HAs ANyone ever stayed at the very AFT of the ship.? Im looking at the PH Deck 12

[dznymom]

I'm looking at the possibility of booking an aft BA on the Epic and have a couple questions.

 

1) For those that are seasoned cruisers, how much more rocking is it as opposed to other parts of the ship? I'm worried about my wife who has had some problems with sea/motion sickness.

 

2) elsplace2 mentioned it being hot without the breeze. I think it'd be nice to not be so windy, anyone else care to comment on it being "hot"?

 

3) I'm looking at the deck plans of the Epic and on decks 10, 11, 12 and half of 13 the middle two rooms are suites. On decks 9, 8 and the other 13... the center rooms are disabled accessible BA's. What does this mean as far as the room? What do they add to make them easier accessible? Or are they just larger non-suite rooms? Are these available for anyone to take? I'd like to hear if anyone else has had experience with this on other ships.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

1. For me rough seas are exhilirating, and I think the ride can be more interesting in an AFT stateroom. For one prone to motion sickness, it could be an issue.

 

2. My experience has been that any balcony can be uncomfortably hot on a hot day in direct sun. Since I enjoy it early in the morning and in the evening, it is worth it to me even if there are a few hours in the day that it's a bit warm. Regarding wind, I haven't found side balconies to be particularly windy, but you are more likely to catch a nice breeze there.

 

3. We have 3 AFT BA's booked on Deck 9 in Sept including one HA for my friend's parents. From what I can tell the shower has grab bars and can accomodate a wheelchair, or they will provide a seat for the shower. There should be a ramp to the balcony, the bed is higher I believe, and a few other things that I don't recall. I know we were asked numerous questions to determine whether or not we could book that room, and my friend has been in regular contact with someone from NCL to determine what additional items would be helpful. It seems that NCL is doing a much better job to ensure that the rooms are available to those that need them, so unless you exhibit need, I think the only way to get one would be to wait until close to sailing time and see if any remain unbooked.

 

One thing I also enjoy about AFT balconies is that they tend to be bigger than typical side balconies. From the pictures and deck plans, this doesn't seem to be the case on the EPIC. There are some cool balconies of size available on the sides, so that is another thing to look at. I had a massive balcony on the side of Carnival Pride in Feb, and it was amazing even without the AFT view.

[clydecruiser]

Just off the one nighter we were in 9294 at the aft end. The vibration and noise in the cabin were tremendous. In fact the vibration at the aft end could be felt in many areas. This could have been caused by the technical problems which seem to have been related to the propeller shaft. I would not take the risk if booking this ship again.

[jkryani]

My NCL agent assures me that the very AFT of the ship is a p[rime spot bec of panoramic views but Ive never ever been in the way bck of the ship like that.

 

Can someone share their experiences with me?

We are staying in ph 12317 on July 10th. I'll let you know how it is when we get back.

Talk to ya real soon.

[dznymom]

Just off the one nighter we were in 9294 at the aft end. The vibration and noise in the cabin were tremendous. In fact the vibration at the aft end could be felt in many areas. This could have been caused by the technical problems which seem to have been related to the propeller shaft. I would not take the risk if booking this ship again.

 

Yikes, that's my room :eek: I always expect some vibration AFT, but not that much! Hopefully it was due to the propeller issue, but I will be watching future reports very carefully. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Still wondering if I am right in my thinking that these AFT balconies are not oversized?

[Uniall]

Yikes, that's my room :eek: I always expect some vibration AFT, but not that much! Hopefully it was due to the propeller issue, but I will be watching future reports very carefully. Thanks for the heads up.

 

Still wondering if I am right in my thinking that these AFT balconies are not oversized?

 

Hi Chris

 

I saw your post and had to drop in and say hello. Sharon Rae and I booked an AFT Penthouse (11321) for the Miami to Barcelona trans Atlantic in May 2011. I "shudder" to think how it will be if the aft is still "shuddering" :D

 

How are things with you? Give our regards to Carol.

 

John

[Cruising Caro]

The arguments in favour of aft cabins are very persuasive but I suffer from a fear of heights. I wonder if I would feel nervous on an aft balcony because of the sheer drop to the sea? We're currently booked in a deluxe balcony cabin amidships, where the lifeboats two decks below make the view less vertiginous :) Do any of you aft cabin cruisers have a fear of heights and, if so, how do you cope with the sheer drop?

[Uniall]

The arguments in favour of aft cabins are very persuasive but I suffer from a fear of heights. I wonder if I would feel nervous on an aft balcony because of the sheer drop to the sea? We're currently booked in a deluxe balcony cabin amidships, where the lifeboats two decks below make the view less vertiginous :) Do any of you aft cabin cruisers have a fear of heights and, if so, how do you cope with the sheer drop?

 

Hi Caro

The last time I used the adjective vertiginous, I was standing at the rim of the Grand Canyon. :eek:

 

You must be a great scrabble player.:D

 

John

[dznymom]

Hi Chris

 

I saw your post and had to drop in and say hello. Sharon Rae and I booked an AFT Penthouse (11321) for the Miami to Barcelona trans Atlantic in May 2011. I "shudder" to think how it will be if the aft is still "shuddering" :D

 

How are things with you? Give our regards to Carol.

 

John

 

Haha, good one John :) I wish you guys were going to be on our sailing!! But if I like the behemoth in September, I am considering booking her again in spring. Maybe a TA is in my future!

 

I will report back on the AFT situation after my cruise, but I am sure we will hear much more in the meantime. Give my love to Sharon Rae, and I will for sure say "Hey" to Carol for you!

[dznymom]

The arguments in favour of aft cabins are very persuasive but I suffer from a fear of heights. I wonder if I would feel nervous on an aft balcony because of the sheer drop to the sea? We're currently booked in a deluxe balcony cabin amidships, where the lifeboats two decks below make the view less vertiginous :) Do any of you aft cabin cruisers have a fear of heights and, if so, how do you cope with the sheer drop?

 

Caro, I have a fear of heights and get light headed when I look straight down from a height, (I hate to fly for that reason). On most ships the AFT is not straight like the EPIC, so that the balconies are more like stair steps. That means that when looking straight down from the higher balconies you actually overlook the forward part of the balcony beneath you. The appealing part of the AFT view is looking outward from the ship at the wake and the horizon.

 

Generally, side balconies are not like that and the view is straight down. Some have overhangs or life rafts below, which sounds like what you have chosen. I think the key to enjoying any balcony when you have fear of heights is to stay a little back from the rail and look OUT not down. Park yourself in your chair with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and soak up that view! I am thinking you made the right choice for you!

[clydecruiser]

dznymom - I really hope that the vibration was due to shaft issue, we have had a stern cabin on the Equinox with no vibration.

[elsplace2]

The arguments in favour of aft cabins are very persuasive but I suffer from a fear of heights. I wonder if I would feel nervous on an aft balcony because of the sheer drop to the sea? We're currently booked in a deluxe balcony cabin amidships, where the lifeboats two decks below make the view less vertiginous :) Do any of you aft cabin cruisers have a fear of heights and, if so, how do you cope with the sheer drop?

 

 

I have a fear of heights, but not to an extreme....when I look down from a tall building, I feel like my heart drops....but when I look down from the aft of a ship I don't feel that way. Don't know why?

 

But as I said my fear isn't to an extreme....I have zip-lined before....took me several zips, before I could comfortably jump off the tower. So I do try and overcome it....maybe that's why I don't feel that way on a ship, I have done it often enough that I don't even think about it???