How do you choose your stateroom?

[Frohoss]

My wife and I are booked on the Carnival Legend...currently with a Guarantee Balcony Room. We don't need a suite...just a nice room with a great view and great balcony. I am thinking about dishing out the extra cash to "guarantee" a better room with a balcony. However, I'm not sure if it is really worth it yet considering with the guarantee balcony room you might be upgraded anyway for free once you get aboard.

 

I guess my question is...what deck is the deck of choice? What room # is the room of choice? Does it come down to the higher you are the better?

[cubsfan2008]

I think it all comes down to personal preference. Does it matter if you are closer to the elevators, casino, lido deck etc. I prefer a deck that is sandwiched between two other decks with rooms to minimize any noise from public rooms on the ship. When you book, take a look to see what is near your room, is it near utility rooms, whats above and below you, is the laundry room next to you, things such as that. Other than that for the most part any room is a great room on a ship. Good Luck

[2 rednecks]

I had the same questions last year and i decided to stick with the GTY due to the price difference and ended up with an 8H near the foward elevators. 1 set of stairs to the lido deck right below the salon, the room was perfect. not too close to everything and not too far away, great views and the salon above us we never heard a single noise. it would have cost me more to pick a room, and i don't think i would have ended up any further ahead then how i ended up. IMHO stick with what you've got and have a few drinks with the price difference.

[Georgiagolfer]

My wife and I are booked on the Carnival Legend...currently with a Guarantee Balcony Room. We don't need a suite...just a nice room with a great view and great balcony. I am thinking about dishing out the extra cash to "guarantee" a better room with a balcony. However, I'm not sure if it is really worth it yet considering with the guarantee balcony room you might be upgraded anyway for free once you get aboard.

 

I guess my question is...what deck is the deck of choice? What room # is the room of choice? Does it come down to the higher you are the better?

 

We always look for a room on Empress Deck, as it is in 2 decks below Lido, and 2 decks above Promenade, which are the 2 decks we go to the most.

[CruizinMom2c]

For us it doesnt really matter....the last two time we really didnt have a choice since we booked the week before the cruise each time....so they were both main level rooms but in the back...

 

 

 

If I had a choice then I would probably want the middle next time on either the upper or empress deck......it was a little rough this last time in the back.

[dmdiver]

I've picked my rooms based pretty much on the availability of 2 cabins next door to each other & price. We cruise as a family of 5 & want the kids next door, so we've not tried booking a guarantee. I think that if it were just the 2 of us, I might seriously consider a guarantee for the savings. We've found that we spend most of our time outside the room anyway. I guess my only concern would be if the room was in a noisy spot. We were on the Upper deck on one cruise, Riviera on the other. I do remember being able to hear what sounded like an anchor dropping on one of the cruises. It woke me up in the morning.

[NYCFOD]

Noise is an issue for us, so I made sure we were on a deck that has cabins above and below, I also avoided those expanses of white space which are usually crew utility areas. We are opposite the atrium, which is also near the elevators and stairs, however, the PVP assured us that there were bulkhead doors closing off the elevator lobby and that there would be no noise from these. I hope she's right.

[crusinpsychRN]

I've picked my rooms based pretty much on the availability of 2 cabins next door to each other & price. We cruise as a family of 5 & want the kids next door, so we've not tried booking a guarantee. I think that if it were just the 2 of us, I might seriously consider a guarantee for the savings. We've found that we spend most of our time outside the room anyway. I guess my only concern would be if the room was in a noisy spot. We were on the Upper deck on one cruise, Riviera on the other. I do remember being able to hear what sounded like an anchor dropping on one of the cruises. It woke me up in the morning.

 

I just want to say I think your avatar is a very nice picture.

[clackey]

I'm cheap so we usually land up in the bowels of the ship.

 

I try to find a cabin near the center of the ship with a deck between our cabin and any noisey area like the promenade, lido deck, or dining areas. Then I look at elevators. I want one close but with at least 3 cabins between the elevator and my cabin. This seems to cut down noise but I always take earplugs just in case.

[pe4all]

I always try to book cabins sandwiched between other decks of cabins. I also read the past reviews of the ship I am sailing on, try to check out this board for comment - good or bad - on a certain cabin, or try to do a search (when it is up) on whatever cabin I have my eye on, to see which cabins are well-regarded. For example, I booked Miracle 6232 (large extended balcony- quad) after everyone who had it loved it. I also check out "cabins to avoid" on the cabin selection board.

[dmdiver]

I just want to say I think your avatar is a very nice picture.

 

Thanks, it was taken on the Elation in 2004. We thought it would be our last family vacation, so we bought quite a few pics. Little did we know we would be cruising again as a family.

[cruiseapril]

We don't book under the Galley!!!! Being "sandwiched" is nice, so we have chosen Upper Deck on Fantasy ships. Pretty quiet.

[Shadieeie]

We always book the aft balcony cabin, the view back there is the best. :D

[brwneyez424]

We always book middle of the ship that way no matter where we are going we can get their easily. :)

 

Sue

[MikeNKim]

We always go for low and midship....just a motion thing...I knowit is all in my head but works for me.

 

However, our last cruise on Legend we where in a cabin for 3 but DS decided to join us so we had to move to cabin for 4 and we where put in 8185 I think it was and it was fabulous, no motion and 1 deck above was the Lido deck so very convinent. However, I don'tthink I would pay more to be on deck 8 deck 4 is just as good.

 

Kim

[MikeNKim]

We always go for low and midship....just a motion thing...I knowit is all in my head but works for me.

 

However, our last cruise on Legend we where in a cabin for 3 but DS decided to join us so we had to move to cabin for 4 and we where put in 8185 I think it was and it was fabulous, no motion and 1 deck above was the Lido deck so very convinent. However, I don'tthink I would pay more to be on deck 8 deck 4 is just as good.

 

Kim

[Theresa522]

The best way to book a cabin would be way in advance. This way you are sure to get the cabin you want. :D

 

We only book aft. The view is fabulous!

[lsp]

You also run the risk of getting a balcony with obstructed view which would suck. Don't get under the lido deck either or you hear chairs moving at night. Last 2 cruises we have had aft wraparound which is awesome. Totally spoiled now.

 

Lnda

[Beej29]

We have never chosen a guarantee room because I like to be toward the center of the ship. We usually go for a balcony on the Upper/Empress deck toward the center and we have always been happy.

[fllady61]

Location on ship. We like the back of the ship. NOT the far aft, but around the aft elevators. they are closest to the Lido deck restaurant, and everything else we do. This year we are mid ship. Elevators closest to the casino on Glory.

[RAVI360]

for seven years i've let my PVP..chose for me ...never been disa:D pointed

[gazingm42]

We have been on several different decks over the years. We feel

the best is between to decks of rooms. We like midship location

ourselves. If you can get the Aft room go for it.

 

Just don't get below a public area as you 'can' get noise. We have had

a room on a deck on the Spirit once right below lido. We never had a

issue, but have heard of folks who did.

 

Some will say the higher you are the more you feel the waves. I personally

can tell a difference to be honest.

 

Thanks

[Muumuu]

Aft balcony with rooms above and below for us.

[lovebug33]

Cheapocity! I don't care about the room because there is just DH and I and we don't spend much time in it! I also love the darkness of an inside room.

[JessicaRN]

It seems most people are similar to us. :)

 

We like aft, near the aft elevators but a couple rooms away to cut down on noise. Also, the Lido restaurant and the main restaurant are aft, the casino, shops, and other features are mostly mid-ship. The only thing that's really forward that we use is the theater, which really isn't a problem for us to get to.

 

As for which deck, well, I always thought higher was better but we were on deck 8 last cruise and found it to be a bit rock-y, moreso than on previous cruises where we were lower. Next cruise (8/17) we're on 6th, which worked out well in the past.

 

Just as an aside: we love inside cabins. Much cheaper and great for midday naps. We don't spend much time in our cabin so, for us, a balcon isn't worth it.

 

Hope this helps!

 

- Jess