Rotterdam -- Inside cabin scoop?

[KroozNut]

12 hours ago, Btimmer said:

We've sailed exclusively in inside cabins on all three Pinnacle class ships.  The only one we really didn't care for was 10008 which is a spa cabin upfront.  It's really tiny.  But the others were quite acceptable.  In 2022 we spent 3 weeks on the NS and in 2021 we spent 10 days on the Rotterdam.  Previously we sailed the inaugurals of the NS and the Koningsdam both of which were multi-week cruises.

 

We have found that we prefer a mid level aft cabin for the best cruising experience for us.

With your described experience, I'm interested in hearing your comments about in cabin dining, if you did that at all.

[thecruiserman]

22 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

The Pinnacle class interiors are all very small and almost none have any separate seating areas (yes, there are a few triples that have a useless couch sandwiched in sideways alongside the bed).  You don't even get a real chair, just a cube to sit on so anything you do is done sitting on the bed (watching TV,  eating room service).  As others have said, if all you want is a bed, a dressing table with a cube to sit on and a nice bathroom the interiors are a great value and if you can live with that take one.  Many times we have been offered nice paid upgrade offers from them (on some we upgraded all the way to Neptune suites) and the cost was well under half the price the comparable cabin would have been to book from the beginning...so there is that opportunity too.

We are on Rotterdam in an oceanview. There is a separate sofa/loveseat, desk, and cube.

[KroozNut]

7 minutes ago, thecruiserman said:

We are on Rotterdam in an oceanview. There is a separate sofa/loveseat, desk, and cube.

 

That's nice, but I'm hearing that the sofa/loveseat is not available in inside cabins on Pinnacle Class ships.

[Love the beach]

22 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

Not real thrilled with the "cube" thing....  I was hoping there would at least be a decent chair. 

 

Although I have to say on my last cruise the loveseat in my room was mainly a place to toss stuff. 😂

On our Koningsdam cruise in an inside cabin we asked our room steward for a chair and got one!

[KroozNut]

6 minutes ago, Love the beach said:

On our Koningsdam cruise in an inside cabin we asked our room steward for a chair and got one!

 

Thanks, this is good to know. Then we might be able to enjoy room service meals on the desk with the 'cube' and an extra chair.

Was there sufficient room in the cabin for the extra chair when it wasn't being used? It does look pretty tight in there based on photos/videos I've seen.

[Love the beach]

10 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

 

Thanks, this is good to know. Then we might be able to enjoy room service meals on the desk with the 'cube' and an extra chair.

Was there sufficient room in the cabin for the extra chair when it wasn't being used? It does look pretty tight in there based on photos/videos I've seen.

It was tight but we were happy to have it.

[Btimmer]

6 hours ago, KroozNut said:

With your described experience, I'm interested in hearing your comments about in cabin dining, if you did that at all.

We never do in cabin dining so I can't help you there.

[KroozNut]

1 hour ago, Btimmer said:

We never do in cabin dining so I can't help you there.

 

Wow, not even morning coffee? Personally, I'm one that absolutely HAS to have a hot cup of joe in my hands as soon as my feet hit the deck from the bed! 🙂

[Btimmer]

35 minutes ago, KroozNut said:

 

Wow, not even morning coffee? Personally, I'm one that absolutely HAS to have a hot cup of joe in my hands as soon as my feet hit the deck from the bed! 🙂

We don't drink coffee (tea is great), but we do eat the chocolates left at bedtime or an occasional pastry.  We just don't like the lingering smell of food in the cabin.  

[cruisingrob21]

Some tips when booking inside:

 

K11060 and K11057 are cabins that are categorized as "inside" that have a window, but not "oceanview".  That is to say, they have windows that face aft across the jogging track and magrodome over the pool.  You won't really see anything, but you will get ample light.  Just make sure you close the curtains when you are in there or you may have people peeking in to see through the tinted glass.  You can see some photos here on the NS https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/11058-nieuw-statendam/

 

The inside cabin breakdown is as follows (roughly)

• N = 10
• L = 69
• K = 65
• J = 95
• I = 33
• IQ = 11

Since the least expensive cabins and suites tend to sell out first, booking an N cabin and accepting any upgrade has a pretty good upside of getting an upgrade so HAL can re-sell those N cabins.  However, those N cabins are sometimes held back and not released until closer to sailing.  In that case, all things being equal, if you are going to book an inside, either book an L category (knowing that you'll probably end up in a J category which will be the same size, just slightly more centered) or book an "I" category as some of those rooms are slightly larger than other insides and you may get an upgrade to an oceanview.

 

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by cruisingrob21

[Haljo1935]

Leave this weekend B2B on Nieuw Amsterdam; 2nd week will have a forward Spa Oceanview and a Spa Inside w/window. This will be my first time in an inside and 30+ years since being in an Oceanview, so this thread is very timely for me.

I know I probably confused some since I mentioned 2 types of cabins for same week - we're a group of 3 and plan on deciding who actually sleeps where once we're onboard and can see the cabins.

I didn't know an inside cabin w/a window was a "thing" until I found this on the deck plan and decided it would be a good way to see if I could handle an interior. While not providing an actual view, I thought the natural light from the window may be my savior. Heck, insides may not even be an issue for me, but don't know since this is my first one.

I'll update when I return and remain interested in comments from those with experience.

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by Haljo1935

[Real NHDOC]

Someone mentioned requesting a chair in their inside cabin.  We did that also, however, it was just a simple "card table chair" as anything else would be too big to fit at the dressing table and allow you to walk around it.  Also, then, we lost the cube because there's no place to keep it and the cube is the table for the tray from room service. 

 

As I said, the Pinnacle class interior cabins are VERY small.  We've sailed interior on HAL in Pinnacle and other classes and on other lines but the Pinnacles have the smallest interiors of any we've seen.  Basically imagine a room a foot or so larger than the bed on all sides with a TV on the wall across from the bed and a small dressing table with a mirror squeezed onto the wall along side of the bed.  That's your cabin.  On Celebrity the interiors we have had were luxurious by comparison, complete with couches to sit on. 

 

I find this site to be invaluable when it comes to seeing as many cabin photos and videos as possible:

 

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/index.php

 

you can see some without subscribing but to see them all you have to pay a nominal membership fee.

 

Here's two videos of interior cabins on Pinnacle ships:

 

 

Edited January 31, 2023 by Real NHDOC

[cruisingrob21]

13 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

I didn't know an inside cabin w/a window was a "thing" until I found this on the deck plan and decided it would be a good way to see if I could handle an interior. While not providing an actual view, I thought the natural light from the window may be my savior. Heck, insides may not even be an issue for me, but don't know since this is my first one.

I'll update when I return and remain interested in comments from those with experience.

 

Note that depending on which of the "inside cabins with a window" you have, you may have a stairway blocking some of the light.  The port side room (I forget which number) has slightly more light.

[cruisingrob21]

6 hours ago, Real NHDOC said:

As I said, the Pinnacle class interior cabins are VERY small.  We've sailed interior on HAL in Pinnacle and other classes and on other lines but the Pinnacles have the smallest interiors of any we've seen.  Basically imagine a room a foot or so larger than the bed on all sides with a TV on the wall across from the bed and a small dressing table with a mirror squeezed onto the wall along side of the bed.  That's your cabin.  On Celebrity the interiors we have had were luxurious by comparison, complete with couches to sit on. 

Most of the J, some of K and I category insides on Vista/Signature class ships were larger.  The J's were square with a sectional couch!  Now it seems that the I's on the Pinnacle class ships are slightly bigger, and feature a couch that might actually hinder movement more than it provides a benefit.

 

It's all a tradeoff - in some ways Vista class are superior ships, in other ways, Signature class are better, and in other ways Pinnacle class are better.  We keep trying to book obstructed view on Vista/Signature class to have the floor to ceiling window, and then we get upgraded.  Not complaining, but it would be nice to try it out.  I tried booking a J cabin on a 4 day coastal on the Eurodam a few years back and instead got an F oceanview.  Since it was just me solo, I didn't need the extra room and appreciated the upgrade.