Balcony on Princess or Inside on Oceania for the same cost

[Druke I]

I don't do inside cabins anymore. My last inside was July 92, Berthing Compartment #C, on a nuke cruiser, USS Texas, CGN 39 (since stricken). That was a "tiger" cruise, and only three nights. I don't think I could have handled more in those claustrophobic berths.

 

I am a big Princess fan (they have an excellent range of itineraries), but I have been won over by Oceania, an outstanding cruse line.

[StanandJim]

I can't help thinking about how awful it must be to be in the Princess Cruises PR dept. right about now.....

 

They must be horrified that such a comparison could even be suggested.

 

 

Somebody is going to be getting the rough edge of Mr. Arisons tongue.

 

Still, what can you expect from "the whore in the Wind" lol

[CintiPam]

Somebody is going to be getting the rough edge of Mr. Arisons tongue.

 

Still, what can you expect from "the whore in the Wind" lol

 

S&J, naughty, naughty!

[roothy123]

I've cruised on Princess once, although it was on one of their small ships (same size as Oceania ships). It wasn't bad, but it wasn't an Oceania experience. Having a balcony wouldn't have upped my feelings about Princess much, I don't think. Except for one of our 4 cruises on O, we've had an inside cabin and been very happy. If I want to be outside, I just go up on deck. If I just want to see what's happening outside, I turn on the web cam. On an ocean cruise, there's really not that much to see anyway. While some nice ocean breeze would be nice, a balcony is just not a big draw for me.

 

What matters to me most is itinerary. If the Princess and Oceania itineraries were about the same, I'd cancel Princess and go on Oceania.

[meow!]

We have booked two cruises for the same time period in 2011 - one is a balcony on the Star Princess, the other is an inside on the Oceania Regatta. .

I guess it depends a lot on the individual. For folks who like inside cabins (some on this board claim they like the complete darkness in enhancing sleep, and they don't stay much in their cabins other than to sleep), by all means take the Oceania inside cabin. For those who are claustophobic, take the Princess balconied. For those in-between, and in your case, perhaps you would like to ask Da Beeb .. meow!

[burm]

I guess it depends a lot on the individual. For folks who like inside cabins (some on this board claim they like the complete darkness in enhancing sleep, and they don't stay much in their cabins other than to sleep), by all means take the Oceania inside cabin. For those who are claustophobic, take the Princess balconied. For those in-between, and in your case, perhaps you would like to ask Da Beeb .. meow!

 

Beeb would definitely choose the balcony. He would enjoy knocking things off the railing and watching them land in the water. Meow!

 

Yes, it does depend entirely on the individual but I enjoy hearing what others value most. We enjoy a balcony immensely but also enjoy great food. Our experiences with Princess in the past have been great, but then I have loved the 4 cruiselines I have sailed with. Never one "real" complaint.

 

It is the food that is drawing me to Oceania. In March 2010 I can totally enjoy the excellent food in the comfort of my balcony and decide which I want to give up in 2011. At this point I am planning to stick with Oceania but it is nice to have the option of a second reservation. Perhaps over the course of the next year one could experience a price drop and that could sway my decision. The bottom line is that we will thoroughly enjoy whichever we chose.

[happy cruzer]

I am a value oriented cruiser (i.e. cheap). If you are starting to lean that way in that you like to take many cruises for the same amount of money, then inside cabins are quite the deal. I do alot of research on each ship and iten to determine how to really enjoy the ship (find a nice trade off or replacement for an item that you typically like such as a balcony). Sometimes it's specialty restaurant, a Crow's Nest type lounge, adult pool area, extra days at the start of the cruise... If I set my expectations then I really enjoy the experience and value I am getting. If you do decide to try inside cabins be sure to find out the square feet provided in the inside cabin, that can be very important.

 

And I do realize that there majority of cruisers decide to cruise less and get "more" of what they like. I am just presenting a different view since you like to hear others opinions. So regarding you original question, I probably would book an inside cabin another line besides O to try the value equation. Right now you aren't really saving money by trying the inside cabin, you would be getting extra luxury which can be very subjective. Cold hard cash or two cruises for the price of one is how to really experience the savings. So based on what you have posted, I suggest going on Princess with the balcony, then later on O like you have booked, and looking for a really good deal on an inside cabin maybe on a line like HAL which has large insides (check the exact ship's insides) and full hot meal room service for 3 meals a day from the dining room menu. Just an idea.

[burm]

By O's standards I think I got a good deal for 2011.

[burm]

By O's standards I think I got a good deal for 2011.

 

Sorry, the previous post got sent by accident before I had a chance to finish. Then I got sidetracked.

 

Happy Cruiser, thank you for taking the time to reply. I value your opinion because the general consensus seems to be "Oceania in any cabin". Well, this is an Oceania thread after all.

 

At this point I am still planning to keep my inside for 2011. It was a good deal by Oceania' s standards and the cost is considerably less than a balcony or even an oceanview. I have held my 2010 reservation for a year already and am still drooling in anticipation of their food. I am convinced that I will step off our 2010 Regatta cruise thinking that I must get back onto this ship as soon as possible. :p

 

That being said, I woke up this morning and watched the sunrise from the comfort of my bed with a cup of coffee in hand and wondered how I could stand to miss out on viewing the sunrises by slipping out onto the privacy of my cabin's balcony. One of the great pleasures of cruising.

 

Perhaps the economy will bounce back soon and I will be more willing to pay for the upgrade. :D

[Jancruz]

Funny we have had a balcony on 3 cruises & hardly used it

We usually end up on deck with others we have met or just on our own

 

We usually go for the C1's on deck 4 I like to see some outside light;)

I guess that is why they give you options:D

Enjoy the cruise

 

Hi Lyn, This is where you and I differ..I use my balcony every morning for breakfast and every evening for a glass of wine and just watch the ocean and the birds..

But its all fun isnt it? I think we are all so lucky being able to cruise!!

Jancruz1

[Bruin Steve]

Sorry I got here just a little late...and it's already been decided...but I will add my two cents here anyway...

 

We just sailed on one of those larger Princess ships over last New Years...and we cruised on Oceania in June/July...We DID cruise once (in 2006) in an inside cabin on Oceania...

 

Yeah, I love balconies too...BUT, there are other criteria here that would tip the balance way over to Oceania for me...

 

Let me say that I left my last Princess cruise somewhat underwhelmed...Our Caribe deck cabin actually felt SMALL...They don't even have a love seat in the room...Dining Room arrangements were a nightmare...and the showroom (capacity just under 900 for a ship with over 3000 passengers) was a problem...I never felt "at home"...

 

Oceania just has better service and a better operation all the way around...If you don't care much about entertainment and have no kids with you...and if really good food is important to you, no question opt for Oceania...even in an inside...

 

We found our inside cabin in 2006 to be very well laid out and very comfortable...If you mostly use it to sleep, change and use the bathroom, it's more than adequate...If you are one of those who eats breakfast or has a drink on the balcony, just adjust your patterns a little...learn to eat in the dining room or buffet (where you can get a table outdoors), go drink in the bar...Trust me, we've done it--it works just fine...The cabin is just where you sleep, the rest of the ship is your domain...

 

The overall feeling on Oceania is just much nicer than on a large Princess ship...had the choice been Celebrity or HAL, I might have had a tougher time making this choice...but Oceania vs. Princess is easy...go with the more relaxed atmosphere, better food and service...learn to adapt to the inside...

[LHT28]

Hi Lyn, This is where you and I differ..I use my balcony every morning for breakfast and every evening for a glass of wine and just watch the ocean and the birds..

But its all fun isnt it? I think we are all so lucky being able to cruise!!

Jancruz1

 

Yes Jan it is great to be able to cruise. You just never know what is is around the corner.

We missed our cruise this year but looking forward to Norway;)

 

You have to do what makes you happy & suits your needs/wants.

 

Happy cruising & hello to Stu

 

Lyn

[burm]

I am a value oriented cruiser (i.e. cheap). If you are starting to lean that way in that you like to take many cruises for the same amount of money, then inside cabins are quite the deal. I do alot of research on each ship and iten to determine how to really enjoy the ship (find a nice trade off or replacement for an item that you typically like such as a balcony). Sometimes it's specialty restaurant, a Crow's Nest type lounge, adult pool area, extra days at the start of the cruise... If I set my expectations then I really enjoy the experience and value I am getting. If you do decide to try inside cabins be sure to find out the square feet provided in the inside cabin, that can be very important.

 

And I do realize that there majority of cruisers decide to cruise less and get "more" of what they like. I am just presenting a different view since you like to hear others opinions. So regarding you original question, I probably would book an inside cabin another line besides O to try the value equation. Right now you aren't really saving money by trying the inside cabin, you would be getting extra luxury which can be very subjective.

 

I forgot to mention that I was only able to get a guarantee on an Inside, in fact there were only 2 left. But from what I understand from the Oceania site, the Insides all have 160 sq ft but by paying $800 more for an obstructed ocean view I could get only 144 sq ft and a porthole.

 

When I threw the cost of airfare into the equation, not only could I still take 2 cruises in an Inside compared to one cruise with balcony but I would even have $420 left for drinks. :D That makes it worth trying the experiment once.

 

Steve, I always value your opinions.

[happy cruzer]

160 square feet is good. Princess has quite a few insides that are smaller that's why I mentioned HAL as a good choice for your experiment.

 

You will want to find a way to avoid missing that balcony so much. I typically make sure I have a very comfortable sweat suit to slip on and go up to the buffet for that first cup of coffee and check out the weather really early, then return to the room and start the day. On O I got to know the buffet manager fairly well that way, nice view from the aft area outside the buffet. Not true luxury but very enjoyable. Just make the plan that works for you.

 

Enjoy!

[meow!]

paying $800 more for an obstructed ocean view .

We haven't been in one of those, but we walked past a few on deck 6 (where our category B was located), and we have the feeling that the "obstructed view" is not worth the extra money. You see not much more than lifeboats/tenders and the "light of day", and those cabins look more cramped!

[burm]

We haven't been in one of those, but we walked past a few on deck 6 (where our category B was located), and we have the feeling that the "obstructed view" is not worth the extra money. You see not much more than lifeboats/tenders and the "light of day", and those cabins look more cramped!

 

I agree. Considering that the cabins are even smaller I would not consider them a move "up". This is where you have to be aware of upgrades. Speaking of which, has anyone here ever had any nice upgrades on Oceania?

 

We have not tried HAL yet, Happy Cruzer, but I would if I spotted a good price on the right itinerary. I wouldn't mind trying the cruise that offers the Copper Canyon excursion. For the next 5 years or so we will be limited to 2 weeks max cruises.

[CintiPam]

I forgot to mention that I was only able to get a guarantee on an Inside, in fact there were only 2 left. But from what I understand from the Oceania site, the Insides all have 160 sq ft but by paying $800 more for an obstructed ocean view I could get only 144 sq ft and a porthole.

 

Those obstructed ocean view cabins are not portholes but large picture windows and at least two have those with the small zodiac boats, rather than tender or lifeboats, hanging below the window and just the single davit holding the zodiac obstructing the view; certainly they are not very obstructed and a good price for those who want natural light and do not see the point of paying a lot for a balcony on a cruise which has few, if any, sea days.

[SanFranCruizer]

Both my parents and my partner's parents were upgaded from A3 to PH1 just before the cruise for something like $250 pp. a couple of years ago. And people regularly post about being offered upgrades for anywhere from $200 to $500 pp. The earlier you book, the more likely it seems they will offer you an upgrade. Also, it seems that if your TA does a lot of Oceania business, the chance of an upgrade goes up as well.

 

I would never choose Princess over Oceania. I'd sail in the bathroom on Oceania before sailing on Princess again. So, cross your fingers for an upgrade and tell your TA you would be interested so s/he can check in with Oceania every so often.

[burm]

I would never choose Princess over Oceania. I'd sail in the bathroom on Oceania before sailing on Princess again. So, cross your fingers for an upgrade and tell your TA you would be interested so s/he can check in with Oceania every so often.

 

Is this an Inside bathroom or a Penthouse bathroom? Because the penthouse bathrooms are probably larger than some of the cabins. :p

 

Thanks!

[meow!]

The earlier you book, the more likely it seems they will offer you an upgrade..

This is not always true. For our Eastern Mediterranean voyage last year, despite being one of the first to book more than a year earlier, at the end, we were offered a downgrade for the same amount as the original difference between the grades. We flatly refused!

[California Native]

You know how you stumble on a thread and you don't know how you got there...

well, here I am...

so let me give my 2 cents

I'm Elite with Princess and spoiled rotten probably because we know a lot of the crew since I've been sailing on them for 35 years since I was a small child.

so I would say I'm a cheerleader.

I've spent 56 days onboard the Star Princess in a balcony

I have not sailed on Oceania

BUT I've spent a lot of time on the Pacific Princess in balcony...76 days

Ever since the drydock of the Star Princess it has become a very noisy ship, the lobby has become another eating venue with not enough seating, not to mention the main wifi area...they practically did away with the library. the spruced some areas and left others the same such as the steak house...it looks puzzle pieced together...that's fine if you are going for Parisian flea market chic but not a ship

It is no longer a pleasureable ship.

The Pacific Princess which is a sister to Oceania is a very soothing, intimate ship. I would assume how much I'm spoiled on Princess is what you that can afford Oceania feel.

I have seen the inside cabins on the Pacific Princess (in fact I'm booked in one for 24 days on AZ next year)

they are very small, but if this is a port intensive itinerary you will be fine...

but most importantly when you are in the public spaces you will feel relaxed...

Regarding the positioning of the inside cabin.

When I was on the Pacific Princess for 14 days this past June I did a little research and left the wonderful confines of cabin 7111 in search of the perfect inside location for us for our 2010 cruise!

7043 is an excellent area and very quiet...in fact that's what I booked

7003 gets A LOT of movement.

4022 is right outside of the medical center ...(ew bad germs)

 

Also, 6049 is obstructed ocean view BUT it's a full square window view that is located behind where the life boat dangles

Hope this helps...

I do have pictures of the Star Princess on our personal travel website,if you would like to view them for future reference.

[burm]

Hope this helps...

 

I do have pictures of the Star Princess on our personal travel website,if you would like to view them for future reference.

 

Lovely website - thanks for sharing!

[fluffies]

DH is a thrifty man; he's the reason we can afford to cruise at all while paying DS's college tuition. Almost all of our cruises have been in inside cabins, and they are absolutely fine with us. Last year, for our 25th wedding anniversary, we sailed on the Celebrity Summit in our first-ever balcony. We enjoyed the balcony but agreed that it wasn't worth the price. Your mileage will obviously vary, since there are millions of balcony-only cruisers.

 

We're booked on our first O cruise for next March. We'll be inside, but I've splurged on a cabana. DH was horrified, but I bet he'll use it with me....a lot.

[burm]

DH is a thrifty man; he's the reason we can afford to cruise at all while paying DS's college tuition. Almost all of our cruises have been in inside cabins, and they are absolutely fine with us. Last year, for our 25th wedding anniversary, we sailed on the Celebrity Summit in our first-ever balcony. We enjoyed the balcony but agreed that it wasn't worth the price. Your mileage will obviously vary, since there are millions of balcony-only cruisers.

 

We're booked on our first O cruise for next March. We'll be inside, but I've splurged on a cabana. DH was horrified, but I bet he'll use it with me....a lot.

 

You are on our Caribbean Pearls cruise, aren't you Fluffies? You will have to let me know what you think of the cabana.

[caribbeansun]

Obviously there's no wrong answer to your question as you are simply soliciting individual opinions so here's mine:

 

- I would never consider an inside cabin no matter what cruise line

- I would be hesitant to cruise on a large ship because I'm personally not that comfortable with large crowds but there are ways to dealing with that issue. Whereas I would submit that there is no way to deal with the confines of an inside cabin and no, I don't consider the fact that I'm only sleeping there sufficient.

 

So, if the only choices are the two provided I'd opt for the balcony.

 

If I'm allowed to interject my own ideas into the mix subject to a budgetary restriction then I'd be looking for ways to get the most value out of a vacation. Personally, I'd forgo a cruise entirely because I know that I can take a very nice land based vacation that would more than met my needs.

 

My approach to vacation has the following rules:

 

A) Vacation time has a per day value of not less than 3x that of a work day and therefore each vacation day is allocated no less than 3x the budget of that of a work day :cool:;

 

B) I must maximize the value of each vacation day without compromising Rule A;

 

C) I must select the best accommodation/resort/ship subject to rule A and in consideration of the following elements:

 

1. Warmth and sun, snow is entirely unacceptable unless located on a mountaintop;
   
2. Oceanfront/lakefront or something else that's on water in some fashion;
   
3. Garden view, parking lot view or no view are not acceptable for more than one night if item 2 isn't available. In the event the location being visited is not coastal or on a lake it is acceptable to substitute views of mountains or other natural "wonders". Should said location be within a city with none of the above, then view is still important however proximity to primary sites of interest may be allowed to trump view in limited circumstances ie. Rome, Athens and similar however said accommodations should not be less than 4* (that's why we collect Starwood points ;));
   
4. Regardless of the preceding items any accommodation that smells (smoke, food, nasty shower odors, etc) is to be immediately vacated allowing for retroactive escalation related to Rule A with no upper limit;
   

D) Food and drink are something to be enjoyed, any accommodation that also has within the grounds or immediately adjacent thereto an Applebys, McDonalds, Wendy's or similar establishment is immediately downgraded by no less than 1 * requiring a reassessment under Rule C sub-paragraph 3. It is accepted that when visiting Las Vegas the immediately preceding rule necessarily has to be violated in which case said Rules will default to a negative selection process wherein locations, other than Ballys, the Flamingo, Imperial Palace, Harrahs, or any hotel with the words "Saloon", "Bar" or "Grill" in the name, are eligible for consideration.

 

So you see, I couldn't go with the inside cabin or I'd be in violation of the Rules ;) Cheers!