Sprocket Rocket

Just booked on the Allure out of Rome. Forward cabin was all that was available in our price range. With all the ports we'll be off the ship a lot. Really looking forward to this. We'll be in London, Paris and Florence for 10-12 days before the cruise so I needed to go with an inside cabin budget wise.

I've been watching the pricing on the 6/18 sailing of the Allure, 7 nts Rome to Rome. The cruise line's price has been pretty consistent, but today when I checked on the site of a warehouse club the price was over $700 lower for a forward inside room. This is an expensive trip and while I'd love a balcony it isn't happening based on the current rates. I know forward cabins can be rough, but the weather is usually pretty calm in June.

Pretty excited as this will be a major trip for us.

The main reason I asked was related to cabin selection. I wouldn't want a high deck forward cabin if the odds were in favor of rough seas. The reason I mentioned fishing offshore FL was simply to state that I understand how variable weather can be.

I was thinking the same. I fish offshore in Central Florida and June is a very calm month weather-wise. Thanks for responding.

My daughter and I are planning a Med Cruise. June is the only month we can pull this off. Itinerary will be Rome, Livorno, Nice, Barcelona, Mallorca, Naples, Rome.

We are looking to book an inexpensive inside cabin, and many are located forward. Not sure if we will be on NCL or RCCL yet. How are the seas this time of year in this area?

If it were me (I'm in my 30's now -- have shared a cabin with my parents when in my 20's but have not sailed with just my father) I would be more comfortable in two studio rooms on Epic. I'm not 100% thrilled with the bathroom setup when sharing a room with my husband and would definitely not want to share it with my father. Only you know your relationship with your daughter well enough to guess her and your comfort level with this, but the fact that you're asking to start with makes me think the separate studios would probably be a safer choice!

Thanks Gymbomb and everyone else who responded.

We would probably be fine sharing, but it looks like the price will be the same or less than an inside stateroom. If a balcony were obtainable at the same price, we'd probably do that as one of us could easily step out if needed.

Neither of us is looking to "hook up", as far as I know, so that isn't a concern. Just showering, getting dressed, etc.

If we could get 2 studios that connected, it would be similar to a small 2 room inside suite. Maybe the best option.

The cruise we are planning only has one day at sea, and we will be spending a lot of time off the ship as this will be our first time in the Mediterranean area.

If you do the one room together and can get the Wave promotion, for Europe cruises you get 2 of the 3. I just booked mine and got both the beverage and the dining package.

I may still be better off with the 2 studios. Even if we dined at the premium restaurants and drank the cost would probably be less. We would also have some separation which would be a plus. Only other issue is that the studios are all inside. If I could come close to the price with a balcony I might go that route.

Thanks. I'll check it out.

The only downside I can see is that some of the current promotions don't apply to studios. NCL.com is showing free drink and premium dining upgrades right now.

One more question.

Who are the typical solo travelers on a 7-night Med cruise? Any security worries about my daughter?

It's been a while since I've been on the CC site.

I'm planning a June '15 Western Mediterranean cruise for my daughter and I as a college graduation trip. I'm a 54 year old widower and my daughter is 22. My wife passed away March of 2014 so this trip is a big deal for us. We will be spending 4 days in London and 4 in Florence before the cruise.

We have taken 7 or 8 cruises, all but one on RCCL, the other on NCL. Overall we liked RCCL better but the Epic is much cheaper than the Allure for the same route/date.

In looking at the floor plans for the balconies, inside, outside and studio cabins, I'm thinking 2 studios next to each other might make sense because of the bathroom layout. With no penalty for single cruisers, the cost might actually be less and the privacy would be a plus. I'm also an early riser and she could sleep until noon.

Looking for thoughts on this idea. Thanks!