Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Choose the ideal cabin for your cruise

Picking the ideal cruise cabin can be a tough decision. If you are a first time cruiser, it can be even more difficult depending on what advice you get.  Cabin location and type also affect the price you pay to cruise. Thus, one big consideration on picking a cabin is what creature comforts do you want and expect when you cruise? Also, how important is location within the ship to you?

Do you want to be out on the deck all of the cruise or in other venues where you only sleep in the cabin? If that is the case you may not be as keyed in on cabin location as much as price, whereas someone who wants to relax in the cabin and enjoy use of their balcony will likely be more focused on where that cabin is located. Cabin location can also be important for those who prefer to sleep into the day and stay up all night as locations under active areas of the ship could be loud.

If you want to be close to the action choose a cabin on an upper deck so you are close to all of the outdoor activities. Most indoor activities around various ships are spread out more than the concentration of outdoor activities.  The Theater is one big draw inside ships and usually is active with things going on during the evening and nighttime ours. Of course different ships have different amenities so for instance on the RCCL Oasis of the Seas, locations on aft deck six are ideal for getting close to many activities as are the upper decks.

If you like to walk a bit every day, for exercise consider a cabin at the ends of the ship instead of around the elevators. Conversely, those who are a bit more mobility impaired may want to consider a cabin near an elevator for easier access around the ship.  These are my ideal picks of course depending on when you book these ideal location may not be available. Further, some may want to exercise and still be near an elevator while others with mobility assist devices will want to be away from the elevator.  Ultimately cabin location ends up a personal choice if you book far enough in advance of what is left when you book close to departure time.

When I help clients pick a cabin for their cruise, it’s important to know what they like to do when cruising, if there are mobility issues, if they want to spend lots of time in the cabin or just go there to sleep and shower. I have to look at all of these aspects together to make recommendations of what cabin category and then what cabin specifically will work best for them. It’s all about having an enjoyable cruise experience.

For those who prefer to eat all of their meals in the cabin a larger suits tends to be a good choice as in smaller cabins you’d be eating from the bed or on the very small coffee table which is about at the same level as you are sitting.  Eating in the cabin is a nice way to really relax, enjoying the cruise but not the crowd.

Personally I like the fresh air and natural sunlight to be available at all times, at least during the daylight hours. To that end I prefer a balcony cabin if it is just two of us and if there are additional family members then I prefer a larger cabin just to have the extra space. What do you like about cruising? What kind of experience do you want out of the cruise, active, relaxing, privacy?  It is all part of what you need to think about as you decide what kind of cabin is best for you.  No simple answer to the equation it takes a good experienced agent who has a lot of cruise experience to best help pick the ideal cabins.  

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