First cruise and state?room

[Kashagi]

sorry messed up title.

 

Hi all,

Well soon I will be booking my first ever cruise and pretty excited.

Thing is I have no idea what to expect when it comes to a stateroom. I am very used to sleeping with a window open and I worry about a stateroom feeling stuffy and claustrophobic.

I have looked at balcony rooms but I don't think you can even keep the doors open on these?

 

I don't mind booking a a cheap room if they feel well ventilated as I hate waking up and feeling a bit stuffy.

 

The ship I will be sailing on is Celebrity Silhouette, BUT it will be an Atlantis charter and the official prices are not out yet. I have seen a rough guide on another site with prices and itinerary for next Feb.

 

What I will be looking for is if poss is a pretty central location stateroom. I am not sure how it works and where most of the parties and events will happen on a boat that is chartered. Not sure if I go for a higher or lower deck. Not sure if I will get sea sick 'hoping not'.

I am guessing some state rooms are a very long walk? Guessing the cheapest statrooms are further away from stuff? Ideally I would like to be fairly close to the main area's. Then again I probably sound silly as its a huge ship. No idea what to expect really lol.

 

I have spent hours last night reading the tips for first cruisers and they were fascinating. Still have about 25 pages to go :)

 

I am sorry if this is vauge but I am trying to make rough plans for when the prices are officially released.

 

One other thing I am not sure how exciting the itinerary is.

Leaving from Fort Lauderdale and then 1 day at sea. Then Labadee, which i thought was RCC exclusive?' then next day 1am at San Juan.. 1am seems strange to me.

Then Philipsburg St Martin followed by 2 days at sea.

I think it will be fun no matter what as it is more for the Atlantis parties and experience, but not sure if the ports are cool?

 

Anyway sorry if I am asking too much in one post, just getting excited now :)

 

One last thing. Is the ship I am going to be sailing on a good size? Not sure if its more like a standard RCC ship that a lot of my friends have been on.

Edited February 11, 2014 by Kashagi

[paul929207]

Cruise lines ask you to keep the balcony door closed. It will mess with the air conditioning if you leave it open.

[Sauer-kraut]

Welcome to the world of cruising!

 

The cabins are not stuffy at all, even inside cabins as usually the ventilation systems are very good. You also can control the air conditioning temperature. Some people state that they do leave the balcony doors open, but be forewarned that it will override the A/C for your cabin and let the humidty/heat inside. I really wouldn't worry about your first issue. I sleep the best on a ship, wish I could get that feeling here at home where I don't sleep as well.

 

I have travelled in insides as well as balconies and I have been fine in both. The inside cabins are well laid out and I never have the feeling of clostrophobia, it really doesn't bother me at all. I am in it to sleep and maybe nap but otherwise I am on the outside decks enjoying the sea and activities.

 

For a charter cruise, there might not be the same level of activities offered by the ship's staff, but you are getting other entertainment from the charter group. Activities are programmed all over the ship in the public venues, so if you are centrally located or even near a stairway you won't have any problems with being 'too far' from something. I don't know the ship you are planning on, but most are very easy to navigate. When choosing your cabin be sure to look at the deck plans and see what is above and below you! If you can get a deck with cabins under and above you should be fairly quiet. Beware of under the pool decks or above the theater or disco lounge.

 

Your itinerary sounds lovely. I enjoy sea days, you can really relax and explore the ship. Labadee is indeed a private 'island' belonging to the cruise line and from what others have posted on the PORTS OF CALL boards, seems to be very nice. St. Martin if a fun island! Half Dutch half French. Maho Beach where the planes are landing gives quite a thrill. The water here with the white sands just magnificent. You can find all sorts of information on the PORTS OF CALL boards -- have a look there once you're finished with the 25 pages you have left over here :D

 

It all starts with research, and it sounds like you are ahead of the game right now. Have fun! Don't stress and enjoy! :)

[MSN-Travelers]

Ventilation in the cabins is very good. Some people don't like interior cabins because there is no direct sunlight while others will tell you that they are never in their cabin except to sleep and change cloths. Cabin pricing is driven by location. Cabins in the center of the ship tend to be a little more expensive for a number of reasons. Easy access to ship's activities and ship's motion is minimal near the center of the ship are a couple.

 

Silhouette is a good size ship. The best place for ship's information is the Celebrity web site: http://www.celebritycruises.com/explore/ships/detail.do?shipCode=SI

 

This site has over 400 reviews from Celerity Silhouette passengers: http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=594

 

Deck plans and photos of the cabins can be found at both sites.

 

Keep in mid that your cruise will be a charter and will likely have additional organized activities both on & off the ship that are above and beyond what the typical cruise has.

 

Enjoy!

Edited February 11, 2014 by MSN-Travelers

[Kashagi]

Thank you all very much for your help :)

You have helped put my mind at ease about the cabin. I won't be in the cabin that much like most other than for sleeping.

 

Once the prices get released I will try and get a cabin around the middle of the ship if I can. I will post for suggestions on the celebrity board that you suggested.

 

I will go back to reading the thread about what you wished you knew before your first cruise. Such a helpful thread. I will make sure I fly into Florida from the UK the day before for sure.

 

Yes Atlantis I think do a lot of there own entertainment when they charter the ships. From what I have read the cruise staff as well as the alantis staff are all lovely.

 

Thanks again for your help!

Edited February 11, 2014 by Kashagi
spelling

[Kashagi]

I have just been looking at the deck plans. Apart from avoiding being under or above lido and pool etc. As a rule of thumb do people generally want to be on the highest deck poss?

For example there some inside cabins on deck 2 and some on say deck 6 and 7 for example. So given the choice a cabin in a higher level deck is always be better than being in a lower? Hope I am making sense.

 

You can probably tell I have never stepped food on a cruise lol.

[TheOldBear]

Thank you all very much for your help :)

You have helped put my mind at ease about the cabin. I won't be in the cabin that much like most other than for sleeping.

 

Once the prices get released I will try and get a cabin around the middle of the ship if I can. I will post for suggestions on the celebrity board that you suggested.

 

I will go back to reading the thread about what you wished you knew before your first cruise. Such a helpful thread. I will make sure I fly into Florida from the UK the day before for sure.

 

Yes Atlantis I think do a lot of there own entertainment when they charter the ships. From what I have read the cruise staff as well as the alantis staff are all lovely.

 

Thanks again for your help!

 

My brother and his husband just finished up this year's edition of the cruise - they had a wonderful time. Atlantis tends to charter the entire ship, and the activities and atmosphere will be quite lively.

[Kashagi]

My brother and his husband just finished up this year's edition of the cruise - they had a wonderful time. Atlantis tends to charter the entire ship, and the activities and atmosphere will be quite lively.

 

I am really pleased they had such a great time. I know the charter cruise is not for everyone, but it sounds awesome to me.. Atmosphere and just feeling part of it is important for me. I will be going on my own as my mates don't feel like coming. I am sure I will make friends along the way.

[peety3]

What I will be looking for is if poss is a pretty central location stateroom. I am not sure how it works and where most of the parties and events will happen on a boat that is chartered. Not sure if I go for a higher or lower deck. Not sure if I will get sea sick 'hoping not'.

I am guessing some state rooms are a very long walk? Guessing the cheapest statrooms are further away from stuff? Ideally I would like to be fairly close to the main area's. Then again I probably sound silly as its a huge ship. No idea what to expect really lol.

Simple theory: higher priced stateroom = more desirable room, for one reason or another. It could be +balcony, +space (i.e. mini-suite), etc., or it could be proximity to activities. If you want to be close to it all, open up your wallet.

 

Read the site and other references for everyone's tale on whether one end/side/deck/etc. is better against seasickness, etc. If you read 10 stories, you'll probably get 10 different tips.

 

On my two Alaska cruises, we've been almost all the way up front, and almost all the way in the back. For some reason, we both feel up front was closer to things than aft, so we picked a forward cabin (and then caught a promotion which upgraded us to midship!) for our next Alaska cruise.

[MSN-Travelers]

I have just been looking at the deck plans. Apart from avoiding being under or above lido and pool etc. As a rule of thumb do people generally want to be on the highest deck poss?

For example there some inside cabins on deck 2 and some on say deck 6 and 7 for example. So given the choice a cabin in a higher level deck is always be better than being in a lower? Hope I am making sense.

 

You can probably tell I have never stepped food on a cruise lol.

 

Make sure you are looking at the deck plans for the correct ship. There isn't a "deck 2" with passenger cabins aboard Silhouette. http://www.celebritycruises.com/explore/ships/detail.do?shipCode=SI&tab=deck_plans%2Fexplore%2Fships%2FdeckPlans.do%3FshipCode%3DSI

 

 

You're getting into the area ruled by personal choice and that often come after you have cruised a particular cruise line or particular ship class. "Always" is not a good word to use when selecting a cabin. A cruise ship is just a typical land resort that moves to a different city every day. Access to restaurants, clubs and the pool is important to some while having a cabin far away from the action offers peace `n quiet when you are looking for it.

 

If motion sickness is a real concern for you, then low and at the center is best followed by aft and then forward. The waters you will be in are pretty calm and I would be looking for a cabin that is closest to the activities you think you will use most often.

 

I have noticed that the Silhouette has very few interior cabins and they will likely be snapped up very quickly by people looking to score a bargain. You may not have a choice of deck or cabin. If it was me, I would be happy with deck 6, mid-ship & aft, and any cabin on decks 7 thru 10.

 

Enjoy!

Edited February 11, 2014 by MSN-Travelers

[Kashagi]

Thanks again for the replies I do appreciate it.

 

Yes seems I was looking at wrong ship plans! First mistake hehe

It seems they sell the rooms at a discount to people still on the cruise, which is how someone posted the dates etc. So once the rooms get officially sold I will see what is still avail.

If need be I will go for a bit more expensive room depending on what is left.

I agree it will be subjective what people like. For me being close to main attractions will be better for me. Where as on other types of holidays I like being slightly away from it.

 

Thanks again for the help will keep researching.

[middlehaitch]

Kashagi,

I am sure you will have a great time on your cruise. I have just had a look at the Atlantis site and I could almost wish I was gay, male, and 30 it looks so much fun.;)

Don't worry about the room being stuffy, the cabins have great A/C, I have never woken with the stuffed up feeling I can get from hotel rooms.

If you are looking for a reasonable rate for a cabin close to some party life I would try deck 3 by the Passport Bar ocean view 3146, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74 or inside 3144, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72. these are great rooms as you are close to the bar the Grand Foyer and the stair and elevator bank; they are quiet too.

If you have never been to the Caribbean you will find your ports a good introduction. St Maarten is my favorite. It is a lovely town for strolling around and there is a beach right where you dock with plenty of bars etc. Take the little water taxi off the dock to the town, and be sure to get a return ticket as it is the best value.

Have a great time.

Cheers, h

[Kashagi]

Kashagi,

I am sure you will have a great time on your cruise. I have just had a look at the Atlantis site and I could almost wish I was gay, male, and 30 it looks so much fun.;)

Don't worry about the room being stuffy, the cabins have great A/C, I have never woken with the stuffed up feeling I can get from hotel rooms.

If you are looking for a reasonable rate for a cabin close to some party life I would try deck 3 by the Passport Bar ocean view 3146, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 70, 74 or inside 3144, 48, 52, 56, 60, 64, 68, 72. these are great rooms as you are close to the bar the Grand Foyer and the stair and elevator bank; they are quiet too.

If you have never been to the Caribbean you will find your ports a good introduction. St Maarten is my favorite. It is a lovely town for strolling around and there is a beach right where you dock with plenty of bars etc. Take the little water taxi off the dock to the town, and be sure to get a return ticket as it is the best value.

Have a great time.

Cheers, h

 

 

Hehe yes I have to agree a gay cruise does look SO much. As said it would not be for everyone. I have known str8 cruisers who have been on it with there gay friends. They said they actually preffered the charter to there normal cruise lol. Also I hear the cruise staff really look forward to the gay week and actually request to work as its so much fun.

 

Thank you very much for the tips on the cabin room numbers that is appreciated!! Can't wait to get it booked soon..

[OK Rancher]

I don't know the ship on which you are going to sail...but I have cruised many times before. Here is my two cents:

When I am looking to book a room, I like to see where the room is relative to elevators, etc. Being in a room right near an elevator can pose some noise issues.

My best recommendation once you've narrowed down a room would be to take a look at the deck plans of that floor, as well as the floors immediately above and below. I almost booked a room immediately below the dining room and above the dance club. That would have been loud during the evening hours. Deck plans will be on the cruise line's website. It's worth the extra effort. I try to get on a floor that has only staterooms both above and below my stateroom.

Enjoy. I've done RSVP and had a great time!

[Kashagi]

Thank you Ok Rancher. I have spent a lot of time looking over the deck plans and getting a feel for cabins etc.

 

I hear good things about RSVP cruises as well. I opted for Atlantis for my first as I know some that really enjoyed it.

 

Question to anyone. Sometimes when you see 2 seperate catagories for a balcony and price difference is maybe $50-100. Does the slightly more expensive balcony catagory mean the location is better?

 

I have a feeling the insides will sell out before prices released to general public, so I will look at either window or a balcony :)

[UPGrandma]

 

Question to anyone. Sometimes when you see 2 seperate catagories for a balcony and price difference is maybe $50-100. Does the slightly more expensive balcony catagory mean the location is better?

 

I have a feeling the insides will sell out before prices released to general public, so I will look at either window or a balcony :)

 

We've been on 3 different lines and as you have seen, there are different prices for balconies based on location. Mid ship more expensive than aft, lower decks cheaper than higher, obstructed view balcony cheaper than unobstructed. In some cases it's a case of different balcony sizes. When looking at the deck plans, click on a specific cabin and check out the size plus the size of the balcony.

Edited February 13, 2014 by UPGrandma

[Kashagi]

Thanks a lot for the info that helps :)

[attilamom1217]

We were on the Silhouette in January - beautiful ship and very easy to get around.

 

There are two elevator banks - one at forward/mid; the other at mid/aft. Both elevator banks have elevators on both the port and starboard sides (right and left)

 

We had no problem getting to anyplace. There are maps by the elevators so you will be able to find your way to the various venues on board.

 

Mid ship has less movement than forward or aft, but are cabin was towards the aft and we didn't feel much movement. In addition, lower decks feel less movement than higher decks. Silhouette is a newer ship and the stablizers are great. In the Caribbean, we felt very little movement any where. However, if the weather isn't great and the water is rough, you will feel movement regardless of where you are.

 

I personally am claustrophobic so would never take an inside cabin; however, I know many people who like them. They are the least expensive.

 

DH and I love balconies. We do sit on them and relax.

 

The question you will need to ask yourself is how much time will you spend on the cabin? Just sleeping, showering, changing clothes? Or will you use it as a quiet escape to sit and read...? Do you need or want natural light? Is it worth it to you to spend the extra money for a balcony which gives you more space (because of the balcony - almost like an extra room) or will you never be on the balcony so it is a waste of money? Is a window okay for the natural light? If yes, then an Oceanview might do the trick.

 

Note that when you choose your cabin, look at the deck plans and choose a cabin with cabins above and below. This will help to ensure some quiet - no lounge chairs being moved about, no treadmill at 6 A.M., etc.

 

Enjoy your cruise.