The Nicest and Least Expensive Stateroom on a Ship

[ChiefMateJRK]

35 minutes ago, The Traveling Man said:

Because anything less than infinity is, by definition, limited.  By definition, any assets not required for the necessities of life or savings for future necessary expenditures are available for discretionary spending.

Wow.  That pretty mathy and technical.  The other poster seemed to imply that everybody on the forum was balancing how much they spend on a cruise with their monthly expenses.  I'm "guessing" (🤣) that there are others that just spend what they want on a cruise without regard to monthly expenses.  I may be mistaken...😎

[Travelling2Some]

5 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

  I'm "guessing" (🤣) that there are others that just spend what they want on a cruise without regard to monthly expenses.  I may be mistaken...😎

I suspect these are the people who are either very well off (which is fine) or trying to borrow money from me (which is not fine).

[The Traveling Man]

1 minute ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Wow.  That pretty mathy and technical.  The other poster seemed to imply that everybody on the forum was balancing how much they spend on a cruise with their monthly expenses.  I'm "guessing" (🤣) that there are others that just spend what they want on a cruise without regard to monthly expenses.  I may be mistaken...😎

No, you're not wrong.  Have you ever heard the old saw "if you have to ask the price, then you can't afford it"?  The corollary to that is that if you have sufficient resources for your necessities and your caprices you may not feel the need to budget your expenses or even closely monitor your expenditures.  Most "old money" people don't spend their money like a drunken sailor.  Some "new money" folks likewise are thrifty because that's the way they managed to acquire their new money.  They are comfortable with a lifestyle which eschews extravagance.  When they want to spend money, though, they simply spend it and don't give it a second thought.  Sounds like you may fit that mold.

[The Traveling Man]

23 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Wow.  That pretty mathy and technical. 

Sorry.  Post-graduate economics curriculum.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, The Traveling Man said:

No, you're not wrong.  Have you ever heard the old saw "if you have to ask the price, then you can't afford it"?  The corollary to that is that if you have sufficient resources for your necessities and your caprices you may not feel the need to budget your expenses or even closely monitor your expenditures.  Most "old money" people don't spend their money like a drunken sailor.  Some "new money" folks likewise are thrifty because that's the way they managed to acquire their new money.  They are comfortable with a lifestyle which eschews extravagance.  When they want to spend money, though, they simply spend it and don't give it a second thought.  Sounds like you may fit that mold.

Hear! Hear!  That is exactly the thought I was trying to convey.  Thanks! 😎

 

(And I'm most certainly not Old Money, not that there's anything wrong with that.  I wouldn't mind my kids being middle-aged money....  I love my kids.  It would be a better world if everybody did.)

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

No, you're not wrong.  Have you ever heard the old saw "if you have to ask the price, then you can't afford it"?  The corollary to that is that if you have sufficient resources for your necessities and your caprices you may not feel the need to budget your expenses or even closely monitor your expenditures.  Most "old money" people don't spend their money like a drunken sailor.  Some "new money" folks likewise are thrifty because that's the way they managed to acquire their new money.  They are comfortable with a lifestyle which eschews extravagance.  When they want to spend money, though, they simply spend it and don't give it a second thought.  Sounds like you may fit that mold.

This is actually the best post I've ever read on this forum. Seriously. 😎 That post-graduate curriculum must have had some real value.  Nice!

[mugtech]

4 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

 

 

.  I love my kids.  It would be a better world if everybody did.)

Most of us will never get to see or meet your kids.

[ChiefMateJRK]

11 hours ago, mugtech said:

Most of us will never get to see or meet your kids.

🤣That's a good one.  Of course, some of you may get to meet DD, as she cruises with us from time to time.😎  @ggTexasGalwas "that close" last fall.

Edited March 20 by ChiefMateJRK

[Capitan Obvious]

This entire thread begs the question: On a given ship, how many times and in how many different staterooms should one sail BEFORE having sufficient knowledge to say which stateroom on that ship is "the nicest and least expensive"?

[kd1044]

I like to cruise in Suites.  I like the perks and I think for everything that is included you can find good value.  I am constantly reviewing ships, itineraries, and pricing.  You can still find some relative bargains. 

 

Even after I book, I monitor the prices and every so often the price drops or a better cabin becomes available from a last-minute cancelation, and I swoop in.

 

The smallest cabin I ever had was an obstructed Junior suite.  It was s short cruise, just my husband and myself and it was OK mostly due to the fact that I still got all the suite perks. 

 

I went on a family cruise once and my daughter shared and inside cabin with the other cousins and I could barely breath in a cabin the size of a walk-in closet.

 

I cruise less but I am content.  You can't take the money with you when you go, but you can take your experiences. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

53 minutes ago, kd1044 said:

I went on a family cruise once and my daughter shared and inside cabin with the other cousins and I could barely breath in a cabin the size of a walk-in closet.

Good grief.  Really?

[kd1044]

Yes, it was really awful.  It might have had something to do with the mess that 4 teenage girls can wreak on a cabin, but I couldn't get out of there fast enough.  

 

Maybe someday an inside cabin will be all that I will be able to afford.  But until then why would I stay, and sleep in a room that would not meet building code in my house?

 

It takes all kinds, and that is not for me.  To each their own.

[ChiefMateJRK]

10 minutes ago, kd1044 said:

Maybe someday an inside cabin will be all that I will be able to afford.  But until then why would I stay, and sleep in a room that would not meet building code in my house?

You have a building code for your house?  How would an inside cabin fail to comply?

10 minutes ago, kd1044 said:

It takes all kinds, and that is not for me.  To each their own.

Well, you might show a bit more respect for those who aren't "you."  Then again, likely not.  Some can't afford more than an inside.  Some choose not to waste money on things that they don't need.  Some want to spend on that favorite human being in the mirror who is more important than everybody else.  "Enjoy" that.

Edited April 3 by ChiefMateJRK

[cruiseny4life]

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Well, you might show a bit more respect for those who aren't "you."  Then again, likely not.

 

7 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Good grief.  Really?

 

[Sthrngary]

9 hours ago, kd1044 said:

I like to cruise in Suites.  I like the perks and I think for everything that is included you can find good value.  I am constantly reviewing ships, itineraries, and pricing.  You can still find some relative bargains. 

 

Even after I book, I monitor the prices and every so often the price drops or a better cabin becomes available from a last-minute cancelation, and I swoop in.

 

The smallest cabin I ever had was an obstructed Junior suite.  It was s short cruise, just my husband and myself and it was OK mostly due to the fact that I still got all the suite perks. 

 

I went on a family cruise once and my daughter shared and inside cabin with the other cousins and I could barely breath in a cabin the size of a walk-in closet.

 

I cruise less but I am content.  You can't take the money with you when you go, but you can take your experiences. 

@kd1044 Well said.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[justhappy]

If I’m considering the nicest and least expensive cabin I’ve ever cruised in it would have to be the studio cabin I had for a 5 night cruise on the Getaway. Best sleep ever and since it was a group cruise it came with a lot of perks.

On the other hand the most expensive but definitely my favorite is the aft Haven balcony on deck 9.

 

  Over 3 cruise lines I’ve sailed in insides, ocean view,  balcony, Central Park balconies, club balcony and Haven.

It’s more about the fun you have and friends you meet vs what kind of cabin you’re in. So the nicer cabin is just a bonus.
 

[Sthrngary]

33 minutes ago, justhappy said:

If I’m considering the nicest and least expensive cabin I’ve ever cruised in it would have to be the studio cabin I had for a 5 night cruise on the Getaway. Best sleep ever and since it was a group cruise it came with a lot of perks.

On the other hand the most expensive but definitely my favorite is the aft Haven balcony on deck 9.

 

  Over 3 cruise lines I’ve sailed in insides, ocean view,  balcony, Central Park balconies, club balcony and Haven.

It’s more about the fun you have and friends you meet vs what kind of cabin you’re in. So the nicer cabin is just a bonus.
 

@justhappy Great post.  I say, "Just be Happy". 

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment.

[PatJim]

For many years, I led Cruise Critic Meet & Greets, especially on the Gem.  Jim and I loved planning cabin crawls.  We usually were able to get members to volunteer almost every type of cabin for the crawl.  It was very educational.  Some members who never would have considered booking an inside could see for themselves their clever storage despite their small size, and that booking this category would allow them to cruise more often.  We also knew cruisers who, after seeing an Owner’s Suite on the crawl, saved for a couple of years to afford booking one.  

[kd1044]

21 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

You have a building code for your house?  How would an inside cabin fail to comply?

Well, you might show a bit more respect for those who aren't "you."  Then again, likely not.  Some can't afford more than an inside.  Some choose not to waste money on things that they don't need.  Some want to spend on that favorite human being in the mirror who is more important than everybody else.  "Enjoy" that.

 

A bedroom in a house must have a window large enough to exit through in order to meet code in every state I have lived in. I didn't think inside cabins had windows.

 

I did not think I was disrespecting or judging anyone. I drive an inexpensive car, no designer clothes or handbags.  I don't eat out much and I have a simple gold wedding band.  In most aspects of my life, I live very modestly.  I just like nice cabins when I cruise.  I also like to fly business class.  So, I work hard and save my money so that I can do these things with my family, as often as I can.  

 

My adult daughter is a cancer survivor (she still lives with us) and when she can cruise with us, we get a two-room suite.  The two-room family suite on the Dawn is my favorite.  We went on a great Canada Cruise in 2018 on the Dawn in that cabin and it was perfect. 

 

That was the last cruise we went on as a family. She has been too ill to cruise with us lately. She is on a new treatment now and we are hoping for better days.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, kd1044 said:

A bedroom in a house must have a window large enough to exit through in order to meet code in every state I have lived in. I didn't think inside cabins had windows.

Yikes!! So NCL is putting the steerage passenger's lives at risk?  Have you reported this to the authorities?

1 hour ago, kd1044 said:

I just like nice cabins when I cruise.

Yep.  Most of us do.  Some of us (the tiny minority) consider an inside cabin on an NCL ship to be a "nice cabin."  We are humble peasants who can appreciate whatever we can afford (or choose to spend.)

1 hour ago, kd1044 said:

So, I work hard and save my money so that I can do these things with my family, as often as I can. 

You wouldn't have to work so hard if you could be happy in a nice inside cabin.  Apparently, you can't.

1 hour ago, kd1044 said:

My adult daughter is....

That sounds like private stuff that has no business being posted on the internet, regardless of what you're trying to accomplish here.  Extremely disrespectful to a person who may be encountering health struggles.  Many do, but don't use somebody else's challenges as a tool.

Edited April 4 by ChiefMateJRK

[kd1044]

47 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Some of us (the tiny minority) consider an inside cabin on an NCL ship to be a "nice cabin." 

 

ChiefMateJRK you have very expressive replies. It seems to me, from your other posts, that you cruise a lot and have a lot of experience to share.

What was your favorite itinerary? 

Is there an itinerary you are looking forward to taking in the future?

Which ship, in your opinion, has the best inside cabin?

[Sthrngary]

9 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Yikes!! So NCL is putting the steerage passenger's lives at risk?  Have you reported this to the authorities?

Yep.  Most of us do.  Some of us (the tiny minority) consider an inside cabin on an NCL ship to be a "nice cabin."  We are humble peasants who can appreciate whatever we can afford (or choose to spend.)

You wouldn't have to work so hard if you could be happy in a nice inside cabin.  Apparently, you can't.

That sounds like private stuff that has no business being posted on the internet, regardless of what you're trying to accomplish here.  Extremely disrespectful to a person who may be encountering health struggles.  Many do, but don't use somebody else's challenges as a tool.

@ChiefMateJRK Some like expensive staterooms, others don't.  Some share their reasoning, others don't.  We all mostly love cruising, some different then others.  That makes us all a community.  I used to RV.  I had a pull behind trailer and sometimes, the RV next to me had a Million Dollar Bus RV.  Funny, when we were cooking dinner at night, we both had hot dogs. I always remember that.  Kind of a reality check.

 

I also pay WAY to much for staterooms/Suites.  In my case, I do it because as I got older, I got Bougie. I admit it fully.  I am a older, portly, Bougie guy.  There I finally said it, LOL. Earlier in my life, like 40 plus years ago, I was in an inside cabin on my honeymoon with bunk beds.  It was to us, all the luxury we would ever need.  As time went on, we upped the stateroom over the four decades.  My last stateroom was a Vista Suite on Oceania Cruises.  It was 1,300 sft, half the front of the ship that wrapped around the side balcony, and lots of amenities.  We had our friends with us and they had full access to our suite especially the full bar.  Would I do it again, NO.  Why, waisted space never utilized, the balcony furniture was tied down during cruising, the outside hot tub on the deck did not have hot water, and it had an exercise room we used for luggage storage.  Now I know that so I will choose accordingly in the future. 

 

My point is, the the stateroom does not make the cruise, nor the cruiser. Smaller or larger does not mean better. Sometimes, as in some brands, it can mean better depending on your tastes. Expressing enjoyment of any stateroom should never cause issues with other guests.  In my case, I grew up poor, had some health issues which are now resolved and simply want to enjoy my vacations the way I choose to enjoy them.  Kind of like I enjoy posting on CruiseCritic.com.  Most of the time, we help each other approach future cruises better.  That is super helpful and has really enhance my past few cruising experience.  Nice community of folks.  

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[PatJim]

Very well said, Gary.  Thank you.

[ChiefMateJRK]

12 hours ago, kd1044 said:

 

ChiefMateJRK you have very expressive replies. It seems to me, from your other posts, that you cruise a lot and have a lot of experience to share.

What was your favorite itinerary? 

Is there an itinerary you are looking forward to taking in the future?

Which ship, in your opinion, has the best inside cabin?

Good questions.  At this point, my most enjoyable cruises have been Alaska itineraries.  I haven't yet sailed the Hawaii to Alaska repositioning itinerary, but when I do that will likely be my favorite.  I generally avoid foreign travel, but we have the Iceland/Norway/England scheduled in 2025 as a B2B.  That will be 21 days and we're really looking forward to it.  Ironically, the best inside cabin I've had was on the Sun last Summer in AK.  That said, I'm fine in any inside cabin.  I just sleep and shower there, so it really doesn't matter.  I've had regular balconies, but only because they cost one or two hundred to upgrade.  That's probably about what it was worth to me to have a couch and be able to step outside on occasion.  I've once had an aft balcony with loungers, and that was nice.  But, again, it was a one or two hundred dollar upgrade from the basic balcony we had originally booked.  I just like being on the ship, and itinerary, cabin, etc. are secondary.  I'm more concerned about who the performers are in the bars and lounges.  Alexa, Siglo, Louis Rizon, Matthew, Ed Kelly, Ryan North, Raul Rojas (guns and Rojas) all stick out in my mind.   There were many others that I enjoyed, but a tier below the ones I listed.  Thanks for asking.

Edited April 4 by ChiefMateJRK

[ChiefMateJRK]

3 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

Expressing enjoyment of any stateroom should never cause issues with other guests. 

I agree 100% Gary.  I'm sure that those top end cabins are very nice.  They might even marginally add to my overall enjoyment of the cruise.  As I've stated, the few times I've upgraded to modest balconies, I found it to be worth the couple hundred bucks (or less) that I paid.  What generally triggers me to post is the posts that read like:

"Once I went Haven, I could never go back"

"I would never cruise if I couldn't be in the Haven"

"Sucks to not be able to afford better than inside"

"I would die in an inside"

"You should have worked harder so that you didn't have to sail inside"

Okay, there's a bit of hyperbole mixed into those, but not a lot.

3 hours ago, Sthrngary said:

My point is, the the stateroom does not make the cruise, nor the cruiser.

Truth.