I would take an aft Haven for a fall cruise up the Northeast. We didn’t have any problems with our butlers during both our cruises in an aft cabin. May take them a little longer to respond but give them time for your requests and they should be met.
the walk to the Haven area was a plus for our eating habits 😬
Agree, extra sunglasses. My good pair was crushed between the ship and wall as I was sailing through the Panama Canal. I was taking a picture holding onto my glasses with my mouth. Slipped out just as the ship was being tied up at one of the locks.
Last year on the Getaway, we had two issues with our aft Haven cabin. The door between our balcony and the next cabin was open and kept slamming as we sailed. I can’t remember the second issue but I mentioned them to our Concierge at breakfast and both were fixed before we got back to the cabin.
With Cunard, the dress code for evening dinners is stronger. When I was on one f their ships, a dinner jacket was needed all nights and sometimes a tie was required. They don’t close the ship early in the evenings. 😁
If you have the time and money, think about Amtrak to Seattle. We did it several years ago from Chicago. We don’t like flying either. Just make sure you arrive in Seattle a day or two before cruise. Our train arrived 4 hours late due to hitting a truck crossing the tracks.
After the Alaskan cruise, we took the train back to Chicago. Great views and time to relax after the cruise. We were celebrating our 50th and splurged for a bedroom on the train.
I would choose the aft balcony. Room maybe smaller but balcony will be larger. We had an aft Haven balcony last year on the Getaway and spent most of our time on the balcony watching the world go by.
Some of the one night entertainers (comics, musicians) go form ship to ship during port stops. Their shows could be scheduled on different nights for different sailings.