Do You REALLY Care about your Cabin???

[rsscaptain]

See RSSCAPTAIN thats what I am talking about, and honest answer, tub issue, bigger screen, fresh air and the fact that you can splurg more now that you DD is own her own!! that help an argument(discussion lol) as opposed to just the often "bigger is better" syndrom

Dont mind me RSSCAPTAIN I just like to play devils advocate allot in forums to really see what people think and have to say :p infact I have a balcony book for our Oct. cruise with CCI, see I am not trouble maker(I know were thinking it lol)

 

LOL We are all troublemakers here, (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) I know WHY I like what I like! What I think is important at my point in life is not what other's think is, and that's ok. :D

[happysinglemom]

Obvioulsy this totally depends on each person's individual situation. For me, I would not be able to afford a cruise if I had to have a balcony or one of the larger cabins. I cruise with my son, and we spend only a minimum amount of time in the room, so for me the size and type of cabin is not even am issue. Location of the cabin is more important. We prefer the upper decks, but front or rear does not seem to make a difference to us. We've had both and they were equally enjoyable.

[cdfev]

I always enjoy reading the answer to this question as it provides such insight in to decision making by different people.

 

I can afford to stay in a suite but doubt that I ever would since I think that it is such a waste of my money. I spend little to no time in the cabin other than to sleep and shower. I doubt that I would change my habits if I had a deluxe room instead of an inside.

 

I like to stay in a nice resort if I am going to be there for several days but would not dream of spending the money on a five star room when I am just looking for a place to sleep for one or two nights.

 

My decision about what type of room is really the premium that I have to pay for a window or a balcony. If the difference is only 20 percent, I might splurge. I'd say the breaking point for me is if it is 50 % more to have a balcony or the difference is more than $ 300 per person for a 7 day cruise or $600 for a 12 night cruise.

 

I guess that I just cannot get over the value thing

[BonNYTX]

All but one of our cruises were inside cabins. Carnival Triumph was an OV, We're usually on a budget and we don't mind being in an inside as long as we can cruise. We always book a cabin midship, not a bottom deck. On the last two cruises on the Rhapsody we were on deck 4, steps away from the Centrum. Champaign Bar, and the Edleweiss Dining Room. Great location! We don't book inside because it's our choice. For us, it's a matter of finances. That's why we're out of the room so much and return approx. 1:30AM. Would we spend the money for a balcony if we could? You betcha!!

Happy smooth sails no matter where you are.

[huskerdude]

Hey Bonnie,

Looks like I found you this time.:)

 

And I agree. Cabins and there locations are important but I would take almost any cabin as long as I was able to afford it. We have been fortunate and have had always had either on ocean view or balcony, but would do an inside if it was a ship and itinerary we really wanted to do.

 

Ernie

[rwillis9]

I hear you on that one. We had a Balcony on our Carnival Victory cruise last year and when the $ was available, I jumped from our OV to a Aft balcony on the Splendour of the Seas. We loved the balcony and I can not wait to sit on it and get away from everything. I though believe that if we had just a OV on the Victory, I would not have wanted another Balcony so bad (nor the wife wanting it.)

[BonNYTX]

Hey Bonnie,

Looks like I found you this time.:)

 

And I agree. Cabins and there locations are important but I would take almost any cabin as long as I was able to afford it. We have been fortunate and have had always had either on ocean view or balcony, but would do an inside if it was a ship and itinerary we really wanted to do.

 

Ernie

 

Hey Ernie, just wanted to say hi and ^5 on your post. I can't imagine turning down a cruise simply because we would have to be in an inside cabin. I could rough it again, honest!! :p

[patrioticgirl]

I have occupied 4 insides, 4 oceanviews, and 2 balconies, in no particular order. For Alaska, I opted for an oceanview cabin on the front of the ship because I'd been told it was extremely spacious and offered a great view. I've booked a balcony once on a guarantee and once on a happy hour special. When sailing on Horizon, I selected cabins, both inside and oceanview, as far aft as possible since my favorite daytime spot on this ship was the open access aft decks 8-11, where I could usually be found contentedly reading a book from early morning until time to shower for dinner. On my one Zenith sailing, someone else selected a foward stateroom on deck 5, which I did not enjoy nearly as much as the aft locations.

I'd actually planned on booking Mercury for my next voyage (in an aft inside cabin that was a skip and a hop from the open deck), but when I discovered that I could sail in my own aft cabin at a cost that was affordable on Legend of the Seas, I changed my plans, even though the ports are not really all that exciting. I plan to read and relax....I'll be quite content to stay in the cabin and on the balcony until dinnertime. For this particular trip, I booked the cabin because of its location on the ship and not the locations to which the ship will sail. No bragging intended...... I'm just thrilled that for once I've been fortunate enough to grab a cabin will allow me to have 24 hour private access to my favorite spot on any ship.

Personally, if it comes down to the ideal cabin or not sailing at all, I will take anything that I can justifibly afford. June's voyage on Empress of the Seas to Bermuda will be an inside cabin... the current per person balcony rate is twice the total cost for two of us in an inside cabin.

[Host Kewlguy]

At this point we have to have a balcony. We have become addicted over the past two years. Any size balcony is fine but since we enjoy the loungers to relax, the bigger the balcony the better. It has nothing to do with bragging. I want comfort on my vacation. We have friends who can certainly afford a balcony stateroom but choose to stay in an inside stateroom all the time. They prefer it. To each their own. Freedom of choice.

[cruzin4dafunofit]

just my 2 pennies....The wife and I have cruised from and inside (160 sq ft total) to our last cruise on a j suite (277sq ft...had room to sleep 2 in the walk-in closet :) :) ) .....but we will never book a cabin on deck 2 or 3...we've had some type of bad luck when we booked these rooms (some type of engine room noise, not so good attendant, etc.) other than that we'd book anywhere on the ship ....the closer to the bar the better!!!!

[rapsodyme]

We book early so can be near elevators, mid ship ect. Depending on budget, it has been inside, outside, balcony, and JS. Our last cabin on the Freedom was a aft balcony (had to try it) My sister and I did not like it at all. No breeze and too far from mid ship for older ladies to walk 8-10 times a day. No elevators in aft area.

 

Next cruise taking our DH (mine for the first time) for our 50th anniversary and we booked an owners suite for the 4 of us. 530 sq.ft. plus the balcony.

We are pretty jazzed about it. I have to say enjoy the room but enjoy being on a ship so would probably sleep in a life boat if the price was right.

 

Happy crusing

 

 

Vision of the Seas 10/07/07

[DON M.]

At this point we have to have a balcony. We have become addicted over the past two years. Any size balcony is fine but since we enjoy the loungers to relax, the bigger the balcony the better. It has nothing to do with bragging. I want comfort on my vacation. We have friends who can certainly afford a balcony stateroom but choose to stay in an inside stateroom all the time. They prefer it. To each their own. Freedom of choice.

Would you have to have a balcony if you wanted to cruise every couple of summers(peak seasson) fly cross country or to Europe from the West Coast, maybe for an 11 or 12 day cruise?

If all I did was drive 45 minutes to San Pedro for a Mexican Riviera cruise and could go almost anytime of the year, I would have to have a balcony also. My point is, for alot of people, its not "it does not matter, I can afford it"its a value and economicaL consideration as far as cabin selection with many factors to consider.

[madforcruising]

I have read over and over about the "afts" the "humps", etc.,..... and would like to know does your cabin really matter that much? Are you just as satisfied with an E1 as a D1? Do you usually book inside/oceanview, or balcony and does it matter really WHERE it is???

 

In other words, if a hump/aft is available, do you feel it is REALLY that important/necessary to spend the extra $$ over say an E2????? Thanks for all your replies on this....I hope I am making sense in my question.

 

To me cabin location is very important and I try to get as close to my favourite location as possible.

 

I like midship location, near stairs / elevators, higher up deck (prefer highest cabin deck)

 

Regarding cabin category, I´ve never benn in an inside, besides a one-night cruise to nowhere. It was OK but I wouldn´t want to spend a vacation in it. Oceanview is OK but I prefer at least balcony - better suites. Mind you I´m sailing most of the time as a single person and still the bigger cabins are a factor for me.

 

I spent a good amount of time in my cabin and I don´t like to be crammed into an inside or small outside. It´s not so much the size of balcony for me but size and amenities of cabin.

 

Do I cruise if my favourite spot / categorie is not available? Yes up to a certain point. I have some minimum requirements and if they are not met, I skip the cruise and wait for another option. I know I wouldn´t enjoy the cruise as much if those are not matched.

 

You may call me spoiled, OK, but that´s how I feel and we are all different.

[madforcruising]

Would you have to have a balcony if you wanted to cruise every couple of summers(peak seasson) fly cross country or to Europe from the West Coast, maybe for an 11 or 12 day cruise?

If all I did was drive 45 minutes to San Pedro for a Mexican Riviera cruise and could go almost anytime of the year, I would have to have a balcony also. My point is, for alot of people, its not "it does not matter, I can afford it"its a value and economicaL consideration as far as cabin selection with many factors to consider.

 

I think it becomes a matter of priorties and budget. We can only travel during the summer months right now. Airfare from LosAngeles to Europe, East Coast etc., pre-cruise hotel rooms, insurance, excursions, can add up quickly. Recently booked for June the 9day Gradeaur out of Balt. Would I have liked a balcony or an outside cabin?-yes. But with the costs of the above mentioned nessesities, and the cost difference of $900 and $2000 respectively, it will be an inside cabin and a wonderful 9 day cruise watching the world go by from one of the decks above.

I wonder how many of those who need a balcony would book it after paying $1200 pp to fly to Rome?

 

 

Well I definitely would and do it. While a flight to Rome is not that expensive for me;) I usually have to get an expensive transatlantic flight to reach my cruise port. And still I put out the money for the cabin I prefer.

Don´t misunderstand me, cost is a definite factor and I have to buget for my cruises. I try to save my money whereever I can and don´t spend much money at home.

 

My point is I look at the cruise and the prices and start to compare prices for cabin categories. My start point is usually a balcony at least and if that´s not affordable at all the rest of the cruise like itinerary, ship, timeframe must be a real good match to look further.

 

Form there I go up the list to see how much more is a JS or even GS. If it´s a big step OK I won´t take it, but often it´s like 200 or 300 more for 10 or 12 nights and this doesn´t weigh in that much in the total cost of the whole trip with high costs on air, hotels etc.

 

As I stated before my comfort is very important to me and very well can break my vacation experience. So that low percentage of overall cost doesn´t break the deal for me. It´s what others spend at the bar, which I frequent very rarely.

 

As I said to each his own and your way is as right for you as mine is for me.:)

[TonyRic]

The more we cruise, the more it matters..

LL

 

I think I may be the only one on here, but it really doesn't make that much difference to me!

 

Yes, of course, I love having a balcony, but it doesn't make much difference to me if I have an oceanview or inside or anything else.

 

It really just depends entirely on how much I want to spend, how much I plan on being in the cabin, and how long the cruise is. There is no way I would pay for more than an oceanview on a short cruise like my next one, but I would not hesitate to spend the money on a balcony or suite if the cruise is long or has a lot of days at sea. I have had every kind of cabin and I have been just as happy with one as another, I am just glad to be on vacation when I get there :D !

 

Here is where I feel we differ from the crowd. We have booked the inside, promenade, OV, obstructed view, D1 and JS. On a variety of sailings, ships and lengths. The more we sail, the less we REALLY care about what category we are in. We look at the itineraries and get a matching ship with the itinerary we want. Then, we book the best stateroom for the money we can afford or want to spend.

 

The only thing we REALLY care about, is if it is inside or OV or a balcony (non-aft) that we are mid-ship. Otherwise, a room ON the ship is SOOOOOO much better than a room NOT on the ship.

 

We have come to the conclusion that 1500-2000 more for a balcony is just not worth it to us and neither is 1000 for an OV. We will however spend 640.00 to move from an inside to a Family PR any day of the week and twice on sundays. :)

[isujim]

Not that it is surprising.............but the overall consensus.......probably 95%........is YES.......it matters to Cruise Critic Members:)

[MrPete]

My balcony is ALWAYS worth it to me:

 

It makes it hard to decide if I want to lounge, sit, or just stand at the rail.

[toriwc]

Leslie! I never would have thought it! :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

(Hanging my head in shame)...I know...that's what most people say! Probably because I go out of my way to hide it so well. I did quit for 8 days in October, and I am hoping to go on AOS smoke free!!

[cruisin from florida]

Even if we book the cheapest (other than a guarantee) inside, we still care WHERE it is in relation to activities, and stairs/elevators. Within any category, all cabins are NOT created equal.

[scubapuss]

Yes I cruise less to save my $10,000 for a owners suite rather than $4,000 for

a balcony. I also book the first minute to get the cabin I want.

[DukeFamily]

The cabin doesn't matter to us one iota. More important to me is its location - close to elevator or central area. My attitude about cruising is sort of like my attitude used to be when going to camp - you know, the accomodations were basic enough to cover the necessities, it was all the fun we'd have that mattered most. I enjoy being around other people and striking up conversations with other pax - people are interesting to me!. I enjoy having a coffee in a lounge chair watching the world go by...... I use my cabin for showering, dressing, sleeping and storing my stuff!

[cb at sea]

We won't sail if a JS isn't available--space is important to me. I can't see spending a week or more tripping over my hubby every time I want to move about! We love the space, and the tub is a must! (Makes the bathroom sooo much larger!)

I won't book a JS in the forward portion of the ship--I do prefer the center, but will go aft, if I have to.

[Murphy]

I didn't used to think the cabin mattered, but I found that it does! Especially depending on itinerary. More seas, the more the cabin matters. Who knew I would be so spoiled! But comfort matters to me more as I get older! DH got sick on our cruise last spring and I was sooo glad we had a full size sofa where I could sleep a little bit away from him and that we had the balcony to escape to and to air out the cabin!

[Gma&Gpa]

To get your best choice of rooms - how far in advance CAN you book. We're looking at Sept 2008 - but at this point, can only see up through April of 2008. If we call RCCL directly, can we book further ahead than we can see on-line? I would LOVE to book soon - I always feel better once I get my next one booked.

 

Also - I keep seeing references to "the hump" - just where is that?

[arby70]

Cabin type and location is very important to us. I will pay a bit more to have the opportunity to hand-pick my cabin. Many don't care because they don't spend much time in their cabin and motion sickness is not an issue. I don't necessarily spend a ton of time in my cabin, but I at least want a window to see out whenever I wish (in my jammies if need be). Got a verandah cabin my first cruise and now I'll be trying an oceanview as I am on a stricter budget this time.