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Oriana DA grade balcony or BA grade mini-suite

trfccruiser

By trfccruiser,
in P&O Cruises ( UK )

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trfccruiser

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Hi am thinking of booking 2 nighter on Oriana and wondered if it was worth the extra (about 150 quid) to get a BA gade mini suite above a DA grade balcony.Any help welcomed.Been on Oceana and old Oriana but never Oriana. This would be a surprise for my wife we've only ever stayed in inside cabins before!!maybe the difference to a balcony would be wow enough but should I go the whole hog?Thanks in advance.

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LibraLass41

LibraLass41

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I wouldn't bother paying the extra. I've had a top grade balcony on Oriana and also done a few 2n cruises, and for the amount of time you are in the cabin (hardly any) its not worth it.

 

You board noon , have lunch in ss restaurant, you unpack, have muster, then get ready for dinner. The next day you are in Zeebrugge (I presume this is where you are going?) so away from your cabin all day. You dress for dinner that night, out around ship all evening, back to cabin to sleep and off in the morning by 9am....All sailing is done at night so you won't even use the balcony really.

That extra money could pay for a night away by the sea in a hotel on another weekend...

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trfccruiser

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I wouldn't bother paying the extra. I've had a top grade balcony on Oriana and also done a few 2n cruises, and for the amount of time you are in the cabin (hardly any) its not worth it.

 

You board noon , have lunch in ss restaurant, you unpack, have muster, then get ready for dinner. The next day you are in Zeebrugge (I presume this is where you are going?) so away from your cabin all day. You dress for dinner that night, out around ship all evening, back to cabin to sleep and off in the morning by 9am....All sailing is done at night so you won't even use the balcony really.

That extra money could pay for a night away by the sea in a hotel on another weekend...

Hi Sue thanks very much for your reply.It is Zeebrugge we are going to we may not stay out all day but take your point.Also we are taking our 8 year old daughter too I'm guessing the extra space in the mini suite won't really make much difference either with it being 3 of us?

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LibraLass41

LibraLass41

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Ah, well, now you mention a extra person in the cabin, I can see a little extra room would be nice...are you talking £150pp extra (£300 or more? ) or £150 total as extra supplement?

 

I suppose only you can decide if you want to pay all that money extra but remember you are on for less that 48 hours....

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lancashire_cruisers

lancashire_cruisers

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Hi Sue thanks very much for your reply.It is Zeebrugge we are going to we may not stay out all day but take your point.Also we are taking our 8 year old daughter too I'm guessing the extra space in the mini suite won't really make much difference either with it being 3 of us?

 

Hi

 

We've (me, DH and our daughter) stayed in a DA category cabin on Oriana and also had a mini suite on Oceana. Our daughter was younger than yours at 5 or 6 years old and we found the sofa bed to be useful rather than the drop down bunk beds you get in the other cabins.

 

Whilst the mini suite was lovely (especially the jacuzzi bath!) we didn't feel cramped at all in the DA cabin and had plenty of space for all of our paraphernalia.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Debbie:)

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bazzaw

bazzaw

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There is another way of looking at this - and it only really applies to 2 nighters. 150UKP is a lot of money - and probably, in terms of time spent in the cabin, it may not be economically worth it! BUT - when else are you going to experience a mini-suite???? I would like to be able to do all my cruising in a mini-suite :) - but that is not going to happen. So, from purely the point of view of maximising the experiences of my life, I could easily do it. On my deathbed, I think that I am more likely to remember my one night in a cruiseship mini-suite - than I am to saving 150 Pounds!! :)

 

And you ARE talking about a surprise for the wife !

 

I say - go for it!! :D

 

 

Barry

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trfccruiser Great Review Rare

trfccruiser

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I can see your point!I've have been thinking about the extra space and the jacuzzi bath and as you say I'm pretty sure I'll never cruise on a longer cruise in a mini suite it will be back to the bilge rooms for me!!Generally on a longer cruise I just sleep there and it's nice and dark in an inside cabin.

Decision making never was my strong point...or was it?

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trfccruiser

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Being nosy I looked at the price of the minisuite again and it had gone down again (why do they move up and down in a short space of time??)so it was £140 to upgrade so I thought, you are right, I will never cruise in a minisuite again, unless I win the lottery( I did have 4 numbers on Saturday but not quite enough)

Will also think about treatments as a surprise, my wife still thinks we are in our usual type of cabin,I'm not sure I can keep the surprise going...

Am I right that mini-suites have priority boarding?I may have to forgo that to keep the surprise going....

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trfccruiser

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Thanks Debbie for your good wishes,so tell me more the light lunch and champers where does that take place then?Will there be anything to suit my 8 year old daughter?When we get on board the first thing we usually do is hit the buffet she loves the way they set them out and the range of choice-in fact so do I!!

I'm already thinking... how about both!!

I sometimes think they might want to charge me extra at the end of the cruise after the amount I've eaten,although I'm an amateur compared to some people I've observed!

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lancashire_cruisers

lancashire_cruisers

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Thanks Debbie for your good wishes,so tell me more the light lunch and champers where does that take place then?Will there be anything to suit my 8 year old daughter?When we get on board the first thing we usually do is hit the buffet she loves the way they set them out and the range of choice-in fact so do I!!

I'm already thinking... how about both!!

I sometimes think they might want to charge me extra at the end of the cruise after the amount I've eaten,although I'm an amateur compared to some people I've observed - you've met my husband then:eek:!

 

The light lunch normally consists of sandwiches and some little cakes (hopefully they haven't changed that bit but I don't think so) and our little one (as she was then:eek:) found something to munch on. You'll also be in a separate room from everyone else boarding as they'll all be herded to the buffet.

 

When you get to the terminal there should be a priority boarding check in as well as a normal one. If you can't see it then ask one of the terminal staff and they'll be able to point it out to you (we couldn't find it and queued up with everyone else).

 

The buffet will be serving lunch until 2pm so there's no reason why you can't sneak in there as well and help yourself - after all on a shorter cruise you've still got to pack it all in - right??

 

On the spa treatment surprise - there's normally some options to pre-book when you get the pre-cruise booklet. I'll try and find mine from Oriana in February and post some info later on.

 

Debbie:)

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lancashire_cruisers

lancashire_cruisers

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Think up some reason as to why you have priority boarding ( other than the fact that you have a mini-suite). Drag the surprise out as far as possible.

 

Barry

 

Yes you could say that you got it as part of the deal when you booked but you'll be rumbled when they make the embarkation announcements as they announce 'gold and suite passengers'.

 

Of course you could forego the lunch and champers and check in as normal but I think that would be a shame.

 

If my husband had done this for me I'd be happy to find out the surprise at the check in so I can take it all in:D and enjoy it from the get go.

 

Debbie:)

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trfccruiser

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Think up some reason as to why you have priority boarding ( other than the fact that you have a mini-suite). Drag the surprise out as far as possible.

 

Barry

Exactly my thoughts Barry!I know also that the announcement might give the game away but I was going to try saying we are now gold members even though we aren't because my wife won't know- I'm the cruise anorak she just goes along with it(I think it's stronger than that now, they have grown on her).

I just want to see her face when I open the cabin door...

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