General Question about Rooms

[mandikaye]

Hi!

 

I went on my first cruise in September 2014, and I've been itching to do another one ever since. I'm trying to plan one for my birthday (November).

 

Mom and I got lucky when we booked before - we got an upgrade to a balcony room AND it was accessible, so it was HUGE. We were definitely spoiled for our first one! :D

 

How much different of an experience would we have if we booked an interior room for the next one? I'm trying to be conscientious of cost (holy cow we spent way more than expected while ON the cruise), so it seems like interior is going to be the best way to go... I just don't want to end up disappointed.

 

Has anyone experienced both kinds of rooms?

[heatherandfred]

Hi! My mom and I have cruises together several times, with both a balcony and inside cabin. Personal space is limited in an inside cabin. At least with the balcony, you have the option of going outside and relaxing. Inside cabins are darker, unless you are on a newer ship with the virtual cabins. It depends on your preference.

We are taking our son on his second cruise,it's a balcony and we look forward to having the space. Enjoy!

[brillohead]

I guess the biggest thing to ask yourself is this: How much time do you spend hanging out in your room?

 

Some people really do spend lots of time on their balcony or watching tv/reading or socializing in their room. For them, it makes sense to pay more money for a bigger room and a balcony. Ditto for people who are claustrophobic.

 

Others, like me, only use the room to sleep / shower / change clothes. It makes no sense for me to waste money on a balcony I won't hang out on or space that I won't utilize because I'm rarely in the room.

 

I've been in a regular inside, an accessible inside, and an oceanview window. They were all the same to me, as the only thing I did in them was sleep / shower / change clothes.

[impatientlywaiting]

I was on the Vision in March and we had a cabin with a window. Up until that time, we'd always been in balcony cabins. I was highly disappointed and told DH I would never cruise in anything but a balcony cabin again. The size was pretty much the same, but I was used to being able to go outside and opening my sliding door to the balcony. It sure makes a big difference.

[setsail]

You should book what fits your budget

[reallyitsmema]

Hi!

 

I went on my first cruise in September 2014, and I've been itching to do another one ever since. I'm trying to plan one for my birthday (November).

 

Mom and I got lucky when we booked before - we got an upgrade to a balcony room AND it was accessible, so it was HUGE. We were definitely spoiled for our first one! :D

 

How much different of an experience would we have if we booked an interior room for the next one? I'm trying to be conscientious of cost (holy cow we spent way more than expected while ON the cruise), so it seems like interior is going to be the best way to go... I just don't want to end up disappointed.

 

Has anyone experienced both kinds of rooms?

 

You can see the approximate cabin sizes on the cruise line website, so look at the size of the cabin you had so you have something to base your research on. Cabin sizes can vary from ship to ship, so don't think a balcony will be the same fleet wide. Some of the older ships have very small cabins. First cabin I ever sailed in was only 122 sq. ft.:eek:

[MustBCruzn]

I guess the biggest thing to ask yourself is this: How much time do you spend hanging out in your room?

 

Some people really do spend lots of time on their balcony or watching tv/reading or socializing in their room. For them, it makes sense to pay more money for a bigger room and a balcony. Ditto for people who are claustrophobic.

 

Others, like me, only use the room to sleep / shower / change clothes. It makes no sense for me to waste money on a balcony I won't hang out on or space that I won't utilize because I'm rarely in the room.

 

I've been in a regular inside, an accessible inside, and an oceanview window. They were all the same to me, as the only thing I did in them was sleep / shower / change clothes.

 

I agree with brillohead...decide how much time you'll really use the balcony. For me, I won't cruise without one because being on my balcony is my idea of complete relaxation and a perfect vacation. My son and his GF on the other hand will never book anything but an inside. They spend no time in their room other than to sleep and shower. They didn't use their balcony the one and only time they booked a balcony cabin. They much prefer to spend their time out and about the ship or by the pool. Decide what suits you better.

[mandikaye]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll definitely want a balcony then. We spent a fair amount of time out there, particularly in the mornings and evenings.

[spookwife]

Hi!

 

 

 

How much different of an experience would we have if we booked an interior room for the next one? I'm trying to be conscientious of cost (holy cow we spent way more than expected while ON the cruise), so it seems like interior is going to be the best way to go... I just don't want to end up disappointed.

 

Has anyone experienced both kinds of rooms?

 

I will NEVER sail an interior. I will save up longer in order to be able to afford a balcony. I have seen them and even the largest/best configured one is still wayyyy too dang small, plus I absolutely need access to fresh air and natural light

 

that being said: how much time did you spend ON the balcony? if not much then you could probably get away with an interior, but I suggest a OV for the natural light. there is a cabin category on some ships that has a floor to ceiling window that is a very reasonable cost as compared to an interior.

[Cruise_Christy]

I would never sail in an interior. Of course there are plenty of people who do, and spend almost no time in their rooms or don't mind not having natural sunlight/fresh air in the room since they can just walk out on deck - but I personally would rather cruise once every 3 years in a balcony than once a year in an inside and whether you're the same is up to you!

 

One of my favourite parts of cruising is sitting out on the balcony - I'd say for at least several hours a day. Others may never use it and prefer to be sitting up on one of the public decks but I really like stepping out of bed and sitting on the balcony in my pyjamas reading a book... then having a late night drink out there and watching the sun set. For me the extra cost of a balcony is every penny well spent and I'd rather wait and save up for it.

Edited January 15, 2016 by Cruise_Christy

[shipgeeks]

Balconies are obviously an individual choice. We've experienced everything from insides to suites. Balcony cabin was probably our least favorite. Our first choice will always be oceanview, with inside quite acceptable. I say try out an inside cabin next, keeping in mind that it will be smaller than an accessible cabin. You won't know til you try it, and if it's okay for you, you will have more money for cruise #3, #4, etc.

One trick we like to do in an inside cabin is to turn the bowcam channel on overnight, with sound muted. It's like having a window.

[alora7]

Our first cruise was in a suite. Hubby's parents paid for it and we loved it. I was on the balcony all the time and I loved all the space. Our second cruise, we booked an interior, because of cost, and as I was boarding I was kicking myself for not booking at least a balcony. Turns out, I didn't really miss the balcony or the space. Although, my husband and I do almost everything together while onboard so we didn't need to worry about having our "personal space" as much as some people would. We actually enjoyed having the inside since it got us up on deck more and we really enjoyed the ship more than we did on first cruise. We spent so much time in the suite that we didn't do half the things we could/would have. On the first one we'd get a drink and go sit on balcony in the afternoon and evening while on the second one we'd get a drink and hang out on deck or in the bar and we got to see and experience so much more. For us an interior works just fine. I actually liked how quiet our interior was compared to our suite. We also booked the farthest forward cabin on Navigator so we only had 1 neighboring cabin and no one walked that far down the hall so we were never disturbed. It really depends on what is important to you. If I was with my mom I'd probably want a little more space. I know some ships have a larger interior room category so you may also want to look for something like that.

[jagsfan]

The cruise that started us cruising back in 1984 was an inside with upper and lower bunks. It was so small we had to put the chair into the closet to be able to get into bed.

We graduated to portholes, then windows, then balconies, minisuites, and once a suite.

That first cruise is still a wonderful memory, and started us on a glorious cruise life.

A balcony means you can get some alone time to read or look at the ocean. You can hang over the railing and watch the water, the shore or the pier runners.

An inside cabin means you can sleep like a log because it's so cozy and dark.

Of course, you might miss breakfast and lunch like we did.

If a balcony doesn't stretch the budget too much, it's a great enhancement to your cruise.

The downside is that you might never want to go back to oceanview or interior.

Have a fabulous cruise and quality time with your mom.

Edited January 15, 2016 by jagsfan

[MISSSNOOPYGIRL]

Thanks everyone! I think we'll definitely want a balcony then. We spent a fair amount of time out there, particularly in the mornings and evenings.

 

I am the opposite, I prefer to be where the action is and around people so a balcony is a waste for me. I don't like hanging out in my room. I am normally an introvert but seem to turn into an extrovert on my cruises:D

[UCF_Knight]

What ship(s) and itineraries are you looking at? That can make a big difference on how palatable an inside cabin is.

 

On some of the older ships the interiors can be 110 sqft. I wouldn't want to be in one of those with no window.

 

On some of the newer ships they have interiors that are almost 180 sqft in size. That's almost the same size as the room portion of a balcony stateroom on those same ships.

 

I've stayed in Interior, Promenade View, Oceanview, and Balcony. Plus I have a Central Park View (not balcony) booked on Oasis.

 

I obviously prefer a balcony stateroom and that's what I book a lot of the time, but if the cost difference is significant I'll go for a lower category. Unlike others, I'd rather take a 7 night cruise and 5 night cruise in an Oceanview or Interior than a single 7 night cruise in a Balcony stateroom for the same price.

[mandikaye]

What ship(s) and itineraries are you looking at? That can make a big difference on how palatable an inside cabin is.

 

I'm primarily looking at Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas. The ports of call don't really matter that much to me, I'm not planning to do any excursions on this trip. We were on Freedom last time, and I loved it! And I felt like I really only got to explore half the ship. I'd be perfectly happy spending the entire vacation on the ship (and that would stop me from shopping so much in the ports!).

[spookwife]

I'm primarily looking at Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas. The ports of call don't really matter that much to me, I'm not planning to do any excursions on this trip. We were on Freedom last time, and I loved it! And I felt like I really only got to explore half the ship. I'd be perfectly happy spending the entire vacation on the ship (and that would stop me from shopping so much in the ports!).

 

 

what about a Promenade inside on Liberty? window seat looking out , decent sized and pretty reasonable in cost. NOT noisy at all either.

[tootsieroll107]

We normally book an interior room to save money. With a family of 4 it can get expensive. This past October on Oasis, we were in a family oceanview balcony. It was amazing and we loved it!! It was hot, so we didn't spend as much time on the balcony as we hoped, but it was great to walk out and see the ports.

 

I think it's worth it if you can afford it.