no mini refrigerator.  I do love the wide promenade deck where you could sit and read and people would be out walking about.  On Rotterdam, the promenade is shared with the lifeboats so the promenade is still there, but more narrow and no chairs.  However, if you have a balcony, even an obstructed is nice and you'd probably be sitting on it vs the promenade.   The vibe is completely different between the Rotterdam and older ships.  Now, if you had said you were sailing a longer itinerary on Oosterdam, Nieuw Amsterdam or Eurodam, I might pick one of those over Rotterdam, depending on the itinerary.  If I had to choose a vacation where I looked forward to going back vs I can't wait to get home, I'd pick Rotterdam. 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by AKJonesy

[VennDiagram]

Thanks for starting this thread, and for all the contributions to it.  We have a booking on the Zaandam, and I have concerns about being on such an old ship.  We do love the bigger promenade, and to be honest, the ports and the promenade deck are the only things I can think of that appeals.  It's been too many years since we cruised, and I really want our next cruise to be as good as possible.  The age of the Zaandam and the lack of specialty restaurants concern me.

 

The feedback and comments here are helping me clarify whether we will or won't take the cruise we currently have booked. Thanks, everyone!

[*Miss G*]

On 3/1/2023 at 11:03 AM, MUD said:

Most of our HAL experience has been on Zaandam size ships but we are worried about it being a bit dated and not much to do if we don't go on many excursions. Any advice?

 

My response comes from the perspective that I find enjoyment in every adventure and do not rely on the cruise line to entertain me.  I can pretty much find fun in everything. (Although sometimes it’s after the fact 🙃)

 

Although I love the Pinnacle-class ships and their bright sparkly bathrooms, sailing on the Zaandam in 2019 was an experience I am glad we chose.  It was like stepping into the past…. In a good way.  The prom with the teak loungers had an old world feel and the art was unique and interesting.

 

It was our first time in an OV so I missed stepping out onto the balcony or having on-demand programming on a large flat-panel TV.  But I found a new flow to things and discovered that it just didn’t matter anymore.  (As an aside, I do believe the Zaandam is being retro-fitted with the new TV’s so that may no longer be an issue.)

 

The Zaandam has the most amazing library behind the Explorations Cafe.  It was a true pleasure to get my morning coffee and then relax by the window to watch the sea go by.  There was also the most beautiful bathroom in that area too!  I have to attach pics so you can see how truly lovely they are.

 

Flying in and out of FLL is a real pita.  That, alone, would make me choose the longer Zaandam cruise.  If I have to fly to FLL and pay their over-priced hotel room fees I am going to make it worth my while.  I would choose the longer Zaandam cruise over the shorter Rotterdam cruise in a heartbeat.

 

The lovely women’s bathroom by the Explorer’s Lounge:

 

 

 

 

The gorgeous multi-room library:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 3, 2023 by *Miss G*

[3rdGenCunarder]

I think Amsterdam had a similar ladies room somewhere. With the vanity tables and chairs it's like the ladies room in an elegant classic hotel or an upscale department store, like Saks.

 

And that library!!!! Ahhh, bliss.

[vicd1969]

Since time is not a constraint (unlike some of us cruisers), go for the 21 day one. Even if you say you likely won't go on many shore excursions, who knows if an opportunity presents itself to explore something new and wonderful, on what was a place you already had visited.

[StLouisCruisers]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I think Amsterdam had a similar ladies room somewhere. With the vanity tables and chairs it's like the ladies room in an elegant classic hotel or an upscale department store, like Saks.

 

And that library!!!! Ahhh, bliss.

 

Volendam has a ladies room like that too.  

[OlsSalt]

The ladies room on the older ships reminds me of the days extra primping we might want to do on formal nights, when they were really formal and were enforced to be formal. Before a grand entrance into the main dining room, which was also dressed up for the occasion too. With fainting couches, if one was cinched in too tightly.

 

Yes, like the upscale hotels and department stores of yore. This is a throw-back room to days now long gone. Utterly charming reminder. Love your photos and the sense of affection so many of us feel for the "feel" of the older, more traditional HAL ocean cruising ships. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

32 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

The ladies room on the older ships reminds me of the days extra primping we might want to do on formal nights, when they were really formal and were enforced to be formal. Before a grand entrance into the main dining room, which was also dressed up for the occasion too. With fainting couches, if one was cinched in too tightly.

 

Yes, like the upscale hotels and department stores of yore. This is a throw-back room to days now long gone. Utterly charming reminder. Love your photos and the sense of affection so many of us feel for the "feel" of the older, more traditional HAL ocean cruising ships. 

 

Some of the single cabins on QM2 have a fainting couch. A friend had one of those cabins and said the couch was very comfortable.

[jimdee3636]

I'm four-star with HAL but until very recently the largest HAL ships I had been on were the Oosterdam and its sister Vista-class ships. But last month I was blown away by the overall beauty and appeal of the Koningsdam---not to mention the excellent specialty restaurants and other dining venues unique to Pinnacle-class ships (e.g., New York Deli and Grand Dutch Cafe')---so much so that upon returning home we immediately booked another Koningsdam cruise for later this year.

 

If the question was 12 days vs. 12 days for essentially the same price, my advice would be to go with the Rotterdam. But 21 days on the Zaandam for the same price as 12 on the Rotterdam? The Zaandam gets my vote in a heartbeat. It's still a very nice ship, capable of providing a relaxing and enjoyable cruise experience.