Should I upgrade to aft balcony on constellation?

[rdt10]

I have cabin 7176 booked on the Constellation for the 10 night Sept. 15, 2013 Barcelona to Istanbul cruise. 7176 is a regular veranda with what I understand is an oversized balcony. I just noticed cabin 8172, an aft concierge balcony, is available and I put it on hold. I understand the aft balconies are considerably larger and the concierge room has 20 sq. ft. more space. The cost to upgrade is approx. $1,100. I already have the 123go benefits so that is not a factor.

 

My wife and I are traveling with our 25 year old son so the standard veranda room was going to be tight. There is also an aft cabin available on deck 9 but I read there is noise from the aft bar on deck 10 so I thought deck 8 with rooms above and below would be better.

 

I know this is an individual preference but I would like opinions on whether the extra room space and larger aft balcony is worth $1,100 ($500 each for the first 2 people and $100 for the 3rd)?

 

We haven't sailed on Celebrity before. My wife and I sailed Royal Caribbean the last 2 years to the Caribbean and had the larger balcony rooms on the radiance class ships for just the 2 of us. Never done an aft cabin before.

 

Thanks for all of your help. Rick

[suec12]

well I think besides the large balcony, the room configuration is different? We were recently in one of these rooms (I think on deck 8) and the room had a divider between the main bed and then where the sofas were. That being said, the sofas (that I assume can be made into beds) were quite worn. Not sure if there has been a refurb since then or if all sofas in these rooms were as pitiful. But I'm sure you son would appreciate the divider and the balcony is huge! By the way, the comments about the noise from the aft bar, actually we enjoyed some of the "noise" drifting down. Most early evenings there was a guitar palyer there - we would sit out on our balcony and enjoy the concert.

[cle-guy]

Constellation gets some sort of upgrades and refurbs in April....

[wrk2cruise]

8172 is our favorite room on M class ships. However the interior room size is not any larger than any other c2, c3 room. All the concierge class cabins on M class ships are 20 sqft larger than standard balcony so that's probably where you heard that number.

 

The balcony is amazing almost 20' deep I believe. You could have a group of 20 people pretty comfortably out there. Large table with chairs as well as lounge type chairs (maybe fixed back with separate foot rest).

 

Generally these cabins are a 2-300 upcharge from C2 so I'm not sure I'd go $1100 for it especially for a 10 night cruise. That's $50/day for the adult fare.

 

Oh I just looked up your original room and it's a 2A so yes the room would be 20 sqft larger which you WILL notice as a big improvement. The balcony would be way larger as well which will make things seem bigger as well.

 

This would be a difficult decision. Let us know what you decide. Once you cruise in these rooms it's hard to go back to a standard balcony.

 

If you really need the room for 3 in the room have you considered a Sky suite. Sometimes they are in the same ballpark as the C1's

[JoePDX]

well I think besides the large balcony, the room configuration is different? We were recently in one of these rooms (I think on deck 8) and the room had a divider between the main bed and then where the sofas were. That being said, the sofas (that I assume can be made into beds) were quite worn. Not sure if there has been a refurb since then or if all sofas in these rooms were as pitiful. But I'm sure you son would appreciate the divider and the balcony is huge! By the way, the comments about the noise from the aft bar, actually we enjoyed some of the "noise" drifting down. Most early evenings there was a guitar palyer there - we would sit out on our balcony and enjoy the concert.

 

8172 is a larger balcony stateroom (20 sq ft larger than your current location, but essentially the same layout). It is not a Family View configuration which is described above. The baloncy will be larger and I always enjoiy the view over the wake.

 

That being said, I wouldn't upgrade, unless you plan to spend ALOT of time on your balcony. Consider is the larger balcony worth over $100 a day? Or would you rather spend that money in port? Or visiting the speciality restaurants on board? Or???

 

The other consideration is what tier level you are in Captain's Club. If you are trying to attain Elite Status, you will receive an extra cruise point for sailing in a Concierge stateroom. So that could make it "worth it".

 

Enjoy Istanbul! It's magical!

 

Joe

[Lsimon]

If my wife and I were traveling alone we'd go for the aft C1 in a second. Actually we've done this on nearly all of the M class cruises where we've had that opportunity for years now.

 

However, I'd also do what I can to get our 25 year old son in a separate cabin if he were traveling with us. If money were a factor I'd gladly stick with the lesser cabin for us and use the extra dollars to get a separate cabin, even an inside, for him. While I know many have no issue with this, for us three adults in a cabin is one too many given the cabin size, lack of privacy, amount of storage and single bathroom.

[rdt10]

I would be going from a 2A to a C1 cabin which is the main reason for the large jump in price. The difference between the different concierge classes isn't much. The Sky Suite would be over $3,000 more which is too much.

 

I wouldn't do it just for the larger balcony, but the combination of a larger room and balcony got me thinking about it. Our son doesn't care where he sleeps, but I'm concerned about 3 people in a smaller room than what my wife and I have sailed in alone. I had thought about waiting and trying to upgrade after final payment date and see if cancellations make the concierge cabins more affordable, but I've read a lot about the aft cabins and wasn't sure if I should bite the bullet and lock in a unique location.

[rdt10]

Larry, you have a good point about the separate room for our son. I looked and if we stayed in the 2A cabin with 2 people the difference between the C1 and a separate inside cabin for him is about the same.

 

There's a chance he won't be able to go which is part of the reason why we have him as a 3rd in the cabin or maybe we could pick up a cheaper inside after final payment date.

 

Taking away the 3rd person issue, you think the aft cabin is worth the upgrade for the larger room and location?

 

Thanks. Rick

[suec12]

You might want to call and inquire if the family verandah's are booked for your cruise. On our trip, these cabins were released at some point for the price of the other 2A's. But maybe you already considered them for your family of 3. It would certainly be a cheaper option than a suite and since your sail is in Sept., I would think not alot of families will be onboard.

[Andy]

Taking away the 3rd person issue, you think the aft cabin is worth the upgrade for the larger room and location?

 

Thanks. Rick

 

Hi Rdt,

 

Frankly, I think $1,100 is too much. I'd rather save that money towards onboard expenses, excursions etc... and/or obtaining another cabin for your son, if he sails with you. FWIW, I've stayed in 7176, and it's a very nice cabin in a great location. I also like the Family Veranda idea, if it's an option.

 

I hope this helps !

[Lsimon]

Larry, you have a good point about the separate room for our son. I looked and if we stayed in the 2A cabin with 2 people the difference between the C1 and a separate inside cabin for him is about the same.

 

There's a chance he won't be able to go which is part of the reason why we have him as a 3rd in the cabin or maybe we could pick up a cheaper inside after final payment date.

 

Taking away the 3rd person issue, you think the aft cabin is worth the upgrade for the larger room and location?

 

Thanks. Rick

 

Worth is a difficult thing to evaluate as $1,000 comes easier to some budgets than others. It is a lot of money but there are cruises we've spent that much on the difference and a 10 night Med cruise has a pretty big budget irrespective of cabin cost. The aft C1's are some of the best cabins (short of the nearby FV or suites) that I've been in. I'd probably prefer one of these to the larger, and more amenity filled, Sky Suites. They are not as large but the huge verandas make a big difference. The cabin itself will be slightly larger than the standard veranda cabin and have a little more storage as well. Between the extra size and the huge veranda with the wonderful view I think it is worth it but it is a close call. The aft cabins on the M class are sorely missed on the S class ships where the aft cabins are much less enticing.

 

The other CC amenities are worth something but not much. Most of them are worthless or worth very little like the wine, binoculars and canapes. The upgraded linens are nice but hard to justify much in terms of extra cost for those. On S class we seldom go for CC cabins while on M class we always went for the aft CC cabins if we could get them - and a couple times we were fortunate to grab a FV cabin when they were released for booking to smaller groups.

 

I have lots of photos of the aft CC cabins on my site, although most are several years old and don't reflect the upgraded carpet, upholstery and TV's.

[warmwinds]

I would ask why you did not book an aft from the outset. Was it the price, or did you want one and it was not available at that time? If it was price, then nothing has changed, and that's still a valid reason. If you wanted one, and it was not available, and is now, then you are being handed the opportunity you wanted.

[urkidn]

We've stayed in 7173 on Millie (same cabin, port side) with our teenaged son. Our son slept in the bunk above us rather than the pullout which was a big plus because we did not have to manoeuvre around him to get around especially in the morning if he wasn't awake yet. I don't believe the aft cabins have bunks. On the other hand, another consideration is privacy. I don't know how private the aft balconies are but 7176 is very visible from the buffet area above you. I realize that most cabins are visible from the rooms above etc, but besides the large windows in the buffet, there are giant fish eyes in the floors that make your balcony very visible to anyone and everyone who wants to see it as per the post below.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1316220&page=2

[JRWLOBO]

You might want to call and inquire if the family verandah's are booked for your cruise. On our trip, these cabins were released at some point for the price of the other 2A's. But maybe you already considered them for your family of 3. It would certainly be a cheaper option than a suite and since your sail is in Sept., I would think not alot of families will be onboard.

 

My husband and I love the aft cabins on the M class ships. Decks 7 and 8 are both great. We will stay away from deck 9 due to the noise from the bar above as you mentioned. As the above quote states, if you can get a Family View (FV) cabin, which could possibly be released close to your sailing date, that would be perfect for three adults. We had one on a cruise to Alaska and loved it. Call Celebrity and ask about a wait list for one of these cabins. They state they hold them for families of 5, but we were able to secure ours for Alaska with 3 adults. However, barring being able to get a FV, I may still opt for the aft as you do have the very large balcony and the slightly larger cabin. Plus, we never found privacy an issue with these cabins.

As for the higher price, I happen to like the concierge cabins. I like the upgraded robes, the expanded breakfast room service menu, and a few other items. These services are probably not worth the extra cost, but along with the aft balcony, I think it is worth it.

Good luck.

[rdt10]

You all have given me a great deal of information. That's what is great about cruise critic. A novice can find out the little secrets and details to make an informed decision and hopefully make a good cruise great.

 

It's a tough decision. The aft cabin sounds great with the extra room and large balcony but being a port intensive cruise how much time will we actually enjoy it. The pictures of cabin 7176 showing the overhang and that people can see into the balcony from above also concerns me.

 

I have to decide on the hold by the end of tomorrow so I won't have to think about it for long. Thanks again for the input.

[rdt10]

I just got off the phone with Celebrity and upgraded to 8172 on the aft. I really appreciate all of the help and particularly the pictures. They were very helpful.

 

I did some checking and the price difference between the 2 cabins was about the same as when the cruise first opened to booking so I wasn't paying more for the category change than I would have earlier. While we've been to Europe on land vacations before this is probably the only cruise we'll take in Europe and if our son goes he'll see a lot of Europe in 10 days. We decided the bigger room and huge balcony would make the trip even more special. If the inside cabins get cheaper after final payment date our son might get a separate room.

 

Thanks again for all of the help and information. I'll report back after the cruise about how we liked the cabin. Rick

[rwr235]

I just got off the phone with Celebrity and upgraded to 8172 on the aft. I really appreciate all of the help and particularly the pictures. They were very helpful.

 

I did some checking and the price difference between the 2 cabins was about the same as when the cruise first opened to booking so I wasn't paying more for the category change than I would have earlier. While we've been to Europe on land vacations before this is probably the only cruise we'll take in Europe and if our son goes he'll see a lot of Europe in 10 days. We decided the bigger room and huge balcony would make the trip even more special. If the inside cabins get cheaper after final payment date our son might get a separate room.

 

Thanks again for all of the help and information. I'll report back after the cruise about how we liked the cabin. Rick

 

Congrats...You are gonna love it. We had 3 aft/stern cabins on a recent Millie cruise...and those balconies will definitely spoil you !!

 

Don't give up on perhaps being able to get one of the corner FV cabins...I continued to check as our sailing came closer, and one became available, and we were able to book it for 2 people.

 

Have a great cruise !

 

Woody

[BEAV]

If the inside cabins get cheaper after final payment date our son might get a separate room.

 

 

Congrats on your decision.

 

Two suggestions......

 

1. Bookmark the link below and check weekly (the link is updated usually every Thursday or Friday) for the following Tuesday one-day sale. After final payment time, use the link to check to see if your sailing comes up on the Tuesday sales. If so, you may be able to snag a cheap inside cabin for your son as you mentioned.

 

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Exciting_Deals/XcitingDeals_cel_tues.pdf

 

2. Continue to monitor cruise pricing for your sailing to see if any FV cabins come open. These are the family cabins (separate living room/bedroom) that are perfect for your party of 3 as well as also being on the aft with oversize balconies. From our own experience, Celebrity sometimes takes these cabins out of general inventory, hoping to fill them with larger families. Closer to departure time, if they're yet unsold, Celebrity releasese them to general inventory and no longer requires a minimum number of passenger to occupy them. If one of these FV cabins came open, it may be cheaper to upgrade to these instead of getting a separate inside cabin for your son. The key here is to constantly monitor pricing and availability.

[DirtyDawg]

We were just in 7173 which is the same as yours just on the other side. The balcony was big enough for three chairs. The cabin has a pullman bunk bed which our 17 year old used. It also has a pull out couch. The aft cabin only has the pullout couch according to the deck plans.

 

If I were you I would not move and use the cash for yourselves for whatever!

[rdt10]

BEAV, thanks for the link. I'll keep looking for deals on an inside cabin. Is there a way to track the family ocean view rooms from the Celebrity website or do I need to check with Celebrity reservations from time to time? I do have the cruise set for alerts on cruise fishnet that monitors prices so that may work also. Rick