If you had an inside room...

We're planning on taking our first cruise in the next year or so. I was just looking at some different cruises on RCI and noticed a 7-day Alaskan cruise for $450 pp. We've always wanted to do an Alaskan cruise someday, but we thought we should wait until we could afford to do it "right" and have a balcony. At that price, though, it makes me wander if it would be worth it. Sure you don't have a balcony, but you're still in Alaska for a cost of cruise plus flight that is about what we would pay for a 7-day cruise out of Galveston (our closest port of embarkation though it is still several hours driving time). The price would give us more room to book whatever excursions we really wanted to do.

If you had an inside room, did you feel like you missed out on a lot of the Alaskan cruise experience? Where did you hang out so that you could view scenery, look for wild life, etc. while cruising? Any tips or tricks to make the best of an inside room?

There have been many threads about this exact question and I think there is no right answer. All of our Caribbean cruises have been in inside rooms because I do not care to look at water all day from my balcony. Our Alaska cruises have all been with balconies because you have almost a full weeks worth of scenery from your balcony.

That being said if it meant I should take a inside room to do a Alaska cruise I certainly would not think twice. I would make sure though that I spend every minute out of my inside room as possible. Alaska is something incredible from a scenery aspect and it is well worth scanning the horizon to see its beauty.

HAPPY CRUISING!!:)

Alaska is something incredible from a scenery aspect and it is well worth scanning the horizon to see its beauty.

I've been to interior Alaska and I know the scenery is so much of why we would go, but I was afraid that with the unpredictable weather in June we might be stuck inside so much that it wouldn't be worth it. I'll look for the other threads on my computer. I have crummy luck trying to find specific thread topics on my phone. Thanks for your thoughts!

We generally have a balcony but I always wonder if there is something more interesting on the other side of the ship so we generally head up to a deck where you can see from both sides of the ship!! I sometimes feel like my neck is on a swivel. Lol!

If the difference was going or not going, I would book the inside cabin. We had one for a cruise to Mexico that we booked 3 weeks before the cruise and that was the last cabin available.

We love having a balcony and only book that now, but if we had an inside we would just spend more time up and out on deck.

The cabin we had had a set of curtains on the wall to make it look like there was a window behind. The cabin was pitch black except under the door when the lights were out. Was kind of funny to take a nap and wake up and not be sure if it was day or night .... LOL.

We've been to Alaska 3 times ... all balcony or mini-suites. Spent a great deal of time out on our balcony but also a great deal of time up on deck. The scenery is magnificent. I don't think you will regret the decision to go either way.

I booked an inside for May 2015 at $472. The balcony was over my budget. My days are filled with excursions in every port. I might be too tired to enjoy the balcony or the weather may be too cold.

Have you considered booking the inside and paying for an upgrade after final payment if the price drops?

Many people have stated they would not go on an Alaskan cruise unless they had a balcony. Do what you'll be comfortable with and have fun. No decision is the wrong decision.

Here's a recent thread.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2173177

I'm from a different slant. I just don't pay more than I have to on cruises, having nothing to do with budget. I have, probably traveled the most on this board to Alaska, and never would be in the mode of, "if I didn't get a balcony cabin, I'd stay home". I'm there enjoying my time on multiple cruises there every year.

I have an Alaska routine, that I also will speculate I am out taking in the sights more than most. I spend a great deal of time outside which is my priority. I greatly prefer the lower open wrap around decks for my views, going side to side. This is what I like to do with the cabin meaning nothing to me. :)

Again- you have to take a long hard look at yourself. Time is finite- so I live for today. I never compromise- being Alaska is my passion, picking up the late bargain cruises is a lot of fun for me. But, I'm there, only thing that matters to me. :)

Got an inside cabin this time, spend most of the time out on deck, admiring the view, oh I sure can't wait to go.:rolleyes:

We have cruised to Alaska in both balcony and inside cabins. For some people, a cruise to Alaska is all about the cabin; for us, it all about the itinerary and excursions.

A couple of years ago we had an inside cabin on the Rhapsody of the Seas (Seattle-Seattle itinerary). In order to give us more cabin space we asked to have the beds apart rather than together. We never really missed having a balcony --- we found lots of viewing spaces up on deck.

One thing we found most helpful was exploring the ship and decks shortly after boarding so we could find the best viewing spaces.

Can't answer on Alaska specifically, but, . . .

The few times we have had a balcony, we still found ourselves up on the decks a lot of the time. In the Baltics specifically, this was pretty much during every port transition including the very long and beautiful sail through the Stockholm archipelago.

If it were me, I would say go for it. We booked an outside for our upcoming Alaska trip due to the very deep discount. Didn't even consider a Balcony at ~4x the cost, at that price, we wouldn't be going. :)

Go and enjoy

Some thoughts...

• I believe there are more inside cabins than balconies on ships.... someone's filling them.
  
• an oceanview room with a large window can be a good compromize to a balcony. I prefer oceanviews for the natural light as I found balconies too windy or cool to be used. If I want to be briefly outside, I just go to the public decks outside
  
• with an inside cabin, you can sit at the restaurants for a window seat for glacier viewings.
  

When we cruise our cabin is generally used for sleeping and changing clothes. On our AK cruise we had an ocean and were fine with the choice. The scenery goes by both sides of the ship and we spent most of our boat time on deck so that we could move from side to side. In Tracy Arm and Glacier Bay they opened up the bow, so that was a good spot for viewing.

I've taken two Alaskan cruises, inside cabin both times, almost twenty years ago. They were great! I watched the inside passage scenery from the indoor lido restaurant windows and Hubbard Glacier from an outside deck. The shore excursions were great, especially whale watching in Juneau and the train in Skagway. I don't think I missed out in any way.

Ever since then I have wanted to take my Mother to see Alaska, to see the beauty of God's creation that I saw. Because of work obligations, health problems, and financial limitations, I've had to wait twenty years for that trip. We're going this summer.

My point: If you can go now in an inside cabin, go! Enjoy! You never know when the next chance will come around.

Vicki

I would not do a cruise on an inside cabin. However, you could do an outside view or even an obstructed outside view at less cost than a balcony. Often, the only outside obstruction is a lifeboat that is not in front of your window but above it.

DON

By looking at deck plans and pictures you have a shot at figuring out which cabins have a more, or less, of an obstructed view.

Book the inside, have a great time!

The RCI ships in Alaska were made for Alaska with huge windows everywhere! Share your experience with others up on deck or from the warm Solarium. Save your money for amazing excursions. RCI ships never seem crowded and if you want, you can find quiet spots around the ship to enjoy Alaska.

When I was in Alaska, I was out and about from the crack of dawn to the wee hours of the night. If I had a balcony, I don't know when I would have used it!

Have fun!

Most of my cruises have been on RCI. (I have a friend that cruises often with me, and she insists on RCI. I am not loyal to them myself.) When I went to Alaska, I priced out Alaska on RCI and NCL. I was able to have a mini suite with a balcony on NCL for almost the same price as an inside on RCI. And we loved our cruise on NCL Pearl! And while I would not hesitate to book an inside room vs. not going, I will tell you that we spent A LOT of time enjoying the scenery from our balcony. It was worth it to us to have it.

It is such a personal decision, but unless there is a reason you must sail on RCI, I would recommend looking at other options.

I've sailed to Alaska 20+ times and have never had a balcony, most have been in and inside cabin. I've never felt I missed out as I spent a lot of time out on deck. I'm not familiar with the RCL ships as most of mine have been on Princess.

Check the deck plans carefully. On Princess a lot of the ships on the top two decks have forward observation decks, and a trick is to get an inside close to these so you can be outside quickly and have a place to head back in to get warm. Same at the stern, if there is an open deck I book nearby. Several of the Princess ships have a raised promenade deck forward and there are also nearby inside cabins. The trick is to be able to get to an open deck easily.

I'd much rather spend the money saved from not getting a balcony (or a window) on excursions or another cruise

When I went to Alaska, I priced out Alaska on RCI and NCL. I was able to have a mini suite with a balcony on NCL for almost the same price as an inside on RCI.

I would do a mini suite too if I could get one for $450pp, regardless of the line !!! :eek:

We had a suite with a balcony on our 2012 Holland cruise and sometimes it was just too cold to spend any lengthy time out there. The scenery going into the port was nice to take pictures of also. We were up early and out of our room, at a table to eat, in a lounge to drink and on the deck where we could see the outside where we met and talked to others about the beauty and how their trip was progressing.

This May we're in an inside cabin because its what we can afford. We've never been in an inside cabin. We were on a Southern Carribean cruise on RCCL last month in a Grand Suite and lived on the balcony but it was awesome 80 degree weather.

When friends decided to do this trip last year, we booked what our budget allowed. We're on the ship. To us, that's what matters. If you can afford an Alaskan cruise, go for it no matter what cabin you have.

I'll let you know if we survived, after the trip ;)

Gloria

We're planning on taking our first cruise in the next year or so. I was just looking at some different cruises on RCI and noticed a 7-day Alaskan cruise for $450 pp. We've always wanted to do an Alaskan cruise someday, but we thought we should wait until we could afford to do it "right" and have a balcony. At that price, though, it makes me wander if it would be worth it. Sure you don't have a balcony, but you're still in Alaska for a cost of cruise plus flight that is about what we would pay for a 7-day cruise out of Galveston (our closest port of embarkation though it is still several hours driving time). The price would give us more room to book whatever excursions we really wanted to do.

 

If you had an inside room, did you feel like you missed out on a lot of the Alaskan cruise experience? Where did you hang out so that you could view scenery, look for wild life, etc. while cruising? Any tips or tricks to make the best of an inside room?

I've done inside (3x), oceanview (3x or 4x, can't remember) and a suite (1x). My preference is the oceanview, because I can still see outside :D and at a very reasonable cost, often not much more than the inside cabins. The public decks are available for everyone's use, and that's where I am most of the trip.

I seriously wasted serious money last year on the suite, because I was still on the public decks most of the time. I barely used my balcony. That's just me, of course, and I have no mobility issues.

Life's uncertain. Eat dessert first :D Go, enjoy!

(I'm doing my bucket-list 14 day cruise to Alaska this year, in an obstructed oceanview, because that is what I can afford, and I don't want to defer this particular cruise any longer)

I've done insides, ocean views and balconies and have yet to have a bad cruise. As this Alaskan cruise is my bucket list cruise I have splashed out on an aft balcony and cannot wait. I expect when we're cruising I will be sitting out there with camera, binoculars, hot chocolate and a blanket for many hours!

As others have said, I would take any cabin rather than not cruise. I loved an inside cabin for the fact that I could sleep so long in there it was so dark and as it is lighht for so long in Alaska that could be a bonus!

Enjoy whatever way you go to Alaska but go!

Cheers

Pat

I've done insides, ocean views and balconies and have yet to have a bad cruise. As this Alaskan cruise is my bucket list cruise I have splashed out on an aft balcony and cannot wait. I expect when we're cruising I will be sitting out there with camera, binoculars, hot chocolate and a blanket for many hours!

 

As others have said, I would take any cabin rather than not cruise. I loved an inside cabin for the fact that I could sleep so long in there it was so dark and as it is lighht for so long in Alaska that could be a bonus!

 

Enjoy whatever way you go to Alaska but go!

 

Cheers

 

Pat

I hope you are on deck eight because that's our deck. I know those aft balcony's are huge, so I'm sure you have room to move over. I'll bring my own hot chocolate!! :p

It sounds like a most wonderful item to check off the bucket list. Enjoy.

Gloria

I hope you are on deck eight because that's our deck. I know those aft balcony's are huge, so I'm sure you have room to move over. I'll bring my own hot chocolate!! :p

 

It sounds like a most wonderful item to check off the bucket list. Enjoy.

 

Gloria

Thanks Gloria I am on deck 7 you'll have to walk down. Bring brandy too :)