| Let me lay it on the line. You know that pretty | | | | would go bonkers in such a space if I had to |
| young thing at the travel agency trying to get | | | | spend any amount of time in there at all even if it |
| you to book a nice cruise for you and your | | | | was just to sleep. We certainly wouldn't have |
| sweetie? Well she has only one job. That job is to | | | | thought of ourselves as chattel in such a room |
| sell you a vacation and she will say whatever it | | | | but it would have been darn close to that feeling |
| takes to get you to sign on the dotted line. | | | | especially when I realized on the day of the first |
| Yeah, I know how it works. While I have never | | | | port of call that everyone was lined up in the |
| been in the vacation industry I have been in sales | | | | hallway on that deck (right in front of the rooms) |
| and have seen the way most salespeople work. | | | | waiting for their turn at the gangway. |
| If you think they are your friends you are | | | | I remembered what the travel agent had said to |
| mistaken. | | | | me; I wouldn't be spending much time in my cabin |
| With the explosion in demand for cruises, travel | | | | right? Let me tell you, good thing we didn't book |
| agents are booking passengers at rates that | | | | that interior cabin! One thing I learned on my first |
| were unheard of even 10 years ago and the | | | | cruise was that you probably will spend more |
| cruise lines want you on their boats. It's how they | | | | time in your room than just sleeping and changing |
| make money. But that doesn't mean that every | | | | clothes. |
| cruise is sold out and booked solid either. That's | | | | Yeah, sitting by the pool was nice. Sure, going to |
| why you get all those nice "last minute" deals | | | | the sports bar and watching my Steelers on the |
| advertised and why they push so hard. | | | | satellite with about 50 other people was great. |
| My wife and I are now veteran cruisers and in | | | | And yeah, even just strolling around the ship |
| my honest opinion nothing beats a good cruise | | | | learning where everything was and taking in the |
| when it comes to price and what you get in | | | | new experience was fine and dandy. But one |
| return. Well, maybe not quite nothing ... the week | | | | thing I liked was being able to retire to my cabin |
| in Aruba on our honeymoon was at least close. | | | | and relax without anyone else around. I admit I |
| But when we started cruising we really weren't | | | | like my "me time". After all, there are only so |
| sure if we would like it. I remember that in 2003 | | | | many 250 pound women in bikinis that one can |
| we booked a short 5 day trip and the first words | | | | stand to look at on deck. |
| out of the travel agent's mouth when discussing | | | | The balcony certainly helped with that and I loved |
| the price was that the quality of the cabin didn't | | | | sitting outside as the ship was between ports in |
| matter much and that we could save money by | | | | the Caribbean sun. Yeah, I liked it even if the |
| downgrading our room. | | | | balcony was partially blocked by that darn dingy. |
| The theory was that because you don't spend | | | | Over the course of the cruise, much of which |
| much time in your room because of all the neat | | | | was spent at the Blackjack table, I generally |
| stuff on board and in port who really cared what | | | | found that when I talked to other people on the |
| the cabin looked like. Right? Of course she was | | | | ship that those who were complaining the most |
| promoting this line of reasoning because at the | | | | were those on the lower decks, in the smaller |
| time price really was an issue for us. And you | | | | cabins and that mostly they complained about the |
| know what? It sounded like really good reasoning | | | | size of their accommodations. Hey, a standard |
| because of all the great stuff that was going on | | | | balcony room isn't luxurious in terms of size but |
| around the boat what seemed like all the time. | | | | at least I was happy unlike many others in the |
| Of course I still needed a view so we did wind up | | | | bowels of the ship and to this day I am convinced |
| booking an outside cabin with a full window but | | | | that the majority of those hanging around the |
| not before seriously considering an interior cabin | | | | pool day after day were people dissatisfied with |
| on a lower deck to save a few bucks. So we | | | | their accommodations. |
| waited for the date of our first cruise, over | | | | Apparently size does matter and so does quality. |
| packed like all first time cruisers do, and arrived at | | | | Because when I would tell people that I could just |
| our ship. That is when we got some really great | | | | go out on my balcony, small as it was, the |
| news which all cruisers love to hear. That news | | | | response was almost a universal wish for that |
| comes in just one word; "upgraded"! | | | | themselves. |
| Because we had booked our cruise as our | | | | Yeah, you're going to pay more for the nicer |
| anniversary, and because Carnival apparently had | | | | cabin. And maybe if you are the type of person |
| a demand for the level of cabin that we booked, | | | | that envisions yourself backpacking around Europe |
| they bumped us up to the Veranda deck into a | | | | and roughing it, you might like the cramped |
| balcony room with an obstructed view that they | | | | accommodations some cheaper cabins afford you. |
| apparently couldn't sell. | | | | But for me and my wife there has been no |
| When we got to the room we immediately found | | | | turning back. Each year when we go on cruise it is |
| it much more enjoyable, perhaps just from the | | | | a room with a view and a balcony for us or |
| excitement of being given this nice little bonus. | | | | nothing because quality does matter. And since I |
| And even though there was a dingy outside a | | | | like to work while on cruise I like a little privacy |
| third of our small balcony we were extremely | | | | when I need to fire up the old laptop. |
| happy. But for my own piece of mind I wanted | | | | But it is important to remember in closing that |
| to compare the cabin we wound up in with the | | | | every ship is different. Older and smaller ships |
| cabin we had booked and even the interior one | | | | tend to be more cramped. Newer ships tend to |
| we had briefly considered. I wanted to know if | | | | have better overall accommodations on all levels. |
| we were really "upgraded" or not. | | | | So do a little research. Most cruise lines have |
| So over the next couple hours I explored a little | | | | plenty of pictures of what each level of cabin |
| since there really wasn't much to do while sill | | | | looks like. |
| anchored at the docks waiting for the ship to | | | | And whatever you do, do not buy into that old |
| depart. I found the room next to the room that | | | | line that the quality of the cabin doesn't matter |
| we had originally booked open, as the occupants | | | | because you won't be spending much time there. |
| were moving in, and took a quick peek. It was | | | | You'll probably spend more time there than you |
| smaller and more cramped, but not bad. And then | | | | realize. So get something you are sure you can |
| I went down to the lower deck where we had | | | | live with for as many days you are planning on |
| thought about getting the interior cabin. | | | | being at sea. |
| There I found one of those rooms open and was | | | | And whatever happens, I don't want to hear you |
| able to take a glance at the dark room lit by light | | | | grumbling about how you don't like that |
| bulbs without a hint of natural light. I also noticed | | | | inexpensive cabin in the bowels of the ship the |
| how much smaller it was than the balcony room | | | | travel agent conned you into booking to save a |
| we now had and remember thinking about how I | | | | few bucks. |