Thoughts on a deck 5 aft-wrap cabin - Vista class ship

[RocketMan275]

Thanks guys, I suspected I was a bit lucky. I normally book much further out than I did for this cruise. In fact, I cancelled a cruise I had booked months ago to switch to this cruise. I will book my future cruises as soon as I can.

 

Thanks Again.

 

You guys have no idea how much we're looking forward to this balcony.

 

I just checked on there are two aft wraps on deck four, one on deck five, and one on deck seven still available on our March 16 Westy cruise. Of course, this is a Caribbean seven day.

[AZNative2000]

You guys have no idea how much we're looking forward to this balcony.

 

You WILL love it ... :):):)

 

 

[RocketMan275]

You WILL love it ... :):):)

 

I know we will. We had a long discussion last night about dining. We've booked the Grill and Le Cirque. We plan to dine on the balcony multiple times either with room service or perhaps just gathering up some things from the Lido. I guess we do need to do a dinner or two in the MDR but it would be a shame to waste that balcony.

[81Zoomie]

We will be ringing in the new year in 5190.... Can't wait 🚢 🎉🍹

[AZNative2000]

I know we will. We had a long discussion last night about dining. We've booked the Grill and Le Cirque. We plan to dine on the balcony multiple times either with room service or perhaps just gathering up some things from the Lido. I guess we do need to do a dinner or two in the MDR but it would be a shame to waste that balcony.

 

Hi again RocketMan,

 

According to others on CC ... You can ask the Neptune Lounge concierge to arrange to have your MDR dinner delivered and SERVED COURSE BY COURSE on your balcony. Haven't done that yet but will ask at our next opportunity.:D:D

 

We have had hot and cold hors d'oeuvres delivered along with tea at tea time. We were entertaining friends.

 

We are going to bring our own tablecloth (with clips) to use at all our balcony meals.:)

 

Cheers!

Edited December 25, 2015 by AZNative2000

[RocketMan275]

Hi again RocketMan,

 

According to others on CC ... You can ask the Neptune Lounge concierge to arrange to have your MDR dinner delivered and SERVED COURSE BY COURSE on your balcony. Haven't done that yet but will ask at our next opportunity.:D:D

 

We have had hot and cold hors d'oeuvres delivered along with tea at tea time. We were entertaining friends.

 

We are going to bring our own tablecloth (with clips) to use at all our balcony meals.:)

 

Cheers!

 

We have heard the same and intend to take advantage of that at least once. We will be celebrating our 24th anniversary which coincide with the first Gala Night. We're planning on using that service for that occasion.

 

We will probably just use the regular room service on the other Gala Night.

 

Wife is already planning on bringing a tablecloth and some battery powered tea lamps. I'm sitting aside a number of bottles of wine.

[DaveOKC]

I did not try to get the course by course service last week on the Oosterdam, so I cannot say for certain if it is offered. I have tried it on a couple of other ships and was told that it was not an option by the Neptune concierge.

[RocketMan275]

I did not try to get the course by course service last week on the Oosterdam, so I cannot say for certain if it is offered. I have tried it on a couple of other ships and was told that it was not an option by the Neptune concierge.

 

It does seem to be a bit too good to be true. I will ask but won't be too disappointed if it isn't an option.

[RocketMan275]

I did not try to get the course by course service last week on the Oosterdam, so I cannot say for certain if it is offered. I have tried it on a couple of other ships and was told that it was not an option by the Neptune concierge.

 

Dave,

 

Your thoughts on an aft wrap on deck five versus an aft wrap on deck seven or an SA (7062) close to the Neptune Lounge on Oosterdam.

[alwaysfrantic]

I am familiar with the Zuiderdam on deck 5, but on the Noordam it is different, right? The "roof" that covers on the Zuiderdam is just a regular amount of overhang on Noordam, right?

[blizzardboy]

Dave,

 

Your thoughts on an aft wrap on deck five versus an aft wrap on deck seven or an SA (7062) close to the Neptune Lounge on Oosterdam.

 

Obvious difference you already mentioned - SA is closer to the NL and more mid-ship. SA is also bit bigger inside but has a smaller veranda. You are much more exposed to the wind when at sea. The aft-wraps are much closer to the MDR and aft pool, but farther away from other things - good exercise! The aft-wraps offer views to port, starboard, aft and forward (270 degrees) vs. SA offers the the side you're on and looking forward or aft down the side of the ship (180 degrees). Deck 5 aft-wrap SB has probably 40% more veranda space than deck 7 aft-wrap SB with a ton of it under roof and more space out of the wind. We've been in both deck 5 aft-wraps on the Oo'dam and Zuiderdam and loved them. My wife said during our first stay in a deck 5 aft-wrap that it was like having her own private yacht. We will be on the Eurodam in January in an aft-wrap, but going with deck 7 as there's no advantage to be on deck 5 in the Signature Class ships.

The aft end of the Vista Class ships, i.e. Oo'dam, originally had a pretty good forward rake when viewed from the side. They "squared" up the aft profile by retrofitting cabins on decks 6 and up, creating the huge deck 5 verandas.

Another Dave, aka blizzardboy

Edited July 31, 2016 by blizzardboy

[DaveOKC]

Dave,

 

Your thoughts on an aft wrap on deck five versus an aft wrap on deck seven or an SA (7062) close to the Neptune Lounge on Oosterdam.

 

Blizzardboy pretty muc70h answered your question, so I will try not to repeat too much.

 

We really like the deck 5 aft-wraps on Zuiderdam and Oosterdam, due to the huge and covered balcony. I would take it over a deck 7 aft-wrap.

 

As to 7062 near the Lounge, it would depend on the cruise. If there is alot of scenic views (like Alaska and the Panama Canal), I would take deck 5 aft-wrap. Otherwise, 7062 and the like are larger cabins and being close to the Neptune (and other places on the ship) is nice. Further, I have found the cabin stewards on deck 7 (Neptunes) to generally do a better job, especially as it relates to the Neptune "perks". On deck 5 we did not get all the communications we should have (even missed the final bill last cruise) and had to ask for common things like Neptune laundry bags.

 

Hope this helps.

Dave

[blizzardboy]

Typically, how far out do you have to book the deck 5 aft wraps. I booked mine in March on Westerdam about 85 days out. Is that "far out"? Curious because I intend to book more.

I usually book aft-wrap SBs very soon after they open for booking to get our choice of deck. Our 11-day on the Oo'dam last January doubled in price between my booking and sailing date.

[blizzardboy]

Blizzardboy pretty muc70h answered your question, so I will try not to repeat too much.

 

We really like the deck 5 aft-wraps on Zuiderdam and Oosterdam, due to the huge and covered balcony. I would take it over a deck 7 aft-wrap.

 

As to 7062 near the Lounge, it would depend on the cruise. If there is alot of scenic views (like Alaska and the Panama Canal), I would take deck 5 aft-wrap. Otherwise, 7062 and the like are larger cabins and being close to the Neptune (and other places on the ship) is nice. Further, I have found the cabin stewards on deck 7 (Neptunes) to generally do a better job, especially as it relates to the Neptune "perks". On deck 5 we did not get all the communications we should have (even missed the final bill last cruise) and had to ask for common things like Neptune laundry bags.

 

Hope this helps.

Dave

 

Referencing our very first deck 5 aft-wrap on the Z'dam several years ago, I thought our steward was just average. Last January on the Oo'dam, Noor (Nurdiyama) was fantastic. towel animals wouldn't sway my opinion, but he taught the classes offered and was very experienced in handling our needs. I mentioned in a letter to the HAL Exec Office our being somewhat disappointed with our first aft-wrap steward, stating as others have mentioned, that he didn't seem to offer suite-level service. It's never happened since.

Edited July 31, 2016 by blizzardboy

[RocketMan275]

Obvious difference you already mentioned - SA is closer to the NL and more mid-ship. SA is also bit bigger inside but has a smaller veranda. You are much more exposed to the wind when at sea. The aft-wraps are much closer to the MDR and aft pool, but farther away from other things - good exercise! The aft-wraps offer views to port, starboard, aft and forward (270 degrees) vs. SA offers the the side you're on and looking forward or aft down the side of the ship (180 degrees). Deck 5 aft-wrap SB has probably 40% more veranda space than deck 7 aft-wrap SB with a ton of it under roof and more space out of the wind. We've been in both deck 5 aft-wraps on the Oo'dam and Zuiderdam and loved them. My wife said during our first stay in a deck 5 aft-wrap that it was like having her own private yacht. We will be on the Eurodam in January in an aft-wrap, but going with deck 7 as there's no advantage to be on deck 5 in the Signature Class ships.

 

The aft end of the Vista Class ships, i.e. Oo'dam, originally had a pretty good forward rake when viewed from the side. They "squared" up the aft profile by retrofitting cabins on decks 6 and up, creating the huge deck 5 verandas.

Another Dave, aka blizzardboy

 

Blizzardboy pretty muc70h answered your question, so I will try not to repeat too much.

 

We really like the deck 5 aft-wraps on Zuiderdam and Oosterdam, due to the huge and covered balcony. I would take it over a deck 7 aft-wrap.

 

As to 7062 near the Lounge, it would depend on the cruise. If there is alot of scenic views (like Alaska and the Panama Canal), I would take deck 5 aft-wrap. Otherwise, 7062 and the like are larger cabins and being close to the Neptune (and other places on the ship) is nice. Further, I have found the cabin stewards on deck 7 (Neptunes) to generally do a better job, especially as it relates to the Neptune "perks". On deck 5 we did not get all the communications we should have (even missed the final bill last cruise) and had to ask for common things like Neptune laundry bags.

 

Hope this helps.

Dave

 

Thanks to two Dave (s). Appreciate your comments. Funny thing, we "missed the final bill" too on Westy last March. Holland emailed us one.

 

We've been in an aft wrap on deck five of Westerdam. We've booked 7062 on Oosterdam to try a SA near the lounge. We intended then to decide whether we preferred being near the lounge or the aft wrap. We usually walk three or four miles a day so that isn't an issue.

 

Tampa is our preferred port since it saves us three hours drive time each way. Holland is replacing Oosterdam with Rotterdam in Tampa at least through Spring 2018. So we will be doing one cruise on Oosterdam and then two on Rotterdam. Rotterdam has no aft wrap suites.

 

We liked the view from the aft wrap. We are not sun people and we liked the overhead cover. We enjoyed three dinners on the aft balcony. We spent a lot of time on the balcony. Even though we had 15 to 25 knot winds the whole trip, we were able to find places out of the wind.

 

Specific quesitons all relative to Oosterdam:

- Is the wind likely to affect our ability to spend a lot of time on the 7062 balcony? Will it make dining difficult? Honestly, we've never had a side balcony and I'm not sure what to expect. (I recognize the difficulty in predicting winds.)

- If we choose an aft wrap on deck seven, will there be plenty of overhead cover? Seven might be a nice compromise.

 

Appreciate your time and insights.

[DaveOKC]

I do not think 7062 will be a problem due to winds, but just to be safe for dining we bring our own table cloth and clips to hold it down (got them from the local party supply store).

 

I have not stayed in a deck 7 aft-wrap, but I think it is about half covered. I know deck 4 was half covered (more or less).

[RocketMan275]

I do not think 7062 will be a problem due to winds, but just to be safe for dining we bring our own table cloth and clips to hold it down (got them from the local party supply store).

 

I have not stayed in a deck 7 aft-wrap, but I think it is about half covered. I know deck 4 was half covered (more or less).

 

That's the kind of information I'm looking for. I tried to talk wife into taking a table cloth before. She doesn't see the need.

Edited July 31, 2016 by RocketMan275

[DaveOKC]

That's the kind of information I'm looking for. I tried to talk wife into taking a table cloth before. She doesn't see the need.

 

Trust me, its a nice touch for dinners and really does not take up much room in the suitcase.

 

Dave

[Crew News]

That's the kind of information I'm looking for. I tried to talk wife into taking a table cloth before. She doesn't see the need.

 

Add some LED candles to make the verandah dining even better.

[alwaysfrantic]

I am familiar with the Zuiderdam on deck 5, but on the Noordam it is different, right? The "roof" that covers on the Zuiderdam is just a regular amount of overhang on Noordam, right?

 

Anyone with Zuiderdam vs Noordam deck 5 aft wraps? On Noordam are the corners the same the whole way up?

[Crew News]

Anyone with Zuiderdam vs Noordam deck 5 aft wraps? On Noordam are the corners the same the whole way up?

 

Deck 5 verandahs are fully covered on all Vista-class ship EXCEPT Noordam which is about 2/3d covered.

 

The Noordam aft wraps are all about 2/3d covered all the way up.

[blizzardboy]

Specific quesitons all relative to Oosterdam:

- Is the wind likely to affect our ability to spend a lot of time on the 7062 balcony? Will it make dining difficult? Honestly, we've never had a side balcony and I'm not sure what to expect. (I recognize the difficulty in predicting winds.)

- If we choose an aft wrap on deck seven, will there be plenty of overhead cover? Seven might be a nice compromise.

 

Appreciate your time and insights.

 

I have jokingly suggested that a cruiser set a small table and chairs in the back of a pickup and try eating at 25 mph. That's your veranda when sailing. Now try it at 40-45 mph. That's adding a moderate headwind while sailing. It doesn't sound like a very romantic dinner to me. Eating on the veranda while in port while enjoying the scenery makes more sense to me. There are those that say it's no problem dining at sea with table cloth clips etc. Now you have the optimistic and the cynical take on veranda dining. We celebrate special occasions in the PG or Tamarind.

In choosing an aft-wrap, we were never concerned about which deck, unless on a Vista class due to our love for the huge deck 5 verandas. You pass the elevators or stairs on your way forward on every deck anyway.

I've looked at cruises out of Tampa over the last couple of years compared to departing from Ft. Lauderdale. The same itineraries seemed to be 20-25% higher leaving from Tampa. On a NS, it made for a pretty substantial price increase. You pay a pretty penny to avoid the 6 hour round trip you mentioned..

Edited August 1, 2016 by blizzardboy

[kazu]

Specific quesitons all relative to Oosterdam:

- Is the wind likely to affect our ability to spend a lot of time on the 7062 balcony? Will it make dining difficult? Honestly, we've never had a side balcony and I'm not sure what to expect. (I recognize the difficulty in predicting winds.)

- If we choose an aft wrap on deck seven, will there be plenty of overhead cover? Seven might be a nice compromise.

 

Appreciate your time and insights.

 

I have jokingly suggested that a cruiser set a small table and chairs in the back of a pickup and try eating at 25 mph. That's your veranda when sailing. Now try it at 40-45 mph. That's adding a moderate headwind while sailing. It doesn't sound like a very romantic dinner to me. Eating on the veranda while in port while enjoying the scenery makes more sense to me. There are those that say it's no problem dining at sea with table cloth clips etc. Now you have the optimistic and the cynical take on veranda dining. We celebrate special occasions in the PG or Tamarind.

In choosing an aft-wrap, we were never concerned about which deck, unless on a Vista class due to our love for the huge deck 5 verandas. You pass the elevators or stairs on your way forward on every deck anyway.

I've looked at cruises out of Tampa over the last couple of years compared to departing from Ft. Lauderdale. The same itineraries seemed to be 20-25% higher leaving from Tampa. On a NS, it made for a pretty substantial price increase. You pay a pretty penny to avoid the 6 hour round trip you mentioned..

 

For 7062, (side balconies), depending upon your itinerary of course, wind should not be a major issue. We do side balconies and enjoy the balcony without difficulty. The only exception would be one transatlantic for a couple of days and a high wind/storm situation.

 

We haven't done dinner on the balcony,but we have eaten there with no problem at all. ;)

Edited August 1, 2016 by kazu

[RocketMan275]

 

I have jokingly suggested that a cruiser set a small table and chairs in the back of a pickup and try eating at 25 mph. That's your veranda when sailing. Now try it at 40-45 mph. That's adding a moderate headwind while sailing. It doesn't sound like a very romantic dinner to me. Eating on the veranda while in port while enjoying the scenery makes more sense to me. There are those that say it's no problem dining at sea with table cloth clips etc. Now you have the optimistic and the cynical take on veranda dining. We celebrate special occasions in the PG or Tamarind.

In choosing an aft-wrap, we were never concerned about which deck, unless on a Vista class due to our love for the huge deck 5 verandas. You pass the elevators or stairs on your way forward on every deck anyway.

I've looked at cruises out of Tampa over the last couple of years compared to departing from Ft. Lauderdale. The same itineraries seemed to be 20-25% higher leaving from Tampa. On a NS, it made for a pretty substantial price increase. You pay a pretty penny to avoid the 6 hour round trip you mentioned..

 

The prices for Oosterdam and Nieuw Amsterdam in Mar 2017 are the same.

 

We rarely, if ever, dine in the MDR. The capability of balcony dining is important to us. I've looked at our itinerary and all of out port visits end far too early for dinner in port.

 

If table clips solve the wind issue, then the wind isn't an issue since we have no plans to take a table cloth.

 

Your pickup analogy is what caused me to rethink this.

[alwaysfrantic]

Deck 5 verandahs are fully covered on all Vista-class ship EXCEPT Noordam which is about 2/3d covered.

 

The Noordam aft wraps are all about 2/3d covered all the way up.

 

Are they larger on Noordam like they appeared to be on Zuiderdam, or all the same size?