Nautica Stateroom 6033

[CintiPam]

Finally received our stateroom assignment for our 9/05 cruise from Istanbul to Athens, #6033. My spouse decided in late May to book this cruise (our first!) when we got the 2009 brochure, rather than wait until May 2009. So we were wait-listed for many categories, but guaranteed an E-class obstructed view cabin. (He needs natural light, so chose this smaller cabin over the only other ones available, the inside staterooms.)

 

I have searched previous threads about this E-class cabin, and it looks like we did the best we could in this category. What do you think about this assignment?

 

I write to ask if any of you forum visitors actually have had this cabin, or 6030, on any of the Oceania ships, and if you could tell me your perceptions of it.

 

Thanks again for your assistance. This forum has been a great help to us first-time cruisers.

 

Sincerely,

Pam

[CintiPam]

Sorry about the double post. It stalled for so long on submit, that I hit submit again.

[Sharicruz]

Hi Pam,

 

Stateroom #6033 is one of the least obstructed category E staterooms.

 

Shari

*****

CCC Member

[CintiPam]

Thanks, Shari. Our cruise begins in one week, and we finally got our first email from Oceania, also the first piece of paper which officially states our cabin number. We fly out to Istanbul on Monday. I am so excited!

[StanandJim]

CintiPam-

 

It's you're turn to do the "happy documents Dance"!

Isn't that the best feeling? Enjoy every second of it.

 

The E's are cute little rooms (with "little" being the operative word there), so here are some hints to maximise the use of your space:

 

Bring a power strip with at least a three foot cord, so that you can use the (very deep very wide) window sill to refresh your rechargables. Then you can use the desk as, well, a desk.

 

Other than that desk, your only other surfaces in the room are two tiny (1'x1' ?) night stands and a two foot round glass topped table, so you need to make the most of everything.

 

There is a lot of storage in the bathroom, unfortunately, the biggest shelf is located way-under the sink and vanity (about 1.5 feet above the floor), bring one or two of those hanging organizers to put things at a more convenient height.

 

If you ever like to use the bathroom mirror after a shower, plan on NEVER closing the bathroom door while the shower is running. The ventilation fans in the E bathrooms are a joke. In our experience, even the mirror behind the desk IN THE ROOM can steam up during showers.

 

We also suggest bringing two of those collapsible (wire and mesh) hampers. They pack beautifully, and, once opened, they fit perfectly in the bottom of each closet. We use one for dark and the other for white dirties until we either send laundry out (Oceania's laundry does a beautiful job, btw), or get to the laundry room (tokens for sale at the front desk, the machines dispense their own detergent).

 

Have a wonderful cruise, and please tell Antonio (in Martini's) that Jim and Stan are comming to visit him next June.......Antonio makes a superb Expresso Martini ;-)

[meow!]

You must have been in such a cabin before to know the details. I thought we were the only ones who brought measuring tape to make all the measurements and draw the floor plan in our diary, such that we could write up a full description on this board after we came back!

[CintiPam]

StanandJim, thanks so much for the very useful and practical advice. I'll be sure to bring my hanging organizer for all my bathroom supplies. The lack of desk/table/non-sofa space reminds me of our small but lovely room last fall in Paris; it forced me then and will force me now to keep the room a lot tidier, and be better organized about all the stuff I accumulate during the cruise . (Is the window sill large enough to be a window seat? Ha, ha. )

 

Cordially,

Pam

[StanandJim]

CintiPam-

The window sill IS big enough to be a window seat, although because of it's position (across a very narrow walkway from the bed) we never used it for that purpose.

It would also be an odd height for sitting, and there is a "lip" that holds the window curtain inside the sill that would hurt the back of your knees.

 

To give you some idea of the "size of the sill", there was a classical Cellist on our last Oceania cruise, and he left his fiddle case up there, so it is a substantial space.

 

**Note** "Special Staff" like entertainers are often assigned to Cat E rooms (making for a very interesting shipboard neighborhood, we had the best hallway chats). The guest lecturer for our cruise was also assigned to an E, but O upgraded him after his wife was later booked to lecture on the same cruise.

Have a wonderful and safe trip!

 

S&J

[Nuka]

StanJim,

What size of collapsable hampers do you recommend? I went to the store yesterday and there several sizes and didn't know which one would fit in the closet.

 

Cheers!

[surus]

We followed a suggestion from a poster on this site to bring an over the door plastic or fabric shoe organizer, the kind that has pockets for a dozen pairs of shoes. We used this over the bathroom door to store brushes, suntan lotion, etc. It was a great suggestion. I brought it home and now store the big jars of spices from Costco in it.

[StanandJim]

StanJim,

What size of collapsable hampers do you recommend? I went to the store yesterday and there several sizes and didn't know which one would fit in the closet.

 

Nuka-

The ones that we have are:

14 x 14 and 23 inches high.

They fold flat, weigh almost nothing, and they fit perfectly into the lower part of the closets!

We each pack one (one for whites, one for colors), that makes it easier to send laundry out on the ship. :D

[nickypuppy]

hello stanjim and others,

have been following your conversation as we are on the hongkong/athens. YOu being experienced cruisers, has anyone ever tried an onshore laundry service when on these long trips eg in thailand or india? It would have to be a lot cheaper, not sure if clothes would come back though, that was why I was just wondering if anyone had considered.

julie

[LHT28]

hello stanjim and others,

have been following your conversation as we are on the hongkong/athens. YOu being experienced cruisers, has anyone ever tried an onshore laundry service when on these long trips eg in thailand or india? It would have to be a lot cheaper, not sure if clothes would come back though, that was why I was just wondering if anyone had considered.

julie

 

Why not just use the laundry room onboard ??

$3. for wash/dry

[Nuka]

Thanks StanandJim!

 

It could not have been clearer ;-). I have one of these cat-e booked for transatlantic travel in the fall with my partner...and knowing that the room is tiny, being able to organize helps!

 

Cheers!

[JimandTerry]

Nuka-

The ones that we have are:

14 x 14 and 23 inches high.

They fold flat, weigh almost nothing, and they fit perfectly into the lower part of the closets!

We each pack one (one for whites, one for colors), that makes it easier to send laundry out on the ship. :D

 

thank for the tip. I have the power strip, and over the door organizer ready for our cruise. Now to shop for the hampers. I'm ready for a countdown to cruise, ready to cruise...

[Minime1]

Did I read correctly that the self services machines automatically dispense their own detergent?

 

(We are on the forthcoming 35 day Hong Kong to Athens trip - so solving the laundry problem is a big issue for us).

 

Thanks

 

Linda and Neil

[LHT28]

Did I read correctly that the self services machines automatically dispense their own detergent?

 

Linda and Neil

 

Yes there is a dispenser on the wall with a number on it corresponding to the washer...once you start the washer push the button on the soap dispenser;)

 

Lyn

[CintiPam]

StanJim,

What size of collapsable hampers do you recommend? I went to the store yesterday and there several sizes and didn't know which one would fit in the closet.

 

Cheers!

 

Hi, Nuka, thanks for reviving my thread from last summer. We enjoyed our cruise in September and this particular cabin so much that we are booked again in this same cabin for our June cruise, and StanandJim will be on board! (We had been planning a fall land trip to Italy, but could not resist the Oceania sale prices in January.)

 

The large wide lip in front of the large picture window turned out to be a great place to store electronics and reading material. The advice to bring a hanging organizer for the bathroom (I always use these when I travel) also is helpful, because the bathroom indeed is small.

 

One more suggestion: bring your own shampoo and conditioner. The Oceania ones, at least in E cabins, were dreadful (and I am not picky about these things.)

 

Enjoy!

[Minime1]

Yes there is a dispenser on the wall with a number on it corresponding to the washer...once you start the washer push the button on the soap dispenser;)

 

Lyn

 

Thanks for the advice. One less thing to pack.

 

Linda and Neil

[Minime1]

 

One more suggestion: bring your own shampoo and conditioner. The Oceania ones, at least in E cabins, were dreadful (and I am not picky about these things.)

 

 

Is the shampoo/conditioner the same in C grade?

 

Linda and Neil

[LHT28]

Is the shampoo/conditioner the same in C grade?

 

Linda and Neil

 

I found the shampoo fine the conditioner however gives DH problem ...his eyes swell up:(

It is the same in B-G cat

 

Lyn

[Nuka]

Hi CintiPam!

 

There seems to be a healthy debate between the smaller cat -e (obstructed) vs. the inside categories vs cat-d. What is your opinion?

 

I've reserved one of the cabanas...but I guess that's a different debate ;-).

 

Cheers!

[CintiPam]

Hi CintiPam!

 

There seems to be a healthy debate between the smaller cat -e (obstructed) vs. the inside categories vs cat-d. What is your opinion?

 

I've reserved one of the cabanas...but I guess that's a different debate ;-).

 

Cheers!

 

Hey, Nuka, it's really a matter of what is more important to you. We immediately dismissed the idea of an inside cabin because my husband suffers from that light affect business and could not contemplate no natural light at all for 12 days. Last time, when we booked (very late, at the end of May for a September 5 cruise), there were no D's left, so we did not get to consider them and simply won the lottery when our guaranty E turned into barely-obstructed cabin 6033. (We never moved up the waiting list to the top for either D or C cabins). This time, we chose to book this same cabin, simply preferring the large window to the small porthole of the D cabins, again my husband preferring light over an additional 20 square feet. Plus we like deck 6, one floor above a lot of the activity. (I understand that some C's hear dance band rehearsal and other noises). Also, our cabin, right by the stairs and elevator, is a super location, one floor above all the evening activities (and middle deck, mid-ships also is good for queasy sailor me.)

 

We do not have a sofa, but that simply would never be used by us for sitting, but only as another place for Gerry to throw stuff upon, like he does in the large suite room we always get in Punta Cana. (I really know this guy after 33 years of marriage.) There was ample storage space, and the cabin size forced me to stow everything away out of sight. I like not having clutter.

 

We really enjoyed the common areas for relaxing on our sea days (the pool deck or the lovely library), and on our port-intensive itineraries, we were only in the cabin to sleep, shower or change.

 

Oceania is a super line, and we only have two more months until our next adventure!

[SeaCCruiser]

Could someone please tell me if the bathrooms in the E cabins are smaller than the B's, TIA

[Sharicruz]

Could someone please tell me if the bathrooms in the E cabins are smaller than the B's, TIA

 

 

The bathroom in category E is 2 square feet smaller.

 

Shari