Downgrading is my new philosophy

High and to the front inside for us. Saves $$$ and the wife loves rollercoasters...

 

 

Think of your cabin as just your bedroom and the rest of the ship as your playroom?:D

 

framer

Just booked our first inside, and decided to go with an upper deck to take advantage of proximity to the spa. This is cruise #5 and previously had always had a balcony. This is a quick last minute getaway. since we will be on Princess plan is to purchase a pass to the thermal spa and utilize that facility. I have really been questioning our decision, as we chose the cheapest room category. Quite a change from the suite we chose for our first cruise. However I am looking forward to trying out this cabin for all the reasons mentioned, just as I have enjoyed the balcony for the reasons others have stated. The amount we are spending for our cabin total is less than it was per person on a balcony last year. And we didn't book much in advance for that one either.

Because we live in the middle of the country, the cost of flying is eating in to the budget more and more. If we find that an inside will work at least occasionally, maybe we can go more frequently.

We too, just booked our first inside cabin ever. A 5-day getaway to the Caribbean on a tight budget should do it. I hope we like it!!!! Flying to FLL from Chicago always adds to the budget.

I just booked my first inside on Caribbean Princess. Any tips on dealing with the lack of light and knowing when it is morning? I saw some post stating keeping the tv on the bridge cam channel. I wish they had a virtual porthole that lit up at sunrise!

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I just booked my first inside on Caribbean Princess. Any tips on dealing with the lack of light and knowing when it is morning? I saw some post stating keeping the tv on the bridge cam channel. I wish they had a virtual porthole that lit up at sunrise!

 

 

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This worked for us on Splendour of the Seas. Also, you could leave the bathroom door ajar with the light on or bring a night light. Ken

DH and I have our first inside room this November on the Ruby. I've never had anything less than a balcony cabin before but found that we weren't using the balcony very much.

I figure at the very worst, it's only 5 days but I don't think it'll be a problem. We booked on the Lido deck so if I do need some fresh air and sunglight, its only a quick walk down the hallway.

It sounds like a good idea ..

I'm about to join the Insiders Club! I, too, assumed we "needed" a balcony cabin. Perhaps one might on certain ships if there weren't wonderful spots to sit and read or enjoy watching the ocean go by, etc. But on our favorite ship, Celebrity Reflection, we have plenty of places we like to hang out so we're about to try an inside for our next transatlantic cruise!

 

Less $$ on the cabin means more cruises!

Airfare for all has been more or less the cost of the cruise itself.

In fact the cost of the cabin is about 1/3 of the total vacation.

Therefore spending an extra 5 to 15 % more for a superior cabin makes a lot of sense to us.

(That's 5 to 15 % of the total vacation cost and often only 5% more)

We save money by really doing our best to minimize the other expenses .

Sometimes it is penny wise pound foolish to cheap out on the cabin itself.

We went on a 10 day Med cruise and met another couple from our home-town.

We had a balcony and they took a OV to save money for a total of about 500 less.

They spent that and way way more getting direct airfare, drinks and other expenses.

They booked from a local TA while we got free gratuities from an on-line TA and made sure we took

advantage of all price drops. They didn't.

We wouldn't have missed the views from our balcony for anything. Money well spent ! :)

In truth the $150 we paid to upgrade to a balcony on a cruise from Baltimore in the winter was a waste.

We barely used it as it was winter.:o:D

Inside that is. Never had an inside cabin and just got home and wanted to go again now! Only way I could afford it is in an inside cabin. Going in less than three weeks. If it works out I may be cruising a lot more than I have been.

Inside that is. Never had an inside cabin and just got home and wanted to go again now! Only way I could afford it is in an inside cabin. Going in less than three weeks. If it works out I may be cruising a lot more than I have been.

Congratulations and enjoy your cruise. And welcome to Cruise Critic!! :)

I'm very excited to read this thread. I just booked my first cruise ever and got the inside cabin to save money. It's a 14 night transatlantic and I only booked it with my girlfriend because it was about $150 more expensive per person (including port taxes and fees) than a one way flight from London to the US.

I got nervous because I realized no natural light in the room for 14 days but figured that I wouldn't spend much time in the room anyway since I'll be eating 3 times a day (at least ;), doing activities, doing port days off the ship, and being out and about.

This thread makes me much more relaxed about my choice! I'm glad others have enjoyed their inside cabins.

I'm very excited to read this thread. I just booked my first cruise ever and got the inside cabin to save money. It's a 14 night transatlantic and I only booked it with my girlfriend because it was about $150 more expensive per person (including port taxes and fees) than a one way flight from London to the US.

 

I got nervous because I realized no natural light in the room for 14 days but figured that I wouldn't spend much time in the room anyway since I'll be eating 3 times a day (at least ;), doing activities, doing port days off the ship, and being out and about.

 

This thread makes me much more relaxed about my choice! I'm glad others have enjoyed their inside cabins.

Welcome to Cruise Critic! Have a wonderful time and your inside cabin will be an ideal "test" for your relationship! ;) Hubby & I love the time we spend in our little cave onboard ship! :)

We booked an inside cabin for the first time ever, yet we were upgraded at no cost to a balcony. We are platinum on Princess. I think we got lucky on an off-season cruise. So I guess we still don't get an inside cabin. Maybe next time. I think I'll always start we an inside cabin.

We booked an inside cabin for the first time ever, yet we were upgraded at no cost to a balcony. We are platinum on Princess. I think we got lucky on an off-season cruise. So I guess we still don't get an inside cabin. Maybe next time. I think I'll always start we an inside cabin.

Just make sure that you don't have "hidden" in the back of your mind that "I'll get upgraded" especially for free. Most people DO NOT get upgraded and that is why it is such a wonderful treat when it happens. We do pick cabins by the itinerary. Almost never inside except Disney (porthole camera is so neat!) almost always a VERY specific obstructed oceanview (in between the life boats) especially on some Princess ships and sometimes a balcony or something in between based on ship layout. Most of the time I say NO UPGRADE because you can get an upgrade that is actually not as good according to MY desires -- end up in a noisy or extreme position one floor up. I also only went guarantee once -- I am not emotionally able to handle the wait and then the disappointment if I set myself up to expect something better than what I paid for exactly. Know thyself! Have a great cruise. Any boat any time is just about my motto.

Hi, OP here. Well, we got upgraded! To an ocean view, so we won't be experiencing an inside cabin this time. Can't complain about an upgrade, can I? And there's always next time....

I enjoyed reading this thread. We have tried inside, ocean view, balconies and mini suites. Each is appropriate for different cruises. We will be in our first ever aft balcony on our next cruise. We like to experiment and try different cabins. If your cruise is port intensive and you are off the ship on most days of your vacation, such as the Mediterranean, then an inside worked well for us. If you have many days at sea, then we like a balcony, if we are celebrating a milestone anniversary or birthday, then we splurge on a mini suite.

One suggestion that I haven't read on this topic is to have an inside cabin and buy a spa pass on the first day of sailing, for over $100, you can get ready in the spa, they have showers, hair dryers, sauna, jacuzzi. What a nice place to get dressed for dinner? And my husband has our little bathroom all to himself and we are not bumping into one another all week, unless we want to;)!

Happy cruising!:p

Inside that is. Never had an inside cabin and just got home and wanted to go again now! Only way I could afford it is in an inside cabin. Going in less than three weeks. If it works out I may be cruising a lot more than I have been.

We liked our inside cabin, sleeping was great! I'll stay with inside except on special destinations. Sure wish I had a balcony for our upcoming panama canal, but for the price we paid I'll live.

Yes, quiet, dark and rarely in the room. We are out of the room early, myself by 5 or 6 and wife and daughter by 7. We "Might" visited once during the day, if we swim, which is rare. Often we are out till after dinner. With a 10 year old we often are back in the room with her for her 8-9 bedtime, and often we'll crash with her or stick up reading another hour. So being out in Port or running around the ship 7AM-8PM is pretty common, would never have time to use a balcony if we could afford one. (we often do not change for dinner since we do not to the MDR)

I have been on 6 cruises (1 Costa, 2 Princess, 3 RCCL)... all inside cabins. The shortest was 7 days, the longest was 12 nights (last year). 3 of these have been with my mom. My next cruise, also with my mom, with be a 15nt transatlantic (RCCL). So, needless to say, I know inside cabins....lol

 

 

 

I believe our largest cabins have been on RCCL.... about 165 sqft.

 

 

 

With two women in a cabin, you can imagine we have a lot of "stuff".... however, we have always managed to organize things without a problem (and it helps to tidy things up daily so it doesn't get out of control).

 

 

 

We enjoy all the ship and ports have to offer, so we spend as little time in our room as possible. Considering this, we don't mind an inside cabin in the least if it means we can take more/longer cruises. But that's just us.

 

 

 

At the moment, the only itinerary I am considering splurging on a balcony is an Alaskan cruise.... but as with most things, budget will win out. If the times comes when I decide I am ready for this itinerary and all I can afford is an inside cabin, I won't hesitate for a minute to book that rather than the balcony.

 

 

 

PS - I'm not knocking balconies or any other category. I'm sure they are all absolutely wonderful!!! I'm just answering the question Nonio asked :)

 

 

 

Melissa

We love inside balconies for the same reason as many have stated above... The dark cocoon of sleep is amazing! The one time we got a free upgrade to a balcony was one of the "hottest" cruises ever and not in a good way. Imagine setting sun daily baking your room... But that's just me. I'm very warm blooded! As for value an inside stateroom can't be beat!

Side note. I can see the benefit of a balcony during scenic cruising.

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We started cruising on a tiny budget and inside rooms were it. Once did a cruise with our three children - beds out of the ceiling and all that. Still it was fun. Got an outside on an early season Transatlantic - an upgrade. We enjoyed it because we sailed through monster waves and it was fun to watch them hit our window. I'd never pay for outside or balcony on a long sea cruise because there's nothing to see. Around the Caribbean, however, I'll try for a balcony... And on our Panama Canal cruise a balcony was fantastic - your own private spot to see everything.

We're getting a balcony on our cruise this winter because we're taking a disabled adult son and need the room. The accessible rooms were gone, but this'll work.

Only cruise where I thought a balcony was really necessary was Alaska during the Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. It was freezing outside and the ship made very slow 180 degree turns so each side could view the glaciers. So much more comfortable to admire it from inside our warm cabin.

Only cruise where I thought a balcony was really necessary was Alaska during the Glacier Bay National Park and College Fjord. It was freezing outside and the ship made very slow 180 degree turns so each side could view the glaciers. So much more comfortable to admire it from inside our warm cabin.

Our daughter books the inside cabins for all the above reasons, and has yet to stay in one, she has always been upgraded to a o/v. We, on the other hand, have always booked balcony or above - hubby is claustrophobic and has to be able to get outside QUICKLY if need be. I am not complaining, I truly enjoy the solitude and quiet of our own space. We've never had any bad experiences with others being loud/smoking etc. that affected our time on our private real estate for the week! That is one great thing about cruising, there is something for everyone!:)

We've been choosing balconies because they're the cheapest way to get the extra space that allows our family of four to share one room. The balcony gives a separate area that allows Mom and Dad a place to go after the kids are in bed, or gives Dad a place to disappear to while the girls are dressing. The cruise lines suites (which mostly aren't suites at all -- just larger rooms) don't provide a separation that allows for easy sharing.

However, now that our kids are all-but-grown, my husband and I COULD be just fine with an oceanview room. How would we decide? We'd have to make a judgment call based upon the prices involved, the length of the cruise, and our expectations for that particular cruise. For example, if it were a port-heavy cruise, I'd be quicker to do without the balcony. On the other hand, if it were a special occasion, I'd probably want the balcony.

I can't do inside. I know it's not rational, but I just can't.

And although I can easily afford the price difference, I won't pay for a suite.

MrsPete, forgive me if this is obvious to you. The cost of an inside cabin is often similar to

the cost of the 3rd and 4th in one cabin. On the cruise we took with our kids, it was

actually cheaper to take an inside 2nd cabin ,not that we had any intention of sharing our cabin. :p

Sometimes there are deals for 3 & 4th in a cabin but not always.

I like that thought. We just finished an 8 night Eastern Caribbean cruise that was less than $700 total for two people because we accepted the inside guarantee. We were put in a nice inside on the deck seven. Good choice.

I have no hesitation with an inside, but will go slightly higher if the trip is important. We had a balcony on our first 16 night Transatlantic that could rarely be used because of stiff winds. Our second TA was with an obstructed view but the weather was great. Lesson learned: it all depends on the weather.

For those of you who aren't convinced that an inside will be okay, consider:

- Many reviews that state "I would never consider anything less than a balcony" are written by some people who are not very ambulatory or they have healthy problems and they can't get out and about easily without assistance. For them, a balcony is almost essential.

- Some reviews were written when smokers could do so on their balconies. Many cruise ships don't allow it anymore, but some still sneak the smokes in. So, these reviews may say "Oh, I HAVE to have a balcony." but they don't also state that they are smokers.

- Some cruisers REALLY hate to socialize, so their balcony is very important. They just like to look at the ocean A LOT. I'm sort of surprised with that attitude and just finished a cruise (my first Carnival) that contained a LOT of Carnival loyalists who didn't like to share tables or socialize. We met some Brits and another couple who felt slightly offended by this tone on the ship, so it wasn't just us. So many tables in the MDR had only one couple at a larger table (tablemates didn't show up). I love meeting interesting people.

We sleep very well with an inside and just set our kindle alarms to wake up in case we oversleep. I just don't understand the comments like "it would be like sleeping in a closet". I keep my eyes closed when I sleep, so how would I know?

Consider that a third to half of the cabins are likely insides, so there are a lot of folks who are happy with their selection. My experience with balconies has been so influenced by the weather that I am not a big gambler on this experience.