Do you always book the same category of cabin?

[rmmm]

I was wondering if most people always book the same category of cabin. This is my third cruise and I had an inside cabin on the first one (inside passage), an outside cabin on the second (Canada/New England) and I recently booked a balcony cabin for my second inside passage cruise. Is it hard to go back to a lower category? I was able to swing the veranda because it was actually less than we paid for the inside cabin on the same cruise in 1998 but know in the future it will be back to an outside cabin for me. Do you switch between categories or do you always book the same one?

[operafan]

We always book at least a verandah. If the price is right we'll book a suite but I'm happy as long as I have the verandah........

[sail7seas]

Yes. :) We always book the same category and try hard to book the same cabin number. We have our favorite for "S" and "R" class ships and a different for Vista/Signature. :)

[cruz chic]

I have suite tastes but a beer budget so I almost always book an inside:D.

[GmaPajama]

We keep telling ourselves we could cruise more often if we'd book a different category ... but then can't bring ourselves to do it. So, Yes, we always book the same category.

[Harry1954]

We also always book the same category .. once one hits a certain level, it is difficult to go down the food chain again ... referred to as the Duesenberry effect in Economics - once you get use to some level of happiness, it is very, very difficult to drop down a peg or two ...

Now, the difficulty is when someone such as Sail7Seas tries to get your cabin .. you must attempt to beat her to it .. then and only then do you get the full effect of the peg you are at.

harry

[LAFFNVEGAS]

If I was to answer this question a year ago I would have answered yes we most always book a S Suite category but....... in order to do all the cruising we have and since I am currently not working we have lowered drastically what we book. Hey our motto now is "Just Get me On the DAM Boat" :D

With that being said out next cruise in 12 days is an HH Guarantee, the last one started as an HH but thenthru Upgrade Fairy, the Pay Extra Upgrade Fairy we ended up with a A Verandah, the the two cruises prior to that were both booked as HH guarantees and both we ended up with vernandahs. So you never know where you can land. Our upcoming cruise is our 8th cruise to Alaska and the 3rd time in the identical itinerary so no matter where the cabin is I know we will find a good place to take in the views ;)

[Travelrd]

I got a great deal on a mni-suite on my first cruise and have been hooked ever since. I always book a mini-suite and I pay 200% for it.

[DizzyDallasDi]

For me it's not so much about the category but the location. My last 2 cruises were stern wake-view verandahs and my next one is in the same place. I'm hopelessly hooked and will continue to book this location as long as I can.

 

Diane

[cardbucfan]

We always book the same category but not the same cabin. Like the other posters said, once you get used to a certain level of cabin, room and service, it's realllllllly hard to go back. (Have you heard of golden handcuffs?!) We don't cruise as much as others here but when we do any vacation, we tend to splurge.

[SAN]

We have had an inside, ocean view and a verandah. For the next cruise we are getting an obstructed view cabin. It just depends on how much money we want to spend on how much each category costs and how many days at sea.

[Kween Karen]

It's either a "bottom of the boat inside guarantee" or I don't go. Especially since I have to pay the single supplement.....and I want to KEEP going!!

[Spinner2]

I'm with Laffnvegas. Just get me on the DAM boat. To cruise as much as we'd like we start with something really modest and usually we've ended up with a "better" cabin because the Upgrade Fairy has been very kind to us and a once we were offered a really nice upsell. But if not, it's OK. I'm on the ship.

 

Others have said that it's hard to go back "down" but I haven't found that to be true for us. For some itineraries we would love a balcony and might try to figure out a sailing where we could do that, but for other routes we don't think we'd use it much because we weather will be cold and we don't even try to get one. Location hasn't mattered much either; every cabin is close to some public areas and further away from others and seasickness and noise aren't problems to either of us.

 

I think it's all in what characteristics will help to create a "great cruise" or a "great vacation" for you. For me, it's not the cabin. Others clearly find that the cabin's location and features matter a lot and that's where they'd like to put their money. You know yourself best; choose accordingly!

[Kween Karen]

Me too....I should have said that....just get me on the boat. I don't plan on spending any time in my cabin except to sleep. If I wanted to sit in a room alone.....I could stay home and save a LOT of $$$$$! LOL!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Others have said that it's hard to go back "down" but I haven't found that to be true for us.

Marney I have to agree, I thought for sure that I would not be able to go back down but guess what,,,,? it really is not that bad :D Although we have still been fortunate to have a verandah but this next time could very easily be an obstructed view and that will be fine because the cabin size and bathroom are really the same.

Which reminds me of a question and I might start a seperate thread but...It may be just me but I think having an obstructed view or partially obstructed view on a Vista or Signature Class is better than a C or D category where you just have that window. On the Vista Class and Signature class when you get the obstructed and partial obstructed you are on deck 4 with a floor to ceiling window, now granted your view is not great but you tend to get more light in the room and can look down to the water. With the C's and D's you are on Main deck they stick your bed up against the window making looking out almost impossible and the window is really not that big. I think I would almost rather have the Partial obstructed view over a C or D.

[sail7seas]

We also always book the same category .. once one hits a certain level, it is difficult to go down the food chain again ... referred to as the Duesenberry effect in Economics - once you get use to some level of happiness, it is very, very difficult to drop down a peg or two ...

Now, the difficulty is when someone such as Sail7Seas tries to get your cabin .. you must attempt to beat her to it .. then and only then do you get the full effect of the peg you are at.

harry

 

 

Harry..... I can never say in advance what cruise we are thinking of booking. I'm afraid you'll snag 'our' cabin. :D I always try to leave it in tip top shape for you when we leave and I notice you do the same for us. :)

 

One of these days we'll actually be aboard the same cruise. I'm happy for you to take 'our' cabin and we'll move up or down a few doors. It would be worth it for the chance to meet and sail with you. ;)

[RuthC]

On every ship except the Prinsendam I have my favorite cabin, and always try to book it. All, however, are inside cabins. On the couple of occasions I've been fortunate enough to have an outside, I've loved having the window. But I'm perfectly happy back in the inside next time.

[san diego sue]

Lisa,

The worst cabins are the ones that have a completely blocked view by the large tenders. Even light is not much. it is the ugliest sight. Unless it is a cabin between tenders, or by the lifeboats (not as big as tenders), you don't want it. Our friends had 4100 on the Oosterdam and I never saw a worst location. We had friends previously on the same deck by the lifeboats and it wasn't bad at all.So to answer your question, the C category windows are better on the Vista Class ship.

[CruiserBruce]

Ever hear the saying " Book a balcony and you will never go back?" Been there, done that.... Moved onwards and upwards!:rolleyes:

 

Ever hear the saying "Book a suite, never go back?' Been there, and will never go back to a balcony. Could never get the DW back in a balcony.

 

So, trying not to sound snotty, but, we are "stuck" in suite land, and yes, we book the same level every time. Not the same cabin, tho.:D

[Spinner2]

LAFFNVEGAS said, "It may be just me but I think having an obstructed view or partially obstructed view on a Vista or Signature Class is better than a C or D category where you just have that window."

 

Laffnvegas, I'd tend to agree, assuming the money is about the same. I haven't found "obstructed" to be all that obstructed although I know that's not true for all cabins with that appellation. My DH especially likes to look down into the water and the double-bed arrangement does interfere in a C-D/Main. Me, I just sort of crawl up into the window ledge above the bed and look at the sea to my heart's content, but he's not comfortable doing that.

 

San Diego Sue's right, I think, about the large-tender obstructions, but while it's ugly, I'd be ok with it.

 

I'm still back to my basic mantra though, when we're deciding: just get me on the DAM ship! And for as long a cruise as we can manage! Everything else will work itself out.

[Taxguy77]

We seem to have been in most categories on ships (not including suites, DW would rather spend the difference at the casino:().

The worst was an inside on a fairly old NCL, the second worst was an all-the-way-forward on a 2500+ pax ship.

Give me a comfortable bed and bath, a view out and closed to an elevator.

I spend most of the day on deck anyway.:D

[jtl513]

We've gone:

OV - 7 day

Verandah - 10 day

Verandah - 10 day

OV - 7

OV on Lower Prom - 7

Verandah - 7

OV on Lower Prom - 14

OV -3

Verandah - 7

 

I don't think we could ever do an inside ... gotta have a window ... but other than that the type of cabin is not all that important to us.

 

We're looking now at two possible cruises late this year, and whether we get an OV or verandah will depend on the ship and the price.

[themerle]

We almost never book the same category. Just depends on where we're going, how much we want to spend, and what's available.

[TCF]

We're fortunate enough that even in these tough times we have been able to continue to book Verandah cabins, (the 292 sq ft variety) on HAL. This is mostly due to the size of the ships....they are small enough to make using the public spaces comfortable. I don't think we would book a lesser category.

On the large ships of other lines, like Carnival as an example, we need to book the 500 sq ft suites because we don't find the public spaces on the large ships as welcoming so we spend more time in the cabin.

I have met many people who book nothing but the lowest possible inside cabin based on the argument....all they do is sleep, change and shower in the cabin so why pay more for something they don't use. Always made sense to me!

[Harry1954]

Harry..... I can never say in advance what cruise we are thinking of booking. I'm afraid you'll snag 'our' cabin. :D I always try to leave it in tip top shape for you when we leave and I notice you do the same for us. :)

 

One of these days we'll actually be aboard the same cruise. I'm happy for you to take 'our' cabin and we'll move up or down a few doors. It would be worth it for the chance to meet and sail with you. ;)

You caught me and my strategy ..lol .. yes, it would be nice to meet again - but this time actually recognize each other. I suspect we all share a lot in common.

harry