Best area of ship to stay? Opinions & Facts, please

[cruiseJMO]

I'll be enjoying my 3rd cruise in a month & I have yet to learn/remember the correct names of the different parts of the ship (my apologies).

 

While reading a lot of great reviews, I began wondering why I seldom read about anyone staying in the front of the ship? I decided to try it this coming up voyage. The last two I was midship. I did see some complaints about soot in the rear (aft?).

 

All I know to go by when choosing a cabin is that I don't want to be too close to elevators or too far from stairs.

 

I'd really appreciate all the incite anyone may have on this topic.

[sparky-elpaso]

I think a lot depends on whether you're prone to motion sickness.

 

We aren't so on our last cruise we had a forward cabin and really didn't feel a lot of movement. We had a few rough nights and while we were bounced around a bit it was fine. I actually like being rocked to sleep at night. :)

 

We did get a bit more exercise - we generally eat in the buffet which is towards the bow on the Ruby Princess. So we had a bit of a hike to and from meals. Which was probably a good thing.

[beachbum53]

My brother and sister-in-law had a cabin at the front of the ship once. He said they didn't need an alarm clock, because every morning, bright and early, they were awakened by the sound of the anchor being dropped when the ship came into port.:eek: Just something to think about when considering a cabin at the front of the ship, which is called the "bow", by the way. This reminds me of the line from "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". "You must choose, but choose wisely".;)

[paul929207]

We always get a balcony. We prefer it to be on a high deck and midship, but not near a source of noise.

[cb at sea]

Depending on the ship's design, being near stairs and elevators is a plus! For instance, on RCI's ships, the stairs/elevators are in a foyer, so those cabins nearby the foyer are not noisy! They are extremely convenient!

 

We like to be within a deck of the pool, as that is where we spend most of our daytime hours. You tend to run back and forth to the cabin multiple times during the day....at night, not so much! So, being within one flight to your preferred areas just makes life easier!

[John Bull]

Depending on the ship's design, being near stairs and elevators is a plus! For instance, on RCI's ships, the stairs/elevators are in a foyer, so those cabins nearby the foyer are not noisy! They are extremely convenient!

 

We like to be within a deck of the pool, as that is where we spend most of our daytime hours. You tend to run back and forth to the cabin multiple times during the day....at night, not so much! So, being within one flight to your preferred areas just makes life easier!

 

I agree with cb about elevators, never had a problem with noise from either the machinery or folk using the elevators. On any ship, any cruise line that I've sailed. So much easier than hiking the corridors.

 

But I'll respectfully offer a different opinion on choice of deck. We aim to be in a cabin sandwich - cabins above & cabins below - because other cabins tend to be much less noisy than the noises & bumps from venues like the theatre (including rehearsals), casino, late-nite bars, machinery & such. And we avoid being above/below/beside blank gaps on deck plans - mebbe just a steward's store-room, or mebbe machinery. And under a deck is definitely risky - sun loungers being dragged out from stowage, deck maintenance, enthusiastic joggers slogging round the deck etc, all at daft o'clock in the morning. :eek:

cb being an experienced cruiser probably aims to be under a quiet part of the deck.

 

Beachbum's comment about anchors is valid - but only at tendered ports - the anchors aren't deployed at berthed ports.

But on the same tack, ships do use bow & stern thrusters (ancillary propellers) for a few minutes to manoeuvre into port - on some ships their noise and/or vibration will give you an early-morning wake-up.

 

Outside cabins down on the waterline at the bow can have waves crashing against the hull and splashing the porthole, and ship's motion is at its most extreme near the bow. Sometimes fun, sometimes downright annoying. In rough seas, big metal safety covers are lowered over the portholes effectively turning them into inside cabins. And those cabins are odd shapes, to fit into the pointy bit.

But on most modern cruisers there are no passenger cabins in the hull forward of the bridge, so rarely any of those problems.

 

We've very occasionally encountered soot, and even the odd spark, on stern balconies & decks. Always seems to be overnite rather than during the day (mebbe incinerating waste?), & not something which affects our cabin choice.

A very few ships have a reputation for vibration at the stern - eg Thomson's Celebration & Spirit.

And yes, the stern is one end of the ship, so more motion there - think of a playground see-saw, though much less dramatic. But for whatever technical reason, not as much motion as at the bow.

 

Mid-ships or toward the stern is probably ideal. Convenient to facilities and gangplanks.

And same place, on as low a deck as your pride will allow ;), if motion sickness is an issue.

 

Help with cabin choice is just one way in which a good cruise-specialist travel agent can be much more valuable to a newbie than an all-sorts T/A or a direct booking with a cruise line.

 

All JMHO as always.

 

JB :)

Edited November 7, 2014 by John Bull

[George C]

We only had a room on aft once and loved it, balcony are normally much bigger and view is great. WE have 3 cruises booked and the one I am most excited about is my one on aft on the Liberity

[kelkel2]

I really enjoy being aft. We have had a midship balcony, an aft facing, an aft side balcony and now just booked another aft facing balcony. We really love being aft. I really feel like it's close to a lot of the venues we want to be at throughout the day.

I have also heard people report issues of soot, but I haven't noticed any issues on my balconies. I am sure it can happen though if the wind is right. With the smoke stack being there I'm sure at times there's not much that can be done. All I do is grab a towel out of my bathroom and wipe everything down before I sit down on the balcony and then it's no big deal.

If you have never tried the aft area of the ship I would recommend it to you!

[MrsPhoenix91]

When we selected one of the Grand Suites with the Extended Balcony for our 5/29/15 cruise, we didn't pay any attention to its location on the ship (Midship, Upper Deck). Hope we didn't make a mistake, but we plan to take some Dramamine anyway.

[spookwife]

I'll be enjoying my 3rd cruise in a month & I have yet to learn/remember the correct names of the different parts of the ship (my apologies).

 

While reading a lot of great reviews, I began wondering why I seldom read about anyone staying in the front of the ship? I decided to try it this coming up voyage. The last two I was midship. I did see some complaints about soot in the rear (aft?).

 

All I know to go by when choosing a cabin is that I don't want to be too close to elevators or too far from stairs.

 

I'd really appreciate all the incite anyone may have on this topic.

 

I only stay foreward as that is where the suites are located on the ships I have sailed.

 

some people think that there is too much motion(pitch and yaw) forward.

 

others complain about being directly under the buffet area( and yes the 630 am dragging of chairs around can get irksome)

[MSN-Travelers]

I'll be enjoying my 3rd cruise in a month & I have yet to learn/remember the correct names of the different parts of the ship (my apologies).

 

While reading a lot of great reviews, I began wondering why I seldom read about anyone staying in the front of the ship? I decided to try it this coming up voyage. The last two I was midship. I did see some complaints about soot in the rear (aft?).

 

All I know to go by when choosing a cabin is that I don't want to be too close to elevators or too far from stairs.

 

I'd really appreciate all the incite anyone may have on this topic.

It's a fact that just about everything posted here is based on personal opinion.

 

Opinion: Everybody has a different cruise style and part of that is reflected in their cabin choice or lack of choice. Some people book early because cabin location is very important while others view their cabin as just a place they sleep.

 

Fact: Cabins located over/under clubs and under the pool deck tend to be noisier than those with cabins above/below.

 

Fact: People who suffer from motion sickness will do better mid-ships and on a lower deck. Hobby-horse motion is felt more at the bow than at the stern.

 

Opinion: Cabins with a balcony that can be viewed from above are bad. That is something I just don't understand. For me it's just a matter of too much sun or not enough.

 

Fact: People tend to book cabins that are closer to the venues they visit most often. Then again, having a cabin further away from the venues they visit most often offers more exercise to help work off the pounds we work so hard to put on. I guess this could be an opinion???

 

And at the end of the day, if you aren't affected by motion sickness, look at the deck plans before you book a cabin and stay in a location that works best for you (and that just my opinion).

 

Enjoy!

Edited November 7, 2014 by MSN-Travelers

[cruisead]

We always book cabins right near the elevator lobby because it's convenient and if it's a mid ship elevator, it's more stable. We've NEVER had an issue of noise from the elevator lobby area, so that's not been a concern.

 

We did book one cruise on a deck that was right below the gym and it was noisy, so we always book a cabin with another passenger deck above, never a public deck.

 

We don't mind the aft and we've never had a soot problem on the balcony. The aft cabins are especially wonderful for cruises in Alaska and the Panama Canal.

 

Front cabins are the most bouncy, and can be that way even in not too rough seas. Plus, the forward thrusters and anchors make a whole lot of noise.

Edited November 7, 2014 by cruisead

[George C]

When we selected one of the Grand Suites with the Extended Balcony for our 5/29/15 cruise, we didn't pay any attention to its location on the ship (Midship, Upper Deck). Hope we didn't make a mistake, but we plan to take some Dramamine anyway.

 

We had grand suite , midship , on Navigator last April it was great.

[MrsPhoenix91]

We had grand suite , midship , on Navigator last April it was great.

 

 

GeorgeC: That is great to know - thank you!:D

[JimAOk1945]

In 2008, when we were still new to cruising, we booked a Junior Suite room #V4, on the Carnival Ecstasy near the front of the ship. We were excited to pick this itinerary since we wanted to visit the Mayan ruins of Uxmal.

 

A day or two into the cruise, the weather turned bad. The wind made the sea very choppy and the ship rocked all day and into the early evening. Each time we ventured out of our room, we hardly saw any passengers. A couple of the room stewards we passed in the hallway looked rather green.

 

After the weather cleared, we had a beautiful cruise and our visit to Uxmal was very enjoyable.

 

Now we always book a suite that is mid-ship. Less motion when weather is bad, and closer to the venues we enjoy.

 

Happy cruising everyone. It's a great way to travel.

Edited November 7, 2014 by JimAOk1945

[MrsPhoenix91]

In 2008, when we were still new to cruising, we booked a Junior Suite room #V4, on the Carnival Ecstasy near the front of the ship. We were excited to pick this itinerary since we wanted to visit the Mayan ruins of Uxmal.

 

A day or two into the cruise, the weather turned bad. The wind made the sea very choppy and the ship rocked all day and into the early evening. Each time we ventured out of our room, we hardly saw any passengers. A couple of the room stewards we passed in the hallway looked rather green.

 

After the weather cleared, we had a beautiful cruise and our visit to Uxmal was very enjoyable.

 

Now we always book a suite that is mid-ship. Less motion when weather is bad, and closer to the venues we enjoy.

 

Happy cruising everyone. It's a great way to travel.

 

Thank you for your input! I will definitely look through Nancy's photo slides.

[cruiseJMO]

Such wonderful feedback; thank you all so much!

 

I'll be on the Royal Princess, Baja deck 11 so I think I'll be pretty happy. I'm looking at the deck plans; looks like I'll be in the middle of the cabin floors - so no annoying sounds like screeching chairs early am.

 

I don't mind the rocking. Sounds crazy, but I just have a couple good drinks, and suddenly I'm feeling at one with the ship and having a great time, cracking up at myself & travel partner trying to walk (platforms or wedgies, no stilettos! Lol)

 

Had a very rough couple of days on a HAL ship, of which we enjoyed. About half the seats were empty at dinner, and we were wishing some hadn't made the dinner attempt since their fails were all over the dining room floor, including right next to me while I was eating. I guess maybe I just threw in that tidbit as a request for those feeling so sick not to enter the MDR.

[cruiseJMO]

It's nice to hear the pros/cons from different views 😊

 

I'm wondering if soot is more an issue with Princess ships since those are where I've mostly been reading reviews.

[cruiseJMO]

I think a lot depends on whether you're prone to motion sickness.

 

We aren't so on our last cruise we had a forward cabin and really didn't feel a lot of movement. We had a few rough nights and while we were bounced around a bit it was fine. I actually like being rocked to sleep at night. :)

 

We did get a bit more exercise - we generally eat in the buffet which is towards the bow on the Ruby Princess. So we had a bit of a hike to and from meals. Which was probably a good thing.

I plan on using the stairs to go up & down. My chunky self needs the exercise. Too much sitting around after leg surgery.

[MSN-Travelers]

It's nice to hear the pros/cons from different views

 

I'm wondering if soot is more an issue with Princess ships since those are where I've mostly been reading reviews.

 

This is not a Princess fleet issue. It is an issue on Royal/Regal. The design went through wind tunnel testing without a simulated MUTS screen installed on the models. The original design passed aerodynamic testing with flying colors; however, the real world ships with the big movie screen changed the airflow. Under certain conditions the moister laden exhaust gasses get sucked toward the stern cabins and soot laden droplets fall on their balconies.

 

This is something you won't see unless you're in a stern cabin.

 

Enjoy!!

[cruiseJMO]

This is not a Princess fleet issue. It is an issue on Royal/Regal. The design went through wind tunnel testing without a simulated MUTS screen installed on the models. The original design passed aerodynamic testing with flying colors; however, the real world ships with the big movie screen changed the airflow. Under certain conditions the moister laden exhaust gasses get sucked toward the stern cabins and soot laden droplets fall on their balconies.

 

This is something you won't see unless you're in a stern cabin.

 

Enjoy!!

Definitely good to know for future. Excellent explanation.

[kelkel2]

It's nice to hear the pros/cons from different views 😊

 

I'm wondering if soot is more an issue with Princess ships since those are where I've mostly been reading reviews.

 

I had an issue one day on the Crown Princess with soot. We had an aft view balcony. But a quick wipe down fixed it. But like i said, one day out of 7 sure isn't bad. And after wiped down it didn't come back. It was just first thing in the morning. I think it's just when the wind is right.

[cruiseJMO]

I had an issue one day on the Crown Princess with soot. We had an aft view balcony. But a quick wipe down fixed it. But like i said, one day out of 7 sure isn't bad. And after wiped down it didn't come back. It was just first thing in the morning. I think it's just when the wind is right.

Sounds like the great aft view would be worth the small inconvenience of having to check if a quick wipe down was needed. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks ☺

[John Bull]

Sounds like the great aft view would be worth the small inconvenience of having to check if a quick wipe down was needed. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks ☺

 

Add a long hike to get anywhere - most ships don't have stairs or elevators at the stern.

 

But well worth the effort.

And the balcony is sheltered from wind & rain when those along the sides are un-useable.

 

JB :)

[griffy116]

Add me to mid-ship, balcony near elevators, on a floor with cabins above and below. Quiet and convenient to everything. One of my daughters is affected occasionally by motion if the weather gets rough. This seems to be the best choice for her too. That's why we like to book early.