Royal Princess M108

[renbeez]

Taking an Alaskan Cruise and was able to snag M108 mini suite.  I'm reading mixed reviews on this cabin selection but was curious if anyone has had this room during an alaskan cruise? I know it's windy on the front of the ship, but thats one of my husbands favorite places to go on any ship.  With the potential of cold and rain, I didn't feel like this cruise would lends itself to sitting out on the balcony for an extended time anyway.  I liked the idea of utilizing this balcony in ports and glacier viewing.  Maybe I'm wrong....Anyway, kind of wondering what others thought for this cabin selection for Alaskan cruise.  Pics would be amazing!!

[Wishing on a star]

There have been a lot of comments on this!

Maybe the experts will chime in.

 

Isn't this a Club Class Mini.  

Whether you would want the Club Class benefits might also be a factor.

There are videos of this cabin on YouTube.

Here is an extensive video of this cabin on the Sky Princess.  (sister ship)

 

I think it can depend on weather.  Wind and conditions.

Some say the balcony was okay for slow scenic viewing like Glacier Bay.

But, some say they didn't feel like they could use the balcony.

 

I too would love the bow of the ship.  But, an AFT balcony.  (which might have to be a Deluxe Balcony or a Suite) would be a better bet for more comfortable relaxing and viewing.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Wishing on a star

[Wishing on a star]

Ooooops...

Here is the link:

 

[azbirdmom]

We've sailed in the sister cabin on the other side (M107) twice, once in Alaska.  Love it!  The balcony is fantastic for glacier / scenery viewing and there's even a forward facing window in the bedroom that you can look out of if it's too windy or rainy.  You also get two chaise loungers on the deck as well as a table and two chairs.  The inside is kind of like a shrunken down full suite with two separate areas and a mini suite style bathroom.  And it's the lowest cost option to get Club Class.  The only downside is that if you're sensitive to motion you'll feel it all up there.  Not an issue for us so we wouldn't hesitate to book this again.  A video I took of M107 on the Majestic is attached (same layout as your cabin, just reversed).

[HaveDogWillTravel]

I sailed on the Royal in M108 in October and loved it so much I booked it for this month as well. The deck furniture is padded teak and was never tied Dow like in the sky video. I brought my own zero gravity lounger on board and would star gaze nightly. It’s really dark on top of the bridge!  
 

On a 12 day Mexico riviera sailing RT out of SF I was able to use the balcony 24 hours a day for 9 days. The other 3 days the wind kept me inside. There’s a wind vane you can see from the sliding door that you can use to see how windy it is. Also when it’s really bad the door becomes exceedingly hard to open even though it is facing the side. 
Best sail aways and sail ins ever. Definitely bring headbands if you have longer hair. 

[BabsinTX]

We've sailed in this cabin and the similar cabins on Lido.  We usually book aft cabins, but in some cases I feel forward-facing cabins are better.  Examples would be for the Panama Canal, Norwegian fjords, or Alaska.  Unless there's horrible weather, you should be fine.  FYI, you'll have to keep your cabin curtains closed at night because of the bridge below you.

 

The added attraction for me is that you're in Club Class, so dining is much more pleasant with no waiting in line.  Have fun!

[renbeez]

On 12/3/2022 at 7:23 PM, Wishing on a star said:

There have been a lot of comments on this!

Maybe the experts will chime in.

 

Isn't this a Club Class Mini.  

Whether you would want the Club Class benefits might also be a factor.

There are videos of this cabin on YouTube.

Here is an extensive video of this cabin on the Sky Princess.  (sister ship)

 

I think it can depend on weather.  Wind and conditions.

Some say the balcony was okay for slow scenic viewing like Glacier Bay.

But, some say they didn't feel like they could use the balcony.

 

I too would love the bow of the ship.  But, an AFT balcony.  (which might have to be a Deluxe Balcony or a Suite) would be a better bet for more comfortable relaxing and viewing.

That's correct.  It's a club class mini suite. 

[renbeez]

22 hours ago, azbirdmom said:

We've sailed in the sister cabin on the other side (M107) twice, once in Alaska.  Love it!  The balcony is fantastic for glacier / scenery viewing and there's even a forward facing window in the bedroom that you can look out of if it's too windy or rainy.  You also get two chaise loungers on the deck as well as a table and two chairs.  The inside is kind of like a shrunken down full suite with two separate areas and a mini suite style bathroom.  And it's the lowest cost option to get Club Class.  The only downside is that if you're sensitive to motion you'll feel it all up there.  Not an issue for us so we wouldn't hesitate to book this again.  A video I took of M107 on the Majestic is attached (same layout as your cabin, just reversed).

IMG_4250.MOV

Thank you!  I'm a little worried about the selection and hoping I didn't make a mistake on the selection.  I guess weather will be the biggest factor.  We are sailing in early September. 

[renbeez]

17 hours ago, BabsinTX said:

We've sailed in this cabin and the similar cabins on Lido.  We usually book aft cabins, but in some cases I feel forward-facing cabins are better.  Examples would be for the Panama Canal, Norwegian fjords, or Alaska.  Unless there's horrible weather, you should be fine.  FYI, you'll have to keep your cabin curtains closed at night because of the bridge below you.

 

The added attraction for me is that you're in Club Class, so dining is much more pleasant with no waiting in line.  Have fun!

Thank you!  I'm a little nervous/worried but I guess it's what we make of it.  We knew we wanted a balcony and I'm hoping we can at least utilize the balcony.  

[Cruise Raider]

6 minutes ago, renbeez said:

Thank you!  I'm a little worried about the selection and hoping I didn't make a mistake on the selection.  I guess weather will be the biggest factor.  We are sailing in early September. 

We were invited to some sailaway parties in that cabin while in Mexico!  Most days, it was absolute wonderful up there … there were definitely spots on the balcony that were windier than others while at sea.  Just investigate and you should be able to find that sweet spot with less wind.  Enjoy!  

[Sea Hag]

44 minutes ago, renbeez said:

Thank you!  I'm a little worried about the selection and hoping I didn't make a mistake on the selection.  I guess weather will be the biggest factor.  We are sailing in early September. 

Weather will be a factor, but that's a really great cabin. We have it for a September 2023 Alaska cruise and are looking forward to that a lot. We had M107 in August of this year for an Alaska sailing, and I was able to spend a lot of time out on the balcony, just not always in the same place. Since it wraps around from the side to the front of the ship, it's possible to mostly find a spot that's out of the wind. And that big, front-facing window is wonderful. 

[renbeez]

Thanks for sharing!  I'm hopeful we have decent weather in early September, but we shall see.

[renbeez]

27 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

Weather will be a factor, but that's a really great cabin. We have it for a September 2023 Alaska cruise and are looking forward to that a lot. We had M107 in August of this year for an Alaska sailing, and I was able to spend a lot of time out on the balcony, just not always in the same place. Since it wraps around from the side to the front of the ship, it's possible to mostly find a spot that's out of the wind. And that big, front-facing window is wonderful. 

Thanks for sharing!  I'm hopeful we have decent weather in early September, but we shall see.

[renbeez]

On 12/4/2022 at 9:32 AM, azbirdmom said:

We've sailed in the sister cabin on the other side (M107) twice, once in Alaska.  Love it!  The balcony is fantastic for glacier / scenery viewing and there's even a forward facing window in the bedroom that you can look out of if it's too windy or rainy.  You also get two chaise loungers on the deck as well as a table and two chairs.  The inside is kind of like a shrunken down full suite with two separate areas and a mini suite style bathroom.  And it's the lowest cost option to get Club Class.  The only downside is that if you're sensitive to motion you'll feel it all up there.  Not an issue for us so we wouldn't hesitate to book this again.  A video I took of M107 on the Majestic is attached (same layout as your cabin, just reversed).

IMG_4250.MOV

Nice Video and I do appreciate you sharing!  I would have preferred the port side (M107) but this is all they had.  How was the cruise/glacier viewing from that cabin?   Would you say both sides would be equally nice?  Doesn't really matter I suppose as there wasn't another option, but if I guess I could down grade into a regular balcony to be on the premium side of the ship for cruising.  Having never done an Alaskan Cruise or cruised on with Princess, I have a lot of questions and reservations.  And this will likely not be a cruise we could book multiple times.  Knowing what you know now, would you have changed anything? 

[Wishing on a star]

BOTH sides will be good!

Both are forward facing for the sail into the glacier areas.

For Port and Starboard side balconies, the ship will spend plenty of time turned in each direction for both sides to have viewing at the major glaciers.

 

The only thing you won't get is looking back during the sail out.

 

Depending if the itinerary is North or South bound, there might be times where one side gets more view of any surrounding land, instead of open sea.  But, I wouldn't think that is the biggest factor at all.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Wishing on a star

[renbeez]

10 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

BOTH sides will be good!

Both are forward facing for the sail into the glacier areas.

For Port and Starboard side balconies, the ship will spend plenty of time turned in each direction for both sides to have viewing at the major glaciers.

 

The only thing you won't get is looking back during the sail out.

 

Depending if the itinerary is North or South bound, there might be times where one side gets more view of any surrounding land, instead of open sea.  But, I wouldn't think that is the biggest factor at all.

Thank you!  I thought I read there would be times that they would turn the ship around for viewing from both sides.  

 

Our itinerary is as follows:

Seattle

Juneau

Skagway

Glacier Bay Viewing

Ketchikan

Victoria 

Seattle 

[fpsphil]

Amazing cabins and would 100% recommend. We’ll be in M107 for Mexico next month as well as 21 days on the enchanted in June. Literally you feel like you are the captain leaving port being able to look down the side of the ship as you push away from the dock.

 

The picture window is perfect for getting a view if it gets too windy. Even when it’s windy you can brave the elements and go outside if you want the view. Door never actually locks. Here are a couple pics of the view from the room

[renbeez]

3 minutes ago, fpsphil said:

Amazing cabins and would 100% recommend. We’ll be in M107 for Mexico next month as well as 21 days on the enchanted in June. Literally you feel like you are the captain leaving port being able to look down the side of the ship as you push away from the dock.

 

The picture window is perfect for getting a view if it gets too windy. Even when it’s windy you can brave the elements and go outside if you want the view. Door never actually locks. Here are a couple pics of the view from the room

Thanks for sharing.  Those are amazing and unique views!  I'm hopeful for good weather and even if they aren't, we will still have some outstanding views from inside the cabin and all the extra's that go along with the club mini suite.  This is the most we've ever spent on a cruise (and we only stay in balcony/suite rooms), so I'm a little nervous, especially since my husband doesn't know yet!  lol 

[fpsphil]

7 minutes ago, renbeez said:

Thanks for sharing.  Those are amazing and unique views!  I'm hopeful for good weather and even if they aren't, we will still have some outstanding views from inside the cabin and all the extra's that go along with the club mini suite.  This is the most we've ever spent on a cruise (and we only stay in balcony/suite rooms), so I'm a little nervous, especially since my husband doesn't know yet!  lol 

The club class benefits are super nice. I don't think they are worth the extra money if you are still in the standard size mini but any of the M6 rooms make the extra cost worth it.

[Wishing on a star]

Enjoy!!!!

I wonder if you could keep this a surprise until your husband walks in the room!

[azbirdmom]

6 hours ago, renbeez said:

Nice Video and I do appreciate you sharing!  I would have preferred the port side (M107) but this is all they had.  How was the cruise/glacier viewing from that cabin?   Would you say both sides would be equally nice?  Doesn't really matter I suppose as there wasn't another option, but if I guess I could down grade into a regular balcony to be on the premium side of the ship for cruising.  Having never done an Alaskan Cruise or cruised on with Princess, I have a lot of questions and reservations.  And this will likely not be a cruise we could book multiple times.  Knowing what you know now, would you have changed anything? 

 

First off you are already on the port side if you have M108.  Either side is fine though.  When you're in Glacier Bay or any other special viewing spots for that matter the ship will give each side a view so it's a fantastic spot.  You are also over the bridge so your balcony juts out over the water and you have a clear view aft too.  We've done Alaska a lot and the best advice is to just be outside when you're in Glacier Bay. And try to move around too.  Your balcony is the prime spot but photographers will be going around taking pictures of folks viewing from Lido deck and above so it's fun to be among others for a bit of the adventure.  There's a portion of Promenade deck you can get out on too if you want to view it from a lower deck.

[renbeez]

So, I was speaking with a Vacation Planner with Princess and he told me that the balcony couldn't be accessed except when we are at port.  Doesn't sound like anyone else has experienced that.

[renbeez]

1 hour ago, azbirdmom said:

 

First off you are already on the port side if you have M108.  Either side is fine though.  When you're in Glacier Bay or any other special viewing spots for that matter the ship will give each side a view so it's a fantastic spot.  You are also over the bridge so your balcony juts out over the water and you have a clear view aft too.  We've done Alaska a lot and the best advice is to just be outside when you're in Glacier Bay. And try to move around too.  Your balcony is the prime spot but photographers will be going around taking pictures of folks viewing from Lido deck and above so it's fun to be among others for a bit of the adventure.  There's a portion of Promenade deck you can get out on too if you want to view it from a lower deck.

You're correct about that...however, we are actually is M107...long story on the confusion.  Anyway, so the guy from Princess (Vacation Planner) just told me that those balconies are not usable during cruising.  We would only be able to use our balcony when at port.  Seems like that kind of defeats the purpose of a balcony.  Odd that I haven't heard that from any one else tho.  Little frustrating to make decisions 

[Sea Hag]

12 minutes ago, renbeez said:

You're correct about that...however, we are actually is M107...long story on the confusion.  Anyway, so the guy from Princess (Vacation Planner) just told me that those balconies are not usable during cruising.  We would only be able to use our balcony when at port.  Seems like that kind of defeats the purpose of a balcony.  Odd that I haven't heard that from any one else tho.  Little frustrating to make decisions 

That has not been my experience with these cabins. We've always been able to go out there any time we like. A thing that I don't think has been mentioned in this thread is that these balconies have a solid metal front instead of glass. We don't mind that, but you might.

[azbirdmom]

30 minutes ago, renbeez said:

You're correct about that...however, we are actually is M107...long story on the confusion.  Anyway, so the guy from Princess (Vacation Planner) just told me that those balconies are not usable during cruising.  We would only be able to use our balcony when at port.  Seems like that kind of defeats the purpose of a balcony.  Odd that I haven't heard that from any one else tho.  Little frustrating to make decisions 

 

That is wrong.  Unfortunately the people who work for Princess aren't all experts about what happens onboard.  You can go out at any time.  If there's a strong headwind you may not want to.  But there is nothing to prevent you from going out on the balcony.  The one thing that I didn't mention though is that you have to keep those forward bedroom drapes closed at night if the light is on as the light might interfere with the navigation on the bridge.  The sliding glass doors to access the balcony are on the side so no problem going out at night.  So don't worry, you've made an excellent choice of cabins for your Alaska cruise!