1st Time Cruiser - Alaska Inside Passage Verandah Room Question

[Bepster00]

I am taking my wife on a surprise Alaska Inside Passage cruise for her 60th birthday on the Koningsdam from September 14th and I have a stateroom question.

 

i have booked Club Orange and was able to upgrade our obstructed view verandah room to an aft verandah room - 5202, but are they better options for views, noise, movement etc?

Availability seems to be good currently with aft rooms on 5, 6 and 8 available plus many mid ships rooms available including a couple with bigger balconies.

 

We have never been on a cruise so I don’t know if we will have issues with sea sickness etc.

 

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[CruiserBruce]

Nothing wrong with 5202, but I think I would be looking at Deck 6 midships, to meet all your criteria.

[Bepster00]

26 minutes ago, CruiserBruce said:

Nothing wrong with 5202, but I think I would be looking at Deck 6 midships, to meet all your criteria.

Attached are the midship rooms on 5 and 6 available.

 

it looks like some have bigger balconies and a couple on 5 have double width balconies.

 

i presume they are all roughly similar sizes.

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, Bepster00 said:

I am taking my wife on a surprise Alaska Inside Passage cruise for her 60th birthday on the Koningsdam from September 14th and I have a stateroom question.

i have booked Club Orange and was able to upgrade our obstructed view verandah room to an aft verandah room - 5202, but are they better options for views, noise, movement etc?

5202 is a Vista Suite, while the deck plans you provided are showing available Verandah cabins?

 

The "true" Aft aka Wake View cabins (Verandah or Vista Suite or higher level suite) have a big fan club, But you are a long way from several venues, notably the Grand Dutch Cafe (which is midships Deck 3) and the Crows Nest (forward Deck 12). We sailed in a mid-ship Vista on K'dam and liked it so much we booked it for a 35-day cruise!

 

ETA: If your AK cruise is Inside Passage (R/T Vancouver) it is unlikely you will encounter seas to cause Mal de Mer. If you are crossing the Bay of Alaska, then midship locale becomes more important. In my experience (3 AK cruises).

 

Edited March 10 by crystalspin

[Crew News]

Welcome to Cruise Critic and the HAL Forum.

 

Great choice of stateroom!!!

 

How do I like aft-facing staterooms?  Let me count the ways:

• As a many-time cruiser to Alaska and hobby photographer, I sail only in aft-facing staterooms.  You will be able to see and take photos of the scenery on both sides of the ship where hundreds of your fellow passengers will have to venture to the public areas.  That means you can step out onto your balcony in your pajamas and slippers to capture a photo of a sunset or sunrise. 
• From your own aft-facing balcony, you can enjoy Glacier Bay without fighting for space at the railings on public decks, no heads or cameras will be blocking your own camera, no bathroom sharing with hundreds of your fellow passengers, a table at arms length for your snacks and beverages, your minibar with beverages and snacks only a few feet away, free Room Service delivery, and a good portion of your balcony covered against the elements. 
• Aft staterooms are a two-minute elevator ride up to the Lido Market Buffet and the same time down to the Main Dining Room (MDR) or Club Orange.  Since Room Service is a short ride up to Deck 5, your hot food will still be hot when received.
• When the ship is moving, you can enjoy your balcony with no wind while those on the side-facing staterooms may not. 
• The gentle sound of the propeller wake is very soothing to for both a nap and evening sleep.

 

In April, I will be aboard the Koningsdam to Alaska in an aft-view stateroom near yours.  Feel free to ask any questions and I will seek answers while aboard to help in your planning.

 

There is a link in the lower right corner of my signature to see HAL current menus.

 

Below are Alaska cruise photos taken from my aft-facing staterooms: 

Glacier Bay

 

 

 

Lions Gate Bridge leaving Vancouver

 

Juneau

Edited March 10 by Crew News

[oakridger]

I was waiting for Roger @Crew News to chime in and help the OP!  Roger is obviously a huge fan of the aft cabins, and his comments are all very welcome!

 

@Bepster00 What a wonderful surprise for your wife!  You will have a great visit to Alaska and on HAL!

 

~Nancy

Edited March 10 by oakridger

[oakridger]

4 hours ago, crystalspin said:

5202 is a Vista Suite, while the deck plans you provided are showing available Verandah cabins?

 

@crystalspin It's confusing, but on Konningsdam the aft VS5202 is actually a veranda suite on the HAL deck plan pdf and cruisemapper.com.  The Vista Suites are called A****.  

 

~Nancy

[crystalspin]

3 minutes ago, oakridger said:

 

@crystalspin It's confusing, but on Konningsdam the aft VS5202 is actually a veranda suite on the HAL deck plan pdf and cruisemapper.com.  The Vista Suites are called A****. 

Nancy! You are spot-on. I looked at the deckplan and saw VS5202 and just thought Vista Suite! @Bepster00 That is a very nice aft-facing Verandah! 

[oakridger]

Just now, crystalspin said:

That is a very nice aft-facing Verandah! 

 

It is!  Nice larger balcony.  Yeah, the VS category should mean Vista Suite to me, but hey, no one at HAL asked me!

 

~Nancy

[Crew News]

6 minutes ago, oakridger said:

 

It is!  Nice larger balcony.  Yeah, the VS category should mean Vista Suite to me, but hey, no one at HAL asked me!

 

~Nancy

My nearby stateroom to the OP's was a Club Orange purchased upgrade from an obstructed view verandah.  On the HAL website, my payment lists a verandah stateroom but my invoice is a VS prefix.

 

Nor was I asked.

[Bepster00]

Thanks for all your comments.

 

@Crew News those are some fantastic pictures.

 

I initially booked the aft facing room after adding Club Orange with the HAL representative who recommended it as she herself had stayed in one on her Alaskan cruise last Summer.

 

It’s great to see all positive comments on the room position, as I’m going in pretty blind having never cruised before.

 

I’m usually one of those people that researches for months before booking trips and discusses through with my wife so this one is especially difficult as I am doing all my research and bookings late at night or early morning so as not to alert her.