The Nicest and Least Expensive Stateroom on a Ship

[Sthrngary]

10 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

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.

Truth.

@ChiefMateJRK Oh, I totally get it.  I see those also.  If I have not had my coffee yet OR if I have had to many coffee's I write quite the response.  I then delete it.  I REALLY want to post it, but I delete it.  WHY, because as you said, something triggered me.  My trigger is different then yours.  But just as triggering.  My grammar and spelling well, can be challenging. A few times, some folks have rolled over me like I was trash on the street.  You should have seen those emails before I deleted them.  

 

Back to your point, the Haven is nice for sure.  But so is Haven Lite.  Everyone needs to do what is right for them.  I see your point on some of the comments.  They almost sound like a cruiser is a second class person because they don't do a expensive suite.  Nothing could be further from the truth. A cruiser is a cruiser.  We all have a budget.  The reason many of us go on NCL regardless of the stateroom is what the entire ship offers us.  If we wanted something different, we would go to another brand.  

 

If I personally had all the money in the world, I would go on Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection or Regent Seven Seas.  Like you, I can't possibly see how that would make my time and vacation that much better for the 8x increase in price. Yet some love it and also some were disappointed in it.  Just the decision we all have to make about cruising. 

 

Hey, lets make a deal.  If we ever cruise together, lets share a meal together.  Meeting folks on this board can be a really fun and interesting thing.  Deal.

 

Cruise well and enjoy every moment. 

[biker@sea]

For us a last minute deal from our NCL PCC - it was buy an inside gty and get a midship balcony cabin for $199 pp on a 7 night Canada cruise.

 
The best and least expensive cruise of the 30 we have done.

[ChiefMateJRK]

33 minutes ago, Sthrngary said:

Hey, lets make a deal.  If we ever cruise together, lets share a meal together.  Meeting folks on this board can be a really fun and interesting thing.  Deal.

Absolutely!

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Sthrngary said:

We all have a budget.

Unfortunately, many don't.  Their budget defaults to whatever cash they can earn/beg/borrow/steal.

 

I don't really have a budget, other than just not spending more than I need to for necessities, and not wasting money on discretionary things.  Is cruising (even in an inside cabin) a waste?  On some level, yes.  I'm spending money on myself that would probably do more good for others.  Does only spending the minimum to get me on the ship make the cruise more enjoyable?  Absolutely.  It's ironic, but I would enjoy a cruise less if every day I felt like I was throwing away money on crap that I don't need.  Decades ago, my new DW and I headed out cross country with a job offer, an engineering degree and marriage cert (both with fresh ink), two crappy cars and about 2 grand in our checking account.  Life was GREAT!!!!!!  Now?  Life is good.  Any inside cabin is luxury compared to the dorm room I had just moved out of.  The food, booze and entertainment is better than anything I had back then.  But, you can't go home.  However, you can cruise(even inside!), and "enjoy every moment of it!"

 

Thanks for your post Gary.  I always enjoy our discussions.😎

 

disclaimer: NCL just offered me a bazillion dollars of (non-refundable) OBC if I would quit posting crap that helped people feel better about NOT booking the Haven.

 

(that didn't really happen) 🤣

Edited April 4 by ChiefMateJRK

[carohs]

I always look at the price difference between an inside and a balcony, and almost always I decide the price difference (in % not $) is not worth the upgrade. We have sufficient income now, and enough limitations on PTO availability, that we can live our day to day life without really budgeting our expenses and not give it a second thought if we want to book a cruise. OTOH, it's not so sufficient that booking a Haven or above wouldn't cause us to reassess how we spend/budget our money. It's called opportunity cost. What I'm trying to say is, I'd rather have a car payment, for example, something I use every day than a more expensive cabin that I may only enjoy a few days out of the year. 

The way I look at it is, we all make choices as to what we value and spend our discretionary income that way. Whether it's vacations or Starbucks or whatever. Even the choice of where to buy a home, if you choose to buy a home, assuming you're fortunate enough to have that choice, is subjective. 

 

When it comes to what I value in cruising? Well no matter what being on a ship is more luxury than I have at home. A butler is a bit much for me, when already we get someone who makes your bed, takes our the garbage, and picks up the dirty dishes. Bring my kids along, and I get the luxury of knowing my children are in a safe space with age appropriate entertainment, that btw they love and want to do. It's not absent parenting because they know the expectation of their behavior and we still have so many shared family memories throughout our time on board. Having a plethora of choices of what and when to eat is also a luxury. I don't have to think twice about whose hungry when and what meal preference four different people have. Not having a little extra space or a window isn't going to take away from the little luxuries I love about cruising. Maybe later in life we'll decide to upgrade more often and become like sthrngary. For now? Give me an inside room and I'm more than happy to be on a ship. 

[complawyer]

fyi, ive been monitoring the sept 26th prima from  iceland to southampton. it appears thecabin prices have gone down. i can now make my wife happy  and book a haven penthouse.

 

that

being said however, if she doesnt see the northern lights, my life is forfeit

[ChiefMateJRK]

18 minutes ago, carohs said:

Even the choice of where to buy a home, if you choose to buy a home, assuming you're fortunate enough to have that choice, is subjective. 

I used to own a home.  Paid off.  It was a PITA at times.  Now I rent.  Life it good!

20 minutes ago, carohs said:

For now? Give me an inside room and I'm more than happy to be on a ship. 

Thank you. 😎

[IAcruising]

On 4/2/2024 at 11:09 PM, kd1044 said:

You can't take the money with you when you go, but you can take your experiences. 

 

How does that work, exactly?

 

[IAcruising]

5 hours ago, complawyer said:

that

being said however, if she doesnt see the northern lights, my life is forfeit

 

I can kind of relate. I'm giving up the last opportunity in my lifetime to see a total eclipse. Oh well, I'll be cruising. I'll get over it. It will probably end up being completely overcast where I was planning to stay anyway.

 

 

[GeorgiaGirl14]

Life is all about choices, during different seasons and situations in life.  I congratulate you all for choosing to enjoy life on a cruise your way, and will not criticize or condemn those who choose to go about it a different way than I do, provided it does infringe on my own enjoyment.  Some cruise more, some cruise less. Some pay more, some pay less.  But the sea calms and feeds all of our souls.  We are all fortunate that we have that in common. 

[Distinctive-Destinations]

56 minutes ago, GeorgiaGirl14 said:

But the sea calms and feeds all of our souls.  We are all fortunate that we have that in common. 

I don’t know if that is entirely true 100% of the time. While it is true for me, and presumably also you, some on here (and on cruises in general) complain about the most minor things, and almost sound like they would be better off staying at home on land. Or perhaps they are so miserable that that is actually an improvement?

 

Seriously what is wrong with some of you? Hash browns ruined your trip? Your MDR sirloin wasn’t the best steak in the history of steaks? They’re out of Tito’s, so you had to drink Absolut like a poor?

[Xoxosnowball]

I'm claustrophobic so I cannot be in an inside cabin nor an ocean view.  I'm fine with a balcony and if it has some perks like a spa pass included, even better.  I have friends who can easily afford the Haven suites, but choose inside cabins or ocean views, I guess to save money.  As an accountant, I do a cost benefit analysis and if the extra perks are worth the incremental costs, I'll call and upgrade.  After the initial costs have been paid (sunk costs), what's an extra $1K on a 10-day EU cruise for additional benefits?  It's less painful after the initial outlay.  Well, that's my reasoning anyway.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Xoxosnowball said:

what's an extra $1K on a 10-day EU cruise for additional benefits?

Is that $1K per person?

[Xoxosnowball]

31 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Is that $1K per person?

Depends.  One time it was total, this time it was pp for an 11-day cruise. But again, I kind of don't look back at the sunk costs, they're already spent.  Can I afford an extra $1K-ish and would the benefit be worth it.

Edited April 7 by Xoxosnowball

[ChiefMateJRK]

So, I guess your answer to:

2 hours ago, Xoxosnowball said:

what's an extra $1K on a 10-day EU cruise for additional benefits?

is that it is $200 per day.  I spend about an hour per day in my cabin (excluding sleeping/napping).  Is the balcony worth $200 per hour to DW and me?

 

 

[Xoxosnowball]

5 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

So, I guess your answer to:

is that it is $200 per day.  I spend about an hour per day in my cabin (excluding sleeping/napping).  Is the balcony worth $200 per hour to DW and me?

 

 

My partner is 80 yo and loves to read and watch movies.  He does spend quite a bit of time in the room.  I love to run around the ship.  That's why cruising is perfect for us.  

[ChiefMateJRK]

22 minutes ago, Xoxosnowball said:

My partner is 80 yo and loves to read and watch movies.  He does spend quite a bit of time in the room.  I love to run around the ship.  That's why cruising is perfect for us.  

Makes sense.  Probably well worth the $$$ in your situation.  I hope I'm still cruising when I'm 80, and I can then spend all the $$$ that I saved with insides on whatever cabin I need.  Dare I say, it might even be "Haven time!"😎