To verandah or to not.......

Hello all -- I will taking my third DCL cruise in March on the Magic. My previous cruises have been on the Fantasy and both times I had a stateroom with a verandah. In the effort to save a bit of money this time around, we are considering an inside stateroom. What are your thoughts on inside staterooms on the Magic? Am I going to regret not having a verandah? There will be 4 of us traveling including 2 boys ages 5 and 8.

Hello all -- I will taking my third DCL cruise in March on the Magic. My previous cruises have been on the Fantasy and both times I had a stateroom with a verandah. In the effort to save a bit of money this time around, we are considering an inside stateroom. What are your thoughts on inside staterooms on the Magic? Am I going to regret not having a verandah? There will be 4 of us traveling including 2 boys ages 5 and 8.

Personally, I can take or leave a verandah. But, I think going from a verandah to an inside is a bit extreme. Oceanviews are our preference.

Plus those inside rooms can be a bit tight, especially with 4 of you (two young ones who will want space).

You will love the inside, especially the darkness when sleeping. The savings are significant, and you can use the public outdoor spaces if you need a little sea air. Many of the interiors also have a TV monitor framed with drapes to simulate a view through a window.

I find myself a little too busy having fun away from my cabin that the balcony dies of boredom, anyhow.

You will love the inside, especially the darkness when sleeping. The savings are significant, and you can use the public outdoor spaces if you need a little sea air. Many of the interiors also have a TV monitor framed with drapes to simulate a view through a window.

I find myself a little too busy having fun away from my cabin that the balcony dies of boredom, anyhow.

The virtual portholes are on the Dream class ships, not the Magic class.

I prefer Verandahs on any cruise simply for the fresh air. If any of your kids get seasick, it will definitely help them get through it. The only positive to the inside is the darkness in the morning for sleeping in. Verandahs tend to be cheaper on DCL anyway, for whatever reason, in my experience.

we like the verandah to sit out on. we use it. However I would be fine with a bunker room. Complete darkness and little noise. I would sleep like a log. Not hubby.

It's up to you. If you spend a lot of time on the veranda, then you'll likely miss it. My family normally sails with an inside cabin, and it's fine for us. We figure if we want to be outside, we can go up on deck by the pool or on the promenade. In our very few times with a veranda, I did enjoy watching the goings on in port from the cabin.

On the Magic you'll find that the entertainment system doesn't do "on demand" TV. There are stations dedicated to playing different types of movies. For example, there is a Pixar channel, a classic animation channel, etc. The movies play on their own schedule. You can't watch half of Wall-E and come back later to finish it off. My kids don't really care as they'll watch anything (start, middle, end) on TV. For me, it's nice to control what's on TV when kicking back in the cabin. (This might have changed with the Magic's most recent dry dock.)

It's up to you. If you spend a lot of time on the veranda, then you'll likely miss it. My family normally sails with an inside cabin, and it's fine for us. We figure if we want to be outside, we can go up on deck by the pool or on the promenade. In our very few times with a veranda, I did enjoy watching the goings on in port from the cabin.

 

On the Magic you'll find that the entertainment system doesn't do "on demand" TV. There are stations dedicated to playing different types of movies. For example, there is a Pixar channel, a classic animation channel, etc. The movies play on their own schedule. You can't watch half of Wall-E and come back later to finish it off. My kids don't really care as they'll watch anything (start, middle, end) on TV. For me, it's nice to control what's on TV when kicking back in the cabin. (This might have changed with the Magic's most recent dry dock.)

As of the most recent dry dock the Disney Magic, does, in fact, have on demand TV.

You'll get many different opinions about verandas. I find that on longer cruises, for us they are invaluable. We love coming back to the stateroom at the end of the evening and sitting out and reading before turning in for the night. It also makes the stateroom feel bigger, which is great for claustrophobics like me. IN the morning, we tend to order room service for breakfast and eat out on the veranda and listen to the sea float by.

I really love having a balcony in a stateroom; it just makes for a pleasant way to pass time and have some fresh air. That said we are doing oceanview rooms on the Magic next cruise because of the significant savings. I do not love inside rooms; the darkness is handy for sleeping but otherwise I find it a bit disorienting.

I agree with Shmoo above -- we have always had either a verandah or an oceanview. The family oceanview rooms are slightly bigger and the large porthole windows are very nice. For my family, we can't do inside rooms -- savings or not. We need at least some natural light if not the fresh air from a verandah. Plus sitting out there at night after dinner, looking at the stars and moonlight, is unbeatable. It's our one splurge.

To some degree you will have to make the final choice based on the preferences of your family. If you didn't spend much time on your balcony before, then you probably won't miss it staying in an inside. Even if you did use it, would you be OK sitting out on the promenade deck or up in a pool area instead when you want to be outside?

In terms of cabin layout, keep in mind that the "standard inside" rooms, which are the least expensive, have only a single bathroom and not the split bathrooms. You must pay extra for a "deluxe inside" room to get the bath and a half. For a family of 4, I would think the deluxe level room (inside or ocean view) would be a smart choice.

There also can be limited storage room in the standard insides. The deluxe insides often have a steamer trunk themed dresser to provide extra storage for clothing.

I'm fine in an inside, and would rather spend the money on something other than a balcony cabin. I've had a family member who thought they would hate having an inside, but tried one once and is now a convert. As always, your experiences may vary.

I think you will save money buy having a veranda we sit on ours for about 2-3 hours every night just relaxing. That mean 2-3 hours not in a bar buying cocktails lol so 7 night cruise may cut our bar bill by $450

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Check out the "secret porthole" or "secret verandah" rooms. These are cabins with partially obstructed views that sell as categories below what they were originally classified as based on these often minor obstructions. Yes, I've stayed in one of the obstructed balcony rooms; we probably wouldn't have seen the "obstruction" if we didn't look for it. These rooms book quickly, but it never hurts to try to get one.

On the Magic and Wonder, there are 12 "standard" inside rooms. We've often booked them and typically get upgraded to at least a deluxe inside. It isn't a bad way to cruise at the lowest possible rate. On the other hand, we've enjoyed our balconies as well. It isn't a "one size fits all" situation--book what your budget and your preferences dictate.

Check out the "secret porthole" or "secret verandah" rooms. These are cabins with partially obstructed views that sell as categories below what they were originally classified as based on these often minor obstructions. Yes' date=' I've stayed in one of the obstructed balcony rooms; we probably wouldn't have seen the "obstruction" if we didn't look for it. These rooms book quickly, but it never hurts to try to get one.

 

On the Magic and Wonder, there are 12 "standard" inside rooms. We've often booked them and typically get upgraded to at least a deluxe inside. It isn't a bad way to cruise at the lowest possible rate. On the other hand, we've enjoyed our balconies as well. It isn't a "one size fits all" situation--book what your budget and your preferences dictate.[/quote']

 

Ever since our first stay in a "secret verandah" room, it's all we ask for. There are four (2 on deck 7, 2 on deck 6). There were priced as full verandah rooms in the beginning, but people complained about the "obstruction", so Disney had to price them lower. But seriously, the "obstruction" is a piece of the metal ship that curved over one corner -- you still have a full open verandah with plenty of rail standing room. I personally think the extra piece of metal (that barely hangs over one corner) provides a little bit of extra shade.

 

There are also the Navigator Verandahs, which are priced the same as the secret verandah rooms, but there are more of them. They are a partially enclosed verandah with an open porthole for fresh air.