Tips for first time interior room after 4 balcony cruises.

[ray98]

It really isn't as big of a deal as people make it out to be.  I have stayed in insides, portholes, oceanviews and balconies multiple times each.  It is just a cabin, there are much worse places you can be and you can make anything work.  No matter what the cabin, we do like some of the above and turn the TV to the outside cams.  To me It gives you a sense of what is going on outside just like looking out a window.

[ledges1]

I put a small flashlight on the nightstand next to the bed. Some times I leave the bathroom light on with the door slightly cracked.

[trvlgirlmq]

All I have to say is we did it once (also to try to save a bit of money) and we went right back to balconies.  

[pjhootch]

I like balcony cabins and like you, my first cruises were all balconies.  Then we got an offer for a free  "journeys cruise" that was 11 days- but an inside cabin.  It was only a deal (and only affordable for us) if we took the inside cabin.   I was nervous.   I can feel a bit claustrophobic sometimes.  I prepared with lights and alarms and took advice.  

 

It all was just fine.

 

I slept better than I normally do.   We were close to an elevator and a short ride to the outside of Lido deck.  Our room was quiet most of the time and I only missed the private balcony a little bit.  I go back and forth depending on my budget, on the cruise, on the deal...     I have two cruises booked in an inside cabin for the fall/winter.  Looking forward to both.  Had two cruises this past winter in suites due to low capacity and sweet upsell offers.   I am looking forward to the inside cabin as much as I was the other cabins.  Have a great trip.

[KmomChicago]

I have been in all categories and I like interior the best. Between the value, the cooler A/C and sleeping in the total blackness and quiet of a tomb, it’s my first choice. Unfortunately my stupid companions like upgrades!

Edited June 12, 2022 by KmomChicago

[wags111]

Interior rooms are GREAT for sleeping. It's cold and dark. We laid down around 4pm to take a quick nap before dinner and didn't wake up until 9pm. zzzzzzzzzzzz

[tweak89]

Thanks again for the continued feedback.  I hope having a pitch-black room helps trick my body into sleeping in, lol.  I'm an early riser, and sometimes wish I could sleep in especially when I'm on vacation.  

[Guest BasicSailor]

10 minutes ago, tweak89 said:

Thanks again for the continued feedback.  I hope having a pitch-black room helps trick my body into sleeping in, lol.  I'm an early riser, and sometimes wish I could sleep in especially when I'm on vacation.  

You're Welcome, enjoy the vacation rest.

[BallFour4]

My wife and I are lido deck, port side, up front balcony cabin people. We've been on the fleet of Conquest class ships and booked the same cabin number for all of them. 
 During that window of time we cruised the Triumph from here in Galveston perhaps ten times and most of those were inside cabins. Here's how we made it workable. 

 

• Lido deck inside cabins. The open deck just a few steps forward was great for sail away and port arrival. 
• A Maglite type LED flashlight on the nightstand for both sides. 
• Leave the bathroom light on for the late night pilgrimage.
• Take a Bluetooth speaker (I love my Bose Revolve) and have a ocean waves track on your phone that repeats. The sound of the water is magic for sleep.
• Clear the area around the bed of things you'd trip on if you were to walk around the cabin in the dark.
• Set an alarm on your phone and disable the automatic time zone update. 

 

Enjoy your vacation. Do some or none of these. 

 

.

 

[ButterflyGirly]

On 6/11/2022 at 4:42 PM, FireEater said:

I just booked 2 inside cabins, after 13 others cruises being either balcony or suites.

 

Mind you, they are 4 or 5 dayers, but I am experimenting to see if inside cabins will work for just me so I can book more getaways at a better price point now that I am retired and a widower, living in Florida with many ports to choose from.  Port Canaveral is the closest though.

 

Booked a deck 1, aft cabin for 1 and deck 7 on another to see if there is a difference in comfort.  Then will go from there.

This seems like a really solid plan you have! 

[tweak89]

Hopefully this works for us, as it would open the door to a lot more cruising!   I do wish we had better short-term destinations to choose from (it's either Cozumel or Progresso for the 4-5 day cruises) as we've been to those to ports/places many times.   But hey, for $200 and under per person, I'm sure we can work with it, lol.

[ldubs]

On 6/11/2022 at 4:48 AM, Drazil65 said:

The room will be dark for sure and its kind of strange not to see the outside at all (cant even see the weather until you get dressed and up on deck). 

 

 

On 6/11/2022 at 1:59 PM, habc said:

True story

 

Booked my first inside cabin

I'm an early riser exDH slept late

Woke up

brushed teeth

got dressed

put on glasses....

 

3:15 AM

 

Got undressed and went back to bed

 

You guys hit on two of the biggies, IMO.   It is kind of weird waking up with no idea if it is light outside.  And then, wanting to go out for a cuppa Joe and not knowing if a sweater is needed.  

 

Other than that, I don't think anything special is really needed for an inside.   I like the blackout for a good night's sleep, so don't need night lights or bridge cams.   But I do keep my iPhone on the nightstand so I can see what time it is.   

[EarloftheSeas]

Early riser here -- and I start waking and dozing for a few hours before I get up.  I always take a lighted digital clock when I'm in an inside cabin.  Very easy to see what time it is no matter how dark -- and go back to sleep, or get up, accordingly.

 

 

[Ranyw]

I left my TV on overnight and tuned it to the forward facing deck camera.  That way, when the sun came up I knew it.

[highcorral25]

I almost always book OceanView.  I did one balcony on the Miracle and an Aft Extended Havana balcony on the Vista ($$).  I have only booked one inside cabin, on the Splendor, and swore i would never do it again.  The only light is the slit under the door.  A porthole cabin is a great compromise in cost between true inside and Oceanview.

 

But... I am in an inside cabin (Havana) on the Panorama this fall.

 

Another thing about Inside that I do not like is that there is no couch.  The rooms are 185sf rather than 220sf (typical OceanView).  Not the end of the world, I know, but I do like the couch.

 

Those were some great suggestions, btw, about tuning in to the cameras to pick up the natural light.

 

[Indytraveler83]

We absolutely hated the true interior room when we stayed in it.  The pure darkness 24/7 was disorienting.  We also found that the live cam trick didn't work very well, as our TV would go into sleep mode during the night.  

 

From that point on, our strategy was to never book a true interior.  However, if cost saving is the primary goal, there are several rooms labeled as "interior" because the Oceanview is obstructed, blocked or otherwise doesn't qualify.  For us, that's fine as long as daylight can get into the room.  Lots of awesome cruise options in the cheap, "weird" rooms.

[trbarton]

On 6/10/2022 at 8:20 PM, tweak89 said:

Wife and I are taking a cruise on the Breeze August 29.  This is our second cruise on the Breeze, and will be our 5th overall cruise.  This will also be the first time we've stayed in an interior stateroom (we've only every done balcony rooms).   We went with an interior (at a ridiculous price of $204 per passenger) as my wife retired this month and we've started our own business, so we are being budget conscious.  So are there any tips/tricks for making a stay in an interior stateroom comfortable?   Any recommendations for alarm clocks with lights that get stronger (since it will be pitch black).   As an aside, DANG!!  I didn't know that Faster to the Fun had been suspended, so this will also be our first cruise with "regular" boarding.

 

Thanks!

Turn on the ships bridge camera on the TV. As it gets bright outside you TV will also get bright. 
 

Tom😀

[MsTabbyKats]

If I book "guarantee" I book as cheaply as possible....knowing I can always upgrade myself.

 

As far as inside vs balcony...it depends on the itinerary/weather.  We just came back from Bermuda; had a balcony.  Although it was nice to have...not really necessary (a little windy out there).

 

We're going to Canada in Sept (OV) and a balcony is absolutely not necessary.

 

Insides are great for sleeping.  One of my favorite locations is inside on the Lido.  It's convenient to everything and the price is right.

 

I look at each cruise as a unique vacation and book according to what would be best...always keeping price in mind.

[DrSea]

I haven't read this entire thread. 

 

Me personally, I have stayed at suites, jr suites, and grand scenic ocean views rooms. Other than the grand scenic ocean view rooms, inside cabins are my favorite. I can sleep until noon if I want. Napping isn't an issue. The AC works well. Every time you open that balcony door, the heat comes in. And heat easily is transmitted via the glass doors. My guests prefer balconies and etc. So I get suckered into getting other rooms.

 

Tips:

- keep the bathroom door light on over night and just crack open the door

- leave the TV on with the channel to the front of the ship. It helps some ppl. 

- spend more time enjoying the ship. 

 

I'll subscribe to this thread. Please update us what your experiences are like after you get back. Insides are not for everyone. Conversely, balconies aren't for everyone either. 

 

Drawbacks of balconies

- I get worst motion sickness seeing outside

- heat as mentioned above. It may be an issue in the middle of summer

- I get woken up early bc of the sunlight, noise from the pool deck, etc

- chances of falling off are higher. I have some friends who go buck wild and do stupid things. I cannot get a balcony with them because it is a safety hazard. 

[Drazil65]

 chances of falling off are higher. I have some friends who go buck wild and do stupid things. I cannot get a balcony with them because it is a safety hazard. 

 

Really???  In 20 years of cruising in balcony and suites we have never had a "higher" risk of falling off the ship and many of those years were with a toddler/young child.  People dont just fall off a cruise ship, if you have friends that do stupid things that could result in "falling off" a cruise ship then might be time to get new friends???  Just saying...

Edited June 14, 2022 by Drazil65

[DrSea]

6 minutes ago, Drazil65 said:

 chances of falling off are higher. I have some friends who go buck wild and do stupid things. I cannot get a balcony with them because it is a safety hazard. 

 

Really???  In 20 years of cruising in balcony and suites we have never had a "higher" risk of falling off the ship and many of those years were with a toddler/young child.  People dont just fall off a cruise ship, if you have friends that do stupid things that could result in "falling off" a cruise ship then might be time to get new friends???  Just saying...

I have been cruising over 20+ years also. 

 

But please don't shame others for their drinking and partying habits, especially on a Carnival thread. Alcoholism is a real addiction. Although I don't drink very much, it is not my job to judge. I have friends from all walks of life. No one is better or worst than another based any thing. 1 person is valued at exactly 1 person. Doesn't matter their profession, conditions, or who they are. 

 

Some people have demons (alcoholism, depression, bi polar d/o, etc) where they may jump or do something stupid and walk from one balcony to another on the rails when drunk. It is my responsibility to at least recommend against cruising in a balcony to these individuals. 

[Drazil65]

Falling off a balcony in the general sense for the sake of the "drawback" conversation is misleading at best.  It would take a deliberate act to even be at risk of so called falling off which would include climbing where you dont belong whether you are impaired or not.  Please do not lead people to think there is a chance of falling off a cruise ship is the point of my post. 

 

Also, I am quite aware of people with issues and addictions in every sense so no need to lecture or turn your misleading comment into a shaming issue (no where in your original post did you say you advise those "buck wild" (no mention of impaired) friends not to cruise in a balcony, only that you dont cruise in a balcony with them).  

[hapytobehr]

On 6/11/2022 at 8:12 AM, nycmedic said:

We have done a few interior cabins.  My suggestion is leave the TV on set to to bow camera.  Will let you know the weather and when the sun is up.  I try to spend as little time in the cabin even when we have a balcony.

This!!

[DrSea]

35 minutes ago, Drazil65 said:

Falling off a balcony in the general sense for the sake of the "drawback" conversation is misleading at best.  It would take a deliberate act to even be at risk of so called falling off which would include climbing where you dont belong whether you are impaired or not.  Please do not lead people to think there is a chance of falling off a cruise ship is the point of my post. 

 

Also, I am quite aware of people with issues and addictions in every sense so no need to lecture or turn your misleading comment into a shaming issue (no where in your original post did you say you advise those "buck wild" (no mention of impaired) friends not to cruise in a balcony, only that you dont cruise in a balcony with them).  

I disagree that it is misleading. You have cruised for 20 years. You know what people do while cruising with an unlimited drink package. Mix that with psychiatric issues or recklessness and it can be an issue. The fact that it isn't mentioned I think is misleading. Just because I don't fall, would never jump off, or do something reckless or stupid doesn't mean that others wouldn't. Fact: about 1 person goes missing per week. Not many given the sheer millions who cruise. But it does happen. It's something that should be considered if you have friends or family that have a high pre-test probability of falling off a balcony. 

 

And it's a free country. I can only advise friends and family on what they should do. If they ignore my advice and book a balcony and there is a bad outcome, I know I can sleep better knowing that I at least advised them not to get a balcony. Telling others what to do is paternalism and I cannot control others.

[KmomChicago]

2 hours ago, DrSea said:

I disagree that it is misleading. You have cruised for 20 years. You know what people do while cruising with an unlimited drink package. Mix that with psychiatric issues or recklessness and it can be an issue. The fact that it isn't mentioned I think is misleading. Just because I don't fall, would never jump off, or do something reckless or stupid doesn't mean that others wouldn't. Fact: about 1 person goes missing per week. Not many given the sheer millions who cruise. But it does happen. It's something that should be considered if you have friends or family that have a high pre-test probability of falling off a balcony. 

 

And it's a free country. I can only advise friends and family on what they should do. If they ignore my advice and book a balcony and there is a bad outcome, I know I can sleep better knowing that I at least advised them not to get a balcony. Telling others what to do is paternalism and I cannot control others.

 

I agree with your points. If the balcony is a safety issue for any traveler for any reason, then it’s a valid safety concern for them.