Main Deck J cabins - upgrade??

[kiwifamilycruisers]

Hi - have started another thread relating to a price dop but I seem to have 2 seperate issues so here goes.

From reading on here I have felt very lucky to secure to J cabins on main deck. I have now seen online that HAL has reduced its fares for 3rd/4th passengers. So my question is - should I stick with th J cabin on main deck (for 2 adults and 2 kids) OR look at rebooking an oceanview cabin which is now slightly cheaper fro the first 2 passengers and a good $1000 cheaper for the 3rd and 4th.

Is there really that much more space in these J's?
Thanks experts!

[janmcn]

Loved our Main Deck J cabin on Eurodam…but what ship are you on?
If the big HAL ships, the J cabins for the most part (check on their deck plans to see) are fabulous…square in shape so there's much more room for 4 people in it. I'd keep it in a heartbeat over an oceanview. But not all J's are the same on ships. Check your deck plans to see.

[Megsie1000]

We had an ocean view on our Alaska cruise and I wouldn't do that category again, and certainly not with our kids. It wasn't worth the extra cost, and the cabin was tiny and badly laid out.

I have to confess, I have not actually sailed yet, but we are leaving in about 10 days and from what I have read on here and seen in pictures on Joanie's site, our main deck J cabin will be much bigger and be much better laid out than the ocean view ones. With two children along, I think you will appreciate the extra space more than a window that you will probably rarely look out of while you're in your cabin (well, we didn't anyway).

When I get back, I will compare and let you know. :)

ETA: If you're sailing on the NA or the Eurodam, why not take the extra savings and book a lido cabana for your family? That is also what we did to give ourselves outdoor space. It was $200 for the week, which is significantly less than the difference between our inside and anything else.

Good luck!

[RuthC]

Yes, the inside cabin will be larger than an outside across the passageway.

As you walk along Main Deck, compare the placement of the inside and outside doorways. Within a few inches you will see three outside cabins in the same space as two insides. That's a lot of difference when four people are sharing that space.

Beyond that, you will find the bathrooms have more room. The bathrooms are the same size, but the inside bathroom has a larger vanity, hence a longer shelf underneath. Much more storage---which four people will need.
The shower is plenty large enough, even for a large person.

[KirkNC]

I would take a J inside versus an ocean view as well. The j's on most ships are a nice size.

[RuthC]

The j's on most ships are a nice size.
On the Vista/Signature classes (which the OP is referring to), the only "nice size" J-cabins are on Main Deck. The others are quite small, especially as compared to the J-cabins on the S- & R-class ships. Those are universally a "nice size".

[KirkNC]

On the Vista/Signature classes (which the OP is referring to), the only "nice size" J-cabins are on Main Deck. The others are quite small, especially as compared to the J-cabins on the S- & R-class ships. Those are universally a "nice size".

Thanks RuthC, I knew there were some exceptions but was unsure which ships they applied to. We always look for J's first but they are not univerally larger.

[fann1sh]

My HAL PCC tried to convince me to "upgrade" my quad Eurodam J to an outside for the same money. NO. I'd checked the "Do Not Upgrade" box for a reason.

To save a lot of money? When the 3rd and 4th are children (ours are adults)? Personally, I'd stick with the cabin/price I'd picked, but understand why you'd be torn. But, you'd definitely be downgrading, not upgrading.

However, FYI: obstructed/part obstructed cabins are larger than other outsides. They are basically balcony cabins without the balcony, with a lifeboat blocking (part of) the window. IMO, these would be more tempting than a standard outside. This is what I turned down.

I've been in square cabins on HAL and on other lines, and that shape maximizes the space, IME. The long narrow cabins (like balcony ones) create traffic jams at the foot of the beds when jockeying for the bathroom.

[EGCruisers]

Have you tried getting the price reduction for the third and fourth passengers for the J cabin? Maybe I missed something in your other thread, but usually the fare for third and fourth passengers is the same regardless of cabin category on HAL (not so for other cruise lines).
We are booked in Main Deck J cabins for a spring cruise. The price for the third and fourth passengers has gone down twice since I booked. I called and had the price adjusted both times while keeping the rooms I had originally booked. We are still outside of the final payment date, however.

[Essiesmom]

I spent 32 days in an outside on Oosterdam, and 14 days on Westerdam in an inside Main Deck K cabin. Even though I had a tub in the OV, I much preferred the space in the K, and have booked the same cabin for 24 days in the Med. on Nieuw Amsterdam. EM