Lower decks

[mylittlebuttercup]

We are looking at an Alaskan cruise for next year, and one of the categories that interests us only has cabins on decks 1 and 2. We have only ever stayed on upper decks on our previous cruises. How do the lower decks compare? Pros/cons? Do you feel the vibration or anything more?

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We are looking at an Alaskan cruise for next year, and one of the categories that interests us only has cabins on decks 1 and 2. We have only ever stayed on upper decks on our previous cruises. How do the lower decks compare? Pros/cons? Do you feel the vibration or anything more?

Not stayed there but walked there there is vibration on the wonder on lower decks,IMHO, Alaska is the place to have a verandah, we were on it 6 am to 11 pm always something to see all the time, people in lower decks will miss it. They will not know about the wildlife at 11 pm, and the man on his boat following us blowing his bugle. The nature is fantastic and the viewing decks busy nearly every day and pressed on tracy arm day.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Not stayed there but walked there there is vibration on the wonder on lower decks,IMHO, Alaska is the place to have a verandah, we were on it 6 am to 11 pm always something to see all the time, people in lower decks will miss it. They will not know about the wildlife at 11 pm, and the man on his boat following us blowing his bugle. The nature is fantastic and the viewing decks busy nearly every day and pressed on tracy arm day.

We aren't going to do a verandah no matter what. It makes me nervous with my toddler and plus it is beyond what we want to spend on this trip. We did Alaska for our honeymoon and didn't have a verandah and still had a great time. This would be for our fifth anniversary.

 

[ambert82]

I just booked Alaska 8/8/16 and picked deck 6 for only $100 more than deck 1 and 2.

 

[mmouse37]

We did Alaska in a Cat 9 oceanview on Deck 2 and had a wonderful time. Did not feel the lack of a verandah made our cruise any less special at all. Whose to say there won't be something exciting to see on the port side of the ship when your verandah is on the starboard side? So, the argument that you must have a verandah to see all that is going by doesn't hold water to me. We had friends and family in 6 cabins on the Deck 2 and we all had a great time. On Tracey Arm day we spent tons of time on Deck 4 which was virtually empty. DCL provided blankets and we were dressed properly so very warm. We hung out by one of the doors that lead into Deck 4 so we kept cutting through the ship to catch the sites on either side of the ship. We had a wonderful time. We certainly don't feel having a verandah would have really made our trip any better.

MJ

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We did Alaska in a Cat 9 oceanview on Deck 2 and had a wonderful time. Did not feel the lack of a verandah made our cruise any less special at all. Whose to say there won't be something exciting to see on the port side of the ship when your verandah is on the starboard side? So, the argument that you must have a verandah to see all that is going by doesn't hold water to me. We had friends and family in 6 cabins on the Deck 2 and we all had a great time. On Tracey Arm day we spent tons of time on Deck 4 which was virtually empty. DCL provided blankets and we were dressed properly so very warm. We hung out by one of the doors that lead into Deck 4 so we kept cutting through the ship to catch the sites on either side of the ship. We had a wonderful time. We certainly don't feel having a verandah would have really made our trip any better.

MJ

And that's where the Lower decks argument falls flat....if you have a verandah, your not glued to it, you can actually open the door and walk around the ship, in fact you have far more freedom to walk the ship. On Tracy Arm day cruisers with inside rooms were up early staked their claim to a spot and had to keep hold of it, so they had to manage food and restroom breaks within the group.
With a verandah you know you have your own space so you can come back to it, but you can walk the ship, for a photo you can excuse me in, the people who stake out areas generally let you in for a photo, we walked the ship and went and used our verandah, and we had room service on our verandah, we were up early stayed late.

And the ship had announcements, if something was good to see on the other side they told us, like there us a school of Wales off starboard aft, and we all went there and didn't miss anything. We are not nailed in to the stateroom so the argument falls flat.

Next it's well you can't sleep as its light at night...well the verandah rooms gave curtains.

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

I just booked Alaska 8/8/16 and picked deck 6 for only $100 more than deck 1 and 2.

Considering doing this too which is why I wanted to find out about Decks 1 and 2.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We are looking at an Alaskan cruise for next year, and one of the categories that interests us only has cabins on decks 1 and 2. We have only ever stayed on upper decks on our previous cruises. How do the lower decks compare? Pros/cons? Do you feel the vibration or anything more?

We've only stayed on deck 2 on both the Wonder and Magic. I've never noticed any vibrations in any of the rooms we've had (and we've been in rooms from the forward starboard side to the aft port side. The biggest noise "issue" we've had were the thrusters in our portside aft room. But that's only when docking (it wasn't that often or long), and we were typically up and getting ready for our day.

Deck 2 is really convenient to the tender deck (deck one) for getting off the ship (as well as returning - no need for elevator to get back to our room), and the dining rooms/adult areas/theatre are only one or two decks above you. Elevators are much easier to catch when getting on them on the lower and upper floors. Sometimes trying to get an elevator on the middle decks required several elevators before we could get on.

That's our go-to deck for the classic ships.

 

[mmouse37]

Considering doing this too which is why I wanted to find out about Decks 1 and 2.

If you are looking for oceanview I believe the portholes on the upper decks are larger than the ones on Deck 2. Deck 1 has 2 smaller portholes.

MJ

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

If you are looking for oceanview I believe the portholes on the upper decks are larger than the ones on Deck 2. Deck 1 has 2 smaller portholes.

MJ

We priced the deluxe inside staterooms but are also considering an oceanview (haven't checked the dates for that.) We probably won't book until we are onboard this August; hopefully the prices won't go up before then, but if they do, the discount would balance that some. Just don't want to book Alaska until we finish our last couple of payments on our Disney Dream cruise this summer.

 

[MandJHuff]

We have done 8 sailings so far with Disney and the rooms have ranged from the bottom upwards. The room numbers and ships are listed below. We have had balconies and the big verandah and for me the biggest difference in the room is how close it is to the elevators! We have had a balcony before and not even sure I spent more than a few minutes actually out on it. I do love the little ports but am still quite happy with the inside rooms without the little ports but the kids do love the ports. In my very humble opinion I just don't like having to walk a mile away from the elevator/stairs. One nice thing about the lower rooms are you are right there when it is time to get off at the ports! I don't think I have ever been bothered by more motion or vibrations in any of the rooms That will be such a nice cruise for your 5th anniversary!
11/16/14 - 11/23/14 Disney Magic 2635
06/22/13 - 06/29/13 Disney Fantasy 8662
01/10/13 - 01/13/13 Disney Dream 6014
07/04/12 - 07/08/12 Disney Dream 8551
08/12/11 - 08/16/11 Disney Dream 10160
02/20/10 - 02/27/10 Disney Magic 5520
08/16/07 - 08/19/07 Disney Wonder 7592
07/20/06 - 07/23/06 Disney Wonder 1065

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

We've only stayed on deck 2 on both the Wonder and Magic. I've never noticed any vibrations in any of the rooms we've had (and we've been in rooms from the forward starboard side to the aft port side. The biggest noise "issue" we've had were the thrusters in our portside aft room. But that's only when docking (it wasn't that often or long), and we were typically up and getting ready for our day.

Deck 2 is really convenient to the tender deck (deck one) for getting off the ship (as well as returning - no need for elevator to get back to our room), and the dining rooms/adult areas/theatre are only one or two decks above you. Elevators are much easier to catch when getting on them on the lower and upper floors. Sometimes trying to get an elevator on the middle decks required several elevators before we could get on.

That's our go-to deck for the classic ships.

No tendering in Alaska and when were you last on the Wonder? It lost an engine at one point and had vibrations, could you please be clear when you were on the Wonder in Alaska?

 

[mmouse37]

We priced the deluxe inside staterooms but are also considering an oceanview (haven't checked the dates for that.) We probably won't book until we are onboard this August; hopefully the prices won't go up before then, but if they do, the discount would balance that some. Just don't want to book Alaska until we finish our last couple of payments on our Disney Dream cruise this summer.

Sounds like a plan but just a heads up that if you could swing booking Alaska now you could always reshop it when you are the Dream this summer. This way you lock in the prices now in case the prices do rise by summer.

MJ

 

[PrincessShmoo]

If you are looking for oceanview I believe the portholes on the upper decks are larger than the ones on Deck 2. Deck 1 has 2 smaller portholes.

MJ

Deck one has two small portholes.



Deck 2 has large portholes

 

[jrabbit]

it's been about 10 years since we've cruised on an upper deck. We love deck 2 midship. With Ocean view.

actually we were upgraded to a handicap accessable room on deck 7(?) several years ago -- huge room, GIANT veranda at the back of the ship. Still prefer my deck two oceanview.

 

[C6PT7]

No tendering in Alaska and when were you last on the Wonder? It lost an engine at one point and had vibrations, could you please be clear when you were on the Wonder in Alaska?

Did PrincessShmoo say they tendered?
She said the tender deck, the lobby areas where you get on and off the ship (except PC).
I thought an experienced DCL cruiser such as yourself would know that?


And why would loosing one engine cause vibrations? They run with a redundant engine anyway for servicing etc.
Just so you know because you seem confused about this, the engines and a generator set (Gen Set) and they generate electricity that power the electric motors, which turn the propeller shafts which turn the propellers.
The propellers cause vibration turning thru the water and they churn it up, not the engines.

 

[squirrel]

I had my first cruise in an oceanview deck 2 room on the WBTA. Usually I'm fine with an inside. My mom prefers a verandah. Since I paid for the WBTA, I could only swing an oceanview. I wasn't sure about the location being on deck 2 and forward, but it was totally fine for my mom and I. We have another cruise booked on deck 2 this year also forward.

 

[C6PT7]

And the ship had announcements, if something was good to see on the other side they told us, like there us a school of Wales off starboard aft,

You saw a school from Wales?
Or do you mean a pod of WHALES?

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

Sounds like a plan but just a heads up that if you could swing booking Alaska now you could always reshop it when you are the Dream this summer. This way you lock in the prices now in case the prices do rise by summer.

MJ

I thought that when you reshopped, you did so at the prevailing rate at the time, not the rate you originally booked. I might have misunderstood though. I know locking in pricing now would be a good idea but not totally ready to commit yet.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Sounds like a plan but just a heads up that if you could swing booking Alaska now you could always reshop it when you are the Dream this summer. This way you lock in the prices now in case the prices do rise by summer.

MJ

Actually, MJ, if they reshop, the OBB discounts are on the prevailing rates. They don't get the rates in effect when they booked.