SS Cabin - Westerdam - Nav deck or UV deck?

[scluvsrain]

We're on the 4/27 transatlantic cruise on the Westerdam and have booked an SS suite on the Upper Verandah deck. We could also opt for the same suite on the Navigation deck. The only real difference that I can see is that the Nav deck is higher and is directly under the Lido. The downside to the UV deck is you're a lot closer to the tops of the life boats. What to do, what to do?

Anyone have any food for thought?

Yes, I know, a cabin ANYWHERE is better than not being on the ship at all....

[bepsf]

Normally I'd choose a Navigation Deck SS, but on a Trans-atlantic I think i'd want to be as low and as close to the center of the ship as possible.

I think you'll be happier on Upper Verandah Deck...

[TedC]

I agree on Upper Verandah - lower and quieter. And I don't think the lifeboats will be a problem.

[Sea Island Lady]

...We carry a small "white noise" machine along with us. We sleep with it at home and it normally drowns out any outside noise. Hopefully, we will not have a problem on the Navigation deck. We are under the carpeted area of the Lido.

[bepsf]

...We carry a small "white noise" machine along with us. We sleep with it at home and it normally drowns out any outside noise. Hopefully, we will not have a problem on the Navigation deck. We are under the carpeted area of the Lido.

When in our stateroom, we heard absolutely no noise from above, below or either side in SS8086. The only sounds we could hear were the blowing air from the AC, the carts carrying breakfast rolling down the corridor in the mornings, and our steward moving furniture and hosing off our verandah one early morning...

[Tvisitor]

You might want to note the overhang of the Lido immediately above Navigation deck. We chose a UV SS for our cruise this Saturday on the Oosterdam to Mexico, in part, for that reason, and also because UV deck should experience less movement.

[Sea Island Lady]

bepsf - Where have you been? I have been trying to find someone with a stateroom on the mid Navigation deck. :) We are in SS8087. Do you have any idea what was up the hall and across from you (going toward the bow?) There is a little area on the ships' layout that shows little rectangles and it is right across for our stateroom.

and our steward moving furniture and hosing off our verandah one early morning...
:eek: How did he get out there and were you asleep?

You might want to note the overhang of the Lido immediately above Navigation deck.
We had a large overhang on the Serenade of the Seas and it didn't bother us at all. The overhang on the Oosterdam doesn't appear to be as long.

Tvisitor - Please post a review when you return. We will be cruising 3 weeks after you. ;) BTW - My Mom is from Winnetka.

[scluvsrain]

Thanks for your advice. I'm leaning towards staying with our 6th level UV cabin. I've been on Nav deck in an aft corner suite on the Zuiderdam and never heard anything from above, and assumed it would probably be the same on the side of the ship too. I guess I was more concerned with those lifeboats below. Not from a noise perspective, just from an aethestically pleasing view. But, if I fell off my balcony for some strange reason, I guess I'd break my fall and not get hurt. Or, I could jump in to the lifeboat first during an emergency!!! (Always trying to look on the bright side of things)

[Randyk47]

We had SS 6060 on the Oosterdam and quite frankly never really noticed the lifeboats. I don't spend a whole lot of time leaning over the railing looking down, which is when you'd really notice the boats. Looking straight out to sea they're not in your line of sight. You can see them in one of the pictures I took from our verandah while we were still in Ft Lauderdale. http://photos.yahoo.com/randyk_47 (http://photos.yahoo.com/randyk_47) Might add that this was one of the quietest cabins we'd ever been in, no noise from above and very little hallway traffic noise.

[bepsf]

bepsf - Where have you been? I have been trying to find someone with a stateroom on the mid Navigation deck. :) We are in SS8087. Do you have any idea what was up the hall and across from you (going toward the bow?) There is a little area on the ships' layout that shows little rectangles and it is right across for our stateroom.


:eek: How did he get out there and were you asleep?


We had a large overhang on the Serenade of the Seas and it didn't bother us at all. The overhang on the Oosterdam doesn't appear to be as long.

SIL --

I been right here all the time!!

Our suites are just alongside the funnel casings. Forward of them but aft of the midship stairway are the crew stairway and elevators, and some spaces for stewards to keep their cleaning supplies.

Ah, the Balcony Incident!
Well, being accustomed by then to waking up every AM to the knock of a steward on the door to deliver breakfast, I was fast asleep when I was awakened by a loud Whooooosh against the glass balcony doors! In my dazed half-asleep confusion, I thought we'd been hit by a great wave (yes, I know - too much Poseidon Adventure...) , but I looked out and saw our steward w/ a hose in his hand. He had come through the balcony partitions somewhere far forward and was cleaning the verandahs...

BTW - the Lido overhang was no big deal - it helped to sheild us from the sun on bright mornings while we were having breakfast outside...

Enjoy!

[Sea Island Lady]

Our suites are just alongside the funnel casings
That makes sense.

Funny window washing story also. Thank you!

[oceanlov1]

i was in 6099 upper verandah on the westerdam and would highly recommend it. the lifeboats are not a problem at all and it is very quiet.

[dakrewser]

i was in 6099 upper verandah on the westerdam and would highly recommend it. the lifeboats are not a problem at all and it is very quiet.

Well, it can be a tad noisy when they lower them at 6:30 in the morning!:eek:

[Steamboatin]

We will be making our 2nd HAL cruise. We will be on the Westerdam leaving April 27, 2005 from Ft. Lauderdale to Rome cruise. We will be in Cabin 5104 on the Verandah Deck (VD). It is midship, port side, 3 cabins to stern of port glass elevator. Will be touring Italy for a month after the cruise ends. Looking forward to sea days as we enjoy transocean cruising with plenty of sea days to just relax and chill out on the verandah.

Previous cruises were with Delta Queen Steamboat Company (on each of their boats), Carnival Cruise Line, NCL, Holland America and Royal Caribbean. Only prior crusing with HAL was on Alaskian run on the Amsterdam.

[General Max]

Comeaux, we are on the Westerdam for the return trip in the fall. Civitavecchia to Ft. Lauderdale on October 22, 2004. We booked cabin 7062 near the Neptune Lounge and the glass elevators. We are touring Italy before the cruise on a Globus escorted tour. Ten days I think. We booked our cruise with Pavlus for a fabulous price.

General Max