Alaska with an Inside Stateroom?

[stargazertechie]

My FI and I decided to postpone our wedding for a year due to 3 deaths in the family in the last 6 months, plus my grandmother isn't expected to make it another two weeks. It's just too depressing right now to get married.

 

Luckily our vendors have been very understanding, as have our guests. The "bad" news is that both parts of our honeymoon were paid in full, and since we're so close to sailing/arrival, the refund isn't worth it. So our honeymoon has been converted into a graduation trip.

 

The exciting part is that we're going to be cruising next year (June 5th) for our legit honeymoon. We're wavering between the Caribbean out of New Orleans or Alaska out of Seattle.

 

FI has never been to either place, I did Alaska with my parents a solid 10 years ago.

 

Would it be miserable to do Alaska with an inside stateroom? We're not the type to just sit around, the last time I did Alaska I spent most of my at-sea days in the pools/hot tubs.

[bethaniesmom]

we have done Alaska twice with an inside cabin. once with three of us, once with two.

the first time we decided to go on short notice because the inside rate was sooooo low!

my reasoning is that we spend very little time in our cabin anyway, and because I felt like we would rather have the "big" picture that we would get on deck when looking at scenery. we have not been disappointed!

go...have a wonderful time....it sounds like you need a trip!

 

Beverly

[alwalaska]

We did an interior in Alaska with 4 of us and did just fine. The only thing is that you may want to set your alarm on the morning you are in the glacier areas to make sure you see all the pretty sights.

 

My parents did have a balcony and it was nice to use their balcony to watch the glaciers, but I would much rather go in an interior, than have to wait more years to save up for a balcony.

[BayStateguppy]

So sorry for your losses.

 

Alaska w/ an inside cabin is fine but be warned... Alaska excursions can be pricey.

You didn't say where you are from but getting to Seattle might be pricey, too. Do you need to arrive a day early? Then you also need a hotel room.

 

I would do a full cost analysis of an Alaska vs Caribbean cruise before you book anything.

 

If cost is an issue, the caribbean might end up being cheaper.

 

Your FI will love either one.

[klingoncruiser]

FWIW.... that balcony is worth every penny you pay in Alaska. May want to put it off and go out of NOLA and take that Alaska cruise the right way.

[mek]

IMHO, no problem to save money with an inside in Alaska. Yes, a balcony is nice, but the weather is always a big consideration up there and you may end up not using it as much as you thought because of adverse weather. Additionally, the best views are up on deck - 360 degrees, whereas most balcony views are limited to just one side.

[bonnie voyage]

Have never done Alaska with an inside (actually have never done alaska), but we did have an inside for our Hawaii cruise. We had a wonderful time on deck for the sightseeing/cruising part of the journey, and never felt that we missed out on any of the scenery. My opinion.....get the cabin you can afford and enjoy!!!

[tiyana4]

I agree with Baystateguppy, do a full cost comparison between the two itineraries including airfare, hotels, and excursions. It is easy to spend $2k or more on just excursions in Alaska. OTOH, there are extremely cheap excursions in the Caribbean.

[tallyho8]

My favorite Alaska trip was an inside on the Star. We spent most of the time on decks whale-watching and would not have enjoyed a balcony nearly as much. It is nice to be lounging in a chair on the deck and have a hundred other eyes watching for whales, otters, sea lions, etc.

 

To me watching from a crowd on the deck is like being at an NFL game and being on a balcony is like watching the game at home on tv. I like being where the action is.

[pmd98052]

I would definitely do Alaska from an inside cabin. Just get up and head to a quiet spot with some good books to watch the scenery! Unless you have a forward or aft facing cabin you're going to miss stuff anyway from a regular balcony.

[lambs2]

Several years ago we cruised Alaska in an inside cabin (actually the very furthest forward cabin on the lowest deck) on a HAL ship and had an absolutely FABULOUS trip!!! We spent many hours on the open decks or up in the observation lounge soaking in all the incredible natural beauty and never once bemoaned the fact that we did not have a cabin with a view. We used the money we saved to take a wonderful ride on the Alaska Railroad from Anchorage to Seward, a thrilling helicopter ride to Mendenhall glacier in Juneau, and a boat excursion to Misty Fjord out of Ketchican. very happy with all our choices and can't wait to go bck again one day!! :D

[Budget Queen]

I am a volume vacationer, and always do inside cabins, with multiple Alaska trips, under my belt. Key, here is, are you willing to haul yourself out and get on deck?? For me this is the ONLY place I want to be, as I find side viewing from a cabin, extremely limited. (have has a few outside free upgrades).

[azpilot]

We did the Alaska Cruise in May 2006 on the NCL Sun. We had an inside cabin and had no issue's. We were up on the deck all the time anyways so it worked out fine. However I think if we do this trip again we are going to try a balcony cabin the next time.

[mbarnaby99]

I have done Alaska with a balcony and with an inside cabin. For me personally I did not use the balcony that much. I was up on the decks most of the time. I was able to walk from each side of the ship to have a better view. Last year when I went to Alaska I had an inside cabin and had a great time. The price was so much cheaper for me to do an inside cabin. When the ship was in Glacier Bay, the captain turned the ship around so everyone regardless of which side of the ship you were on got a great view. I think this was great for those in balconies. I don’t remember this being done on my first Alaskan Cruise.

[LaurieCM]

On our August 2008 Coral Princess cruise there were wind barriers at the railings on the open decks. There were balconies at the bow and stern -on the Baja deck and the emerald deck I think. We had a balcony, but went to both of the larger balconies. The Baja one is the "secret" balcony (I learned about it here and then asked an officer about it once onboard). We ran into a younger couple who were complaining that they wanted to see the glaciers without any barrier between them and nature- we told them about the other balconies, but never saw them there. A balcony cabin is nice, especially in early morning, but if you investigate open-air options, just in case they have the barriers up, you can have just as good a time.

[Giantfan13]

Count us also in the column of doing Alaska with an inside cabin. As most others have said, there is just so much to see, from all sides of the ship, why limit yourself to one certain aspect of the trip when you can be up on deck and enjoy the full experience. Plus, the money you can save with that inside cabin, may be enough to pay for an excursion or two.

 

Cheers

 

Len

[WinnieinWA]

For a honeymoon I'd rather go to the Caribbean. If you choose Alaska the inside will be just fine as others have noted.

Have fun.

 

So sorry for your hard times.

[Kancruze]

We went to Alaska on the Sun last year with a balcony cabin. We were only in it to go to sleep. Go for the inside cabin and use the money you save to take the White Pass & Yukon railway excursion. It was absolutely one of the most fabulous things we have ever seen and done. Alaska is incredibly beautiful.

 

If you take the NCL excursion they will pick you up just down the dock, right outside the ship. I thought that was cool to see a modern ship and an old steam train close enough to take pics.

 

Wishing you many wonderful cruises throughout your marriage. A family that cruises together, stays together.:D

[GORDONCHICK]

For both questions (destination and inside vs balcony), it really depends on what kind of personalities you guys are. If you are looking for adventure, that can be found in Alaska or the Western Caribbean (which is what the Spirit does out of NOLA). There's zip lining on both, kayaking in Alaska, etc. If you're wanting warm weather and to hang out on a beach, the Caribbean is the obvious choice. The main thing to remember on an Alaskan cruise is that most of the Alaska expereince is off the ship - menaing excursions, and sometimes pricey ones. Which leads nicely into.....

 

Cabin selection. The excursions are usually much less (depending on what you choose of course) than the ones in Alaska, so you might look at a balcony if you do the Caribbean. You would have much better chances of nice weather to enjoy it, and a balcony in the Caribbean should be less expensive than a balcony in Alaska. An inside for Alaska is great if you are going to spend the money saved on excursions (which I would recommend). While the port cities in Alaska are quite charming , not much to do besides shopping unless you do something outside of town. Another plus for an inside for Alaska is that you won't have that pesky sun peeking in through the balcony earlier than you'd like.

 

Bottom line, you will have to evaluate what you think will work best for you and your budget. And no matter which destination you choose, go with a great attitude expecting to have a blast!

[electricron]

MY first recommendation is to book what you can afford. The staff isn't going to treat inside cabin passengers much differently than balcony cabin passengers. Other passengers have no way of knowing which cabin you had booked unless you tell them......

 

If you can afford a balcony cabin, book one. There are many reasons why so many book them. It is true you can always go up on the public decks for fresh air, sightseeing, deck games, and deck activities at almost any time. But it is very close having your own little deck a step or two from your cabin.

 

The big reason I book balcony cabins is to bring in fresh air into the cabin. Inside cabins and Oceanview cabins don't have portholes or windows you can open. Balcony cabins have floor to ceiling windows you can open to let the fresh air in. Odors are a common compliant from many passengers.

[ben55124]

NCL has Alaska cruises on the Star and the Pearl. With the Star 2010 remodel, it lost the Spinnaker lounge with a view -- it's best interior observation space.

 

The Pearl is now the ship to book for interior dwellers on Alaska / Panama cruises.