Is there a way to choose a cruise with a specific cabin type?

Hi there... I am pretty new here.

I have a cruise booked (just a quick 3 day getaway) but I would really love to find one of these aft balconies I have read about here on cruisecritic. Does anyone know if there is a way to search available cruises strictly by available cabin types? I am not sure if I am being clear on what I am asking.... can anyone help?

Destination isn't really that important, although departure from the west coast is preferred.

Thanks!

You will have a better chance if you are booking right after the new schedule comes out.

Go to a travel agency and pick up brochures for the various cruise lines/ships.

Look at the deck plans and you find out the category that those aft cabins are.

JMO -- we don't like aft cabins. Too far to get to the center and front of ship.

Hi there... I am pretty new here.

 

I have a cruise booked (just a quick 3 day getaway) but I would really love to find one of these aft balconies I have read about here on cruisecritic. Does anyone know if there is a way to search available cruises strictly by available cabin types? I am not sure if I am being clear on what I am asking.... can anyone help?

 

Destination isn't really that important, although departure from the west coast is preferred.

 

Thanks!

not without lots of effort on your part( or you TA if you use one).

you basically have to KNOW up front which one are Aft balances and then search by individual cabin number. the websites do not break down cabins by style and location, as such. a balcony is a balcony whether it is aft, a hump or forward.

they do tend to be scooped up immediately though so are not always an option. plus they may not actually be classified as a balcony, but as a Suite.

I don't know of any way to search for a cruise just by cabin type. Usually cabin type is not one's main priority when booking a cruise. You could possibly just google "best aft balcony cabins." There may be some articles to help choose which ship. Then you would need to search for the itineraries for that ship and then the deck plans for that ship to see what categories the aft cabins are. Keep in mind that the aft cabins are in high demand and sell out rather quickly and are usually priced higher than other balcony cabins. I know that when we were on Celebrity Millennium in Alaska, we were in an aft cabin which was classified as an aqua suite. Not a suite at all though, just a standard cabin with a larger balcony and some other perks like access to Blu restaurant. It cost a bit more too, but we loved it.

Good luck!

For cabin info do a search of discount cruise agencies on line. Start with ports you want to leave from, when and how many days. Less cruises from West Coast of course. You will have to talk with cruise line or agent to get exact availability. Average cruise cabin sold/resold 6 times before sail.

Most cruiselines have "aft" balconies. Get deck plans and look at them!!! They show and tell all about all the cabins!

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

Do consider discussing what you want with a good travel agent.

Most ships do have aft balcony cabins.

The only read downside to them is the l-o-n-g hallway walk.

LuLu

Welcome to Cruise Critic! :)

 

Do consider discussing what you want with a good travel agent.

Most ships do have aft balcony cabins.

 

The only read downside to them is the l-o-n-g hallway walk.

 

LuLu

Some cruise lines call them "Wake View" cabins and have an upcharge for them.

So I am not sure if I understand. Do you just want to book any cruise with an Aft Balcony? There are plenty out there so it should be so hard to find. I have been in an Aft Balcony, and An Aft Oceanview, and as long as you don't mind walking they are great!! Good Luck. Happy Sailing!!

Here's what I suggest:

1. narrow down which cruise lines you want to go on.

2. come up with your budget and itinerary and time you want to go.

3. talk with a travel agent and tell them you want them to look for the cruise that fits your desires.

From the years that I've belonged on this site and others, I've gotten the idea that aft cabins are extremely popular. We had an aft cabin (an oceanview) once on a Carnival ship many years ago. So I can see the attraction. But since there's only so many on each ship, they may be heavily in demand.

Please remember, we do not permit discussion of specific travel agents.

From our guidelines:

"There shall be no third-party recommendation (whether positive or negative in tone) of travel agencies on any forums within Cruise Critic. General discussions regarding the TYPE of AGENCY to be used to purchase a cruise will be allowed, as long as no recommendations for any source of purchase are posted. "

That said, we have an article, "Finding a Cruise Travel Agent" that you might find helpful.

OP-

Most cruise lines and ships have aft view cabins. You said you already have a cruise booked? Are you wanting to change your cabin on that cruise? You could go to the cruise line's website and see the deck plans for the specific ship you are booked on and look at the cabins that are aft facing. Typically they will tell you if they are balconies or just ocean view.

If you see on you like just call the cruise line and see if they can switch you to one in that category. But, it's possible they are sold out. There are usually fewer cabins in those categories and they do tend to sell out faster then most categories.

If you are looking for aft cabins for a future cruise, it's not difficult to do. More importantly you should decide where you want to go, and with what cruise line. Just be aware that aft balconies typically cost more. They can be considered a premium balcony and can come with quite the uncharge to upgrade to them.

Once you have decided on an itinerary and a cruise line pick a ship and you should be able to call either call and request one or have your TA do it.

You need to use a TA for such a specific request.

DON

Have you tried calling the cruise line? I do not know if this is a service they offer; but maybe it's worth a shot.

We always sail Princess...you can go online , request a ship by range of dates, then sort the response by date of cruise (or other means, like price, etc) and keep looking at the category of cabin you want. The deck plan will indicate which are sold or still open.

Steve

Hi there... I am pretty new here.

 

I have a cruise booked (just a quick 3 day getaway) but I would really love to find one of these aft balconies I have read about here on cruisecritic. Does anyone know if there is a way to search available cruises strictly by available cabin types? I am not sure if I am being clear on what I am asking.... can anyone help?

 

Destination isn't really that important, although departure from the west coast is preferred.

 

Thanks!

Well, you've gotten a lot of different answers so I may as well offer my two cents. The first thing I would do is look at the deck plans of some ships that I might be interested in. Note the cabin numbers and the complete catagory designation of cabins you are interested in.

Then just look online at each cruise to see if the cabin is available. At least you'll get an idea of what you can expect to pay. You'll be able to recognize a good deal when you see it.

The farther out you look, the more likely you are to find the cabin you want. Ideally, you find a ship that has just opened up for booking, usually 16 to 24 months out, sometimes less.

Or you could just call and ask the cruise line booking agent to find it for you. They have search tools that are not available to us. I know they can find same cabin availability on successive sailings (back to back cruise) in a snap. I suspect they can see an availability map, kind of like like you see for airplane seat selection.

Thank you all so much for the tips and advice!

I do currently have a short cruise booked. I was wondering if there was an way to find such a cabin on a future cruise, because I feel this is something we will really enjoy.

I will perhaps engage a TA when I am ready to look again.