First timer

[dogs4fun]

On 8/23/2019 at 3:00 AM, JerryFinn said:

Great photos! We will have 1 day in Tallinn. Is it reasonable to DYI or should we join a tour? It will be our first cruise and my DW most of all afraid to be late and miss the ship. One more question. If we decide DIY are there any museums which are  “must see”?  or shall we just stroll around the center to fee the charm of the city? Thank you!

 

Jerry

It is very easy to DIY in Tallinn - no need for an organized tour. The walk from the pier to the old walled city is an easy 20 minute walk. You can also rent an audio guide at the TI  upon arrival. Tallinn has an excellent online TI (with maps) - you can check it out here: https://www.visittallinn.ee/eng/visitor/plan/good-to-know/tourist-information

[leaveitallbehind]

Strictly my opinion, and I understand all the positive comments for selecting an inside stateroom, but to me it would be like staying in a hotel room at a nice resort on vacation that didn't have a window. 

 

And as to best location to avoid motion, as others have said mid-ship lower decks would be best.

Edited September 3, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[BensonFan711]

I booked a balcony on my first cruise, but I wouldn't do it again.  It made sense, at the time, for a couple of reasons:

 

1) you used to be able to smoke on balconies (not anymore, at least on the lines I sail....NCL and Royal)

2) I was a smoker (not anymore...I quit).

 

So, from those two statements, you can probably guess why I enjoyed the balcony.  Now, I pretty much always sail guaranteed interior because I literally don't care where they put me.  I sleep like the dead, and I actually prefer the darkness of an interior cabin.  I'm also not IN my cabin unless I'm sleeping, showering, changing clothes, or grabbing/dropping stuff off....so it didn't make a lot of sense to spend the extra money.

 

Some people are claustrophobic, and I can respect that, and need a window.  I'm not that person.  There are also plenty of outdoor venues to stand/sit and watch the water besides a private balcony, so I get all of the sea watching I need from there.

[Kmangel]

We had an ocean view cabin for our Baltic Cruise.  I save the balcony for warm cruises.  I avoided the outside decks while cruising the Baltic’s.  I was cold.  So I am glad we chose to forgo the balcony.  

[ldock]

We’ve done inside, outside, or balcony, and to be honest I would never pay much extra for a balcony. Everyone is different, and enjoy different aspects of cruising, we love the larger room that Typically comes With a balcony, but we rarely use the balcony itself. Others spend most of there cruise on the balcony, so it’s worth spending significantly more. Being your first cruise and the fact that it will be port intensive, I would think you won’t spend much time In your cabin. 
 

Rome is amazing, and you do t want to miss it however your time is very short,  neither the port or airport are close. If you decide to go into Rome I recommend not doing any interior visits. Just enjoy the beautiful city at street view, this will allow you to see more in your short time as you will avoid hours of standing In line to enter sites.  The train is the fastest and cheapest way to travel, do some research, and if you can Find a service to have your bags taken from ship to airport That would be wise.

[cruznjan]

We had an inside cabin on our honeymoon cruise. It was like being in a closet.

[CruisingViv]

On 8/24/2019 at 9:25 PM, The7Harrisons said:

I love interior rooms, your not in the room much anyway and best sleep ever!

Can anyone tell me is there a maximum size and weight for the one suitcase we are allowed to bring? 
Thanks 

[Sif]

I love interior cabins because I love how dark they are and I don't spend a lot of time in my stateroom anyway, so it makes sense from a budget perspective. I always think when planning a cruise that it would be cool to have an oceanview, but I can never bring myself to pay the difference - it just doesn't seem worth it.

 

I would definitely get a balcony if I was going to a very picturesque location like Alaska or Europe. But for me in the Caribbean, interior does just fine!

[clo]

11 hours ago, CruisingViv said:

Can anyone tell me is there a maximum size and weight for the one suitcase we are allowed to bring? 
Thanks 

I didn't know that cruise lines have a limit.  ???

[CruisingViv]

2 minutes ago, clo said:

I didn't know that cruise lines have a limit.  ???

Yep.  You’re right.  Thanks. 

[Jana60]

On 8/11/2019 at 3:24 AM, CruisingViv said:

Hello!

 This is my first cruise.  

What are the internal cabins like? Do you miss a port hole? 

I’m travelling from Southampton to Rome.  Anyone here going on a trip around Rome before going to the airport? My flight back to London on the 10th Nov is 1610.  

Thank you. Viv 

I personally really like to have some natural sunlight coming into the room because without that it tends to feel like it’s perpetually night. But I have found a solution that works for me. There is typically a channel on the TV on any cruise ship that will show the view from the front of the ship day and night. If you set the TV to that channel and turn down the volume at night you will have a faint glow of the ships lights glimmering from the TV screen and come morning you will see the sun come up. I sort of like to have a tiny bit of light in the cabin at night to find my way to an unfamiliar bathroom.  

[mikenbon]

On 9/9/2019 at 1:56 AM, JerryFinn said:

Thank you all for very useful info. Thank you dogs4fun for the link. I think we'll do Tallinn on our own. Jerry.

 

Tallinn is easy to do on your own, and the old town is amazing. The first time I visited was 2 weeks before the coup, so we've seen a lot of changes there since then . In Helsinki, I suggest taking a tour to see as much as possible . The Sebellius monument is a must see, in my opinion, as well as the "rock" church, and even the indoor market in the heart of the waterfront. Helsinki is my favourite city on the planet! Stockholm is easy to do on your own too with just a tourist map. The people are friendly and always willing to assist tourists, from my experiences there. 

[Jana60]

On 8/11/2019 at 3:24 AM, CruisingViv said:

Hello!

 This is my first cruise.  

What are the internal cabins like? Do you miss a port hole? 

I’m travelling from Southampton to Rome.  Anyone here going on a trip around Rome before going to the airport? My flight back to London on the 10th Nov is 1610.  

Thank you. Viv 

The thing I dislike most about an inner room is the lack of any natural sunlight. I like being able to tell Whether it is day or night and also whether the ship is moving or not. You may not be able to see everything through a porthole but you can tell whether the distant landmarks are moving or not and you can definitely tell when the sun comes up.Whether it is day or night and also whether the ship is moving or not. You may not be able to see everything through a porthole but you can tell whether the distant landmarks are moving or not and you can definitely tell when the sun comes up.