YOUR perfect stateroom/category?

[DISNEYFAN3260]

My husband and I are booked for a 3 night on the Dream in December and currently have #9160, Cat. 8B. We've cruised DCL (with and without kids) before but it would be our first time in this category. I'm not displeased with it, but I've been checking daily for changes in stateroom availability because I'm torn about whether we should upgrade, downgrade, or take a chance with a GTY in another category, mainly to find the best overall value for us. I've been wondering how others approach this decision and what your priorities are when choosing a stateroom. What is YOUR ideal category, location, or specific stateroom (by ship) and why?

 

[moremouse]

Our favorite is 5E. It's usually only a GTY because there are so few rooms. They're all aft, which WE love. Some people just don't like it.

Our favorite room is 9670 on the Fantasy.

I like a cabin with a lounge chair. My own peaceful haven.

 

[Quellman]

Our favorite is 5E. It's usually only a GTY because there are so few rooms. They're all aft, which WE love. Some people just don't like it.

Our favorite room is 9670 on the Fantasy.

I like a cabin with a lounge chair. My own peaceful haven.

I have stayed in the room below on Deck 8, 8682. I really loved this room, though because of the room lay out may make it difficult for families. I believe it is bigger than 9670. The one thing I think your room has better than deck 8 is that deck 8 has all of those interior cabins, so our stateroom host was assigned those as well and it made it difficult to "walk by" and catch him to tell him something vs, other locations we have had including 8188.



For the OP, 5e is currently one of my favorite categories. I also don't turn a blind eye to 4a, but I wouldn't pay for it other than GTY or other discounted rate. I think your room choice matters much less on a 3 night cruise than it does on longer ones so I wouldn't fret over your choice unless you have monetary concerns.

 

[AquaDame]

I think Ive finally accepted that there is no "perfect" stateroom cat for us. I *really* like the virtual portholes but my husband would rather have a real view. We had thought it was going to be verandahs all the way after our first cruise with one, but we just disembarked yesterday from a 9B room that we /loved/. Even my husband, so there went the idea that he HAD to have a balcony... Sometimes it is nice sitting outside on the balcony, sometimes it is too cute to see the characters swim by on the screen, sometimes it is nice to not have to go out into the wind on the balcony to see the ocean - one afternoon we just curled up on the couch which was right by the porthole. We were down on deck 2, so there was a really great view of the water! The waves off the ship were mesmerizing..! It just depends on where we are going and what the price point is I suppose!

 

[TrySomethingNew]

Agree that a 3 night and you could deal with any category/ room really. You will leave the cruise with the impression that you unpacked and re-packed only a few minutes later. You will likely be too busy to care that much.

We've had a balcony -very nice, but used only a bit. And an interior that was great as we would not have used our balcony (North sea, Iceland -a bit of a brisk wind). We are set to try the smallest interior next-but it's only me and one child on that trip.

 

[MouseMomx2]

We are Inside Stateroom people. We are never in our room and prefer spending more money on great experiences in the ports.

 

[Sytrace]

We really have enjoyed cabins 10504 and 10506 the most. One trip we were deck 9 aft on port side, but the others have been deck 6 and 9 starboard mid or forward. All were verandah cabins which we always get a lot of use out of.

 

[dcassetta]

On the classic ships, my favorite category is the 7A secret verandahs. I like getting the full verandah, with a little bit of savings. On the Dream and Fantasy, I think my favorite category is the 10a. Little bit larger, nice split bath, and I like the virtual porthole.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Cat 4 Cat T. For cruises 7 days or more a verandah is very useful. In Alaska, Med, and Panana a verandah is essential to ensure you do not miss out on the views and Beauty.

 

[Flossbolna]

I have tried inside, oceanview and verandah. And I have come to the conclusion that for ME oceanview is the best. I would only take a verandah over an oceanview if it were cheaper, even.

On our next cruise we have an 8B, stateroom 9000. I haver very high hopes that this will turn out MY perfect stateroom for various reasons:
1) I think we will love the extra space in the category 8 staterooms as compared to the category 9.
2) The shower in the category 8 is what I have at home and love (rainshower)
3) Being able to sit on the sofa in the stateroom and enjoy the view through the window (my other oceanviews were category 9B on the Wonder and I found the window to be too high up from the floor to have a really good view when sitting on the sofa, this was better in the category 10A secret porthole room we had, so I would be tempted to try a 9A on the classics in the future). This is why I prefer oceanview because I feel that the verandah is actually limiting my view through the door and if I am outside, I actually prefer sitting on a public deck, where I can people watch, have a server bring me a drink and where I feel less closed in than on my tiny verandah. It also never feels truly private to me as you can hear people on the other verandahs and they can hear you.
4) forward is always the way to go for us as we are only two adults and the adult pool, where we always spend a lot of time, is forward.
5) deck 9 is perfect as it is just two easy floors from the pool.
6) 9000 is the most forward room, so not a lot of traffic in the hallway.
7) 9000 is not a connecting room, so less problem with noise from the neighbours.

 

[michellekcm]

I really like the Deck 2 aft oceanview rooms on the classic ships. Cat 9C maybe?

On our next cruise we're in a Cat 10A secret porthole room, forward, on Deck 5 - purely to give our daughter the opportunity to walk herself to the clubs. I'm not as keen on her walking up multiple flights of stairs by herself as opposed from straight down the corridor.

However, we prefer aft generally - easier for Cabanas and the drink machine.

Like Flossbolna, we've had a verandah and I wouldn't choose it again. We had ours in Alaska, and we still spent most of our sightseeing time on deck. I can spend the $$ on things that matter more to us.

 

[lorimay]

We are mid-ship balcony ideally a 5B is our usual choice.
But for our next B2B, we scored one of the secret verandah rooms on deck 6 a 7A category.
It was much cheaper, I can't see why we won't love it....****finger's crossed****

 

[mmouse37]

I agree overall with AquaDame. I am happy in pretty much any cabin and been in everything from insides to verandahs. I don't "need" a balcony. I find I enjoy oceanview just as much. Insides are my personal least favorite only because I need natural light to wake up (never use an alarm clock). I just feel better waking up naturally.

I prefer mid to forward over aft. On the new ships I love, love, love those large corner 9D cabins (8504, etc.). We are in those for our august cruise and I am looking forward to it.

On the classic ships I love Deck 2 oceanviews. We have stayed in 2546 several times and like that location very much.

MJ

 

[MissDaisyofTexas]

We've stayed in a verandah room, oceanview room and connecting inside rooms (we are a family of 5). My favorite category is the Category 8 Family Oceanview room on the Dream/Fantasy. My kids love to sit in the porthole window, and I don't have to worry about supervising my kids on the balcony. I didn't love the inside rooms...I felt very disconnected from the outside world even though we kept the TV on the channel that shows the camera on the bridge (we were on the Magic which didn't have the magic portholes).

 

[labdogs42]

Our favorite is 5E. It's usually only a GTY because there are so few rooms. They're all aft, which WE love. Some people just don't like it.

Our favorite room is 9670 on the Fantasy.

I like a cabin with a lounge chair. My own peaceful haven.

I'm a 5E girl, too. We had cabin 7192 on the Dream and the Fantasy now! Couldn't get an aft verandah for the Wonder, so we have a 7A, still near the aft but on the Port side. I love being aft. The aft elevators aren't crowded, access to the buffett is great, etc. I will always choose to be aft. And, it is great if everyone doesn't like those cabins, because then they don't get snatched up!

 

[mylittlebuttercup]

8A on Dream/Fantasy--Double portholes (the huge ones), spacious layout that is shaped more like a hotel room, no need to worry (however needlessly) about a balcony with a toddler, cheaper than a balcony.

Not sure about the other two ships, as I have only sailed on the Dream.

 

[steves100]

Since you are only on a 3 night I would think the room matters very little. Did a 3 night long time ago, would never do it again, WAY too short....

We really feel that verandahs are worth the extra, and we prefer to to be midship. After 11 DCL cruises we are always happy 1 floor lower than concierge

 

[Love2Cruz]

Another 5E lover here! Had one for our first cruise, booked one for our cruise in 2017 and just booked one on GTY for this Labor Day. I utilize the extended verandah a lot!

 

[tink1970]

Cat T...I'm crazy for a nice bathroom and I spend lots of time in the tub (hopefully cleaner and definitely less crowded than the pools on deck ).
That said, I'm happy as long as I have a verandah...1 cruise I did inside and my claustrophobia was out of control.

 

[rhinodadz]

Cat 4E with the extended verandah on deck 5 of the Dream class ships.