I have never been on a cruise and I wanted to know if there is really much difference between inside and outside cabins. We were thinking of booking the Baja deck aboard the Grand. Is this okay or should we just get the cheapest cabin? Do they usually do upgrades?

Hi Melanie,<BR><BR>Just scroll down this site and you will find many discussions about inside cabins. About upgrades. If you do not have one now, you will not get one, unless you booked a TBA cabin. Also it is very rare that you will go from an inside cabin to an outside with a TBA.<BR><BR>Paul

If TBA cabin is the same as a guarantee then I disagree with Paul's comment. We always book inside guarantee and get upgraded up. We've had outside windows 3 out of 5 times.<BR>

melanie - Paul seems to have been rather short with you - probably just tired at 4:36 am. The rule of thumb about upgrades is that you can go up in category within type of cabin (inside to inside, outside to outside, balcony to balcony) but not between types of cabin (inside to outside, etc). While I believe this to be generally true (although Paul believes I know nothing about cruising), I have friends that have been upgraded to a different type of cabin and we were upgraded from a balcony to an Owners Suite on the Rhapsody a few years ago. It does happen.<BR><BR>As to inside cabins, Paul wouldn't sail in one for free. My wife, on the other hand, prefers inside cabins because she sleeps so much better. For me its simply an issue of space. If there's enough room to store clothes for four people and get around one another during dinner dressing, then its fine with me.

I just read that the cruise lines will no longer be upgrading from INSIDE to OUTSIDE--<BR><BR>They will only upgrade lower deck inside to higher deck inside.

Andy - where did you read that? And which lines were included in that broad declaration?

Peter, Paul and Mary...and Curious George,too! What more can we ask for?

I don't find much difference between inside and outside cabins as the sizes and layouts are almost identical. The difference is natural light and you have to decide if that's important to you. When you make a booking, be sure to tell them that you are willing to take an upgrade. On Princess, you do not have to book a guarantee cabin to be considered for an upgrade. You can get an assigned cabin but indicate that you will accept an upgrade. There's no guarantee that you'll get upgraded and if you do, you won't have any control over your new cabin location so keep that in mind. Being upgraded from inside to outside (or outside to balcony) seems to be rare (I've never experienced this), normally it's more like a lower inside (outside) to a higher inside (outside). Hope this helps.

to Curious George: I was floating thru some other cruise message boards and someone mentioned that they saw it in CRUISE NEWS bulletin---<BR><BR>I was just passing the info on----<BR><BR>Hope it helps

Melanie, Poor thing! All that gab an no information! I did the Grand twice and had an inside cabin both time. Perfer it since I tend to get sea sick. This way you don't have to look out at the water. You are hardly inside your cabin anyway! Sleep, shower, and change clothes-go go go. First time we went with the lowest price and they upgraded us to the Baja deck. Go for an inside cabin and let them upgrade you-all their cabins are bigger than most ships-it is a BIG shp! Enjoy!!!

Yes, TBA is the same as a guarantee. I say TBA since many do not understand what guarantee means.<BR><BR>I say usually you will not be upgraded from an inside to an outside. Better chance with an exotic itinerary. Princess will upgrade at times from an inside to an obstructed cabin since obstructed do not sell at all. Were you speaking of Princess Mary?<BR><BR>Paul<BR><BR>

I much prefer a balcony cabin, if you can afford it. I don't like the inside cabin because you can't tell what the weather is like unless you go out on deck. I also feel very closed in. The window is fine, but with the balcony I can retreat to my cabin and enjoy the privacy of my balcony and the water without the crowds.

I have always been fascinated by people that get an inside cabin, and try to tell EVERYBODY that nobody spends any time in a cabin. Why do they assume that everybody else is communal like they are. While I do enjoy meeting and socializing with other people while on a cruise, I do enjoy some down-time by myself. A balcony is just the ticket. It's like a little vacation on a vacation. So, please inside room lovers, understand that maybe if you had a balcony you would spend some time in your cabin, just the same if I had an inside I would in all probability not spend very much time there.

I have always booked inside, with no regrets. I also use AMEX card to charge it and get miles. By saving the extra bucks and by getting 4 FF tickets a year, my husband and I can take at least 6 trips a year, including 2 cruises. This is our priority! If I only had one vacation, I would opt for the finest accomodations we could handle. Just another perspective.

Agree with linda, if booking an inside allows you to go on two cruises a year instead of one then that's a great idea. I've sailed in insides, outsides, balcony cabins, and suites and in the end it really doesn't make or break the trip for me. Years later, what I remember isn't the cabin.

First, let me tell you that I usually do 2 10-14 day cruises a year and top that of with about 4 weeks of luxury land-based vacations. But, I was not gloating, nor was I putting down anybody that gets an inside cabin. We all have to get by with what we have. But it seems to me that the first and quite a few replies to any inside/outside/balcony questions are always people that try to tell everybody that inside is THE only way to go.<BR>Let me put this in another perspective:<BR>Let's just say that you and I will do a cross-country drive from NY to LA. You get a brand new Toyota Tercel with no options and I get a brand new Mercedes Benz 600 Series with all the options. <BR>Will both of us get to the final destination - YES<BR>Will we see the same things through the windows of our cars - YES<BR>Who will be more comfortable doing it - ME<BR>Who will be more exhausted at the end of the trip - YOU<BR>I agree with Patty, every one of us has to decide what's important to us and what we can afford, but don't tell me that I would enjoy myself just as much in an inside room. I for one would not.<BR>

I meant only the first reply from Patty, not the second. I totally disagree with her second reply.

I definitely agree with Patty's second posting. I have been on 17 cruises in all different parts of the world. Have had many different accommodations and it is not the cabins I remember!<BR>Go whatever way is affordable to you and enjoy!

Cabins are what each one prefers. Everyone has their own lifestyle. It is a moot point.<BR><BR>Paul

I read through this entire thread and I think you all have covered every reason to take a balcony cabin and every reason to take an inside cabin.<BR><BR>While my husband and I were taking a long walk this morning, I was telling him about what I had read here.<BR><BR><BR>We are booked in an inside cabin on our next cruise...purely economic reasons.<BR><BR>I said that it is interesting that if we had booked a resort hotel, there is no way we would have booked one that doesn't have a balcony. Yet, somehow, on the ship, I don't care. I'd rather keep the $1200.00 for something else.<BR><BR>Just my thoughts