Please Help!!! Can't decide which aft balcony on SPIRIT!

[baseballmom2]

Ok so DH and I have decided to get an aft balcony on the Spirit for our 10th anniversary, but I can't decide which deck! I've been reading many other posts/threads about the afts so it's between Main(3), Panorama(8), or Verandah(7). Panorama is my 1st choice but I'm worried about it being under lido with noise, people, etc. I know that the Main deck is just above the MDR and from what I understand it is covered more? Please help me, I need your proffessional opinions!!! :) Let me know pros/cons, advantages/disadvantages if you have stayed in any or both of these decks! Thank you very much in advance!!! :)

 

Ramona

[montekat]

We are going on the Pride in Sept. and initially booked an aft wrap on the Veranda deck. After reading many reviews and looking at pictures, we decided to switch to the main deck. It is more fully covered and not as visible to people on the upper decks. We definitely would not do one under the Lido deck; we had a cabin on that deck before next to the aft on the starboard side and there was too much noice from deck chairs being scraped, people running, etc.

 

Read over this thread and check out the pictures: http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1182324

[NCTribeFan]

Main! I moved from Deck 5 down to 4230 on Miracle after reading about how blisteringly hot it can be on the upper decks, due to the slant.

 

LOVED my cabin. It rained one day on the way down to Panama. I was able to turn my chair along the cabin windows, bundled up in my bathrobe, and sat out and read most of the day. There were many people suffering from the motion and I was grateful to be able to sit out there.

 

Oh, be aware that you can smell bacon in the morning! :p You're right over the dining room. And that if you have late seating, you'll hear the waiters when they sing to the early diners. It was rather entertaining. Other than that, fantastic cabin.

 

 

 

 

[KenMo]

I haven't stayed in one yet, but I plan on getting one of the aft wraps on Main deck for a future cruise.

 

According to Tom, of Tom-n-Cheryl, those are the best aft wraps on Spirit class ships. They have more coverage on the balcony and they have two separate rooms. Some of the wraps are only one room.

 

You can do a search using his screen name and find pictures he's posted. They look really nice!

[Catrin]

We had that same 4230 and 4241 on the Pride last year.

 

The great thing about it, was the balcony cover.. we felt total privacy.

 

I am glad I experienced an aft balcony... but now that the categories are different (when we booked they were all considered the same 8's on the 4th deck), I will just choose a regular balcony or ocean view.

 

Now a wrap around? If I ever had the chance, that is another story!

 

Catrin

[baseballmom2]

Thanks for your responses, I guess we're gonna book on the Main deck then! I like the idea of shade, and privacy too!!

 

Ramona

[NCTribeFan]

When I booked mine, it was still "just" an 8C. Then they recategorized, but there was a later sale (a P1S or PS1) and I ended up with a $200 drop PP!

 

I booked way in advance on that cruise to get the cabin I wanted and even when they implemented the ES rates, nothing ever dropped below what I paid.

 

I'm now sailing solo, but used to sail with DD, so I paid for it all. Unless I can find a cruise buddy, I'll be in 1As in the future. There's no way I'll ever be able to afford an aft wrap unless I somehow find 2 friends to go and share costs and we get an incredible rate (which will probably never happen. I did peek around the divider quite a few times and looked longingly at the huge (always empty) balcony. Sigh. :o

[baseballmom2]

TribeFan, thanks 4 the info n pics! I feel the same way, I told DH this might be our only chance to book an aft balcony, I don't think we'll ever get to have an aft wrap! Maybe if we hit the lotto!! :) I told him we're gonna have to politely make friends with our aft wrap next door neighbors! I'm super excited though, what a way to spend our 10 year anniversary!! I can't wait to enjoy my first cocktail out there!

 

Ramona

[baseballmom2]

Oh and btw, DH heard "smell bacon" and he was sold!!! ;)

 

Ramona

[MrPete]

Ok so DH and I have decided to get an aft balcony on the Spirit for our 10th anniversary, but I can't decide which deck! I've been reading many other posts/threads about the afts so it's between Main(3), Panorama(8), or Verandah(7). Panorama is my 1st choice but I'm worried about it being under lido with noise, people, etc. I know that the Main deck is just above the MDR and from what I understand it is covered more? Please help me, I need your proffessional opinions!!! :) Let me know pros/cons, advantages/disadvantages if you have stayed in any or both of these decks! Thank you very much in advance!!! :)

 

Ramona

 

Main, but it's deck 4, not 3.

[baseballmom2]

Main, but it's deck 4, not 3.

 

Oops! I didn't even catch that! I was looking at deck plans when I wrote that too!! Thanks :)

[NCTribeFan]

Yep, it's Deck 4. Dining room is on 2 & 3. Very convenient at dinner time.

 

Don't know how many sea days you have. One of the biggest reasons I booked my aft was because my only other balcony was also on Miracle (7192) but we only had 2 days at sea - it was cold on the way south in the shade and roasting on the way back north in the sun.

 

This past December, it was an 8-night with 4 days at sea, so I figured the balcony would get plenty of use, which it did.

 

Yeah, that smell of bacon was just what I needed! I bet I eat about a half pound a day when I cruise. ;)

 

Enjoy your aft cabin and balcony!

[shadoo]

We are just off the Dream...had aft balcony 7456 which we loved.

Very quiet, no noise at all. Our PVP recommended it as it is not below Lido or not above any other public rooms. Worked great for us.

Loved the panoramic view from the balcony and spent alot more time out there than on previous cruises.

The only thing we did not like was that the cabin was smaller...no sofa to sit on or throw clothes on. Could only sit on the bed.

Also the closet was strange in that the clothes were hung front to back rather than side to side....difficult to access.

[gargoyle999]

I've had two aft wraps and an 8m on Spirit class all on deck 4. I like the overhang due to the privacy. Even when you are at the railing it's private.

 

I would suggest getting 4230 or 4239 if available. We had 4231 and the flag pole is directly in your view. They take the flag down when the ship leaves port but the pole is still there. Just a minor thing but something that would make me get one of the cabins next to the aft wrap next time I'm getting an aft balcony on a Spirit class ship.

 

Also whomever is in the aft wrap is not likely to be right next to the divider since there is so much other space to hang out.

 

You can hear the music and singing in the MDR when it happens. It's not very loud and only lasts the few minutes they sing. I didn't hear other noises from the MDR.

 

You do get some vibration on those aft cabins and not just when going into port. Sort of feels like being on a train car. Doesn't bother me and maybe there would be less vibration on higher decks? I've only had deck 4 so I'm not sure.

 

There is also a laundry room back there, but only one washer and two dryers. So it's convenient as far as location.

 

Very easy walk to/from the MDR for dinner from deck 4 and the aft elevators take you right to the lido buffet area.