For the holiday cruise on Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam, we booked a Category VF verandah guarantee.
We received a complimentary seven-category upgrade to Category VQ, in stateroom 10034, one of the spa verandah staterooms.
Just in case you are wondering what, exactly, does a spa stateroom or a spa suite get you on Holland America line?
Or, if this “upgrade” is a good thing?
Well, take a look inside and judge for yourself.
On the Nieuw Amsterdam, Holland America’s newest ship, Spa Verandah Stateroom # 10034 is located on Deck 10, the Panorama Deck.
Like other spa staterooms and suites, cabin # 10034 is located in relatively close proximity to the spa, just one deck down, handy if you are going to spend much of your cruise in the spa and/or the gym.
Upon first glance, spa verandah stateroom #10034 appears exactly like every other category of verandah stateroom with a queen-sized bed that converts to two twins, and floor-to ceiling glass windows with a door to the verandah.
There are, however, a few enhancements that you won’t find in non-spa rooms.
This corner of spa accoutrements included a yoga DVD and a soothing water device that wasn’t working. Rather than ask that it be fixed, we asked our room steward if it could be stored somewhere else during our cruise as we valued the shelf space. (He handled our request, no problem.)
Three complimentary bottles of vitamin water and two liters of bottled water come with the spa stateroom, as do two pedometers and an Bose docking station for a iPod.
In the other corner, you will find a yoga mat to go along with the robe and slippers.
The Spa verandahs on Deck 11 have tiny balconies but the ones on Deck 10 are normal-sized, with two chairs and a small table.
Our favorite thing about the verandah was the view — it’s a long way down to the water line.
The bathroom is exactly the same as other verandah staterooms.
The thing that we loved most about spa verandah stateroom # 10034 was in the ceiling.
It is, according to Mr. Jones, a wireless router.
Being that it was in our stateroom, right above our bed, is likely the reason that we enjoyed an excellent internet connection in our cabin throughout the cruise — whether we were logging in via computers, iPads or iPhones.
That is not the case in many rooms on many cruise ships, despite paying $0.40 -$0.90 cents per minute to use the service.
Great Wi-Fi when we needed it — now that helped us find our “Zen” on this cruise.
Our bottom line on the Holland America Line Spa Staterooms and Suites:
- They are convenient if you plan to use the spa, the thermal suite and/or the gym regularly during your cruise. (You do also get some discounts off of spa treatments.)
- The high location of the deck provided a good view; it was a short walk to the Exploration’s Cafe for a latte.
- We didn’t pay any extra for this verandah. If we had paid several hundred dollars more for this verandah compared to a Category VF, we would not have considered it to be a good value.
Have you sailed in a spa stateroom or suite on Holland America Line? If so, what did you think? Please share your thoughts in comments below.
Follow us on Twitter or interact with us on Facebook.