On Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam, the cabins most guests should avoid are: Main Deck (Deck 1) cabins directly below the Lower Promenade (Deck 2) where the casino, bars, and lounges generate noise late into the night; Navigation Deck (Deck 8) cabins beneath the Lido pool deck where early-morning lounger scraping carries into the room; midship cabins on every deck near the central 6-elevator bank where guests congregate and create constant foot traffic; Verandah Deck (Deck 5) obstructed-view balcony cabins where the narrowing deck width reduces balcony depth to 4.5 feet; forward cabins on Decks 10 and 11 which feel motion most in rough seas; and any cabin directly below the Lido restaurant or pool deck where overhead chair movement is unavoidable. For the most peaceful stay, book a Deck 7 (Rotterdam Deck) cabin — Holland America's "high-rent district" where most suites are located and the best cabin stewards are typically assigned — or a midship Deck 6 (Upper Verandah) cabin where you have passenger cabins above and below. Nieuw Amsterdam is a Signature-class ship launched in 2010, last refurbished in December 2023, 87,000 gross tons, with 1,061 staterooms accommodating 2,106-2,546 guests across 12 decks.
If you want the short answer, the Nieuw Amsterdam cabins to avoid are the forward staterooms and suites on Decks 10 and 11 (where motion is felt most), the obstructed ocean-view rooms on Deck 4 that face the lifeboats, the forward verandahs on Deck 4 fitted with solid steel railings you can't see through when seated, any room sitting directly above the Mainstage theatre or directly beneath the Lido and Sea View pools, the cabins clustered around the busy midship elevator bank, plus spa staterooms and connecting cabins booked by people who won't actually use those features. None of these rooms are genuinely "bad" — Holland America keeps this ship in lovely shape — but each one carries a quirk that could nudge you toward a quieter, better-value option just a few doors away. Here's exactly which rooms to think twice about, why, and how to land a stateroom you'll be glad you chose.
A Quick Word on How the Cabins Are Numbered
Before proceeding to discuss specific details, however, it is important to understand the number, which will help us to quickly locate even the most troublesome cabin on the map of this Holland America ship. The company uses letters (or even two letters) at the beginning of the cabin grade as the identifier for the cabin type. The following sequence of numbers denotes the number of the room. The first digit of the number identifies the deck. Thus, a room with a four-digit number, for example 4055, is located on Deck 4; a room with a five-digit number such as 10012 is located on Deck 10. There are eleven passenger decks on the ship, yet not all of them have cabins. The Lido Deck (Deck 9) accommodates pools and the spa, thus having no staterooms.
Cabins Most Likely to Make You Seasick
If you're sensitive to motion, this is the single most important section. The further you are from the ship's centre of gravity, the more movement you'll feel, and that means the forward staterooms high up on the Panorama Deck (Deck 10, rooms 10001–10046) and the Observation Deck (Deck 11, rooms 11001–11010) tend to feel the most pitch and sway in open water. The very front of the ship rises and falls the most, and being up near the top amplifies it.
The aft of the Navigation Deck (Deck 8, roughly rooms 8118 to 8175) can also catch you out. The Nieuw Amsterdam has a sponson — the broad "ducktail" extension at the stern — and on a lively sea the aft-facing rooms up here can occasionally pick up a faint shudder or vibration that an uneasy stomach won't thank you for.
The good news is that this is a mid-sized ship with modern stabilisers, so seasickness is rarely a serious problem on board. If you're prone to it, simply book low and central: a midship cabin on one of the lower decks gives you the steadiest ride, and you'll barely notice the movement most days.
Obstructed Ocean-View Staterooms on Deck 4
Ocean-view rooms situated on Deck 4 (approximately in the area of 4055 to 4130 cabins) are located right behind the emergency lifeboats on the ship. Depending on the cabin itself, you might get to see a slice of the ocean through the window or even a nearly entire wall of an orange hull and rigging. Some rooms are officially considered to be partially obstructed while others fully obstructed.
It all depends on the importance you give to the view of the ocean – or at least its availability – and what exactly are you willing to pay for. These rooms are cheaper exactly because of the obstruction, thus if you are satisfied with the possibility to open the blinds and figure out whether it is bright outside, it is a real bargain. However, if you thought you would be watching the horizon every morning of your cruise, you will get disappointed with these cabins each time. The view of the lifeboats can hardly be considered the seascape you expect to see.
Forward Verandahs with Solid Steel Railings
Here's a subtle one that catches plenty of guests by surprise. A handful of balcony cabins right at the front of Deck 4 (roughly rooms 4001 to 4042) don't have the usual clear plexiglass balcony panels. Because the wind hits hardest at the bow, those rooms are fitted with solid steel railings instead — and you can't see through steel.
Stand up and you'll enjoy a completely open, uninterrupted view. But the moment you sit down in your balcony chair, the steel wall blocks everything except the sky. For anyone who pictures relaxing on the balcony with a book and a drink, that's a real letdown. To make matters worse, these aren't classed as obstructed-view cabins, so they don't come with the discount that obstructed ocean-view rooms get — your view is technically perfect, after all, provided you're willing to stand the whole time. The balconies are larger than average, but they're also breezier thanks to that bow position, so they tend to be less comfortable to lounge on. Most people are better off elsewhere.
Cabins Directly Above the Mainstage Theatre
The Mainstage is the main venue for the ship's entertainment and shows and a very impressive one. The show venue spans two decks (the Lower Promenade and the Promenade decks) and has a strong audio system which provides good acoustics inside the theater during live performances. If your stateroom is located on Deck 4 right above the theater (roughly speaking, rooms 4001 to 4050), then you will be hearing some part of the performance as the bass and music sounds will travel from the deck below during evening shows.
It will not affect your vacation in any way, as the performances are concluded at a decent time, and not in the late hours. However, if you are the one who needs to retire to bed early in order to be ready for the following day ashore, then the slight thumping of the performance happening under your feet may become a very distracting for you.
Cabins Directly Below the Lido and Sea View Pools
Now flip that logic for the night owls. If late-evening theatre noise wouldn't bother you because you're up anyway, the rooms you should watch out for are those on Deck 8 sitting directly beneath the Sea View and Lido pool decks (roughly rooms 8027 to 8077).
You won't hear much at night up here, because pool-deck sound disperses into the open air rather than down through the ship. The problem is the early morning. As soon as the crew starts setting out tables and chairs — and as eager guests begin dragging sun loungers across the deck to stake a claim — that scraping, thudding noise carries straight down through the ceiling. If you love a proper lie-in and don't want to be woken by the dawn deck-chair shuffle, book somewhere with cabins both above and below you instead.
Cabins Beside the Midship Elevators
The Nieuw Amsterdam has multiple elevator banks, with groups toward the bow and stern and a larger cluster in the middle of the ship. That central bank is the busiest, simply because more elevators there means a better chance of catching a ride, so passengers naturally gravitate to it.
Cabin directly adjacent to this grouping of cabins towards the center of the ship can be noisy. More often than not, it is not the machine noise but the noise made by the human beings – talking, laughing and creating a buzz that comes with the guests who are congregating. If you are a light sleeper or like it quiet on the corridors, then get a cabin farther down the corridor from the elevators.
Spa Staterooms — Only Worth It if You'll Use the Spa
The Nieuw Amsterdam offers spa versions of its interior, ocean-view, verandah and Neptune Suite categories (grades such as IQ, CQ, VQ and SQ). These rooms aren't any bigger than their standard equivalents — what you're paying for is location and a few wellness touches. They sit close to the Greenhouse Spa & Salon, and inside you'll typically find extras like upgraded toiletries, bathrobes and slippers, a yoga mat, a pedometer and a small countertop water feature for a bit of ambience.
If you genuinely plan to live in the spa during your sailing, the convenience and the pampering details can make these rooms feel special and worth the premium. But if you're honest with yourself and you'll spend most of your time elsewhere on the ship, ask whether you'll really use a pedometer or run a tabletop water feature. Sometimes a spa cabin costs only a little more than its standard counterpart, in which case it's an easy yes — but when the price gap is large, you're mostly paying for amenities you can replicate by packing your own yoga mat. Weigh it up before you commit.
Connecting Cabins You Don't Need
Connecting staterooms — two rooms joined by an internal door — are brilliant for families and groups, especially on a ship like this where relatively few standard cabins sleep more than two. But if you're not booking the room next door too, there's a practical reason to skip them.
Cruise cabins are built within metal frames that give decent soundproofing between rooms. Cutting a connecting door into that frame, even a locked one, compromises that barrier. The door may stay shut and bolted, but you're far more likely to hear your neighbours through it — and they're just as likely to hear you. If privacy and a quiet night matter to you, choose a standard, non-connecting cabin and leave the connecting rooms for the families who'll actually open that door.
How to Choose a Better Cabin Instead
The pattern behind almost every cabin to avoid is the same: noise from above or below, motion at the extremities, or paying for a feature you won't use. So the formula for a great cabin is simply the reverse. Aim for a stateroom that's sandwiched between other cabins above and below — that gives you the best buffer against noise. The Verandah Deck (Deck 5), Upper Verandah Deck (Deck 6) and Rotterdam Deck (Deck 7) are particularly good for this, as they're ringed by staterooms rather than public venues.
After that, let your own priorities steer the final choice. If you're prone to seasickness, drop down a deck or two and stay midship. If you love being near the pool, action and dining, go higher and accept that a little deck noise is the trade-off. And if you crave a view, the aft-view verandahs overlooking the wake are some of the most prized rooms on the whole ship — sheltered from the wind and endlessly relaxing to watch the sea churn behind you. Honestly, most guests on most decks have no real trouble with noise or motion at all, so don't over-stress the decision; just sidestep the handful of quirks above and you'll be in great shape.
Final Thoughts
The Nieuw Amsterdam may not be the newest ship in Holland America's fleet, but she's well looked after and her range of staterooms is excellent. The rooms flagged here aren't dreadful — for the right traveller, several of them (an obstructed ocean-view bargain, a spa cabin for a wellness lover, a connecting pair for a family) are exactly the right call. The point is to match the cabin to who you are and how you cruise. Know the trade-offs, check the current deck plan before you book, and you'll find a room that feels like the perfect home at sea.
FAQs About Nieuw Amsterdam Cabins to Avoid
What deck is the best to choose on Nieuw Amsterdam?
The Verandah Deck, the Upper Verandah Deck, and Rotterdam Deck are the most suitable decks because they are fully surrounded by rooms from below and above, so there will be no loud noises. In case of seasickness problems, choose a lower and midship position.
Which are the cabins that will make you seasick?
Forward cabins in the higher decks of Decks 10 and 11 and aft cabins in Deck 8 experience the most motion. The safest place would be in mid-cabin on lower decks where there is least motion.
Are the obstructed ocean-view cabins on Deck 4 worth booking?
Only if you want natural light rather than a real view. These Deck 4 rooms face the lifeboats, so the sea is partly or fully blocked. They're cheaper, so they're great value if the view doesn't matter to you.
Why should I avoid the forward balcony cabins on Deck 4?
Because of strong bow winds, these verandahs have solid steel railings instead of clear glass. You can see over them standing up, but seated your view is blocked — and they aren't discounted like obstructed-view rooms, despite the limitation.
Is it worthwhile to spend more for spa staterooms on the Nieuw Amsterdam?
That depends on how often you'll actually make use of the spa facilities. They are exactly the same size as regular cabins, but are located closer to the Greenhouse Spa and include things like robes and a yoga mat.
