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Aft cabin for Alaska was perfect! We actually had a large group and we had all the cabins across the aft so we requested the balcony dividers to be opened and had one huge balcony across the entire aft! Perfect for wildlife watching and the day we went to the glacier.
We love aft cabins. The long walk to us is a benefit because it helps to work off all the food you eat. It is quiet and peaceful. The sound of the sea is amazing. You also don't have to deal with the wind like you would sailing in the bow.
We had an aft facing cabin for a Caribbean cruise. The view was fantastic. Hypnotizing actually. Note: I have no fear of heights, however there was a haunting sensation, that was unsettling for me. - I didn't understand initially, but a little research revealed this to me. "The call of the void" describes an impulse to hurl yourself into, well, a void. While unnerving, it's actually a pretty common experience. It also has nothing to do with suicidal ideation". I'm curious if anyone else has had this sensation too?
I booked a guarantee balcony and received the aft facing cabin. Loved it! But as for privacy, I was a bit surprised one morning when I woke up and went to look out at the view wearing very little I found another ship with it's aft cabins up against ours. I quickly retreated, put on some appropriate cover ups and went out on the balcony to wave to my neighbors on the next ship. Didn't make that mistake again 😊
We were in an aft balcony two weeks ago on the Carnival Spirit for an Alaskan cruise (room #7300). It was our first aft balcony. We absolutely loved it! Not only were the views great, but on chilly nights the wind was almost non-existent, allowing us to enjoy the outdoors on our balcony if it was too chilly on the main outdoor deck.
Just returned from a 12 day, Princess Ring of Kerry cruise with an aft cabin. No soot or noise from other decks. One night there was a full moon directly behind the ship which illuminated the wake. Spectacular! This was our 2nd or 3rd cruise with an aft cabin and it was great. Some vibration but drowned out by the sound of the wake. We were in San Francisco with an aft cabin and the views of downtown and the bridges was spectacular. But for some cruises I think it best not to have an aft cabin. We are going to do a South American and Antarctica cruise in 2023 and booked a midship cabin due to the chances of rough seas between South America and Antarctica.
We did an Antarctic cruise on Celebrity. I was so worried just like you. We had a midship cabin but because the shop is so huge we couldn't even tell if the seas were bad.
@@daparkerwoman I’m not concerned about the giant swells that can occur as the rougher it is the better. My wife? Not so much. I was in Antartica in 1974 onboard the Lindblad Explorer. One trip was very rough and the 2nd was calm. You just never know which one you will get.
We had an aft balcony on the NCL Getaway in August and it was absolutely the best. Incredible sail away view, calming wake and a massive space with 2 loungers and a table for 4. I've booked 3 more aft balcony rooms in the next 18 months! Highly recommend and we had no issues with salt or soot.
We absolutely love sailing in an aft cabin. In addition to the great points made in the video, we also like the ability to see wildlife from there. We often missed seeing whales and dolphins when we were on the "wrong" side of the ship. We increased our odds by being in the back and got a second chance to see them as the ship moved on. We sail soon on the Celebrity Eclipse, and booked an aft corner Sky Suite this time.
Now I'm really looking forward to our aft, corner Sky Suite on the Reflection. You've painted a picture that really got me a little more excited. The views, having breakfast served to us on our balcony, while watching the Caribbean goes by, all looks wonderful.
Loved our aft cabin on Princess. Agree with bigger balconcy and partial covering is great. We did have a vertical girder in the center of the balcony but didn't bother us. When the sun hit our balcony it gave us a place to be shaded.
We had an aft facing balcony cabin on a canary island cruise ( 30th wedding anniversary) we absolutely loved it, port side corner, huge balcony to eat our champagne breakfast on. We watched dolphins swim in the wake and amazing sunsets as we left ports, we did hear rudder noises and shuddering as we turned into ports but that was our alarm clock to get up and watch the islands come to life, watching the sunset over Madeira was magical, hearing the crickets and the birds there welcoming a new day, ah blissful ❤️
We just got back from our first cruise a few weeks ago, and the aft suite with a wraparound deck was absolutely perfect for an Alaska cruise. My entire vision (such as it was) for that trip involved sitting at the corner of that balcony with hot tea while cruising Glacier Bay. We did exactly that, and it was everything I'd hoped for. I agree with all of your "pros," and can understand why some people might have some valid 'cons'as well - but it was perfect for us. We did have a bit more motion during some storms than midship did, but Bonine stopped the queasiness and after that I enjoyed it! And we never had any issue with soot or smoke or anything along those lines. I doubt I'll spring for another suite anytime soon - I got a deal during g the shutdown or I probably wouldn't have done it this time. But an aft cabin has become a requirement for future cruises - we loved it that much!
We have sailed more than 25 times and probably half of those sailings were in aft cabins on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships. All your comments were spot on regarding pros and cons. We do want you to know that we never...never had an issue with soot but have heard from others who did. We mostly try to book aft-corner cabins for the wrap around views,. The only two cons we would add are ...yes, we have experienced vibrations on some of the smaller ships rear cabins and have had some aft cabins that had very little protection from sun...and therefore rain. But with that said, we have been known to book more than 2 years out to get a "Coveted Aft Corner".
We have an AFT Ext Balcony booked for July 18 on Carnival Breeze. Looking forward to it as we usually get ship side balcony reservations. Thanks for the content.
We had an aft cabin on Celebrity as well and we loved every minute of it. We were over a restaurant, but we never smelled any food or had any noise. I wish that I could have an aft cabin. The view that you have is of everything that you pass and you do not have to miss anything that goes by on the other side of the boat. I LOVE IT!
We just got off an Alaskan cruise on the Celebrity Millennium, a sister ship, and stayed in the cabin next to the one in the video with the metal lower wall. It is a huge cabin. You get a phenomenal view off the back, plus off the side, half of which has railings, and you can move forward and see to the opposite shore as well, amazing perspective. We did not have a soot problem, nor and issue with any vibrations. I would try for that cabin again. We were on deck 9 also, but the weather was not conducive for people to gather at the Sunset Bar above us.
We've been in an aft cabin 3 times, all on Carnival (only line we go on). The last was to Alaska on the Splendor. The aft balconies shown in the video seem to be quite a bit larger, definitely longer, then what we've had. The views are INCREDIBLE! We did experience a bit of soot falling on us the first time, but not the others. However, this would be true probably for any balcony cabin behind the funnel. The biggest draw back, I thought, was the engine vibration. We didn't feel it much at all in the Caribbean, but this last cruise on the Splendor was to Alaska. Going Northbound, we REALLY felt it. but, coming back South, hardly at all. But overall, I we can book one, we'll ALWAYS opt for the aft balcony cabin! But, they do sell really fast!
I love the Carnival Cove Balcony "mid ship". main deck. Your close to the water and get to watch all the late runners trying to get on the ship before it leaves port.
Loved my Aft facing cabin suite on the Discovery Princess to Alaska last week. You do feel the vibration and swaying of the boat at times but I didn’t find it bothersome. Our family of three had plenty of space for everything we brought aboard and the wrap around balcony was perfect for being able to view icebergs and wildlife. I would absolutely do it again
We loved the aft balcony on the Disney Fantasy. There was some soot but it was taken care by our room steward twice a day. I would definitely do it again.
We were in an aft cabin about 10 years ago on a very large ship. The soot was so bad we never sat outside because I didn’t want to breathe it in. Never again! Glad to hear this may be improving, but I am happy with a sideview.
Had my first aft cabin a few years ago on a Norwegian ship on a Caribbean trip, and will again next year on Norwegian to Alaska. I found zero cons. Great view (especially arriving and departing ports), endearing sea sounds, generally no hallway noise. Yes, a long walk from elevators, but this fat boy can use the extra steps. Highly recommend, especially to newer cruisers.
We had an aft facing cabin on our recent Alaska cruise on Regent Seven Seas Mariner . It was FANTASTIC in every way, especially where there was an amazing view every way you turned. Not sure it would be such an advantage in the Caribbean but in Alaska it made the cruise extra extra special.
We are taking a Viking cruise in October and we were able to select our cabin. And we selected an aft facing cabin. Your vid reinforces we made the correct choice. Enjoying your vids. This will be our first cruise in 20 years.
We did an aft cabin on the NCL Jade and it was the best thing we ever did! We didn’t have any soot, dirt and salt was actually less than some side balconies we have had. There wasn’t any obstructions and we had the tinted glass hand rail. It was sooo worth it, and i hope to snag an aft balcony again. We loved it
I'm normally a mid-ship cabin person, since I do get seasick with enough motion. But for our upcoming Mediterranean cruise on Regal Princess, I booked an aft facing cabin on deck 8; I *knew* I had to have that view for our various port departures. I can't imagine how great it will look when we are leaving Kotor and going through the "fjord" there, or leaving Naples and having Capri visible in the distance. I just hope that the Mediterranean Sea is as calm as I imagine it to be (relative to the Atlantic Ocean, anyway), so that there isn't too much motion on our few sea days, or when going between ports.
Would love to know how your cruise went! I too get sea sick easily, though the patches help! My friend booked us an aft cabin for upcoming Alaska cruise! Really hoping my sea sickness doesn’t get the best of me!
@@amyb7622 Well… As far as the aft cabin went, it was fantastic! Absolutely loved our huge balcony and the wake views, and zero issues with seasickness. But we ended up catching Covid-19 on day 5 (we think we picked it up during our 2-night pre-cruise stay in Athens). Sick for a full week before testing negative. While we got to see all the ports from the first week, we missed all but one port on the second.
@@ClanOMoraign oh no! So sorry to hear! Glad to hear you didn’t miss it all, but had a beautiful view while confined! Thanks so much for letting me know about sea sickness! All the best and happy cruising!
We just got our cabin assignment on the Majestic Princess for an October cruise. It's an aft cabin with no obstructions! This video was so very helpful.
Deck 7, AFT balcony booked to set sail Oct 3rd. Glad I found this video! Thanks for all your time and dedication to bring us valuable information ! Much appreciated.
@@LifeWellCruised We've had the last side cabin before the aft twice and love a bit of movement with P and O Arcadia, Brittania and next year The new ship Arvia. Always Southampton UK to Southampton.
We have an aft corner balcony, which we were lucky to get on a cancellation, on Crown Princess for 28 days this fall going through the South Pacific. OMG so looking forward to it. The aft profile of the Crown looks great because there is shade offered on the balcony and no one is looking directly down on you - very private. I will report in upon our return. One word of advice and it is how I got my cabin…although we had booked through our travel agent, I looked at the cruise line’s website EVERY DAY, to see if an aft cabin became available. When I saw that it was, I booked it directly on line with a complimentary 4 day hold, then contacted my travel agent who then dealt with the cruise line and got the newly secured room transferred to my existing booking and cancelled my old room. Had I waited until I got hold of my travel agent, that special corner aft cabin may have been booked by someone else online.
I've been on 17 cruises and had several side balconies and several aft balconies. I love an aft facing balcony. There is just something about seeing the world disappear in the wake I find very satisfying. I have never experienced soot.
We had an aft facing on the Princess Sky, Regal and Island Princess. Absolutely loved everyone of them. One other point people should be aware of is that if there is rough water the back AND front will have much more movement. We always start out with our sea sick medicine the first night and then generally are fine after that once our bodies get used to the movement. In fact we kind of like it, but for folks that have the potential to get sea sick .....it may not be for you.
We had an AFT facing balcony on the Ms Konsingdam, Holland America in 2019, Mediterranean Cruise from Rome. It was well worth the additional cost and the views were spectacular. Highly recommend!!
We had one on a 54 day med cruise which had 2 Atlantic crossings and loved it. The balcony was huge with 2 recliners and a small table with 2 chairs. It was paradice
We sailed on Vision of the Seas with RC and were on deck 7, I believe. Our cabin was to the far left of the aft and our balcony was AMAZING! It wrapped around to the side of the ship!
Your description was spot on. princess was too much motion, shuddering motion also as you described, and the noise from the water was Extremely Loud.. But on Royal Caribbean it was amazing. Without motion and noise problems.
NCL Aft Cabin Went on NCL SUN in July 2022. Had a great time, the views were great. No dirt,soot, or salt problems. Saw some whales, seals and maybe otters on a Alaska Inner passage.
Just got back from NCL Epic in aft balcony cabin. The view is great and balcony is private. Plus, unlike side balconies where the wind is like a hurricane, the aft balcony is very calm. Now, with that said, the noise of the wake during travel is pretty loud. If you leave the door open at night it takes a while to get used to the noise. (It does drown out snoring though.) The vibration can actually be calming, but when the ship docks the entire ship vibrates to the point it will wake you up. And it's a no brainer finding your way back to your cabin because you always just go to the back. No soot at all. I would definitely do an aft cabin again.
Just returned a couple days ago (01 Jul 2023) from Mexico (Carnival Panorama). Just a warning about LB. Unlike the initial video, we arrived at 1430 and the place was a gaggle. Lines everywhere, we got told to go to the passenger services line (+30 min) but no one, even in line knew why. We got up there and they didnt know why either, so we finally boarded. It was about a 90 minute process. Also, if you are on the back end of the Panorama on the balconies, be aware you will receive a healthy dose of a sticky, black tarry substance on your railing, deck and deck furniture. They will need to clean the balcony every 2 days, this is only on the stern balconies, unless deck 9. Deck 9 has an overhead cover that prevents the tar from landing. But you will have the Tides, pool above you, so it could get noisy for you. We also had the Havana wrap around balcony (8467), the balcony was huge, but the tar crap made it not-so-good. The Havana aspect is a take it as you like it, so read up on it before you book it. Have fun everyone.
We have sailed on princess ships 3 times and 1 more scheduled with great memories of aft balconies. Royal Princess Europe to ft. Lauderdale was exceptional. The wake viewed at night was a fantastic experience. We try to book this type of cabin for all of our voyages.
Good overview. Another con is that the aft balconies are often tiered which means those above can see your balcony. Not true on the Rotterdam but true on others and worth checking out. Also, while we like the aft balcony, the side balconies can be especially nice if they face the port and you can watch the activities taking place.
I am booked on the NCL Getaway in an AFT balcony cabin. It will be my first time in this type of balcony. Your video reassured me of my pro / cons before I booked. Thank you!
I just came off the NCL Joy. I was in 15868. When I tell you it was THE BEST room I’ve ever had I am not joking: I loved the sound of the waves, the view was extraordinary, it was so quiet because there was no foot traffic at all, the aft elevator was not far so I didn’t have far to walk to get the elevator, it was much wider than a normal balcony - I had two deck and two table chairs, there’s zero wind coming into the cabin unlike a front facing balcony so I could keep my balcony door open at all times. 💖
Our first experience in an aft cabin was on the Carnival Luminosa, located on Deck 7. I vowed NEVER to book another aft cabin after than experience, because of the noise. The engines are based at the back of the ship, so with the combination of the wake sound and motors at sea, made it impossible to have a conversation on the balcony. The only way was to pull the chairs next to each other. Even then we still had to talk loudly to be heard. Have a number of cruises booked for later this year through to 2025. The latest one booked is another aft cabin on the Pacific Encounter, Deck 10. Will see how that goes :). Loved your video and the advice given. Thank you!
We had an aft cabin on the NCL Epic located on Deck 10 on the corner. We liked it a lot but you did feel a pretty strong vibration (in the morning it was enough to wake us up) when the ship arrived in port and was maneuvering to the dock. It did not really bother us. On one of the nights you could smell the exhaust as we cruised. I think a lot matters on the wind. Not horrible but noticeable only that night. Our room was very quiet. I did notice what you said: that the aft can be a long walk back to the room but that was ok to me if it meant we were away from the travelled areas. Our deck seemed almost deserted at times. One thing I did like was being able to watch the whole process of securing or removing the ropes when the ship arrived or left the dock. You have a great view of that from an aft balcony. Overall I am mixed on the aft cabin. It is great for the view and it is bigger. I am not completely sure I'd want to pay a lot more for it compared to a regular balcony.
I just returned last week from a Caribbean cruise on Carnival Dream. I chose an aft balcony for the wake view and really enjoyed it. I thought ahead and booked a cabin on the 8th floor, thereby avoiding the chair scraping noise from the Lido deck on 10. I cruised in the height of summer and, even with the a/c turned all the way down, it was warm, about 78 degrees inside our cabin. I had engineering look into it, but he found no problems, it was just warm. Thankfully I tend to be cold natured, so it was of little annoyance to me. However, my hot-natured friends would have been miserable. I simply closed the heavy curtains when I left the cabin and that maintained the temp around 78 degrees.
Just recently took a Royal Caribbean cruise and had an aft balcony. It was great. I liked the noise and vibration of the engines. We were on the 8th deck. When the ship encountered rain, there was some soot, but the room attendant got rid of it. I plan to book aft balconies from now on.
As a seasoned cruiser, I will NOT sail unless I have an aft facing balcony. Aft facing was on my first cruise and am hooked! As for the cons you mentioned like a long walk, come on, how high is your calorie intake on a cruise? The extra steps will do you good. I have been on many aft balconies and have never had a soot problem. When you are in port, any cabin could have a soot problem and when under way the soot is lost in the wake. If you are concerned about it, just tell your cabin steward to please wipe it down every morning, they will be glad to do so. These ships are so large we rarely feel any rocking or up and down motion. In November I will be sailing on Constellation, your sister ship and will have the cabin right next to you that you featured. I have had this cabin before and do not have a problem with the sides. It is worth it to have one of the largest balconies on the ship. I think there are only 2 balconies significantly larger than ours and they are Penthouse Suites. I can't imagine paying that kind of money for that!
I love sailing in an aft facing balcony, my next two cruises are aft facing and if able to afford, future sailings as well. You cannot beat a sunset , or a sail away from this view.
My wife and I had a aft facing balcony many years ago. I loved it. That view is just amazing. My wife didn't like it specifically because of the loud noise from the rushing water below. I guess she is seeking a more quiet and peaceful experience from the balcony.
I wouldn’t cruise on anything but a corner aft…absolutely worth all the extra money. We have out own private sail always every time we leave each port. We make sure we are set with cocktails 30 min prior! LOVE! We use Transdermal patches so we never get seasick.
We love those patches. They have made our cruising and flying much easier. Husband always said I don’t get sea sick. Just out of curiosity he tried one and now we both wear them🤣😂
We've done aft cabins/Haven twice and once just as a cabin (all on NCL). It's our favorite. One time we had our dinner on the balcony. So many great memories. We would rather not go on a cruise than stay in a non-aft facing. Absolute bliss!
Just got off the Summit on 7/31 and had an aft facing canon. We we also had the family veranda room and my husband said he never wants another kind of room. 💕
Thanks for your message! And thanks to your followers … we are headed to Alaska on the Eurodam Holland America and we booked an aft corner room with wrap around deck in August. Our 25th anniversary and we are so excited! Stay tuned and we will share our experience afterwards. Thanks again your videos have really helped me immerse myself into cruise life. 🙏🏼❤️🥰
First time cruise Aft 8th level. Fantastic. I'm claustrophobic, hearing and seeing the wake brought me peace. No soot or salt issues. Used patches just incase, no sea sickness. Long walk yes, and I use a roller walker. Good exercise.
Our loft suite on Ovation of the seas was fantastic. It was beyond all our expectations and had the most stunning views right from the aft facing king size bed each and every morning on our 14 night Sydney to Singapore sailing. Two story floor to ceiling windows, huge balcony and total privacy from everything including the weather. It was an oasis of luxury. We recently booked the aft owners suite with hot tub on NCL's Viva hoping to match our Star Class experience with RCL back in 2016. Hoping the Heaven lives up to the hype! (Never had any issues with soot or salt Grand Loft Suite 10324)
We had an aft balcony on the NCL Pride of America around the Hawaiian islands. It was huge! We had 2 recliners and table and also 2 chairs with another table.
Just and FYI re the CCL Vista class AFT Balcony cabins ( Not the Havana decks). The aft balconies overlook the Havana pool & hot tub deck (think noisy)/ decks 6 & down have no shade above them. BUT the cabins seem bigger and the balconies are much bigger as well. To each his own. Happy cruising everyone. 🛳️🏝️😎
Second time cruising in aft cabin. Love larger balcony due to my service dog sails with me. My husband and I both were in the Navy so we are use to the jerking from directional changes. It’s less busy and quiet. But I love sleeping onboard ship. To me this is one of the best staterooms we have had. I have tried forward, midship, and aft. Near elevators and midway aft. This is my pick.
Hubby and I had an aft balcony years ago. Not even sure how we swung it, but it was hubby's FAV thing! (Mine too!) . So much so that anytime I book a cruise, it's the first thing he asks! LOL! So our 20th anniversary is next month and we have aft balcony on a Princess cruise and he is so excited! I KNOW where he will be, like 24/7! LOL!
We seek an aft room.. We always did a balcony but after an aft facing room we were in love! We don't mind the occasional rocking or movement or the longer walks.
We stayed in aft view cabin on 9th deck(9481) on the carnival breeze, and it was noisy in the night. I am told that it was deck chairs moving around. We were told that they pick them up, not drag them. Other than the noise the room was nice, enjoyed the balcony very much.There was plenty of room and the view was very good, could see the sunset and sunrise. Cannot do that on a side balcony without turning around. We enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
We had our first "Aft " cabin about 4 ships ago. We are big Celebrity folks and on the Reflection were talked into getting a Suite. It was nice, large, and very roomy throughout. But, from that point on we have stuck with the Aft room. So nice. Never had a concern with soot at all. the Room steard always seem to wipe down the balacony. I love the part of some of it is sheltered and some of it is for us sun worshipers. I don't believe we will ever change. We love sea days and our AFT Balcony. Drinks just are better there.
Nice video, good info for those who haven’t tried an aft facing cabin. We're retired and have done over 30 cruises, and have done aft facing cabins 8 times, including Celebrity Solstice: 10 day R/T Sydney to New Zealand and 19 days, Sydney to Honolulu. Thoroughly enjoyed every one. Only once did we experience a soot issue, but that was only one day, on Celebrity Constellation, Fort Lauderdale to Rome. Our cabin steward, just wiped it all down for us. The salt deposit on balcony furniture is something we've experienced with several different cabin locations, like you, we just wiped the furniture down with wash cloth or asked the cabin steward to take care of it if we didn’t have time, or it was late in the evening, etc.
Have you ever stayed in the Celebrity infinite veranda? I have the infinite booked for May 23rd, 2025 for an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle but am considering switching to aft although it is $1,300 higher. This is my husband and I’s first ever cruise and I just don’t know what to do!
We would definitely do the aft cabin for a Real Balcony, I think you would enjoy the Real balcony experience a lot more than the Infinity Balcony. You will actually be outside and can look around a little more. We are booked on Apex, October 23, and opted NOT to do an Infinity Balcony. We tried an Infinity Balcony on Beyond, Panama Canal in February, didn’t care for it. Hope this helps.
We have sailed 4 times with aft facing balconies. The last one was around the world. Watching the wake is mesmerizing. Bigger balcony makes for great sail away parties. Going in and out of ports and through the Suez and especially the Panama Canal was the best. Watching the pilot boat follow us until it was time to come alongside to pick up the pilot was always interesting. Soot has never been a problem. Salty air is everywhere, but it’s never been a problem. A long walk was never a problem. Gotta work off that desert! A vibration can lull you to sleep, is normal and easy to ignore. My next cruise is another around the world on a ship without aft facing cabins. I will miss that. If you love being on the water you will really love an aft facing balcony.
Aft corner is great. There may be a pole but the extra room makes up for it. It is quite a hike to the gym or spa in the forward part of the ship sometimes, but I just look at it as an added bonus of burning additional calories from the delicious food and drinks. Wear flip flops on the balcony. We saw come broken glass on ours last time after the ship cleaned the balconies during a port day. The pressure wash may have upended some hidden glass from broken wine glasses but luckily I saw it and alerted our cabin attendant that there may be glass not as visible. Definitely don’t be afraid of booking and aft cabin. As my Royal Caribbean t-shirt says, “wake view is the best view”.
I really enjoyed this! My husband and I went on our first cruise on Harmony in May 2022. We would take a walk after dinner every night and hang out AFT....I love the view and the sound, and it reminded him of his Navy ship days. In the future we will try an AFT cabin! My only observation (don't want to call it a complaint) was some nights the exhaust seemed extra thick and it kinda marred the view of the night sky. Nothing a few steps sideways didn't take care of, and we still had the great view of AFT. Thank you so much for your videos!
We were in an aft cabin for a transatlantic and loved it. We were traveling with a friend who had the cabin next door so we got to combine our balconies. No problem with soot or other debris.
We had a Havana Wrap aft cabin!! It was amazing. Wouldn't change anything about it. One flight down was the bar and our private havana pool on the carnival vista.
We have been in many aft facing cabins, on many different cruise lines and never seen soot. I too have heard from others of experiencing this, but it will not make me shy away from the aft for all of the same reasons you described.
We sailed on the Carnival Legend on an aft balcony. It was covered in so much soot that it was unusable for us. There were carbon specks every inch or two covering all surfaces. Nowhere to sit without getting on us. And really didn't want to walk around and track it back in on the carpet. Not to mention we kept finding cigarette butts each time we checked to see if they cleaned it. The balcony wasn't cleaned the entire cruise, so the salt really built up. We didn't complain to the cabin steward or the help desk because we got tired of complaining. We are seasoned cruisers and this crew seemed off their game. Our cabin was a wifi dead zone and the MDH food, particularly breakfast was off. Maybe to Carnival's credit, the engine did blow the very next sailing, so that may account for the extra soot. We won't likely book another aft balcony after that experience. We tried to make the best of our vacation.
We always get an aft facing balcony when we can’t a suite. We love the view. Yo❤u can always see the port we found the sound of the engines help us to get to to sleep
We had an aft facing cabin when we cruised the Baltic Sea. The cabin was very quiet, with a spacious balcony. Our only issue was that the Baltic tends to be very choppy and we could feel a lot of movement. However, I am certain that movement was felt throughout the ship. It was a wonderful place to be for the sendoff party.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes I think there’s definitely more movement when seas are choppy, but as you said at that point it’s everywhere to a certain point
Aft cabins are our preference. We love the carnival corner afts, smaller cabin, HUGE balcony. We've had hit and miss on the soot, i think it depends on how the wind is blowing. The cabin steward will delightfully wipe the chairs and tables for you. We have had trouble with trash flying on our balcony, cigarette butts, straw wrappers. Surprisingly this was on Celebrity and not Carnival. The one thing I would add to your comment on the size of the balcony is that it really depends on the ship and the location, some of them are strange sizes, and not all of them are as big as the one you had on your recent cruise.
We had an aft facing cabin on Royal Carribean Quantum of the Seas (8724) on our cruise to Alaska. We did have soot on our cabin balcony daily. We noticed it was raining little black drops the first day at sea. The room attendant would hose the balcony off in the mornings. We could also hear the music from Two70 below us until midnight every night. It was pretty loud. We did enjoy the large balcony and the view.
Aft facing cabins are my favorite! I’ve never really had any complaints. I did experience some soot one time while sailing on Carnival Spirit. I had a vista suite and every day would find a layer of soot on the chairs and tables. Other than that, I’ve never had any issues with aft cabins.
We were in an aft facing ADA club balcony cabin on Norwegian Breakaway earlier this month. The balcony was huge! Plenty of room for my wife to maneuver in her electric wheelchair. Something we never had in any balcony before. The only downside was the vibration from the thrusters. But it was worth it.
We had an aft cabin on the Celebrity Eclipse on a Baltic cruise. It was amazing!!! We have booked a Mediterranean cruise for next May on the Celebrity Ascent and got an aft facing suite for our 25th anniversary. We’re so excited to try out this new ship!
Just booked our first Aft Balcony cabin. Love the wake view and sound. I didn't know about the soot problem and will keep in mind to wipe everything down.
We love Aft Facing Cabins. We have an upcoming Alaska cruise in August on NCL Bliss. Have 10 couples going and most are all booked on same deck and have all the aft cabins together for most in party. Should be great fun!
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Aft cabin for Alaska was perfect! We actually had a large group and we had all the cabins across the aft so we requested the balcony dividers to be opened and had one huge balcony across the entire aft! Perfect for wildlife watching and the day we went to the glacier.
what ship? we have an aft balcony with friends next door on HAL Nieuw Amsterdam
We love staying in the aft balconies! That is usually where we stay. Mainly for the peacefulness. nothing better!
The sound of the wake after a great dinner n hot shower... Heavenly
We love aft cabins. The long walk to us is a benefit because it helps to work off all the food you eat. It is quiet and peaceful. The sound of the sea is amazing. You also don't have to deal with the wind like you would sailing in the bow.
We had an aft facing cabin for a Caribbean cruise. The view was fantastic. Hypnotizing actually. Note: I have no fear of heights, however there was a haunting sensation, that was unsettling for me. - I didn't understand initially, but a little research revealed this to me. "The call of the void" describes an impulse to hurl yourself into, well, a void. While unnerving, it's actually a pretty common experience. It also has nothing to do with suicidal ideation". I'm curious if anyone else has had this sensation too?
I've had this experience, not on a cruise ship but while on a balcony over a precipice. It's a bit scary.
@@manonsinclairladyofblairad9675 Strange. Not the height, nor any self-destuctive tendency, but I could hear the call.
Wow that’s a strange feeling. Definitely hypnotizing
I live in Niagara Falls and we have that same sensation when look at the brink.
Steve yes my friend I was travelling with said the same thing I felt a little bit like it to.
I booked a guarantee balcony and received the aft facing cabin. Loved it! But as for privacy, I was a bit surprised one morning when I woke up and went to look out at the view wearing very little I found another ship with it's aft cabins up against ours. I quickly retreated, put on some appropriate cover ups and went out on the balcony to wave to my neighbors on the next ship. Didn't make that mistake again 😊
We were in an aft balcony two weeks ago on the Carnival Spirit for an Alaskan cruise (room #7300). It was our first aft balcony. We absolutely loved it! Not only were the views great, but on chilly nights the wind was almost non-existent, allowing us to enjoy the outdoors on our balcony if it was too chilly on the main outdoor deck.
Just returned from a 12 day, Princess Ring of Kerry cruise with an aft cabin. No soot or noise from other decks. One night there was a full moon directly behind the ship which illuminated the wake. Spectacular! This was our 2nd or 3rd cruise with an aft cabin and it was great. Some vibration but drowned out by the sound of the wake. We were in San Francisco with an aft cabin and the views of downtown and the bridges was spectacular. But for some cruises I think it best not to have an aft cabin. We are going to do a South American and Antarctica cruise in 2023 and booked a midship cabin due to the chances of rough seas between South America and Antarctica.
Great comments! Thanks for sharing
We did an Antarctic cruise on Celebrity. I was so worried just like you. We had a midship cabin but because the shop is so huge we couldn't even tell if the seas were bad.
@@daparkerwoman I’m not concerned about the giant swells that can occur as the rougher it is the better. My wife? Not so much. I was in Antartica in 1974 onboard the Lindblad Explorer. One trip was very rough and the 2nd was calm. You just never know which one you will get.
I love how your videos give pros and cons. It allows us to make an informed decision.
We had an aft balcony on the NCL Getaway in August and it was absolutely the best. Incredible sail away view, calming wake and a massive space with 2 loungers and a table for 4. I've booked 3 more aft balcony rooms in the next 18 months! Highly recommend and we had no issues with salt or soot.
I'm leaving soon on the NCL Getaway in an accessible aft facing balcony.
I’m hoping to book my aft facing balcony on the Getaway, would you share the cabin # you had? I need all the info I can get!
We absolutely love sailing in an aft cabin. In addition to the great points made in the video, we also like the ability to see wildlife from there. We often missed seeing whales and dolphins when we were on the "wrong" side of the ship. We increased our odds by being in the back and got a second chance to see them as the ship moved on. We sail soon on the Celebrity Eclipse, and booked an aft corner Sky Suite this time.
Love that! I hadn’t thought of it but that would definitely be amazing
Loved reading this as we have booked an aft sky suite on the Reflection for January.
Never had an aft cabin I didn't like! Just booked our first Holland America Cruise and I found an aft! Looking forward to it!
Now I'm really looking forward to our aft, corner Sky Suite on the Reflection. You've painted a picture that really got me a little more excited. The views, having breakfast served to us on our balcony, while watching the Caribbean goes by, all looks wonderful.
We loved our aft cabin. Go out and see the moon at night in the prop wash was beautiful
Loved our aft cabin on Princess. Agree with bigger balconcy and partial covering is great. We did have a vertical girder in the center of the balcony but didn't bother us. When the sun hit our balcony it gave us a place to be shaded.
We had an aft facing balcony cabin on a canary island cruise ( 30th wedding anniversary) we absolutely loved it, port side corner, huge balcony to eat our champagne breakfast on. We watched dolphins swim in the wake and amazing sunsets as we left ports, we did hear rudder noises and shuddering as we turned into ports but that was our alarm clock to get up and watch the islands come to life, watching the sunset over Madeira was magical, hearing the crickets and the birds there welcoming a new day, ah blissful ❤️
We just got back from our first cruise a few weeks ago, and the aft suite with a wraparound deck was absolutely perfect for an Alaska cruise. My entire vision (such as it was) for that trip involved sitting at the corner of that balcony with hot tea while cruising Glacier Bay. We did exactly that, and it was everything I'd hoped for.
I agree with all of your "pros," and can understand why some people might have some valid 'cons'as well - but it was perfect for us. We did have a bit more motion during some storms than midship did, but Bonine stopped the queasiness and after that I enjoyed it! And we never had any issue with soot or smoke or anything along those lines.
I doubt I'll spring for another suite anytime soon - I got a deal during g the shutdown or I probably wouldn't have done it this time. But an aft cabin has become a requirement for future cruises - we loved it that much!
That’s amazing! It’s so good that you had the experience you wanted as well as a great opportunity
We have sailed more than 25 times and probably half of those sailings were in aft cabins on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity ships. All your comments were spot on regarding pros and cons. We do want you to know that we never...never had an issue with soot but have heard from others who did. We mostly try to book aft-corner cabins for the wrap around views,. The only two cons we would add are ...yes, we have experienced vibrations on some of the smaller ships rear cabins and have had some aft cabins that had very little protection from sun...and therefore rain. But with that said, we have been known to book more than 2 years out to get a "Coveted Aft Corner".
We have an AFT Ext Balcony booked for July 18 on Carnival Breeze. Looking forward to it as we usually get ship side balcony reservations. Thanks for the content.
Very nice!! I hope it’s amazing!
We had an aft cabin on Celebrity as well and we loved every minute of it. We were over a restaurant, but we never smelled any food or had any noise. I wish that I could have an aft cabin. The view that you have is of everything that you pass and you do not have to miss anything that goes by on the other side of the boat. I LOVE IT!
We just got off an Alaskan cruise on the Celebrity Millennium, a sister ship, and stayed in the cabin next to the one in the video with the metal lower wall. It is a huge cabin. You get a phenomenal view off the back, plus off the side, half of which has railings, and you can move forward and see to the opposite shore as well, amazing perspective. We did not have a soot problem, nor and issue with any vibrations. I would try for that cabin again. We were on deck 9 also, but the weather was not conducive for people to gather at the Sunset Bar above us.
We've been in an aft cabin 3 times, all on Carnival (only line we go on). The last was to Alaska on the Splendor. The aft balconies shown in the video seem to be quite a bit larger, definitely longer, then what we've had. The views are INCREDIBLE! We did experience a bit of soot falling on us the first time, but not the others. However, this would be true probably for any balcony cabin behind the funnel. The biggest draw back, I thought, was the engine vibration. We didn't feel it much at all in the Caribbean, but this last cruise on the Splendor was to Alaska. Going Northbound, we REALLY felt it. but, coming back South, hardly at all. But overall, I we can book one, we'll ALWAYS opt for the aft balcony cabin! But, they do sell really fast!
I love the Carnival Cove Balcony "mid ship". main deck. Your close to the water and get to watch all the late runners trying to get on the ship before it leaves port.
Loved my Aft facing cabin suite on the Discovery Princess to Alaska last week. You do feel the vibration and swaying of the boat at times but I didn’t find it bothersome. Our family of three had plenty of space for everything we brought aboard and the wrap around balcony was perfect for being able to view icebergs and wildlife. I would absolutely do it again
We loved the aft balcony on the Disney Fantasy. There was some soot but it was taken care by our room steward twice a day. I would definitely do it again.
We were in an aft cabin about 10 years ago on a very large ship. The soot was so bad we never sat outside because I didn’t want to breathe it in. Never again! Glad to hear this may be improving, but I am happy with a sideview.
Had my first aft cabin a few years ago on a Norwegian ship on a Caribbean trip, and will again next year on Norwegian to Alaska. I found zero cons. Great view (especially arriving and departing ports), endearing sea sounds, generally no hallway noise. Yes, a long walk from elevators, but this fat boy can use the extra steps. Highly recommend, especially to newer cruisers.
Lol love it! Thanks for sharing
We had an aft facing cabin on our recent Alaska cruise on Regent Seven Seas Mariner . It was FANTASTIC in every way, especially where there was an amazing view every way you turned. Not sure it would be such an advantage in the Caribbean but in Alaska it made the cruise extra extra special.
Wow!! That sounds like a phenomenal experience
We are taking a Viking cruise in October and we were able to select our cabin. And we selected an aft facing cabin. Your vid reinforces we made the correct choice. Enjoying your vids. This will be our first cruise in 20 years.
We did an aft cabin on the NCL Jade and it was the best thing we ever did! We didn’t have any soot, dirt and salt was actually less than some side balconies we have had. There wasn’t any obstructions and we had the tinted glass hand rail. It was sooo worth it, and i hope to snag an aft balcony again. We loved it
That’s amazing!! Thanks for sharing
I'm normally a mid-ship cabin person, since I do get seasick with enough motion. But for our upcoming Mediterranean cruise on Regal Princess, I booked an aft facing cabin on deck 8; I *knew* I had to have that view for our various port departures. I can't imagine how great it will look when we are leaving Kotor and going through the "fjord" there, or leaving Naples and having Capri visible in the distance. I just hope that the Mediterranean Sea is as calm as I imagine it to be (relative to the Atlantic Ocean, anyway), so that there isn't too much motion on our few sea days, or when going between ports.
What a great plan! Sounds fabulous
Would love to know how your cruise went! I too get sea sick easily, though the patches help! My friend booked us an aft cabin for upcoming Alaska cruise! Really hoping my sea sickness doesn’t get the best of me!
@@amyb7622 Well… As far as the aft cabin went, it was fantastic! Absolutely loved our huge balcony and the wake views, and zero issues with seasickness. But we ended up catching Covid-19 on day 5 (we think we picked it up during our 2-night pre-cruise stay in Athens). Sick for a full week before testing negative. While we got to see all the ports from the first week, we missed all but one port on the second.
@@ClanOMoraign oh no! So sorry to hear! Glad to hear you didn’t miss it all, but had a beautiful view while confined! Thanks so much for letting me know about sea sickness! All the best and happy cruising!
We just got our cabin assignment on the Majestic Princess for an October cruise. It's an aft cabin with no obstructions! This video was so very helpful.
Deck 7, AFT balcony booked to set sail Oct 3rd. Glad I found this video! Thanks for all your time and dedication to bring us valuable information ! Much appreciated.
First in August 2024 upcoming, also our first balcony ever! So excited to experience this, me hubs and 10 y/0 grandson
We have an aft corner wrap round balcony for next year, I'm so excited watching this.
Wow!!! Very nice cabin! You’ll enjoy the extra large space and view from that corner
@@LifeWellCruised We've had the last side cabin before the aft twice and love a bit of movement with P and O Arcadia, Brittania and next year The new ship Arvia. Always Southampton UK to Southampton.
We have an aft corner balcony, which we were lucky to get on a cancellation, on Crown Princess for 28 days this fall going through the South Pacific. OMG so looking forward to it. The aft profile of the Crown looks great because there is shade offered on the balcony and no one is looking directly down on you - very private. I will report in upon our return. One word of advice and it is how I got my cabin…although we had booked through our travel agent, I looked at the cruise line’s website EVERY DAY, to see if an aft cabin became available. When I saw that it was, I booked it directly on line with a complimentary 4 day hold, then contacted my travel agent who then dealt with the cruise line and got the newly secured room transferred to my existing booking and cancelled my old room. Had I waited until I got hold of my travel agent, that special corner aft cabin may have been booked by someone else online.
I've been on 17 cruises and had several side balconies and several aft balconies. I love an aft facing balcony. There is just something about seeing the world disappear in the wake I find very satisfying. I have never experienced soot.
We had an aft facing on the Princess Sky, Regal and Island Princess. Absolutely loved everyone of them. One other point people should be aware of is that if there is rough water the back AND front will have much more movement. We always start out with our sea sick medicine the first night and then generally are fine after that once our bodies get used to the movement. In fact we kind of like it, but for folks that have the potential to get sea sick .....it may not be for you.
We had an AFT facing balcony on the Ms Konsingdam, Holland America in 2019, Mediterranean Cruise from Rome. It was well worth the additional cost and the views were spectacular. Highly recommend!!
We just got aft 6233 on the same ship. Hoping this is good. The HAL facts doesn’t show the balcony as any bigger. Off to Hawaii!
We had one on a 54 day med cruise which had 2 Atlantic crossings and loved it. The balcony was huge with 2 recliners and a small table with 2 chairs. It was paradice
We sailed on Vision of the Seas with RC and were on deck 7, I believe. Our cabin was to the far left of the aft and our balcony was AMAZING! It wrapped around to the side of the ship!
We Truly enjoyed AFT facing Balconies they are Awesome
Carnival Paradise, Pride, Panorama, Breeze, and Celebration 🎉
Your description was spot on. princess was too much motion, shuddering motion also as you described, and the noise from the water was Extremely Loud.. But on Royal Caribbean it was amazing. Without motion and noise problems.
How interesting. Thanks for sharing your experiences
Love aft facing cabin. Usually more roomy and you can’t beat the views. TFS
NCL Aft Cabin
Went on NCL SUN in July 2022. Had a great time, the views were great. No dirt,soot, or salt problems. Saw some whales, seals and maybe otters on a Alaska Inner passage.
We were on a Carnival Sunrise Aft Balcony and definitely had a soot problem on our balcony!
Just got back from NCL Epic in aft balcony cabin. The view is great and balcony is private. Plus, unlike side balconies where the wind is like a hurricane, the aft balcony is very calm. Now, with that said, the noise of the wake during travel is pretty loud. If you leave the door open at night it takes a while to get used to the noise. (It does drown out snoring though.) The vibration can actually be calming, but when the ship docks the entire ship vibrates to the point it will wake you up. And it's a no brainer finding your way back to your cabin because you always just go to the back. No soot at all. I would definitely do an aft cabin again.
Just returned a couple days ago (01 Jul 2023) from Mexico (Carnival Panorama). Just a warning about LB. Unlike the initial video, we arrived at 1430 and the place was a gaggle. Lines everywhere, we got told to go to the passenger services line (+30 min) but no one, even in line knew why. We got up there and they didnt know why either, so we finally boarded. It was about a 90 minute process. Also, if you are on the back end of the Panorama on the balconies, be aware you will receive a healthy dose of a sticky, black tarry substance on your railing, deck and deck furniture. They will need to clean the balcony every 2 days, this is only on the stern balconies, unless deck 9. Deck 9 has an overhead cover that prevents the tar from landing. But you will have the Tides, pool above you, so it could get noisy for you. We also had the Havana wrap around balcony (8467), the balcony was huge, but the tar crap made it not-so-good. The Havana aspect is a take it as you like it, so read up on it before you book it. Have fun everyone.
We have sailed on princess ships 3 times and 1 more scheduled with great memories of aft balconies. Royal Princess Europe to ft. Lauderdale was exceptional. The wake viewed at night was a fantastic experience. We try to book this type of cabin for all of our voyages.
Great to know!
Good overview. Another con is that the aft balconies are often tiered which means those above can see your balcony. Not true on the Rotterdam but true on others and worth checking out. Also, while we like the aft balcony, the side balconies can be especially nice if they face the port and you can watch the activities taking place.
I am booked on the NCL Getaway in an AFT balcony cabin. It will be my first time in this type of balcony. Your video reassured me of my pro / cons before I booked. Thank you!
I just came off the NCL Joy. I was in 15868. When I tell you it was THE BEST room I’ve ever had I am not joking: I loved the sound of the waves, the view was extraordinary, it was so quiet because there was no foot traffic at all, the aft elevator was not far so I didn’t have far to walk to get the elevator, it was much wider than a normal balcony - I had two deck and two table chairs, there’s zero wind coming into the cabin unlike a front facing balcony so I could keep my balcony door open at all times. 💖
@@BrownPeace thank you so very much for telling me about your experience. I am so thrilled to hear this. I am very excited!
Our first experience in an aft cabin was on the Carnival Luminosa, located on Deck 7. I vowed NEVER to book another aft cabin after than experience, because of the noise. The engines are based at the back of the ship, so with the combination of the wake sound and motors at sea, made it impossible to have a conversation on the balcony. The only way was to pull the chairs next to each other. Even then we still had to talk loudly to be heard. Have a number of cruises booked for later this year through to 2025. The latest one booked is another aft cabin on the Pacific Encounter, Deck 10. Will see how that goes :). Loved your video and the advice given. Thank you!
First cruise was a balcony guarantee and because of late booking ended up with corner aft balcony. So relaxing watching the world flow passed you.
Wow!! Nice luck on that 👌
Love aft cabins. Long walk to it is never a problem as we always take the long wY back to our cabins. Good exercise.
We had an aft cabin on the NCL Epic located on Deck 10 on the corner. We liked it a lot but you did feel a pretty strong vibration (in the morning it was enough to wake us up) when the ship arrived in port and was maneuvering to the dock. It did not really bother us. On one of the nights you could smell the exhaust as we cruised. I think a lot matters on the wind. Not horrible but noticeable only that night. Our room was very quiet. I did notice what you said: that the aft can be a long walk back to the room but that was ok to me if it meant we were away from the travelled areas. Our deck seemed almost deserted at times. One thing I did like was being able to watch the whole process of securing or removing the ropes when the ship arrived or left the dock. You have a great view of that from an aft balcony. Overall I am mixed on the aft cabin. It is great for the view and it is bigger. I am not completely sure I'd want to pay a lot more for it compared to a regular balcony.
I just returned last week from a Caribbean cruise on Carnival Dream. I chose an aft balcony for the wake view and really enjoyed it. I thought ahead and booked a cabin on the 8th floor, thereby avoiding the chair scraping noise from the Lido deck on 10. I cruised in the height of summer and, even with the a/c turned all the way down, it was warm, about 78 degrees inside our cabin. I had engineering look into it, but he found no problems, it was just warm. Thankfully I tend to be cold natured, so it was of little annoyance to me. However, my hot-natured friends would have been miserable. I simply closed the heavy curtains when I left the cabin and that maintained the temp around 78 degrees.
Just recently took a Royal Caribbean cruise and had an aft balcony. It was great. I liked the noise and vibration of the engines. We were on the 8th deck. When the ship encountered rain, there was some soot, but the room attendant got rid of it. I plan to book aft balconies from now on.
As a seasoned cruiser, I will NOT sail unless I have an aft facing balcony. Aft facing was on my first cruise and am hooked! As for the cons you mentioned like a long walk, come on, how high is your calorie intake on a cruise? The extra steps will do you good. I have been on many aft balconies and have never had a soot problem. When you are in port, any cabin could have a soot problem and when under way the soot is lost in the wake. If you are concerned about it, just tell your cabin steward to please wipe it down every morning, they will be glad to do so. These ships are so large we rarely feel any rocking or up and down motion. In November I will be sailing on Constellation, your sister ship and will have the cabin right next to you that you featured. I have had this cabin before and do not have a problem with the sides. It is worth it to have one of the largest balconies on the ship. I think there are only 2 balconies significantly larger than ours and they are Penthouse Suites. I can't imagine paying that kind of money for that!
I love sailing in an aft facing balcony, my next two cruises are aft facing and if able to afford, future sailings as well.
You cannot beat a sunset , or a sail away from this view.
My wife and I had a aft facing balcony many years ago. I loved it. That view is just amazing. My wife didn't like it specifically because of the loud noise from the rushing water below. I guess she is seeking a more quiet and peaceful experience from the balcony.
I wouldn’t cruise on anything but a corner aft…absolutely worth all the extra money. We have out own private sail always every time we leave each port. We make sure we are set with cocktails 30 min prior! LOVE! We use Transdermal patches so we never get seasick.
We love those patches. They have made our cruising and flying much easier. Husband always said I don’t get sea sick. Just out of curiosity he tried one and now we both wear them🤣😂
Sounds fabulous and thanks for sharing your experience
I absolutely loved my aft facing balcony.
We've done aft cabins/Haven twice and once just as a cabin (all on NCL). It's our favorite. One time we had our dinner on the balcony. So many great memories. We would rather not go on a cruise than stay in a non-aft facing. Absolute bliss!
Just got off the Summit on 7/31 and had an aft facing canon. We we also had the family veranda room and my husband said he never wants another kind of room. 💕
We always book aft balconies on Carnival and have never had a problem with soot. Love them.
Thanks for your message! And thanks to your followers … we are headed to Alaska on the Eurodam Holland America and we booked an aft corner room with wrap around deck in August. Our 25th anniversary and we are so excited! Stay tuned and we will share our experience afterwards. Thanks again your videos have really helped me immerse myself into cruise life. 🙏🏼❤️🥰
That’s amazing!! Have a wonderful cruise and please let us know how you like the cabin
We are on Eurodam in Sept with Neptune suite. Please let us know how it went and pros and cons if possible please.. Safe travels
Yes, we’ve booked an AFT facing balcony. We loved it, we’ve book other AFT facing balconies because we loved it so much.
First time cruise Aft 8th level. Fantastic. I'm claustrophobic, hearing and seeing the wake brought me peace. No soot or salt issues. Used patches just incase, no sea sickness. Long walk yes, and I use a roller walker. Good exercise.
That’s amazing!! I’m so glad to hear it went so well
Our loft suite on Ovation of the seas was fantastic. It was beyond all our expectations and had the most stunning views right from the aft facing king size bed each and every morning on our 14 night Sydney to Singapore sailing. Two story floor to ceiling windows, huge balcony and total privacy from everything including the weather. It was an oasis of luxury. We recently booked the aft owners suite with hot tub on NCL's Viva hoping to match our Star Class experience with RCL back in 2016. Hoping the Heaven lives up to the hype!
(Never had any issues with soot or salt Grand Loft Suite 10324)
We had an aft balcony on the NCL Pride of America around the Hawaiian islands. It was huge! We had 2 recliners and table and also 2 chairs with another table.
Just and FYI re the CCL Vista class AFT Balcony cabins ( Not the Havana decks). The aft balconies overlook the Havana pool & hot tub deck (think noisy)/ decks 6 & down have no shade above them. BUT the cabins seem bigger and the balconies are much bigger as well. To each his own. Happy cruising everyone. 🛳️🏝️😎
Second time cruising in aft cabin. Love larger balcony due to my service dog sails with me. My husband and I both were in the Navy so we are use to the jerking from directional changes. It’s less busy and quiet. But I love sleeping onboard ship. To me this is one of the best staterooms we have had. I have tried forward, midship, and aft. Near elevators and midway aft. This is my pick.
Our aft cabin in our recent cruise was amazing. The sounds of the waves...priceless. total shade on the balcony. Total bliss
which ship?
Hubby and I had an aft balcony years ago. Not even sure how we swung it, but it was hubby's FAV thing! (Mine too!) . So much so that anytime I book a cruise, it's the first thing he asks! LOL! So our 20th anniversary is next month and we have aft balcony on a Princess cruise and he is so excited! I KNOW where he will be, like 24/7! LOL!
We seek an aft room.. We always did a balcony but after an aft facing room we were in love! We don't mind the occasional rocking or movement or the longer walks.
We stayed in aft view cabin on 9th deck(9481) on the carnival breeze, and it was noisy in the night. I am told that it was deck chairs moving around. We were told that they pick them up, not drag them. Other than the noise the room was nice, enjoyed the balcony very much.There was plenty of room and the view was very good, could see the sunset and sunrise. Cannot do that on a side balcony without turning around. We enjoy your videos, keep up the good work.
We had our first "Aft " cabin about 4 ships ago. We are big Celebrity folks and on the Reflection were talked into getting a Suite. It was nice, large, and very roomy throughout. But, from that point on we have stuck with the Aft room. So nice. Never had a concern with soot at all. the Room steard always seem to wipe down the balacony. I love the part of some of it is sheltered and some of it is for us sun worshipers. I don't believe we will ever change. We love sea days and our AFT Balcony. Drinks just are better there.
Nice video, good info for those who haven’t tried an aft facing cabin. We're retired and have done over 30 cruises, and have done aft facing cabins 8 times, including Celebrity Solstice: 10 day R/T Sydney to New Zealand and 19 days, Sydney to Honolulu. Thoroughly enjoyed every one. Only once did we experience a soot issue, but that was only one day, on Celebrity Constellation, Fort Lauderdale to Rome. Our cabin steward, just wiped it all down for us. The salt deposit on balcony furniture is something we've experienced with several different cabin locations, like you, we just wiped the furniture down with wash cloth or asked the cabin steward to take care of it if we didn’t have time, or it was late in the evening, etc.
Have you ever stayed in the Celebrity infinite veranda? I have the infinite booked for May 23rd, 2025 for an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle but am considering switching to aft although it is $1,300 higher. This is my husband and I’s first ever cruise and I just don’t know what to do!
We would definitely do the aft cabin for a Real Balcony, I think you would enjoy the Real balcony experience a lot more than the Infinity Balcony. You will actually be outside and can look around a little more. We are booked on Apex, October 23, and opted NOT to do an Infinity Balcony. We tried an Infinity Balcony on Beyond, Panama Canal in February, didn’t care for it. Hope this helps.
We have sailed 4 times with aft facing balconies. The last one was around the world. Watching the wake is mesmerizing. Bigger balcony makes for great sail away parties. Going in and out of ports and through the Suez and especially the Panama Canal was the best. Watching the pilot boat follow us until it was time to come alongside to pick up the pilot was always interesting. Soot has never been a problem. Salty air is everywhere, but it’s never been a problem. A long walk was never a problem. Gotta work off that desert! A vibration can lull you to sleep, is normal and easy to ignore. My next cruise is another around the world on a ship without aft facing cabins. I will miss that. If you love being on the water you will really love an aft facing balcony.
We stayed in several aft cabins and love them.
Aft corner is great. There may be a pole but the extra room makes up for it. It is quite a hike to the gym or spa in the forward part of the ship sometimes, but I just look at it as an added bonus of burning additional calories from the delicious food and drinks. Wear flip flops on the balcony. We saw come broken glass on ours last time after the ship cleaned the balconies during a port day. The pressure wash may have upended some hidden glass from broken wine glasses but luckily I saw it and alerted our cabin attendant that there may be glass not as visible. Definitely don’t be afraid of booking and aft cabin. As my Royal Caribbean t-shirt says, “wake view is the best view”.
That’s great and I appreciate you sharing your points
I really enjoyed this! My husband and I went on our first cruise on Harmony in May 2022. We would take a walk after dinner every night and hang out AFT....I love the view and the sound, and it reminded him of his Navy ship days. In the future we will try an AFT cabin! My only observation (don't want to call it a complaint) was some nights the exhaust seemed extra thick and it kinda marred the view of the night sky. Nothing a few steps sideways didn't take care of, and we still had the great view of AFT. Thank you so much for your videos!
We were in an aft cabin for a transatlantic and loved it. We were traveling with a friend who had the cabin next door so we got to combine our balconies. No problem with soot or other debris.
That was my concern about soot and debrie. Glad to kno it wasnt an issue, for you
Will always book aft facing if available and affordable. Nothing is better than that view! Have never had issues with soot or noise.
Great!!
Love aft facing balconies.. Best place to cruise..
We had a Havana Wrap aft cabin!! It was amazing. Wouldn't change anything about it. One flight down was the bar and our private havana pool on the carnival vista.
We booked an aft facing cabin on Celebrity Edge and loved it! We had a large balcony and it was so quiet there!
We have been in many aft facing cabins, on many different cruise lines and never seen soot. I too have heard from others of experiencing this, but it will not make me shy away from the aft for all of the same reasons you described.
Thanks for sharing
We sailed on the Carnival Legend on an aft balcony. It was covered in so much soot that it was unusable for us. There were carbon specks every inch or two covering all surfaces. Nowhere to sit without getting on us. And really didn't want to walk around and track it back in on the carpet. Not to mention we kept finding cigarette butts each time we checked to see if they cleaned it. The balcony wasn't cleaned the entire cruise, so the salt really built up. We didn't complain to the cabin steward or the help desk because we got tired of complaining. We are seasoned cruisers and this crew seemed off their game. Our cabin was a wifi dead zone and the MDH food, particularly breakfast was off. Maybe to Carnival's credit, the engine did blow the very next sailing, so that may account for the extra soot. We won't likely book another aft balcony after that experience. We tried to make the best of our vacation.
We always get an aft facing balcony when we can’t a suite. We love the view. Yo❤u can always see the port we found the sound of the engines help us to get to to sleep
Nice! Interesting I guess it’s like white noise
We had an aft facing cabin when we cruised the Baltic Sea. The cabin was very quiet, with a spacious balcony. Our only issue was that the Baltic tends to be very choppy and we could feel a lot of movement. However, I am certain that movement was felt throughout the ship. It was a wonderful place to be for the sendoff party.
Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes I think there’s definitely more movement when seas are choppy, but as you said at that point it’s everywhere to a certain point
Our most recent cruise was in an aft balcony room. It was wonderful. We should have booked on an aft corner. I hear those balconies are amazing.
Aft cabins are our preference. We love the carnival corner afts, smaller cabin, HUGE balcony. We've had hit and miss on the soot, i think it depends on how the wind is blowing. The cabin steward will delightfully wipe the chairs and tables for you. We have had trouble with trash flying on our balcony, cigarette butts, straw wrappers. Surprisingly this was on Celebrity and not Carnival. The one thing I would add to your comment on the size of the balcony is that it really depends on the ship and the location, some of them are strange sizes, and not all of them are as big as the one you had on your recent cruise.
Thanks for sharing. It’s good for people to know that they can ask their cabin steward to clean the chairs and table too
We had an aft facing cabin on Royal Carribean Quantum of the Seas (8724) on our cruise to Alaska. We did have soot on our cabin balcony daily. We noticed it was raining little black drops the first day at sea. The room attendant would hose the balcony off in the mornings. We could also hear the music from Two70 below us until midnight every night. It was pretty loud. We did enjoy the large balcony and the view.
Aft facing cabins are my favorite! I’ve never really had any complaints. I did experience some soot one time while sailing on Carnival Spirit. I had a vista suite and every day would find a layer of soot on the chairs and tables. Other than that, I’ve never had any issues with aft cabins.
We just booke a vista suite on the spirit for Feb. Amazing looks suite. Its on the 8th floor. Was wondering about any issues. Love the panoramic deck
We were in an aft facing ADA club balcony cabin on Norwegian Breakaway earlier this month. The balcony was huge! Plenty of room for my wife to maneuver in her electric wheelchair. Something we never had in any balcony before. The only downside was the vibration from the thrusters. But it was worth it.
We had an aft cabin on the Celebrity Eclipse on a Baltic cruise. It was amazing!!! We have booked a Mediterranean cruise for next May on the Celebrity Ascent and got an aft facing suite for our 25th anniversary. We’re so excited to try out this new ship!
Just booked our first Aft Balcony cabin. Love the wake view and sound. I didn't know about the soot problem and will keep in mind to wipe everything down.
We love Aft Facing Cabins. We have an upcoming Alaska cruise in August on NCL Bliss. Have 10 couples going and most are all booked on same deck and have all the aft cabins together for most in party. Should be great fun!