Verandah vs Family Porthole Room on Dream?

[Marshay]

Hi! We are a family of 4 (DD3, DD7 at time of cruise) and we are considering either a Stateroom with Verandah Category 6 room or a Family Oceanview Stateroom Cat 8 on Disney Dream, January 2013.

Which do you prefer and why?

I know the Cat 8 room is bigger inside with a cool Porthole window seat that our kids would probably enjoy.

I know the Cat 6 has a verandah that DH and I can enjoy after the kids go to bed and the kids will enjoy that too. I think I'd only want a plexiglass rail so we can look out from our room and from the chairs so I'm hoping there are some of these in Cat 6.

Can you please help me decide?

This is our first Disney Cruise.

Many thanks to MJ for sharing the cruise map with me so now I know where the rooms are located...just need to decide Category.

 

[MikellaCinderella]

Hi! We are a family of 4 (DD3, DD7 at time of cruise) and we are considering either a Stateroom with Verandah Category 6 room or a Family Oceanview Stateroom Cat 8 on Disney Dream, January 2013.

Which do you prefer and why?

I know the Cat 8 room is bigger inside with a cool Porthole window seat that our kids would probably enjoy.

I know the Cat 6 has a verandah that DH and I can enjoy after the kids go to bed and the kids will enjoy that too. I think I'd only want a plexiglass rail so we can look out from our room and from the chairs so I'm hoping there are some of these in Cat 6.

Can you please help me decide?

This is our first Disney Cruise.

Many thanks to MJ for sharing the cruise map with me so now I know where the rooms are located...just need to decide Category.

My two cents.....I've been on 7 DCL cruises and have always booked a standard inside stateroom because I figured we wouldn't be in the room enough to justify using a verandah. Two months ago we sailed the Dream and booked a verandah room for the very first time. Oh my goodness.....I will NEVER go back to inside staterooms! I've spoiled myself!! It was AMAZING to be able to watch the sun rise and set while getting ready in our room. It was also very relaxing to go sit out there after my daughter fell asleep and just listen to the waves crash. I didn't realize we missed so much of the beauty of the sea while in our rooms or just inside the ship on other decks with no view. We used to have to go up to the pool deck or higher just to enjoy the scenery....which I didn't think was a big deal until September when we sailed the Dream!! I agree with you on the plexi-glass verses the whitewall verandahs. With the whitewall you'd have to stand at the rail and if you have small kids they wouldn't be able to see over it, and they might try climbing on it or standing on chairs, etc. to see.

My daughter sitting on the verandah in her jammies in the morning while I'm getting ready.

She LOVED it out there! She'd rather sit and stare at the sea than turn on the TV in our stateroom while waiting on me to get ready.

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

Sorry to derail the thread, but where did you get that adorable sundress with Daisy duck your daughter is wearing.

 

[MikellaCinderella]

Sorry to derail the thread, but where did you get that adorable sundress with Daisy duck your daughter is wearing.

LOL, too funny! Here's a picture of the front It was created by Cherise Elder of Pick-A-Lily's. She makes some AMAZING creations! We were lucky to get ahold of this one as a resell! Her things are hard to come by and she's usually booked for custom orders about 6 months in advance!

 

[SoCaOC-Mom]

That is just too cute. I love it.
I'm going to look this person up Thank You.

 

[MTmomma]

I think we may have made a mistake in cruising FIRST in the category we did (4C) simply because we can not imagine ourselves enjoying the cruise "as much" in an inside stateroom, or even an ocean view. We spent a significant amount of time in the early mornings and late at night on our verandah on the Dream, and have booked the SAME room on the Fantasy for 2013!

 

[toniosmom]

We just cruised on the Dream in a Deluxe Family Oceanview. I was pleasantly surprised by how large the room is. It was larger than the verandah stateroom we had on a Norwegian cruise a few years ago. The super-large window was great -- it let a lot of light in the room. However, I wished I could "open" it for some ocean breeze.

Having had balcony rooms in the past, I can say that it really depends on what time of year you are going. The last time we had a balcony, it was during the summer -- hot and humid. We spent pretty much ZERO time on that balcony. However, we sailed to Alaska with a balcony and it was awesome being out there in the cool weather. On another cruise, we were docked in Bermuda for 3 days, so it was nice to have that balcony.

With kids, I find that you are in the room more often than you think, especially if your kids are young enough to nap. When my son napped, I would sit on the balcony and read a book.

Good luck with your decision and have a wonderful cruise!

 

[tinkmom2]

We have always had a verahdah (twice on the Wonder and once on the Dream) and recently had the 4D which is the deluxe with the extra footage. I loved how long the room was. It felt more spacious. I also thought the rounded tub was neat. I love too sitting out on the verandah at night and throughout the day.
For our Fantasy cruise just because of price I have been looking at a porthole stateroom. The portholes are huge and you really are busy most of the day. We basically use our room for sleeping. Either way I am sure you will have the time of your life.

http://youtu.be/ZxrKjRX00bM

 

[ldo]

we had the FOV cabin on the Dream---we like the extra space and really didn't use the balcony that much on the 2 cruises that we had balconies. The balcony was only $160 more for our next cruise and DH said skip it. The Dream window is huge and has a big curved seat that you can sit on and watch outside.

 

[KsSteve]

My DW and I enjoy sitting out on the verandah in the morning and in the evening before we retire for the night. I would NEVER book an inside stateroom. That is only our preference, so take it for what it's worth

I've had people tell me that "you are never inside your stateroom except to sleep, so it doesn't matter" but it SO does to us. Having the availability of a verandah to sit on and watch the water, or seeing the ship pull in to port is worth the price to us.

 

[RedSox68]

In 9 Disney cruises we have only had an oceanview twice. Getting a verandah is my husband's only request (he doesn't drink or gamble, but loves sitting on the verandah and reading and watching the stars). We had an oceanview on the Wonder but didn't like it at all as it was at the front of the ship and I got seasick. But we got the new oceanview room on the Dream and thought for a 4-night cruise it was perfect. The window is HUGE and has a great leather seat to sit in and enjoy the view. Except for no fresh air, we didn't miss the verandah too much on such a short cruise.

However, for the 7-day Fantasy next year, we went back to our verandah. The more days at sea, the more you want to have one. It's so peaceful and you don't have to worry about trying to find a deck chair on the promenade. Personally not sure if I'd spend the extra bucks for a verandah for a 3-night though. But if you can afford it, you won't regret it (and you won't be able to go back to inside staterooms ). Have fun!

 

[4butlers]

We just got off the Dream yesterday. It was our first cruise and we had a verandah. LOVED IT!!
DH is now a cruise-convert and has agreed that we will get to sail again on the Fantasy!!
I don't think we will ever not get a verandah. We slept with the door open every night and could hear the waves. I loved ordering room service early in the morning and having coffee out there. I loved waking up and stepping out into the fresh, warm air and seeing where we ended up that morning! Watching the water and the sun setting as we were pulling out of Castaway Cay is worth EVERY penny! And even though our kids are a little older and don't need naps and we weren't really in the room during the day, it was still worth it.

 

[kcashner]

I've had inside, oceanview, and verandah rooms on the Magic. I can't say that I've experienced all on the Dream, but my guess is that issues are comparable (yes, I know about the virtual porthole!).

If your child still naps, you need a place to hang out while she is sleeping. For that, a verandah is amazing.

Without that need, a verandah is lovely when I have one. It becomes a matter of what I want to spend and how much time I'll be in my cabin.

 

[RedSox68]

My DW and I enjoy sitting out on the verandah in the morning and in the evening before we retire for the night. I would NEVER book an inside stateroom. That is only our preference, so take it for what it's worth

I've had people tell me that "you are never inside your stateroom except to sleep, so it doesn't matter" but it SO does to us. Having the availability of a verandah to sit on and watch the water, or seeing the ship pull in to port is worth the price to us.

This is too funny -- I get that comment ALL the time from people. We use our balcony 24/7 -- for breakfast in the morning, for an afternoon retreat from the deck noises and to order cheese platters, and at night it is glorious sitting out under the stars. We've seen flying fishes, dolphins and shooting stars from our balcony!

 

[Marshay]

OP here. A BIG thanks to everyone for posting your opinions.

Based on a lot of comments here, I think we will now try to upgrade to a verandah and then even upgrade to a plexiglass verandah (Cat 5). We are giving up one night at WDW to do so but at least on paper, it sounds like a good choice.

My youngest will still be napping and right now both kids go to bed at 7pm (although we let them go a bit longer on vacation). So having the balcony as an extra spot for us to hang out sounds great. I hate doing the "shh, don't wake up baby" dance ... this way DH and I can relax.

I also like the idea of opening the door, listening to the waves, feeling the breezes and just enjoying the ocean. The thought of seeing dolphins, other ships, stars, etc from our room/verandah is very appealing.

As PP stated -- I want to enjoy the ocean/stars/breezes/sights on the cruise ship, not just feel like I'm in a big moving hotel.

Thanks again everyone!!

 

[Marshay]

A little OT but just wondering ...

some of you made comments about eating breakfast or ordering cheese platters or snacks and eating them on the verandah.

Is this all part of the room service? Can you get snacks and not just full meals? I thought I heard it is free but you tip your server?

TIA!

 

[tinkmom2]

A little OT but just wondering ...

some of you made comments about eating breakfast or ordering cheese platters or snacks and eating them on the verandah.

Is this all part of the room service? Can you get snacks and not just full meals? I thought I heard it is free but you tip your server?

TIA!

Yep it's all part of room service. The only thing that's not free is soda but you can get lemonade for free too. Just be sure to tip the person that brings your order.

 

[MikellaCinderella]

Yep it's all part of room service. The only thing that's not free is soda but you can get lemonade for free too. Just be sure to tip the person that brings your order.

Soda isn't free with room service?! It's free up at the self-service stations on the pool deck now. I wouldn't know about room service though. We've never used it. lol.

 

[MikellaCinderella]

That is just too cute. I love it.
I'm going to look this person up Thank You.

You can find her at pickalilys.com or look her up on FB (Cherise Elder)! She also has an Etsy shop as well. http://www.etsy.com/shop/Pickalilys/sold
http://www.pickalilys.com/

 

[DisDaydreamer]

You can't beat the veranda. You can step out and see sooo much more. You can look forward and aft and pull out your binoculars and focus in on thing in the distance.