Newbie booking first time questions - staterooms?

[OV8]

Hi - Newbie booking first time question re: staterooms locale.

 

I am looking @ the Liberty in Mid Aug09 @ Interior, Exterior, & Balcony categories.

Was curious as to what are the general rules of thumb/consensus on:

"to die for" - minimum requirement - must avoid rooms

in each of the above areas?

 

I have never been on the Liberty class & the last time I cruised I was a kid & too stupid to know any better.

 

haha. TIA for any info.

[cb at sea]

Many folks like the balcony cabins in the AFT of the ship (overlooking the wake) because the balconies are deeper there. But, it's a long walk down those hallways, especially if you go back and forth to your room alot!

I prefer the balconies on or near the "hump" of the ship. (Look at the deck plans to see where the ship "bows" out near the middle) They are near the elevators and stairs, so multiple trips to the cabin is quite easy. Less motion there, too!

All rooms of the same catagory are identical--all D's are the same, all E's are the same, etc....it's really just the location that varies.

Interior rooms....never booked one and WOULD never book one! That's just me, tho. Some folks prefer to spend their money on other things. When I'm on vacation, I want at LEAST as much comfort as home, so we book the most space we can get...generally, a JS is perfect for us.

I feel pretty much the same way about an OV room (windows or portholes, only)...don't want that---I want a balcony! NOT having a balcony on a cruise would be like going to a beach resort and overlooking the parking lot....what's the point?

Really, there are no "bad" rooms....it's basically what makes YOU happy, and what you can live with!

[KuffMUp]

The lower on the ship you are, the more motion you will feel. Or if in an oceanview room on the lower decks and it is rough, you may get to really see the sea as it crashes into your window!

 

The further back or forward you are, the more you will feel the motion, but more so to the rear (aft) because it really is at the rear of the ship as opposed to the forward cabins since there is still some ship between the furthest forward cabin and the front of the ship.

 

Some like to save $$ and don't care where they sleep. They say that they are never in their room anyway so why pay more. 2 different couples I know booked their first cruise in an interior room. Both absolutely hated their cruise. They mention how small the room was and all you have is two beds and a TV. (Well and a bathroom of course). I have peeked into one when the door was open for cleaning and thought "Yikes that's small!" :eek:

 

Myself, I am a balcony snob. We traded a week in our condo for a balcony room the first time I ever cruised. BIG MISTAKE! No matter what it costs, I just can't force myself into a smaller room. :mad: I love the balcony. Sitting and hearing the water is very relaxing. Plus if you are on the port side, it's fun to watch the ship "park" at port from your room. Or, when in Miami, its fun to watch the guys loading the ship get into races on the dock then crash into each other! Yup, really happened. It's all fun and games till someone gets hurt. LMAO!

 

For our second cruise, we were visited by the elusive "upgrade fairy" and landed in a suite! Hmm, SECOND BIG MISTAKE! It was on a Carnival ship and their suites are equivelant to RCCL Junior Suites. Even bigger room. Bigger balcony. A bath tub! And just how do I know how big a JS is? Yah, can't quite force myself into "just" a balcony room.

 

I have a sneaking suspicion that I have not yet learned from my errors. For our 25th anniversary, I booked a Grand Suite. I certainly hope that I will have the mental fortitude to force myself back down to a JS. I'll let you know after I sail.

[NYCRUISR]

Hi - Newbie booking first time question re: staterooms locale.

 

I am looking @ the Liberty in Mid Aug09 @ Interior, Exterior, & Balcony categories.

Was curious as to what are the general rules of thumb/consensus on:

"to die for" - minimum requirement - must avoid rooms

in each of the above areas?

 

I have never been on the Liberty class & the last time I cruised I was a kid & too stupid to know any better.

 

haha. TIA for any info.

 

We've sailed Freedom on her 4th sailing. We are Aft cruisers, and have learned about our favorite cabin on these threads. You should read the Liberty reviews to get a feel of what the wonderful ship is all about, then make your choice based on that information.

 

In my opinion you won't go wrong anywhere on the ship. Freedom class ships are awesome. The amenties are many. Happy cruising.

[OV8]

While it would be nice to get a suite or better, being a first time cruiser with limited budget, I can't really relate (yet) to some of your bigger sized experiences.

 

Thanks all for your opinions. It seems I cannot really go wrong @ any price point or locale (except for a handful) & I can always aspire to go bigger.

[X]

1.) Pick a room close to the middle of the ship

2.) Pick a room close to an elevator

3.) Pick a room on the same side of the windjammer since you'll probably go there a lot

4.) Pick a room preferrably with a floor full of cabins on the upper and lower of your floor (So you won't be hearing people walking all over the place)

 

AVOID:

1.) Rooms close to loud spots (IE: the disco, the main dining room, etc)

[jennismom]

We have stayed in inside cabins many times......and loved every minute of every cruise. You'll have a great time no matter where you are!

 

Bon Voyage!

[cathy1227]

Hi - Newbie booking first time question re: staterooms locale.

 

I am looking @ the Liberty in Mid Aug09 @ Interior, Exterior, & Balcony categories.

Was curious as to what are the general rules of thumb/consensus on:

"to die for" - minimum requirement - must avoid rooms

in each of the above areas?

 

I have never been on the Liberty class & the last time I cruised I was a kid & too stupid to know any better.

 

haha. TIA for any info.

 

 

Hi OV8,

I just took my first ever cruise on the Liberty back in April. You are so going to love this ship!!!

Being a newbie myself, I don’t have the experience of having been on different locations on different ships. But that I can give you my thoughts anyway.:D Since I was unsure whether I would enjoy cruising, I opted for a balcony room. That way, in case I hated the cruise or if it was so crowded that I couldn’t find a deck chair, I could always retreat to the sanctuary of my room. Plus, at the time of booking, there was a sale on balcony rooms (close to $400 off) so the price wasn’t that much greater than an inside room - $899 balcony vs. $799 inside, I think. That certainly helped make the decsion easier.

While I didn’t spend a lot of time in the cabin, I probably spent more time on the balcony than in the actual room – morning coffee/breakfast while reading the Cruise Compass to start the day, a drink before dinner while I wait for others to get ready, and winding down the evening under the stars. I don’t think I can ever cruise without a balcony.

As for the location, we were high (deck 9) and forward. Yeah, I could fill the ship rock a bit. But on the plus side, it’s a quiet location which is a plus for me since I’m a light sleeper. It’s near the end of a hall so there was not a lot of foot traffic outside, it’s up high and away from the Royal Promenade so no party music. Plus, I never had to wait for the forward elevators. The aft elevators were always crowded and at certain times of the day, there would be a long wait. This is due to the fact that all of your dinning options, kid’s camps, sporting activities, etc are located towards the back of the ship making this elevator more congested. The downside to our location: it was a long walk to our dining options, kids camp (not an issue for us) and sporting activated….and taking the stairs could be quite a hike. Plus side, we were near the adult pool, spa and gym.

BTW – never had a problem finding a deck chair even though the ship had 4,200 passengers. Not sure where the extra 600 people were since the ship has a 3,600 passenger capacity but that’s question for another thread.

[OV8]

Hi OV8,

 

I just took my first ever cruise on the Liberty back in April. You are so going to love this ship!!!

 

Being a newbie myself, I don’t have the experience of having been on different locations on different ships. But that I can give you my thoughts anyway.:D Since I was unsure whether I would enjoy cruising, I opted for a balcony room. That way, in case I hated the cruise or if it was so crowded that I couldn’t find a deck chair, I could always retreat to the sanctuary of my room. Plus, at the time of booking, there was a sale on balcony rooms (close to $400 off) so the price wasn’t that much greater than an inside room - $899 balcony vs. $799 inside, I think. That certainly helped make the decsion easier.

 

While I didn’t spend a lot of time in the cabin, I probably spent more time on the balcony than in the actual room – morning coffee/breakfast while reading the Cruise Compass to start the day, a drink before dinner while I wait for others to get ready, and winding down the evening under the stars. I don’t think I can ever cruise without a balcony.

 

As for the location, we were high (deck 9) and forward. Yeah, I could fill the ship rock a bit. But on the plus side, it’s a quiet location which is a plus for me since I’m a light sleeper. It’s near the end of a hall so there was not a lot of foot traffic outside, it’s up high and away from the Royal Promenade so no party music. Plus, I never had to wait for the forward elevators. The aft elevators were always crowded and at certain times of the day, there would be a long wait. This is due to the fact that all of your dinning options, kid’s camps, sporting activities, etc are located towards the back of the ship making this elevator more congested. The downside to our location: it was a long walk to our dining options, kids camp (not an issue for us) and sporting activated….and taking the stairs could be quite a hike. Plus side, we were near the adult pool, spa and gym.

 

BTW – never had a problem finding a deck chair even though the ship had 4,200 passengers. Not sure where the extra 600 people were since the ship has a 3,600 passenger capacity but that’s question for another thread.

 

 

Thanks cathy1227 - can't wait for your review & pics if possible :D

[betsy1616]

If cost is an issue, book an inside cabin. We have stayed in many an inside cabin and had a wonderful cruise. They are super small, but we are only in our room to shower and sleep so it is never an issue. I should point out that we were cruising only then with my husband and myself. I you have kids, you MUST< MUST<MUST go for a family suite or something similar. If you are someone who enjoys having room service bring you breakfast etc then you should book a balcony suite. As far as location, I would never consider anything lower than deck 6 and that being the lowest of low, but I am sensitive to the "motion of the ocean" It is a personal decision, but in my opinion, the room is only a place to lay my head. The ship is my playground and I will pay more to cruise on a premium ship (just returned from Liberty, she is glorious) Have fun on the Liberty, no matter where you choose to rest your head. Happy cruising!

[cathy1227]

Thanks cathy1227 - can't wait for your review & pics if possible :D

 

 

Funny you should mention that. I had every intention of writing a review upon my return but real life caught up to me and I just haven’t had the time. I’m barely on the boards these days. Feel free to ask me any questions and I'll be happy to answer them the best I can.

If you type “LOS” in the search bar & click GO, it’ll return only the threads devoted to Liberty of the Seas (plus a few extra for some reason) Just scan the thread titles for “LOS review” or “Liberty of the Seas review”. There are many well written reviews out there, some with pics

Also, if you go to the Ship Review section of the site, there is an excellent review written by um5xno1. He was on the same cruise I was on and I would echo many of his comments.

[temple1]

Have a wonderful cruise.

 

X posted a lot of great information. The best reason for finding a cabin on a higher level - you can use the stairs for most things and avoid the elevators. I have had a cabin on deck 2 middle of the ship and it wasn't all that bad. As others have mentioned - it is actually easier getting an elevator going up.

 

If it fits your budget - go with an OV - when on Monarch and the smaller ships we don't spend much time in the room - but the view is just fabulous - especially going into ports in the wee hours of the morning.

 

Stay with the center of the ship and as close to the stairs as possible.

 

Most of all - have a great time.

[MellieInWI]

We've been on two RCCL cruises - both in inside rooms. We were of the mindset that we wouldn't spend a lot of time in our room. The first cruise we were right. The second cruise we ended up with an unexpected extra day at sea and we were both tired (two kids under the age of 3 will do that to you). So, we did a lot of napping in the inside room - TOO MUCH actually. Not having any view to the outside world really screwed me up when it came time to wake up - I had no idea what time it was.

 

After this last cruise we decided (I did rather) that we would not be doing that again. We peeked into other rooms with views and it was tough to go back into our cave. We booked a balcony for our cruise next April and while it's a huge price difference from what we normally pay, I'm sucking it up. I need some kind of time/daylight reference. :)

[IWORK2CRUISE]

You will have many different answers to your question!

Our thoughts:

We have had inside, ocean view, balcony and once had a suite on a ship that had no balconies.

We do not happen to spend much time in our cabin as we really enjoy walking around the upper and prominade decks and then lounging above the pool decks (hopefully with bands playing at the pool.)

 

Inside cabins have been no problem for us whatsoever. Some inside cabins have been larger than ocean view cabins.

As far as balconies go.........We had an aft balcony on the Mariner and fell in love. I don't think a side balcony will ever be the same again unless there is a really significant savings offer.

 

Our choices are now based more on itinerary and timing than cabin location and we go for the best values.

[OV8]

You will have many different answers to your question!

Our thoughts:

We have had inside, ocean view, balcony and once had a suite on a ship that had no balconies.

We do not happen to spend much time in our cabin as we really enjoy walking around the upper and prominade decks and then lounging above the pool decks (hopefully with bands playing at the pool.)

 

Inside cabins have been no problem for us whatsoever. Some inside cabins have been larger than ocean view cabins.

As far as balconies go.........We had an aft balcony on the Mariner and fell in love. I don't think a side balcony will ever be the same again unless there is a really significant savings offer.

 

Our choices are now based more on itinerary and timing than cabin location and we go for the best values.

 

I see every1 recommending a aft balcony else they say to stay in the middle of the boat. How is your trek from so far back in the boat to activities elsewhere on the boat?