Coral Princess BH balcony vs AF minisuite no balcony

[bicoastalbabe]

Does anyone have an opinion for cabin choice on the Coral Princess for a Panama Canal cruise (LA to Fort Lauderdale)? And does anyone think port or starboard is better?

 

cabin E208 (Emerald deck 8) - category BH, balcony (somewhat obstructed), all the way forward, over the theater stage

 

vs. cabin C204 (Caribe deck 10), minisuite (category AF) but with no balcony. It has a standard outside window not a sliding door size window.

 

Thanks for your help. This is pretty last minute decision so there are only a couple of cabins left for the sailing and these are both priced the same (and priced well).

[patrickmoran]

We had C203 in October for our Panama Canal transit and loved the cabin. We got the cabin for the price of a Cat BE balcony!:D We did not miss the balcony though typically we do oceanview cabins with Carnival.

You are close to the "secret door". You will want to be out front for the approach and passage for the 1st lock. Then go out on the Promenade deck for passage through the 2nd lock. You will be amazed how close the ship is to the lock wall. Then go out back on the Caribe deck to go through 3rd lock- great perspective.

Because of all of the sea days we loved having the big cabin and the tub bathroom.

It doesn't make any difference which side the cabin is on. There is no way of knowing in advance which side of the locks the ship will be assigned to. We liked starboard because of shade in the afternoon. (Our cruise was east to west.)

[rdsqrl]

I sailed in C204 and loved it! As patrick says, it's very close to the open viewing deck on Caribe, which you'll be greatful for, as that Canal transit starts at oh-dark-thirty. Believe me, rolling out of bed and ten feet down the hall was about all I was capable of at that hour! I found it a wonderful location, very quiet. Forward is a good place to be on these ships, too, as the main pool and buffet are all toward the front. It is a long, long, long walk back to the laundry room(s), however. Just think of it as exercise to work off an extra dessert.

I'd book that cabin again, even over a balcony. I loved all the extra room, I enjoyed having a tub if for no other reason than plenty of room for my shampoo and conditioner and someplace to prop the legs while shaving, and the bed in that room was actually quite comfortable. I don't normally sail with a balcony so I didn't miss it in the slightest.

Side of the ship doesn't really matter, since during the Canal tranist, you'll want to be all over the ship, seeing the locks operate from all angles. If you sit on a balcony, you actually miss 90% of what's interesting: the operation of the lock doors and the electric mules. So I'd pick the cabin you most want and not worry about port and starboard.

[MHMarkL]

We booked a Port cabin for our Panama Canal Transit in March. Not sure if I am right but I figured that we would see more of the land from the Port side going in the West to East direction. Wouldn’t take a cruise without a balcony as we really enjoy our (mostly private) outdoor space. When going through the Canal however, we plan on being all over the ship to catch as much as possible.

[MsPrincess55]

Does anyone have an opinion for cabin choice on the Coral Princess for a Panama Canal cruise (LA to Fort Lauderdale)? And does anyone think port or starboard is better?

 

cabin E208 (Emerald deck 8) - category BH, balcony (somewhat obstructed), all the way forward, over the theater stage

 

vs. cabin C204 (Caribe deck 10), minisuite (category AF) but with no balcony. It has a standard outside window not a sliding door size window.

 

Thanks for your help. This is pretty last minute decision so there are only a couple of cabins left for the sailing and these are both priced the same (and priced well).

 

I believe you would like the C204 better. That would be my choice. Hope you have a great cruise and I would never turn a mini suite down vs a balcony in the very front of the ship. :D Opinion only.