Question regarding staterooms About This Page:

[ffw]

First post, hi y'all! My husband and I were planning on taking a Disney Cruise (Western AND Eastern ) March of 2009; I just can't decide which kind of rooms to book, which leads me to the reason for this post: for those of you that have booked both rooms with verandahs, as well as rooms without views of any kind, how did it affect you? I'm not claustrophobic, but am not sure as to whether or not I'd be missing something so amazing, that it would have been worth the extra money (inside stateroom vs. verandah stateroom).

With everything to do onboard, we probably won't be in our rooms much, but am not sure if, when it's time for bed, the walls will feel like they are closing in . I would appreciate personal thoughts and opinions. TIA!

[emtpej]

Hi and welcome!

We are going on our first cruise in a couple of weeks, so I don't have any experience. Like you said, there is so much to do onboard, you might not notice if you have a verandah or not! I understand that many people like having a verandah more on the longer cruises, though.

Enjoy your planning! We booked a year ahead and have had lots of time to plan!

[OffKilter_Lynn]

It's not so much a claustrophic feeling that bothered me, it was the lack of natural light in an inside stateroom. I didn't know if it was night or day or what the weather was like - you had to turn the TV onto the bridge channel to see outside. For some, that's not a problem but I didn't care for it. It threw my body clock off to not have gradual daylight in the morning. You go from total darkness to bright light's-on wake up. At my age, I need to waken slooowly so I'm not cranky!

Now, we always have at least a port hole so I know if it's morning or night! Actually, I'm further spoiled by only sailing with a verandah but that's a whole other issue! There are several staterooms that a categorized at an inside price but have an obstructed view port hole so you'll still get daylight.

7-night cruises are definitely worth the splurge for a verandah. I've spent many a morning sitting out there watching the sun rise; afternoons reading a book and nights watching the moon race us across the ocean. Even in port, it gives you a great place to hang out and watch the pier-side activities while you get ready to disembark.

With whatever category you choose, you'll have a great time! And welcome to the boards!

[jenpink]

On our first Disney Cruise we had an inside stateroom and loved it. We were rarely in the stateroom except to sleep or nap so we didn't need the view. On the other hand I went on an Alaskan cruise and had a porthole and wouldn't have it any other way. To me the scenery was much nicer on that cruise and was a highlight. If views of the Carribbean are important to you and you plan to spend a lot of time in the stateroom then do the verandah or porthole. Otherwise save the money for excursions or souvenirs

[kewbrickny]

On our cruise in April we had a Navigators Verandah and loved it. You had fresh air when you wanted, the semi openess protected from the wind and we loved the location (we were on deck 6). I would (and have) booked the exact same rooms again! Enjoy!

[awrightsel]

I have cruised with both and I say save the money and get an inside stateroom. We are cruising again in 2008 and are doing the inside room. I want lots of shopping, excursion and spa money! Plus with the money I saved I did not mind paying a little extra to get 2 rooms so I could have alone time with the hubby!

[Dave Marx]

Welcome!

I've done a 14-day cruise in an inside room and survived quite nicely. It's definitely a help on the budget. I wouldn't have been heartbroken to get an upgrade to a porthole room - a little daylight goes a long way (and you tend to sleep in less). Verandahs in my book are very nice luxuries.

Ultimately, if the budget said, "7 nights with a verandah vs. 14 night inside..." I'd go with the 14 nights. When cost is less of an object... I'll compromise with an outside porthole. Cost is no object? Why stop at a verandah, when you can get a suite?

[ffw]

Thank you all very much for your information, it's appreciated!

[IdahoDisneyMom]

Something you might want to look into is what we're going to try out on our first cruise next year. There are 6 rooms on deck 5 that used to be cat 9, but got bumped up to cat 10 b/c they have slightly obstructed views. We snagged room 5020 for our trip. We're paying the inside stateroom cost, but getting a porthole. Check out www.casytawayclub.com for pics!

[jenifermg0]

Originally Posted by jenpink

On the other hand I went on an Alaskan cruise and had a porthole and wouldn't have it any other way. To me the scenery was much nicer on that cruise and was a highlight.

Thanks for the compliment!! Even living in Alaska for most of my life I think the scenery is something else too!!

[Earkid]

This is why I like having a veranda.


Being able to see the ocean and smell the air even if I wake up at 3 in the morning is priceless to me.

But, to each his own.

[jenifermg0]

Originally Posted by Earkid

This is why I like having a veranda.


Being able to see the ocean and smell the air even if I wake up at 3 in the morning is priceless to me.

But, to each his own.

Okay, I know I didn't start this thread, but you've convinced me and my DH!!!!!

[tdandboys]

Welcome, I can't help. Haven't gotten to go yet. But have fun planning.

[chezp]

We went for an inside stateroom on the Med cruise, so we'd have more money for all the wonderful shore excursions and I didn't regret that decision once. : I was pleasantly surprised by how big I found the inside staterooms to be and I didn't miss the natural light at all.

[Disneybine]

During our 4-night cruise this past April, we got to experience both a stateroom with a verandah and an outside stateroom with a porthole. We had to spend the first night in the latter because they had to fix something in our original stateroom (the one with a verandah). The stateroom with the porthole was very nice and spacious, and the view out the porthole was gorgious (it was one huge porthole!). However, nothing beats having a verandah! Whenever the public decks got crowded, we'd head back to our stateroom and enjoy the Caribbean sun on our own private verandah. That was soooooo calm and made all the difference to us on that cruise. We don't have kids yet - I guess with kids we would spend more time by the pools. We're not big on all those activities offered during the day. On a Disney cruise, it's all about relaxation for us as we combine it with a WDW stay (which is the more active part of our vacation). So it makes sense for us to spend the extra money and get a verandah.

Another very important reason for us to get a stateroom with verandah is that I get seasick if there's rough weather. And of course we hit a cold front with LOTS of wind during our cruise (Even the crew said they're not used to such rough sea conditions). So when the ship started rocking too much (mostly in the evening), I'd step out onto our verandah, look out onto the ocean, smell a fresh sea breeze, and feel much much better instantly.

I think what stateroom to book depends on your personal preferences. A lot of people (as stated above) prefer to spend the money they save by booking an inside stateroom on spa treatments or excursion. Others state that they don't spend much time in the stateroom anyways. For DH and I, it's worth spending some extra money on a stateroom with verandah simply because we spend a lot of time there. We both feel that it gives us better value for our vacation money than spa treatments or expensive excursions would. Like I said, it all depends on your preferences.

Lastly, let me say that if we don't have the extra cash to spring for a verandah for a future cruise, we'd definitely rather book a porthole room than not go on the cruise at all. Inside staterooms, however, are not for us as I really like natural daylight. Then again, if that's not important to you and/or you know you won't spend much time in your room anyways, inside staterooms are an excellent way to save money!

I hope this made sense. Bottom line, my advice is to set your priorities and decide on a stateroom based on that. Since you'll do both the Western AND the Eastern Caribbean cruise next March, why don't you opt for an inside stateroom for the first cruise and then one with a verandah for the second? You'll have something special to look forward to, then.

Good luck! Let us know what you decide on!