Downgrading is my new philosophy

[gottagoacruzn]

Started out with a balcony on my first cruise, and thought I couldn't live any other way. Then I discovered the fabulous real estate of aft balconies and thought I couldn't live any other way.

 

But I have turned to the other side. That is, the inside. I'm going on a ten-day Med cruise this fall for about $1400 per person, inside. Versus twice that much each for a balcony. I think we can use all the real estate of the ship pretty easily if we need to be outside and seeing things. Plus we have all the real estate on the ship at our disposal, not just the limited view from one balcony.

 

Just checked my Caribbean cruise prices. We booked $1900 pp for an aft balcony. We can cruise for under a thousand pp for a room with a view.

 

The food is the same for us in all the venues. The entertainment is the same. The amenities of the ship are the same.

 

I believe I have turned into a downgrader!

 

Hey good for you, I can't afford an balcony cabin no matter what so... always get an inside. It does the same as an outside...

[sfaaa]

Saving money for an inside cabin is the best upgrade in my book. There are a lot of quiet spots on the ship you can just sit back, relax and unwind. Unless it is on sale, paying balcony at inflated price is overrated.

[kimlovesfl]

DH and I are both claustrophobic, and I am one of those people that needs windows, sunshine, natural light, to feel normal, otherwise, I get terribly depressed.

 

We had an outside cabin last year, loved the view, but wished I had my own balcony. Just booked a balcony cabin because the price was right. I certainly would book outside again, but I would never, ever, book an inside cabin. I would rather not cruise, or stay at a super cheap motel for a land-based vacation.

[crdtrnr]

We have cruised in all room types. We used to get balconies (DH smokes), but due to change in policy..he can't smoke there anymore. We decided to go ultra cheap. 1A. We have done this before, for a quick getaway...this will be the 1st 7 day in a 1A. We just couldn't pass on the price. (I was hoping that OV would drop in price for a upgrade, but not even close).

We did get the 1A with portholes, so I have a little light. :)

[CruiseVA]

We're with you - first cruise we booked a balcony, 2nd a rear balcony, third we tried an interior. At that point we realized we didn't spend any time in the cabin, or on the balcony, so we tried an interior. The dark room was wonderful for sleeping! While we've booked oceanviews and balconies since then, we usually go for the interior's (it's a cost benefit thing).

I did screw up and book a handicapped interior once that had bunkbeds, DW was NOT happy about that! There was a lot of floorspace and a huge bathroom though. LOL.

Our last cruise I booked a GTY interior, ended up with an Obstructed OceanView handicapped with 245 sq feet! The bathroom was huge also, with a nice big shower. We booked that room for our upcoming Panama Canal cruise, and, just got upgraded to a mini-suit.

[Yvonne]

I don't necessarily NEED a balcony stateroom, but I WANT one. :)

 

Love, love, love spending time every day on our own balcony, away from the crowd. I'm the type that needs a little "quiet time" every day to myself, just to sit on the balcony and enjoy the sunshine and water and do a little reading or "watching the backs of my eyelids." :)

 

That said, I don't refuse to cruise if I can't have a balcony. Won't have one on our upcoming Paradise cruise. We're doing an inside and I'm fine with that, just to be able to be with family and enjoy our time together. We had an inside room for our Fantasy cruise a few years ago and did enjoy the darkness of the room for napping.

 

And we had an aft balcony room on our Conquest cruise and THAT has been my favorite so far. Loved being able to see everything while cruising down the river from New Orleans to get out to sea, and seeing everything coming into ports and leaving them. So enjoy having room service breakfast and coffee on our balcony every morning too.

[simplelife]

DH and I are outside cabin people. We did an inside once, when we were on a tight budget. DH hated it - he needs some natural light to maintain his sleeping and waking patterns. So we've always done outside since, even if just a porthole or an obstructed view when budget is tight, We did a balcony once, because the cost was so reasonable on the particular cruise, but found we did not use much - it was either too hot (at departure port), too cold (at ports of call - Canada), or too windy (at sea). Like many other posters, we use the cabin for dressing, showering, and sleeping and spend most of our time exploring the ship, I have just booked the Victory for June and we will be in an outside.

[tawaik]

My very first cruise which was so long ago that I cannot remember what year was porthole. Second cruise was a balcony on the NCL Sky in September of 2013 and we received a nice price drop and additional OBC so that was worth it for us. Third cruise on Carnival forward on Rivera deck with a port hole. There was a nice amount of space due to the position of the beds which was L shape. Future cruise is a balcony on the Carnival Liberty for 7 days. This will be Hubby's first cruise and I want to create an experience for him.

 

We are planning to book another cruise while on board and it will be an inside cabin. That way we can cruise more!

[Friend100]

I am joining this "downgrading" club .... went from a RCI Junior Suite to a HAL Inside (Deck 1 category J) within a one-month gap between cruises and absolutely loved it. I am looking forward to my next inside on HAL Inside J.

[drhall]

Yay! I'm not the only one.

 

Had a porthole on RCI per my mother. The only two times I used it was in the mornings to see if we were in port, and in the evenings to close the curtains.

 

We aren't "stay inside" type people, so paying extra for the "leisure" that is a window or private balcony seemed silly for us.

 

The less money I spend on the room, the more I spend on drinks, excursions, spa, food, casino and shopping. I don't recall the porthole very well or anything I saw through it--but I DO recall the things I did on the boat!

[jujuyou]

My second cruise we had a porthole. The others we always booked inside cabins. I really enjoy cruising and only sleep in the room. I like to spend my money on excursions

[Iluvcruising2]

Different strokes for different folks.

 

Yes, we have cruised many times with a balcony but I think I would be ok with an inside. Already blessed to be able to cruise. Depends on the financial situation next time, I wouldn't break the bank to sail in a balcony. Must make sure I have secured my retirement funding first. :):)

[Kingofwylietx]

Alone, I would be fine with an inside cabin. If they made larger inside staterooms, we would be more apt to try it.

 

My wife will only do a room with a balcony. She really enjoys sitting outside, without anyone around but us. It's very relaxing for her. On top of that....she likes to crash early and I'm a night owl. With the larger balcony rooms I can play games, read a book/magazine, or watch tv without disturbing her. One thing I really think she would love about an inside room is the NAP option. My wife loves a good nap.....and I can't think of a better place to have one than a room with no windows.

[LuCruise]

We are a family of 4 (two adults, two kids...10.5 and 6.5 years). We looked at the savings of an interior for our Allure cruise and decided we won't be in the cabin that much so why pay for the extra? So we decided on a Promenade room (with pull out sofa and Pullman bed). It'll be a fun room for them as they can watch out the window when we're in the cabin but we'd like to spend the money on other cruise things. I am amazed at the price difference once you go up, and something like a JS is between 6 and 7k. Crazy.

[NewSalt]

My favorite part of any cruise is having coffee delivered in the early morning and sipping it in my pj's on the balcony as we pull into port. I have yet to find one of those "quiet little spots" on any ship where I could do that. ;) My second favorite would probably be sitting on the balcony at night and seeing the plethora of shooting stars while having a nightcap or wandering out there in the middle of the night to see the lights of another ship or a nearby island slipping by.

 

Oddly enough, I am in no way limited in my mobility, nor do I smoke, and I do like meeting new people and talking to them. But I also like private time on vacation to read without interruption or distraction.

 

I'd rather do fewer cruises the way I enjoy them.

 

But that's what makes me happy. Others have different ways that they enjoy their cruising that make interior rooms a better choice for them. I think differences make life more interesting and have no need to try to dissect their characters to explain why their choices are not the same as mine.

[legaljen1969]

My choice of stateroom is dictated by my budget for any particular cruise. I am also one who price checks things incessantly. If I find an itinerary where balconies are on sale for less than, or same price as an outside, I will definitely take advantage of that balcony. I don't use it that much, but if I have the opportunity I will do it.

 

A lot of the folks on these boards cruise constantly. Some are very loyal to one line. Some just love to cruise. Many have achieved the highest levels of customer loyalty perks for the lines they love. That's how a lot of these folks get balconies and suites. They pay their dues in a lowly cabin and wait for upgrades. Some folks work with a TA and get a group together, thereby getting some sort of discount for guaranteeing a certain number of travelers.

 

Not everyone who gets a balcony is rolling in money. Some like to cruise more with a smaller cabin. Some like the sunlight, and are willing to cruise less to get what they truly love.

 

I haven't been in an inside cabin since I was a teenager, but would do so if the price was right and I was really craving that itinerary.

[cruznjan]

I can't do it. I was in an inside cabin once. I'm not claustrophobic, but I couldn't stand not being able to see outside. We like balconies, but we could downgrade to an oceanview. I just need to see daylight.

[richstowe]

Alone, I would be fine with an inside cabin. If they made larger inside staterooms, we would be more apt to try it.

We just returned from our first inside, on the new Regal Princess . It was a large "sideways" cabin.

In addition there was a large TV with an incredible choice of movies so when we were

in the cabin , it was no hardship . Could we handle a tiny inside on an older ship ?

Not sure I would want to !

Edited March 16, 2015 by richstowe

[bakersdozen12]

To each his/her own. Many people feel that insides provide great bargains. If one is in there only to sleep, shower, and change clothes then the view - or lack of any - is irrelevant. For me however it wouldn't work - it would be like staying in a bomb bunker.

 

Agreed. It really depends on your personality type. For my husband and I, we are not drinkers, and definitely don't like party atmospheres, so I know that we need a place where we can relax in private and enjoy the view. We have a cove booked for this Oct, and an aft wrap booked for Nov of next year. We are splurging, and I realize that, but we almost never go on vacations and we live pretty darn frugally.

 

Of course, the next cruise that I want to plan after that is a Mediterranean cruise, and since we will be spending a lot more on airfare for that one (from the US), we will most likely have to do some downgrading in order to make it affordable. We'll probably look to book a scenic ocean view for that one.

[Nonio]

Agreed. It really depends on your personality type. For my husband and I, we are not drinkers, and definitely don't like party atmospheres, so I know that we need a place where we can relax in private and enjoy the view. We have a cove booked for this Oct, and an aft wrap booked for Nov of next year. We are splurging, and I realize that, but we almost never go on vacations and we live pretty darn frugally.

 

Of course, the next cruise that I want to plan after that is a Mediterranean cruise, and since we will be spending a lot more on airfare for that one (from the US), we will most likely have to do some downgrading in order to make it affordable. We'll probably look to book a scenic ocean view for that one.

 

I agree. For some and inside would be unbearable whilst for others who are out all the time it's just a place to store clothes, wash and sleep. The holiday for them is what they can see and do and the people they can meet and I can see that is a good philosophy.

 

In fact friends who normally have a balcony had an outside and commented that they got out and about and saw a lot more as a result. The ship is the same, the public spaces the same, the food the same.

 

This year I am having a balcony (& trying Princess for the first time) simply because there was a late deal, and, given it is a Baltic Cruise, I am anticipating that, whilst it is unlikely to be hot enough in June for extended sitting out, like the Norway holiday I went on a couple of years ago, there will be plenty to see in terms of ARchipelgoes and Coast early in the morning when I'd rather be in my cabin rather than up on the public decks.

 

Next year I'm doing a Med/Greek Island cruise in October with quite a lot of sea days. This time I am trying one of the new Cunard single outside cabins, one where the bed is not up against the window (which makes it difficult to see out from a sitting position) and where there is a large picture window. I can sit out in the sun up on deck. I can sit inside my warm cabin for the early morning sail ins and get a good view. In fact the sea breeze often makes it difficult to make the most of balconies unless the weather is hot.they tend to be quite shaded by the deck above and the glass screen in front.

 

I'd think of an inside, for instance, for transatlantic crossings a) where it is cool and often foggy/misty and not a lot to see until you reach the other port.

 

However, if I don't try I'll never find out what I really can tolerate/enjoy..I can only imagine, so that is what I a, doing now.

[13cheermom]

I have to agree with above post, anytime your doing TA or Mediterranean cruise a balcony is really nice. I realize you can always go above and watch sail away but there are the crowds and all the other people trying to do the same. Also if the weather is questionable a balcony allows you to view without getting soaked. When we were in Europe a couple of years ago sailing in and out of Venice, the balcony was wonderful. It's an epic sail away and with the rain we wouldn't have been able to enjoy it on an upper deck. So it's times like that the balcony was essential. However sailing with family in June and decided on insides to conserve costs a little. I know we will adjust and enjoy our cruise just as much, because life is all about change, and a cruise is still better than sitting at home.:D

[Kayaktom]

For the first time ever, we will be in an inside cabin vs. a balcony. Yes, it saves us some money, but our kids have always gone with an inside cabin and they convinced us to give it a try.

[Gardeneroflove]

Nope, we need/want/use our balcony. Unless my kid was older and ONLY if it was on Disney and we were 'poor' would I consider not having a balcony.

 

BUT I hate crowds, smoking, having to get dressed, being asked if I want to buy a drink. Plus we have a kid, who needs to sleep. and I LOVE falling asleep to the waves, or sitting out there while dh is watching tv.

 

Plus, if I bring my tripod, I get the real sunset formal night photos for free. :D

 

Though I will say, I'd likely get out and see/do more if I didn't have a balcony. But I'm not cruising to see or do. I'm cruising to do nothing. ah, sweet nothing.

 

We upgraded to an aft wrap one year, it was great! We were traveling with family. the whole family could fit for pictures. I think it would be great with a smaller kid as well, more room to play.

 

The only cruise it was a waste was the one in Aug/labor day. It was just too hot to be outside or have the door open.

[misty57]

DH and I have been wrestling with this issue. I booked an 11 night and now wondering if I should have gone with an inside or at least an ocean view because it will likely be too hot to sit on the verandah. I may call back and downgrade tomorrow. Like the balcony though, but the difference on price could pay for a hotel room pre-cruise!

Edited April 20, 2015 by misty57

[misty57]

I did it! The $1100 difference was too great to not downgrade. DH has a good outlook on it. We'll just spend more time up on deck! This will be good practice for retirement traveling. Whoo!:D