Statendam - Small Ship - Will it feel crowded?

[Juliadlf]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. Very helpful. We've run into the dining room wait lines on other cruiselines and learned on our first cruise to take our time going to the dining room.

Breakfast at the buffet is also a bit chaotic on other lines- great choice of foods but we did enjoy having breakfast in the dining room on the rare occassions when we didn't have early morning tour so hopefully Statendam has this option as well.

Forgot to add, will enjoy the AYW dining option as well. Did this on our last cruise on Princess (Anytime) and loved it.

 

Kane: Nice picture. Enjoy your cruise and please post a review and anyone else who is sailing this ship when you come back. Nice to hear about the cruises and the ship.

 

I'm sure I'll have more questions but doing searches first to see if someone has already asked the question.

Thanks again.

 

Julia

[jtl513]

I know, but I still wasn't sure if there were two separate entrances, with separate hosts, or if you go in the main entrance and the go down (or up) to get to the other part of the dining room.

Oh, I guess you've never been in the Upper dining room on a HAL ship then! (Or a non-Prinsendam one anyway.) Sorry. Look at the deck plans. :)

[terrydtx]

HAL ships overall carry fewer passengers because of the larger size cabins not because the ship is that much smaller. Larger cabins = fewer cabins and less passenger capacity.

 

Our "C" cat cabin on the Volendam (Outside on Lower Promenade deck) is 20 sq feet larger than our CC balcony on the Celebrity Century next year, in fact I think the smallest inside cabin on the Volendam is the same size as the CC cabin on the Century. Most of the cabins also have showers and a tub with larger bathrooms than other lines. And when you look into the smaller suites on HAL they are larger than the larger suites on most other cruise lines. Long lines for dining and shore disembarkation are rare on any of the HAL ships we have been on in the past.

 

My DW and I once thought that bigger was better for cruising but after experiencing HAL we found that is not the case and we stay away from the “mega” ships and stay with HAL or the smaller Celebrity ships like the Century.

[Stevesan]

I've just recently started researching possible cruises we wish to do in 2008 one of which would be from FLL to Lima and the ship is the Statendam. Since it has less passenger capacity than any of the other cruise ships we've sailed on (2,500 +), will we feel crowded on a small ship?

 

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Julia

 

As to "feeling crowded" probably the most telling stat is the passenger/space ratio (in sft).

 

HAl's S Class (includes Statendam): 43.5

HAL's R Class: 45.33

HAL's Vista Class: 46.0(surprising, huh?)

Prncess Grand Class: 42.05

 

Some venues and the atriums are smaller. But others are comparatively spacious, ie, HAL's Crow's Nest and Explorer's Lounge.

 

Also HAL's standard cabins (inside and oceanview) are significantly larger that most othe cruise lines. For example 192 sft compared to 165 sft.

 

BTW - I've sailed Grand Princess three times, twice with traditional dining. There's always a huge crowd of people waiting at the dining room doors at opening time. Much larger than I've ever seen on a HAL ship.

 

As to whether or not disembarkation is a mess is more a function of the system and the staff then the "size" of the ship. I've experienced extended waits on most, but not all, cruises regardless of ship size.

 

One drawback to the S class ships is the lack of central elevators which the R class ships have. That, though, is a minor inconvenience considering all the advantages a small ship offers.

[Juliadlf]

Ah, yes.

The Statendam is wonderful!

I've never actually felt crowded on any HAL vessel, and certainly not aboard the Statendam.

 

Check out my photos (through the link in my signature) of the Statendam and the other S-class ships (Ryndam and Maasdam) that I've been aboard. They are lovely vessels. You won't feel cramped.

 

Very nice photos. Thank you for posting the link.

 

Julia

[Two if by Sea]

Oh, I guess you've never been in the Upper dining room on a HAL ship then! (Or a non-Prinsendam one anyway.) Sorry. Look at the deck plans. :)

 

I have never been on any HAL ship. I'm very much looking forward to being on one (Maasdam) next year.

 

Of course I started by looking at the deck plans, but they are not so crystal clear as all that. There are hundreds of little lines and I don't always know which ones are crossable and which ones aren't and what they all mean.

 

So I am still hoping someone will just answer as to how many main entrances there are to the dining room. Both levels, or just one?

 

I take it from your original reply that it is different on the Prinsendam than on other ships, but I don't know which WAY it is different.

[jtl513]

I have never been on any HAL ship. I'm very much looking forward to being on one (Maasdam) next year.

 

Of course I started by looking at the deck plans, but they are not so crystal clear as all that. There are hundreds of little lines and I don't always know which ones are crossable and which ones aren't and what they all mean.

 

So I am still hoping someone will just answer as to how many main entrances there are to the dining room. Both levels, or just one?

 

I take it from your original reply that it is different on the Prinsendam than on other ships, but I don't know which WAY it is different.

The Prinsendam is the only HAL ship that has just a single-level dining room. All of the rest have two levels, with a large entrance door on each. AND there is a stairway inside that you may use if you choose. :) :)

[Two if by Sea]

Thank you!

[Tampa Girl]

We will be sailing on the Statendam on March 1st to Osaka - excited about the trip and now we learn that the ship will be newly refurbished! I fully agree with everyone's comments on the S class ships. We loved the Veendam, sister ship of the Statendam. Will we be able to notice the diffences or are they very much alike in decor, etc.

[jtl513]

We will be sailing on the Statendam on March 1st to Osaka - excited about the trip and now we learn that the ship will be newly refurbished! I fully agree with everyone's comments on the S class ships. We loved the Veendam, sister ship of the Statendam. Will we be able to notice the diffences or are they very much alike in decor, etc.

There are enough differences that you will not feel like you are on the same ship. The most obvious difference is in the atrium centerpiece. Of course, since the artworks are all one-of-a-kind they will be different.

 

You can see good pictures of both at click for shipcafe.

[Bellair]

Thank you!

 

 

G'day there,

 

We have had 2 cruises to date & the third one in March with the Statendam Auckland to Japan 25 days & love this ship.

 

Have a look at our video of the ship for more detail

 

Regards,

 

Noel (Bellair International Video-Melbourne)