Dilemma! Inside or Balcony? 35 nights Solo

[Sheila127]

30 minutes ago, DamianG said:

My suggestion would be to partially compromise and choose an oceanview cabin:

 

 

Also, given that this is a 35 night cruise on a big ship my educated guess is that there may be plenty of availability nearer to the sailing date and a good chance of some better deals compared to those currently on offer.

 

For example, I looked at these cabins 2 weeks back for the (school holidays) cruise on Arvia departing 6th August. I was really surprised to see that there were still 58 cabins available in LB grade on deck 4 despite being less than a month to the departure date. Obviously that does not mean that it will be the same for your cruise but 35 nights is a big commitment so I do wonder how P&O will get on with filling all the available berths.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

 

Hi I have been on a number of cruises this year at short notice due to the removal of solo supplements so will wait much closer to dates before booking! I realise the risk is the prices may go up but certainly with the bigger ships you have more chance of prices coming down! I have been on Iona in an inside cabin  where I was very comfortable, but having watched the video of an outside cabin I am very impressed with the space and the window seat! This may certainly be an option! Thank you very much!

[Adawn47]

1 hour ago, DamianG said:

My suggestion would be to partially compromise and choose an oceanview cabin:

 

 

Also, given that this is a 35 night cruise on a big ship my educated guess is that there may be plenty of availability nearer to the sailing date and a good chance of some better deals compared to those currently on offer.

 

For example, I looked at these cabins 2 weeks back for the (school holidays) cruise on Arvia departing 6th August. I was really surprised to see that there were still 58 cabins available in LB grade on deck 4 despite being less than a month to the departure date. Obviously that does not mean that it will be the same for your cruise but 35 nights is a big commitment so I do wonder how P&O will get on with filling all the available berths.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

 

Thanks for that interesting link Damian. As you know I am a small ship and cabin with balcony fan, but  watching that video I could give Iona a try for a week. The cabin is more spacious than any balcony cabin on the smaller ships. Is the LB grade the same on Iona as Arvia?

Avril

[DamianG]

1 hour ago, Adawn47 said:

Thanks for that interesting link Damian. As you know I am a small ship and cabin with balcony fan, but  watching that video I could give Iona a try for a week. The cabin is more spacious than any balcony cabin on the smaller ships. Is the LB grade the same on Iona as Arvia?

Avril

Hi Avril

Yes, LB grade is the same on Iona and Arvia.

My mum and sister have one of these cabins on Arvia in a couple of weeks so Michelle, Kyle & I will all be visiting it to have a nosey around!

We’ve always considered ourselves small ship fans but since P&O have pushed us towards the larger vessels we have changed our opinion and now like them all. 

[9265359]

On 7/21/2023 at 11:51 AM, AndyLovesCruises said:

35 days with no window / balcony IMO would be a big no and terrible for you mental health ! 

 

It isn't prison and they don't lock you in your cabin for 35 days!

 

There are an awful lot of places elsewhere in the ship to sit and enjoy the views, and provided you treat the cabin as a place to sleep (when a window is irrelevant), then they are fine.

 

 

[Ilovemygarden]

I’ve had a look at this cruise too.  Could any of you who have done a Carribean transatlantic verify that the sea days from Tenerife to the Carribean and on the way back are pretty good weather for being on deck.  

[yorkshirephil]

2 minutes ago, Ilovemygarden said:

I’ve had a look at this cruise too.  Could any of you who have done a Carribean transatlantic verify that the sea days from Tenerife to the Carribean and on the way back are pretty good weather for being on deck.  

Usually the weather between Tenerife and the Caribbean is good with the temperature rising each day going west. We have never had poor weather this route but obviously weather is unpredictable. We have also found that after day two from Southampton to Tenerife it has been warm enough to sit out.

[Ilovemygarden]

1 hour ago, yorkshirephil said:

Usually the weather between Tenerife and the Caribbean is good with the temperature rising each day going west. We have never had poor weather this route but obviously weather is unpredictable. We have also found that after day two from Southampton to Tenerife it has been warm enough to sit out.

Thanks - sounds promising!  

[Britboys]

On 7/22/2023 at 10:19 AM, DamianG said:

My suggestion would be to partially compromise and choose an oceanview cabin:

 

 

Also, given that this is a 35 night cruise on a big ship my educated guess is that there may be plenty of availability nearer to the sailing date and a good chance of some better deals compared to those currently on offer.

 

For example, I looked at these cabins 2 weeks back for the (school holidays) cruise on Arvia departing 6th August. I was really surprised to see that there were still 58 cabins available in LB grade on deck 4 despite being less than a month to the departure date. Obviously that does not mean that it will be the same for your cruise but 35 nights is a big commitment so I do wonder how P&O will get on with filling all the available berths.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

 

I could happily spend 35 nights in that cabin - if it wasn't on Iona...😂

[AndyLovesCruises]

21 hours ago, 9265359 said:

 

It isn't prison and they don't lock you in your cabin for 35 days!

 

There are an awful lot of places elsewhere in the ship to sit and enjoy the views, and provided you treat the cabin as a place to sleep (when a window is irrelevant), then they are fine.

 

 

21 hours ago, 9265359 said:

 

It isn't prison and they don't lock you in your cabin for 35 days!

 

There are an awful lot of places elsewhere in the ship to sit and enjoy the views, and provided you treat the cabin as a place to sleep (when a window is irrelevant), then they are fine.

 

 

I agree but if you can afford it then why wouldn't you ? More so when you are on a 35 night sailing. 

 

They are definitely not a prison ( you get a window in prison)   😆

[9265359]

5 hours ago, AndyLovesCruises said:

I agree but if you can afford it then why wouldn't you ? More so when you are on a 35 night sailing.

 

Unless you are so wealthy that £2k is utterly irrelevant, then it will always be a case of 'do I spend it on this or spend it on that'.

 

And 'this or that' might be on the balcony, but on the other hand it might be on a whole bunch of excursions or food and drink on board, or another cruise, or even a different cruise on a more upmarket line.

 

It is all a choice, rather than being a default - 'over X days must be a balcony' decision - although of course P&O (like every other cruise line) make their profits from those who couldn't possibly contemplate sleeping in a room without a window.

[Red Ray]

At those prices - definitely an Inside. Not sure why someone should think it would affect your mental health.

[yorkshirephil]

8 minutes ago, Red Ray said:

At those prices - definitely an Inside. Not sure why someone should think it would affect your mental health.

We have done many long and short cruises in inside cabins and never had an issue, in fact being on a cruise in an inside cabin is likely better for my mental health than being stuck at home in winter, especially when I have been naughty and banned to the shed, which does have windows.

[Ardennais]

1 hour ago, Red Ray said:

At those prices - definitely an Inside. Not sure why someone should think it would affect your mental health.

Because some people are claustrophobic. 

[Winifred 22]

10 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Because some people are claustrophobic. 

As I solo traveller I also think that is a consideration that does have to be factored in. It’s a different experience and may warrant a different mindset. As I previously mentioned I recently had a week in an inside and decided it was probably my limit in terms of what worked for me. Over that I think I would prefer a sea view or balcony 

[Britboys]

15 minutes ago, Ardennais said:

Because some people are claustrophobic. 

But surely someone living with claustrophobia wouldn't think of booking an inside cabin? Depending how severe there phobia is they might not even book a cruise...

[Britboys]

2 minutes ago, Winifred 22 said:

As I solo traveller I also think that is a consideration that does have to be factored in. It’s a different experience and may warrant a different mindset. As I previously mentioned I recently had a week in an inside and decided it was probably my limit in terms of what worked for me. Over that I think I would prefer a sea view or balcony 

Not sure sailing solo has any bearing, it's still personal taste/feelings. I've done 18 nights solo in an inside without a problem...

[bobstheboy]

Some are happy with an inside cabin, out first dozen or so were inside. Now it's a balcony or no cruise, but others will disagree, personal choice

[kalos]

9 minutes ago, bobstheboy said:

Some are happy with an inside cabin, out first dozen or so were inside. Now it's a balcony or no cruise, but others will disagree, personal choice

Years ago I used to have inside cabins and no complaints from us.

Now years later we do not drink nor do we smoke but do enjoy a lot of time on our balcony 

so to us it's money well spent . So we do agree with you .

Everyone else can choose what suits them .

 

[Red Ray]

1 hour ago, Ardennais said:

Because some people are claustrophobic. 

So they wouldn't consider an inside cabin then would they? The OP obviously doesn't suffer from claustrophobia.

[Sheila127]

Just now, Red Ray said:

So they wouldn't consider an inside cabin then would they? The OP obviously doesn't suffer from claustrophobia.

No I don't and have stayed in an inside cabin many times, comfortably and without issue! The only reason I have considered balcony because of it being  a much longer cruise! But for a solo person the extra cost is significant so I have to decide whether its worth paying an extra £2000!

[AndyLovesCruises]

13 minutes ago, Sheila127 said:

No I don't and have stayed in an inside cabin many times, comfortably and without issue! The only reason I have considered balcony because of it being  a much longer cruise! But for a solo person the extra cost is significant so I have to decide whether its worth paying an extra £2000!

 

Hey Shelia, I think if you are considering it enough to ask the community here then its defiantly worth seriously considering the balcony option. 

 

You will know both the pros and cons having stayed in both which is a good benefit to have and has others have made very apparent in this thread there are pro's and cons for both options.  

 

Unless the sailing is full, maybe book an inside cabin, then once onboard after a week or two, find your feet and if the ship is  not sailing full talk to guess services about moving.   

 

I did this on my first ever sailing, we had an inside cabin but moved on day four.  It just wasn't for me but that's just my personal preference, others love them.  Emma Cruises is one of the biggest bloggers on you tube and she LOVES them!   

 

Opinions are wonderful aren't they! 

 

Whichever you decide I'm sure you will have  wonderful cruise. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 24, 2023 by AndyLovesCruises

[terrierjohn]

32 minutes ago, Sheila127 said:

No I don't and have stayed in an inside cabin many times, comfortably and without issue! The only reason I have considered balcony because of it being  a much longer cruise! But for a solo person the extra cost is significant so I have to decide whether its worth paying an extra £2000!

If you are sociable, and like to get involved in activities on the many sea days that a Caribbean round trip has, then you may not want to be in your cabin for much of the day anyway. So the £2000 will cover most of the shore excursions you will want to take, as well as most of the drinks you might want, with a bit left over as well.

[Ardennais]

7 hours ago, Britboys said:

But surely someone living with claustrophobia wouldn't think of booking an inside cabin? Depending how severe there phobia is they might not even book a cruise...

Of course they wouldn’t book an inside, hence my reply to ‘not sure why someone should think it [an inside cabin] would affect your mental health’. The comment

implied that the poster couldn’t understand why booking an inside could affect a person’s mental health. Some people also feel low if they don’t get enough natural light too so there could be all kinds of reasons. The thought of sleeping in a windowless box would certainly affect me! 

[Ardennais]

7 hours ago, Britboys said:

But surely someone living with claustrophobia wouldn't think of booking an inside cabin? Depending how severe there phobia is they might not even book a cruise...

I have mild claustrophobia, and for my first 10 years of cruising never used a lift. I have managed lifts onboard for the past 5 years, but only when accompanied by my husband. The only other lifts I use are in hospitals, and only when visiting someone on the top floor! We had an outside cabin once on Marco Polo with two portholes and it was ok. 

[AndyLovesCruises]

13 hours ago, Ardennais said:

Of course they wouldn’t book an inside, hence my reply to ‘not sure why someone should think it [an inside cabin] would affect your mental health’. The comment

implied that the poster couldn’t understand why booking an inside could affect a person’s mental health. Some people also feel low if they don’t get enough natural light too so there could be all kinds of reasons. The thought of sleeping in a windowless box would certainly affect me! 

Lots of posts on this about sleeping and natural light on google. Interesting reads