Sun Princess Inside Cabin Bed Arrangement Question

We are sailing on the Sun Princess in April and are in an inside cabin. We usually ask for beds to be put together, but I see that these cabins are only 135 sq.ft. Both Bob & I are a bit on the "robust" side, so I am wondering if we would be best having the beds set up as twins to free up a bit more space in the middle, verses a bit on each side if they are pushed together.

Any thoughts? Also, I have read that the shower & bathroom is pretty tiny. Any pointers on how to take an effective shower when your body is not a size 8? Ha!

Finally, what sort of closet and drawer space is there for the inside cabins on the Sun? We are sailing for 17 nights. Obviously, we will be using the self-serve laundry but are curious about how many drawers there are and how big the closet is and if there is adaquate storage space in the bathroom for toiletries.

Thanks, in advance. We've sailed in tiny rooms before, but it has been many years. When we went to Bermuda many years ago, our inside cabin was so small that we could not both walk side by side within it...and we were smaller then than we are now!! Ha!

--Jean

We just spent 20 nights on the Sun in an inside cabin.

First, there was plenty of storage space. We actually had empty drawers after we were fully unpacked (we do take an over the door clear plastic shoe rack which we put on the bathroom door). There are 4 shelves in the closet on which you can stack clothing, as well as 4 wire drawers in the closet. There was plenty of room for our hanging clothes (about 4 to 5 feet of hanging length, I'm guessing). In addition, there are 6 drawers (fairly narrow) in the nightstand-dresser and 6 drawers in the vanity. And you can store things in the TV stand (between the TV and the refrigerator). There were 3 shelves in the bathroom as well as the bottom shelf where extra towels are stored. And the top shelf in the closet (where lifevests are). We take two suction cup shower baskets, and even with those there was a lot of room in the shower (much larger than the Grand class showers, not as large as Celebrity showers, if that helps). I could shave my legs in there, and I'm 5'11" tall.

As for the bed configuration...we go with twins in an inside cabin. This gives us a large area between the beds for dressing, moving around, etc. Otherwise, you might feel like you have to enter the bed from the foot of the bed, not the side (especially since the nightstand-dresser will be placed on the closet side of the bed). We like the space to pull out our stored suitcases from under each bed easily (we store our scuba/snorkel equipment in a suitcase under the bed). We also like the nightstand-dresser between the beds, as it provides one more lamp between the beds (the reading lights were not very bright).

We had one of the cabins along the main aisles, with the door in the cutaway area. The vanities are shorter in these cabins, and the bathrooms are laid out quite differently from the cabins along the cross-aisles. I don't remember which cabin type has the larger showers.

The only real inconvenience in the bathroom in a cutaway inside cabin is that the toilet is angled toward the bathroom door. If you're tall (or even just 5'11" tall), it is very hard to close the bathroom door when you're on the toilet.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for you insight. We do have one of the cut-out inside cabins. I think I'll go to the Princess Website and make sure we have our room set-up as twin beds. Hubby won't like it very much, but it will be better to have that extra room between the beds to move around and juggle luggage under the bed. We'll just have to take turns snuggling from one bed to the other...ha...and then stretch out to sleep in our individual twin beds.

Can hardly wait. Any special tips or private spots you'd recommend? We are traditional late sitting diners. Thought about the anytime dining but there is no way I want to stand in a waiting line for a table. I'm guessing there will be a lot of older passengers on this voyage that will want to eat early. At least by eating at around 8:30 p.m. we'll be assured of a set table and the same waiter.

Thanks again!

--Jean

We have sailed on the Sun twice. We like the ship very much. The crew were wonderful. We never had an inside on the Sun but just got off the Grandeur of the Seas (RCCL) and had our first inside. What I thought would be awful turned out to be alright. When we first arrived our bed was a queen but as the above posted stated how does one get into that bed?? So we asked for twin beds much more room. We are having an inside on the Dawn Princess in May. Your really not in the cabin that much so it shouldn't be a problem.

We enjoyed the Atrium on the Sun. There are a couple of nice spots on the ship, the Wheelhouse bar is nice for dancing and people watching. The covered deck (can't remember which one) was nice to sit in the late afternoon and again "people watch" and relax. We had early seating, table for 4, your wise to choose late seating only because the "older" crowd (of which we belong) like to eat early. What we did was on the first day of the cruise see the head waiter and ask for a table for four and the same wait staff, worked out great. Enjoy your cruise.

We're not "young bucks"...in our mid-50's. We sign up for late sitting because we want to enjoy ALL of the day and the sun and the ports. Plus, if we eat late, we're more likely to stay up late for the show and for dancing. We have many many friends over the years by sharing meals each night with them. Last year on our Celebrity cruise to Alaska we shared a table with an airline pilot and his cabin attendant wife and a retired New York Police Detective and his travel agent wife. Great conversation and the ability to connect with people that we never would have had the opportunity to otherwise. I'm a church secretary and my hubby is a retired truck driver. We each wear completely different caps so to speak, yet shared a wonderful cruise together.

I have updated my information on the Princess web-site to request twin bed set up in our cabin. If the beds are pushed together, I'll just ask our cabin attendant to switch it back. We'll check out the Atrium and the other spots you mentioned. I have read that the aft deck on the Aloha deck is the quiet spot to sit and watch the ship's wake. We are one deck down on Baja deck and near the back of the ship, so it will be very handy to access.

Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.

DH and I are both plus size people. The showers and bathrooms are absolutly no problem on the Sun. They are larger than any other Princess ships! DH insisted that our beds be put together. It would have been better for floor space to have them as twins, but he wouldn't hear of it. You can decide who gets to sleep next to the accessable wall. The other wall will be partially blocked by the closet (near the foot of the beds), but there is some space on both sides of the bed. It was easier for us to get dressed one person at a time. Other than that, it was fine. We were aft on the Aloha deck, and there is a lovely deck which is seldom used by other passengers at the end of the passageway. I used it when I just couldn't stand DH for one more minute!:rolleyes: Welcome to the Cave Dwellers Club!:D We get the same cruise as everybody else for a lot less $$$!

I'm hoping hubby will go with the flow and let us keep the beds as twins. We share a king bed at home and will share a king bed at the hotel pre-stay we booked. I'd rather have the extra space between the beds than to deal with a partially blocked closets and getting into bed by climbing over the foot of it. We'll probably even sleep a bit better, since they say the 2 beds put together make the size of a queen. This way we can stretch out over the edge of the bed instead of fighting over the leg space and blanket, etc. Ha!

Tic-toc, I wish the clock would hurry up! The anticipation builds but the days just take their time going by. I have read about that deck on Aloha. Sounds like just the right spot to relax and read a book. Ah calgon take me away!

--Jean

I hope hubby will just let the room be set up with twin beds. I don't like the idea of climbing from the foot of the bed to get into it and I would prefer the bigger space between the beds. We share a king bed at home & will share a king bed at our pre-stay hotel. We'll probably sleep a bit better in twins because we can stretch our legs and snuggle in without worrying over leg space and blanket hogs. We're not used to one queen bed, which is what Princess advertises 2 twins together will be.

I am looking forward to hiding out on Aloha deck aft and reading a nice book while watching the wake roll behind the ship. Ahh...wish it was sooner than April 19, but all good things are worth the wait, I guess.

--Jean

Oops...my darn computer times out before the post completes. It told me it rejected the first post and then it disappeared off the screen so I started over. Drat. I hate it when that happens!!!

--Jean

We've been in an inside 4 times on the Sun Class ships and I agree that it's MUCH easier with the bed as twins. If the other person gets up in the middle of the night, you wake up as they crawl down the bed. We had a few bruises on our shins also!

I like to bring the razors with a shaving gel strip. Intuition is one and there is a new Venus Breeze. I think it makes it much easier not to have to apply shaving cream in that small space.

One of our favorite spots is in the lounge by the Patisserie. We grab a coffee and tea (and maybe one of the free cookies or candies) and people watch or gaze out the window.

We are currently in Dolphin 735 on Sun and like other inside and indeed outside cabins we have had on the Sun unless you are prepared to climb over furniture or the corners of the bed its hopeless having the beds any other than 2 singles

Only Balcony rooms on the Sun or Sea Princess accomodate double/queen bed arrangement

Thanks to luvthis for starting this post; my family will be sailing in inside cabins in the Dawn (the Sun's sister) in June, and it's nice to learn these details!

I have been wondering about bringing along one of those wire caddies to hang over the shower head to hold the shower toiletries... what do you think? Unnecessary, not enough room, or brilliant idea? :D

I'm also planning to bring a fog-free suction mirror for DH to shave with.

We are currently in Dolphin 735 on Sun and like other inside and indeed outside cabins we have had on the Sun unless you are prepared to climb over furniture or the corners of the bed its hopeless having the beds any other than 2 singles

 

Only Balcony rooms on the Sun or Sea Princess accomodate double/queen bed arrangement

I had that cabin on the Dawn Princess and the noise from the Wheelhouse band was awful. Are you having any problems?

Theresa

Here is my D325 picture:

Thanks for posting that photo - it really made me understand how the queen bed would be in the way! We have booked a 3-person room, so I don't think it would have been an option, but it doesn't look like we'd want it anyway. :)

Hi Theresa

No Dolphin 735 on Sun Princess is a very nice peaceful cabin

We last met you on the Sun ....May 2005 Alaska sailing and we all had lunch in the Pizzeria

Your photo certainly shows the problem of insides and outsides on the Sun if you try to have the bed as a Queen

However as 2 singles theres stacks of room in the centre and access to the drawer unit

Hi Theresa

 

No Dolphin 735 on Sun Princess is a very nice peaceful cabin

 

We last met you on the Sun ....May 2005 Alaska sailing and we all had lunch in the Pizzeria

Yes - I remember you and your husband. You 2 were with Curt and Cindy all week.

I had that cabin on the Dawn Princess the year before I met you and it was a miserable cabin (I did a B2B to Alaska a year before my B2B with you guys). Maybe they did something with the soundproofing but I could feel the band in the Wheelhouse Lounge all week until 2 am. It was like my room was vibrating from the noise. I was supposed to keep the cabin for the 2nd week but I said something to the Purser's Desk and they gave me a balcony for the second week. They couldn't switch me that week because the ship was oversold. The room steward told me that they had problems with that cabin (plus the one next to it and across from it) every week. I guess it is good to know that the Sun Princess doesn't have that same problem.

Theresa

We (three of us, including a 8-yr-old) were on a 15-day cruise on the Island Princess and we were able to stow our suitcases and our plastic crates (for the drinks we brought on) under the beds.

We (three of us, including a 8-yr-old) were on a 15-day cruise on the Island Princess and we were able to stow our suitcases and our plastic crates (for the drinks we brought on) under the beds.

Hi Theresa

 

No Dolphin 735 on Sun Princess is a very nice peaceful cabin

 

So glad to hear that your cabin is peaceful! My DW and I will be 2 doors down in D727 next month and I was worried about the nightclub below. A couple of other questions. Have they refitted the Sun with the new style comforters et al... and secondly, does the smoke from the nearby Casino permiate your hallway. I wouldn't think so, but my wife has a real problem with Casino smoke. We will be detouring around it, even when it is closed while we are in ports. A few more stairs never hurt anyone!

Thanks in Advance

Mark

We were in an inside cabin on the Sun in December. I requested our beds be made together instead of left as twins--but they weren't when we boarded. We decided to rearrange them ourselves and then our cabin steward changed the sheets to double sheets.

Having them together did not leave a lot of room on one side. It was cramped. But I'd rather have them together rather than the two of us try to snuggle up in a single bed. It just doesn't work for two people our size (over 6 feet and 200 pounds).

I thought the closet and drawer space was adequate--but there wasn't as much as on the Grand-class ships. We had an inside cabin on the Golden once, and it had a lot more closet space--the same as our outside and balcony cabins on other Grand-class ships.

 

I thought the closet and drawer space was adequate--but there wasn't as much as on the Grand-class ships. We had an inside cabin on the Golden once, and it had a lot more closet space--the same as our outside and balcony cabins on other Grand-class ships.

You are right, there is probably more on the Grand class ships. I went from that inside cabin (on the Dawn) to a balcony the next day and I had half the space on the balcony cabin. So on these ships, the inside cabins do have more storage space.

Mark - I had no problems with smoke and the location of the cabin is very convenient to the atrium, elevators and pizzeria. I actually liked the location of the cabin. I had a similiar cabin (on the long hallway, not the short cross ways) on the Sea Princess and loved the location on that, so that is why I booked D325 on the Dawn.

Theresa

After 36 years of marriage and sharing one bed, it will be a change to sleep in twin beds. However, we have done it once or twice before on past cruises. It has been years & years, though. In any case, thanks to each of you for sharing your thoughts and experiences...and the picture of the inside with the beds pushed together was even more re-enforcement that twin will be in for Bob & I this cruise. We are excited just to be able to take a 17 night cruise and be able to afford it. Being in an inside cabin will be no problem for us, considering the cost difference to obtain a balcony. Yup...up one floor to the Aloha deck aft is where I'll be. Can't wait.

--Jean

We have learned that we are quite happy in inside cabins, although we get balcony cabins too, but not on the Sun class ships (because they are too small, we feel). But we are very fussy about cabin location. While I can tolerate an inside cabin, it must have quick and handy exit to the OUTSIDE of the ship. Since we like to be up high on a ship, we find the cabins located toward the stern of Aloha deck on the Sun and the Grand class ships to be perfect. We were about 15 feet from the back door to the aft terrace on the Aloha deck...far enough away that we didn't hear constant door slamming, but close enough to feel like it was OUR balcony for the cruise (which we shared with several others.;) ) Riviera deck insides would be good too.

As for shower racks...we have two of the suction cup holders we have permanently packed in our cruise suitcase (along with the over the door shoe rack). These kinds of things are very individual, but we like them better than the wire shower racks for a cruise, because a rack would sometimes interfere with the existing soap cutout, the temperature control valve, or that other little valvy thing that I assume helps keep the system drained. Maybe not, but it might. We like the suction cup kind because we can stuff them full of undies and socks and, alhthough they take up some space in a suitcase, it isn't much. However, they don't work well if the shower wall has a grainy surface, which it does on a few of the ships we've been on (they tend to slide down the wall to the floor). But they have worked great on our recent ships (Sea, Sun, Sapphire, Diamond).

We are on Baja Deck #716, which is near the back of the ship and only 2 cabins behind the back stairs and back elevator. Since we booked the very cheapest guarantee offered, we are very pleased to be moved up to the Baja Deck in the aft section of the ship. There should not be much foot traffic in that part of the ship and we are close to the stairs to walk up one deck to the Aloha Deck and head out the back doors onto the deck. Plus Baja Deck has cabins both above and below us. I like the location we are in. The ship has no balcony cabins or suite cabins left, and I would prefer the inside cabin assigned to us verses a window cabin forward on the ship or in the belly of the ship. Time will tell, I guess. We are so excited about sailing thru the Panama Canal and lounging on board for the many days at sea, that we will adjust to whatever cabin we end up in. I'm assuming since they have assigned us a cabin, that is where we will stay.

This thread has really helped us plan for our adventure and to know how to set up our room for the best experience possible.

--Jean