Inside cabins

[marchie1053]

I'm not ashamed either. My husband and I have cruised in balcony cabins, ocean views, and even a mini-suite once. An inside is just fine, especially because it's cheaper and allows us to see more of the world.

 

In 2014, we cruised for 33 days in an inside cabin on Serenade of the Seas, on a B2B2B that stopped in 17 different ports (Rome, Crete, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Athens, Santorini, Katakolon, Livorno, Villefranche sur Mer, Mallorca, Valencia, Barcelona, Alicante, Malaga, Tenerife, St. Maarten, and New Orleans). We paid $5,200 for the three segments, drank for free in the Diamond Lounge every evening, and ate all of our meals in complimentary venues, so nearly five weeks of food, drink, lodging, entertainment, and transportation to amazing destinations cost us less than $95 per day per person, including gratuities.

 

That inside cabin in the bowels of the ship (deck 2!) allowed us to book private excursions and DIY experiences that would have been unaffordable had we paid for a higher-category cabin.

 

As you said, good for those who can afford balconies and suites. Some of us can't, at least not all of the time.

 

What a great itinerary! The destinations are the key attraction for us, too. I work on the simple philosophy that I can spend the money just once - where do I want the inevitable compromise to occur?

[casofilia]

Actually what we like about a table for 2 is that you are just as close, well almost anyway, to the people next to you but you don't feel obliged to speak to them unless you want to, or indeed they want to reply.

This is especially true on NCL if you sit round the outside of the MDR, one on a normal chair and the other on the bench.

We have two cabins, a night time one where it's nice and dark and cosy , a day time one with an Ocean View, it's called a sun lounger!

We concur with this.

[floridalover5623]

You seem to be an intelligent individual - look it up - better yet

a condition when there is a low number of white cells so that the immune system can't effectively guard against infection due to a lack of neutrophils (a type of white cell).

She should wear a surgical mask when she can. A cruise ship can be a dangerous place even for a healthy person to pick up anything.

[Thrak]

Our first cruise ever was in an incredibly tiny inside cabin on Sea Princess - 135 sq. ft. It's the cruise that hooked us. It was a 10 day round trip Alaska cruse from SF. People say you "must" have a balcony for Alaska. I say poop to that. We spent our viewing time on the public decks and it was fantastic.

 

Since then I've booked an inside multiple times but have never actually sailed in an inside again. We were upgraded from a far forward inside on Lido to a HC accessible balcony on Caribe deck on Crown Princess. No idea why. We have accepted a couple of too good to pass up upsells to an Unobstructed (Aft-View) and to a Window Mini Suite.

 

We're booked in balcony cabins for our next few cruises but only because that got us the Sip and Sail. I don't understand the folks who "look down" on inside cabin people. Lots of people prefer an inside. One of our adult sons has sailed with us twice and he won't book anything but an inside cabin - and he has far more disposable income than we have. He just prefers inside cabins. (Of course he does get a nice big cabin as he has to book HC accessible cabins.)

[elfinmagic]

She should wear a surgical mask when she can. A cruise ship can be a dangerous place even for a healthy person to pick up anything.

 

She does - thank you. Biggest problem is the elevators on the ship - people (mostly large) seem to think there is a back door or that the car expands when they force themselves in then wonder why the elevator will not move. That's when we get off and they say"thanks, it works now"

[DaveinWhales]

One of the big disadvantages of a balcony cabin is that you haven't got a clue what's going on on the other side of the ship. On deck you soon notice if everyone is rushing over to one side to see that special sight.

[Thrak]

One of the big disadvantages of a balcony cabin is that you haven't got a clue what's going on on the other side of the ship. On deck you soon notice if everyone is rushing over to one side to see that special sight.

 

That's why, even with a balcony cabin, we still do most of our "viewing" on the public decks. Sometimes though a balcony is really nice. I had an aft-facing balcony (C752 - love that location!) and had to get up on the middle of the night (as old men do...) and then, instead of just going back to bed, I sat out on the balcony watching the full moon over the wake. Freaking awesome.

[PescadoAmarillo]

If we had insisted on only balcony or above cabins for all of our cruises, instead of just booking a balcony on a few special cruises (such as Alaska and Transpacifics), our cruising days would have been cut in half. Think of the experiences we would have missed, and for what? So that we could get fresh air and see the ocean from our room? Same food, same itinerary, same entertainment, same service. For us, there is no cabin worth that.

[marchie1053]

If we had insisted on only balcony or above cabins for all of our cruises, instead of just booking a balcony on a few special cruises (such as Alaska and Transpacifics), our cruising days would have been cut in half. Think of the experiences we would have missed, and for what? So that we could get fresh air and see the ocean from our room? Same food, same itinerary, same entertainment, same service. For us, there is no cabin worth that.

 

I exchanged some good-natured banter on a cruise in Spring 2016 with a very well-spoken, very well-heeled Englishman who felt no need to flaunt his comfortable financial position (We started off by mocking Line Dancers and just let the conversation drift from there ...) whilst waiting for the Ship's Bridge Tour to start.

 

When I asked him what he got extra for his Suite on Deck 11, compared with our inner cabin on Deck 5, he replied in a mock snooty tone, 'The difference is, my dear boy (!), that I come DOWN to breakfast; whereas you have to come UP for yours ...' Sometimes you just have to concede with good grace ... :D:D

[elfinmagic]

I exchanged some good-natured banter on a cruise in Spring 2016 with a very well-spoken, very well-heeled Englishman who felt no need to flaunt his comfortable financial position (We started off by mocking Line Dancers and just let the conversation drift from there ...) whilst waiting for the Ship's Bridge Tour to start.

 

When I asked him what he got extra for his Suite on Deck 11, compared with our inner cabin on Deck 5, he replied in a mock snooty tone, 'The difference is, my dear boy (!), that I come DOWN to breakfast; whereas you have to come UP for yours ...' Sometimes you just have to concede with good grace ... :D:D

 

Anyone can come down for breakfast in the MDR

[casofilia]

Anyone can come down for breakfast in the MDR

 

Except for anyone on Decks 4 or 5 who have to go up.

[elfinmagic]

Anyone can come down for breakfast in the MDR

 

Except for anyone on Decks 4 or 5 who have to go up.

 

Correct - then what was your snooty Brit referring to?

[casofilia]

It depends on the ship but it is known that some ships have the suite guests eating in a Specialty restaurant on the same deck as the MDRs so he would have to go down while the person in Deck 5 would have had to go up.

 

Same thing as, if you live in the north of England, you still have to go "up to London"; only the lowest of the low go "down to London"

[GUT2407]

Don't think I'd take an inside if they offered to pay me.

 

But then I do spend a LOT of time in my cabin.

[casofilia]

When we were comped a Suite we did spend more time in it than we usually do in an Inside but we still spent most of the time doing something ashore or elsewhere on the ship, the was so much available.

[latserrof]

We've done about 40 cruises, in a variety of cabins, and although we could easily afford to spend more, we prefer insides. In fact, when we book we specify "no upgrades."

 

We live in a big bright house and we find the little inside cabin different, cozy and special.

 

We also spend a lot of time out and about enjoying the ship's public spaces. I sometimes look around and wonder if some of my fellow passengers aren't paying a lot more to enjoy much of the same experiences I am getting. Like a previous poster said -- same food, same itinerary, same entertainment, same service.

 

The few times we've had balconies we've had to deal with neighbors' smoking, arguments and/or inane conversations.

[riclop]

This may not be the proper place for this thread so mods can delete if so

 

We have dined anytime since its inception for breakfast, lunch and dinner - probably for 300 days. In doing so we meet new people every day and the conversation usually gets around to what cabin cat you have - we always book inside. Based on a sampling it appears that everyone we meet has at least a balcony or better. So I can assume that we are the only couple that has an inside cabin?? As I walk the halls there are name tags on all of the inside cabins. Are they placed there empty to appear that the cruise is full?

 

They ask me how can you do that? I come back with "our inside is bigger than the inside of your balcony inside" (it is), they laff until I offer to show them.

Princess wants way too much $$ for a balcony so we will always do inside rooms and they are even better , more storage. They are all booked.

[Cruise2End]

We usually always book an inside cabin. Cruises that are port intensive, or where the weather is chilly or rainy, we see no point because you aren't going to spend any time out on your balcony. However if the weather is in a season where it is very nice outdoors, lots of sea days or a very long cruise, we have booked balcony cabins, because to us , it makes sense.

 

PS ... I see many with balconies that spend very little or no time enjoying them??? A case of having to keep up with the Jones' ???

[casofilia]

I also wonder how many people are given a complimentary upgrade to a balcony when balconies don't sell but there are people waiting to book Oceanview or Interior.

We have had that happen once and hardly made use of the balcony.

[RocketMan275]

We rarely do shore excursions although we might walk around the port. We don't sit by the pool. We love a big balcony with lots of shade.

[comiso13]

I'm not cheap, i'm thrifty. I could only cruise by getting an Inside cabin. The people at work are envious I am taking my cruise and don't care I am in the Inside cabin, I will tell anyone on the cruise I am inside. And I got the deck I wanted, Lido, because it was the same price as other decks but much closer to the pools and Horizon Court. I don't know how big some of your closets are, but the inside cabin is much bigger than mine and plenty big enough to sleep in. And if it gets too dark I can bring a night light or use the bathroom light to be able to see at night if I have to get up. These are reasons, not excuses for having an Inside cabin.

[travelgolightly]

We travel a lot. 3-4 months every year. We always book inside.

 

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[Thrak]

I'm not cheap, i'm thrifty. I could only cruise by getting an Inside cabin. The people at work are envious I am taking my cruise and don't care I am in the Inside cabin, I will tell anyone on the cruise I am inside. And I got the deck I wanted, Lido, because it was the same price as other decks but much closer to the pools and Horizon Court. I don't know how big some of your closets are, but the inside cabin is much bigger than mine and plenty big enough to sleep in. And if it gets too dark I can bring a night light or use the bathroom light to be able to see at night if I have to get up. These are reasons, not excuses for having an Inside cabin.

 

Yep. Nobody at work (before I gave it up as a bad habit :)) ever even asked what type of cabin we were booking. They were all just really jealous that we were cruising. My wife had the same reaction at work (before she also gave it up). Who cares what type of cabin someone has? They are cruising!

 

For those who have never actually sailed inside... Leave the TV on and tuned to the bridge cam. That way you will know if it's light outside or not when you wake up. :)

[comiso13]

Yep. Nobody at work (before I gave it up as a bad habit :)) ever even asked what type of cabin we were booking. They were all just really jealous that we were cruising. My wife had the same reaction at work (before she also gave it up). Who cares what type of cabin someone has? They are cruising!

 

For those who have never actually sailed inside... Leave the TV on and tuned to the bridge cam. That way you will know if it's light outside or not when you wake up. :)

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I will give that a try with the TV.

[Steelers36]

I've never had the 100th post so I just thought I would mention that for no particular reason.