June 28th Cruise on Oosterdam-Balcony or inside. Any feedback on Oosterdam ship?

Question

June 28th Cruise on Oosterdam-Balcony or inside. Any feedback on Oosterdam ship?

Answer 1

Cruising the Inside passage is much more of an experience if you have an outside balcony cabin, you can watch the stunning scenery from the comfort of your cabin.

The choice of cabin is entirely yours but when we are cruising we don't actually spend much time our cabin, just washing and sleeping. The money we save on cabin price goes towards the cost of the tours etc:

The difference in price between a good balcony cabin and an inside cabin on that cruise is approx $1000.

There are two sites that I use for feedback on cruises and ships:

http://smillay.cruisesinc.com/travel/cru...

and http://www.cruisecritic.com both sites are good all the information you need from people who have been there and done it.

Answer 2

If in fact you are going to Alaska then a balcony is a WASTE. Why would you only want to see 1 side of things? Like watching a movie with 1 eye closed. Too much scenery & wildlife  & there is no way to know when or where. I have been on 23 cruises there & always get an inside room. Way TOO much to see & people to meet on deck. However your money & vacation do what you think is best for you.

Oosterdam is a great ship with excellent service, staff & food.

Enjoy.

Answer 3

Pretty good chance of a good weather in June, July in Alaska! Balcony would be tempting but Oosterdam is a very good ship and has enough viewing areas to admire the beauty.

Inside will save you money which you can well spend on various excursions on shore!

Majestic Gems

Juneau.

Answer 4

I'd guess by the date you're going to Alaska, in which case if you CAN get a balcony, go for it.  There's something extra-special about watching the glaciers and other beautiful scenery from the privacy of your own balcony.

BTW, I LOVE Oosterdam.  It was my (now) husband's first cruise, so maybe I'm biased by that, but she's a great ship.

If by any chance you'd be willing to share any pictures / stories of your trip please let me know. It's relatively easy to do directly on our site:

http://www.cruisesavvy.com/journals

That said, I really regret not having pictures of that ship (all our pics were family snapshots) so I'd be more than happy to help with uploading or whatever, just ping me through my Yahoo profile.

And if you have any other Qs about Oosterdam, please don't hesitate to ask.

ADDITION: Here's a review with lots of pictures of Zuiderdam, which is OS' sister ship.  Slightly different decor, but very similar:

http://www.cruisesavvy.com/journals/pj/2...

Answer 5

Well, that's a matter of priorities, usually.  Some people won't cruise without a balcony, others buy an inside because they want to spend their money on other aspects of the cruise and, as they say, "You don't spend that much time in the room, anyway!"

However, from what I've read, many people feel it is well-worth getting a balcony for an Alaska cruise - provided you get it on the "right" side of the ship [i.e. the side that will be facing the mainland].

For info on the Oosterdam in particular, go to CruiseCritic.com, click on "Reviews" at the top of the page, then enter the name.  Be sure and click on "Member Reviews", too, as cruisers post their reviews of the ships there.

CC also has many tips, etc. in the "Boards" section.

Have a great cruise.

Answer 6

We saw the Oosterdam from the outside when we departed San Diego on the Carnival Spirit. The Oosterdam is a full sized ship. You need to type in Holland America Oosterdam on a Yahoo search for images. Also at Holland America's website and click on ships, then on Oosterdam.