Best of Italy & inside cabin?

[JJPacer]

We're thinking of the Best of Italy cruise. We've never been to Europe. We have had balcony cabins and inside cabins. We were wondering... since the cruise is so port intensive if you would recommend a balcony, or if an inside would be OK. We like seeing the ship enter the ports, but we will be off the ship most of the time it is in port. I know it's personal preference. Do you think we would wish we had a balcony? :p

[Susan-M]

We've really enjoyed our balcony cabins on both of our port-intensive med cruises (our Quest one was a 14 day cruise with 2 sea days). With the ports being so busy, and being on the go from 'dawn to dusk' we found that the balcony was a perfect spot for relaxing afterwards, and enjoying the spectacular views whenever we wanted to.

 

Since you've had both types of cabins, you'll know what to expect...but to answer your question, if you choose an inside and wonder if you'll wish you had a balcony, my answer would be 'yes', unless you'll be sacrificing something even more enjoyable in order to afford the balcony.

[digby]

Personally if I didn't have a balcony, I'd stay home. I use the balcony night and day in all kinds of weather.

[Jancruz]

Personally if I didn't have a balcony, I'd stay home. I use the balcony night and day in all kinds of weather.

 

Im with you..I need the air and the ability to walk out and see the water and the ports as we pull in!!

Especially at these prices (which change tomorrow) you cant go wrong with a balcony!!!!!

Jancruz1

[Susan-M]

Especially at these prices (which change tomorrow....

 

Thanks for the 'heads-up' Jan ... I guess that explains the 'glitch' with the Azamara site today?

[Jancruz]

Thanks for the 'heads-up' Jan ... I guess that explains the 'glitch' with the Azamara site today?

 

I have a call into them now to see what the problem is..I agree with the thinking they are changing the prices..

Jancruz1

[YHZcruiser]

JJPacer,

 

I would say "go for the balcony", especially at those prices. I agree with my fellow Canadian CC member. Plus, Azamara has a real table on its balconies, so breakfast on the balcony in the morning as the ship docks... or the view you will have of the various ports sitting comfortably on your balcony, sipping a drink... need I say more?:D

 

We had a balcony cabin on our first AZ cruise last fall in the Mediterranean and it was fantastic. Our TA knew what she was doing when she suggested we go for the balcony on our first cruise (it was also special for me turning 50 :eek:); she got us addicted!

 

Which cruise are you considering? We are sailing on the August 9 one and are looking forward to it very much. I hear it will be very warm in Italy in August, but with the snow storm (yet another one) we had yesterday, I really don't care. I prefer to carry a water bottle than to carry a snow shovel!

 

If you or others are doing the August 9 sailing, we are looking for fellow cruisers to share transfers from Rome to Civitavecchia on the 9th and again on the return from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino airport. We have a flight leaving at 12:30 on 23 August. We are booked with RomeCabs and will let him know how many people would join us.

 

Let us know. And good luck with your decision!

[fpat]

While I agree with all that was said about having a balcony and out all of my cruises 4 were ocean view on early CCL ships, Windstar and one NCL ship all the rest of my cruises have been in suites, penthouse on my CCL cruises, Family suite on my Princess Cruise and SA on my Hal cruise, I am also booked in SA and S for my two upcoming Hal cruises. We are a family of 5 so on all of the above except the Princess suite I have needed two side by sides or connecting.

 

That being said I am Booked in two insides for my up coming Best of Italy Cruise on 6/28 for my Family. I looked at it from a finical aspect some what, but also being as you said the itinerary is so port intensive I really felt that the rooms would only be used for sleeping on this type of cruise. We intend on being off the ship pretty much all of the port time, we intend on eating dinner in all of the ports on the 3 overnights and in Porto Veccio, in fact I have the restaurants picked out already. I sailed the Med once before with Just my DW on Windstar and with No Balcony and felt it was fine because we were off the ship so much.

 

In the Caribbean or Alaska I feel a Balcony is very important as the port times are much shorter than in the MED and as others have stated it is nice to have the Balcony as others have stated for many reasons. I guess it all boils down to finances and state of mind on a particular trip. There was a $500pp price drop on my cruise where I could have got a balcony for the same as I was paying for the inside but I took the credit on my CC instead as I had already paid in full.

 

I wasn't going to post in this thread but I just wanted to give you one other side as everyone else all agreed. You can also do a search on the Med board for inside VS balcony and you should get a few hits as I know it was discussed in detail on pros and Cons of both.

 

best of luck on your decision.

[gillianrose]

We like seeing the ship enter the ports, but we will be off the ship most of the time it is in port

 

The best place to view ports at entry and sailaway is not from a small balcony, but topside with other cruisers.

 

Keep in mind that some ports are not as pretty as you might like, and that you need to usually get away from the port area to see the beauty.

 

Can you compromise with an oceanview cabin?

[Wendy The Wanderer]

I agree with the poster before me--why don't you compromise with a window cabin? Personally, I wouldn't do inside, but I would do window. I love my balcony though.

[JJPacer]

We appreciate all of your thoughts. You have given us much to think about. We appreciate your willingness to share your experience. Happy cruising to all.

[sinova]

Pros and Cons about balcony vs. inside. It is all $$$! You can do two inside cabin cruises vs. one balcony. However, the recent Tianjin to Hong Kong sailing Mar 14 the balcony was cheaper than inside. You must check you $$ daily. There is price flutuation daily.

 

Eddy

 

We're thinking of the Best of Italy cruise. We've never been to Europe. We have had balcony cabins and inside cabins. We were wondering... since the cruise is so port intensive if you would recommend a balcony, or if an inside would be OK. We like seeing the ship enter the ports, but we will be off the ship most of the time it is in port. I know it's personal preference. Do you think we would wish we had a balcony? :p

[susu1403]

Dear JJ and others

We are on the 9th August Best of Italy and have chosen an inside cabin for the reasons others have given - we were on a Med cruise with Celebrity last year and only a very few of the ports were pretty enough for us to have sat out in port on a balcony. A lot of them are quite industrial with cranes and a lot of other traffic.

That said , we were on deck for most of the sail aways which was awesome and the sail into Venice is something that I will never forget but you need to be on deck.

I think save the $$$$ and take an inside!!

Hope to see some of you on August 9th,

Susan

[Michele Noel]

Try to get an inside that is in the center of the ship. The cabins are very pretty but the insides in the front are very rocky.

[gillianrose]

Dear JJ and others

We are on the 9th August Best of Italy and have chosen an inside cabin for the reasons others have given - we were on a Med cruise with Celebrity last year and only a very few of the ports were pretty enough for us to have sat out in port on a balcony. A lot of them are quite industrial with cranes and a lot of other traffic.

 

Which were the pretty ports? Was a tender required to reach them?

[Susan-M]

....only a very few of the ports were pretty enough for us to have sat out in port on a balcony. A lot of them are quite industrial with cranes and a lot of other traffic.

 

When we are in port we are normally off of the ship for most of the day, so we find that we rarely use the balcony while in port (depending on what time the ship departs). When the ship is coming into or leaving the port, before breakfast, some evenings, or on sea days, we are out there as much as possible. I try to choose a cabin on the side of the ship that will be facing the shore line the most in order to get the views coming in and leaving port.

 

Ports in the Med that we've visited and stand out as being 'pretty' are Barcelona, Villefranche, Sorrento, Istanbul, Santorini, Mykonos, Antalya, Bodrum, Fethiye, Dubrovnik ... but even some of the industrial ports are interesting to us since it's something that we don't see every day.:)

[gillianrose]

Ports in the Med that we've visited and stand out as being 'pretty' are Barcelona, Villefranche, Sorrento, Istanbul, Santorini, Mykonos, Antalya, Bodrum, Fethiye, Dubrovnik ... but even some of the industrial ports are interesting to us since it's something that we don't see every day.:)

 

Thank you. I do like my ports to be pretty. :D