Verandah room or extra days at WDW?

[goofyfordisney]

We are planning our 1st cruise...we know we want to do a 7 night cruise. The idea of being so close to WDW and not going there is unthinkable, unbearable actually!! So, we are looking into adding a few nights at WDW.

When I started to do the math, our budget was completely blown!

This is my question:

Should I go with a Category 9 vs. a Category 6 and add a few days on to our trip? How important is the verandah?

Please take part in my poll-thanks for your help!

 

[mariamard]

WE WERE IN THE SAME "BOAT" AS YOU. WE ARE A FAMILY OF 5.. WHEN WE FIRST BOOKED, WE WERE GOING TO GO FO A VERANDA OR FAM SUITE, BUT THE $ DIFFERENCE WAS CRAZY!!!! WE ARE GOING TO SAVE THOSE $ AND GO TO WDW FOR A FEW NIGHTS AND EXTEND THE VACATION. WHEN WE ARE DONE CRUISING, WE WILL BE STAYING AT RADISSON RESORT AT THE PORT FOR 1 NIGHT TO UNWIND BEFORE WE COME HOME TO CHICAGO......IT WAS REALLY A NO-BRAINER FOR MY FAM. EVEN AFTER EXTENDING OUR VACATION BY A TOTAL OF 3 NIGHTS, WE ARE STILL SAVING A TON OF $$$! WE WENT WITH 2 CAT 11 NEXT TO EACHOTHER ON THE 7 DAY EASTERN JAN 24-31. IT WOULD KILL ME TAKING A FLIGHT TO FLORIDA AND NOT GO TO WDW.......... ALSO, WITH A VERANDA,IM SURE IT'S AWESOME....BUT, HOW MUCH WILL YOU BE IN THE ROOM TO ENJOY IT? THAT IS JUST MY OPINION. P.S. WE ARE STAYING AT CBR FOR THE 2 NIGHTS BEFORE WE CRUISE. THE RATES ARE DECENT.

 

[ducklite]

The best part of my cruise was sitting on the verandah reading a book in peace and quiet. I think I'd give up a week at WDW to have that little luxury for a few days.

Anne

 

[Duckieluckey]

We were on a four day cruise with a verandah. The extr large view was worth it. The only problem was smoke from other verandahs. If you are alergic to smoke, you will not be able to go on your verandah.

If you are a smoker you should seriously consider the affect your adiction has on your children.

Wouldn't it be great if Disney put the smokers on the starboard side of the ship and the nonsmokers on the port side?

 

[WDWLVR]

It is strictly a matter of personal taste. I personally don't think I would like an iside room. Had one once (on another ship) and didn't care for it.

To me sitting out on my veranda and enjoying the view is a big part of the cruise so it is worth it to me.

I'm sure you'll make a choice that is best for you as well.

 

[BethC1952]

Unless you're planning to spend a lot of time in your room, go for the extra days at WDW! That's what we do. I would rather have a longer vacation!

If you want to get some fresh air, there are plenty of places to go on the ship.

Beth

 

[Jeanny]

What I can't have both??

I voted for the verandah, as this is my first ever cruise... I hope to go on more in the future, but who knows if I'll be able to save enough money for it again without working the corner!!! ... BUT I can always get to WDW for a long weekend for cheap, cheap, cheap.. or I should say inexpensive, inexpensive, inexpensive.

Jeanny

 

[married@wdw]

We're trying to keep our 5th anniversary trip in January to a minimum of expenses. We're DVC members, so we booked category 11 for the cruise (hoping for an upgrade, but we're OK with the room size), so that we could get 4 nights in a studio at BWV. Otherwise, we'd have had to shorten out WDW stay -- and as it is 4 days isn't enough!

 

[dclwdwlover]

This is SUCH a tough one for a verandah lover like me. After cruising without one last time my hus. & I agreed never to do it again. It's so much more than 'a place to go for fresh air'. It is a totally relaxing, romantic, peaceful, private area that is SO enjoyable. You don't say who all is going, but if you can enjoy it with your husb./sig. other you will think it's worth it - esp. on a 7 nt.
Yet, missing out on days @ WDW is so tough when you're RIGHT THERE. Everyone keeps saying 'Go for the "extra" days', but they're not 'extra' if you're not getting any! When we were planning ours we also offered everyone the 7-nt, but no one wanted to give up WDW.

This trip we got a reg. ver. & a nav. ver. for the kids right next to us so that it would be a little cheaper (our son turns 18 ON the ship.) Is there anything you can poss. do like this to be able to afford a day or two @ WDW & still have a verandah?

Forget it. I can't even vote because everytime I go to I switch my vote!

 

[ducklite]

Originally posted by Duckieluckey
We were on a four day cruise with a verandah. The extr large view was worth it. The only problem was smoke from other verandahs. If you are alergic to smoke, you will not be able to go on your verandah.

If you are a smoker you should seriously consider the affect your adiction has on your children.

Wouldn't it be great if Disney put the smokers on the starboard side of the ship and the nonsmokers on the port side?

My neighbor in the Walt Suite smoked every morning on his verandah, and I never smelled it. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a smoker, and have asthma, but I really, truly never smelled it, and I was downwind of him. The only time I ever smelled any smoke on the verandah was when we were in CC and someone below me was trying to finish up their Cubano.

I spent HOURS on my verandah--I read a 1024 page book on that cruise, 80% of it on the verandah. And I was never bothered by smoke at all. Maybe I was lucky, maybe you were unlucky, maybe a bit of both.

Personally I'd like to see a SMOKING LOUNGE, not starboard/port, which would lead to much confusion.

Anne

 

[lrmillen]

we did have a verandah suite, but if i had the choice it would be hands down more time at WDW. you can get the same views many other places (decks 10, 9, 4, Parrot Key, Lumiere's) Plus, there are so many other things to do during the day the only time i really spent on the verandah was at night and nothing was visible. Do the World!!!!!!!

 

[CRSNDSNY]

Originally posted by ducklite
Personally I'd like to see a SMOKING LOUNGE, not starboard/port, which would lead to much confusion.

Anne

Great idea! I would love to see this one, as well. Smoking is not only hazardous to yourself and those around you but it is also a danger to the fire safety of the ship.

Back to the original question by goofyfordisney
What we usually do all evens out money-wise. When we take a 7-day, we get a verandah category. When we do a 4-day cruise we get an inside stateroom, but also do 2-3 days in WDW pre-cruise. This coming December we're staying in a Studio at the BWV and then a Cat11 on the 4-day. This past January we stayed at the Dolphin for 2 nights, but upgraded from a Cat10 to a 5 at the last minute for the 4-day cruise. We wouldn't do that again (although we LOVED our verandah and used it quite a bit) just so we could save money.

 

[professorandmom]

I was very concerned about the smoke on the veranda because of others posts but was very pleased to have NO problems - actually did need to go to the 4th deck to sit outside one day because of painting two veranda's down....

I see this as a matter of relaxation - the only peace I found was on the veranda (and an hour on Castaway) so I needed the space for the rest - but perhaps Space Mountain is a better replacement.....

Good luck making the decision
Barb

 

[AnnMorin]

Especially on a seven day cruise.
The veranda is so special first thing in the morning and right before bed. I don't think a day or two at the world could compete.

 

[DISNEYFAMILYOFFOUR]

I had the same problem a couple of months ago. I originally booked a verandah on a 4 sea/3 land. For around $200 more, we gave up the verandah and switched to a 7 night sea/4 night land with an outside deluxe room. I had to switch the land reservations from Poly to CBC.

I posted my options before I re-booked the trip and everybody responded to give up the verandah and go with the extra days on the ship.

I know we would love to have the verandah, but our children will be 5 & 6 next year and we do not expect any relaxation time!!!

 

[jfis1020]

I

I know we would love to have the verandah, but our children will be 5 & 6 next year and we do not expect any relaxation time!!!

Don't be so sure of yourself on this one............Our kids DS9, DS6, and DD4 wanted to be in the clubs ALL the time. DH and I had more quality time than ever in our eight years of marriage!

Every afternoon around 3:00 we enjoyed the room service cheese plate and a glass of "spirits" that we brought aboard!! The kids would spend most of the morning with us at the pool, etc. But, by 3:00, they were ready for the clubs!!!!!

 

[Cinderellasslipper]

I went on the 4/3 land sea with a Category 6 room with a Veranda. While 3 days on the Magic was NOT enough, the Veranda was wonderful. We ate our breakfast each morning and kept the door propped open at night for the wonderful ocean breeze. On the 7 day cruise I plan for next year I'll probably choose an outside cabin but unfortunately we may trade in the Veranda for some extra WDW days

Whichever you choose "Remember its Magic".

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

This has got to be one of the personal choice type questions. We had a verandah room and probably only actually went out on the verandah a dozen times. Never really spent any time just sitting around out there. Too many things to see and do! We found Deck 4 - which has some really nice lounge chairs on it the last 2 days of our cruise and did spend some time out there.

We're trying to figure out when to go again and we will most likely get a Cat. 11 to save money. The verandah was nice - but not "all that"...I'd rather add a couple of days at WDW...

 

[kjcolv]

I cruised the first time without a verandah and swore the next time I HAD to have a verandah. So this time we had one. While it was nice, I'm not sure it was worth the extra money. The view is great but as others have said there are plenty of places to get the view. I thought Deck 4 was the best place to sit and read. Granted it was the middle of summer, but I found sitting on the verandah to be a little warm, you had to stand and lean over the rail to get the breeze, perhaps it was our midship location but I only enjoyed the verandah standing and while it was nice I would go for the extra days and wish for an upgrade.

 

[Tiiiigergirl]

I think it will depend on your personality type. Are you the kind to enjoy the privacy of sitting there for long period of time watching the ocean. Sitting and feeling the ocean breeze. Or are you going to be off swimming, at the spa, at classes and in clubs only stopping in your room for a few minutes to dress and then at night exhausted when your head hits the pillow. Our family is the go, go, go type. I get irritated if I sit for too long. I also telecommute so I want to be around people. We save the money and book and inside cabin. Most years this means that we get to have some time at the parks also. Unfortunately I had an unplanned stay at the hospital so we only have a week or so to vacation and well lets just say that 5 nights in the hospital don't come cheap either. So for us it was a good thing!

I think it is a very personal decision because I've heard people defend to the death their right to a verandah. It wouldn't make sense for me because I wouldn't want to spend the amount of time to make it worth the money and then I would feel obligated and the last thing I want to feel on vacation is obligated!