Veendam versus Rotterdam

[ricruise]

Hi,

 

I was hoping to get advice as to which ship to book for a late summer / early fall cruise to New England / Canada, the Veendam or the Rotterdam?

 

It will be my DH and I and we will be booking a Neptune Suite.

 

Researching the website I am not seeing too much of a difference between these two ships but experience is more telling. We are not pool or show people. We enjoy good food and drink and I enjoy the casino.

 

Any and all recommendations welcome

[Alberta Quilter]

The Rotterdam is one of the two flagships so some things might be better than on the Veendam. As you're not pool people, either ship will work for you as neither has an aft pool anymore. I've been on both ships, long ago, and enjoyed my cruises on both (I'm not a pool person either). The Veendam has had more issues (plumbing and A/C) reported here on CC, than the Rotterdam. There have been few reports on Rotterdam here in recent years, likely due to being based in Europe and having fewer CC members sailing her. Rotterdam is slightly larger than the Veendam.

 

I suggest you look a little closer at the itineraries and the port times before finalizing your decision. If those things are equal, then, I would probably choose Rotterdam only because she is a co-flagship.

Edited April 7, 2016 by Alberta Quilter

[Dave in NJ]

I've been on both numerous times and the differences are so modest I'd place the choice (if there is one) of itinerary ahead of choice of ship. If you tend to wander around the ship quite a bit the Rotterdam is a bit more convenient due to the additional (central) bank of elevators - to me that's about the only significant difference.

[Airnocker]

Hi,

 

I was hoping to get advice as to which ship to book for a late summer / early fall cruise to New England / Canada, the Veendam or the Rotterdam?

 

It will be my DH and I and we will be booking a Neptune Suite.

 

Researching the website I am not seeing too much of a difference between these two ships but experience is more telling. We are not pool or show people. We enjoy good food and drink and I enjoy the casino.

 

Any and all recommendations welcome

 

I'd recommend the Rotterdam. It might not matter for Neptune Suites, but the veranda cabins are smaller on the Veendam. The Veendam has only two bays of elevators, which can create a convience issue moving about. To me the Veendam casinos seems noisier, the showroom more crowded, and the ship in general seems more crowded with approximately the same number of passengers. For me, itineraries being equal, I'll sail the Rotterdam.

Airnocker

[Heartgrove]

You mentioned booking a Neptune Suite so this doesn't apply to you. But on a whole for the Verandah Decks, the 6000-series on the Rotterdam Vista Suites and 100-series Veendam Vista Suites are the same size. The staterooms furthest forward or aft ends may be different.

 

I could be wrong but the plumbing issues on the Veendam appear to be located in the aft cabins that were remodeled.

 

The additional set of elevators on the Rotterdam are a convenience but I would choose on itinerary and/or price. We enjoyed the Veendam last year on a Canada NE cruise.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Heartgrove

[Airnocker]

You mentioned booking a Neptune Suite so this doesn't apply to you. But on a whole for the Verandah Decks, the 6000-series on the Rotterdam Vista Suites and 100-series Veendam Vista Suites are the same size. The staterooms furthest forward or aft ends may be different..

The HAL website deck plans shows the Vista Suites on Veendam are approximately 283 sq ft. The deck plan for the Rotterdam deck 6 Vista Suite is shown as approximately 292 sq ft. The Rotterdam has one more closet bay in the hallway (important for long cruises). I promise you that when one goes from R class cabin to S class veranda cabins in short order, as I did last year, the size difference is is noticeable. The web site "halfacts" has fotos that individuals have posted of the ships common areas, and various cabins. Personally, I'll not sail HAL's "S" class again.

[Heartgrove]

The HAL website deck plans shows the Vista Suites on Veendam are approximately 283 sq ft. The deck plan for the Rotterdam deck 6 Vista Suite is shown as approximately 292 sq ft. The Rotterdam has one more closet bay in the hallway (important for long cruises). I promise you that when one goes from R class cabin to S class veranda cabins in short order, as I did last year, the size difference is is noticeable. The web site "halfacts" has fotos that individuals have posted of the ships common areas, and various cabins. Personally, I'll not sail HAL's "S" class again.

 

My mistake. I knew that there was additional length over an "S" class. The beam on an "R" class is 1.22 meters wider than a "S" class. That would account for the extra space required for the additional cabinet.

[OlsSalt]

One of the delights of the Neptune suites is the suites breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill (same menu but a special setting) - which would definitely tilt the favor to the Veendam for us as that is a smaller windowed dining room.

 

Plus we like the smaller feel of the Veendam class ships, though the additional cabins now do make it a bit busier. I personally would choose the Veendam ...but we already have as we are also doing the NE cruise on the Veendam

 

Pinnacle breakfasts on the Rotterdam can either be in the inside Pinnacle Grill or the upper floor main dining room. That was a mixed feeling for us because we were eating breakfast nearly at the same small table we had for dinner when the Neptune breakfast was located in the Upper Dining Room.

 

Though we did finally beg to have a table for four by the window set up for two for breakfast after our first morning shock that it was not available in the Pinnacle Grill itself. But sometimes that was not available.

 

We enjoyed our Neptune breakfasts in the inside actual Pinnacle Grill on another ship similar to the Rotterdam because it was so very spacious and gracious. But apparently too many passengers did not like starting their morning in an inside setting, so this Neptune breakfast location on the similar ships changed to the upper Dining Room.

 

I think this Neptune breakfast can change from cruise to cruise on the Rotterdam, but at least on the Veendam you would know where the Neptune Breakfast would be - a nice small dining room with windows.

 

One of our favored Neptune perks.

Edited April 10, 2016 by OlsSalt

[frankian]

Just wondered why the roll call for the cruise in October is so inactive but hopefully it may pick up as we near our sail date.