Westerdam - Can adjoining balconies be openned

[mcduck]

Just booked two adjoining B cat cabins on the Westerdam for three of us over Christmas. We were going to book one SS cat, but it turned out to be significantly less expensive to book two B's even with the single supplement, than three in an SS. No real perks for an SS, and we have about the same space and TWO bathrooms.

My question is, does anyone know if the balconies between two adjoining cabins can be opened up to make one large balcony and connect the cabins?

Also, as my 16 year old daughter had to be booked into a cabin with my wife, I was booked into the other. Does anyone know how big a hassle it is to get the rooms changed around, or to at least get additional access cards?

Thanks,
McDuck

[desmon]

I have not been on the Westerdam - we are booked for early this December - but I think all the Vista class ships have panels in the balcony walls that can be opened by the room steward.


Hopefully, someone will know for sure...

[jhannah]

Yes. Your cabin steward can open the door between verandas to allow passage back and forth. Cannot remove the partitions, though, to make one big veranda.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

The only problem is when the ship moving - the door tends to bang against the panel.

:)

[wilsonzoo]

Soemone suggested on another post to bring bungee cords to tie the doors open to prevent the banging.

[sail7seas]

It isn't doors....it is a single door in the panel which divides the verandahs. It would be difficult to "tie it down" and would be so annoying to listen to it banging all night as it would from the ship moving. I cannot imagine a convenient way to secure it other than locked back into the divider as designed.

But I am not a handy fix-it type person. Maybe someone clever knows of a method for securing the door.

[Jacqueline]

We are also each booked in with a child. Every cruise line does it that way. I have never had a problem getting the keys redone once onboard, but this is my first HAL cruise. There is usually quite a line at the pursers desk with others doing the same.
I am leaving in two days ! Set sail on Friday.
I am not going to bother linking the verandas.

[sail7seas]

mcduck....You should not have any difficulty. That is a very common situation.


Jacqueline.....Travel safely and have a great cruise. Hope you'll post some comments when you return.

[Jacqueline]

Thanks S7S. Its suprising how little feedback there is on the W for a new ship.

[mcduck]

Thanks for your responses. We usual booked a suite for us, and an inside for the kids. Pricing made more sense for two cabins than a suite for three (as my son will not be with us), so having access through the balcony was just a bonus.

Our current travel agent (the agency owner) is just getting back this week from a group excursion, but on our past two cruises (Amsterdam and Paradise) she managed to book the kids in the inside, and us into the suite, so maybe she can work her magic again.

If she can't, no big deal, after all we are on a cruise - it is time to mellow out, relax, and totally lose track of time.

Looking forward to seeing how the Amsterdam (our absolue favourite) compares to the Westerdam.

[lb0103]

We got off the Westerdam on July 18 and let me tell you we had a WONDERFUL time.

Yes, there were verandah that were openned, I don't know if there was a banging problem, it was a 12 day cruise and if they bothered anyone, no one put them back.

As others stated the "keys" can be changed after you get onboard.

I just wanted to add the ship is BEAUTIFUL and the service EXCELLENT.

We did not take kids, can't say anything about club HAL.

Sit back and enjoy!

[Jacqueline]

Thanks for the postive feedback !

[Orcrone]

Do the above comments also hold true for the Zuiderdam balcony partitions?

[sail7seas]

Yes, Orcrone.


They are the same dividers with the same style door.

[Orcrone]

Great. If we can find a way to avoid having them bang then we can have one large verandah that hopefully all eight of us can fit on if we wish.

[jhannah]

Get a bungee cord. If I remember correctly, there is space between the partition and wall to put the cord through. You can then wrap the bungee around the door and partition, hooking it onto itself. This will hold the door firmly against the partition. If there is no space between the partition and the wall, then at night hook the door to the veranda railing or angle iron veranda frame with the bungee to keep it from closing/banging.

[Orcrone]

Thanks for the suggestion Jim. Don't know if I can picture in my mind what you're suggesting, but I'll just bring a couple of different sized bungees and figure it out when I get there.

[mcduck]

This is starting to sound like a job for a big roll of duct tape.

McDuck

[sail7seas]

Orcrone.....I think you have an image that you will have one long, extended verandah by opening the door. That is not the case. All you will have is passageway between your verandah and the adjoining one. The dividers are permanently insalled and do not come down or remove in any way. The door we are talking about is a part of this complete divider. You will pass back and forth but you will not have "a larger verandah".

[Orcrone]

Thanks S7S, you 5000+ charter member (sorry couldn't resist):)

I get what you're talking about, might be a little useful if we're all out on the verandah together, but also may not be worth the effort.

[sail7seas]

:D Tease away, kind sir!!!

[bepsf]

I seem to recall that there was a latch on the verandah so one could clip the panel (more like a door - the verandah partitions will never be open completely) open to keep it from swinging around.

And yes - all the verandahs/staterooms/amenities on the Vista Class ships are gonna be pretty much the same...