Heard a woman passenger ask the crew where they sleep at night. The crew member laughingly told her that they were helicoptered off at night....yep, the next morning we heard her complain to the same crew member that the helicopter noises kept her awake.
WO-HaHa, what a "good idea" to disturb the sleep of people paying the salary of the crews! NO PASSENGERS, NO CREWS..A No-no.. 😚 Instead of helicopters, to "isolate" the crews, 😋 maybe they should build silencers in all the cruisers departments! 😀
If you are prone to sea sickness, or are afraid you are, you want a cabin near the center of the ship, on one of the lower decks. In heavy seas, the closer you are to the center of gravity, the less you will move. This applies both side to side and fore to aft. A bit of noise is not half as bad as tossing your meals over the side.
Thanks for answering this...maybe I've missed it. But I NEVER get sea-sick and we are cruisers. But, with "an already unhappy stomach", for whatever reason, I had difficulty on our last cruise. I wondered if we were in a good spot, so now, I'll pay a bit more attention. I'm just glad the storm was the last day, so the trip wasn't ruined for me... but feel bad for others who have that tendency.
1) Adjoining Cabins 2) Underneath pool deck 3) Underneath the Promenade deck 4) Near BIG public areas 5) Where night clubs are AVOID 6) Laundry room area 7) Those that overlook the center of ship 8) Avoid life boat area 9) Crew access area 10) Low deck area.
I’ve been on two cruises before; Oasis of the Seas and Harmony of the Seas. Two amazing ships. Both times my cabin was looking over the Central Park of the ships. I’ve never had any problems with it. Actually I think it would be better than looking over the ocean. When looking over the ocean all you see is water, unless you’re in port, but the majority of the time you’re at sea. If you want to see the the water or the view while you’re in port, that go up top! You’ll get a better view! Yes,there is music sometimes, but I find it very relaxing, and it’s not even that loud. The privacy isn’t that big of a deal either, because you’re barely even on the balcony because you’re too busy exploring on a ship like this. Also if you’re like me, you probably like people watching, (watching and seeing what other people are doing and what’s going on), so getting a cabin overlooking Central Park is quite fun. I just thought I should put my opinion out there.
Thanks! I have had a few people saying they really like those cabins so clearly quite a few fans! Thanks for adding your perspective as helps others who uncertain to make up their minds!
I just booked our cruise and your tips were amazing! I made sure our stateroom was absolutely surrounded above, below and each side by other staterooms, no adjoining rooms, midship and NOT near elevators! Also made sure our veranda view was an unobstructed veranda! Excellent tips! Have been on many cruises and watching your videos sure helped for this one!
It did end up sounding like most cabins were excluded I guess. On the plus side, although my suggestions for those cabins to avoid did sound like a lot, I think looking at deck plans that it only excludes about 10% to 20%. I need to do a video about the ones to seek out to balance I guess...! Thanks for watching and really appreciate you leaving a comment.
Boy, is he right about being under the pool deck! We "upgraded" to what we thought was a more spacious cabin but a few minutes under the pool deck and we realized how noisy it would be. We then asked to be "downgraded" to a less spacious but quieter cabin and boy was that the right move. He's right about all of these. If you are a light sleeper or noise averse, take note!
That's so strange because my sister and I heard this but had a "free" room and didn't want to complain. It was an inside cabin, which was fine for us, and it was directly below the pool deck. We never heard a thing. Maybe it depends on the ship. We were on a Princess cruise.
I couldn't agree more with your list. We're experienced cruisers and my very least favorite cabin of all time was also one of the most expensive I've ever purchased. I got my wife and I a suite for our anniversary on a very upscale line. It was the first time I'd ever spring for a suite and I took it for granted that they'd be ideally located and perfect in every way. That is when I came up against your second rule: do not be immediately below the pool deck. I have never made that mistake again; it was one of my least favorite cruises due to the incessant noise that went on all night as the crew cleaned and dragged deck chairs all over and obviously all day with vacationers being boisterous. Your only rule I slightly equivocate on is the obstructed view rule. I've had obstructed views on both Celebrity and Holland and never had any issues with them (though I did miss the view).
Yes! I had that too. What was supposed to be a premium cabin that drove me crazy with the pool deck noise! It was that which made me do this video ....
My father, who was a Naval officer, gave me a piece of advice, before my first cruise: Try to get a cabin, low and as close to the center as possible. The uppper and further forward and back staterooms, move more, so if you are afraid of motion sickness, (sea sickness), stay away from the front or back, and get as low as possible. Also, my wife is claustrophobic and even the larger rooms are smaller than most hotel rooms, of comparable rates, get a ocean view room, at least. My wife and I had an ocean view on our first cruise and it was fine. She likes the balcony rooms more, however, because she said she feels more comfortable being able to step outside. If you have never been on a cruise before, take earplugs, that soften noise and put them in, as soon as you get to your room, while you're putting things away. They do a lifeboat drill, just before getting underway, and the alarms are DEAFENING! This is ESPECIALLY important if you are traveling with someone who is autistic. Loud sounds are PURE TORTURE for them.
Thank you for letting me know about the drill once on board. We are taking our first cruise and my son is autistic and sensitive to loud noises. We prepare him with noise cancelling earphones when they have fire drills at school. Really glad I read your comment or I wouldn’t have even thought about this. Thank you!
My sister had a cabin that shared a wall with the anchor chain locker. When they let go the anchor first thing in the morning upon arriving in each port, there were thousands of pounds of steel banging against her headboard. What an alarm clock! The other cabin to avoid is one that is up against an elevator shaft. That machine noise will be going on 24 hours a day.
Aargh ! That would be one of my idea of hell! Good point on the elevator point. I have had that issue in hotels and changed rooms and didn’t think about that on ship. Thanks for that great additional tip!!!
Mental yoga… goosfraba! After such a cruise, probably, your sister’s nerves became as strong as steel, sturdy as the diamond… prepared for all the vicissitudes of life on the dry land! What an excruciating training when traveling… Though, indeed, it is better to avoid such cabins.
I have travelled on Saga Ruby, Saga Pearl II and Saga Sapphire and Discovery, none of these had intrusive noise in the cabins only the noon Ship's bell and no piped music anywhere, so if you want a civilised cruise choose one of these. Also you can eat any menu in any restaurant at no extra charge even if you have the cheapest cabin. Free bars, tea, coffee, ice-cream points throughout the ship.
MrGunny, good of you to mention the elevator thing. I've been told when visiting online forums, that one of the worst places you can possibly be is in your room only one door from the elevators. Worse, with people running to catch the elevator, you'll be feeling the thumping of feet all night long.
Now I don't have a lot of experience with cruises, but I do have to disagree with one of your suggestions based on my experience last year. We were on the MSC Divina Aurora deck cabin 12252 and I loved it. There are a few reasons. 1. Quiet - There was no engine noise and being on a back corner there was very little foot traffic. 2. Price - The price was great. One of the cheapest rooms available. As I did not personally intend to spend large amounts of time in cabin. 3. Access - The access to outside stairs a few feet away was the best part of this cabin. They allowed a close outdoor spot for "smoking" Now I no longer smoke, but I do vape and the wife did figure out that vaping can and does set off the alarm. The crew even use these outdoor stair areas for this purpose. But mostly on the higher decks. It was almost a private balcony as very few people came out there, but I could look of the back of the ship and the side of the ship. I could go up 3 decks and be where the life boats are and that was a great outdoor highway up and down 2/3's of the ship without tons of dodging people and weaving about. Also on this ship the buffet was at the back of the ship and I could go up 6 or 7 decks and have easy access. Eight decks up was the Adults only pool and bar area. I explored the entire ship, but I found that the vast majority of the things I wanted to do were right in my area. Not to mention some great conversations with crew that I bumped into on different decks going up and down those stairs. 4. Ease of access to elevators - Though I did not use the elevators much they were quite close and the ones at the back of the ship don't get as much use. Waiting for elevators can be a nightmare. People with the "VIP" club memberships have a card that allow them to bypass all the other calls for an elevator, step in and then go right to their floor. I avoided the elevators every chance I could. This made me love the stair access even more. Besides, it helps work of a bit of the large amounts of food served. I realize there a lots of different layouts on different ships. I just wanted to pass along this little tid bit of experience.
Ken, thanks for your detailed thoughts and perspective. Great to hear that you found a great cabin location and spot on the MSC Divina (I love that ship!). Based on one's likes and what is important then you are right location like yours can be a positive. I tend to like and many recommend middle of the ship not only due to less movement of the ship there but also you are then about same distance from stuff at the front or back of the ship when getting around (but also those can be the busty elevators....!!). Thanks for sharing this and for watching. I am sure your tips this will help other cruisers!
Thank you for replying. I completely agree that travel accommodations, location, personal tastes and needs are different for every person. What is important to one person may have close to zero impact on another. Information is always the key in making any decision and cruises are no exception. Every trip will have its good points and its bad, but with a good attitude just about any negative can be overcome and does not have to spoil the trip. Remember you are out there to have fun, so if something is taking away from that, try to adjust what you can so that your experience can be weighted more on the positive side. No one wants to spend lots of money to have a bad time, I hope your viewers can find ways to shift thinking and be flexible, I believe that to be the best way to have a good time over all no matter what detraction's come along for the ride. One final note, you may want to edit your reply to me. A sneaky letter T slipped into your description of "busy" elevators humorously transforming it into "Busty" elevators. I don't think I have ever seen a voluptuous elevator, though when I was a teenager I am sure I would have been fascinated. Thank you again for your reply and have a great day. :)
We decided to take a mother daughter, last minute trip a few years ago. I prefer balcony rooms because I refuse to fight with people for a chair. There was one balcony left... on the butt of the ship. It ended up being very nice. The only difference in the balcony was that the wall between rooms did not go straight up. It was a slanted wall. ( like this... / ) so you could see your neighbor. It turned out that the Group next to us and below us was from our home town. So we had a lot of laughs with them. AND the guy next to us was able to open a bottle of wine for us. Lol We had an amazing view!! The view of the ocean with the wake of the ship was so peaceful and relaxing
@@lannyfarmer208 like I am 🙄. My cabin was an ocean view room yet I still got bad seasickness on the way back to home port. Carnival cruise 2007 elation to cabo san lucas mexico
I just got back from a Norwegian Cruise in a suite. We were on deck 12 of 14 and my boyfriend and I are not prone to seasickness at all but the seas were dreadfully rough for the majority of our 11 day trip and we staggered around like we were drunk just trying to find some stability since we were high up and all the way aft.
Here’s a rule of thumb for a pretty safe place to start your cabin search! “Middle - middle - balcony - Ocean view!” And also… “Don’t be cheap… the extra paid for a good cabin makes the cruise priceless!” 🍷😎👍
@@seltaeb9691 I think the best trick for cutting back is to visualize the ideal, then work back. So, if your budget won't allow for a balcony, get a middle middle inside cabin.
I so appreciate how you get the topic spelled out ckearly, then a fluid fun down directly into each point! Great information, some obvious, but good reveal of what is not obvious!
Avoiding crew areas is important, especially if you have an inside cabin. We were on a ship and found there was a service corridor running behind our cabin. All night long we could hear heavy carts being moved. Thankfully, there was a departure from the ship at our second port and they were able to relocate us into that cabin.
I was a submariner for 6 years and believe it or not submerged subs do react to violent storms above if not too deep. They will rock and sway however subtler.
Hi Gary, Just wanted to say thank you for all your videos on cruising. I have just watched 3 and think you are so right about what you have shared and also learned some new points that will be helpful in booking my next cruise. I have not cruised in a few years because I got discouraged with all the up changes after you get on the ship. Seemed like it just got more and more pressing. But I am missing the ocean and ready to try again. Your videos have surly helped me to prepare to go at it again. thank you truly.....
Makes sense........who needs to hear "abandon ship horn or announcements? Might even make a national geographic special on a sunken ship at the bottom of a sea......great idea.......
Thank you very much!👏👏 Looking at this video... one would think to stay whole cruise in the cabin! The cruise ships are so much more than what it appears to some people or in this video! Try to bring NO expectations at all and try to enjoy All the awesome things that one cruise(cruise ship) has to offer !
We prefer our balcony room on the very backend of the ship, several floors up from the engines. For us, the low churning sound is so relaxing, it’s a bonus versus a negative!
A point to remember. If your cabin fare is a lot cheaper than the advertised prices, start checking out why. Why are they pushing the cabin of at such a reduced rate? Mainly because by hey are hard to book. Many cruisers are return passengers who know what they are looking for. The closer you book to the sailing date the more limited your choice. The worse cabins may end up being all that is available.
I just came off a fantastic 9 day cruise onboard Queen Mary 2. Your videos were great to watch before hand and I really enjoy them. I really miss the ship now and watching your videos takes me back.
My suggestion is... You are going on vacation, relax, forgive others and smile all days. If people have huge party and you can’t sleep, then join the party. If you think you really can’t be bothered to hear/meet other people, I suggest to drive to mountains or go to desserts for your vacation.
You should have done a video on the best cabin to choose it will be more easy 😁😂🤣😃😄 I think the best one is when you're in the middle of two cabin whatever or those which looks like a apartment (the lagger...don't remenber the name)
It did sound a bit doom and gloom ! I had a section that I edited out saying it left about 90% of cabins (best being ones with cabins above, below, on either side and ideally opposite ! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment !!
I just booked a balcony on the 10th level of the carnival glory! I do agree it is important avoid certain cabins! I find being higher up is the best option. Also dont schedule cruises with like 1 or 2 months prepe time. Its waaaaayyy more efficient to schedule one with atleast 6 months of planning! Atleast i find that helps me. Cruise number 3 happening this summer!
Our favourite cabin was overlooking the centrum (centre of the ship). We didn't hear any loud noise, the cabin was a bit larger and we could see activity like parades without the crowds. The one downside was remembering to close the curtains for privacy.
I must be weird because I love it in the lower deck, the price is great, love the coziness and don't mind hearing the ship noises when docking. The feeling you get in lower deck cabin is that of a waterbed.
As someone who has recently spent 10 weeks on a cruise ship as a crew member but staying in guest rooms, I feel qualified to share my reflections on this issue. First off, I have stayed in a number of different cabins, including balcony rooms and interior state rooms. These were on various decks, fore and aft. It seems to me that there will always be noises, vibrations and discomforts one way or another. That's life. You are on board a floating city with thousands of others in confined spaces . Any room can be subject to random disturbances whether that be engine, anchor, noisy neighbours, or any of the nuisances previously mentioned. If you let it get to you then your experience will be an unhappy one but if, like me, you can take the rough with the smooth, you will have an amazing time on board.
All of the noises except one are to be expected. The exception? Noisy neighbors. It’s usually a result of excess alcohol consumption and there is no excuse for it. I nip it in the bud and report the offenders to guest services immediately.
It did sound a bit doom and gloom ! I had a section that I edited out which should have left in (!) saying it left about 90% of cabins (best being ones with cabins above, below, on either side and ideally opposite) and should have left it in!! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment !!
Just make sure you avoid any seats near the front or back of the kayak as those can get quite splashy. Also avoid any center seats that may be used for loading/unloading the occupants.
My husband and I have actually stayed (2 times!) in a rear facing cabin (balcony, of course). We loved it. We would go out on the balcony just before we were to depart a port and watch the as the waters were stirred as we left. We would watch for quite awhile, as we enjoyed seeing the “trail” as we sailed away.
Totally agree with avoiding the RCCL inside balcony cabins. We went on the Allure of the Seas a few years ago, and spent maybe 5 minutes on the balcony. There was not really any "view" to be had, other than looking into every single inside balcony cabin across from us. We kept our drapes closed most of the week, because we didn't want others to be peering in to our cabin. Also, we were only 2 decks above the main walking space, and were subject to constance orchestra music. Loved the rest of the ship, but would never book another inside facing balcony again.
We love cruises. We have gone every yr for the past 7 yrs and always on Carnival. Had rooms from Deck 1 to Deck 9 and all were awesome. Don't ever cancel your cruise. It's wonderful and you get to see so many places. Enjoy
I love the first cabin at the front of the ship. Yes, you get more up and down motion and we have found that they generally are a little larger. But we love that. Stay away from any cabin next to the elevators. stay away from cabins under or over the dance floor.
Your videos are incredibly helpful. We did book a cabin below the pool deck for our next cruise. We were definitely concerned about noise and checked numerous reviews to determine if noise was a common complaint on that deck. Reviewers did not complain about noise on that part of the deck so we booked it. Also, this is a 10-day Princess cruise. So we expect that there will be a more subdued demographic when compared to other lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, or NCL Nothing against those lines, just recognizing that's different target audience. Hopefully we called it right. We avoided most the other things mentioned though. Thank you.
It did sound a bit doom and gloom ! I had a section that I edited out which should have left in (!) saying it left about 90% of cabins (best being ones with cabins above, below, on either side and ideally opposite) and should have left it in!! Thanks for watching and leaving a comment !!
I couldn’t agree more. My wife and I have experienced most all of the Problem cabins you listed in your video. In fact, we just had some problems with noisy partners in a cabin that was adjoining ours. I had to call them two separate nights and ask them to take their 3:00 AM party to some public area. Won’t book that type of room again.
I have a cruise in about two weeks. It’s my eleventh and I am extremely excited. The cabin is right next to the anchor and machinery. I’m actually happy about that because having some noise makes me really happy. There’s also only one port, so it’s not that bad.
i actually enjoyed hearing the anchor drop on my first cruise, was kind of a cool sound. that said, we have graduated to decks with balconies now and agree ha ha
Can you make a video on which rooms to try to get it seems like there’s a lot of rooms to avoid so a video stating how to pick the best rooms would be better
I do have one : Best Cruise Ship Cabins For 11 Different Traveller Types ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-IGynsPfmEes.html hope that helps !
The best cabins have other cabins above, below and side to side. Plus a cabin across the deck passage from you. This way you avoid all of the points raised by “ Tips for Travellers”. A cabin is quietest
I've been in a balcony cabin in Central Park on Royal Caribbean Oasis class ships three times. It is quite pleasant. The music played at night in the park was acoustic guitars or violins, so not too loud or annoying. You could hear the pool deck during the day however if you were out on your balcony.
Avoid the very front because it feels like a bucking bronco if you hit bad weather. Our cabin was changed on us during our last cruise. We were in the very front. When the ship went up, it was a long drop and slap on the water. The position of our beds had us rocking side to side a feeling like we were going to fall out of bed the entire trip.
That surprised me. What ship was it? I thought those mega-ships are so heavy that they sway or rock LESS often than the smaller ones. I guess I'm wrong.
Almost impossible to control pitching (up and down motion) other than through changing speed and/or heading relative to the swell, regardless of the size of the ship. Sure, larger ones will tend to do so less, and I would imagine QM2 to do it least of all due to her hull shape. What surprises me is how much some of those floating hotels roll (side to side motion). You'd think they'd have better stabilisers yet there's some pretty remarkable footage on YT of large cruise ships with some pretty crazy rolling (havoc in the dining rooms, for example).
Tyclone Not a matter of sea legs. I took a Christmas cruise when a storm moved off the continent and my middle and low cabin didn't shake enough to make me seasick, although my bottles in the bathroom fell over. :) Very few people were out of their rooms Christmas morning when it was still very unsettled. I attended a religious service with two other survivors and the minister and we agreed it was better to sit around a table than have him try to stand and talk to us in that situation. Something to write home about. :) (I did see the floor move for a few days after I got home when I was sitting down but no sickness there, either.) The only problem I had with a windowless cabin was claustrophobia but I imagined the tv with the view of outside was a window so I was fine.
We were in the back corner and could hear the engines, it was not as bad as being actually on the back where our friends could not only hear the engines but feel them. The lower decks are good like was said, if they aren't on the back or front of the ship.
we try to avoid the side wear folks smoke. Depending on wind you can sometimes get a whiff when outside on your balcony. We pick where there are cabins above and below us.
WOW, I'm stunned, some of what you've said, I'd thought of - cabins under the pool deck etc., I was also inclined the avoid cabins near stairs or a door between corridors - thanks
I've always had lower deck interior cabins near the stair wells. We are never in our cabin except to sleep, and by then we are so tired that we have never even noticed noise. But I can see where being by a nightclub could literally drive me insane.
We just cruised on a Princess cruise, and had a cabin with an obstructed view window. It was our first cruise, and was what we could afford. It was absolutely fine for us! The view was still great, and when we did scenic cruising days, we were up on deck mainly anyway.
Great advice. We are going on our 4th and 5th cruises, 2022,2023. Princess then HAL. Princess will be our first balcony, then on Holland America it will obstructed view our 2nd time with this type of cabin. I booked a cabin with a view between life boats. On new Amsterdam you get a full no opening window ( floor to ceiling) never an issue ,there was no tendering on Alaska intenery. Thanks for video.
You just eliminated about half of the cabins on the ship. Actually, on the more modern ships with central atriums your advice might eliminate even more than a half of all cabins. And you completely omitted one of the most important considerations for 50% of cruise vacationers -- sway. For people who tend to easily get sea sick, even minor tossing and rolling can turn their vacation into a prolonged torture. The best cabins with lowest sway are at the aft on lower decks, and they are often the cheapest. Ironically, the most expensive suites are always at the front on higher decks -- exactly where the sway is the strongest. The proximity of engine rooms never bothered me when I stayed in the cabins at the rear lower part of the ship, in fact I find the steady hum of the engines very relaxing as it really helps me fall asleep. And I can always satisfy my craving for all the views and other benefits of the higher decks in the countless public spaces which are only an elevator ride away from my cabin and accessible 24 hours a day.
Thanks for watching and I really appreciate you leaving such detailed feedback and tips based on your experiences. Good point on just how many cabins are excluded with those big long atrium walkways! Many people I know have regretted taking them. On many ships although my suggestions for these to avoid sound like excluding a lot, I think looking at deck plans that it only excludes about 10% to 20%. I need to do a video about the ones to seek based on type of people and what they like or don’t like (like your point in the him being a plus!). Thanks again for your great insights. Happy cruising 😀
Actually, on a ship without an atrium, not many rooms are eliminated. When we took our first cruise, our agent explained that the ship rocked like a pendulum. If you are high, you will feel the sway. If you are low, you will feel the sway. The same thing goes for the front and back. We now try to book mid ship and and the middle between top and bottom floors. Have you ever noticed that the casino is one of the smoothest rides? Yep. They want you comfortable when they take your money. 😂
Your travel agent got it wrong. Ask any sailor or marine engineer where side-to-side rocking is the lowest: it's always on the lowest decks, and the lower the better. The front-back rocking indeed works like a pendulum, but only at very low speeds or when the ship is stationary. Since the propulsion is pushing from the back, when the ship is moving it tends to get its rear end stabilized and the front end loosened further increaing its sway range, and the faster it goes the bigger the difference. You can sée it more clearly on speed boats: the rear barely jumps while the fore jumps like crazy on every wave. If you rode one on a choppy water you'd know exactly what I mean.
Here's one to beware of. On the Golden Princess (or one similar in design), the row of balcony cabins widest on the ship immediately above the lifeboats. If you're cruising somewhere very cold (like Alaska), the inner half of the cabin has a warm floor (because there's another cabin underneath) but the outer half of the cabin has a very very cold floor!!
5 years ago, the wife and I cruised to Alaska on the Holland America, Nordam. We were in a balcony cabin, midship side on the starboard side near the rear. Only thing we ever heard was the horn, but it was quite pleasing to hear. Even at night. What I do NOT understand, we were not at all close to the horn, and we could not hear it any place else unless we were out on the deck or in our room. Someone else said we were hearing the nearby resonating pipes that powered the horn that ran close to our vicinity. This poses even more questions. (????) I never asked a ship worker, because we had fun as our agenda, but now wish I had asked. We ate most meals on the Lido deck because we hated dressing up to eat in the dining room.
THANK YOU!! I swore I would never take a cruise again-I spent about 3 years of my life out to sea whilst in the Navy 😉 No, not the same, but as close the same nonetheless! Still had a huge anchor and engine room. So, I finally have decided to take a cruise-and we just want to RELAX. No offense to kids... We raised 4 boys & have a granddaughter with us 3 days each week & I LOVE IT! But so not on vacation. Sometimes the parents are worse, so thank you for that tip, as well. Lastly, I appreciate your comments on the Promenade and Entertainment sections. This is, by far, THE BEST ADVICE I have ever heard of about cruises, and even about vacations, period. Thank you for putting these ideas on RU-vid! ...and if you ever need a +one and/or a female perspective, you know where I am!! 😊 Take care~ Toni
You should have added stay away from elevator complexes, ( lifts, if you prefer ) as some produce beeps and other related noises as well as people 24/7 !
I remember being on the Oasis in an outside window cabin in the bow. The room was bigger due to the slope of the ship, i thought it was great with the large sloping panoramic windows. At 2pm in the morning, the staff opens their disco 2 decks below with an outdoor patio and all I hear was thump, thump, thump and clanging beer bottles and staff laughing till 4 in the morning. After we complained to security, their answer was what do you want us to do? Staff has to unwind somehow ....hmmmm.
Good advice! Looked for all these before our first cruise. I can imagine most people don’t think about any of this! We have traveled a lot over the years & do this for hotels as well! Thanks
linda lindsey how was your first cruise, i hope you chose a cruiseline that suits your taste, that is the most important thing. They are all different.
Great tips. Just a FYI on a cruise to Alaska I had a balcony room top floor above the engine. At first I was concerned because I could feel vibration from the engine. However once we hit open sea and the boat was rocking all over the place. We didn't get motion sickness. Unlike all the passengers up at the front of the ship who paid handsomely for their Suites. The hum of the engine helped put me to sleep. I also liked that I could get a clean photo. Unlike my other family members who were in rooms faceing the side of the ship. Had a great time. Thanks again for the tips.
Keep it simple - I usually get a cabin on the 1st or 2nd floor (towards the back/aft of the ship. The lower the deck, the less motion you’ll feel. I never had any noise issues on my 4 cruises. As for the vibrations...well, I didn’t notice any of that. You do hear the anchor and engines when you’re porting/debarking but it’s not an issue. Hell, you’ll hear that engine from ANY location on the boat. Just know that the higher up on the boat then the closer to the common areas and the more “sway” you’ll feel.
I have booked balcony cabins on 2 separate occasions looking into central park onboard Oasis Of The Seas, fantastic no noise and its just like looking into the park highly recommend it.
I am a travel agent, you really don't need to worry about connecting rooms. There are not very many on cruise ships. There are a lot more single rooms than rooms with a connecting door.
Had a room below the ships spa area on a Holland America cruise and it was very quiet. The spa closed down in the early evening and opened in the mid-morning. Never heard any noise from it......
Thanks for that tip. I have had a terrible experience being above the spa on MSC Preziosa but that was because it was where the classes were held and the pumping music would wake me up from the early morning classes. But the pure Spa area would be quiet and so that is a great point and thanks for sharing
What? I’ll in the Navy (14 years so far) and love being on a ship where I can shower without wearing flip flops, with hot water for however long I want, excellent food, no work, deciding where to go when, what to wear, staying clean, fun things to do... it’s FUN!
I had the front most cabin on the lowest guest deck. Just a circular porthole for a window that was often crested by waves. I loved it. Only one nearby room so it was quiet.
I would also add cabins below the kitchens or galleys. We spent 14 days on the Bliss under the galley and there was rolling carts, banging pans, dropping utensils from 5am until midnight.
I'm relieved that so far, I have managed to avoid all cabins on all ships. It's the idea of being locked up with thousands of people on a seascraper ferrying me between various industrial ports that has put me off, I suppose.
Great to hear my tips have helped. Where you off to and on which line? I hope you have a great time and get hooked on cruising! Let me know how you get on!
Norwegian Fjords, Fred Olsen on the Balmoral in August. We have friends who have travelled with Fred many times and we felt we would be more comfortable on a smaller ship. It has taken me 5 years to persuade my husband, who is not a good sailor, to do this trip. The fjords are high on my wishlist however. Any tips for avoiding seasickness?
The Fjords are amazing. Cruising in them will be very very smooth and so no seasick risk. At that time the seas to and from likely to be calm but if concerned I take the pills for first day or two and then the stress / worry is set aside. I was planning to do a video on the topic so will do with all my tips and post that next week or week after!!
What % of these cabins are "undesirable" according to your criteria? 50%? 80%? 33%? Because if even just 20% of these cabins are undesirable, then that means on a ship w/ 5,000 passengers, at least 1,000 people will unavoidably end up in an undesirable room.
Hello from the US! 🇺🇸 Love your videos! ❤️ Wife and I were gifted our first cruise and the cabin was right next to the night club. Yikes! There may have been a housekeeping storage closet between. I was unsure. Anyway we slept like babies. What a relief! We had some anxiety about the location, when looking at the deck plan, but were both happily surprised. We DID hear a fair amount of movement each morning from the housekeeping folks but that didn’t bother us.
Cabins near the engine put me to sleep, i love the low harmonic sound they produce, it's like a white noise generator. Tip 1. Always travel with ear plugs Tip 2. Relax man, You're on a cruise, go join the party!
we went on the cozumel key west cruise in 2016 highly recommend the sea turtle snorkle/ cavern snorkel. in cozumel that made our whole excursion.. we rented mopeds in key West and drove up the coast.. going to the Bahamas march 1st can't wait
Thanks ! I agree. I am a bit obsessed with unnecessary and intrusive noise and so try and follow these! Appreciate you watching and taking time to comment 😀
Our room had a medium window, FIRST room of a long hallway. NO noise! Quiet neighbors. Down the hallway was a loud college dorm!! Out our door was large open comfy seating for conversation, reading, extremely quiet; small bar. Older Adults!!!! Across a small piano bar glass enclosed, passengers singing old songs wasn’t disturbing. Promptly stopped at 10!! No annoyances!
Best bet is to have other cabins above, below, on both sides and across an enclosed corridor from your own if noise will be a concern. Preferably with an ocean-side deck.
