Coming back from an excursion, grabbing a burger and a drink and sitting out on the balcony overlooking the port prior to sailing off is the best feeling ever!
I agree. My first cruise we got an inside cabin. I ended up with full blown mono that first evening and was stuck in the room for 5 of the 7 days. I was too sick to go out anywhere. It was miserable. I would have paid 10x the amount of the inner cabin to have a balcony then. So, we always splurge for a balcony type room now on any cruise ship.
I take a cruise to relax and enjoy my space, specially a balcony. Many times I prefer to enjoy 1-2 cocktails while enjoying the view of the ocean without being pushed by other people or loud music.
I've been cruising for nearly 20 years now and I've been on 24 cruises (so far), ranging from short 3-4-night cruises to long 12-14-night cruises, and even one river cruise, and I can tell you that the cabin is the lowest on my list of priorities on a cruise. I've been in the smallest inside cabins with no window, in the a-bit-bigger outside cabins with a window, and even in a huge family room once, and I can tell you that personally I found no difference between them. I use the cabin for sleep, showering, and changing clothes. I cannot understand for the life of me why anyone would choose to stay secluded in a cabin (even if it's big or has a balcony and what not) when you could be out and about exploring the ship, listening to live music, watching a show, playing a game, dancing in the atrium, or simply talking a stroll on the open decks, breathing the sea air, and watching the endless sea. And this is an introvert speaking! When I'm at home, you can't make me go outside, but on a ship you can't make me stay inside the cabin's four walls.
I say “To each his own”… My 30yr anniversary is in October & I’ve literally been on 2 vacations w my hubby in all that time😬. He’s a workaholic, so when I suggested a cruise (w balcony ONLY) to Bermuda for 7 days, which we’ll be docked there for 3 full days & nights & he said ok i jumped at it. The balcony is a must for him & for us it’s very romantic & relaxing….coffee w breakfast out there TOGETHER, relaxing sunset w drinks & just overall being together w the beautiful ocean air does it for us! So like I previously stated - TO EACH HIS OWN!! Maybe you can TRY TO UNDERSTAND 😉
@@nicolewiltsey7793 a bermuda cruise is a good idea, docked in the same place. most cruises go from island to island, one short day at each, and they all start to look the same! (i lived in b. for a while; very proper and british and friendly, too.)
i agree. i've been on 4, in a tiny inside cabin. cabin is just for sleeping, showering, and changing. in AM, grabbed some throw-on clothes, took my in-room coffee, and headed out to sit by a big window. if money is no object, maybe a private balcony is nice, esp. if you are a couple, but not worth extra money to me.
That is why you have inside, ocean view, balcony and suites. Something for everyone. We have done them all but a suite which is a big waste of money for us. The inside cabin was for a transatlantic and price was too good to pass up! We were able to go on a connecting cruise to Norway with the money we saved booking the inside cabin. Some may find an inside cabin too claustrophobic but it was fine for us. Dark and quiet, perfect for sleeping. To each his own.
We spend a great deal of time on the balcony. Eating, drinking, enjoying the view of the sea, taking a nap, reading quietly, chatting, etc. Once I had my first balcony, I would never go back to a regular room. Even if your spouse is not sleeping well (or snoring, lol), you can even sleep out there - at least for a bit.
@@karenm2334 Or have a 2 year old with teething pain ... Yikes! Screaming all day and all night! Of course, those walls are so thin, it probably would have been a problem with any other sort of stateroom as well.
Seconded! We always make great use of the balcony. It's great to step out each morning and enjoy the fresh air. Port days one of us will go and get coffee so we can sit and watch the docking in the mornings. On sea days we relax post breakfast and enjoy coffee and the sound of the sea. Afternoons I take a nap and the wife sits out on the balcony reading. Plus most nights we'll grab a nightcap from one of the bars and sit out on the balcony late into the night.
Yeah, for years I couldn’t justify the extra cost, after all we’re not going to be in our room. And that was 100% correct, we spent very little time in our interior rooms, but once we decided to try a balcony, extended rear facing balcony to be more exact, we spent most of the cruise on our balcony, it was like a private vacation most of the time.
I love a balcony, it expands personal space. Even for couples, when a woman’s getting ready stay out of her way! The balconys a perfect place to hang out and watch the scenery go by. Also, certain cruises like sailing in and out of Stockholm, Sweden require going through magnificent archipelago’s providing incredible views out your balcony door.
Just how many partners have to get out of a women's way or are you speaking for yourself, lol! Oh, Queenfan's out on his balcony...his wife must be getting ready, haha! Just kidding of course. What beautiful views...one off your balcony and the vision before you when your wife's ready. 💓🛳💓
@@w0mblemania It's a compliment to a husband when their wife devotes her time to wanting to look as lovely as they feel about the man in their company for the occasion. Men don't have hair & nails & makeup & the clothes & jewelry & shoes & accessories that all takes time to put together. They get the balcony all to themselves w/their easy-breezy cocktails.💃🕺
We loved our large balcony! Wouldn't want to be without one. We ate room service breakfast at our table with 4 chairs every morning. We often relaxed & napped on the 2 large lounge chairs with coffee table. And enjoyed evening snacks/dinner/drinks on our balcony as well. It was absolutely amazing! ❤ NCL PoA Suite 12012❤
Balcony is the way to go. I spent time reading out there, sipping on a cool Drink and just having some heart filled conversations with my husband. It was a calming respite from the hubbub of the ship and made the small cabin feel less claustrophobic
On many cruise ships the air conditioning turns off when you leave the room. Also, your devices will not charge when you are not in the room. I always bring an old seapass card (or equivalent) to leave in the slot so my cabin is comfortable and my devices are charged when I return.
Royal Caribbean will swap out the cooler for a refrigerator IF you need to keep medications cold, especially diabetics on insulin make sure you tell your travel agent when booking.
One thing I did for my cruise last year was bring a small wooden sign that my parents gave me that reads "Alaska is calling, I must go". It's hung by a rattan rope. I wasn't sure if I would find a place for it. Not only did it just slip over the shelf rod over my desk, but it surprisingly made the room a bit homier. Another tip: bring motion-sickness medicine or an acupressure wristband. And ginger ale will be your friend on the bumpier days. Oh, and the cruise happened to coincide with a meteor shower. In some ways I wished the activity schedule included it, but realistically I was glad it wasn't mentioned, as it turned out the best place to view the sky was from a really small area on the top-most deck near the bow of the ship, where only one ship's light was an issue with light pollution. If you're going on a cruise that coincides with a sky show, wear a coat & long pants, and bring a couple of large towels: one to lay on and the other as a pillow.
The very real issue we had was that our commode suddenly wouldn't flush. We called and were serviced very quickly The problem is usually someone before you in the drain system has flushed something the clogged the drain. If you se a door outside of your cabin in the hallway, that's where the ships plumbers can access the line to clear a drain. I knew there had to be something like this, but had no idea where it was. Also, if you use a CPAP, the ship will provide you with distilled water.
SOME ships will supply distilled water for CPAP. We are signed up to take a 32 day cruise next year - distinctly states that we will need to bring our own distilled water for both our CPAP machines. Didn't read that until after we paid our deposit. We will need to carry on a LOT of distilled water for that long of a cruise. :(
It is even possible to have your cabin stewards swap mattresses between foam and spring. Let them know in the morning and your mattress will be swapped by night time.
What I wish I knew before my first cruise was that I needed to put a room card in the slot by the door to turn the lights on. The second thing I wish I knew is that a grocery store discount card works just as well.
I've tried a balcony cabin, I've tried and internal cabin..I've even had a cabin with a view..the balcony only really got stepped out onto within the first few minutes of being in the cabin, otherwise, not really used..I probably made more use of the cabin with a view cause I was able to actually sit in the window sill and just chill..but honestly, I'd rather go an internal cabin because you really don't spend all that much time in it during the day..
We had a room with a view for our first cruise, then an inside stateroom for the second one. For the third cruise, we "splurged" on a balcony, and my husband never wanted an inside cabin again. (It was his idea to have an inside cabin the one time that we got one.) I love the balcony, and our the last night of our last cruise, there was a spectacular lightening storm and we sat outside and watched it for hours. I just have an issue when people smoke on the balconies next to mine, and we get all the smoke.
On the only cruise I had, I had a room on the lowest level for tourists. When the waves were high and people were getting sick, my room hardly moved. I was at the low point of the fulcrum.
On the Welcome to Jamrock cruise that I went on last year, I was on the lowest guest level. As a person who suffers from sea sickness I was very surprised that I didn't really feel the ship moving as much as I did on previous cruises where I was on upper floors. 😊
Interesting and informative video. I knew there were two twin sized beds put together to make a queen sized bed, but didn't know they were zipped together! Very interesting.🙂 I'll be in a balcony room next year and am looking forward to it!
@@lilliansanders520There’s a trick to removing the heavy duty magnets, you need to slide them to edge of wall panel and pull down & away to break magnetic seal.
We will be cruising in a Family Harbor Suite on the next cruise. It has a bathroom and separate wash room so 2 people can bathe at the same time. This will get us up to breakfast quicker.
We've been on 10 cruises, and it's funny how we are surprised how small the cabins are each time! We quickly adjust, but I noticed the last few cruises how much room is taken up with water and other junk they want to sell. I don't care for cluttered counters and had no intention of spending extravagant amounts of money on water, alcoholic beverages or nuts. The bottles they left out on our counters were unsightly, but then used up precious storage space when I put them out of sight.
For the power outlets, the ships with older plugs only, almost always have both US and EU outlets. I have mostly US stuff, but I bought a couple of EU adapters that have USB ports, and that increases the number of plugs...
Along the same line, the Holland America Eurodam (that I was on last summer) had their hairdryers using EU plug, and the only place to find that outlet was at the desk, not in the bathroom (but the bathroom had a single US 3-prong outlet). Bring a reverse-US/EU adapter as well in case you find this out on your ship.
The AC in the cabin is actually a chilled water or hot water lines that feed the fan unit, Thereby, main engineering monitors its chilled water out and return line temperatures to regulate the temperature throughout the ship, thus, users of each fan unit will bleed the chill water temperature off the lines to help cool there cabin and hot water just the same. Engineering can tell what the demand is for the ship and adjust accordingly/
The television viewing is best on Norwegian and Princess cruise lines. A/C is not good on older ships so I bring my own fan except for on Norwegian. Fans were not allowed. I always crank the air down as low as possible b/c I need cool air to sleep. I don’t get a balcony room unless I am going on a long journey 14 days or more. I always bring to and eat food in my room. While on the cruise, my room is my little sanctuary.😊
It’s 04/21/2024 and I just got off Wonder OTS at 830 this morning. Balcony cabin 7534 Starboard, loved the ship, but let me tell you about the a/c. Nice and cold when we went to bed usually around 11-12am by 2 or 3..sweat factor 100😢 I don’t know why the A/C would shut off! Not just once but every damn night! We enjoyed the cruise but trying to sleep in a room with no a/c was not fun!
It’s on every cruise that I have been on after the pandemic..The rooms are super cold during the day and at night it’s hot .. there is nothing wrong with the a/c. It’s them putting it up to save..my friends experience the same thing.
My friend and I are going on our first cruise i about a year. We're getting a balcony because we don't like crowds, so we'll probably spend a lot of time on our balcony.
Ok, listen, don't let anyone scare you. I'm an introvert and I don't like crowds at all and I'm not that big of a fan of people in general, but I've been on 24 cruises, a few of them on ships with over 6000 passengers and around 1000 crew members, and let me tell you that the ships are so big that you never feel the crowds, except maybe if you go to the pool area when the ship arrives at a port (usually, there's a "welcome party" on the itinerary, so just avoid that).
It's nice to keep up with some news, though, and my Holland America ship last year didn't have a robust-enough WIFI for me to stream stuff on my phone (heck, I couldn't do much on my laptop other than deal with email).
It usually takes the wife a few days, maybe a week to figure out the buttons by the bed. On our last cruise, a much older Holland America to Antartica, the a/c was stuck on. After a few days 4 or 5? The maintenance crew Blocked off the a/c vent.
Next time, take big sticky notes with you, write down what each button does, and stick the note on the button or above it. That way she'll know which button does what.
Various energy conservation mechanisms are used to control the HVAC system in cruise ship cabins, that vary based on the cruise line and ship's age or class. Probably all balcony doors and many cabin doors will have a sensor that turns off the HVAC when opened. They may also use motion sensors to turn off the HVAC when the cabin isn't occupied or key cards to determine if you're coming or going when the for opens. Key cards can easily get confused, like if you open and close the cabin door and don't leave. Princess may turn off the HVAC when no medallions are present in the cabin. Your steward should know what lockouts are used for your particular cabin.
Every cabin I've been, interior, balcony, suite are freezing period. My girls turn it to low temp, I have to touch them with my freezing hand so they turn it to warmth!! 😂 I cruise balcony on longer cruises with lots of sea days, otherwise, I'm not in there. 😊 Edit: I have that same neon 🌴 light! 👊🏾
R/E drink chiller … on Discovery Princess my drinks were nice and cold rather than just chilled. I had been told not to expect much in the way of “chilling” but was pleasantly surprised. R/E balcony … I loved it for views and fresh air but I rarely went out there ‘cuz A) I’m terrified of heights and B) I was afraid I might drop my phone! (😂)
I'm a new subscriber today & this video has been informative! Something to think about when I take my first cruise in the future! Thanks for sharing & take care!😊
My guess is the "AC control" is a polling system. If there is a group of cabins which all seem to the too hot or too cold for the occupants, the AC for that section of the ship will be adjusted.
I wish they change filters , ours was so dirty ,dusty disgusting. After seeing the photo , they took it out and cleaned it . Too late for us ,home with Covid ….
Thank you for the information. I watch your videos regularly and decided to subscribe because I enjoy your content. Here's something else to know about your cruise cabin. In July 2023, we cruised on Carnival Dream. I'm allergic to feathers and dust mites. Well, I woke up the first night with a white powdery substance covering my dark colored pajamas. I changed my pjs and wiped my pillow and sheets down with spray alcohol. I began to get sick with a horrible cough and temperature. I kept feeling the comforter for quills and finally realized it had feathers. The cabin steward removed the comforter. I ended up having to get allergy shots twice a week in both arms, taking allergy and asthma medicine because I've been coughing practically non-stop since the cruise, even to the point of gagging. It's June 2024, and I just stopped coughing continually. I wish I'd taken my pjs and had them examined to find out what the white powdery residue was. It was odorless. Perhaps it was just disintegrated rotten feathers. ANY SUGGESTIONS. Hard to relax under those conditions. My sanctuary wasn't the cabin because I dreaded going to the cabin. NEW SUBSCRIBER HERE.
We love to cruise, but have found that we can cruise 2 or 3 times if we “sleep with the fish,” booking an inside cabin, rather than insisting on a balcony or even a sea view.
Just went on a cruise. There was only ONE outlet in the cabin and that was on the desk past the end of the bed. Luckily I always travel with an extension cord for my CPAP device.
We actually have a power system. Extension cord, power strip and multi plug USB strip. We also have our International power adapters that have both US outlet and two USB plugs. All these things have there own bag that they live in.
NCL Holland America Princess have 100s of new release movies, old movies, music channels and exercise channels. I've been on 14 ships- all the refrigerators have gotten my liquids cold. If the unit is enclosed in a cabinet either add a towel to the cabinet door to keep it from shutting or add a large binder clip to the door to keep cabinet open. Within a few hours your contents will be cold.
In most cases these rooms are very small. Some so small you have to go outside to change your mind. Choose the exterior or rooms with balconies if you can afford the extra cost. To me, what is disgusting on a cruise, or vacation is seeing people obsessed with their cell phones. Why book a cruise or vacation if you are looking at nothing but your phone ??? get off your ass, look at the views, tour a Museum, visit restaurants and leave the cell phone at home.
The only way that I would cruise would be on a cargo ship. Limited passengers are usually about 12. The accommodations are comfortable, and the food is excellent.
That may be true about the closet space but not in an ADA cabin. There are only a narrow closet on either side of the bed with maybe a 2 foot space for hanging things such as dresses.
Try getting in and out of the cabin when you have to use a scooter and you’re on your own..!!!! Need a buzzer option that will open the door and let you get in and out . remember you can’t just put it in the hallway..fire hazard..
We just got off a transatlantic cruise where we were assigned a handicapped room that wasn’t being used. FANTASTIC… so big and roomy with a mega bathroom.
Please, as a severely disabled person the term 'handicapped' must be confined to the golf course. Purely in the interests of being aware and kind. I hope you enjoyed your cruise & destinations. We always cruise the Med with many beautiful ports to visit you are spoiled for choice. Regards from Glasgow.
@@SusanHenderson-dx8li The cruise line called it a handicapped room… that’s the designation and no matter what word you use, it’s sole purpose is to make cruise life easier for the wheelchair bound.
@@judylav5 I respectfully pointed it out to you as a wheelchair user and frequent cruiser. Cruise lines need to move with the times in relation to their disabled customers. Some people who are able bodied do not appreciate how mentally destructive that term can be. I respectfully ask for you not to argue the point further.
@@Cruzelycomoh cool!! Where’s some good places to eat? I’ll be there June 6-7 before boarding on the 8th. My aunt lives in Conroe so it’s not too far.
Great video, especially for new cruisers. I'll send a link to some new cruisers coming with me in September. Of note, a couple of weeks ago I was on the Firenze, the refrigerator actually did make and keep my drinks very cold. It's the first time i've experienced that!!
My friends and I encountered bed bugs on several different cruise lines. We had to throw some of our clothes away because of it. Ask for new pillows when you get the chance because our pillows smelled like B O !!!
You know that you can wash clothing, right? Seriously though, when we take our cruise in the future I hope we don't run into this problem as I have a serious reaction to bed bug bites.
@@tpiety That is odd. I have used them since learning of the walls metal composition. They have worked on Royal, NCL, Celebrity, Carnival. Did not try on HAL or Princess. Great for notes to each other, for all the things they leave in the cabin that are actually worth keeping and attending, and notes about towels or ice.
i've taken 4 cruises but on the same ship. Do any other ships provide some sort of nightlight to find your way to and in the bathroom? i tried to bring one, but the outlets did not work out. Don't want to be BLINDED by light just to make a quick pit stop in the middle of the night!
I've been on several different ships. No nightlight, sometimes there are bedside lamps, though, but you do need to be able to find the switch in total darkness, so here's a trick. Well, two actually: 1. Turn on the TV and find the channel that shows what the ship's outside cameras are filming. It gives off just enough light to not bump your toe on the bed corner, but doesn't blind you. 2. Leave the light on in the bathroom and shut the door. There is a crack between the floor and the door that gives you just enough light to see where you're going.
@@ellieosh1985 yes, i have turned on the tv and put a towel over it. but leaving the light on in the bathroom still means you have a blinding bright light when you go in there! i ended up getting some small battery candles to put in there -- just enough to see what you needed, without waking you up too much!
@UC3tX2T8Q9i82f2svmRQ56vQ Any insights, news, reviews, etc. would be great. Mostly I like how you present the info - no drama, no crazy antics, no misleading headlines, just well presented and valuable information with a little humor mixed in.
Just like in most hotel rooms those switches will light up different lights from right next to your be, maybe not in the United States but I've experienced this abroad.
Planning on going on NCL Getaway next summer. Have sailed 4 times (all with Norwegian), but only with a balcony. We're strongly considering an inside cabin next to save some money. Can anyone give their opinion on the bedding situation for this ship? Does there seem to be more space with the beds separated or together? Thanks!
All interesting...I have never gone on a cruise, and never will. But for some reason I watched this video. lol I cannot imagine anyone wanting to be in a cabin with no balcony, whether it is used or not. An internal cabin would be awful I think....but again, I would never go on a cruise.
I've been in over 20 inside cabins. There's nothing awful about it. Here's what you do in a cabin: Wake up, brush teeth, get dressed - *30 min. tops (I'm an experienced cruiser, so I can do it in 20). If it's port day, you come back to the cabin to change (if you need to) for a day in the city and get your bag and what not - another *30 min. tops. (If it's a sea day and you don't get off the ship that day, then there's no need to return to your cabin until you need to get ready for dinner.) When you get back from the city, you shower and change for dinner - let's say about *45 min. (because you're tired and stinky from walking around all day and you want to look nice for an evening on a ship; well, at least I do). Then, when you're ready to go to sleep, you return to your cabin, brush your teeth, change into your pjs - *20 mim. or so, and go to sleep. Sleeping doesn't count as "spending time" in the cabin because you are, well, asleep. So, that's just a little over 2 hours spent in the cabin, so spend as little money as possible on that.
@@ellieosh1985 I spend an hour or so just winding down to go to sleep so yes, I'm going to be spending more time in my cabin for that and other reasons I won't go into. And that's totally fine. There's no right way to do it aside from making sure you don't hurt anyone or yourself.
#15. **bring flashlight/ many batteries**. FOR Emergency! NO power😔📲power! stranded at sea, 5 days! 2010 carnival splendor. Fire 🚒 on 🚢! Safe, refunds, NO power!!😮😢
Yeah but doesn't this also mean that there might be a lot of itchiness about the beds how well do they clean them I mean you could have bed bugs on the mattresses and how well do they clean them, among other things.
Question about the bed... in Australia most hotels now have king beds however some call a king a queen, which I believe a king is called in some countries- my question is cruise ships call the bed queen size, yet it's two singles which is closer to a king, I think?? Are you confused yet?! I've not been a cruise this century & going soonish. Thanks