Would You change cabin based on Bad Review??

So we all know folks either love or hate the Sunshine. One complaint is a smell. Some smell it, others do not. Well on the Cruise Critic page there is a new review for my EXACT cabin that basically said the cabin stunk so bad his wife was vomiting. :eek:

I am booked on an Aft Extended Balcony. I could actually upgrade to a Cloud 9 Spa Balcony for $140 less than I have paid.

It's our 1st cruise. Would you make the change?

I try to take every review with a grain of salt....but vomiting from the smell. That has me a bit worried.

We are sailing with our daughters ages 9 and 13. I picked the cabin on deck 5 because it was a new one and had lots of activities on that deck. Things that could make it easier like being able to grab some breakfast to the ocean plaza or a drink at the bar right there.

Not sure if I should stick it out or make a change.

Any advice would be appreciated!

Sounds to me like a pretty overly sensitive stomach...

Surely it's not like portapotty in July and people aren't vomiting in those...

I would base my decision on whether you want the spa balcony or the aft balcony. Plus, if you'd get OBC for that difference in price (if you're ES or depending on how far out your cruise is).

This is the review I am referring to.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=253568

The Cloud 9 one would have it's own benefits too, on the same deck as Waterworks and Camp Carnival/Circle C.

But I wanted that larger balcony.....Not sure what to do. Times like this I wish I was an experienced cruiser. :confused:

I would base my decision on whether you want the spa balcony or the aft balcony. Plus, if you'd get OBC for that difference in price (if you're ES or depending on how far out your cruise is).

Well I wanted to try the aft, and never really considered the Spa at all. I did not think it was worth the extra money with the kids paying more too.

But like I said, 1st cruise so nothing to compare to.

I am booked ES and I am past final payment. I may give them a call. I mean, just saving $140 could be worth it! Thats a few drinks at least. Because there are no aft cabins left, we have not been able to take advantage of the dropping price of the cruise.

I read the review and my opinion is still the same:). On one hand, if it is THAT bad, they will surely fix it before you cruise. On the other hand, once she vomited once, you'd think she would've opened the balcony, gone out on the deck, etc. Not that they should have to. But I take her being "forced to vomit several times" with a pretty big grain of salt.

But, me, personally. I would choose the spa deck. Not because of the smell. But because of the stuff available nearby and the fact that you will get the OBC plus can just go out on the deck and you will get the spa benefits for the 2 of you. If it was the same cost, I'd probably stay aft. But for the OBC and the extra amenities, I'd change. However, I've only ever been in regular balconies so maybe I don't get the need for the aft...to me they've always been plenty big enough.

I would probably change the room based solely off of the fact that you can move up to a spa cabin for $140 less. That's cheaper than the weekly pass and a good idea IF you plan on using the spa.

I've heard of smells on other parts of the ship. This is the first I've heard of anything negative, smells or otherwise, with those new cabins on deck 5.

If this is your first cruise, you will not likely be in your cabin much. There is simply too much to do and see.

I've had balconey, inside, and oceanview cabins. To me, they are a place to sleep and shower. I like a balcony but I would enjoy the Cloud 9 Spa more.

Depends on what you want. If you are a 'porch sitting' type of family who can sit for hours on end watching the world go by, you may really enjoy the aft balcony. If you are an active family who tries to cram as much as possible into the vacation, you may not fully appreciate the aft view. Really comes down to personal preference.

I would switch to the Spa Balcony. I did the exact same thing. I had an Aft Extended on the Dream but was intending to buy the weekly spa pass. The Spa cabins dropped in price so that I only paid less that $4 for an upgrade which in turn saved me about $145. I decided I would rather save the money rather than have the larger balcony and think I will use the spa much more now that I am closer to it. It will only be me sitting on the balcony so even though I use it a lot I think the balcony in the spa cabin will be more than big enough for me. I even intend to use the spa showers now instead of the one in the cabin.

I would switch to the spa balcony. I read the review and was a little disturbed. That woman may have a sensitive stomach but if I'm shelling out money for a balcony it better not be smelly AT ALL. Also you cant beat getting $140 in OBC!

I made the change!! I have to thank the person who wrote the review!! If I had not seen it I would not have been so open to changing cabins.

I now am booked in a Cloud 9 Spa Cabin AND I have $142 OBC!!!:D

I will have to try an aft another time. I was a bit concerned about it being hot anyway.

Oh and the 1st time I called I was told they did not upgrade to Spa and it could not be done. BUT my short time on CC taught me to hang up and call again. The 2nd rep gladly made the change.

Thank you so much for the advice!!

I made the change!! I have to thank the person who wrote the review!! If I had not seen it I would not have been so open to changing cabins.

 

I now am booked in a Cloud 9 Spa Cabin AND I have $142 OBC!!!:D

 

I will have to try an aft another time. I was a bit concerned about it being hot anyway.

 

Oh and the 1st time I called I was told they did not upgrade to Spa and it could not be done. BUT my short time on CC taught me to hang up and call again. The 2nd rep gladly made the change.

 

Thank you so much for the advice!!

The cherry on top is now that I am not in the 8M which was sold out, I can see the going rate for my old cabin with the latest sales. It is $160 lower than I originally paid....but the Spa Balcony was definitely a winner since it was an upgrade plus the $142 OBC. Can you tell I am excited?! We are actually heading to FL one month from today....let the countdown commence!

The kids will be fine with the cabin change since it's on the same deck as Waterworks, Camp Carnival and Circle C....plus since they don't have jobs, they will deal with it. :cool:

The cherry on top is now that I am not in the 8M which was sold out, I can see the going rate for my old cabin with the latest sales. It is $160 lower than I originally paid....but the Spa Balcony was definitely a winner since it was an upgrade plus the $142 OBC. Can you tell I am excited?! We are actually heading to FL one month from today....let the countdown commence!

 

The kids will be fine with the cabin change since it's on the same deck as Waterworks, Camp Carnival and Circle C....plus since they don't have jobs, they will deal with it. :cool:

Excellent reasoning and a good choice. Enjoy your cruise. Keep an open mind.

Side note:

When you sail Disney next year you will be able to judge the differences between the two cruise lines.

The cherry on top is now that I am not in the 8M which was sold out, I can see the going rate for my old cabin with the latest sales. It is $160 lower than I originally paid....but the Spa Balcony was definitely a winner since it was an upgrade plus the $142 OBC. Can you tell I am excited?! We are actually heading to FL one month from today....let the countdown commence!

 

The kids will be fine with the cabin change since it's on the same deck as Waterworks, Camp Carnival and Circle C....plus since they don't have jobs, they will deal with it. :cool:

Congratulations on the upgrade and the OBC. Please come back and tell us about the Sunshine! Enjoy your family vacation. And yes, the kids will be fine. They generally don't care about that stuff! :)

Coongrats! I would have done the same thing, moved from a reportedly smelly room to a spa balcony with OBC almost enough for the standard tips for two!

Have a great cruise!

I made the change!! I have to thank the person who wrote the review!! If I had not seen it I would not have been so open to changing cabins.

 

I now am booked in a Cloud 9 Spa Cabin AND I have $142 OBC!!!:D

 

I will have to try an aft another time. I was a bit concerned about it being hot anyway.

 

Oh and the 1st time I called I was told they did not upgrade to Spa and it could not be done. BUT my short time on CC taught me to hang up and call again. The 2nd rep gladly made the change.

 

Thank you so much for the advice!!

It sounds like you made a good choice for you. I'm not sure when you said you were going, but I can warn you it can get hot on those balconies because they don't get the breeze that the side balconies get. I love aft balconies, but I think I would have moved to the spa also with being able to get obc and the spa amenities. What a great deal. You can always try another aft balcony at another time. I think if you are questioning it at all, it's just another thing that will worry you and you may as well make the change. Why chance it? Good move and congrats on the deal!!

Thanks so very much everyone!! I can tell you the tips and advice I have received here have been invaluable!

I think my kids will be super excited about the new room when they get home. Especially about being on the same deck as waterworks and the camps, a deck above the Lido with food/pool and one below Sportsquare.

It is going to be interesting to see which the kids (and the parents) prefer in the end. Carnival or Disney. I suspect my youngest (age 8) will prefer Carnival. When I booked the Disney the 1st thing she asked was not about Tinkerbell or Frozen....it was "Do they have a ropes course?" She seems to be "meh" about the whole thing. Its my 12 year old who really wanted to try Disney. I wanted to let her experience it while she still had a little bit of a kid view of life. The youngest is on the Carnival website all the time, the oldest is on the DCL one. But the bring all the alcohol you can carry on thing is one huge point for DCL on the parent scoreboard.

I paid about the same price ($200 less) for my 3 Day Disney as my 5 Day Carnival. So there is a premium there for sure. I do think I will be one to try a few lines and if I find one I just love I may stick with it. If not, I will be a free agent cruiser. I do not see myself becoming a DCL loyalist anytime soon with their prices.

But I will post reviews on both including a comparison when we have sailed.

I wish you and your family a wonderful, fun-filled, exciting, cruise!:D

I would base my decision on whether you want the spa balcony or the aft balcony

I would base my decision on whether you want the spa balcony or the aft balcony

If you look up a few posts you will see that they already decided on the Spa Balcony and received the OBC.

I made the change!! I have to thank the person who wrote the review!! If I had not seen it I would not have been so open to changing cabins.

 

I now am booked in a Cloud 9 Spa Cabin AND I have $142 OBC!!!:D

 

I will have to try an aft another time. I was a bit concerned about it being hot anyway.

 

Oh and the 1st time I called I was told they did not upgrade to Spa and it could not be done. BUT my short time on CC taught me to hang up and call again. The 2nd rep gladly made the change.

 

Thank you so much for the advice!!

I am only this far in the thread but am happy for you...think you made right decision and you are in best position for enjoying this redone ship...perfecto...and I agree you can not beat the travel dreamin and perfection on planning that comes from CC!!