Inside Cabin for Port Intensive Cruises

[Q Family]

Am I the only one who changes cabin type with every cruise ? My Mom & Dad always go with a balcony no matter what, and think I am an odd duck. We prefer a cabana rental with an inside room for HAL ships that have them, we love being on deck and having our own space. If no cabana and a scenic trip like say Alaska we pick a balcony. We have only cruised with HAL and have been on 5 cruises now, Next March we are doing a 10 day Mexican Rivera & Sea of Cortez on Zaandam and we have gone with inside cabin as we have mostly 6 hour excursions picked for the 5 back to back days in ports, and we will not be in cabin much during the day.

Do most people have a preferred class a cabin and stick to it mostly ? Just curious...and maybe I don't want to be the only odd duck 🙂

 

[Btimmer]

We almost always book an inside cabin no matter what length the voyage.  Our longest has been 60 days and the shortest 10 days.  Once we received an upgrade at the gangway to an ocean view for a 44 day Amazon/Caribbean cruise and that was nice.  We just rebooked an obstructed verandah cruise to Iceland/Greenland to an inside cabin as we weren't able to book an inside cabin at the time we booked the cruise.  It was a MAJOR savings in the fare price plus we eliminated the Have It All component as it just doesn't pencil out for us. 

 

We are literally never in the cabin except to change clothes and/or sleep.  We're out and about from morning to nearly midnight most days.

 

When we have brought grandkids along, we do get a window or balcony cabin so as to give them some view.

[Q Family]

1 minute ago, Btimmer said:

We almost always book an inside cabin no matter what length the voyage.  Our longest has been 60 days and the shortest 10 days.  Once we received an upgrade at the gangway to an ocean view for a 44 day Amazon/Caribbean cruise and that was nice.  We just rebooked an obstructed verandah cruise to Iceland/Greenland to an inside cabin as we weren't able to book an inside cabin at the time we booked the cruise.  It was a MAJOR savings in the fare price plus we eliminated the Have It All component as it just doesn't pencil out for us. 

 

We are literally never in the cabin except to change clothes and/or sleep.  We're out and about from morning to nearly midnight most days.

 

When we have brought grandkids along, we do get a window or balcony cabin so as to give them some view.

  The savings can be really nice and I would rather use $$ on excursions rather than a fancy cabin we are hardly ever in.

[RuthC]

Although I have booked a Vista Suite on the Prinsendam a couple of times, I have otherwise been booking insides since I started cruising. I'm quite comfortable in them, and frequently have more room than some much more expensive cabins. This is important in recent years when I have been renting a mobility scooter to get around. There are inside cabins large enough to store them, even when Neptune Suites on the same ship won't let them through the doorway! 

[Mary229]

I usually book insides and consider upgrades and upsells. I would rather spend my money in port. I am a real shore excursions  fanatic, I just love touring.  I am taking a verandah on my upcoming transatlantic, two reasons 1. So many sea days and 2. The price differential was minimal in this situation.  

[jeh10641]

My wife and I prefer inside cabins for economic reasons. I would prefer to spend money on specialty dining or shore excursions. I am making an exception to this on our Anthem of the Seas transatlantic in Oct. 2023. The price for 15 nights in a forward facing large (214 sq. ft.) Ocean View was about 10% less than our Dec. 21 Rotterdam Small Inside (160 sq. ft.). First OV since 1989 on Costa Riviera.

 

Jim

[USN59-79]

We used to always book an inside on the Amsterdam mainly because it was large and had a love seat and coffee table where we could sit and eat breakfast or read a book.  With the newer, larger ships the cabins are smaller and on Princess, even a verandah cabin might not have a chair or small table in the room.  So you have to sit on the bed if you order room service.  So I suggest you look closely at pictures of the cabin before you book it.

[OlsSalt]

The only time I really dislike an inside cabin is not waking up to daylight. And waking up in the middle of the night and not getting outside clues as to the time.   The rest of the time, I agree public spaces are fine and being in the inside cabin at night is pretty much the same - window or not. 

 

Has anyone found a clock that creates gradual daylight glows appropriate for the hour? I tried leaving the ship forward webcam on the TV monitor on, but that did not work for me. I needed a bedside "sunrise" clock.  Of course the fun time is during the midnight sun cruises up north or south, when one wishes they had an inside cabin after all. Light still floods in the slightest cracks in the drawn curtains- fastened closed or not. 

 

On another cruise line we had a porthole cabin, but we were also traversing "pirate areas" near the horn of Africa so we were required to have all port holes cabin windows screwed shut, We knew what was coming as we heard the cabin steward come down the hall and the loud screeching of those heavy port hole bolts  with each turn. 

 

Oh dear we thought, we paid for a "window" but got an inside cabin after all. Heavy seas would also require the same thing. We were pretty low to the water line. 

[wdw1972]

For me an inside stateroom is not a possibility - I refuse to stay in what's basically a large walk-in closet.  I want daylight and nightlight - through a large window at the least.  I usually book solo, and opt for ocean view most of the time.  That's cheaper than a verandah, which is what I book some of the time.  When cruising with DH I go larger - we're cruising together Nov/Dec and I booked a signature suite (SS).  We don't cruise together often, so I wanted to make it nicer than a regular size stateroom.  If I were to get an amazingly cheap upsell offer to a Neptune I might take it, but as a 4-star mariner already have the perks I care about.  A Pinnacle suite is something I can't bring myself to pull the trigger on - can do a couple cruises (or more) for the cost of 1 Pinnacle.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[kochleffel]

Sure, why not? I've booked an inside cabin for my next cruise, on aNother Cruise Line, where the itinerary has more port calls than there are days in the cruise - one day has two ports. For my next HAL cruise, a transatlantic sailing with many consecutive sea days, I've booked a partially obstructed oceanview.

[Q Family]

2 hours ago, jeh10641 said:

My wife and I prefer inside cabins for economic reasons. I would prefer to spend money on specialty dining or shore excursions. I am making an exception to this on our Anthem of the Seas transatlantic in Oct. 2023. The price for 15 nights in a forward facing large (214 sq. ft.) Ocean View was about 10% less than our Dec. 21 Rotterdam Small Inside (160 sq. ft.). First OV since 1989 on Costa Riviera.

 

Jim

Nice, I tell myself I will book a suite on my retirement cruise 😁

[Q Family]

1 hour ago, wdw1972 said:

For me an inside stateroom is not a possibility - I refuse to stay in what's basically a large walk-in closet.  I want daylight and nightlight - through a large window at the least.  I usually book solo, and opt for ocean view most of the time.  That's cheaper than a verandah, which is what I book some of the time.  When cruising with DH I go larger - we're cruising together Nov/Dec and I booked a signature suite (SS).  We don't cruise together often, so I wanted to make it nicer than a regular size stateroom.  If I were to get an amazingly cheap upsell offer to a Neptune I might take it, but as a 4-star mariner already have the perks I care about.  A Pinnacle suite is something I can't bring myself to pull the trigger on - can do a couple cruises (or more) for the cost of 1 Pinnacle.

 

Sue/WDW1972

I suppose it helps us as my husband works a late shift and we have blackout curtains in our bedroom. Will be just like home !!

[Q Family]

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

The only time I really dislike an inside cabin is not waking up to daylight. And waking up in the middle of the night and not getting outside clues as to the time.   The rest of the time, I agree public spaces are fine and being in the inside cabin at night is pretty much the same - window or not. 

 

Has anyone found a clock that creates gradual daylight glows appropriate for the hour? I tried leaving the ship forward webcam on the TV monitor on, but that did not work for me. I needed a bedside "sunrise" clock.  Of course the fun time is during the midnight sun cruises up north or south, when one wishes they had an inside cabin after all. Light still floods in the slightest cracks in the drawn curtains- fastened closed or not. 

 

On another cruise line we had a porthole cabin, but we were also traversing "pirate areas" near the horn of Africa so we were required to have all port holes cabin windows screwed shut, We knew what was coming as we heard the cabin steward come down the hall and the loud screeching of those heavy port hole bolts  with each turn. 

 

Oh dear we thought, we paid for a "window" but got an inside cabin after all. Heavy seas would also require the same thing. We were pretty low to the water line. 

 
The mail store with the big A has them ( not sure if we can name names on here)

[RuthC]

1 hour ago, wdw1972 said:

For me an inside stateroom is not a possibility - I refuse to stay in what's basically a large walk-in closet. 

For all but the Pinnacle class ships (maybe, I haven't been aboard those to be positive) what you are saying about the inside cabins is totally not true.
The large insides can be very large, with more space than some outside cabins. Depending on the class of ships, especially Vista and Signature, there are some large insides that have more useable space than the Neptune Suites! I couldn't believe it when I was in such an inside, and went to a party in a Neptune. My cabin was larger! 

[Roz]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

For all but the Pinnacle class ships (maybe, I haven't been aboard those to be positive) what you are saying about the inside cabins is totally not true.
The large insides can be very large, with more space than some outside cabins. Depending on the class of ships, especially Vista and Signature, there are some large insides that have more useable space than the Neptune Suites! I couldn't believe it when I was in such an inside, and went to a party in a Neptune. My cabin was larger! 

 

That was exactly my frustration with my recent cruise on the Rotterdam.  I usually sail solo and primarily book insides to make it affordable.  I've been in some spacious inside cabins where I could freely move about without ending the cruise with bruises due to bumping into doors and furniture.  

 

My sister and I booked a VE on the Rotterdam and were disappointed in the size and layout of the cabin.

[USN59-79]

One way to think about the difference between inside and outside cabins is that the inside is basically a box while the outside is a box with one side curved (the outside hull of the ship).  Thus an outside may well be smaller than an inside.

[mightycruisequeen]

We booked inside cabins almost exclusively for many many cruises, but these days, I'd rather spend a little more for at least a little daylight.  I totally get the savings though.  You have to do what works for you.

[DaveOKC]

11 hours ago, Q Family said:

Nice, I tell myself I will book a suite on my retirement cruise 😁

Don't do it!  Once you get a suite you can never go back!

[boulders]

I used to book balconies or family oceanviews on other lines. Before I had my first HAL cruise, I sailed on Princess to Alaska. Before sailing, I was offered 50% of my fare back if I changed to an inside from an OV. The inside was tiny, but when I realized that I was paying about 10% of what the people across the hall were paying for a balcony, I was hooked. 

 

On my next cruise, on Disney, I booked an inside guarantee and was upgraded to a balcony. A couple of cruises later, I got an upsell from a tiny oceanview on HAL to a Neptune suite for a 3 week cruise. 

 

My next cruise is a 94 day on HAL in an inside. If I don't get an upsell, I'll be perfectly happy paying tens of thousands less for my inside than others are paying for higher tier cabins. 

 

My sleep-wake cycle really isn't governed by the sun too much. It's quite rare that I sleep past sunrise. I'm usually up hours before. 

[Homosassa]

I have been cruising since 1976.

 

Our preferred choice of cabin has always been and still is a an inside cabin that is on a low deck and amidships.

 

We don't like balcony cabins (a waste of space).

 

Economics is not a factor - we love Viking Ocean but grouse every time we book one that no inside cabins are available.

[dockman]

A bad day on an inside cabin cruise may well be better than a good day  staring out a window from a cubicle at work.

 

To each his own: we all have different wants, needs, and budgets.  Some anti inside or obstructed view rooms folks seem to denigrate folks who make those choices.  If you want and need and can afford balconies and suites good for you.  If you may well prefer to use YOUR money differently then good for you.  It seems that often people who choose expensive rooms are the "two week millionaire" types that do a cruise every year or two while others may choose less expensive rooms and do several cruises a year.

 

I think it is great that there are different choices available at different price points.

[atexsix]

We loved the large inside we had for our Hawaii cruise, we didn't see the point of paying a huge markup for endless sea days.  For Alaska we always try to have an outside or balcony because they are more scenic in nature.  There are practical reasons I'd book an inside.  Like if the only outsides available were above the galley.  Or if I wanted to be near the spa and it was all that was available.  

 

Insides have some wonderful benefits for cruises that take place at the height of summer, I don't necessarily want 20 hours of daylight, I'm not a summer person and in my own home all rooms are dimly lit.  I also like small spaces and would enjoy trying out a solo cabin some day on a cruise line that offers them, so space isn't an issue either. 

 

[willoL]

14 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Has anyone found a clock that creates gradual daylight glows appropriate for the hour? I tried leaving the ship forward webcam on the TV monitor on, but that did not work for me.

@OlsSalt, I haven't traveled with them, but I own two Philips sunrise alarm clocks. The only reason I am reluctant to book an inside cabin is that I may sleep the entire week away. (I am VERY light sensitive and can't get up in winter without a sunrise alarm, nor can I fall asleep without blackout curtains in summer.)

 

I prefer the Philips HF3520/60 model at home because it has a few nice added features and the extra weight keeps me from knocking it off my bedside table, but the Philips SmartSleep HF3500/60 model I owned first weighs a lot less, will pack better, and works equally well for basic "sunrise" alarm action. It's also 1/3 the price!

 

I can recommend either Philips model from personal experience. (I bought mine at my local warehouse club, but they only list a LaCrosse version on their website today, but it's cheaper than Amazon's price for the HF3500.)

 

I had an older, analog version of a sunrise clock with an incandescent lightbulb for about 15 years before it broke and I switched to the Philips one. I consider this type of alarm clock a life saver for those of us with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

Edited April 14, 2022 by willoL

[liketraveling]

Allot of it depends on the ship and iteanry.   The Zaandam has good size inside cabins.

 

I did an inside cabin for a Panama Canal cruise on the Veendam a few years ago and the inside was bigger than some of the outsides or balconies Ihave stayed in.

 

For the itearnry and ship you are on an inside cabin will just do fine.  The sea of Cortez has great shore excursions where you are not on the ship too long.

 

When I first started cruising all I could afford was an inside.  
 

The only type of cabins I have not stayed in are Neptune Suites and Pinnacle Suites.  
 

I did Hawaii with my Dad and sister a few years ago.   We stayed in a Signature Suite.  If we did anything smaller with three of us in the cabin, we would not be speaking to each other after 18 days,

 

 

[kochleffel]

I'm also prone to seasonal affective disorder, but it hasn't been a problem during spring or fall cruises, and if I go on a winter cruise it will be in a sunny climate.

 

One suggestion I've seen for an inside cabin, but not tried, is to leave the television turned on, set to the bridge camera, with the volume all the way down.