Cabin selection? How?

[dsl laber]

How does everyone pick the location of the cabins you want? What do you look for...close to elevators? Close to stairs? Not above entertainment or laundry room? We are sailing on Golden Jan 2006, and are looking at a Caribe deck balcony, but trying to decide which cabin. Thanks!

[spongerob]

We're really not too fussy about location. Most of the newer Princess ships have very standardized cabins, so we choose the type of cabin we want and don't stress too much over its location.

[FreQuentKruser]

"different strokes for different folks" is the answer LOL. Everyone has different preferences. We prefer a balcony and wouldnt think of sailing without one, but some people are just as happy with an inside cabin .. there again it is different strokes for different folks. I like to be near an elevator, but that's just me. I try very hard to never book directly under the pool deck because the crew very often starts moving the chairs on deck early in the mornings and I dont want to hear the noise. I also dont book under or above the disco, but for someone who is at the disco every night that may not be a concern. On Princess I prefer being midship-to-aft so that I can take a stairway directly up to the Horizon Court buffet, that way I can run up there and get a quick cup of coffee or tea anytime .. not to mention a few cookies too!

 

So it really is a matter of what YOUR own needs are. Any cabin on any ship is sure a heck of a lot better than no cabin on no ship .. LOL.

[bjboothman]

Another thing to consider since you mentioned a balcony, is whether or not it is covered, partially covered, or exposed. If I'm not mistaken (as I've been on the Grand which I believe is identical to the Golden), the balconies on the Caribe are fully covered while the balconies on the Dolphin are completely open. Many people find there is less motion midship - and I like to be near the elevators because some of those hallways are very long if you are back and forth to your room a lot. If the price is right I'll book an inside guarantee. It all depends on what you want and what you are willing to pay. Nothing beats a balcony, however.

[OrangeAndBlue]

I've always went with a guaranteed cabin and I have never received a "bad" cabin. As long as I am on the ship, I don't think I really mind :)...

 

Paul

[geoherb]

The Caribe balcony cabins on the Grand are half covered and half open. I liked ours a lot.

 

On the Grand-class ships, we like to be nearer the aft because it's more convenient for the traditional dining room, the Horizon Court, and the Terrace Pool.

[dsl laber]

Thanks everyone for the info! As stated, any cabin is better than no cabin! All those people who complain about the food...I told my hubby it doesn't matter what food I eat as long as I'm on the ship with a drink in hand! :)

[FreQuentKruser]

All those people who complain about the food...I told my hubby it doesn't matter what food I eat as long as I'm on the ship with a drink in hand! :)

 

We've been on 36 cruises, over 20 of those have been on Princess and most have been cruises of at least 10+ days, many have been over 14 days, some have been more than 3 weeks, we're about to leave on one that is 4 weeks. We've spent a lot of time on cruise ships .. eating :) We love great food, I think most cruisers do, we have always been pleased with the food. Sure there have been a few things we werent crazy about, and sure there are times when something might not taste as perfect as it would in a 5-star restaurant, but all in all we have always said we are happy. On every cruise there are those who are happy with most everything, and there are always the few who complain about anything and everything .. so please keep that in mind and please dont think the food is bad because it isnt. Someone else has cooked it, I didnt have to go to the grocery store to buy it, someone else serves it to me, someone else does the dishes and cleans all the bread crumbs off my table .. I say it's G-R-E-A-T!!!

[RumbLine]

We start with a minimum balcony requirement, then look for a true aft cabin, ship design permiting. If an aft cabin is not an option, we'll opt for a port or starboard side that might offer more land views depending on route taken (at sea this may not make much difference - out too far to see land). If we are traveling with others, we'll consider proximity to their cabin choices. We always book at least a year in advance, pick a specific cabin, and haven't ever tried a guaranty. We prefer a covered or mostly covered balacony.

[dsl laber]

We start with a minimum balcony requirement, then look for a true aft cabin, ship design permiting. If an aft cabin is not an option, we'll opt for a port or starboard side that might offer more land views depending on route taken (at sea this may not make much difference - out too far to see land).

 

Thanks! We are taking the So Caribbean Explorer...how do I go about finding out which side would see more land? (Sorry...I'm new at this!) We were looking at Caribe C510 or C514...maybe we'll go and try aft...everyone seems to prefer aft.

[RumbLine]

Guessing which side will offer the best land views may be difficult when cruising around a number of islands. Much easier when traveling along one or more coastal routes. We did the carribean on our first cruise, but living in Hawaii, prefer to find a different experience so can't offer much advise here. Look at the brochure's map to get a sense of direction and land mass relationship. Also, ask the board with a new thread to encourage those with more carribean experience to advise you on your particular route. If you're on a roundtrip it may not make any difference. I hope you enjoy your future cruise!

An aft view, our favorite, gives you three views. Port, Starboard, and Aft. This is why we love it!

[Cal Cruiser]

We try to get one in the middle of the ship and a covered balcony. I do not like one near a lift, to noisy, I also do not like the deck right under the pools. As you can see I like it calm and a nice ride. It always pays to look in the book and see what is the best cabin for YOU. I book early and get the best place on the ship for us, after all it is your vacation.

[ogtiger]

We were on the Golden during Spring Break this past Easter. We had a verrrry aft cabin, about 3 from the back. We were on the right side when facing the front of the ship. (Not sure if port or starboard side :) I'm not real nautical unless I'm at sea! Anyway, there was quite a bit of movement at the back. That's not a bad thing if you like to know you are at sea, which I do. I actually enjoyed it. But if you don't like movement, don't book aft. Also, in the morn. when you are docking, the vibration from the engine will definitely wake you up and will possibly knock things off your counters. That was a definite negative about the trip (especially for my teen kids who wanted to sleep late). On our balcony, we saw very little land. We were in D727. The islands were on the other side. If I could choose a room, it would be more midship and a few floors closer to the Horizon Court so I could go get coffee in the morn. (Of course, we just ordered from room service - so much easier). Our balcony was not covered but that was no problem. We enjoyed looking up and seeing all the other people watching sailaway. It made it more festive.

 

Needless to say, we had a great cruise and I would go back in a minute in the very same cabin and have a great time and wouldn't complain about anything. Oh, well. Have to wait till next time. Hope this helps.

[susancruzs]

If you are new to cruising, I'd stay away from the very aft cabins. I like being forward or mid-ships but it doesn't really matter that much! I've sailed 17 times, in every type of cabin, inside, outside, balcony and my theory is, just get me onboard!!! :-)

 

I've had cabins near elevators and not heard any noise, in fact, on the Golden I was right around the corner from the elevator bank. The worst cabin I had was over a galley area where they were chopping like crazy at 4:00 a.m. All this did was send my friend and I into a fit of giggles, older ship, not insulated well, our neighbors asked what all the giggling was, they heard us but not the chopping!!!

 

Susie

[Mike2131]

CC on Celebrity and, based of our December cruise on the Coral, a mini-suite on Princess (really glad we had a tub with all the complaints of tiny showers!). Beyond that, as near mid-ship as possible and definitely removed from public areas (not under or above discos, dining rooms, pools, etc.). We also want to be somewhat near elevators/stairs, but not so close that we are in a high traffic area. We usually book so far in advance (8-10 months) that picking exactly which cabin we want is not a problem.