Marina deck balcony under Swirls Discovery Princess

[desertdwellingsailor]

We have done two cruises in a row in a mini suite on the C deck of Discovery Princess. My wife wanted to do something different and I was thinking of trying a balcony room nearer the top decks. So we booked a cruise to Mexican Riviera in March on the same ship. I debated Marina deck or the one below. It is an experiment. I thought it would be fun on a warmer weather cruise to be one flight down from the pools and buffet. Might be too noisy but we aren't that affected by noise usually. I think the room we got is right under the soft serve ice cream place. I guess we have a couple months more to pay the bill but I am looking forward to trying it. Might be nice to easily come in out out from deck and quickly grab something from the buffet. Am I crazy? Maybe there will be more motion? I haven't been affected by the motion yet either. I think it is fun to try it and just see what we think.

Edited September 12, 2023 by desertdwellingsailor
described room

[Rick&Jeannie]

Personally, we would not go for the deck below Lido.  We are both very light sleepers and just don't want to hear them clanging deck chairs around every morning.  Be sure and keep us posted on how your experiment goes!

[desertdwellingsailor]

Forgot to mention. The other two things I want to do differently if I can. I hope to park at the port in San Pedro this time to see if it will be easier. We are driving in from Arizona. On our first cruise out of the same port the poor driver got lost both ways going to Long Beach instead. It was fun waiting forever after we disembarked. Might be nice to just walk to our car. Also, we had long lines embarking in our last cruise out of Vancouver and I've read that if we leave later the crowds might thin out a bit. Anyway, I'm trying to change things up a little. Same cruise line, same ship, so it is not that radical a change.

[AZjohn]

Nothing wrong with experimenting around with cruising👍

Have a great time and as @Rick&Jeannie said, let us know how things go for you.

Cheers

[SargassoPirate]

I've never been bothered by noise when I book a cabin with cabins above, below, and across the corridor.

 

I have, however, in my early days of cruising, been bothered in cabins under the Melanoma Deck when I was "upgraded", been bothered in a cabin above a nightclub, been bothered in a cabin with a steward scullery across the corridor.

 

I don't risk it anymore, and I don't accept upgrades since there's a reason that cabin is available and the cruise line's idea of an upgrade is not necessarily an upgrade for me.

[DiRonT]

20 hours ago, desertdwellingsailor said:

Forgot to mention. The other two things I want to do differently if I can. I hope to park at the port in San Pedro this time to see if it will be easier. We are driving in from Arizona. On our first cruise out of the same port the poor driver got lost both ways going to Long Beach instead. It was fun waiting forever after we disembarked. Might be nice to just walk to our car. Also, we had long lines embarking in our last cruise out of Vancouver and I've read that if we leave later the crowds might thin out a bit. Anyway, I'm trying to change things up a little. Same cruise line, same ship, so it is not that radical a change.

We live parking at the port.  Most times we stay in a hotel within a mile or two the night before then have a leisurely breakfast in the morning.  Parking at San Pedro is easy, walk across the road, give your luggage to porter and board the ship.  We usually let the crowds go first and then there is no stress at all.  Get off the ship, grab your luggage, load in car and you are on your way home - easy. Peasy and the parking rate at Berth 92 and 93 is very affordable compared to airport parking.

[Cruise Raider]

If you aren’t impacted by the noise, that is a perfect location!  wWe were under the bar on the Marina deck and it was fabulous!  
We always take a white sound machine now and don’t much care if we are in a noisy location.  
I don’t think midship on a top deck is anywhere as rough as a forward (or aft) location on a lower deck.  
enjoy!  

 

[desertdwellingsailor]

17 hours ago, DiRonT said:

We live parking at the port.  Most times we stay in a hotel within a mile or two the night before then have a leisurely breakfast in the morning...

We probably will stay Friday night at my wife's mother's house in Fullerton. Have to leave time for possible traffic jams but I'm thinking of leaving a little later to try to avoid the rush of people leaving and coming at the same time.

[DiRonT]

Just now, desertdwellingsailor said:

We probably will stay Friday night at my wife's mother's house in Fullerton. Have to leave time for possible traffic jams but I'm thinking of leaving a little later to try to avoid the rush of people leaving and coming at the same time.

Yes, it seems like all departure times have been moved up to 3pm instead of 4, which means everyone needs to be onboard by 1pm?   Anyway, you should be fine time wise driving up from Fullerton.  Enjoy!!

[Traveler_321_Go]

On 9/12/2023 at 6:23 PM, desertdwellingsailor said:

Forgot to mention. The other two things I want to do differently if I can. I hope to park at the port in San Pedro this time to see if it will be easier. We are driving in from Arizona. On our first cruise out of the same port the poor driver got lost both ways going to Long Beach instead. It was fun waiting forever after we disembarked. Might be nice to just walk to our car. Also, we had long lines embarking in our last cruise out of Vancouver and I've read that if we leave later the crowds might thin out a bit. Anyway, I'm trying to change things up a little. Same cruise line, same ship, so it is not that radical a change.

We parked at San Pedro after driving from AZ this past Feb - stayed near the port the night before and was wonderful not having to wait for a shuttle or anything.  We arrived at the early boarding time, so there was a line, but parking capacity was no problem at all.  Then after, wow - so nice to get off the boat and be right at the car.

[DiRonT]

5 hours ago, Traveler_321_Go said:

We parked at San Pedro after driving from AZ this past Feb - stayed near the port the night before and was wonderful not having to wait for a shuttle or anything.  We arrived at the early boarding time, so there was a line, but parking capacity was no problem at all.  Then after, wow - so nice to get off the boat and be right at the car.

Right???  Love the convenience.

[Thrak]

We once sailed a 15 day Hawaii cruise in an Aloha balcony cabin that was located directly below the Lido deck pizza place on the old Star Princess. We didn't hear a sound from chair scraping, foot tromping, pool equipment, pool users, or MUTS. One never knows how it will go. Have a great cruise.

[lovevacadays]

To each its own, but I always choose a cabin that has cabins above and below. No public venues. I went on a cruise with my mom many years ago below the lido deck and regretted it.