How much time do YOU spend in your cabin?

[Cruisin' Chick]

We're the type that like to spend as much time out of our cabin. So having a balcony wouldn't be important to us as my hubby likes to be out in the open deck to see the ocean.

[chipmaster]

We are a sleep, dress in cabin type. I even find sometimes the shower in the gym nicer than the cabin.

 

If it is a large room with a view I want I'd pick a nice hotel with beach front view and an ton of choices for food, drink, and privacy too.

 

A cruise for us is about the fun around the ship, the new port every day.

 

We are very selective when it comes to cabin selection. We have even booked cruises purely on the availability of the cabin we desire. But I read about so many people who say they never spend any time in their cabin....to sleep and change only. I guess we are strange. We enjoy the privacy of our cabin and find it our oasis in a "sea" of people.

 

Now, when we first started cruising, we always booked gty's and hoped for the best and were happy! Now.....I'm not sure when the "conversion" happened! ;)

 

We are interested in what other cruisers think.....(btw, our preference is an aft balcony or caribe bal. Have only done a mini a few times when the price was incredible. Never had the luxury of a suite). Thank you for your thoughts.

[dfields1814]

We always get a balcony cabin.. wife's orders .. not mine. We are in the cabin/on the balcony (weather permitting) an hour or two before breakfast for sun rises and entry nto aport, in the afternoon after lunch pr we get back from an excursion until dinner and maybe a little time after we get in at night around midnight if it is not too cold.

[dmwnc1959]

On my last set of cruises with balconies (Celebrity Mercury, Queen Mary 2, Volendam, Carnival Legend, Sun Princess, Dawn Princess, Carnival Paradise, Celebrity Galaxy) I spent very little time in the cabin or on the balcony. On one occasion I actually did fall asleep out there in the lounge chair but other than that I might spend 20-30 minutes a day. Even then I felt like I was missing out on something happening on the other side! When pulling into port or cruising scenic passages, even if I have a balcony, I prefer to be topside to wrap myself in the scenery instead of limiting my field of view to just my balcony. Other than that, my cabin is used only to sleep at night, shower, change for dinner, and maybe a nap once in a while.

[mytime53]

We spend nearly all our time on board during the day on the balcony, beginning with coffee in the a.m. before breakfast. Love watching the sunrise and viewing the ports as we pull in. Ditto leaving ports and the sunsets (and let's not forget watching all the people late getting back to the ship running down the pier!). A light lunch from IC--on the balcony. On a sea day, we sit on the balcony with our books and binoculars. Very rarely is there anything going on during the day to entice us away from our quiet, private spot. And, it's so relaxing after an active day in port.

 

Last year, we had to spend week one of a two week cruise in an inside...after 7 days of searching for lounge chairs in sun or shade in a quiet place, we were very thankful to get into a balcony for week 2. The only time we're not on our balcony during the day (except when we're off the ship) is when the sun is shining on it and it's tooooo hot.

 

I do find it odd that so many people spend extra money on balconies and yet spend so little time on them. We're not two of those people!

[as19111]

On our first cruise, we had an inside cabin. DH loved it...and he slept the cruise away in 24/7 darkness. While I spent the sea day at College Fjiords agape at the scenery, he snored away in the cabin. After that, I told him we would never have an inside cabin again. So, now it is balcony or mini for us.

 

We use the balcony alot. I can't be bothered going up to the pool deck to hunt for a seat, and I groan when I see folks set up camp in the piazza, International Cafe, Horizon, Wheelhouse or Explorers because I know those areas will be protected by "seat savers" the entire cruise. But I also know these are OV or Inside cabin folks just enjoying their ship.

 

On our most recent cruise, the folks in the adjoining cabin used their balcony alot. Their travel companions were on the port side and they switched balconies accorinding to the sun/shade needs. I was grateful they were not smokers! We really enjoy and use our little piece of the ship.

[u2cruiser]

Strangely, for us, we can never tell how it will go. Our last (and next 2) cruise was a TA and we thought we would spend hours in our cabin, out on our balcony relaxing, with 8 sea days.

 

As it turned out, we ate breakfast out there everyday, squeezing into about 3 square feet of available shade (lol) as the sun was unbearable even by 8am, and were lucky if we found half an hour before getting ready for dinner, to enjoy a glass of wine. We did manage a room service balcony dinner one day.

 

There was so much going on with 6pm sailaways and people to chat to that we were reluctant to miss out. Who knows what will happen this time :confused: I do love my cabin though and miss it when we get home. It really feels like home after a couple of days. :D

[Lance1224]

DW and I book minis aft because,

 

1. The bathtub. I enjoy a nice relaxing soak after a hard day (lol).

 

2. I am an early riser and DW likes to take her time in the morning.:)

 

3. DW goes to bed later .:)

 

4. We enjoy the balcony door open to hear the ocean at night.:)

 

5. More room.:)

[vmarq]

In our early days of cruising, we had OV cabins and spent very little time in the cabin - just to sleep, shower, change clothes, etc because we felt like we were "missing out" when we in there. Since having verandah cabins, we spend a multitude of time in the cabins as we often will enjoy breakfast there, read books, relax as we watch the watery and scenery go by. It is very peaceful and don't have to deal with crowds. To each their own but it would be difficult for us to go back to OV again.

[texancruzer]

Well, it sounds like we are somewhere in the middle.......

 

We like to order room service (coffee, juice and pastries) and eat on the balcony (when our port schedule allows).

 

Then we are pretty much OUT of the cabin all day. MAYBE a nap in the afternoon when we get back from going ashore. Then shower, dress and dinner. We do like to sit outside for a bit before we get in bed.....usually late and very quiet (and usually in my jammies) :p

 

On sea days I like to sleep in A BIT...... not too much or I feel like I am missing something :rolleyes:

 

But I would say we don't spend that much time in our cabin or on our balcony...... but then we like to go-go-go on vacation.

[PrincessNancy]

A lot depends on the itinerary--on our 10 day Baltic cruise it was very shore intensive with only one sea day so we didn't spend as much time as we would have liked enjoying the balcony. We did have some of our CC friends in for wine and snacks for a couple of the sail aways (we had a mini-so there was a little more room for everyone to meet). Sailing into each port was fantastic.

 

On all of our cruises we enjoy standing out on the balcony in the morning when we are coming into the port (I am an early riser)--we also spend awhile in the evening looking at the beautiful stars blanketing the sky...very romantic and a nice way to end the day. If the weather is warm we'll spend time out on the balcony enjoying the sun, reading, and chatting.

 

On my last Caribbean cruise we had a OV cabin and spent more time on deck. This was a Girls Only cruise with my best friend, we were trying to save money and went with the OV (which wasn't!). I have to admit I did miss the balcony--but we still had a wonderful time!

 

Everyone has a different cruising style and cruise for different reasons. I personally like to have more alone time with my DH so the balcony is a nice respite. Definitely worth it for us.

[jpg1747]

I cruise solo and spend very little time in my cabin. I've had insides and OVs, but never a balcony. I just don't want to spend the money for one. If I want to be outside, I'll go out on deck. I can always find a quiet space somewhere on the ship if that's what I want. I treat my cabin like a hotel room on a land vacation. The ship is half of my destination and that's where I want to be.

[bqkali]

I don't spend very much time in my cabin at all. Of course, I've only cruised 3 times, but it held true all three cruises, and also holds true when I stay at hotels on land.

 

A typical port day, I'll wake up and get ready in my cabin before heading to breakfast, then a quick stop after breakfast to pack my day bag, and won't return until I've reboarded the ship that afternoon. At that point, I'll change into either my swimsuit so I can head to the pool deck for a final hour or so of sunshine. Back to the room to change into "real" clothes for the evening, and then I won't return until I'm done with dinner, shows, and cocktails and slip into PJs, read the next day's cruise schedule, and go to sleep. All in all, I'd say I have less than 2 "awake" hours in my cabin.

 

On a sea day, add another hour in my room in the morning after breakfast, when I like to read comfortably in bed before the onboard activities get into swing. And add another hour mid-afternoon, when I take a nap (sometimes). So 3 "awake" hours and an extra napping hour.

 

Frankly, I like my vacation hours to be active, so I'm in port almost the entire allotted time, and participating in onboard activities for a lot of my time on the ship...instead of spending time in the room. When I want to be lazy, I want to tan in the sunshine, so a partially-covered balcony without a chaise lounge wouldn't cut it for me :rolleyes:

[Jennygirl]

My DH and I love our balcony cabins. This time around (in about 40 days) we opted for a mini suite because the price was right. This will be our 8th cruise (I think) and we are really looking forward to the extra space. For that reason alone I'm thinking we will use the mini balcony even more than we usually do for coffee and reading. Im hoping they have a "Sanctuary" lounge chair out there for me - L0L. We are not bungee jumping, trail hiking, rock wall climber cruisers anymore (not that we ever were). We prefer good company, a good meal, a great iced latte and fabulous scenery as well as beautiful sunrises and sunsets. In fact, we live in NY and one of my favorite things to do is go to a special place by the Verrazano Bridge and watch the cruise ships roll in and out on the weekends or go to our boardwalk and look at the ocean. Theres nothing better in my book so that being said, yes we use our balcony and can't wait to get on that ship in Mid May!!

:)

[DiRon]

One of the joys of cruising, for us, is the sight, sounds and smells of the ocean - so very relaxing. So, we spend a lot of time on our balcony - sometimes reading, sometimes napping, mostly just watching the ocean. We love sitting on the balcony with a glass of wine watching the sunset before we head to dinner or that first cup of coffee in the morning as the sun comes up. It's fun to watch the goings on as we arrive and depart from ports. So, yes - I guess we spend quite a good deal of time on our balcony.

[ClairetoCruise]

Whether we have a balcony, ocean view or inside doesn't change the amount of time we spend in the cabin. It's just a place to keep our things, wash, dress and sleep.

 

DH leaves the cabin before sunrise to get a quick meal and a long work out.

I prefer to sleep longer and drink coffee for breakfast.

 

We meet for a noon lunch together then set a time and place for cocktails.

 

Many cruises ago we decided to vacation on our schedule rather than adjusting to the ship's meal and entertainment plan.

 

The key to our cruising experience is in our purpose for selecting a cruise vacation. Usually staying on schedule for ports is the only reason to check the time. Otherwise, we're aboard for all the options available on the ship, not to spend time in a cabin.

 

Claire

[JJPacer]

On about 1/2 our cruises we have had a balcony. When we have a balcony, we spend a lot of time there. Absolutely love how quiet it is and watching the ocean. We do leave the balcony for the activites the ship offers that we want to enjoy. We usually go to the show in the evening, and dance, listen to music, etc. But we always sit on the balcony before going to bed.

 

With an inside cabin, we don't spend as much time in the cabin. Basically sleep, bathe, get ready for the next day. The rest of the time, we are sitting on the deck, watching the ocean, or spending time in other parts of the ship.

[ClairetoCruise]

I should add that cruise ships attract passengers for various reasons.

 

Aren't we looking for something that is different? If you live on the ocean, you'd be looking for something else when you take a cruise.

 

Some of us only get to enjoy the sea when we cruise. If that is the case, I'd want a balcony.

 

Maybe the inside cabins are for people who want to spend their time relaxing by the pools, munching in the dining rooms, attending lectures, dance classes, etc.

 

Claire

[Ima Cruiser]

I either go for a balcony or inside - oceanview cabins don't do much for me except make me wish I had a balcony or had saved money with an inside cabin.

 

Anyhow - we don't spend that much time in the cabin. We are on deck, ashore, working out or spending our time enjoying the ship and company of other passengers. A nice catnap after big shore day is heaven though.

[Happy ks]

We spend more time in our cabin than many others do, I'm sure. Vacation time is for us a time to relax and unwind, especially on sea days. We no longer feel the need to be out and about much of the time. For us, a day spent on the balcony reading and only leaving to take a walk or go to lunch is heaven.

 

So, when we have cruised without a balcony, we really miss it a lot. That little piece of real estate is worth every penny.

[Shogun]

Hi All

 

Could not careless about a cabin, just give me the cheapest so that I

 

can get onboard and enjoy my cruise.

 

Its a place to store my stuff, wash and sleep nothing more.

 

 

yours Shogun

[ChrisB123]

Dh and I spend a few hours a day on our balcony BUT, the main reason I like it, is having the door open and hearing the surf, the gulls and whatever else is going on. I love the feel and smell of the ocean breeze. When we are in our room, that door is OPEN. ( we turn off the air conditioner ). I could go for a WS or a OV if the windows opened, but seeing as they don't, I'll stick to my mini or balcony only. Maybe that's why you don't see that many people on their balcony, they're enjoying from the inside. :p

[bjkTX]

We probably spend more time than the average in the cabin on sea days. We have always had a balcony, and normally a mini-suite. I have some physical limitations and sometimes just need to go back to the cabin to relax between activities.

 

The "events" going on during the day on the ship rarely interest us on sea days, and sitting around the pool or on deck don't do it so we enjoy sitting on the balcony reading, sipping wine, playing cards, being alone for awhile.

 

We had our first aft facing balcony on our last cruise (2 weeks in the Caribbean in Feb) and spent a lot more time on the balcony than normal - even for us - since it could be used pretty much 24/7. The friends we traveled with all came to our cabin for a small sail-away party as we left each port so we were there a lot - depending on how long the party lasted -)

[gertz]

We are very cabin selective. A covered mini just about always. Coffee and breakfast is a wonderful delight.

Wine and a beautiful lady at my side in the moonlight on our balcony listening to the waves, watching flying fish and white caps, doesn't get much better.

[luxurysailer]

Whether we have a balcony, ocean view or inside doesn't change the amount of time we spend in the cabin. It's just a place to keep our things, wash, dress and sleep.

 

we're aboard for all the options available on the ship, not to spend time in a cabin.

 

Claire

 

 

Ditto, Claire. There is one other activity you didn't mention that the cabin is also useful for. Although not as frequently any more.:rolleyes:

 

In port we are always on an excursion. On sea days there are lots of onboard activities in which to participate.

 

We've had both balcony and inside cabins, and the amount of time we spend in our stateroom is about the same regardless.