Veranda vs Vista Suite on Rotterdam

[Cococilla]

Hi! We're new to Holland America, considering an Eastern Caribbean cruise next January.  I'm comparing Veranda rooms and Vista Suite and don't see a lot of difference for the price (>$1K pp).  A refrigerator, "no-host bar" (whatever that is), room maybe a little bigger.  Can anyone share experiences with either? Thanks!

[Cruise Suzy]

Welcome to Holland America and Cruise Critic. The Eurodam doesn't have Vista Suites. What ship are you considering? Eurodam has Signature Suites which are considerably larger than Verandas: more space between the foot of the bed and the wall, an extra desk area, two sinks, a shower in addition to the tub/shower combo and a larger balcony.

 

Koningsdam, Rotterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Volendam and Zaandam have Vista Suites.

 

A "no-host bar" means you pay for whatever you consume - the contents of the refrigerator are NOT included in the fare.

[Cococilla]

Sorry, I was wrong - it’s Rotterdam I’m considering. Is there a way to edit or delete my comment?

[Cruise Suzy]

If you want to change the title - click on the 3 dots by the post number and use "report" to ask a moderator to change it. 

[Gigi1977]

2 hours ago, Cococilla said:

Sorry, I was wrong - it’s Rotterdam I’m considering. Is there a way to edit or delete my comment?

Since it is Rotterdam you are considering- you can look on several site and compare the veranda, and vista.   The bed is beside the balcony in the Vista and in the veranda, the bed is closer to the bathroom with the sofa being next to the balcony.  A Vista suite is not really a ‘suite’ - just a bit larger than a regular veranda and comes with a few ‘perks’ including double cruise credits but generally at a much larger price.  (It can be nice if you are chasing Mariner status but don’t want to pay for a Signature, Neptune or Pinnacle ‘suite’.  Check out Cruise Deck Plans or HAL facts to see pictures of both.   

Edited January 22 by Gigi1977
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[crystalspin]

5 hours ago, Cococilla said:

...I'm comparing Veranda rooms and Vista Suite and don't see a lot of difference for the price (>$1K pp).  A refrigerator, "no-host bar" (whatever that is), room maybe a little bigger.  Can anyone share experiences with either? Thanks!

There really isn't a LOT of difference. Both have the stocked "no-host" fridge (you can have your room stewards empty the fridge to use for your own items). As new to HAL cruisers, it is probably not worth over $2000 for a Vista Suite over a Verandah! But here are our experiences.

 

We were in the situation Gigi mentions: we had pandemic credits that were going to expire at end of 2022, and I realized that if we did a back-to-back in a suite, we would advance to four-stars loyalty status (which on Holland America, gives you free laundry! just in time for three LONG cruises we have planned for this year). We booked Vista suite 4100 (one flight of stairs up from the Grand Dutch Cafe and Guest Services, FWIW) and loved it, enough that we are in the same cabin for a 35-day cruise sailing next month!

 

Here are the Rotterdam and her sister ships on HalFacts:

https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/

 

Note that there are at least five cabins marked (V) Verandahs that are actually Vista Suites on the Koningsdam: 4098, 4102, 4111, 4117, & 4119. And you can tell because the beds are next to the balcony door, as Gigi said. This is a very good gallery of Vista Suite pics so you don't have to open all of them:

https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/5098-koningsdam/

And one for the Verandah:

https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/5115-nieuw-statendam/

 

The nominal space is 

Vista Suite= Cabin: 212 sqft (20 m2), Balcony: 48 sqft (5 m2)

and 

Verandah= Cabin: 180 sqft (17 m2), Balcony: 48 sqft (5 m2)

 

We thought it was an important 32 sq.ft, making it feel more like two rooms. However, we don't "use" the balcony that much, so it was more convenient coming into the room from the hall and having desk and sofa (and cubby and console-thingee) to drop ourselves and things onto. If you anticipate using the balcony a lot, having the sitting area near it might be better. But don't leave the door open, that messes with the whole sections air-conditioning!

[Cococilla]

Thanks for the replies. They’ve helped a lot!

[Djptcp]

We have had Vista Suites on the Rotterdam a number of times and also a Veranda once. We much prefer the Vista Suites as they are larger. Plus we receive double sailing days - a 7 day cruise gets you 14 sailing days. We are 4* Mariners and having Neptune and Vista Suites got us to 4* a lot faster than if we just kept booking Verandas. Being new to Holland that might not mean much to you now though. Whatever you decide, have a wonderful cruise. The Rotterdam is a beautiful ship with a great crew and wonderful food.

[SeagoingMom]

I would love to chime in with a question of my own, if I may...

 

Can anyone tell me whether all Vista suites - on both decks 4 and 8 on Rotterdam - have fully covered balconies, or if any Vista suite verandas on Rotterdam on either or both of these decks are only partially covered?  

 

Thanks so much!

[crystalspin]

22 minutes ago, SeagoingMom said:

Can anyone tell me whether all Vista suites - on both decks 4 and 8 on Rotterdam - have fully covered balconies, or if any Vista suite verandas on Rotterdam on either or both of these decks are only partially covered?  

The mid-ship Vista Suites on deck 8 are totally uncovered as described in this Koningsdam mini-review:

https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/8105-koningsdam/

and confirmed in this Rotterdam video at time 1:35+

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS6g_GOmrVo

 

On deck 4, the mid-ship VSs are covered (but up tall...) as seen on the last K'dam photo here:

https://halfacts.com/pinnacle-class/4119-koningsdam/

 

[SeagoingMom]

Thank you very much, crystalspin! That was exactly the info I wanted!!! (I'm new to the big HAL ships and it never occurred to me to investigate the Koningsdam as identical to the Rotterdam. 🙄)

[LarsenPNP]

The other point about Vistas, is that they are often in more preferred locations on the ship.  If you are picky about your cabin location, you may find the Vista is where you want to be.  Of course that is not to say that you wouldn't get a nice location in a Veranda, but HAL seems to know which areas/cabins are preferred (Aft location, larger balcony, near elevators, mid-ship, etc) and thus charge more for this.