Question on SS Catagory - Nordam

[Cruise Fanatic]

I am booked on the transatlantic cruise 9/28/06 I have booked a Superior Verandah Suite (SS) it appears to be a smaller version of the Deluxe Verandah Suite is this in fact true? I know that I don't have the "perks" that the Deluxe Suite's have, but are there any "perks" that are offered in this particular catagory?

[grannynurse]

Cruise fanatic,

The SS is similar to the S in that it is a square room. It does not have a dressing room and does have a smaller couch (sleeps one). The bathroom is similar with a separate shower stall and a full sized whirlpool tub. Approx. 389 sq ft compared to 510 including veranda. The veranda is slightly smaller than the S but still has a small dining table.

 

The perks are similar to the "mini-suites" on the S and R class ships. Personalized stationary, access to video library, DVD player, not sure about the VCR on Vista class ships. There used to be a difference in the quality of towels and robes but I'm not sure if this still exists. It was true on Rotterdam in 2004.

 

However, no free laundry, corsages, champagne from Captain, priority tendering or concierge services. No invites to private parties.

The SS comfortably serves 3 people and is a very nice room with very adequate storage space. The Vista ships in general do not have as much drawer space as the S and R ships.

Hope this helps,

GN

[Randyk47]

We've not had an SS on the Noordam....we've never been on the Noordam. :) That problem aside, we have had an SS on the Oosterdam, basically a "sister" ship to the Noordam. Not sure I'd go as far as saying it's smaller version of an full S suite. Don't get me wrong, it's a super cabin, we loved ours and wouldn't hesitate to book another next time on a Vista class ship. One of the things we really liked was the bathroom which, for a non-suite cabin, is great with the double vanity. There sufficient storage, at least for the 7-day cruise we were on and we over-pack. The verandah is nice though not anything close to an S suite verandah (probably one of the biggest in the industry even for a suite) but still comfortable and certainly enough space for two....maybe three people. Another place there's a significant difference is the sitting area (a small couch, 2 chairs and coffee table in the SS). That can get kind of tight, to the point I moved one of the chair over to the side so we could be around a bit easier. The full S suite has a sitting area that's really spacious and lovely. Other perks? Hmmm.....there weren't a lot of what I'd call perks for the SS on the Oosterdam back in 2004. I understand they've added (maybe??) something like a phone concierge but we've not experienced that and, having just been in a S on the Volendam with access to the Neptune Lounge and the concierge there, I'm not sure we'd use a concierge all that much anyhow. I'm trying to remember anything else but, quite honestly, it's been 2 years and, as I said before, HAL has made some small changes since then. SS cabins were a pretty new concept back in '04 and some TA's and passengers were confused over HAL's use of "suite" and the general notion that "superior" is or should be above "deluxe" when in fact, at least on HAL, it's not. Bottom line....great cabin, suite perks or no suite perks!

[bepsf]

I love the SS/SY's - I think they are a good balance of additional space vs. cost compared to the Deluxe Suites.

Yes, we have phone concierge service now. They are located in an office behind the front desk and are just as friendly as the concierges in the Neptune - as many have been assigned to Neptune's previously.