Why choose inside cabin?

[dockman]

Can you leave the TV on with the main camera channel that would get dark at night but give light when sun comes up?  Or is it too much light even at night?

[1sttimertoalaska]

One of my favorite cruises I’ve ever been on was when my family of four was in an inside cabin. The kids were in their teens and we would lay in our bunks in the dark and watch movies and the Princess ship channel and laugh at the cruise directors during all of recorded game shows…Some of my fondest memories. We tried a balcony on the same 10 day cruise two years later and it just wasn’t the same. The roll away made the room feel very cramped. Now they’re older and there’s no way we’d have 4 adults in a cabin. Our most recent cruise my husband and I went by ourselves in a mini suite on the Discovery. My favorite part of the cabin was the shower😍 Other than that, the balcony was a bit cramped. During the balcony dinner, we could barely move 😂

I think I would upgrade for the right price, but I really do love the quiet coziness of an inside, so I could take or leave an upgrade. The only time I feel a balcony is an almost must is Alaska. Just my thoughts😉

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

6 hours ago, Outerdog said:

 

This is like 10 people.

 

It turns out, back in reality, people in the market for bigger cabins and can afford them also want things like windows and balcony doors. Sometimes two balcony doors.

 

Most of the responses in favor of inside cabins are from folks with budget constraints (self-imposed or otherwise). One can sleep in and be "cozy" in a balcony cabin and do whatever else folks attribute as exclusive to insides, I assure you.

 

I think there would be a place for larger inside cabins. OK, not many but some.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

3 hours ago, 1sttimertoalaska said:

The only time I feel a balcony is an almost must is Alaska.

... and Norway (our next cruise in April!). 🙂 

[karatemom2]

7 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

... and Norway (our next cruise in April!). 🙂 

We managed to book one of the forward balconies for our Land of the Midnight Sun cruise in to Norway on the Sky this summer and I can’t wait to take in all the amazing views! It’s been a bucket list itinerary for us for awhile. 

[insidecabin]

17 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

Why doesn't Princess have any inside suites? Everything a suite has just no windows or balcony.

 

😄

 

Obviously that is a joke... but seriously, don't you think that there might be a market for bigger inside cabins for people that love the inside experience but want more space.

 

Why should having an inside always mean a ultra small cabin?

MSC do inside suites probably the fastest selling cabins on the ships that have them.

 

Lines/Ships that have window suites seem to sell very well loads of space cheaper than the balcony ones.

[MacMadame]

13 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

I think there would be a place for larger inside cabins. OK, not many but some.

IME, the inside cabins do vary in size. In my first cruise, my cabin was so small that it was hard to turn around in! The one we had on our Disney cruise easily fit the two of us and our two small kids.

 

13 hours ago, Snaxmuppet said:

... and Norway (our next cruise in April!). 🙂 

And the Panama Canal!

[SCX22]

5 hours ago, insidecabin said:

MSC do inside suites probably the fastest selling cabins on the ships that have them.

 

 

I think this should be prefaced by saying that these interior suites are part of the Yacht Club and they're only slightly larger (I think a couple of sq meters, but not by much) than a regular interior cabin.  People don't want larger cabins but the perks of the Yacht Club on a budget.

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Well may be I am very much in the minority and that is probably why larger inside cabins generally don't exist. But I would very much consider an inside if they were larger. My wife still wouldn't and will always want a balcony but for my part, the biggest thing that puts me off is not the fact there is no window/balcony but it is how small they are. It increases the sense of enclosure for me if it is small and a larger room would make that easier to cope with.

 

I do accept that the idea is a bit odd but I thought it interesting nonetheless.

[GK95]

We book balcony rooms because we have a teen and the balcony gives us a little extra space and separation to be together when we.re all in the room and the teen watches tv. When the teen goes to college though, we’ll probably move to an interior cabin since it’ll just be two of us. 

[kaydea]

Hello all

Congratulations for starting this interesting original and beneficial  topic.

We are going on our first inside cabin cruise, 16 night Norwegian cruise. and have some concerns and questions about it and am therefore turning to all you experienced sailors.

Please be candid, if you think we are making a mistake, we can still cancel with minimal penalty.

1. I suffer a bit from asthma. It has happened on previous cruises that I at night had to go out on the balcony to  the fresh air. Saying that ,our cabin is near the exit to the pool, so I can nip outside in a sec. What is the air quality in an inside cabin like?

2. Could you please share any tips about using the self service laundromats on princess cruises?

3. The price of the cheapest balcony was 2200$ higher than our inside cabin, so we decided to chance the trip as the itinerary is perfect.

4. All forums dealing with inside cabins I have come by just include long shopping lists. Nice to know but this forum deals with the nitty gritty of traveling.

5. Is the lighting in the bathroom sufficient so make sure that ones face is up to par? Is there a makeup mirror, lighting?

Thanks

Karyn

 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Can't help with the others but regarding the laundromats... we have used them a few times and found them to work well. We took our own detergent and freshener. The only real issue was needing to keep returning to see if the programme had finished but that was not a big deal. There are irons and ironing boards with steam irons there too.

[rowingmachine]

20 hours ago, SCX22 said:

think this should be prefaced by saying that these interior suites are part of the Yacht Club and they're only slightly larger (I think a couple of sq meters, but not by much) than a regular interior cabin.  People don't want larger cabins but the perks of the Yacht Club on a budget

Absolutely, but you can get it wrong.  Last year we chose a last minute MSC Virtuosa 14 day cruise.  A day or so after paying, we received a bid up offer; well I received, presumably as main passenger.  I scanned the options in an idle moment and put in a silly low bid for a Yacht Club inside cabin. Couldn’t afford even the lowest bid for a Yacht Club Suite Didn’t tell the DW and forgot about it,. Wouldn’t you know, it won.

Without reading too the email too closely, I skipped up to the DW and told her the good news.  She went ballistic. Why didn’t you ask me, she spluttered sort of. I replied I thought it would be a nice surprise.  I had not realised just how much she could not stomach the idea of an enclosed space for 14 days.

It was only when reading the details, it appeared the auction had given us a full blown Yacht Club Suite for the silly bid.  I kept quiet with MSC and didn’t really believe our good fortune  until we were actually in the cabin with our welcome champagne.

We had of course a fantastic experience, and I did poke my head into an inside  cabin on the last morning. It was very pokey, but I think the trade off for Yacht Club perks would have more than made up for it.

So I got away with it and if I am to persuade the DW to go inside I think it would be more appropriate to try  a 3/5 day taster cruise if possible when the financial difference is great between balcony and inside

[Bobs mum]

Like others, I really like the sideways interiors. As a solo I usually book inside. Mainly for cost reasons but also because if I have no outside space it makes me go out and about more and socialise. 

[Jimmys Chippy]

3 minutes ago, Bobs mum said:

Like others, I really like the sideways interiors. As a solo I usually book inside. Mainly for cost reasons but also because if I have no outside space it makes me go out and about more and socialise. 

Conversely we don’t like the sideways cabins due to the bedroom section being right next to front door, we prefer the (slight) separation.

[Jimmys Chippy]

9 hours ago, kaydea said:

Hello all

Congratulations for starting this interesting original and beneficial  topic.

We are going on our first inside cabin cruise, 16 night Norwegian cruise. and have some concerns and questions about it and am therefore turning to all you experienced sailors.

Please be candid, if you think we are making a mistake, we can still cancel with minimal penalty.

1. I suffer a bit from asthma. It has happened on previous cruises that I at night had to go out on the balcony to  the fresh air. Saying that ,our cabin is near the exit to the pool, so I can nip outside in a sec. What is the air quality in an inside cabin like?

2. Could you please share any tips about using the self service laundromats on princess cruises?

3. The price of the cheapest balcony was 2200$ higher than our inside cabin, so we decided to chance the trip as the itinerary is perfect.

4. All forums dealing with inside cabins I have come by just include long shopping lists. Nice to know but this forum deals with the nitty gritty of traveling.

5. Is the lighting in the bathroom sufficient so make sure that ones face is up to par? Is there a makeup mirror, lighting?

Thanks

Karyn

 

1) My son has asthma and has never had any trouble in any inside cabin on any ship. 
 

2) Easy to use, you pay for tokens for washers/driers and detergent/drier sheets with your medallion via dispensing machines. Running times for the machine are posted on the walls. 
 

3) Prices for insides are significantly cheaper than other grades which is why we generally book them, I’d rather have two cruises inside than one cruise with a balcony.

 

5) Bathroom lighting is the same as in all the other grades. 

 

 

[paradiselivin1]

I'm claustrophobic and only did an inside cabin on the 3 night inaugural sailing of the Sky in the US so we could move up to Elite a few weeks later for our cruise to Antarctica. Just not an inside person but it was fine for those few days. We confused our cabin steward as my husband had the cabin next door for the same reason and never slept there! Everyone should have a good idea of their comfort levels and simply book what works for them. We've found a liking to mini suites so guess balconies are a thing of the past..

[Wishing on a star]

Rowingmachine...    Now, with that luck,  can I get some good lottery numbers from you!!!!

[insidecabin]

10 hours ago, kaydea said:

Hello all

Congratulations for starting this interesting original and beneficial  topic.

We are going on our first inside cabin cruise, 16 night Norwegian cruise. and have some concerns and questions about it and am therefore turning to all you experienced sailors.

Please be candid, if you think we are making a mistake, we can still cancel with minimal penalty.

1. I suffer a bit from asthma. It has happened on previous cruises that I at night had to go out on the balcony to  the fresh air. Saying that ,our cabin is near the exit to the pool, so I can nip outside in a sec. What is the air quality in an inside cabin like?

2. Could you please share any tips about using the self service laundromats on princess cruises?

3. The price of the cheapest balcony was 2200$ higher than our inside cabin, so we decided to chance the trip as the itinerary is perfect.

4. All forums dealing with inside cabins I have come by just include long shopping lists. Nice to know but this forum deals with the nitty gritty of traveling.

5. Is the lighting in the bathroom sufficient so make sure that ones face is up to par? Is there a makeup mirror, lighting?

Thanks

Karyn

 

1. If on the deck with the secret access door to the terrace pool then it is really quick to get outside, we tried to get one but they had all gone by the time we made up our mind to book(ended up a few decks down)

Cabins there are also very handy for that bar and into the buffet we really liked ours on Emerald.

[karatemom2]

1 hour ago, insidecabin said:

1. If on the deck with the secret access door to the terrace pool then it is really quick to get outside, we tried to get one but they had all gone by the time we made up our mind to book(ended up a few decks down)

Cabins there are also very handy for that bar and into the buffet we really liked ours on Emerald.

That’s a great area in general. Easy access to the aft bar and buffet just up the steps with the nice back deck area. We often get balcony cabins in that section as well because even with a balcony you sometimes want more expansive views - like on glacier days in Alaska. If you have a room in that section it’s an easy hop out to the aft deck where you can take in all the views. Great choice for inside and outside cabins!

[2 cruises a year]

On 2/22/2024 at 4:57 AM, DallasGuy75219 said:

9 sq ft is not a meaningful difference, only 5% more square footage.

It really depends on how that 9 sq. feet happens.  One example, in my opinion, an extra foot along a 9 foot wall would be nice.

[kaydea]

10 hours ago, insidecabin said:

1. If on the deck with the secret access door to the terrace pool then it is really quick to get outside, we tried to get one but they had all gone by the time we made up our mind to book(ended up a few decks down)

Cabins there are also very handy for that bar and into the buffet we really liked ours on Emerald.

Thank you. You lifted a weight off my heart and mind. Yes it one of those

[kaydea]

8 hours ago, karatemom2 said:

That’s a great area in general. Easy access to the aft bar and buffet just up the steps with the nice back deck area. We often get balcony cabins in that section as well because even with a balcony you sometimes want more expansive views - like on glacier days in Alaska. If you have a room in that section it’s an easy hop out to the aft deck where you can take in all the views. Great choice for inside and outside cabins!

Thanks for setting our minds at ease. Now we can embark with no mixed feelings.

[ChutChut]

Like inside cabins for the darkness at night and the quietness. Balconies bother me because I always can hear other people slamming their balcony door. I like window views, too.