What's more important to you?

[pcur]

I'm in the less money/more cruising category.

[NancyIL]

I am a frugal traveler, and I prefer more/longer trips to shorter/fancier accommodations. However, when I want to splurge on a fancy/expensive hotel room, I use my hotel points or my credit card free night awards.

Edited August 31 by NancyIL

[TJA27]

A couple years ago, I would've answered your question that I book longer cruises with regular  balcony rooms.  Now, I book shorter cruises with a bigger suite.  That is thanks to 2 Royalup's in a row from a regular balcony room to Owner's Suite, both times.  Therefore, we now book suites outright because we know we love them, and if the cost is too high for us (likely is), then we settle for shorter cruises.  Our next cruise is next month and it's a 4-night cruise in a Crown Loft Suite.

 

Exception was our cruise last month to Norway for 7 nights.  I booked a Junior Suite due to the high cost of a larger suite.  We enjoyed it very much (2 bathrooms were nice for our family of 4), but we did miss the extra room in the larger suites.

 

 

[ahahn078]

A longer cruise in a normal balcony cabin. Shorter cruises (particularly on Carnival) can attract much more rougher and sometimes even violent crowds. 

[sergeant655]

Regular balcony. Last year I did a b2b on Mariner where both legs in a balcony was cheaper then a junior suite for one leg

[RCTransatlanticLover]

On 7/21/2024 at 4:14 AM, jobinseattle said:

What is more important to you as far as finances go. A shorter cruise (3,4 or 5 day) and a fancier room (Suites, Specialty dining, etc..) or a longer cruise (7 day or more) in a not as fancy cabin. I personally don't have an unlimited amount of money so I was thinking about alternating each year. Curious what others do?

I prefer longer cruises in an interior stateroom. Having been on both the shorter and longer cruises, I definitely like the longer ones more. They’re a much better value for the money. That’s why I did a 14-night Panama Canal cruise last fall and am getting ready for two transatlantic cruises within the next year. 
 

I really have no desire to return to the Bahamas and it doesn’t make sense for me to fly to Florida for a 3/4 night cruise. For me, the longer cruises are more relaxing: I’m in my late thirties and have little interest in being on a ship full of obnoxious partiers and/or screaming kids. Those sort of cruisers tend to not book the longer cruises. 
 

Plus, the longer cruises are usually far cheaper on a per night basis rather than the Icon or Utopia. I highly recommend the longer cruises. They work for me very well. 

[BecciBoo]

Whatever seems right at the time.  We've only done a suite 2 times, one was a shorty, can't afford a suite on 7 day.  The other was the Presidential Suite on Liberty and we found a fantastic deal on it and split it 4 ways which worked.  I don't anticipate anything like it again.  We booked the Utopia just to see the train thing but that'll probably do us for shorties.  It always depends on the deals and how cheap I can find them.  But of course we prefer 7 day.  We've done Hawaii from San Diego as a 10 day and have booked Ascent for a 10 day southern Antilles at a pretty decent price.  To each their own. And good hunting!~

Edited September 1 by BecciBoo

[orville99]

On 7/21/2024 at 5:14 AM, jobinseattle said:

What is more important to you as far as finances go. A shorter cruise (3,4 or 5 day) and a fancier room (Suites, Specialty dining, etc..) or a longer cruise (7 day or more) in a not as fancy cabin. I personally don't have an unlimited amount of money so I was thinking about alternating each year. Curious what others do?

Definitely the longer cruise, especially if you have to fly in. Personally, we would never book an interior cabin - we need to see the sea and the sunrises and sunsets that go along with it.

Our first cruises were in an OV with a porthole. We quickly moved up to a balcony, and have not looked back. Now that we are both retired, we typically book 7 night or longer back to back cruises.

[lovesthebeach2]

We got spoiled very early in our cruising history and don’t book anything less than a balcony, but occasionally if the price is decent, we’ll do a JS, and very rarely a GS, especially if it’s on Wonder with the suites on their own floor. 
We wouldn’t consider an OV or interior, because we don't cruise for the amusement park activities, but because we love the ocean…the sound, the view, the smell. And unless the sun is blazing right on us, we will use the balcony even when it’s hot out.

[alexgtp]

Wife and I always booked Ocean Room balconies. Recently in the past 2 years we have only booked inside cabin's. TBH we don't miss balconies at all. The amount of money saved makes sense! More cruise per year!

 

Now there are exception's. Alaska and Norway where the scenery was the most important part of cruise we booked balconies. 

 

We are leaving in 7 days for Greenland and opted for inside. Hope i don't regret that decision. Figured no long inside passages or long entries in to Fjord's so we wont miss much. 

We also started choosing longer itinerary's. Smaller ships and more interesting destination's

Edited September 1 by alexgtp

[RCTransatlanticLover]

2 hours ago, alexgtp said:

Now there are exception's. Alaska and Norway where the scenery was the most important part of cruise we booked balconies. 

Makes sense, but doesn’t Royal Caribbean charge extra premiums for balconies on those cruises? On my Panama Canal cruise last year, I was in an interior on the eighth deck. The prices of the balconies and the suites were significantly higher than the interiors. 

[BecciBoo]

That 10 day Hawaii was an interior on Legend, and we were happy to pay just $659 for the two of us all in!  It was a last minute deal too good to pass up, so we took it. 

San Diego to Ensenada, 6 day transit to the islands, then a 4 island itin, Hawaii, Maui, Kauai and Oahu.  We ended up in Honolulu and got to visit Todd's brother stationed there for another week...then flew home.  Just looked at our pics trying to find a copy of our confirmation cuz I know some of you will not believe the pricing...but it's absolutely true.  Didn't keep a copy!

 

Our upcoming Icon is also an interior, we have found that sometimes in a balcony we end up never using the balcony much anyway...too busy elsewhere. And we can see those views anytime from upper deck. So we're good with whatever fits our budget.  Cabin doesn't matter to us.  We'd accept almost anything just to cruise.

Edited September 1 by BecciBoo

[shandryl]

Try and go on one cruise a year. Have been known to do up to three. The cheapest inside room available. Have been upgraded in the past and know what getting concierge service is all about! << that was exciting!

12 hours of my time day/evening/red-eye flights getting to port. A two night hotel stay. Do not want to take any chances missing the ship for any reason.  lol 

Always try and go for 21 days or two 10/11 day cruises B2B to make 20 or 21. Have taken 10/11/12 and 14 day cruises << I call them (quicky cruises)

Took my first and only 7 day cruise when I was affected by the cruise virus & addiction set in. (no cure). 

Note: work FT to support the cruise addiction. 😄 There is always one cruise booked. 

[poocher]

Got a ridiculous price on an OS on Harmony after the pandemic.  Spoiled the crap out of us!

[shandryl]

13 hours ago, poocher said:

Got a ridiculous price on an OS on Harmony after the pandemic.  Spoiled the crap out of us!

Now that's an upgrade!! Good for you!! Congratulations!! 🎉 

[scubaslayer]

On 9/1/2024 at 8:04 PM, poocher said:

Got a ridiculous price on an OS on Harmony after the pandemic.  Spoiled the crap out of us!

 

So how is the comfort level on the sofabed compared to a regular room on Harmony? We have a suite next trip and one kid is contemplating sleeping on the sofa, rather than in the 2nd bedroom with their sister, but also is annoyed to sleep on a pullout (can't win with teens).

[poocher]

Well my 32 year old son wasn’t having any trouble sleeping on that trip for reasons that probably won’t apply to your teen 🙄🙄.  He actually spent a couple night sleeping on the balcony.  He conned his very short older sister into taking the rollaway.  She also managed to get 60-70 winks.

[DustFSU]

Great topic,

I would go with a cheaper cabin and a longer cruise. Can anyone really say that a cabin makes it? For me I don't really spend time in the cabin. I like to experience the ship and relax around the ship.  We had a 2 bedroom suite once because of canceling over Covid times.  It was a cool cabin and I did like the suite lounge, but we got a good deal on it.  Don't know if it is worth it again because the prices are crazy. I like stopping in more islands and enjoying that.  I live in FL but rarely go to the beach because they are always so crowded and the Caribbean water is amazing.

[poocher]

For me, a big issue is the bathrooms in smaller cabins.  I cannot shower in those space tubes, absolutely claustrophobic, so the tub/shower combo is a must necessitating a minimum JS.