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All The Way Aft -- What to Expect?


SimplyMarvie
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We'll be cruising on the Seranade later this year, and due to a whole kerfuffle with rooms that our fabulous TA sorted out for us, we've ended up in two oceanview rooms all the way to the aft of the boat. I'm a touch nervous, because I've heard that those rooms can be noisy and particularly difficult for people with a tendency to get seasick... but I've also heard that aft balconies in particular are very sought after. What's the actual straight skinny on being at the very, very end of the boat?

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I've been in an aft on the Serenade several times. You did not mention the deck and that will have as much an impact on comfort as location. The itinerary can also make a difference.

The ship is a medium size ship compared to the mega ships sailing today but it still offers a very stable ride over 95% of the time. I have been in some rough seas (both pre and aft hurricanes) and still prefer the afts. The stabilizers are used to smooth the ride.

Noise is an entirely different matter. If your cabin is either above or below a venue you could have ambient noise. If you are over or under the MDR (decks 4 and 5) you will not hear much of anything. The dining room is carpeted and not used after 10 or so at night. 

If you think you might be bothered by motion I recommend Bonine. It's available in the US but not Canada. Start it before your flight if you are flying to the cruise. There is a convenient 24 hour pill with almost no side effects and it is inexpensive. The Guest Services desk will also have single doses. The sundry shop on the ship will also have it but it is more costly there.

Don't fret about the seas. Have a great cruise.

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On 3/4/2019 at 6:47 AM, alcpa1 said:

I've been in an aft on the Serenade several times. You did not mention the deck and that will have as much an impact on comfort as location. The itinerary can also make a difference.

The ship is a medium size ship compared to the mega ships sailing today but it still offers a very stable ride over 95% of the time. I have been in some rough seas (both pre and aft hurricanes) and still prefer the afts. The stabilizers are used to smooth the ride.

Noise is an entirely different matter. If your cabin is either above or below a venue you could have ambient noise. If you are over or under the MDR (decks 4 and 5) you will not hear much of anything. The dining room is carpeted and not used after 10 or so at night. 

If you think you might be bothered by motion I recommend Bonine. It's available in the US but not Canada. Start it before your flight if you are flying to the cruise. There is a convenient 24 hour pill with almost no side effects and it is inexpensive. The Guest Services desk will also have single doses. The sundry shop on the ship will also have it but it is more costly there.

Don't fret about the seas. Have a great cruise.

 

Perfect! We'll be under the MDR, so that actually sounds ideal. Thank you so much, this is a huge load off my mind! 

 

(And we'll check in with our friendly neighborhood health professional about the bonine. Better safe than sorry!!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

We were on the Radiance of the Seas which is a sister ship to the Serenade in August, 2018 for Alaska.  We had aft balcony rooms 8672 (us), 8670 (Sis) and 8168 (SIL).   They were wonderful cabins to be able to see all the scenery from our balconies.  No noise problems or any extra movement.  Yes you have to walk a long way to the elevators but that was a good trade off for the views.  If we were booking again, we would definitely go with 8672 and 8670 or another one in the middle.  Cabin 8168 was at the end of the row so had more of a side view and a little bigger balcony than the other two so it was good too, we just liked being in the middle personally.  The only thing I would do differently is to bring a small squeegee.  The glass on the back balconies get wet and it would be have been nice to do a quick clean in the mornings.  As it was I used one of the hand towels and dried off the top of the balcony to make it easier to lean on.  

 

Here is a picture of my sister and her husband in cabin 8670.  Our cabin was 8672 just to the left of them.  Plenty of room for two chairs and a table.  The cabin to the right of them was a suite with a wrap around balcony.  The inside of the room looked like any other balcony cabin.  Hope this helps.  You made a good choice getting an aft balcony.

 

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On 3/5/2019 at 9:07 PM, cb at sea said:

If you are truly "aft" (facing the wake), your balcony will be HUGE!  It is a loooooooong walk tho.....you have to use the mid-ship stairs/elevators.  That's the only downside.

Interested in the post too as we have back aft corner booked on Mariner (deck 10)

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  • 3 weeks later...

We always try for an aft balcony....

 

Good points.... great view.... walk to the end of hallway and you are there..

 

Can be a bit of vibration,  sometimes... the sound of the wake, but only applies to balcony.

 

Movement wise a little more than amidships...

 

Also the standard check deck plan to see what it above and below your cabin...

 

So enjoy your cruise

 

Cheers Don

Edited by getting older slowly
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