I love to cruise! In 2006 I went on my first cruise and fell in love. My family and I immediately became addicted and started going on 1-2 cruises a year. Cruises are the perfect family vacation because there is literally something for everyone on a cruise. We lovingly call cruises a “vacation on a vacation” because being on the ship is a vacation, and each port you visit is a little mini vacation within the big vacation. In 2016 we went on our first Disney cruise.
While I’m far from a cruise expert, I’ve been on enough cruises that I feel I can offer this piece of advice: if you are planning your first Disney cruise, skip the verandah (balcony) room, here’s why.
Price
Let me tell you that the majority of the cruises we take, we opt for an inside cabin. We initially started doing this to save money as inside cabins are typically the cheapest option. When we began cruising we had only been out of college for a year and so we didn’t have a lot of money to spend on vacation. The inside cabins were perfect, just don’t forget to set alarms or you can sleep away your whole vacation in the pitch black.
When we booked our first Disney cruise we decided to go big and got the Verandah room. Why would we do that when Disney is the most expensive cruise line? I think the excitement of going on a Disney cruise is mostly what motivated that decision. While we did get a pretty good deal, it was 2.5x as expensive as any other cruise we had been on.
Time
Honestly, between all the food, activities and company we’re with we don’t spend a lot of time in our cabin. Why pay for a fancy balcony when you won’t enjoy it, right? Since we did pay for a fancy room on our Disney cruise you bet I spent a lot more time on that balcony and more time in my room than any previous cruise I had been on. However, while enjoying the balcony, I felt like I was missing out on everything else happening on the ship. I had saved for many months to pay for this trip and so I wanted to do all the activities, see all the characters, play all the games and eat all the food. I didn’t feel like I had time to spend on my balcony when I paid so much to be on that trip.
Space
My parents accompanied us on the Disney cruise because we had too many kids for just one room and we needed two anyway. They got an inside cabin for three people. Though our cabin had the illusion of having more space because of the wall of windows in the back of the room leading to the verandah, their rooms was basically the same size. I’m sure ours had a few more square feet but not a noticeable amount.
Summary
If you are really well cruised, or if you have already been on a Disney cruise and know what to expect, then go ahead and book your verandah room. It’s my opinion that because of how expensive the Disney cruises are, this is one splurge that isn’t worth it.
Did you know
Did you know there are a lot of characters on Disney cruises? We met Marvel characters, had breakfast with Disney Jr characters, stood in line to meet Mickey, Minnie, and Frozen characters! Don’t forget your autograph book on your Disney cruise.
Personalized Autograph Books
If you are first time cruisers check out my other Disney cruise posts about 10 things I wish I had known before my Disney cruise, and 7 freebies waiting for you on a Disney cruise,and fish extender gift ideas.
Cindy W says
We totally agree about the verandah room! We’ve cruised twice so far – first time verandah, second time inside room. Our third cruise is next month and we’re in an inside room! We sleep in our stateroom and that’s it! We don’t need a window or verandah to do that! There’s way too much to do and see!
Susan says
I am curious as to why you didn’t like it.
Tonya says
Totally see your point,,,.HOWEVER, we went on a Disney cruise in Feb…husband and I had been on cruises before (not Disney), but this was a first for our 3 kids..,our youngest got extremely ill our last day and was confined to the room. It would have been horrible had we not had the balcony:,,my husband said over and over that day how thankful he was that we spent the extra money. Just sthing to keep in the back of your mind as a possibility. 😊
Mary says
Really great tips! To get the best experience I think it is so important to plan for your Disney trip. I love to get the experience of cruise ship but not yet.
CM says
Totally disagree, but everyone has their own opinions. I have been on 15 Disney cruises and only 1 was in an inside cabin. We love quiet nights on our verandah as we read or just enjoy the stars. When the kids are little, it’s a great place to hang out while the little ones are napping. I cruise with my girlfriends on adult only Disney cruises as well as with my family and a verandah is a must for us. We also cruise with a Royal Caribbean and enjoy those cruises as well in balcony cabins.
Laura says
Thanks for the great tips. I’m always on the lookout for helpful money saving tips ever since we had our twins. It seems you don’t miss out on much skipping the verandah room as long spend most of your time engaged in activities.
Melissa D. says
Totally disagree – the verandah room was worth every penny! If you are even a little claustrophobic, having the extra space and light are a lifesaver. We also loved sitting on the balcony just reading a book and listening to the ocean – that activity became even nicer when storms passed through and they had to temporarily close Castaway Cay. We sat under the cover of our balcony and enjoyed watching the storm from our beautiful balcony.
Devon says
I have to respectfully disagree. A balcony is one thing we always splurge on, no matter what cruise line we sail (which is usually Disney or Royal Caribbean).
When our kids were little and needed a nap, we enjoyed the warm air and ocean views on the verandah while they slept inside. As they got older and wanted to spend hours at a time in the kids’ club, my husband and I could escape the crowded public deck areas and retreat to our balcony and read or chat or have a drink or all of the above.
When you have a verandah cabin, there is so much excitement sailing in and out of ports, all of which you can watch from your own private space.
Every morning on a cruise, I sit outside with my coffee. It’s my absolute favorite way to start a day at sea!
Our first 3 or so cruises, we got an inside cabin. It was fine, though definitely dark… we didn’t know what we were missing and still had a great cruise. After our first cruise with a balcony, we have never been willing to go without one. The only exception might be if we were cruising on a colder itinerary, for example fall in New England, and it might be too cold for much outside time.
Andi says
Totally agree. We did ocean view for our first and second Disney cruises and it’s worked well. Big family so we had to get two rooms and the #1 reason I chose no verandah was safety. I simply don’t trust my kids to keep their feet on the floor when we’re not there so for now, no balcony. I’m hoping when they’re teens the urge to climb everything will subside at least a little bit.
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