Port hole room on the Sensation

[beshears]

If you have had a port hole room on the sensation within the last year, was it close to the front of the ship?  I know there are normally not too many port hole rooms, but I'm wanting to find at least 4 together. For myself, I find the port hole room is just as good as the window for me.  I "think???" it might be a tad cheaper than the regular window, but I am not for sure.

[jbethel11]

2 hours ago, beshears said:

If you have had a port hole room on the sensation within the last year, was it close to the front of the ship?  I know there are normally not too many port hole rooms, but I'm wanting to find at least 4 together. For myself, I find the port hole room is just as good as the window for me.  I "think???" it might be a tad cheaper than the regular window, but I am not for sure.

Although I haven't stayed in a porthole cabin, by the looks of the deck plans, they are at the front of the ship (technically a little aft of the front, but furthers front you as a passenger can walk) and yes, at minimum, there are four porthole cabins adjacent to one another. 

[LandlockedCruiser01]

2 hours ago, beshears said:

If you have had a port hole room on the sensation within the last year, was it close to the front of the ship?  I know there are normally not too many port hole rooms, but I'm wanting to find at least 4 together. For myself, I find the port hole room is just as good as the window for me.  I "think???" it might be a tad cheaper than the regular window, but I am not for sure.

I had a porthole cabin on the Sensation, so I'll address your concerns.

1. Are they close to the front of the ship?  Yes.  I could hear the loud noise from the anchor winch and/or the forward thrusters every time my ship docked in port.  It didn't bother me; it doubled as a nautical-style wake-up call.  But just saying.  If you or a family member startles easily, you won't like it.

2. Are there many porthole cabins?  Yes.  On Fantasy class ships, which are older, most outside-facing forward cabins are portholes, not oceanviews (normal window).  The lower you go, the more porthole cabins there are on the deck.  Newer ships have few porthole cabins, and they sell out fast.  Mardi Gras might have none, for all I know.

3. Are they cheaper?  Noticeably, but not dramatically.  Carnival classifies porthole cabins as inside cabins, although it charges extra compared to true inside cabins.  Your savings, when booking a porthole instead of an oceanview, are $50 to $100.

 

There are two caveats with portholes: (1) Your view is tunnel-like, like looking through a toilet paper tube, and (2) There's a ledge in front of them, and the farther forward you go, the wider it gets.  When I sailed on the Sensation, I used it as dumping ground for my suitcase and dirty laundry.  

Edited June 27, 2019 by LandlockedCruiser01

[SNJCruisers]

5 hours ago, beshears said:

If you have had a port hole room on the sensation within the last year, was it close to the front of the ship?  I know there are normally not too many port hole rooms, but I'm wanting to find at least 4 together. For myself, I find the port hole room is just as good as the window for me.  I "think???" it might be a tad cheaper than the regular window, but I am not for sure.

On the Sensation, the porthole cabins are all located at the bow, starting with 10 cabins on the port side and starboard side on deck 4, then 9 cabins on each side on deck 5, 6 cabins on each side on deck 6 and 4 cabins on each side on deck 7, for a total of 58 porthole cabins.

[beshears]

Oh thank you for your replies.  This is encouraging news to me. Since I had done the port hole a time or two, I thought they were cute and different.  Yes, I know this will sound strange, but my friend and I took turns sitting there looking out the window (taking pictures too). 🙂  I could see it as a storage area as someone mentioned too.

[Nic6318]

Hi Beshears

 

I want to repeat (emphasize) those cabins can be very loud in the morning. 

 

The port hole cabins might be cheaper compared with the interiors, but not always. They are always cheaper than an OV cabin.

 

Another consideration... sometimes the cabin configuration will not allow the beds to be joined or only bunk beds. The upper/lower can be a problem for some, make sure you know in advance.

 

Personally I like them, but if you are looking for other friends make sure they understand the pitfalls. Also if you are not finding enough cabins together, you could also look at a few on the other side of the ship. You would still be very close to each other.

[KmomChicago]

There have been many reviews of folks in these rooms showing pics of the following on the large ledges at the portholes:

 

Small children who were able to spend hours there looking out happily.

Girlfriends/wives who spent hours there looking out happily.

People of all sorts using the ledge as a reading nook with natural light.

Laundry / luggage / souvenirs / junk stowed there for the cruise.

You were probably one of those posters, given your experience.

I am also interested in those very far forward, sort of square shaped rooms without windows and with an upper/lower berth. They look like they have a ton of open floor space, but only hold 2 people so we haven't been able to try them out.

 

I think if you like the look of them, and it all works out, the porthole rooms seem like an awesome hack, a window room for the price of an inside, on ships that are already often priced in the bargain basement.  Understood that their location could lead to equipment noise.  On the other hand I would expect almost no fellow passenger noise/hallway noise.  They seem to be slow sellers and often easily available.

[beshears]

I appreciate the recent postings in regard to the Sensation Port hole rooms.  I just thought it would be a good experience for my 3 sons/3 d-i-l's that I don't believe have ever been in a port hole room.

 

Question.  It was said they would be loud.  What type of noise/loudness are you talking about?  Water, people, etc???  To me, as long as it is in the morning, I wouldn't have a problem with that, and i don't think my family would either.  It is at night when were trying to sleep, I would think would make the difference.

[Sabalon]

7 hours ago, beshears said:

Question.  It was said they would be loud.  What type of noise/loudness are you talking about?  Water, people, etc???

 

Most of the time they are very peaceful - you have to go down a windy passage  to get to them as the front of the ship is closing in for the bow.  If you look at the deck plans, you can see the way they stagger in like steps.

 

When they are in a tender port and drop the anchor, you know that the anchor is going down.   This doesn't last too long, but it is loud.    The other noise you will hear is the bow maneuvering thrusters.  These are mainly used for the finer movements when they are going in to dock, which of course usually happens in the mornings!  It is a constant noise, semi loud, but something that you can roll over and go back to sleep with (at least we could).  To me, it sounds like someone is running a vacuum a few doors down the hall.  

 

It is possible you'll hear the water sloshing around, but that will be minimal, and compared to the other two, pleasant!

 

But even with all that, I'd book them again in a heart-beat.   I get motion sickness, and even though you're on the bow, first to hit the waves, it never bothered me at all.

 

I also attached the picture (from the Glory) which is where my daughter spent a lot of time reading and hanging out.  Plus the natural light is nice!

[beshears]

Thank you for the recent postings on the Port hole's on the Sensation.  Since my twins are "snorers", (their younger brother may be the same way, but I'm not for sure) they might not even notice the noise early in the morning. 🙂 I know this will sounds strange, but for me.................you can have ALL the lights shining bright, the TV blasting, and "if" I'm sleepy enough, I can sleep through all of it, which I did a few years ago when our twin grown sons stayed in the same room with us at a hotel.  I was fine with ALL the lights/noise while sleeping, but as soon as they had the lights/TV off and they started snoring, I woke up immediately!  I TOLD them they needed to STOP snoring, but they said they weren't.  I told them I HEARD them!! 🙂  🙂

[ALWAYS CRUZIN]

Yes a port hole OV cabin is the least expensive and in the front of the ship. We never booked one but ended up in one where they picked the OV cabin. Cabin itself is fine. However, there was loud banging against the hull of the ship. Once I realized it was the water hitting the side of the ship, no problem.,