Aft or No Aft

[stleda124]

I am sailing on the Celebrity Reflection in January to the Eastern Caribbean. We currently have two connecting SV Aft staterooms on deck 7 booked. I just saw a picture of how they are staircased and your view is of the deck below where the view of the side balconies are just straight down. I do thoroughly think I would enjoy the view of the back of the boat but the staircase view kind of worries me. Also the view of the top of the blue awning on deck 5.

 

My questions. Taking price out of the equation, would you book the aft or the side balconies?

 

If you were to have choice of any balcony stateroom, which would you choose?

 

Any deck, which would you choose?

 

Why?

 

Any feedback appreciated?

 

If anyone has been following my posts (doubtful) this is a surprise for my family. This will be my parents first balcony (they have always talked about it). It will also be their first cruise with Celebrity and I decided that based on the upscale feel I get from the reviews, the level of service, and the overall dynamic of passengers!

 

Thanks!

[xmarksx]

We have done both a side AQ balcony on the Silhouette and an aft Sky Suite on Reflection. Do you give up some privacy with the stair step aft balconies, yes. If you are sitting back near the door then all those above you can see are your toes and if you are laying out on the balcony then it is no different than being at the pool. We really liked both.

[AZNative2000]

We are wake-view lovers. From the side cabins you may never see whales or dolphins or flying fish "playing" with the wake.:)

 

Plus, the sound is very relaxing.:)

 

I never worry about other people looking at me and I spend no time looking down on other aft balcony folks. Unless it's to say hello.

 

Cheers!

Edited March 25, 2016 by AZNative2000

[jelayne]

We book a aft cabin when the scenery is big factor - eg Alaska, Fjords of Norway so that we can see both sides. For a Caribbean cruise we wouldn't pay the extra for a aft.

 

As to which deck as long as there are cabins above & below the deck isn't a big deal to us. Deck 10 is close to the pool which is on 12 and the buffet which is on 14 (actually 13) so easy to walk up stairs and avoid waiting for the elevator.

[shipshape sam]

We booked a number of aft facing (stern) cabins in past for 14 or 15 cruises with a good number of sea days to enjoy the wake sailing the Caribbean.

 

I would not book an aft facing cabin for any cruise that is port intensive or cool/cold. That is just me. If there is wildlife or views to be seen from ship, I want to be up top and get a 360 degree view.

 

For Eastern Caribbean, if you have not booked one, I would try it and then you have your own opinion/experience.

 

We just booked an AQ2 over CC1 on Silhouette because we wanted to try AQ on an S class ship. Our cabin is port side forward to be close to the spa. The cost difference between AQ and CC1 was less than $100 as I recall.

 

Thus, it is what you want to experience. Aft cabins and the wake are neat. We have only done them on M class ships and the balconies were huge. I think S class the balcony is smaller, BUT the wake is still a GREAT draw. Agree the the sound is relaxing too!

[bigbenboys]

I myself like deck 11 or 12 center near the elevators . The aft cabins have the bed sideways. I like my bed forward/aft.

[bEwAbG]

The main downside to the aft cabins on Reflection is the walk. The M-class ships have a set of elevators at the aft (access for the back third of the ship). On the S-class ships like Reflection, they do not (that set is for crew use only and it's hidden behind a service door). So, you have to walk to the midship to get to an elevator bank to go anywhere. That means you're walking half the length of the ship any time you want to leave your room and walking the other half back to get to your room.

 

I, personally, do not mind it because it helps walk off all the food and booze. But it does sometimes make me question whether or not I can just "run back to the room" and I tend to make my trips outside of the room really count whereas when I've had a room closer to the elevator, I didn't think twice.

 

I do not mind people being able to see me from above. When people move back from the rail, they pretty much disappear. If you plan on doing anything naughty on any balcony, consider that you have no idea where there may be cameras. You should assume that someone can see you unless you're in your cabin with the curtains closed. Even on the side balconies, people who have cabins on the hump can see what's going on all down the side of the ship, so I think the idea that people can see you is a moot concern.

 

All-in-all, assuming you don't mind the walking, I'd keep what you have booked. You really can't beat the view.

[tfrcal]

I agree, being aft on the Reflection is a long walk. It becomes tedious by the end of the week in my opinion.

[countingbackwards]

I've done both twice, and love the aft wake view. Sounds are hugely important to me, more so than visuals - and the sound of the wake when the ship is in movement (especially when you're sleeping) is wonderful.

 

The other thing I love about aft cabins is the feeling of privacy. Yes, people can see you from the railings, but that's not what I mean. When you're in a "regular" side balcony room and you look left or right from your railing, you see this huge, impressive ship that goes on seemingly forever. It's a cool feeling from a mid-ship room to do that - but it's even cooler when you're at the back of the ship, and there are only a few rooms on either side of you. From the "out of sight, out of mind" camp, this is a way (other than NCL's Haven) to feel like you're on a small ship, even when you're on a big ship.