Aft Stateroom

[alisianwindscruiser]

Has anyone ever had an aft cabin? I haven't and am trying to find out the pros and cons of a cabin at this location, beside the obvious advantage that you're at the end of the ship and see the whole picture and the disadvantage that it is not close to the main attractions on the ship, usually located by midship.

I appreciate sharing your experiences. :)

[CruiserBruce]

Each style of ship will have it's own pluses and minuses. So there is no exact answer for you. If you have a particular cruise line or ship in mind, we can be more specific, or you can research on the board for that cruise line.

 

I know from our experience on Holland America, on their Vista and Signature line of ships, the aft cabins are very popular. Particularly the suites, as they large balconies.

 

Are you further from some attractions on the ship? Yes. But of course, you may also be closer to other attractions, if they are located at the stern of the ship.

Edited November 28, 2013 by CruiserBruce

[cb at sea]

On some ships, you will have to traverse the hallway to the middle of the ship to get to stairs/elevators. Other ships may have a staircase in the aft portion of the ship.....it really depends!

 

The advantage to most aft cabins is the larger than normal balcony. The disadvantage can be the looooong walk to and from the cabin!

 

You should post your question on the board for the cruiseline you will be sailing....you can get some very specific info there!

[jmf123]

Welcome to Cruise Critic, alisianwindscruiser! We had the perfect aft stateroom on the perfect ship, Royal Caribbean's Radiance of the Seas, JS 1100. The Radiance class offers unobstructed aft views with large balconies. The aft location is a bit more of a walk, but well worth it to us for the views, balcony, and quiet area of the ship- as there is very little traffic. Some ships have superstructure that can impact the view, some have soot or noise issues. You may want to post what ship you are considering, and in the meantime, enjoy this long time running Royal Caribbean aft discussion thread with photos (Show us Your Aft!): http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1243860 :)

[alisianwindscruiser]

Thanks to all for your replies. Indeed, with each ship being different, it will depend on a lot of things. That said, I forgot to mention which ship: Celebrity Solstice.

Being new here, I' still exploring around, but I will check out the ships' threads.:o

[Essiesmom]

If you go to the Celebrity board here at CC, you will find a sticky at the top where people have reviewed their cabins on Solstice class ships. You will be sure to find opinions of aft balconies. EM

[Keith1010]

The answer is that it can vary by cruise line.

 

On some ships it can be noise depending on the placement of say their outdoor cafe.

 

On other ships it can be quiet.

 

You will feel the seas more than if you are mid ship but far less than if you are very far forward.

 

On some ships it provides a larger balcony.

 

Best to ask this on the cruise line board and to identify the ship you are looking at.

 

Keith

[Dcoy]

The only negative to an aft cabin that I ran across was the long walk to it all the time. You try to remember to take everything you need with you so you don't have to run back to get something.

 

Even with that, I'd take an aft balcony again in a heart beat.

 

Don

[dorisis]

It depends on the ship. On larger ships it can be a long walk if you need to go forward. I prefer midships most of the time.

[rwr235]

Hi,

 

First, we LOVE aft/stern cabins...for the view, the quietness(less hallway traffic), and for the soothing sound of the ship's wake ! I for one, don't mind the walk, in fact, I don't consider walking to anywhere/from anywhere on a ship a long walk. That said, the Solstice does not have a true aft stairwell or elevator bank, so you do have to walk closer to the mid-ship area to get to other decks.

 

We have stayed in aft/stern cabins on 2 of the Celebrity Solstice Class ships, and I will attach a pic, so you can see the layout of the balconies.

Take note of the stepped-down design of the stern, and you can see that depending on the deck you are on, folks can look down on your balcony, and there is very little overhang. Unless however, you are on deck 12 (Resort Deck), where your balcony will be completely covered if on the aft/stern. We enjoyed being on deck 12, and having the overhang, BUT then you are subject to some noise from the deck above (outside area of OceanView Bar/Cafe) from scraping chairs etc...some reviews on here find the noise bothersome...some don't...We didn't.

 

Also, of a minor note, although all of the balconies on the aft/stern of the Solstice are of the same depth, there are some that are wider or narrower...not a big deal, but somewhat noticeable.

 

Here's a pic...

 

...the cabins with the widest balconies(not including the suites)...would be #2152, and each cabin directly below...and if you look closely you can see some other variances too.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Woody

[John Bull]

Balconies overlooking the stern are generally more sheltered than those along the side - when others found their balconies unusable due to wind & rain, our stern balcony was an oasis of calm.

 

Theoretically more movement in heavy seas (one end of a see-saw) but despite poor weather we didn't notice significant movement. And yes, it's a bit of a hike to get anywhere.

 

We'd do the same again.

 

JB :)

[Gunner22aa]

The only suites we stay in. Just finished a trip on the Golden and have three more booked over the next 16 months or so. If we can't get what we want on the aft we find another cruise plain and simple. We love the sound of the wake and the view. As long as you are on a deck between two passenger decks it will be very quiet and there won't be much traffic near your room other than those who are also staying back there and the staff. You will hear some noise and often feel some vibration from the aft thrusters when pulling into and out of port but thats about it. Normally you pull into a port early in the morning so this can be an issue for those that like to sleep late. We rise early so its never been an issue for us. As mentioned you do have farther to walk to get to the hub of activities but for us it is a small price to pay and actually has the benefit of working off some of the extra food one tends to eat on a cruise. If you are prone to motion sickness this might not be the best location for you. There is more movement at the bow and the stern than you will feel midship. Again never an issue for us. We have always had a wonderful experience in aft cabins and hope you will as well.

[Mare10]

The only suites we stay in. Just finished a trip on the Golden and have three more booked over the next 16 months or so. If we can't get what we want on the aft we find another cruise plain and simple. We love the sound of the wake and the view. As long as you are on a deck between two passenger decks it will be very quiet and there won't be much traffic near your room other than those who are also staying back there and the staff. You will hear some noise and often feel some vibration from the aft thrusters when pulling into and out of port but thats about it. Normally you pull into a port early in the morning so this can be an issue for those that like to sleep late. We rise early so its never been an issue for us. As mentioned you do have farther to walk to get to the hub of activities but for us it is a small price to pay and actually has the benefit of working off some of the extra food one tends to eat on a cruise. If you are prone to motion sickness this might not be the best location for you. There is more movement at the bow and the stern than you will feel midship. Again never an issue for us. We have always had a wonderful experience in aft cabins and hope you will as well.

I'm so glad I read this thread! We haven't cruised often but have always had mid ship balcony cabins. Thanks to all the advice here on cc we have booked a mini suite... farthest aft... for our 15 day Hawaiian Islands cruise! I can't wait to try this cabin after all the wonderful postings here.

 

Marilyn :)