How important is the cabin category?

[fam4jc]

I am researching for a possible 10th anniversary cruise... 2 adults and 2 dd's 6 and 8 by the time of the cruise. I am wondering if we spent the money for the delux with a verandah if we would really use it on a seven day cruise. Do you find that the cabin really makes or breaks your cruising? I haven't been on a cruise in 20 years and that one was the high school trip, definately NOT a trip to remember!

I like staying at the delux resorts at WDW but I want to be able to spend four or five night at AKL and then the 7 night cruise. Are their cabins nice, no matter what category? What about cabin stwards? are all up to Disney standards even in the catagory 10 rooms?

We are selecting the seven day cruise so we can enjoy the ship and see a couple of ports (eastern). Any advice from those who have complete these cruises would be appreciated.

Have a wonderful, magical day

 

[jgalecpa]

The cabin question is oft discussed here and comes down to a matter of personal preference.

Some people absolutely love them, others feel no need.

I fall in the latter category.

I have been sailing for nearly 35 years, and was always taught to


"Get the cheapest cabin on the best ship."



This practice allows me to cruise/travel far more often than otherwise possible.

( do "have to have" a porthole room, so I book a Cat 9 cabin.)

Some people swear that nothing beats having a cup of coffee on your varandah as the sun rises.

Others complain about smoke from neighbors wafting over to theirs on occasion.

DCL is certainly one of the best ships on the market. DCL charges a significant premium for the verandah.

I, personally, can't justify the additional cost. I would rather cruise four times with a porthole than three with a verandah.

The extra cost of the verandah pays for all our onboard expenses.

But these are my feelings.


Jim

 

[inkkognito]

In 39 Disney cruises, I have been on almost every deck of the ship (except 2) and in a wide variety of categories. While I love stateroom 5650 (Cat. 6) and the secret porthole rooms, I find that I can have fun anywhere on the ship. For me, it's not so much the category as the location. I hate hallway noise, and I hate not being able to get to sleep due to noise...if I can't get a good rest, I can't fully enjoy my trip. As long as it is quiet, I am fine in just about any category. That's why I love 5650...it's in the butt end of the ship, with virtually no hallway traffic.
Barb

 

[crisi]

We are the opposite. I'd rather vacation once a year and not feel like I'm cutting corners than twice a year and say "I wish we'd...."

That doesn't mean we book the suites, but we book the best we can afford without regret.

The veranda adds value to us. With kids, we spend more time in the cabin than we would - being able to sit on the veranda while the kids fall asleep, sit on the veranda before they wake up, sit while they rest is very nice. Our kids get a big kick out of the balcony at our WDW resorts - and the ship is no different. We also aren't huge deck nine or ten people - if it weren't for the veranda we'd miss some "outside" time - which DH and I wouldn't miss, but the kids do.

We've never been in a cabin without a veranda, but I'm sure they are all "nice."

 

[mrsg00fy]

We have stayed in the verandah staterooms and the outside staterooms. Both are very nice. We only stayed in a verandah because we were upgraded to it. Personally, after having it and not using it, I would not pay the premium difference. Much better to save the money and use the difference to apply to tips and souvenirs.

Any category on the Disney ships is nicer than even some of the higher end cabins on other cruiselines. Even the smaller cabins are almost 190 sf, which is pretty big.

We did like the split baths.

 

[smchan]

I've never been in a cabin with a verandah. I've only cruised on DCL and, as Jim reports, those come at a big premium. +$1500, or nearly +50%, for 4 of us on a 7 night eastern in December. I can't see it - but I've never experienced it.

And not sure I want to. I started cruising by booking inside rooms and, everytime, I was upgraded to a porthole room, so now that's my standard and I have to minimally book a cat 9 room on deck 2. Fortunately, cat 9 is not a major jump over a cat 11 - maybe +10% - so I don't sweat it.

I suppose it really comes down to personal finances and personal priorities. Sounds like you've got the budget but trying to decide whether you get a verandah or tack on WDW to your trip. I, personally, would opt for the longer vacation.

Sam

 

[Masonpips]

Originally posted by mrsg00fy
We have stayed in the verandah staterooms and the outside staterooms. Both are very nice. We only stayed in a verandah because we were upgraded to it. Personally, after having it and not using it, I would not pay the premium difference. Much better to save the money and use the difference to apply to tips and souvenirs.

We are almost exactly the same although I bowed to pressure (somewhat from these boards LOL) and upgraded us to a Cat 6 on our first cruise. It was only $400 (only because we had booked so close to the cruise itself)

The 2nd one we did a Cat 9 (Must have a window too) and LOVED it. Yes, I'd like a Cat3 or 4, but it's not necessary and we prefer to take 2 or 3 trips a year versus one DELUXE trip.

And I love spending that "upgrade" money on the spa, photos, souvenirs, etc.

 

[Tluvs2talk]

WE also go for the cheaper room. I have booked the suite on (Carnival) and have had the navigator verandah on Disney. I still like my cat 11 or 12 on Disney the best, I love an inside room as it is dark and you can nap in the middle of the day, I also like the room a lot. Room 5001 on our favorite room, have stayed there 3 times.



Teri

 

[SeaSpray]

We only have the time for one "big" vacation a year, so we like to make that one trip as special as we can. So even if we didn't spend more, we'd still only have one trip per year.

We just got back from our first Disney cruise last month, and as soon as we opened the door to our cabin on that first day, we were SOOOO glad that we decided to book a cabin with a verandah. We loved it and used it MORE than we thought we would, and we will now always cruise in verandah cabins. We felt it really "made" the vacation what it was We have 2 cruises booked right now, both are verandah/balcony cabins

Having said that, our very first cruise ever was last year on a Royal Caribbean cruise, and we were in an inside cabin. We had a WONDERFUL time and that trip is what got us hooked on cruising. So, if it's a matter of cruising without a verandah or not cruising at all, then definitely cruise without it! But if you're just wondering if it's worth the extra cost, that is something you might have to decide for yourself, but WE personally found that it WAS worth it

 

[MarcyIn Florida]

We love category 9 cabins, partly because they are a great value. I don't like inside cabins as much, but that's because I have natural light issues. But my sister stayed in an inside cabin on DCL, and she thought it was great.

That being said, I'm eyeing a cat 4 for a 3 day cruise because I can get it for $300 more than a cat 9. I'm just afraid that once we do this, we'll be spoiled forever.

Marcy

 

[ksjayhawks]

We had an inside cabin. We were only in our room to sleep, change clothes, and meet up. So, for us a verandah would not have been worth the cost--we used the difference for excursions, souveniers, etc. We loved being out and about on the ship.

We rarely do delux rooms on our vacations because we spend so little time in the room--to us it is a place to sleep, shower, and change clothes. But everyone is different.

If you aren't sure, perhaps go for a porthole room this time???

 

[castlegazer]

I am one who can not enjoy a cruise without a verandah.

We have cruised in porthole rooms - never in an inside room.

I have cruised only without my kids - due to the fact that they were not born yet - and we used our verandah every day extensively.

I have not been on DCL, only on Princess and Celebrity thus far. Our Princess verandah came with concierge service as it was a mini-suite. Every morning we had a full breakfast out on the verandah (it was hot - its not a hot meal on DCL) and this was definately the highlight of our vacation - our butler would bring it in as we slepot and set it up out on the berandah for us, so we just had to put on our robes (supplied by Princess) and go out and eat a wonderful meal. It also was just awesome each evening leaving port and sitting out there with drinks alone. These are the two times we used it and we would open the slider to let in the sounds from the ocean at night as we were getting ready for bed.

On our last cruise, we only had a porthole. I was dying missing my verandah and we vowed not to go cheap ever again and cruise without the verandah - something that is so prevalent in cruise ships now, its very easy to get one. We pulled into St. Kitts and there was a wonderful steel drum band playing for us on the pier and we could only hear its vibrations in our room as we got ready for port - if we had had that verandah, we could have opened up the door and listened in whlie we ate breakfast. I truly missed the verandah many more times too - each and every day as a matter of fact.

This next cruise will be with two wee ones - so the verandah is, in my mind, essential. Essential for late nights afte the kids go to sleep - essential for nap times during the day - essential for breakfasts in the room as my kids need to eat immediately upon waking and we will have that extra room to roam around in as we are getting ready every morning with coffees and donuts. We plan on ordering the pie of the day and getting drinks each evening and sit on the verandah after the kids go to sleep - it will be our adult quiet time.

 

[mmouse37]

We have sailed DCL 11 times and stayed in most categories except Cat 1, 2 or 3...how too expensive for us!!!

But, my favorite is the Cat 9's on Deck 2. I did book a veranda for hubby and me when we sailed without the teens, but we find Cat 9's a great value when cruise with the teens.

MJ

 

[fam4jc]

Okay! I did it. I booked us in a cat 9, room 2606. It sounds like we will be busy on the ship and the verandah is an extra expense we can save for the next time!

Thank you all for your help. It does really help to hear first hand the different opinions. It helps me to identify what is important to my family.

 

[huckster]

wonderful have a great time cant wait till we can go again thinking a 9 instead of an 11

 

[TheWog]

we loved our verandah. and with our DS6 when he took a nap a couple times or was in bed early we were able to be on the verandah with a book and a drink. I also watched all the docking activity down below in St. Maarten. It was fun with coffee and pastry. we loved and will do it again. Personal preference though. Go for it if you can.