lets hear it for the "cheap seats"

[nekzaadvakil]

First couple of cruises were in inside staterooms, and we had a really good time as we're hardly ever in the room. On our 3rd cruise, we managed to get a veranda room which was just amazing! We'd love to cruise only in veranda rooms but when the price is close to double that of an inside (like most of Celebrity's current European cruises are), we just cannot get ourselves to spend that much more.

 

Both my wife and I believe in saving first(& investing) and spending what remains from our income. We put aside an X sum towards holidaying and sometimes choosing an inside room over a balcony ensures that we can do another short holiday every 6 months.

 

I agree with most other comments, once you've had a veranda, you really cant go back to an inside room. I can only imagine what it must be for suite guests.

[GazW]

...no one knows your category unless you tell them or they follow you back to your cabin.

 

Or you see them in Blu, Michael's Bar or (future) suite dining room...[emoji6]

[deelastcre]

We normally book balcony or CC1 cabins. I had the opportunity to do a wine cruise and an inside cabin was my only option. I thought that I would go berserk. Since I was sailing solo, I tried it. It was wonderful for me sailing solo, but I don't think that I could do it with Hubby. It was ideal for a port intensive tour, but it wouldn't work for me in the Caribbean. I slept better on that cruise than any other vacation.

[kelmac]

I do the same thing, start with an inside and proactively look for upgrades, got some nice deals that way but wife and I are happy with inside, we are rarely in the cabin anyway. Its not a matter of what we can afford, its our choice and I have no use for a Butler.

 

What Don said.

 

PS -- Many S class insides are larger than balcony cabins.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

[monicajay]

Our first cruise was an inside, after a couple of those we moved up to a balcony and we enjoyed that. This upcoming cruise we are doing our first OV (I'd have booked an inside but the OV was only $75 more pp and came with the bevy package) snagged one of the the new ones on deck 3 with a larger window, I'm sure we'll be fine with that.

 

We are trying to save money as we are planning a one month land trip to Africa.

 

There does seem to be a much higher proportion of people on these boards who always take Aqua or Suites. Funny, because there are far more regular cabins on each ship.

[LabGuy64]

Think it's kind of an unstated rule, and I think it works out well for everyone the only time it was ever brought up with me was when a first time cruiser asked me why my sea card was different than his at Dinner...think I was on a RCI Curise...it never occurs to me to care where the other passengers are....I have the right cabin for me....So I am happy.

 

 

 

I might add that I don't recall ever having a discussion with other PAX about what cabin types they or we had.

[Wiltonian]

What Don said.

 

PS -- Many S class insides are larger than balcony cabins.

 

Enjoy!

Kel:)

 

Ooo - is there a,simple way of identifying those, please?

 

Stuart

[OhioDogLover]

I couldn't do an inside because it would make me claustrophobic. We have cruised a lot in OV obstructed cabins at the bottom of the ship. They are fine with me. Unfortunately, we tried aqua a couple of years ago and are now spoiled. It isn't the cabin, it is Blu. If they offered Blu with OV obstructed cabins with savings, I would be there. We don't spend a lot of time in our cabin anyway.

 

My thought is always, It is YOUR vacation. You should do what you want. I don't care whether you have a suite or an inside. It isn't any of my business. Everyone has stuff that is important to them. Personally, I try to get good deals. It is harder with aqua, but I still try. DH finds it kind of funny, but he enjoys the savings.

 

Ohiodoglover

[harz99]

I have a budget and initially book the best cabin for my budget, usually an inside. If I can then get an upsell within budget, I go for it. If not I don't worry, as long as I am getting the same service, food and entertainment as an OV or balcony why would I?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Forums mobile app

[Cruising Jedi]

We had a discussion about cabin locations once...we were talking to this other couple and they asked us what type of cabin we had. Thought it was strange because no one had ever asked us that before. So thinking it was just polite conversation I said "We have an oceanview. You?" They both came right back near racing each other to get it out, both of them nearly salivating over the words, "We're in the Presidential Suite!!". LOL. (At least I think that's what it was called it was an RCI ship).

 

So it was a set-up question just so they could announce what cabin they had, as if anyone cared. My husband and I still joke about it today. "Are they in, perhaps...THE PRESIDENTIAL SUITE??" lol.

 

Anyhoo, we have sailed inside, obstructed view, oceanview, and balcony. Never in a suite, but, starting to get the itch...

 

I liked them all but just personally would find it hard to sail in an inside again. I would not rule it out, better in an inside that no cruise at all. But wouldn't be my first choice. Touch of claustrophobia.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Cruising Jedi

[flyboy3]

We have sailed with inside, outside, and veranda. While we enjoy the verandas the other have been very nice. For longer cruises(TA) we prefer daylight.

What I say is"When I close my eyes I have the same view as everyone else!"

[upwarduk]

Personally, I feel the benefit from the sunlight, so am pleased when I can get a balcony for inside price.

[Tricia724]

We are booked on b-t-b European cruises for the summer, and yesterday I was curious about how many cabins were available for these trips. One cruise is selling well, and the other has many cabins still available.

 

I discovered on both trips, the inside cabins are almost completely sold out and are on guarantee basis. Most of the oceanview cabins are likewise not available and on one cruise, even the fully obstructed and partially obstructed cabins have sold well.

 

At first I was surprised because I figured with the 123 AI more of the CC and above cabins would be gone, but with the higher cost of these cruises, expensive airfare to Europe, and the fact that it's summer and people are traveling with their families, it makes sense that the lower cost options are more attractive.

 

Everybody should do what works for them. It's a good thing that there are lots of options. It would be a mess if we were all fighting for the same cabins.

[cruisemuse13]

alot of people start cruising in an inside cabin, and over time, move to more expensive accomodations. Most of the regular posters on CruiseCritic are long time and /or frequent cruisers, so may tend to be booking balconies. Also, the newer ships are built with more balconies than oceanview cabins.

 

It also depends on where you are cruising. In the Caribbean, it is nice to have a balcony to sit outside, and we tend to spend more time on the ship. In Europe, the cruise is usually more port intensive, and we spend very little time onboard other than to sleep. So an inside cabin is more acceptable.

 

Bottom line, to each their own.

[kelmac]

Ooo - is there a,simple way of identifying those, please?

 

Stuart

 

Stuart,

 

Hard to know each individual cabin, but I would look at CAT 10 or 9 on floors 9 and 10. These cabins are designed for just two people don't have a couch, but two chairs. These cabins are more square in shape and run about 200 sq ft.

 

Exampes = 9248,52,56,60…, or 1084,88,92,96, 1100,40,44,48,52…,

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

[CathyCruises]

I started cruising in 1982 when balconies work almost unheard of. We were also very young and didn't have much disposable income and I only traveled and balconies for the first 20 years I cruised! My very first balcony was a Cruise to Tahiti into thousand six and it has been hard to go back. In fact I haven't done it! But if the situation was right and the price was significant enough to make it worthwhile, I wouldn't hesitate. The thing I remember most about being in an inside is that I wanted to get outside the moment I woke up.

[CathyCruises]

Well, apparently the 'edit' feature is not working. I dictated that previous response and cannot get back in to edit out all the mis-statements. Sorry!

[Wiltonian]

Stuart,

 

Hard to know each individual cabin, but I would look at CAT 10 or 9 on floors 9 and 10. These cabins are designed for just two people don't have a couch, but two chairs. These cabins are more square in shape and run about 200 sq ft.

 

Exampes = 9248,52,56,60…, or 1084,88,92,96, 1100,40,44,48,52…,

 

Enjoy!

Kel:D

 

Thanks. Next time we book, I'll look closely.

Stuart

[Ex-Airbalancer]

Well, apparently the 'edit' feature is not working. I dictated that previous response and cannot get back in to edit out all the mis-statements. Sorry!

Markisms strikes again :D

[SPacificbound]

I book rear facing afts because I love the solitude and the sea.

 

I would never look down on anyone who books insides, or whatever they choose. That said, I also have no envy for those in suites.

 

We have booked Grand Suites on RCCL and the extra square feet was nice, but it certainly is not necessary for me.

[DavidYYC]

Without actually being claustrophobic, I like fresh air and natural light.

 

I'm also on a ship which is very different to being in an office or something. I like to watch the ocean, and enjoy that experience alone.

 

I am also not a social butterfly. So spend more time in the room than just sleeping and showering.

 

For those reasons I prefer a balcony - but don't care what anyone else does. On our first cruise - our daughter and her friend were in an inside cabin and perfectly happy.

[artmc]

Our first four cruises were Inside cabins and we were very happy with them. We never missed the daylight (in fact DW found the darkness conducive to sleep and rest). Then for our fifth ocean cruise we got a good deal on a balcony, and we were corrupted for life. We love the daylight (DW manages to sleep with the curtain drawn), and DW especially loves to spend time out on the balcony in the afternoon or early evening [me, I still prefer Air Conditioning ;)].

 

So be very very careful about upgrading from your Inside cabins. It can be very expensive!

 

I could've written the same thing. (I guess I am.) We did four Carnival cruises and our first Celeb cruise in interior cabins. DW, my personal and very-talented TA, never really cared whether we had a balcony. I did. Anyway, for cruise number five she found a great deal and we upgraded to a verandah cabin (Deck 6), with her warning me not to get used to it. (HAH!) The experiences of pre-dinner glasses of wine and breakfast on the balcony were better than imagined, and she became hooked too. Jazzbeau, you're right - it can be expensive.

 

That being said we do save money in other ways. Give us a balcony and we're fine, but neither of us feels deprived by not having fancier cabins or suites. Our Deck 6 view is partially obstructed, but not enough to spoil it.

 

We like the food, service, atmosphere and company in the MDR so much that neither of us ever feels the need to go to a speciality restaurant. I'm sure they're good. However, I insist on a snorkelling excursion on every cruise - ideally on a catamaran with an open bar on the way back. If there are other excursions that interest us we'll do them too.

 

My gym at home includes spin classes as part of my membership. I don't feel the need to pay for them on board, when there are exercise machines and a running track I can use without paying extra.

[kayleighgirl]

we are booked in an inside cabin for eastern carribean Feb 14 hoping the price will drop last minute and we can upgrade, we have never had one and reading these posts is making me nervous. we have had balcony, OV and Aqua last cruise, but this time the price difference was too much. how to you figure out how many cabins are available???

[fleckle]

We have booked Grand Suites on RCCL and the extra square feet was nice, but it certainly is not necessary for me.

For us, those extra square feet were just a lot of wasted, unused space.

We found the junior suite category on RCI to be very comfortable with plenty of space for the two of us.

 

But even the same people can have different requirements and want different comfort levels at different times.

 

There are lots of passengers who are flexible and can go for anything from the "cheap seats" to pampered luxury in top level suites, but usually are happy with a compromise somewhere in between those extremes most of the time.

 

[Lois R]

we are booked in an inside cabin for eastern carribean Feb 14 hoping the price will drop last minute and we can upgrade, we have never had one and reading these posts is making me nervous. we have had balcony, OV and Aqua last cruise, but this time the price difference was too much. how to you figure out how many cabins are available???

 

There are a couple of websites with good information about cabin

availablity but posting those sites is against CC policy.

You could call Celebrity and speak with one of the reps and have them

go over what is available with you.

Edited January 17, 2015 by Lois R