Ocean view vs verandah - first cruise

[kehlyrsmom]

My husband and I are going on our first cruise to celebrate our 25th anniversary on the disney Dream. I currently have room 7020 booked which is an ocean view on the port side. Now rethinking and wandering if I should switch us to a room with a verandah on the starboard side. Probably way over thinking this. For those who have booked the verandah rooms before did you spend much time out on them? Also we currently have the main dinning seating time if I change rooms will I loose that seating time?

 

[KristiMc]

You will not lose your dining by switching rooms. We love having a verandah. I sit out there in the morning and enjoy my cup of tea while reading.

 

[heart]

Stateroom preference is so person-dependent.

As to overthinking this, know that you can't make a "wrong" choice.

I'm lucky enough to have sailed on Disney ships five times and several other lines. Our first cruise was on the Oceanic (the "Big Red Boat" associated with Disney) ~27 years ago. The Oceanic was old then. We had an inside cabin and and I cried; it was so dark and small. After that we cruised again on The Norway (built as the SS France in 1961). We were literally in an inside cabin so small we had bunk beds--ONLY bunk beds.

I swore off of cruising for a while. We returned to cruising with the launch of the Disney Magic. At first I would only sail with a minimum of an ocean view. And over many years and several different lines we sailed in everything from an oceanview to a suite. Then we got a great deal on an inside and I tried it again. What a difference the years make! On a new ship even the inside cabins are GREAT!

I know you're asking about oceanview vs verandah. My point is just that any room can be great depending on your interests. My DS actually prefers inside rooms for the dark (he's a poor sleeper) and quiet. I will now usually pick a verandah as I do enjoy the fresh air and sitting outside in a quieter, semiprivate place. But if the cost differential is too much, any other room would be fine.

Enjoy your anniversary cruise.

 

[deanimal]

We've cruised in all three categories; inside, oceanview and verandah and loved every one. Our next cruise is in a one bedroom suite with verandah (on NCL, it was a great deal we couldn't pass up), the one after is in Disney's smallest inside category. I'm sure both will be great. A few thoughts are:
1. How much to you enjoy sitting out and relaxing? Are you they type to relax out on the deck at home on a nice night or do you always mean to but never really get out there? Would you rather be hanging out in the bar or swimming at the pool?
2. How long is the cruise? On a short cruise I feel like I barely get time to check out all the public areas, let alone spend any time in the cabin. It's only on a cruise of a week or more that I feel like there's really any down time to be on the deck.
3. Verandah neighbours can be a bit of a gamble. On one cruise we had an Italian family in the cabin next to us and they must have used that cabin as a meeting place for the whole clan because there's no way four people could have made that much noise. They weren't yelling or anything and it was quiet after about nine or so, but for the whole day it sounded a bit like an Italian street party was happening on the other side of the flimsy divider. It didn't really bother us for the most part, but if we had been planning on relaxing on our verandah and enjoying the serenity of the ocean all day we would have been disappointed.
4. What time of year are you cruising? In winter it can be cool and breezy for the first day out of PC and the last day back. In summer it can be too hot to sit outside if you're on the sunny side of the ship. On our Med cruise we had perfect verandah weather the entire cruise with just light breezes and warm evenings. On our Mexican Riviera cruise it was so windy one day we could barely open the door. The verandahs are covered, but if it rains at all everything always gets wet and it takes a while to dry.
5. What's the price difference? How much is it worth to you or could the money be better spent on excursions and extras?

So there are a few factors to consider. For myself personally, I'm glad that I started cruising inside, then went to oceanview and finally verandah. That way I know for sure that I don't really "need" anything, just to be on the boat. But there are so many factors to consider that it's really an individual choice.

 

[grumpytx]

Having taken our first cruise last May 2015, daughter's college graduation, we booked a verandah. Yes we really enjoyed it, whether it was sitting out there with a cup of coffee in the morning or just watching the ocean it was worth it to us. We too will be back in April celebrating our 25th anniversary and yes we booked while on board last May. BTW, it should be no surprise another verandah suite!

 

[Bishoparc]

Another vote for veranda here. (If the cost isn't going to negatively affect you.) We love spending time on the veranda when we first get up and before we go to bed. This last cruise one night we even slept with the door open and it's some of the best sleep I've ever had.

 

[kehlyrsmom]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I should have added that we are going on a 3-day; May 13 - 16th on the Dream We are going to spend a couple of days at the flower festival before the cruise. Depending on which stateroom I select looks like the increase should be under $300.

 

[jenpink]

If it is a 3 day I vote for inside But that wasn't one of the choices. The virtual portholes are pretty cool.

 

[TeaBee]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I should have added that we are going on a 3-day; May 13 - 16th on the Dream We are going to spend a couple of days at the flower festival before the cruise. Depending on which stateroom I select looks like the increase should be under $300.

For under a $300 difference, I'd move to a verandah. We loved having the extra space and the private views of the ocean for sunrise/sunset. We didn't have a lot of time to spend out there, but we relished every minute we had to just watch the ocean go by.

 

[MickeyEarrings]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I should have added that we are going on a 3-day; May 13 - 16th on the Dream ..... Depending on which stateroom I select looks like the increase should be under $300.

On such a short cruise, I would look at what else I could do with that $300: a couples massage? An anniversary dinner at Remy?... A piece of artwork to help you remember your wonderful cruise? Just something to think about...

 

[grumpytx]

BTW, spending a couple of days at WDW prior a real plus. We did that last May and are doing a before and after with this trip.

 

[cedricandsophie]

We always used to get a balcony, but have switched to windows only. We like it and save some money. I will not do inside for me, although if we are taking the family and booking two or three rooms, the kids are doing inside to save money. I booked inside for me and my husband just once. We spent one night and my husbsnd saw how much I hated it although I really didn't think I complained, I was just so uncomfortable not having access to natural light. The next day he went to guest services and had us moved to a window stateroom. I loved him so much for that! Also, if this is your first cruise, I would really recommend second seating. Maybe it's just me...and I'm late 60s...but eating at 530 or even 6 is just too early. It makes the day way too rushed. We enjoy having s long day on deck at the pool. take our time getting ready. Sometimes I go to the early show, sometimes not. Have a drink. Listen to music somewhere and head to Dinner at 8 or 815. Very civilized! And go out to the adult venues after dinner for entertainment.

 

[scootch]

Three night, we always go inside. You won't lose your early dining, they will just change your category, not change the whole reservation. While I love Deluxes at WDW, for cruising I am fine with the inside. I do like a room with a split bath for longer cruises.

 

[Bishoparc]

Another option is the Navigators Veranda. They usually are a little bit more affordable than the full veranda the only difference is your view is basically through an open porthole on a veranda vs. an oceanview being with just a window.

 

[anricat]

We sailed our first cruise (on the Dream) with an oceanview (large porthole) and our second cruise (on the Magic) with a verandah. The verandah was nice the few times we used it, but I don't feel like it was absolutely necessary. For the amount of time I spent out there, I'm not sure it was worth it. I probably spent less than an hour per day out there. So on a three day, an hour per day for $300 is $100 an hour. Is it worth an extra $100 an hour? Probably not. An in particular, on a 3 day, you're trying to cram in as much as possible, you're in your room very little.

For me, especially on the Dream, location would be a bigger factor. If we're talking about a midship verandah, I would probably go for it. The Dream is huge and when we were onboard, we were pretty far forward. Going aft took FOREVER. If I forgot something in my room and I was aft, it was like a 15 minute round trip. Crazy!

So for me, if I could get a midship room, I would gladly pay $300 more

 

[MammaMoe48]

We've sailed in ocean view and verandah. Having the verandah is nice and if you get the Navigator verandah it's not much more than OV. The only way I'd do OV again is if it had the large porthole with seating, the benefit to OV is that the space of what would be the verandah makes the room a bit bigger. My son loved sitting in the window with the curtain closed like his own little hideaway. It really comes down to if you want to be able to sit outside or if you want more cabin room.

 

[ZerasPride]

DH and I just returned from our first Disney cruise and while I had sailed before (Carnival) DH had not. The first time he stepped out onto the balcony I knew I did the right thing for us!! We both loved it. Even though the cruise was only 3 nights and the verandah stateroom certainly was more costly than other stateroom categories to us it was priceless!! The view, the sound of the inky black ocean at night. The privacy away from the crowd and my favorite reading a good book on the veranda with a cold beverage. Enjoy whatever you decide!!

 

[rosaciri]

We sailed on The Fantasy with verandah and it was just magical. Although you are not in your room alot of the time during the day its great to wake up first thing in the morning to see the ocean and late at night to just sit outside with a drink or coffee and just soak it all in. Its magical to also watch the ship pull in to the different ports on a cruise as they are all different. Enjoy your cruise. We are back in 2017 for our second DCL cruise if we dont go with RCCL.

 

[kehlyrsmom]

Thanks for the great responses everyone! I need to go back and take a look at what verandah rooms are still available. I don't think we will be unhappy in our current room as it is a family sized suite with the oversized port-hole; so it should have plenty of room for the 2 of us. But I am thinking that we may also enjoy sitting out on the verandah as everyone has mentioned. Now to go do some more research on the available verandah rooms.

 

[Shellbear]

My DH has sailed on another cruise line and had a veranda. Our trip in Feb of 2017 we selected a veranda because of the option of moving back the divider and having one long veranda since we are cruising with three other families.