Cabin Size

Old Jul 7th, 2001, 03:30 PM
  #1  
linda fromNJ
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Cabin Size

We are traveling on the Grand Princess and have Cabin C250. This is supposed to be standard with a large balcony. Has anyone stayed in this cabin on on the caribe deck. I could transfer to a min suite. Please asvice.
 
Old Jul 7th, 2001, 08:08 PM
  #2  
Paul Therault
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Hi Linda,

Your stateroom is 214 sq. ft. incl.the balcony. Measure it out in your house and put in a small bathroom.

If you go with a mini-suite (two lowest categories) you will have 323 sq. ft. incl. the balcony. I measured the balconies in the mini-suites and it was 63 sq. ft. the cabins are very long and skinny.

The AD staterooms are the only ones that have a roof over the balcony. No one can look down on you but you will miss the sun (tanning) for most of the day.

Your choice.

Paul
 
Old Jul 12th, 2001, 05:51 PM
  #3  
lindafromNJ
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Paul we are staying on the Caribe Deck and have been told the stateroom is 367 suare feet and that the balcony is67 square feet. Also told the deck is twice the size on the Caribe Deck.??
 
Old Jul 13th, 2001, 06:26 AM
  #4  
elaine
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Linda,

We sailed Grand Princess March '01, staying in BA cabin - Caribe deck.
Here are the exact dimensions of this cabin and baloncy:
Caribe deck cabins BA, BB, BC:
Balcony size: 9 ft. x 10 ft.
Interior cabin size: 176 sq. ft.
--------
Mini Suites (Dolphin Deck):
Balcony size: 8 ft. x 7 ft.
Interior cabin size: 267 sq. ft.

While Emerald deck 'mini suite' has 'overhang' (i.e., partial covering over balcony), my preference would be Dolphin deck mini suite. We are booked on Golden Princess and opted for mini suite. While Caribe deck cabin was fine; I prefer having a place to sit and relax in a cabin, other than sitting on bed or just a chair. If there is not a great difference in price, I'd opt for mini-suite. This is my subjective opinion!
Enjoy your cruise!!!
 
Old Jul 13th, 2001, 05:18 PM
  #5  
lindafromNJ
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Elaine thanks for the measurements. Is 176 sq ft very small. Did you feel claustrophobic in the cabin. Is thhere room to walk around?? Are the balconys private on the Caribe Deck? How about the Dolphin? Did you like the Grand and where did you sail? We are going to the Western Caribbean
 
Old Jul 13th, 2001, 06:13 PM
  #6  
elaine
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Linda,

On Grand Princess we sailed the Eastern Caribbean. In response to your questions: prior to sailing Grand Princess, our previous cruises had larger interior cabin space. I knew the cabin dimensions prior to sailng and I was not surprised with the size of our cabin. (Note: we sailed Windsurf in '99 and think the 188 sq. ft. cabin the best designed cabin we've ever had). Price for our Caribe deck cabin was inexpensive; our sailing was sold out - no upgrades available via luck or by paying an additional fee. Our Grand cabin was nice - lots of storage; but I did feel a bit 'claustrophic'. Other than the bed, there is one chair next to vanity. My husband is 6'2" and we both felt the bathroom a bit tiny. My husband did like our cabin and would stay on Caribe deck in the future.
We met folks who stayed in a mini-suite and they were kind enough to give us a tour of their cabin. I liked their layout much better. Compared to their mini-suite our cabin seemed more like a hotel room. The mini-suite balcony is a bit smaller than Caribe deck and also does not have 'overhang' which some folks may enjoy.
My husband feels Caribe deck balcony has 'comfortable' amount of privacy.
Folks one deck above us could look down and we would be visible. The same visibility is true on Dolphin Deck. Mini suite balcony does not have any 'overhang'; the balcony is 'exposed' from decks above. Most folks we saw on Dolphin Deck (from Caribe deck) didn't seem to mind; they would have breakfast on balcony in their robes.
Knowing folks who cruise frequently, some would say be glad to even have a balcony cabin! Others claim they are never in their cabin; size does not matter.
Measure a room at your home and determine if 176 sq. ft. would suit you. Hard to make recommendation; as I mentioned, cabin selection if very subjective.
So wish Princess would have an option other than Caribe deck or Dolphin mini suite. You can only decide if a larger balcony or larger interior is best for you.
As for enjoying Grand Princess, we had a wonderful cruise (since we booked Golden while onboard the Grand). The ship is very large; we liked the ample sundecks and lounge chairs. Food was good and we enjoyed Personal Choice Dining option. I think one can be as social or private on any large ship.
This was our first Princess cruise; we thought staff very attentive. I cannot address shows or casino; we did neither.
I'm sure other posters have a variety of opinions. They may give you good suggestions.
Hope any of this is helpful in your decision.
Whatever cabin to stay, you'll have a wonderful cruise!
 
Old Jul 13th, 2001, 06:16 PM
  #7  
Toto
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Linda: If you are looking for space and room to spread out, I would definitely recommend the mini suites on the Grand. We had one back in '98 and it was wonderful. Long and skinny cabins, but very comfortable with room to move around without bumping into each other. IMHO-If you can manage it, it is the best way to cruise on the Grand.
Toto
 
Old Jul 17th, 2001, 07:26 AM
  #8  
Lydia
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Hi Linda,
I'm reading all these posts about the size of cabins. Does it really make that big of a difference to you?
We've taken 17 cruises and never spent much time in our cabin--only to sleep and get ready for the evening.
We find that there are too many activities aboard ship to stay in the cabin for very long. We were always up and around. Our last cruise was New Year's Eve and that's the only time that we had a balcony. It was nice but didn't spend much time on that either.
If the size of the cabin and a balcony are your main concerns why are you taking a cruise? you may as well stay at home and make reservations at some nice hotel.
 
Old Jul 17th, 2001, 08:24 AM
  #9  
Oaktown Traveler
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GASP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lydia, that was SO rude! If your cruise cabin is so un-important to YOU why don't YOU stay home and book nothing. Sounds to me like HOME is best for your with your attitude.

It IS my business because I travel and I cruise and I post on these sites.
No one should be "treated" badly for what they want in travel. My above suggestion to you was 50% tongue-in-cheek.

Lydia, Travel and travel plan nicely!

Oaktown

p.s. Linda go to www.cruisecritic.com where you will find thousands of VERY supportive threads and discussions on your exact same question and LOTS more in cruising!

Have an incredible time planning and asking questions!
 
Old Jul 17th, 2001, 08:30 AM
  #10  
Oaktown Traveler
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Again,

This should be a safe place to ask questions and state opinions and maybe I was a bit abrasive myself so I do apologize to posters and readers.

Ok, now close your eyes...
ONE MORE FOR LYDIA:

Maybe if you stayed in your cabin you would come to learn that: "SIZE" DOES MATTER! (wink)

My Best
Oaktown
 
Old Jul 17th, 2001, 05:00 PM
  #11  
lindafromNJ
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Dear Lydia and Oaktown Traveler:
Got your last comment. On a serious note this is our first cruise and I save all year working hard to go on vacation. SIZE IS IMPORTANT. I may not be in the room alot but I know I will have coffee on my balcony and will watch the ocean on it and I am on the cruise to relax. I know the cabins on a boat are much smaller than a hotel. I am just trying to decide between Caribe Deck Stateroom and Mini Suite and I am looking to others who have been on the cruise. I guess people who have cruised 17 times have no use for us new cruisers!! I want to be comfortable and not claustraphobic.
 
Old Jul 18th, 2001, 04:51 AM
  #12  
elaine
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Linda,

I just noticed you may live in NJ. Since you mentioned this is your first cruise, you may want to consider booking your own air.
Having cruised many, many times, I cannot imagine any response that would not address an original question/concern that was posted. When sailing a new cruisline or ship we always have questions.
Hope you find this forum helpful; there are some very kind/informative folks who post here.
 
Old Jul 18th, 2001, 06:36 AM
  #13  
Dee
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Hi Linda.

I'm taking my second cruise in January and was in an inside cabin my first cruise. I've booked an outside with balcony for the second and can hardly wait! I'm really looking forward to breakfast on the balcony and knowing when the sun comes up. It probably won't be that much bigger, but a little extra room will make the time in the cabin that much nicer. I'm not an experienced cruiser yet, but am definitely getting a sense of what will and won't make me happy on my next cruise. I guess the experience is different for everyone, and some of the fun is planning what will make your cruise enjoyable for you.
 
Old Jul 18th, 2001, 07:11 AM
  #14  
John
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I book inside cabins when in the Caribbean....there's not much to see anyway (besides water!) while cruising and there's lots of action up on deck. I also like to sleep past 7am so the darker inside cabin is perfect. In Alaska or Europe, I upgrade to a balcony because I spend more time in the room.
 
Old Jul 18th, 2001, 05:57 PM
  #15  
Lydia
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Linda,
I definitely agree with John.
 
Old Jul 19th, 2001, 12:56 AM
  #16  
Paul Therault
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Most people say "hey, I only sleep in the cabin, who cares if it is inside." But I always wonder if they do this just because it is less money.

I tried my first balcony about 15 years ago and now I am spoiled. I think it is the greatest experience in cruising. But woe, it now costs me so much more.

Paul
 
Old Jul 19th, 2001, 03:35 AM
  #17  
John
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OF COURSE it's the money, Paul. If there's no reason to spend an extra thousand on a balcony, that money covers shore excursions, bar bill, etc. If there's a real reason for a balcony (good scenery) I'll spend it.
 
Old Jul 19th, 2001, 06:13 AM
  #18  
Dee
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My real reason for a balcony is not so much the scenery. My daughter sleeps in, so I will definitely enjoy the time on the balcony waiting for her to wake up. I'll be spending the same on my second cruise (with a balcony) as I did on my first cruise (inside). I don't drink much, and enjoy relaxing, while my daughter does all the activities on the ship. I've justified the extra expense, about $400 more. I'll definitely enjoy my balcony, even without the scenery!
 
Old Jul 19th, 2001, 08:55 AM
  #19  
Lydia
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Dee Dee, you have a real reason to have a balcony. After 17 cruises we had a balcony for the first time this last New Year's Eve. Because my husband is a smoker and he always felt bad about smoking in the stateroom, although I never objected to it. With a balcony he felt better about it because he could step out onto it and smoke. But the balconies are sooo small, just room for a very small round table and 2 small chairs but nice. The Princess ship that we were on had a wall between each balcony which made it very private and we appreciated that.
But on the other hand, you don't have to have a suite or mini-suite to have a balcony.
But it's whatever anyone wants and what makes a cruiser happy. After all, it's your money and whatever you can afford, go for it. And I am truly sorry if I offended anyone in the above posts and I certainly didn't mean to be rude. It is only my opinion.
I am a people person and have met a lot of very nice people from all over the world on every cruise that we have taken since 1974, some of whom I still correspond with. And I don't feel that I would have had that opportunity to meet them had I spent a lot of time in my cabin. Again, that's my opinion.
 
Old Jul 19th, 2001, 01:26 PM
  #20  
Connie
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To all the folks talking about room size. I just got back from a Cruise on the Voyager of Seas and we had a standard room with a balcony. It was wonderful. Even though the room itself was rather small, the balcony made a big difference. We put our wet suits out there so they didn't take up room in the bath room. Before dinner we would sit out there and have a relaxing drink. If we had not had a balcony we probably would not have spent any time in our room except to change and sleep. It was fun to be out there and watch the ship pull in and pull out of ports. They have a sign about not keeping the door open so we shut off the air and left the door open at night and it was wonderful. Hope you have a good trip.
 

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