What's my cabin like?

[Carpgirl]

Hi:)

 

First time cruising & I'm finding it all pretty confusing.

 

We have booked on the Zuiderdam K cat, cabin 6022.

 

Does anyone know if this is one of the tiny, tiny cabins I've seen mentioned?

 

Thanks.

[cb at sea]

Yep..pretty tiny! did you have the deck plans in front of you when you booked?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I checked Joanie's site -- could not find a picture of your cabin.

[Carpgirl]

We needed an inside that was opposite a verandah cabin as we plan to hang out in my parents larger cabin & use their balcony. The TA said it was one of the only options for an inside opposite a verandah so they booked my parents & my 6 year old in 6024 & me & my 9 year old in to 6022.

 

Will I be OK if we have use of a bigger cabin?

 

Not sure of my options if the answer is no??:confused:

[SwissMyst]

Keep in mind you may not use your cabins for much more than sleeping and changing clothes. Ports will take up a lot of time, as well as meals and other onboard activities. And maybe your kids will find the HAL youth activities is where they want to hang out too.

 

So you may find hanging out together in your parents verandah cabin will only be something you do for a limited amount of time. There are lots of other spaces around the ship where you can also gather as a group and feel some nice sense of privacy too if your parent's cabin feels a little cramped with 5 people in it.

 

One thing to watch out for is to not force open your balcony door to create an indoor/out door space when you are all there at the same time. This throws off the A/C systems for all the other cabins on your ventilation circuit and causes all sorts of havoc for people you don't even know and who may not even be on the same floor as you.

 

There is a warning on the outside door but it really does not tell you the real picture that happens to other cabins if you do try to prop open the door. (I would have done this myself until I learned how much trouble this causes for others.)

 

I think you picked a good arrangement and even "small" cabins are still pretty big compared to a lot of the older ships. It is a ship. It has to pack a lot of stuff into a very small, contained space including the passengers so I hope you find the entire ship and all its inviting nooks and crannies is where everyone also enjoys hanging out together. Or each enjoying their own corner or activity as well and the all coming back together for meals. Enjoy. Good question.

[Carpgirl]

Thanks for the info. We added the cruise on to a 2 week Rockies/Vancouver trip at the very last minute so feel pretty lucky to be going at all:D

 

Very grateful for the info on keeping the balcony door open as without an explanation like that I would have kept it open even if it said not to:o

[Krazy Kruizers]

Okay I went to the Zuiderdam's sister ship -- Westerdam and from Joanie's Site I found these pictures of K6034 - just down the hall from you -- same type of cabin.

[

K 6034 Interior Stateroom Deck 6 Upper Verandah Deck

[

--

 

As you can see there is just one chair -- no sofa.

[Carpgirl]

Thank you soooo much for doing that!

 

Wow that is small:eek: At least it won't be a shock.

[fann1sh]

I wouldn't want 6022 as my only cabin, but....

 

Since your family has 2 cabins, you'll be fine. You'll have a key to your parents cabin if you want to use their balcony.

 

If you're still worried after reading these replies......since you're an adult, and the kids are yours, how important really is it to be on the same deck as your parents? Have you considered swapping for another K that's bigger, like K113, 116, 119, 123 down on main deck (if they're still available on your sailing)? More room for the same price.

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe it's unfair to show you this cabin if you can't move to it....

[Carpgirl]

Thanks again for the info. We are a very close family & it is very important that we are near each other. It's a shame that I could have had a bigger cabin if this wasn't the case but.......

 

I've been trying to look at any other options even if it means paying a bit more but when I get to the Choose Your Itinerary page & hit continue I get a message saying:

 

The data you submitted was not saved due to some error(s) indicated below and highlighted in the form.

Please correct them, then click the "Continue" button to go to the next page.

 

• Were sorry but we cannot process your request at this time.
  

But, there is nothing highlighted & I have just accepted the default answers ie no infants, no pregnancy no mariner names.

 

What am I doing wrong?

 

Thanks:)

[SwissMyst]

Thanks again for the info. We are a very close family & it is very important that we are near each other. .....

 

Bad joke, but your wish just came true. With this petite cabin, for sure you will be able to be "near each other". (Ouch!) :p I think you will all have a wonderful time no matter how it ends up. Ship travel is perfect for doing things together.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Be thankful that you are traveling with family and can go across the hall to your parent's cabin and can get out on their balcony.

Enjoy your cruise.

[cruisinggranmama]

Thanks again for the info. We are a very close family & it is very important that we are near each other. It's a shame that I could have had a bigger cabin if this wasn't the case but.......

 

I've been trying to look at any other options even if it means paying a bit more but when I get to the Choose Your Itinerary page & hit continue I get a message saying:

 

The data you submitted was not saved due to some error(s) indicated below and highlighted in the form.

Please correct them, then click the "Continue" button to go to the next page.

 

• Were sorry but we cannot process your request at this time.
  

But, there is nothing highlighted & I have just accepted the default answers ie no infants, no pregnancy no mariner names.

 

What am I doing wrong?

 

Thanks:)

 

 

Happened to me and I had not chosen a bed configuration.

[arkansasrumrunner]

Thank you soooo much for doing that!

 

Wow that is small:eek: At least it won't be a shock.

 

The inside rooms are small; from about 140 to 160 square feet; depending on the cruise line and the ship you are taking. However the wife and I have utilized an inside room on about 20 of our 25 cruises. They are adequate for us so I believe they will be adequate for your needs. Just quit worrying about the room size and enjoy the cruise..

[markshale]

You will only be dressing and sleeping in there. Even people who have suites don't hang out in them that much. Someone said, all cabins are the same size when you are in bed at night with the lights out. This is true.

 

The key to enjoying any size cabin is to keep it neat and organized. Unpack, use the under the bed space for luggage. We have always had balcony cabins and suites and I can't ever recall just lounging around in the cabin. I could do that much more comfortably at home. Your young children, I doubt, will be interested in that either.

 

On sea days there are tons of places your family can gather all around the ship that you will prefer to your cabins.

 

Mark

[Susie51]

Thanks for link to room pics.

[schoolinmy3]

Thanks for the info. We added the cruise on to a 2 week Rockies/Vancouver trip at the very last minute so feel pretty lucky to be going at all:D

 

Very grateful for the info on keeping the balcony door open as without an explanation like that I would have kept it open even if it said not to:o

 

On the same deck but toward the middle are category I cabins. These are much larger. Would this be an option for you? We were in SY 6068 on the Westerdam and had a peek inside one of these I cabins while the steward was cleaning them. They looked pretty spacious.

Diane

[IRL_Joanie]

The inside rooms are small; from about 140 to 160 square feet; depending on the cruise line and the ship you are taking. However the wife and I have utilized an inside room on about 20 of our 25 cruises. They are adequate for us so I believe they will be adequate for your needs. Just quit worrying about the room size and enjoy the cruise..

 

Actually the J and K category are larger than you mention. They run on average between 151 to 233 sq. ft.

 

And according to RevNeal:

 

"The Vista Class J & K Staterooms found on MAIN DECK are "Larger" inside cabins, being about 200 - 210 square feet in size, depending upon if they're handicapped accessible and/or connecting with other cabins. These Main Deck inside J's and K's are larger than the upper deck J's and K's by as many as 60 square feet (depending upon which J's and K's you're talking about). Many of the more experienced HAL cruisers tend to avoid any upper deck J or K in the forward section of the ship, while they might accept an upper deck stern J or K if there was no other alternative (i.e., if the obstructed outside cabins are taken). Those upper deck stern J's and K's will not have a couch, but will have two chairs. Some say they would never book anything bellow a J or a K on a Vista, and would not accept an inside cabin running length-wise with the ship.

[

The only inside cabins larger than the J's on Main Deck (and, indeed, the largest inside cabins in the fleet) are the "I" category cabins up on Navigation Deck 8: "I 8037" (which is handicapped accessible), "I 8041", "I 8045", and "I 8049. These four "I" category cabins are larger than the Js bellow them on Rotterdam Deck 7, and larger even than the five I category cabins amidships on Upper Verandah Deck 6. These Deck 8 "I" category cabins are only slightly narrower than the SS category cabins across the hall, and only a little shorter (not counting the SS's Verandah, of course). "I 8049" is the queen of all of the inside cabins, being a luxurious 233 square feet, which means that it is larger than ANY non verandah ocean view stateroom (which max out at 180 square feet). These Is are not quite as square as the J's and Ks on Main deck, but they're just as wide and a little deeper (i.e., more rectangular). Reports are that, "it feels larger than even a V cabin on the Vistas, which might be due to configuration but may also be a reality given that the smallest V's are 212 square feet, and that includes the verandah!"

[

If you can get a J or a K on Main Deck you can't go wrong. These are wonderful cabins in an excellent location and on the Vista ships, if you can get a K on deck 6 astern or a J on deck 7 astern, you'll find that they're small but acceptable (again, they won't have a couch but they will have two chairs). If you can't get one of those, and if you can't get an I on Deck 8, then go with an outside obstructed view cabin on Deck 4 (G or H). These are nice cabins, and even though they're smaller than the J's on Main Deck their configuration makes them feel comfortably sized. Indeed, other than lacking a verandah they're the same size as the inside portion of the V cabins on that deck (other than those facing astern).

[

Usually, the price differential between the inside Js and Ks and the outside H's and G's is only a few dollars -- so, if you find yourself stuck with only Ks in the forward section or even lower category cabins running length-wise with the ship, Spend the extra few bucks and go to an outside obstructed/partly obstructed view stateroom. You will hopefully not be disappointed."

 

Joanie

[Carpgirl]

Thanks everyone, all very helpful.

 

Looks like VA7003 & J7005 are available on 20th August.

 

Do you think J7005 would be much bigger than K6022?

 

My problem seems to be that there are 5 of us & not many of the Verandah cabins take 3 people.

 

Any thoughts??

[RuthC]

Do you think J7005 would be much bigger than K6022?

They look to be a different configuration, but otherwise pretty much the same size. Personally, I would go with J-7005 as I believe it might feel a bit bigger.

Flip a coin on this one. Or, choose the inside by choosing the preferred balcony cabin.

[Linda&Vern]

Thanks everyone, all very helpful.

 

Looks like VA7003 & J7005 are available on 20th August.

 

Do you think J7005 would be much bigger than K6022?

 

My problem seems to be that there are 5 of us & not many of the Verandah cabins take 3 people.

 

Any thoughts??

Isn't VA7003 a little too forward? Someone else will know and can chime in.

[fann1sh]

Here are photos of the J insides on deck 7 (actually Westerdam, but Zuiderdam will be the same):

 

 

 

[RuthC]

Isn't VA7003 a little too forward? Someone else will know and can chime in.

I think everything forward of the forward elevators is too far forward. The OP, though, is trying to coordinate a veranda cabin for three, and a nearby inside for two. There's not a lot of options here.