Best Cat for your money?

[DisneyResearcher]

What's the best Cat for your money? DH and I are looking to book the middle-of-the-road,not overly expensive but not down in what he calls '3rd class'(think of the poorman's section from the movie Titannic).What Cat would that put us in? 6?9?
All these different Cats are a little confusing to me,other than what some of the amenities are that go with them.



DisneyResearcher

 

[mkauffman]

IMHO, I really don't think there is a "3rd class" on DCL.

 

[CathyCanada]

I agree with mkaufmann!

I think the value for your money depends on what is important to you. Will you spend a lot of time in your room or will it just be a place to sleep, shower and change? Do you prefer the higher decks to the lower? Do you mind being forward or aft or would you prefer to be as midship as possible?

We DO spend a fair bit of time in our room and love to have the balcony. We don't care if we are one deck higher or not, so we usually book a Cat 6. And I prefer being aft to forward, it is just more convenient for meals, etc.

If my budget was tighter and I still wanted to have a "view", I would like a Category 9 over the 8 because the 8's are all forward (see reason above) BUT I would be careful not to have a room under the Entertainment District if I could help it. Most of the quad occupancy Cat 9 rooms are forward and aft, so of course, I would head for the back.

With a teenage daughter, if I was just going to sleep in my room I would go for a Category 10 just for the split bath (and the secret porthole rooms of course). It is so convenient to have that second room to get ready in. If it was just my husband and I, the Cat 11 would be fine.

Hope I haven't confused you more, but as I tried to demonstrate, it depends on what your priorities are.

Cathy

 

[DisneyResearcher]

I don't either but that's what DH calls the very bottom classes that are like the smallest rooms with NO ameneties. I"m afraid if we book the wrong class,we'll end up with a teeny little room no bigger than a coat closet with no bathroom and two cots! Not that that would ever happen on DCL,but you get my drift.

DisneyResearcher

 

[DISNEYGATOR]

I would say the best for your money would be the obstructed "secret" porthole rooms, which are priced as inside staterooms.

I personally like the lower decks... deck 1 or deck 2, there are a ton of bonuses for being down below!

 

[DisneyResearcher]

Ok,Cathy...now I really AM confused. Sort of.What's the price difference(typically)for 2 adults no kids in a cat 8/9 and deck 1/2 vs 3/4??room.I'm assuming(since we've never been on a cruise but HAVE done two WDW vacations)that we won't be spending a lot of time in our room and though a balcony would be nice it wouldn't be necessary.

DisneyResearcher

 

[CathyCanada]

If I understand your question right, you won't pay any extra for only have 2 in a room instead of 3 or 4. Is that what you meant?

Or did you mean the difference in cost between the Cat 8 and Cat 9? This is usually (depending on the sailing) about $100 - $200 per person more for the Cat 8.
Cathy

 

[duesterj]

DisneyGator

What do you consider the advantages of decks 1 and 2?

Thanks!

 

[mmouse37]

We have stayed on Deck 1 and 2 several times. They are the most convenient decks of all for coming and going when you are in ports of call.

Instead of trying to wait for elevators when you are a hot, tired and just want your shower.....you do not have to content with the mob waiting for the elevators.... you just walk onboard and walk down the hall to your rooms. You also bypass the backlog of guests waiting do disembark at Castaway Cay (we have seen it back up on the stairways up to deck 5). Decks 1 and 2 midship are also very quiet. We love it (and we have stayed in Cat 4 veranda rooms) so I do have something to compare to. I would much rather save alot of money and have two Cat 9's on deck 1 or 2 than a Cat 4 on Deck 8 (can be noisy with deck chairs being moved around). It is great to be so close to the water. You are also so close to the atrium with guest service and shore excursion deck as well as most of the restaurants and night clubs and shops.

There is no "class" system on most modern day cruise liners, especially Disney. Every passenger deck hallway looks the same whether you are on Deck 8 or Deck 1. Every guest is entitled to the same amenities with the exception of Cat 1, 2 or 3 suite guests which get extra perks.

Just my two cents!!

MJ

 

[DisneyResearcher]

If I understand your question right, you won't pay any extra for only have 2 in a room instead of 3 or 4. Is that what you meant?

Or did you mean the difference in cost between the Cat 8 and Cat 9? This is usually (depending on the sailing) about $100 - $200 per person more for the Cat 8.
Cathy

Ok sorry for t he confusion,Cathy.What I meant was...what is the difference between decks 1,2,3 and 4 and categories 8,9,10 and 11.
Sorry for the confusion.
I still don't know the answer.

DisneyResearcher

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

DisneyReseacher-

I love Category 9 Oceanview cabins on deck 2. I have 2 little boys under 5 and have not wanted to spend the $$$ at this point for a verandha. Please tell DH DCL are so expensive that any category is good. It is location that is key. This is not the titanic days where there is a class or deck system.

We love Deck 2 because 9's are a GREAT value $$$ wise. The window is HUGE. There is a split bath and mid ship there was very little movement, it was so very quiet, and so convenient to everything. I have to have quiet to sleep and I was never bothered by noise. My boys 4 and 16 months at the time slept 12 plus hours each night.

I liked escaping away from the chaos of the upper decks to thw quiet. I never felt anyone was beter than me just because they paid more to stay on a "higher" deck.

I am with Disneygator we love Deck 2. In fact if you check back about 1 1/2 weeks ago there was a long thread on the advantages of Deck 2.

Personally I liked saving the money to take 3 vacations in one year vs. just 1 and with young boys they don't know the difference and we still had the split bath.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[floridaminnie]

Cat 11 is an inside room with one bathroom

Cat 10 is also an inside room with a split bathroom (shower and sink is seperate from toliet and another sink)

Cat 9 is an outside room with a window with a split bathroom

Cat 8 is an outside room with a window with a split bathroom also.

Deck 1 has Cat 11 and Cat 9

Deck 2 has Cat 9 and 10

Decks 3 and 4 have no rooms

Deck 5 has Cat 8, 10 and 11

Deck 6 has Cat 8 and 11

Deck 7 has CAT 8, 10, and 11

Below is the link to more a description of each Cat. along with Sq footage

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/d...mgroupingindex?id=StateroomDescriptionsGrping

Below is a link to the ship's map that tells you what is on each floor.

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/disneycruiseline/ratesanddates/ships/deckindex?id=Deck1

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

What is a category 12 and where are they on the Magic?

 

[floridaminnie]

Cat 12 is just like a Cat 11 except there are very few and only on deck 2. We had 2 cat 12 on our Western cruise in July. I only was in the room for sleeping and showering. My only complaint about a cat 12 (and then also a cat 11) is how small the bathrooms are. The next 2 cruises we are booked in Cat 10's with the split baths. Hopefully it will be better. The Cat 12's remind me of an airplanes bathroom with a shower stuck on.

 

[buzz&woody'smom]

Thanks and I love your picture of you and your daughter I am trying to talk my sister and her friend to go with us on the 10/25 Magic because they are great with my boys (21 months and 5) and may have to pay for them so I wanted to know which was the least expensive. We (me, MIL, sons and parents) are staying in connecting Category 9 cabins on Deck 2.

Thanks for the info!

Tiff