Coral Princess - Emerald Deck Cat BE cabins, are they too noisy?

[lskoob]

I'm considering booking a balcony cabin on the Coral Princess for a 10-day Panama Canal trip. The price for these cabins is pretty good and the balconies appear to be the large variety, (and I don't mind the far-aft location) but I noticed they're located directly over the Universal Lounge. Would the noise be a problem? Our cruise would probably be in mid-to late February, just me and my mom.

 

I'd love to hear from anyone who might have stayed in this location before. Thanks.

 

Lori

[TravelnAl]

Stayed in E625 on the Island to Alaska in 2005. Only noise that was a problem, although small, was the use of the thrusters in the early morning when docking. Not a big problem.

 

Never heard nosie from the Universe Lounge.

[lskoob]

Good news, then, on the noise situation. Was the balcony covered, half-covered, or fully exposed? Did you enjoy your cabin? Any reason not to book one?

 

I don't think the early morning thrusters would be a problem for me, either. We have stayed in the furthermost aft cabin before with no adverse effect.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Lori

[Kirsten T]

Have been in 624, 710 twice and just booked 704. I'm a HUGE fan of these particular cabins:

-much larger veranda than average - large round table and 4 chairs, 2 of which recline, with room to spare around them

-fully covered veranda, with a very tall ceiling so they seem even larger

- very private - if you look closely at a photo, you'll see that there's a steel bulkhead in between every 2-4 cabins, and a regular divider in between the rest

- good location - forward of say 706-705, you wouldn't hear anything from below. In 710 we heard only the bass of the band, and only faintly; the Universe was only used after 10pm a few nights on the cruise anyway.

We like the fact that on Canal day, you can see the view from the aft deck (just walk all the way aft and out the door) which is really neat, and then see the rest from the veranda. You're close enough to the canal workers at that level to have a conversation.

 

One important caveat - last year we were on the starboard side in the first aft BE. There's a vent in the garbage room on the Promenade deck one below, very far forward but when the ship was in motion, we could definitely smell garbage. I'd book the port side, which is where we've gone back to for this year.

 

I think due to the larger, private verandas and the good location for everything except the pool and buffet, these aft BEs are the best value on the ship. We figure, walking all the way up and forward to the buffet is a calorie-saving measure anyway!

Cheers,

Kirsten

[Sea Fan]

Lori, We were in E703 through the Canal for 16 days last April. It was wonderful, the cabin was quiet and the balcony was fully covered. There was a small table an 4 chairs 2 of which reclined. It was only a few steps from the laundry. Down the hall you head to the back of the ship and there was a small deck to take pictures.

 

Really No problem with noise, go for it!

 

Dianne

[Kirsten T]

Sorry, should have said 625 last year, not 624! Our only starboard side cabin.

[aslaw]

We were in E624 last December for the 10 day Panama Canal cruise. It was a great cabin. As others have said, the balcony is larger and is private. If I were to ever travel on the Coral or Island, I would book a BE, before booking a BA.

[Sea Fan]

I don't know about you guys but I'm ready to go again Right Now!! I miss the Coral:(

 

Dianne

[lskoob]

This was what I was hoping to hear . . . I'm pretty much convinced!

 

I've read so many posts about how great the Coral is. I've only been on the Diamond so far (huge!) and going on the Crown in December (even more huge, I think). So I'm looking forward to experiencing the size of this ship.

 

So is it the size that makes the Coral so beloved? Or, what makes it such a popular choice among CC'ers? And is the Island Princess equally wonderful? (Seems like the Coral has more fans, but I think they are twin sisters, right?)

 

Thanks again

Lori

[Another Cruise]

We have stayed in 707 on the Coral. Loved the room. Only noise was from laundry room directly across the hall. We have 706 booked on the Island. Thanks for the heads up about the garbage vent! I checked the location of that really fast! We never heard anything from the Universe Lounge. That lounge is actually on 2 levels so the one directly below you probably won't have people on it. Seemed to us that it was used more for comedians, singers, etc. not big stage shows, which will mean less noise. Previous posters advice about rear viewing deck is a great tip. We enjoyed some beautiful sunsets from there and you will almost be able to touch the lock gates when they close. Have a great cruise. You will love these rooms.

[Kirsten T]

The size of the ship and its excellent design are what keep us coming back. It's a good compromise between large and small; large enough to have a number of dining and entertainment choices, but not so big that it's crowded. Even sailing full, we never waited more than a few minutes to disembark in ports, even tender ports. If you want Anytime dining between 6:30 and 8, you'll probably have to wait 20, maybe 30 minutes for a table, but popular restaurants around here often require a 60-90 minute wait, so I don't think it's unreasonable. The ship's interior is refined and classy, the pool areas are spacious and well laid out. There are many quiet nooks and crannies to hide out in when you crave some alone time (in addition to an excellent veranda cabin.) The 10-day Panama crowd is not your typical winter Caribbean party crowd - it's been mainly the 40-60 age group - which is fine with us. Food and service have been great, and last year we thought even better than the previous years. Just a really nice ship, with nice people and a great itinerary. You'll love it!

Cheers,

Kirsten