JLMoran Posted February 13, 2017 Report Share Posted February 13, 2017 So I've seen a few posts here now where people commented on the desirability of an aft cabin. I had read earlier (on other sites) that getting a mid-ship cabin (especially on the "hump") was ideal. Partly because of the larger balconies / better view in a "hump" room, but also because mid-ship had the least movement. So what is it about an aft cabin that you all find makes it more desirable than mid-ship? Genuinely curious, especially since my own pair of connecting balcony cabins on Freedom for our 2018 sailing is more aft than mid-ship (a little more than halfway from the aft end of the hump to the aft-most cabins). RestingBird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocLC Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Usually, the fans of aft cabins are those who pick cabins along the back of the ship, not along the side. The benefits are often more privacy, unobstructed views, a view of the wake, and less wind. I prefer midship, but I did enjoy the aft penthouse I had once because of the view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Usually, the fans of aft cabins are those who pick cabins along the back of the ship, not along the side. The benefits are often more privacy, unobstructed views, a view of the wake, and less wind. I prefer midship, but I did enjoy the aft penthouse I had once because of the view. Also, the aft cabin decks tend to be bigger. But the views pulling into and of port are most impressive. 180 degrees as opposed to 90 on a mid ship deck. DocLC 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L454S Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Some people hate the hump cabins on Radiance and other class ships because of the loud music noise coming up through the centrum, several threads about this on another site. We have had hump cabins twice, never had a problem sleeping. Aft cabins are far away from elevators, OK by me. It tends to be very quiet at the end of the hall, no foot traffic. Some aft cabins have larger balconies(do your homework), don't go by deck plans. The view is great, but I like the side view also. Bottom line, I would take either one for the right price and itinerary. JLMoran 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamw Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 I go for middle towards back mainly because there is generally less movement felt and I easily feel squiffy. I managed to get for the first time one of the back cabins on our cruise from New Orleans to Barcelona and yes it is quieter with a fantastic view of the ocean. I would love another but they always seem to get booked early on - still I will keep trying ! I suppose the only thing I would advise is that we found the walk from the lifts to our room quite long, which we were fine with, but anyone with a walking problem may struggle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jticarruthers Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Love the aft cabins on Voyager/Freedom class ships. Cabins are typically not any bigger although there are exceptions (most recent experience was basically a J Suite size cabin at a balcony price) ... balconies are generally much larger. I would say the typical corner aft balcony runs about 100 to 120 sqft (just guessing no math, but at 6 ft tall I can usually stretch out on the recliner on the balcony in every direction with room to spare so I think at least in the range of 10' by 10'.) Usually come with a couple of recliners, couple of chairs and a table vs the 2 chairs and a table squeezed onto a regular balcony. If you enjoy the balcony the extra walk is worth it :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arebee Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 I used to love to sit on the fan tail underway when I was in the navy. That's why I like the aft cabins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Aft cabins are far away from elevators, OK by me. It tends to be very quiet at the end of the hall, no foot traffic. Some aft cabins have larger balconies(do your homework), don't go by deck plans. The view is great, but I like the side view also. Bottom line, I would take either one for the right price and itinerary. L454S, those were nice photos! Looks like they're from two different aft cabins? One balcony seems long but kind of narrow (the two loungers and two regular chairs look kind of tightly packed in there), but that other balcony!! A hammock as well as the chairs and table?!? Is the motion much more noticeable all the way at the back like that? Also, why is the ship's wake a draw? Do dolphins or whales get attracted to it and play around, or something else to catch the eye? Maybe I just have to see it / experience it, but I don't get the draw of just watching a trail of churned water that you're leaving behind. :) I also have to issue a correction. My cabins are not aft at all. They're actually very far forward, only 10 cabins back from the front-most part of deck 8 (cabins 8234 and 8236; I originally thought I was in 8380 and 8382, as those are what I'd looked at before booking with MEI). Pretty close to the stairs and elevators, too, but I'm thinking it won't bother me that much and, given my mobility challenges, I'm sure I'll have at least one night where I'm glad I don't have a long walk to the elevator. Although I'll have almost as long a walk as you can get to reach the MDR each night! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L454S Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 L454S, those were nice photos! Looks like they're from two different aft cabins? One balcony seems long but kind of narrow (the two loungers and two regular chairs look kind of tightly packed in there), but that other balcony!! A hammock as well as the chairs and table?!? Is the motion much more noticeable all the way at the back like that? Also, why is the ship's wake a draw? Do dolphins or whales get attracted to it and play around, or something else to catch the eye? Maybe I just have to see it / experience it, but I don't get the draw of just watching a trail of churned water that you're leaving behind. :) I also have to issue a correction. My cabins are not aft at all. They're actually very far forward, only 10 cabins back from the front-most part of deck 8 (cabins 8234 and 8236; I originally thought I was in 8380 and 8382, as those are what I'd looked at before booking with MEI). Pretty close to the stairs and elevators, too, but I'm thinking it won't bother me that much and, given my mobility challenges, I'm sure I'll have at least one night where I'm glad I don't have a long walk to the elevator. Although I'll have almost as long a walk as you can get to reach the MDR each night! The picture on the left is Navigator 7388, the one on the right is MSC Divina 10254, did these B2B last month.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 As a rule (as others have mentioned) the aft cabins usually have larger balconies. Of special note are the aft corner balconies on the Radiance class. Very nice. Negatives ? Often a fair hike to get to the back of the ship and some have mentioned soot on their balconies due to stacks emissions. We are currently on board Harmony and have friends in a Sky Loft suite on deck 17. He told us the in the mornings the balcony is covered with a layer of soot. Yuk. I have found the aft balconies on the Voyager and Freedom classes to be the least attractive due to the structural steel surrounding the aft (obstructs the view) plus a fairly large fantail extension that removes you somewhat from the water. I love a lounger on my balcony (sitting on one right now, writing this !) so I Love the aft suites. As a rule, even the hump balconies on the side rarely have room for 2 loungers - even some of the Grand Suites ! So I am willing to make the trek to the rear (and trust me, on the O Class, it IS a hike !) in return for the large balcony and loungers. tonyfsu21 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 The picture on the left is Navigator 7388, the one on the right is MSC Divina 10254, did these B2B last month.... How did you like the Divina? We had been looking at that and its successor Seaside prior to booking Freedom in 2018. Already know it's not much of a cruise line for families, but curious about your experience with the crew, what the food and entertainment were like, and how they compared for excursions and overall service. Others here are sailing on the Seaside later this year, so will be interesting to compare and contrast! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L454S Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Divina was OK, on a par with RCI overall. Little differences here and there. Good value for the money. On Freedom class the the sought after aft cabins are 1700/1400/7708/7408. On Voyager class 7388/7688/1688/1388........Good luck with your choice ............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcarney Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 Negatives ? Often a fair hike to get to the back of the ship and some have mentioned soot on their balconies due to stacks emissions. We are currently on board Harmony and have friends in a Sky Loft suite on deck 17. He told us the in the mornings the balcony is covered with a layer of soot. Yuk. We had this problem on Adventure a couple of years ago - so much soot on the aft balcony that it wasn't useable until they cleaned it during the day. Won't be booking those types of rooms again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLMoran Posted February 14, 2017 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 We had this problem on Adventure a couple of years ago - so much soot on the aft balcony that it wasn't useable until they cleaned it during the day. Won't be booking those types of rooms again. Well, you will. But not until the Icon class ships are out there with their fuel-cell and LNG-based propulsion. :) bcarney 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L454S Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 I have read more than one poster report soot issues on aft balconies. Have had several on different ships and have never seen this, could be luck of the draw I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UkuleleCruiser Posted February 14, 2017 Report Share Posted February 14, 2017 So, here's a worst-case scenario: You come down with a virus and you are confined to your cabin. If you have an aft cabin, you have an entire cruise right there. Great balcony with more room then a standard balcony, and because it's an aft facing cabin, your view is.... Concentric? Does that sound right? It's like this: When I fly, every now and then, the pilot will come on and say "If you look out the left side of the aircraft, you can see The Grand Canyon!" -- I'm ALWAYS on the right side! With an aft cabin, you will never have that problem. I hope that kinda explains my view on the thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pamw Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 Can't say I've ever had problems with soot for years. When we first started cruising years ago ( I think it was Sun Cruises or something similar ) we had lots of problems. I just though that the newer ships were more soot free - obviously not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catsmit Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 The white noise from the propeller wash is very calming, IMO. Reminds me of the wave action on the southern states' beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Love the walk from those aft balconies....working off some of those cruising calories!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjac Posted February 15, 2017 Report Share Posted February 15, 2017 The white noise from the propeller wash is very calming, IMO. Reminds me of the wave action on the southern states' beaches of the Gulf of Mexico. Love the walk from those aft balconies....working off some of those cruising calories!! "working off some of those cruising calories!!" Amen to that! catsmit 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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