Med cruise cabin choice

Hi all,

I'm looking for some guidance on cabin choice for an 11 day Med Venice itinerary out of Barcelona on Vision of the Seas in October. This will be our honeymoon.

We have never been to Europe and are most excited about the ports. We've both cruised before. I've nearly ruled out a balcony cabin secondary to the fact that the itinerary is port-intensive and it may not be very warm in October, and it's hard to justify spending ~$2000 more for the balcony (more to spend on excursions!).

I'd love any input regarding balcony vs. oceanview vs. interior on a higher deck from those who have sailed in Europe and/or been on VOTS.

Thanks in advance!

Hello...I cannot help that much right now, but we are doing the same itinerary on the Vision for 13-nights on May 3rd.

We agree that since it's so port intensive a balcony is not practical. Some of our friends suggested the newly created Panoramic Ocean View rooms, so we did. We've heard nothing but positive comments because the room size is as big as a balcony cabin.

There are not that many of these cabins on the Vision and they go fast.

I will post a review after we return on May 16th. Hopefully this helps a little.

Dave

We sailed on a similar itinerary on the SOS a few years ago and LOVED our balcony. It is a very port intensive cruise but sailing around the Med, watching from your balcony, is awesome! Definitely worth the extra money if at all possible.

I have done this itinerary in late October and in my opinion it was warm (I am British though so may have low expectations!). There were some beautiful places to arrive at - Venice is the big one - on arrival you want to be on the starboard side. Dubrovnik was another one. Naples with Vesuvius in view. We were in Ocean view and enjoyed all these views from the deck as well as our window. Only you can say if it worth $2000 but I think the reasons you have given may not be so accurate - although it is port intensive as you say.

Always have a balcony, Mediterranean or Caribbean, worth it to us. For Europe even more useful IMHO as you sail into and out of some spectacular ports. However, I do agree the supplement for a balcony in Europe for some of these older ships (we've sailed Splendour out of Venice) is rather outrageous. More reasonable on ships like Liberty.

I think I am right in saying that Vision has lots of good views from public areas - part of the point of the name of her class. We did the trip in radiance class and there were views everywhere so perhaps the money would be better spent on excursions, depending if you want to look at the scenery in private or not.

We always sail in a balcony as we enjoy spending time on there, not just for sail-in and sail-out. However, I do understand your reservations with a port intensive cruise and if you could spend the extra money on excursions I think in your case I would forego having a balcony.

I've taken a look at your itinerary and have been to all the ports before and think it's worth making the following points regarding each port, since some of the ports mentioned above do not appear in your itinerary:

Villefranche - you will be tendered anyway so sailing in/out is not an issue

Livorno is a large industrial port with no real views

Civitavecchia - again no real views, it's the port for Rome which is many miles away

Salerno - you will be in an industrial port over a mile from the town which, in any case, is not a picturesque town

Venice and Kotor are both spectacular places to sail in and out of but could be argued that they are best appreciated on the top deck so you can take in all the wonderful scenery. As for the weather, we have had lovely weather and we've had cool and rainy weather at the end of October which is obviously another factor to take into account.

Hope this helps :)

We have not had an inside cabin in quite a long time, but with the current prices of European cruises, combined with the cost of airfare, we have an inside cabin on the Rhapsody booked in September. We are both easy to please, so I am sure we will be just fine. We could easily have booked 3 Caribbean cruises for what I am paying. I always thought the actual cruise price was cheaper. Ooops, I was wrong. I keep looking for price adjustments and have seen nothing. There are lots of months for overtime for the both of us!

I have done this itinerary in late October and in my opinion it was warm (I am British though so may have low expectations!). There were some beautiful places to arrive at - Venice is the big one - on arrival you want to be on the starboard side. Dubrovnik was another one. Naples with Vesuvius in view. We were in Ocean view and enjoyed all these views from the deck as well as our window. Only you can say if it worth $2000 but I think the reasons you have given may not be so accurate - although it is port intensive as you say.

I totally agree, had balcony beginning of October. Sailing out of Venice at night is wonderful.

If your budget will stretch to it, in your situation, I would definitely have the balcony, especially if this is a special trip.

If you're lucky, the weather will be fine. Warm, not hot. We have had beautiful weather in November! It's a bit of a gamble though.

Our most beautiful photographs of sunrises and sunsets, and sail always and arrivals, have been taken on our balcony. Sitting looking out from your own little space is so much better than viewing from a packed public place, in my opinion.

I really wouldn't want to sail without a balcony at any time. Whether the things that are important to me are worth £2,000 to you is something that only you can judge! :)

We are going on our first Mediterranean cruise on Vision of the Seas this September. While we would have loved to book a balcony, it would have been around $2,000.00 more per person! It's supply & demand - on these smaller ships there are fewer balconies available and they charge a premium for them. We settled for an oceanview cabin on the port side as recommended when we booked. As someone else mentioned, you will need to go to the starboard side for the best views of Venice. So we will be looking out our window or up on deck to see the sights.

Only you can can decide if it's worth the money for a balcony. We opted for the ocean view because the price difference would buy us another cruise! If you do decide to get a balcony, check out the suite prices as well, since they are not that much higher than the balcony prices on our cruise. If you're going to spend the extra money for a balcony, you may be able to get some extra perks with a suite.

Hi all,

 

I'm looking for some guidance on cabin choice for an 11 day Med Venice itinerary out of Barcelona on Vision of the Seas in October. This will be our honeymoon.

 

We have never been to Europe and are most excited about the ports. We've both cruised before. I've nearly ruled out a balcony cabin secondary to the fact that the itinerary is port-intensive and it may not be very warm in October, and it's hard to justify spending ~$2000 more for the balcony (more to spend on excursions!).

 

I'd love any input regarding balcony vs. oceanview vs. interior on a higher deck from those who have sailed in Europe and/or been on VOTS.

 

Thanks in advance!

It's been a long time since we have sailed in an inside cabin, For us after some Crown and Anchor Discounts the difference between an inside and balcony cabin is worth the view. However, I just looked at a major on-line travel agent website and the inside cabin is $999 vs $2500 for a balcony. First the $999 is a great deal and I would take that in a heartbeat for 11 days in the Med. Given the $4000 price difference for 2, I would take the $4000 price difference and go somewhere else next year for the 1 yr anniversary. As nice as the view of Venice is from my balcony, I would go to the top deck for $4000. Enjoy your honeymoon.

We usually travel to Europe in the Fall because the weather, in general, is perfect. Our first Med cruise was in an ocean view and we were very happy. I will always remember sitting at the dressing table, getting ready for our excursion and seeing the rock of Gibraltar slide into sight in the mirror. ...things that take your breath away. I wouldn't have had that with an inside cabin.

Just having a window on the world, especially coastlines you you don't see everyday, is important to us. Every Med cruise since, we have had a balcony with our cabin, some bigger than others. I love that balcony, but would give it up for ocean view if the price is right.

I'd recommend what we did our first time... Ocean view and use the extra money ($2000 extra for the balcony is too much IMO) for excursions.

What ever you decide, enjoy!

Not surprised that many here will insist that a balcony is essential, but I applaud your solid decision to spend those thousands elsewhere. Grab a drink and find a pair of good seats on the promenade and your experience going into and out of ports will be just as good.

That said, as others have mentioned, one of the Panoramic OV cabins is a great choice if available at a good price, not only because of the view, but also the room is superior to other OVs as it is set up like a balcony room.

If a POV is not an option, my choice on this class of ships is to get an OV or inside on deck 4, a few rooms in from the opening to the Centrum. In that location you are not bothered by noise, but always feel that you are only a few steps from the "action".

Have a great cruise!

We had also booked a panoramic view cabin on Vison for a Med cruise this May to get the space and save $$$ for excursions, but as we're approaching final payment now, the prices have dropped a bit, allowing us to upgrade to a JS for about a $1,000 more in total net after OBC from Royal and our travel agent.

So book the panoramic cabin but keep watching up until you make final payment in case there is a sale that makes it more reasonable for you to change your cabin.

For us, for a 12 night sailing with 3 in the cabin, the extra space in the JS and the double points made the decision and this was within our budget.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding!

I am in agreement that $2000 is just too much of a difference and think of the things you can do ashore for that :) It might even cover all of your airfare since mine was only $848 from TPA to Rome.....

Two of my Med sailings have been in inside cabins and I have no regrets! Even when sailing in and out of Venice on the Splendour - I wanted to be on the top deck and all the way forward for the best view anyway. ;)

On my recent sailing on the Serenade (October 20, 2014) the weather wasn't great in the eastern Med and we missed Mykonos. For almost the entire day you couldn't walk on deck because of high winds and rain and the automatic doors to the outside were locked. Two of the ports were very cool and we had some light rain. So, the weather won't always be ideal in the Fall and the daylight hours are shorter.

Book whatever category you can afford considering all you want to be able to do on this trip. You will have wonderful memories no matter what the cabin category :D

Some of the ports are breath taking views which we enjoyed the moment we woke via the use of our balcony.

Hi all,

 

I'm looking for some guidance on cabin choice for an 11 day Med Venice itinerary out of Barcelona on Vision of the Seas in October. This will be our honeymoon.

..... and it's hard to justify spending ~$2000 more for the balcony (more to spend on excursions!).

Hi Gopherpharm. I've quoted what I feel is your 2 most important statements:

Honeymoon and cost.

I wish to ask you just how important to your overall budget that $2000 is vs. your income etc? This will be your Honeymoon after all. The balconies on Vision are not that huge, unless you grab an aft balcony.

With respect to costs, I too am on your side. Costs are important to me and I'd rather spend my $$ on what's important for the specific trip/cruise I'm on. Port intensive once-in-a-lifetime bucket list trips, I want to see the destinations I'm going to... not the cabin I'm sleeping in. On cruises/trips where the destination is not that important, where I want to feel the luxury of a larger stateroom and balcony in the warm sun, not needing to spend lots of money on bucket-list excursions, then a balcony at a higher cost is awesome (ie. in the Caribbean)

Having sailed the Med 3 times there was no way I was going to be "stuck" in 150sf of a balcony room on a 50sf deck only being able to see about 180 degrees side to side.... after all the entire top deck of Vision has almost a 360 degree view. You will be absolutely wasting your money and time sitting on your balcony entering both Kotor and Venice... you NEED to be top deck. The Caribbean is a different story... I've had several balcony staterooms and all of them were awesome as the ship was as much as a destination as the Caribbean ports, but personally I cannot see the value on a balcony in the Med unless it's affordable for you... the Med is the destination not the ship. Spend that money on much better and more extensive excursions. I did enjoy my Oceanview on the Serenade this past Sept but I spent almost no time in my stateroom.

If you decide interior over balcony, I would try getting decks 7 or 8, a quick staircase up to pool deck/Windjammer/top decks 10. I really like the layouts of the sideways M-class cabins and they're super convenient to the elevators and staircase.

Just my 2 cents. Have an awesome cruise! :D

Wow! Thanks so much for all the great input, I really appreciate it.

While a balcony would be nice, my fiance and I agree we won't be spending much time in the cabin-for us, it's all about really experiencing the places we're visiting. We don't mind going up to the top deck to catch some views upon arrival or departure from ports.

Sadly there are no POV cabins left, but we've chosen a large OV cabin on deck 3 port side - close to elevator/stairs, shouldn't have any noise issues with cabins above/below. And we should be able to see a bit from our window!

Thanks again, everyone.

Hi Gopherpharm. I've quoted what I feel is your 2 most important statements:

Honeymoon and cost.

 

I wish to ask you just how important to your overall budget that $2000 is vs. your income etc? This will be your Honeymoon after all. The balconies on Vision are not that huge, unless you grab an aft balcony.

Yup- it is a special trip, but we've been together 9 years. The special part for us is experiencing Europe for the first time!

I'm completing residency training in June (i.e. haven't had real income...ever) and we have some big purchases coming up (the wedding, obviously, and a down payment on a house). So, $2000 more is a lot for us.

Thanks, Hoopster for the comment about the sideways M cabins on deck 7! :) I have one of those for the Oct. VOTS Med cruise. Sailing single, I book insides, and mid-ship deck 7 looks good.

I booked early, saved later with a big price reduction. When the TA called to ask if I wanted a different cabin, I stuck with mine. I'm glad I did because I'd rather be up top rather than a sideways view.

Been back a long time but wanted to provide some feedback on our cabin choice in case it helps anyone in the future:

We ended up with 3020 on Vision of the Seas, which is an oceanview cabin. We had an amazing honeymoon and I have no regrets on our cabin choice! It was relatively chilly (55-60 most days, often windy). If I were cruising the Med in the summer I might consider a balcony, but for us, spending the money on excursions was a better choice! Our 11 day itinerary was packed so we weren't in the room much at all, and sailing into Kotor, it was best to be up on deck to get different views anyway. Can't wait to do the Med again!

Been back a long time but wanted to provide some feedback on our cabin choice in case it helps anyone in the future:

 

We ended up with 3020 on Vision of the Seas, which is an oceanview cabin. We had an amazing honeymoon and I have no regrets on our cabin choice! It was relatively chilly (55-60 most days, often windy). If I were cruising the Med in the summer I might consider a balcony, but for us, spending the money on excursions was a better choice! Our 11 day itinerary was packed so we weren't in the room much at all, and sailing into Kotor, it was best to be up on deck to get different views anyway. Can't wait to do the Med again!

Awesome to hear back from you Gopherpharm! Glad you had a great trip. :D

Not surprised that many here will insist that a balcony is essential, but I applaud your solid decision to spend those thousands elsewhere. Grab a drink and find a pair of good seats on the promenade and your experience going into and out of ports will be just as good.

 

That said, as others have mentioned, one of the Panoramic OV cabins is a great choice if available at a good price, not only because of the view, but also the room is superior to other OVs as it is set up like a balcony room.

If a POV is not an option, my choice on this class of ships is to get an OV or inside on deck 4, a few rooms in from the opening to the Centrum. In that location you are not bothered by noise, but always feel that you are only a few steps from the "action".

Have a great cruise!

Hi. I know this is an older post- but, we are booking a panoramic on the vision and are having a hard time finding anything about them on these boards.

Did you sail in one? We are unsure about deck 7 vrs 8. Deck 8 seems to have floor to ceiling window; but, lots of noise complaints from the pool above. We are trying to also find one with the bed against the window.

Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Hi. I know this is an older post- but, we are booking a panoramic on the vision and are having a hard time finding anything about them on these boards.

Did you sail in one? We are unsure about deck 7 vrs 8. Deck 8 seems to have floor to ceiling window; but, lots of noise complaints from the pool above. We are trying to also find one with the bed against the window.

 

Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

We did not find the noise from above to be a big issue. It's very quiet at night. All the beds are against the wall. No bed would be put up against the window... It is floor to ceiling, wall to wall glass. Great views and a nice size cabin. Would book again.