Aft penthouse (SF) vs. forward penthouse (SE)?

[H&J]

We have an aft penthouse on the Dawn but it's on deck 8 as booked. We had an aft penthouse on deck 9 on on the Star earlier this year and loved it. The privacy and close proximity to Cagney's for breakfast and lunch were well worth the price over a standard balcony (BA or BB). We definitely feel the suites are well worth the upcharge for the perks involved. NCL in the suite class has the competition beat hands down at their price points.

 

Forward penthouses on deck 9 and 10 are still open with a slight upcharge.

 

My concern with an aft penthouse on 8 is it might be noisy over the Starlight Lounge directly below on deck 7. I'm a light sleeper. My wife was concerned about the usability of a forward balcony due to wind, wind noise and lack of privacy.

 

We loved the privacy of the aft balcony and wonder if the tradeoff for more sun for tanning is worth the lack of privacy. So it's down to an SF or SE.

 

Anyone out there try both and knows? Possible noise vs. no "tan lines", which way to go ? SE or SF?

[mpk218]

We have an aft penthouse on the Dawn but it's on deck 8 as booked. We had an aft penthouse on deck 9 on on the Star earlier this year and loved it. The privacy and close proximity to Cagney's for breakfast and lunch were well worth the price over a standard balcony (BA or BB). We definitely feel the suites are well worth the upcharge for the perks involved. NCL in the suite class has the competition beat hands down at their price points.

 

Forward penthouses on deck 9 and 10 are still open with a slight upcharge.

 

My concern with an aft penthouse on 8 is it might be noisy over the Starlight Lounge directly below on deck 7. I'm a light sleeper. My wife was concerned about the usability of a forward balcony due to wind, wind noise and lack of privacy.

 

We loved the privacy of the aft balcony and wonder if the tradeoff for more sun for tanning is worth the lack of privacy. So it's down to an SF or SE.

 

Anyone out there try both and knows? Possible noise vs. no "tan lines", which way to go ? SE or SF?

 

 

The big question is , How early do you go to bed ?

The band in the Spinnaker can go till after Midnight.

Tough call we too love the stern. When we had a forward bow balcony , we used it quite a bit while under way . The wind was not that bad , hardly noticeable when sitting or reclining.

If you go aft bring the ear plugs they help..;)

[Nalagh]

We have an aft penthouse on the Dawn but it's on deck 8 as booked. We had an aft penthouse on deck 9 on on the Star earlier this year and loved it. The privacy and close proximity to Cagney's for breakfast and lunch were well worth the price over a standard balcony (BA or BB). We definitely feel the suites are well worth the upcharge for the perks involved. NCL in the suite class has the competition beat hands down at their price points.

 

Forward penthouses on deck 9 and 10 are still open with a slight upcharge.

 

My concern with an aft penthouse on 8 is it might be noisy over the Starlight Lounge directly below on deck 7. I'm a light sleeper. My wife was concerned about the usability of a forward balcony due to wind, wind noise and lack of privacy.

 

We loved the privacy of the aft balcony and wonder if the tradeoff for more sun for tanning is worth the lack of privacy. So it's down to an SF or SE.

 

Anyone out there try both and knows? Possible noise vs. no "tan lines", which way to go ? SE or SF?

 

Your wife has a very good reason for concern. We just sailed in an aft SF on deck 8, and the noise from the bar was horrible and would last past 2:30 in the morning.

 

Cherie

[Jamisonke]

We have an aft penthouse on the Dawn but it's on deck 8 as booked. We had an aft penthouse on deck 9 on on the Star earlier this year and loved it. The privacy and close proximity to Cagney's for breakfast and lunch were well worth the price over a standard balcony (BA or BB). We definitely feel the suites are well worth the upcharge for the perks involved. NCL in the suite class has the competition beat hands down at their price points.

 

Forward penthouses on deck 9 and 10 are still open with a slight upcharge.

 

My concern with an aft penthouse on 8 is it might be noisy over the Starlight Lounge directly below on deck 7. I'm a light sleeper. My wife was concerned about the usability of a forward balcony due to wind, wind noise and lack of privacy.

 

We loved the privacy of the aft balcony and wonder if the tradeoff for more sun for tanning is worth the lack of privacy. So it's down to an SF or SE.

 

Anyone out there try both and knows? Possible noise vs. no "tan lines", which way to go ? SE or SF?

 

We love the forward penthouses and would book one over an aft suite in a heartbeat. We prefer to see where we're going rather than where we've been. That's just us.

 

You should note that from the deck 9 forward penthouses, you can hear the daily rehearsals and nightly shows from the Stardust theater. If you choose to sail in a forward suite, I would recommend a deck 10 suite if you might be affected by noise if, say, you like to take a nap during the day or you like to go to sleep earlier than 11:00 PM.

[NayRN]

Although I've never sailed in an Aft PH, I love sailing FWD!!! I use the balcony while underway, even in Alaska! I'm a very light sleeper so having a room under the bridge is, well, VERY quiet! I too would be fearful of being over the Spinnaker Lounge.

 

As for privacy, depending on which deck you choose, you will have some privacy. We were in 10004 (OS) on the Dawn and we had some overhang....I can't speak for those on deck 9 though but I'm sure someone will be able to speak to that!!

 

Happy sailing!!

[RareBird]

We sailed on deck 8 aft on Gem and hated it. Insane niose from club on 7. Do not keep that room if you like to go to sleep before 2am.

 

We sailed on deck 10 on Star in SE forward suite and loved it. Pick one of 2 cabins below bridge in center, they are bigger inside. Very quiet, no noise.

[cookmg40]

The forward penthouses on deck 9 have a bit more privacy than the ones on deck 10. We love the forward decks and get a lot of use out of them, even while underway. On the Star in August was the first time we heard noise from the theater but it was not very loud. On the Gem, we never heard noise from the theater.

[rvsullivan]

We did the upgrade once to the forward suites and will never go back. There is privacy toward the rear of the balconies and the wind is never a bother sitting down. It's an amazing view from the front. Especially when entering and leaving a port.

[H&J]

Thank you everyone for the feedback. I think I'm going to call my travel agent tomorrow and switch to the SE, now the tough decision, deck 9 or deck 10.

 

I called NCL and because we are out the 75 days prior to sailing, there will be no penalty to switch.

 

I also asked about an waiting list in case someone cancels and deck 9 or deck 10 SF aft penthouse. I rather doubt anyone will at this point, except maybe us.

 

I checked the profiles, NayRN you are somewhat close to us depending which of the burbs you are in. We are north just outside the burbs, closer to I-69 so flying out of Flint is our preference. It's about the same time and distance as Metro but Bishop Airport beats Metro hands down in convenience. Also, Bishop is about the cheapest in the state to fly out of.

 

The TSA people at Bishop are actually friendly and the closest I came to any scrutiny was a hand explosives test which the guy said he did because he was bored. Actually it was pretty interesting as he explained the process and we had some time to kill before our flight.

 

Once again, thank you everyone for the feedback.

[Kamfish642]

We have an aft penthouse suite on Deck 8 on the Pearl during the February 3 sailing. Based on prior postings, it looks like there is a significant noise concern from the disco/lounge below on Deck 7. How bad is it -- should I bring ear plugs?