victoriasailor Posted July 12, 2011 #1 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We are considering a 35 day Capetown to Singapore cruise on Nautica. Would like to know what previous cruisers think of Nautica cabins and if it is worth the splurge for the balconies. The difference in cost between ocean view and balcony is substantial and we wonder if the money would be better spent on doing more of the excursions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RetiredFL Posted July 12, 2011 #2 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We always get a C-1 cabin and have always been satisfied. C-2s are the same but we prefer to be more midship. We have been upgraded to balcony cabins on several cruises and have enjoyed them but not enough to buy them! A lot depends on how much you think you would use the balcony. We prefer to get a lounge around the pool, put the headset on and read with a little people watching/criticizing:D thrown in. We also got to Horizons to read. On a port intensive cruise we are on land most of the day and then a nap and drink before dinner so except to go out on the balcony to take a picture or watch a sail away we do not use it. You have to evaluate your lifestyle but personally we would vote for more excursions. The cabin size is the same, only the balcony is added. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimandStan Posted July 12, 2011 #3 Share Posted July 12, 2011 We are considering a 35 day Capetown to Singapore cruise on Nautica. Would like to know what previous cruisers think of Nautica cabins and if it is worth the splurge for the balconies. The difference in cost between ocean view and balcony is substantial and we wonder if the money would be better spent on doing more of the excursions. You can answer this question better than any of us. Are you claustrophobic at all? Are you the kind of person who likes to retire to your room to read, eat or watch television? Is your companion always with you, when you are in the room, or are you often left to your own devices? The ocean view cabins on Nautica, while adequate, average only 165 square feet which is probably smaller than the smallest bedroom in your home. 35 days is a significant amount of time to spend in a space, especially if you are uncomfortable with its' size. Depending on your packing and/or buying habits, storage may also become an issue Although we would all like to save money where we can, you haven't really saved anything if the stress of sharing the small space impacts on your enjoyment of the cruise. Think about your habits and how you will use the cabin, before making any false economies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacheco18 Posted July 12, 2011 #4 Share Posted July 12, 2011 My opinion -- the balconies are so small on the R ships that they are not really "usable" -- except perhaps to have a cup of coffee in the am. On the R ships we do not book balconies. We only sleep (power nap) and change clothes in the room and we are not fans of room service. We prefer to be out and about (either on an excursion on a port day or on the ship on a sea day). So for our habits, the balcony is not worth the extra money. I really think I could do an inside cabin with no problem (on a R ship). On Celebrity I book the biggest balcony I can - some of them are enormous -- great for dining and entertaining friends. Those balconies add a lot of square footage to my living space. On Marina, I have booked a Penthouse with a balcony -- but that is a transatlantic cruise with lots of sea days so I am guessing my habits will be a bit different and I will spend more time in the cabin. I think it really depends on how you cruise -- do you enjoy room service in the morning? Might you order dinner in your cabin? Do you stay in your cabin to read or just to enjoy looking at the sea? If that is the case, you might want the balcony. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare LHT28 Posted July 12, 2011 #5 Share Posted July 12, 2011 Depends if you like to go outside from you cabin the cabins themselves are the same size A balcony is a personal choice You could spend the extra $$ on tours or something you enjoy more We usually book a C1 and spend time on the pool deck or deck 5 if we fresh air Lyn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
travelglobetrotter Posted July 13, 2011 #6 Share Posted July 13, 2011 We spent 35 days on Nautica from Hong Kong to Athens last year in deck 3's cat. D. and had no problems. Cabin size is the same 165 sq. ft. and you have a porthole rather than a window, but it's a very quiet deck. We now have sailed about 75 nights on this deck and will choose it above anything else. But the advice to know your own preferences is very good. We know we don't use our patio and seldom used balconies in hotels, so a quiet area trumped all else. It was too hot to rent a cabana for our cruise, but we would definitely try that in more moderate climates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capecodder2 Posted July 13, 2011 #7 Share Posted July 13, 2011 We did Hong Kong to Athens (35 days) and upped to a Penthouse for the extra room - worth every penny for us. On shorter cruises, we always book a B1 with balcony as we enjoy opening up the door in the morning for fresh air and checking out the day with maybe a bit of meditation. Same in the evening, we never go to bed without spending some time on the balcony prior to. I find the balcony large enough to read with comfort and I guess we spend a lot more time in our stateroom/balcony than some others. We don't do room service so that doesn't enter into the equasion at all. A cocktail or glass of wine on the balcony is about all we care to do in the stateroom with regards to food or drink. As said by others, do what fits your preferences and mode of cruising and budget. Have a wonderful cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mura Posted July 13, 2011 #8 Share Posted July 13, 2011 Personally (FOR ME), we book a PH on the "R" ships (and if we're lucky enough to have an OS or VS we are appreciative -- this has happened twice). The balcony on the "A" and below cabins IS small. But on the PH level it is just large enough to be comfortable. And of course at the elite status they are very large. But as always is said when someone poses this kind of question -- it depends on what YOU want. I prefer the space, so does DH. But many people don't find it worth the extra money. Unfortunately, we really cannot tell you before you are in the cabin what YOU will prefer! For me, on such a long cruise -- I would want as much space as I could get. But I AM claustrophobic! I only wish that those of us who have strong opinions could really convey to questioners like you exactly how you will feel ... but we can't. Have a great cruise! Mura Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriasailor Posted July 13, 2011 Author #9 Share Posted July 13, 2011 We spent 35 days on Nautica from Hong Kong to Athens last year in deck 3's cat. D. and had no problems. Cabin size is the same 165 sq. ft. and you have a porthole rather than a window, but it's a very quiet deck. We now have sailed about 75 nights on this deck and will choose it above anything else. But the advice to know your own preferences is very good. We know we don't use our patio and seldom used balconies in hotels, so a quiet area trumped all else. It was too hot to rent a cabana for our cruise, but we would definitely try that in more moderate climates. Everyone who responded gave us useful advise but globetrotter nailed it since we really like quiet and are not the type to be spending a lot of time in the cabin except to sleep. Thanks for your help. Spending less on the cabin will give us more to spend on shore excursions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tanny18 Posted July 13, 2011 #10 Share Posted July 13, 2011 We are considering a 35 day Capetown to Singapore cruise on Nautica. Would like to know what previous cruisers think of Nautica cabins and if it is worth the splurge for the balconies. The difference in cost between ocean view and balcony is substantial and we wonder if the money would be better spent on doing more of the excursions. Hi, If you're going to book this cruise, please join our Board on the Nautica Roll Call. We have quite a few cruisers signed on. BTW, we did 35 days b2b on Nautica, Australia/New Zealand in an inside cabin on deck 8!! Since we don't spend much more than sleeping, showering and dressing in the cabin, we found that we have all that extra money to spend on private tours and shopping!! And the lack of a window or balcony didn't bother us. We turn on the TV and see what's going on! We like to spend time on deck and as Ed (RetiredFL) remarked, and we are usually off the ship early when we have a tour....Looking forward to meeting you. Arlene;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoriasailor Posted July 14, 2011 Author #11 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Hi, If you're going to book this cruise, please join our Board on the Nautica Roll Call. We have quite a few cruisers signed on. BTW, we did 35 days b2b on Nautica, Australia/New Zealand in an inside cabin on deck 8!! Since we don't spend much more than sleeping, showering and dressing in the cabin, we found that we have all that extra money to spend on private tours and shopping!! And the lack of a window or balcony didn't bother us. We turn on the TV and see what's going on! We like to spend time on deck and as Ed (RetiredFL) remarked, and we are usually off the ship early when we have a tour....Looking forward to meeting you. Arlene;) Thanks for your input, not sure how to join the Nautica Roll Call, is it in the Oceania Roll Call Forums? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capecodder2 Posted July 14, 2011 #12 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Go to Roll Calls on the first page listing cruise lines, etc. Click on Oceania Click on Nautica Look for your cruise heading Easy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meow! Posted July 14, 2011 #13 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Would like to know what previous cruisers think of Nautica cabins ....The three R ship triplets, Regatta, Insignia and Nautica are essentially identical. For a basic balconied cabin on an R ship, please read our measured description below http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=16812 posting #1, section "The Cabin" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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