Amsterdam aft S suites?

[jaxson]

We are looking at an Alaskan cruise on the Amsterdam and was looking for some input on the aft suites like #7057. Any input would be appreciated!

Cheers

[Bill S]

Al: we had 2nd from last Cat S cabin of port-side, aft last year on the Amsterdam for 21-day cruise last year. It was fine! We got it a week prior to sailing date as a paid-upgrade - it was a handicapped cabin and had no tub, so the shower was huge! We have sailed in aft cabins several times on HAL and have had no problems with "the ride". We like being near the aft staircase, too. Also, on the Amsterdam there is a semi-private verandah out the back door of the passage way which is sheltered from the wind and rain for great views from the aft end of the ship. There are stairs leading to the Lido deck directly above for easy access to the outsede pool and open area. We were far enough aft not to have any noises from above. Hope this helps!

[jaxson]

Bill,

Thanks for your information!

Cheers

[jaw62901]

I know this isn't the same ship, but I will be on the HAL Westerdam Dec 11-18 to the Caribbean and booked and aft s suite 5186.

[JohnSax]

Had 7057 two years ago and it was a great suite. As it was designated as an accessible suite, it had a larger dressing area and bathroom than the regular suites and had a large "walk-in" shower in the bath instead of the standard tub/shower combo. The only drawback is that the verandah is narrower than the others and doesn't quite accomodate all the patio furniture that the standard suites do. Would I take this one again? Although I liked the bathroom, I would say no as I liked the larger verandah in the regular suites.

[bepsf]

If it were the last suite available on Amsterdam, I wouldn't take it - even as a free upgrade.

Smaller verandah with a minimal aft view, no tub, horrible vibration from the engines, and if the seas are at all rough (we had 12-15' seas) the up and down is just too much.

We were across the hall in 7056 & the best night's sleep I got that whole week was the night that we drifted across the bay into Seattle - no engines. The rest of the time it was like trying to sleep through an 8 hour long earthquake.

I'd either book an S suite located midship or forward, or save my money and get a midship mini-suite.

[KAKcruiser]

Now that HAL is dividing the suites as SA and SB, these aft suites are considerably different in price. Are they that much smaller to justify the much lower cost? Is the balcony different on all the SB suites or just the handicapped? And, does anybody know if the handicapped cabins 7057 and 7058 have an extended balcony? And is it private? Thanks.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Good question. I was just looking at the diagram and it shows a set of stairs coming down from the Lido Deck and a set of stairs going from the Navigation Deck to the Vernadah Deck. Do people see you on your verandah??

[bepsf]

The vernadahs for 7057 and 7058 do include the corner - but that's it.
The verandahs are completely covered and blocked off from view - they are completely unlike the aft verandahs on the Vista Class.

[sail7seas]

The higher pricing for the SA is because of location. Many people consider mid-hip to be the best location. The SA are closer to the Neptune Lounge. The midship location is worth is to us but I understand that it might not matter very much to other people.

IMO, the difference in the size of the aft Suites on Vista ships vs. the midships is considerable and less appealing to me.

[sail7seas]

The higher pricing for the SA is because of location. Many people consider midship to be the best location. The SA are closer to the Neptune Lounge. The midship location is worth is to us but I understand that it might not matter very much to other people.

IMO, the difference in the size of the aft Suites on Vista ships vs. the midships is considerable and less appealing to me.

[Krazy Kruizers]

But what about those stairs I see in the diagrams??

[KAKcruiser]

I know about the Vista ship suites being smaller in the aft, but I was referring to the Amsterdam. The only difference here seems to be that the last couple of cabins have only a shower. And the last two cabins, handicapped, seem to have a narrower balcony. I realize that the price midship by the Neptune Lounge might be higher but for a 10 day cruise it is $1,000 each higher. That seems like a huge difference!

[KAKcruiser]

KK,
On the Maasdam, the stairs are on the side and I think I remember being able to see onto the balcony. These stairs on the Amsterdam seem to be in the middle so I'm not sure if the balcony can be seen. Does anybody know?

[Krazy Kruizers]

I know the stairs are on the side on the Maasdam. I got out a magnifying glass. It appears that there is a partion separating the verandah from the back area of the deck. The verandahs for the handicapped rooms look to be not as wide as the other suites but it is longer.

It has been 3 years since we were on the Amsterdam and for the life of me I can't remember how the back end of those decks look. Guess I'll get my memory refreshed in March.

[doone]

Jason, I had 5187 on the Zuiderdam, its similar to 5186 that your speaking of on the Westerdam. I can sum it up in one word, FANTASTIC. The verandah is HUGE, you will enjoy this suite.

[Bill S]

KK: on the Amsterdam's Navigation Deck, the port and starboard passageways exit aft to a semi-enclosed viewing area with teak decking and a couple of wooden benches. There is nothing below but water and the wake of the ship (when it is moving). It is a miniature version of the aft end on the lower promenade deck but much more private. IIRC, there are no rearward facing cabins on the Amsterdam. Hope this helps!

[bepsf]

IIRC, there are no rearward facing cabins on the Amsterdam. Hope this helps!

There are two rearward facing Outside cabins on Navigation Deck - they are squeezed in between the Aft Lido Pool Tank and the outdoor staircase to Lido Deck. (One of which was mine last year)

That aft deck felt like our own private hideaway, since the door to the deck was right next to our stateroom - enjoyed champagne and cellphone calls to family on the way out of Seattle as we headed to Alaska last year...

...but we also saw folks coming up and down those stairs throughout the week. It was disconcerting sitting in the bathroom w/ the door open and watching folks outside the windows! :eek:

[Krazy Kruizers]

Brian - something tells me that you learned very quickly to keep the bathroom door closed all the time.;)

[bepsf]

KK--

I'm a bit of a slow learner...

One afternoon this past fall on Oosterdam I came out of my shower and the front door/dressing room door/bathroom door had been left open by my roomie when he went next door to our friends stateroom....
...just as the folks in the stateroom next door were having a get-together and receiving guests!
:eek:

I can just imagine the conversations during their party!
:o

[RuthC]

oops.

[KAKcruiser]

According to the brochure, only the last cabin on each side of Navigation deck is handicapped accessible. But the next couple of cabins have shower only. Why would they only put a shower in and no tub if they are the same size as the other suites?

[Starr Mtn]

According to the brochure, only the last cabin on each side of Navigation deck is handicapped accessible. But the next couple of cabins have shower only. Why would they only put a shower in and no tub if they are the same size as the other suites?


I believe the few cabins with showers only are "modified accessible". The doors are wide enough to get a wheelchair through. There is no ramp to the deck, as I recall. And there is a small step up to the bathroom. So those suites are not suitable for someone confined to a wheelchair. But helpful for those who do not (or cannot) step into the bathtub to take a shower.

[bepsf]

According to the brochure, only the last cabin on each side of Navigation deck is handicapped accessible. But the next couple of cabins have shower only. Why would they only put a shower in and no tub if they are the same size as the other suites?

Plumbing.

The columns in the Dining Room are only so large - they were designed to carry plumbing drains with the capacity for a single deck's worth of commodes, sinks and showers (no tubs) on the S-Class ships and Rotterdam. Subsequent R-Class ships had an additional series of staterooms at the aft-end of Navigation Deck, but you'll note that none have tubs therefore the builders could get away with the original-sized columns.

To accommodate the drainage needs of tubs in the 10 aft suites on Amsterdam, Fincantieri would have had to made the drains larger and therefore redesign the columns in the Dining Room to accommodate them - not worth it for a last-of series ship, so these were built shower-only.

[KAKcruiser]

Wow, I'm impressed with your knowledge. That at least makes sense. Nobody at HAL could answer that question. Thanks!

[CruisinMK]

I'm trying to decide between a "B" and "SB" handicap room, all on the aft of the Amsterdam. We have 3 family in a room, one in a wheelchair able to walk short distances. The price difference is $3000. It's for a Canada 10 day. Looking at the deck plan I'm not even sure the B room can take 3.

Was Bespf's description of the Amsterdam aft suite accurate, or was he really referring to another ship other than Amsterdam?
"Smaller verandah with a minimal aft view, horrible vibration from the engines"

Do you get a corner view the SB suite (7057/7058)?

[Starr Mtn]

We enjoyed 7058 on the Amsterdam - for a cruise b2b which was about 25 days ! The balcony is a little more narrow than the regular full suites - but the suite is larger. Found plenty of room on the balcony. There is a ramp to the balcony. And you can see a little around the corner in the back - and it is private. Plenty of room to enjoy the balcony. The stairs mentioned above do not affect this suite. We had the large table brought in from the balcony into the suite for breakfasts and an occasional dinner in the suite. Still lots of room in the suite. And there were 2 lounges on the balcony - and several chairs that went with the round glass table.

The entrance to the suite is large enough to comfortably enter in a power wheelchair - with room by the desk to "park" the chair at night and charge it without having the chair in the main part of the suite. As I recall, we asked for a small glass table and occasional chair to be removed since we were not using them and it provided more floor space.

Three family members can be nicely accomodated in this cabin, especially since there is the nice private dressing area adjacent to the bathroom. It has 3 large closets, a small sink, a couple of small drawers, and counter top with 2 power outlets. There is a curtain that can be drawn for privacy in the dressing room.

The bathroom is fully accessible - although a bit tight for some power wheelchairs. There is a door for privacy. There is no lip - so easy acess. A large shower, w/handheld shower head, and water temperature control. Sink with some storage above, as well as a full whirlpool tub for able bodied folks.

There is a cord in the shower to call for help if needed, as well as a button on the headboard.

We were not aware of any extraneous noise in the cabin - nor vibrations.

We would definitely select this suite again.

[CruisinMK]

Wow I can't believe how helpful that post was. I figured the odds of a reply like that were pretty low. Thank you!

All I need on the deck is enough space for two lounge chairs, small table with 3 chairs.
Even a tiny bit of corner to peek around is a huge bonus for viewing.
The wheelchair-width entrance and easy entry shower is very handy for us.
We can handle a non-handicap room but this makes life easier and safer.
(not too safe stepping over tall tub lip into shower)

Sure hope this 10-day cruise works out

[e-CJ]

We just received our cabin assignment of 7057 on the Amsterdam and I have a couple of questions in addition to the information already provided.

Does the partition between the back deck and the cabin deck open? Last year on the Noordam we had a front stateroom and enjoyed being able to open the partition to expand the views from our deck. I was wondering if the partitions on the Amsterdam are designed to open in a similar manner.

The deck is narrower (depthwise) than the other suites but I was wondering if it is as narrow as the decks in the regular verandah cabins. The deck on the Noordam HC 6003 was miniscule when considering how much of it is dedicated to ramp space and therefore unusable otherwise.

Does the entire bathroom floor get wet when the shower is used?

Does anyone have photos or know where there might be some?