Booking an interior cabin instead of balcony

[klo28910]

We have always had balcony cabins and loved it. We really don't spend much time on the balcony, but we enjoy the feeling of space it provides. We decided to join some friends on a cruise in 8 weeks and are considering booking an interier cabin for the price. We could save $500 by booking an interior and since this was an unplanned cruise, I don't want to spend too much money.

 

Will we regret having an interior room after having a balcony for our others? Everyone says that once you get a balcony, you won't go back to interior. I would love to hear others' experiences with interior cabins. Thanks.

[firefly333]

We did a JS on Liberty OTS ..and I found again, Im not a balcony person. I kinda like being able to see out, but port hole cabins that cost the same as a inside cabin are great for that...I am one who they can put almost anywhere and Im happy.

 

If Im in the cabin I turn on the news or want to read so need a light...some people really arent balcony people.

[ronandannette]

Lots of people will agree that "once you go balcony you can't go back"...HOGWASH :D. Balconies are really nice, no doubt about it, but I actually think you owe it to yourself to try some other categories. If price is ever an issue, you'll then know what you are or are not willing to compromise on. We've done lots of different cabin types...for us it's always decided by the $$$'s we have to spend at the time and how we'd prefer to spend it. That $500.00 you're talking about would be a week's worth of excursions or a fairly generous bar tab.

 

Happy Sails,

 

Annette

[cruisng4fun]

I have booked interiors after having a balcony. For me it depends on how many sea days, how many people are going to be in cabin, but it always seems to be the price. $500 is roughly 20 buckets of beer:D

[Martini Mom]

What about the middle of the road, an OV. A lot of times they are only slightly higher than an inside.

[zoncom]

Guess I am not a balcony person either. Got upgraded to one on TA once. Rarely used it. Have a balcony here in SoFl. Never sit out there either. I would rather do 2 Inside cruises at the price of one balcony. Try it; you can always book balconies on subsequent cruises if its not your thing.

[Crazy4Koko]

My rule of thumb is that I try to spend roughly $100 a day for a 5 day or longer cruise... and around $80 for shorter cruises..so I find a room within that budget.

 

I booked a PT on the Inspiration for $249... 4 days to Cozumel...but don't know a if I could do a claustrophobic inside....

[KenMo]

Our first cruise was an OV. After that it was all balconies.

 

Well, until my last cruise on Destiny. We did a PT because it was so cheap and last minute. I really, really, really missed the balcony.

[dprg644]

It really is an individual thing. I have had an int, OV and balconies. While we love balconies and normally book them for us I would have no problem with going in an interior again if price was an issue or a fantastic deal came along. Personally I would not book a OV since the one time we did after the first day the window was so salt covered you could not see out of it. If you don't want to spend the money on a balcony go with the interior, I mean how bad can it really be, your on a cruise :D

[mrpayroll]

The majority of time in your cabin is spent with your eyes closed. ( sleeping ) We have had balconies, OV, and insides. Lately insides as we like to take two cruises a yr and this helps our budget.

[mysh442olds]

We have always had balcony cabins and loved it. We really don't spend much time on the balcony, but we enjoy the feeling of space it provides. We decided to join some friends on a cruise in 8 weeks and are considering booking an interier cabin for the price. We could save $500 by booking an interior and since this was an unplanned cruise, I don't want to spend too much money.

 

Will we regret having an interior room after having a balcony for our others? Everyone says that once you get a balcony, you won't go back to interior. I would love to hear others' experiences with interior cabins. Thanks.

 

 

we have never been in a interior and decided to try a 4j on the victory look at these kinda cool

[5waldos]

I would need at least a window- my first was OV and I enjoyed looking at the water and would miss it a lot. My sons have had the inside rooms so I have spent time in them- I do get claustrophobic. I love the balconies- I sail primarily for the sea and being able to look and smell the sea is really important for me. So having upgraded to a balcony I probably won't go back.

[Shelbyjane56]

We decided to do an inside cabin for our cruise in May, (we have always had a balcony with the exception of when we got married and went on the Marti Gras back in the dark ages! Since it will be our 35th anniversary we decided why not try it again like the first time we cruised. We have more Ports on this upcoming cruise than what we normally have...as someone else said, you really are not in your cabin all that much, other than sleeping , taking a shower ect, Just being on a cruise is fine with me, we might decide to go back to the balcony or we might decide to go back to an inside

[truchattycathy]

I like the price of interiors! I can get a balcony and take one cruise a yr, or get an inside and take two. I don't mind the insides at all!

[hoop4321]

we have done inside, ov, and balcony.....i'm not a fan of the ocean view as the windows get dirty. I love the balconies, but the insides are great for sleeping in. They are deliciously dark. We did an inside on a very short cruise shortly after doing a 7 day on a balcony. If we felt the need to see outside, we would hang out at the adult pool. There are plenty of areas to hang out and enjoy the view. I hope that you do go....cruising with friends is so fun. I hope that what ever room you get, you have a wonderful time :)

[babyblue78]

I loved having a balcony, but since our next cruise is on Fantasy (no balconies except for suites) we are going to try an oceanview. I am hoping we like it OK, it would certainly make cruising more affordable to have the "option" of booking the cheaper room for future cruises. I am not sure I can do the interior room, I visited my brothers cabin for 10 minutes and felt claustrophobic.

[GayleR]

We have done OV, OV, Balcony, OV, Interior, Interior. I LOVED having a balcony no doubt, but with 5 of us, it makes more sense for us to get 2 insides....it's cheaper! If you are sailing on the Conquest class, go hang out on deck 3 outside of the lobby. It's like having your own balcony. There is rarely anyone out there.

[Chrissi242]

We love interior. Actually I have an oceanview booked for March and I am considering changing to an interior, because we know we love them.

[G'ma]

Some folks probably won't be bothered by moving down to an inside. For me, I simply wouldn't go if I couldn't have a balcony.

 

I used to be quite happy with an interior and always bought the bottom line cheapest inside available. Then, 8/9 years ago, for some reason, they upgraded me to a balcony...and I'd never go back.

 

My attitude was always "how much time do you spend in your cabin anyhow?.... Once I cruised in a balcony....I knew why.

 

The balcony is a major part of my cruise experience. I wouldn't consider it at alll.

 

Good luck with your decision.

[C Cruise Dude]

We have always had balcony cabins and loved it. We really don't spend much time on the balcony, but we enjoy the feeling of space it provides. We decided to join some friends on a cruise in 8 weeks and are considering booking an interier cabin for the price. We could save $500 by booking an interior and since this was an unplanned cruise, I don't want to spend too much money.

 

Will we regret having an interior room after having a balcony for our others? Everyone says that once you get a balcony, you won't go back to interior. I would love to hear others' experiences with interior cabins. Thanks.

My first three cruises were ocean views. It was great but while I was on the Dream I thought about how much time I spent in the cabin. I figured it was less than two hours outside of sleeping and freshening up and I thought about how much money I was spending to have that window.

 

Last fall I booked my first inside cabin. It was very different. If you turn off the lights you are in total darkness. I brought a nite light to plug in during the night to go to the bathroom. On the ocean view you could just open the curtain. This cabin (Norwegian Pearl) was also the smallest that I had ever been in. In the end the price was half of what I paid for the window. That means I can cruise more often. I booked another inside (172 sq ft) in a week on the Norwegian Sun. I would rather be on the ship and have no window than have a window and cruise less.

 

Inside cabin Norwegian Pearl

 

Power bus for nite light and other devices

 

Not much room with the bed as a queen size (two twins together)

 

Ocean View Carnival Paradise (large Room)

 

Ocean View Carnival Dream (two bathrooms and a tub)

 

Ocean View Norwegian Sky

 

[Fishon28]

I found that I slept later with the inside cabins due to the darkness. I wake up between 530-6am everyday and when I had an inside cabin I slept till 8am for the first time since I was a teenager.

[gargoyle999]

I consider myself a "balcony snob" and have even had 3 aft wrap suites. But last Nov I booked a 4 night on the Imagination in a PT cabin. It was pretty nice actually. Let in light for DW and I could close the hatches to make it really dark for naptime! :D

 

We will be sailing on the Splendor this Sunday for 2 weeks in a PT cabin! Really good rates and it was really one week in a balcony or two weeks in the PT. 2 weeks won out!

 

I like having the balcony but found I don't really use it much on port days since we always get off the ship and away from the port and I am tired when I get back.

 

I mostly missed the balcony at night cause that is my favorite time to sit there and just relax. We don't hang out by the pools so haven't had too much trouble finding a chair when we want to lay out and get some sun.

 

I won't always book just an inside from now on but it is certainly an option that I don't mind using. I guess instead of a balcony snob I've been converted to it's good to just be on the ship! :)

[wendymac]

Another alternative is to book an interior with an obstructed view category 4J we had one on the Dream and loved it, and have booked on our upcoming Freedom cruise in May - the rooms are big and you get the benefit of the window with the pleasure of the price of an interior! Just my two cents

[goldrusher]

The size of the insides and balconies on Carnival usually are the same or 15=25 square feet more, which is nothing! The reason I like insides besides the price is the darkness. It is so nice and dark taht i can sleep so well adn not even know what time it is. My son once slept till dinner, gor up and my cousins were walking down the hall. He told then that he woudl jpoin them for breakfast, They looked at him and laughed. It was 8pm, not 8 am and they were going to dinner. He had slept the whole day. Guess he needed it LOL I do find becasue of the total darkness that i do sleep like a baby.....

[JennLuvs2Cruise]

Balconies are great, but if they are a must for your cruise vacation or you don't spend a lot of time using it, then you are much better off with an interior cabin. Try to get a port hole interior cabin - I got one on our last cruise it was so spacious! The room was more spacious than my Mom's Cove Balcony cabin!