Statendam - Small Ship - Will it feel crowded?

[Juliadlf]

I've just recently started researching possible cruises we wish to do in 2008 one of which would be from FLL to Lima and the ship is the Statendam. Since it has less passenger capacity than any of the other cruise ships we've sailed on (2,500 +), will we feel crowded on a small ship?

 

Thanks for your feedback.

 

Julia

[WeLoveCruising]

No, not crowded at all - it will be the exact opposite. Thats the reason why so many of us love HAL, especially the S class ships like the Statendam. It might be a smaller ship (but by no means small), but there will be half as many people as you've sailed with before. It's all about the passenger / space ratio, not just the size of the ship. There is plenty of room.

[garydm]

We have been on Statendam half a dozen times. It is not crowded at all and you often wonder where all the people are.

 

Gary

[kakalina]

She was our first and remains our favorite ship. We have never felt crowded on any R/S class ship.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have sailed several times on the Statendam - love the smaller ships.

 

Never felt crowded any time - not in the lounges - not getting on or off the ship.

[RuthC]

The S-class ships are my favorites, and one of the reasons is because she's small (compared to most other ships).

You are sailing with fewer people, so you run into the same folks over and over again, and get to know them better. It doesn't take long for the S-class ships to feel cozy and like home.

[JimVrhovac]

Check out sq footage and will note that most are bigger. A, B, cabins are more than enough for two people unless one of them packs like Ruth

 

Ruh & JIm

[leoandhugh]

we have felt much more crowded on the newer Vista ships than on S or R class. Vistas seem to have crammed so many more cabins without providing a commensurate increase in the number of or square footage of the public rooms. The larger ships get, the more crowded they feel and can go to fewer and fewer ports. And the ports they can go to are overcrowded with passengers from other behemoths. It may be the economics of keeping the basic fare down, but the day I want to take a vacation with 4 or 5 thousand others (think Genesis) will never come.:)

[LAFFNVEGAS]

we have felt much more crowded on the newer Vista ships than on S or R class. Vistas seem to have crammed so many more cabins without providing a commensurate increase in the number of or square footage of the public rooms. The larger ships get, the more crowded they feel and can go to fewer and fewer ports. And the ports they can go to are overcrowded with passengers from other behemoths. It may be the economics of keeping the basic fare down, but the day I want to take a vacation with 4 or 5 thousand others (think Genesis) will never come.:)

 

 

I have to totally disagree, We have felt the most crowded on the S Class ships, Ryndam especially but the same on the Veendam and Maasdam. When going down to dinner and if the open the doors late it is mobbed with people with NO Where to go, then you have all those trying to get out of the elevators, it is a total zoo. The Lido is almost always packed on the S class ships making it hard to find a table and not near the selection of food as the Vista Class ships. Yes, there are on occasions that the Vista Class ships Lido are a bit crowded but not as often as I found on the S Class ships. Then debarking a ship was another mess. I never ever felt that on any of the Vista Class ships, there seemed to be far more room to spread out. This is just my humble opinion.:)

[DamTxCruiser]

I agree with the majority. After having sailed the S class multiple times and the Vista class 3 times....the Vista's do feel more crowded. We were last on the Veendam and it was sold out during spring break in March and we kept thinking surely we will have to stand in a line at some point. Never. Now, the Oosterdam in Alaska this past August was another story. Not really overly crowded like CCL or RCCL, but deffinetly more of a crowded feeling than the S class and less a few lines here and there and crowds to meander through walking around the lounges, etc. But, I do love to sail all of the HAL ships because ALL of them are less crowded that most of the other lines. In other words, you can't go wrong.:D

[Kane]

I have been browsing the HAL board to read comments about the Statendam because we are to board next spring. Comments seem to be somewhat rare on this ship.

 

Thanks to those who have commented on this thread, they are much appreciated.

 

Anyway, I happened to look at cruisecal and see that Statendam was in port today and decided to walk down from my office for a quick look-see. The following photo was my first sighting ... as if Statendam was preparing to sail up Bethel Street :)

 

 

Happened to chat with a couple of passengers at the dock ... they were having a good time. Statendam is on it's way to the south Pacific. We are looking forward to our boarding at the other end of the Pacific voyage, in Osaka, on its way back to N. America.

[tomtal]

Thanks for the photo. Now we more excited than ever - will be boarding on 18 November Auckland/Sydney, although departing Blighty on 11 November. Can't wait!!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Very Nice Picture of the Statendam in Honolulu:)

[RevNeal]

Ah, yes.

The Statendam is wonderful!

I've never actually felt crowded on any HAL vessel, and certainly not aboard the Statendam.

 

Check out my photos (through the link in my signature) of the Statendam and the other S-class ships (Ryndam and Maasdam) that I've been aboard. They are lovely vessels. You won't feel cramped.

[jtl513]

To me S class ships only feel crowded in the Lido at Noon on embarkation day, and at the end-of-cruise snowball Bingo! And outside the dining room at five-minutes-before-seating time, but that's true on Vistas as well. I can not understand why people go there early when they have traditional dining. :confused:

[RevNeal]

To me S class ships only feel crowded in the Lido at Noon on embarkation day, and at the end-of-cruise snowball Bingo! And outside the dining room at five-minutes-before-seating time, but that's true on Vistas as well. I can not understand why people go there early when they have traditional dining. :confused:

 

I agree, John ... I don't understand it either. If I see a pile up, I go back or sit down in the Crows Nest and wait. Why crowd up and stand in line for the main dining room? That's just silly. The food isn't going away.

 

And, true, the Lido can feel crowded during the embarkation lunch. But that's hard to avoid until the cabins are opened.

[photodoodle]

I was on a sold out cruise on the Statendam this summer in Alaska and I didn't feel crowded in general. There were sometimes lines in the Lido buffet and the ocaisional wait for an elevator. But it didn't feel crowded in general at all, quite the opposite.

[aliaschief]

I cannot forget being on the Volendam this summer and at 9:30 AM we were the only people in the Crows Nest! We always felt we had a lot of personal space in the other venues. Hope we have the same feeling on the Oosterdam in November.

[sassyredhat]

I agree with everyone else. We loved the Statendam, and never felt crowded, except just before showtime in the lounge, and just before early dinner.

If you go to dinner 5 minutes early, you will find a big line. If you take the elevator to dinner early, there will be no room to get out of it. :)

[eh2zed]

S class ships are great and you won't have a space problem generally. Certainly not compared to a 2500 or larger mega ship. Cruise ships aren't land hotels and there will always be the odd pinch point. We board her on Nov. 18 along with tomtal in Auckland. She goes into a 14 day dry dock in Brisbane when we disembark so she will be spiffed up some if you choose her in 2008.

[Wilbo]

The smaller the ship, the better the cruise.

Enjoy your trip and after I am sure you will love small ships too.

[Two if by Sea]

Hopefully with AYW dining there will no longer be huge crowds at any one time, since folks can straggle in over a couple of hours.

 

But are there two separate entrances? If folks are being seated at 6:15 for traditional dining, will they go in a separate door (on S-class ships) than the AYW diners who also happen to arrive at 6:15 for their reserved tables, or who just stroll in?

[jtl513]

Hopefully with AYW dining there will no longer be huge crowds at any one time, since folks can straggle in over a couple of hours.

 

But are there two separate entrances? If folks are being seated at 6:15 for traditional dining, will they go in a separate door (on S-class ships) than the AYW diners who also happen to arrive at 6:15 for their reserved tables, or who just stroll in?

Upper level wiil be traditional and Lower will be AYW.

[Two if by Sea]

Upper level wiil be traditional and Lower will be AYW.

 

I know, but I still wasn't sure if there were two separate entrances, with separate hosts, or if you go in the main entrance and the go down (or up) to get to the other part of the dining room.

[Mary Ellen]

I know, but I still wasn't sure if there were two separate entrances, with separate hosts, or if you go in the main entrance and the go down (or up) to get to the other part of the dining room.

Each level of the dining room will have its own entry.