Who Else is Cruising in 2016?

Well I'm excited to say that I'm officially booked on the BSB Europe cruise for 2016 and I couldn't be more excited! I'm rooming with 2 of my lovely past roommates - Cory and Anne Marie and we're ready to take the Mediterranean by storm. I'll be on deck 10, cabin 1074, late dining. Please stop by and say hi!

I think the madness that was the pre-sale yesterday and today is a good indication of the madness that is likely to ensue on board. I was fortunate to snag my cabin yesterday and I have a reservation number of 132865. I don't think it's fully hit me yet that I'm booked and going to be in Europe (AGAIN!) with the Backstreet Boys. And it'll be right around my 30th birthday. What a way to celebrate.

So who else is cruising and what's your cabin number?! Can't wait for round 5!

Who's Cruising in 2014? I am!

Well I can breath a sigh of relief because I'm officially booked for the 2014 BSB cruise and I couldn't be more excited!! This year I'll be cruising with 2 new gals. Quite bittersweet for me as I'll miss my old roommates dearly, but I'm super excited to room with 2 of my other great friends. I'll be on deck 6, cabin U299 and I'm doing late dining. Come say hi!

For anyone curious, my reservation number is 83340, which in some miraculous turn of events is actually the lowest number I've seen so far. Though I'm sure there are better numbers, just haven't come across any.

So now that the booking is done, time for the fun part. Getting excited for the cruise!! That means planning pre and post-cruise trips, door decorations, theme nights and more. I'm so excited!! 

Can't wait to see everyone on board and good look those those booking tomorrow during the public sale.

So who else was able to book and what's your cabin number?!

11 Steps to an Easy Breezy Booking

Hello cruisers- I've been getting a TON of questions related to booking, and understandably so, its stressful! So I thought I'd put together a quick 11 step guide to help with the process. But first I want to answer the most commonly asked booking related question.

How does booking work with a roommate, specifically in terms of payment?

Good question! So here's how it works. You each need to create an account with Rose Tours. You do that before booking. Once you create an account you can put your credit card info in there. So when it comes time to book- only one of you will book the cabin but it'll have a screen where it asks for your roommates name and email address. So for example if you book it, you'll need your friends email address and full name he/she signed up with. Make sure you get the exact spelling. Then there will be a screen where you have the option for 1 person to pay the deposit or for everyone to pay their own portion. Its a nice system such that you don't need to hand over your credit card info to other people.

Ok back on track....
 


Step 1- Pick your Cabin Mates
You can't go any further until you decide on this step because it dictates which cabins are available.

Step 2- No roommate? No Problem!
Don't let the fact that you have no one to go with stop you. Trust me! I didn't let it stop me the first year and I'm so glad I went. If you don't have a roommate, and still want to cruise you have a couple of options. You can do the roommate match program, where Rose Tours will pair you with someone. You just won't know who it is until about a month out.
You can also try to find a roommate on the fanclub forums, twitter, or on facebook. I especially see a lot of folks looking for roommate in the facebook groups. If you cant find the groups, shoot me an email and I'll invite you to the group.

Step 3- Pick your Cabin
Now that you have an idea of how many people you'll be rooming with, you need to decide what type of cabin you want. Interior, oceanview, balcony, or suite. You need to pick what works best for you, your budget, and needs. Once you decide on what type of room, you also have the choice to pick what deck and what specific room you want. I recommend taking a peek at the Ecstasy deck plans so you have a sense of where everything is.

Step 4- Have a Plan B
Make sure you discuss with your roommates what your backup plan is in case your first choice room isn't available. Id suggest having a Plan B, C, and D just to be super safe. There's no time to waste on booking day going back & forth, so be make sure you're in agreement.


Step 5- Devil is in the Details
Once you have the cabin decided- you also want to decide with your roommates which dining you prefer. Early or late. It doesn't really matter, its a matter of personal preference. You may want to check and see what your friends are doing so you can all be in the same group. But just make sure you and your roommates are in agreement.
Another thing you'll need to decide before you book is if you want insurance. I'd suggest reading over the policy on the website to see if it makes sense for you and your situation.

Step 6- Block off the Calendar
Only 1 person is needed to book the room. If you're in charge of booking, make sure you are available when the tickets will go in sale. Past passengers & fan club presale will be January 7, 2014 at 12PM EST. The general cruise will go onsale January 8, 2014 at 12PM EST. So start faking that cough now so you can call in sick the day of.  Do whatever you need to do. I already have a meeting I'll be blowing off.

Step 7- Register Now
Everyone in your party needs to create an account with Rose Tours. This is super important. Create an account here. Make sure you enter all the necessary info including your credit card. If you're in charge of booking, make sure you have your roommates' full name (spelled correctly) and the email address they signed up with. This will tie to the accounts together.

Step 8- Presale Info
If you are participating in the pre-sale, you should receive an email from Ground Ctrl or Rose Tours with the password a few days before booking. Keep that password handy!

Step 9- Have some Wine
Come booking day, seriously, whatever you need to do take the edge off and relax will be helpful. I promise it's not as bad as you think. So try as best as you can not to stress.

Step 10- Book your Cabin
Ok I know this it the big step. You will book the cruise here. It's done through Rose Tours and backstreetboyscruise.com NOT the official BSB website. You will be taken through a series of prompts, its quite painless. I did a previous post with a step by step if you want to check it out to make sure you're super comfortable with the process.

Step 11- Celebrate
Time to excitedly blast all over social media that you are officially cruising with AJ, Brian, Nick, Howie, and Kevin! And don't forget to start that countdown timer along with the diet regimen.

Behind the Scenes at Carnival

Believe it or not, I actually had the chance to go on a 3 day cruise on the lovely Carnival Imagination about 2 weeks ago. I swear being on the Imagination was pure dumb luck, as my main reason for the trip was to visit my brother who is currently working on board. Visiting him gave me a very unique look at a behind-the-scenes view of the cruise. I stayed with him in a crew cabin, ate in the staff mess hall, and hung out with his friends on board

What lies behind these curtains?

Where does the staff live?|
Stop 1- my brother’s cabin where I would be spending the next 3 days. To get there I had to take an elevator allllll the way to the bottom. And just when I think I couldn't go any lower, there were some steps to take me further down. Now if you think your cabin is small, you haven’t see anything. I would estimate the average crew cabin to be about half the size of a standard cabin; and most of them have bunkbeds set up to accommodate 2 people. Plus the average contract of a crew member is 6 months. Think about how much you packed for 3 days…now think about what you’d have to pack for 6 months. Sadly I think I packed more for my 3 day cruise than my brother packs when he’s gone for months at a time :/

Anyway, the cabin itself has 1 desk and a TV. The staff members do get a teeny tiny bathroom en suite, to the point where I literally am simultaneously in the shower, while on the toilet. Yes it is possible. And they actually do have cabin stewards for the crew as well to change their linens. I took a few pics of his cabin, but his room would probably be the equivalent of a suite in the crew world. His position allows him a solo room where he doesnt have to share with anyway; most rooms feature a bunk bed and 2 people living there.

My bro's cabin

Bathroom in crew cabin

Outside my bro's cabin (notice sticker on the left)

I found that they staff very much operates on a hierarchy system with 3 basic groups- crew, staff, and officers. Each of which have their own dining room. It actually reminded me of that Friends episode where Ross and Joey worked at the museum and the blue coats couldn’t sit with the white coats. Anyway, crew members consist of the housekeeping and wait-staff. Staff members include the entertainment department, spa, dancers, shop workers, etc. And officers include, well, the officers.

What do they eat?

Another topic that I know I had questions about is- what do the staff eat? Are they eating in the buffet when we’re not looking? Well, there are 3 separate mess halls on deck 3 for all the staff. They do have buffets down there, but no where near the quantity and variety guests receive. The hours are also rather limiting, so it becomes important to hit the mess hall before it closes, or you’ll be SOL. There were a couple things that surprised me though.

1- They actually had a ‘midnight buffet’ every night for the staff. Though it makes sense if a lot of people are working during the evening and then need to eat afterward. I found it funny that they seemed to have more choices than guests at that hour, because as a guest I find when the clock strikes midnight I had 3 choices for food- pizza, ice cream, or pizza and ice cream.

2- Particularly for the midnight buffet, I actually thought they had some delicious looking international food choices that we don't generally see as guests either. But it makes so much sense considering the staff comes from over 40 different countries- with the highest population coming from India and the Philippines. So naturally they want comforts of home.

Crew members are also allowed to eat in the main dining room on occasion if they fill out a bunch of paper-work. Generally this is done if they have friends/family visiting (ie what my bro did when I visited!)

What do they do for fun?

For most people when they’re done working, they leave their office or wherever they work, and go home at the end of the day. That’s not the case when you work on a cruise ship. You are confined to being on that ship. But I was happy to learn that they do have a lot of ways to keep busy. They have a crew bar called the Oasis Lounge. It’s a pretty chill place with pool tables, TVs, couches, and of course a bar. And the best part (in my humble opinion) is that the drinks are dirt cheap. I got a beer for $1.25, which would be 5 times the price if I went upstairs to a guest bar.

Crew bar

Aside from crew bar, they do have activities planned for the crew such as movie nights, talent shows, and karaoke to name a few. They also receive discounts on most all of the fun things guests are offered such as 40% off at the spa or a discounted rate for excursions.

Generally, how does their schedule work?
When you go on a cruise, you know how quickly they turn those ships over. As soon as that last person leaves the prior cruise, the next batch of guests is eagerly ready to board. So when do crew members have time off?

Well, most crew members will sign 6-month contracts and pretty much work for 6 months straight. They will have blocks of time off, especially during port days. But for all intents and purposes, they dont have a full day off in 6 months. So what my brother has done in the past is work 6 months on; come home for 1-2 months; and back out for 6 months.


Well, those are the highlights. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask! And if it's something I don't know, I'll ask my brother.

Free BSB Giveaway at Cabin M46

Having a fabulous time at Disney!! Wish you were all here with me so we could take over Disney and spread the BSB love to Pluto and the gang. I’m so happy I was able to check in, because I almost forgot to tell you guys something important! Well, really it’s a shameless plug for my door, but nonetheless still important. Yes, you read the title correctly. My roommates and I have a free little BSB-related goodie for you outside our cabin- M46 on deck 5 forward. Unfortunately I can’t give you any hints as to what it is, but hopefully I’ve piqued your interest enough. Muhaha. So come grab a Free BSB Souvenir and say hi while you’re there!

KTBSPA
~Laura, Chrissy & Cory

PS- Can you tell I've had too much Disney excitement over the last 5 days?!

Cruising 101

For many of you this is not just your first Backstreet Boy cruise, but this is your first cruise period. So I wanted to put together a list of my most important cruise tips, tidbits, and recommendations. For many of these categories I’ve already given a full run down in previous posts, but here is the cliff notes version of the tips I think are most important. Plus a few new ones as well.

Planning

• If possible, arrive a day early. Too many things can go awry with flights so it’s nice to give yourself a little buffer. That ship will not wait for you if you’re late.
• Make sure you have all your passports/visas/ID/documentation all set to go as soon as possible.
• Approximately 2weeks prior to boarding you should get an email from Rose Tours instructing you to “check in” for your cruise and print out your Fun Pass, which acts as your boarding document for the cruise. Don’t forget this!

Packing

• Plan for all sorts of weather. Yes, you’re in the Caribbean but you’re on the water thus it gets chilly at night on the deck or in the main theaters.
• Think about what you want in your carry on. Similar to a flight, you have the option to check some of your luggage and Carnival will deliver your suitcases directly to your room. If you choose this option, make sure you pack items in your carry on that you will need those first few hours aboard. For example, if you want to get your door decoration up right away, make sure you have everything you need with you. Or if you want to take a dip in the pool right away, take your swimsuit.
• Despite my massive packing list, my biggest tip is to not over pack. Consider exactly what you will need and want you want to wear for each event. Pack no more, no less.
• Finally, don’t stress too much about packing! There are shops on board that will contain some of the essentials you may have missed. Plus there are tons of other friendly girls who would be more than willing to lend you a hair dryer should you forget.
  
  
  

Embarkation

• Get to the port early- While they instruct you to get there between 1 or 2 and don’t set sail until 5pm; they will almost always let you board between 11-12.
• Bring proof of citizenship and a credit card/cash deposit. Also make sure your name matches exactly with what Carnival/Rose Tours has on file. I’ve seen newlyweds not able to get on the ship because their documents didn’t match.
• You will be issued a Sail and Sign card which acts as your room key acts, ID while on board, as well as a ship charge card. But like with any credit card, you have to pay it off at the end of the cruise.

Money

• Tipping- Don’t worry about it! Tipping for any of your cabin stewards or dining room staff is already covered in your Rose Tours fees. And if you’re getting drinks at the bar, Carnival automatically adds 15% to your bill. No need to double tip.
• Most everything is included in the cost of your cruise EXCEPT for soda, alcoholic drinks, specialty dining, spa treatments, internet, casino (bingo), excursions, and shopping. 
• Make a budget so you don't overspend.

What to do first

• You can’t go to your room until 3:00 or so thus keep this in mind when deciding what to do because you may have your bags with you.
• Stepping on the ship can be daunting especially if its your first cruise so I recommend you get a lay of the land and take a quick tour of the ship when you get on board.
• Lifeboat drill- You are required to do this the first afternoon, no way around it. Only lasts about 15 minutes though.
  
  
  
  Just as much fun as it looks

Cabins

• Expect a small room, even if you booked a suite. Cruise cabins are not comparable to a hotel room.
• If you have an interior room, remember you won’t have any natural sunlight. I like to change the TV to the channel that is a live stream of a camera from the bridge so I have some resemblance of sunlight.
• Be prepared for the fact that there aren’t many outlets in the room.

Contacting Home

• There are computers/internet available on board but at a very steep rate.
• Cell Phones- Typically you won’t get a signal when at sea, but once we are in port you should be okay. Just check with your cell carrier about roaming rates before you leave, so you are fully prepared. I typically turn my cell phone off the entire trip to avoid roaming charges.
  
  
  
  Internet Cafe on the Carnival Imagination

Food/Beverages

• Food is free and plentiful. The quality is debatable, but personally I enjoy it. I’d recommend you take advantage and try new foods. If you don’t like anything, you won’t be going hungry.
• Take advantage of the free beverages. They include lemonade, ice tea, water, coffee, tea, hot chocolate. During breakfast they will also have cranberry juice, orange juice, apple juice, and grapefruit juice.
• There are usually specialty bakeries or coffee shops that will charge extra, but I find there are plenty of good free options.
• If you drink a lot of soft drinks, buy a soda card. You pay a flat fee for the entire cruise and can get unlimited drinks.
• Room service- Its free on a cruise so why not order some pancakes to be delivered to your room as a wakeup call? I wish I could do that at home.
• Talk to the maitre d if you have any special dietary restrictions.

What to do on Board

• Backstreet Boys, duh! Though I don’t think we really need a tip for this.
• There will also be shops, a casino, a spa, a gym, night clubs, pools and more.

Debarkation

• Ugh, my least favorite part. Be prepared to leave EARLY! They typically want you off that ship around 8am. There is usually time to squeeze in a quick breakfast though.
• Review your bill before you leave. Last year they accidentally charged me for my roommates expenses. It’s easier to take care of when you’re still there.
• You have 2 choices for disembarkation. Self-debarkation is when you bring your luggage off the ship yourself, allowing you to leave when you want. Your second choice is assisted debarkation, which is where Carnival will carry your luggage off the ship for you. With this option, you need to place your luggage out the night before and you are also at the mercy of when Carnival calls your section to leave in the morning. I always do and recommend self-debark unless you need assistance carrying your luggage. And if you have an early flight to catch, definitely do self-debark.

What to Expect- Cabins

A cruise cabin is not quite like your average hotel room. It’s very similar but with a few subtle nuances of a difference so I wanted to give you a quick rundown of what to expect with your cabin.

Standard Oceanview Cabin

Most importantly, depending on which deck and which cabin you booked, you will generally find the room to be smaller than your average hotel room. It’s completely livable, but not quite as spacious as you would hope for. The cabins have all your standard hotel items- seating area, tv, storage, desk, beds, etc. Most will have twin beds, which you can push together upon request if you’re traveling with a significant other (or you just like to be cozy with your roommate) If you have any more than 2 people in your room, don’t be alarmed when you only see 2 beds in there upon first walking in. Any remaining beds will actually pull out from the ceiling, to create a sort of bunk bed.  However they are generally not pulled down during the day so the room doesn’t feel as cramped.

Other points of note. There is a safe in the room if you want to lock up your valuables. I’ve never actually used it before but its operated with your credit card or a driver’s license. In the room you should also find bathrobes. If you like them, you can purchase them to take home, but they are free to wear during your stay on the cruise. There is generally 1 or very few outlets in the room. Plan accordingly.

There will be a TV in the room that generally broadcasts a few of the major US networks (ABC, NBC, CBS), several channels with ship information, and 1 or 2 movie channels. I find that they work better when you’re in port, but not as well when you’re at sea. Another nice feature of the TV is that it is interactive. You can now check your shipboard account from the TV, order room service, and order pay per view movies. But when you’re on a Backstreet Boy cruise, the only channel you really need to worry about is the Backstreet Boy channel.

Oh the bathroom….what to say about the bathrooms. Cozy does not even begin to describe the bathrooms. It can only fit 1 person, and I wouldn’t even say 1 person comfortably. You can practically take a shower, brush your teeth at the sink, and go the bathroom all from the same spot in the bathroom. While cozy, it does have everything you need.  If this is your first time on a ship, be warned the toilet flushes different than what you’re used to- remember you are on a ship. Basic toiletries will be provided every day including a shampoo and conditioner dispenser in the shower as well as soap. They may have a few other goodies in there as well. Most bathrooms are also equipped with a hair dryer, though its notorious for being pretty weak. So if you need a heavy duty blow dryer to look your best for the boys, Id suggest bringing one from home. One other tip with the bathroom is that there is generally a clothes line hidden in the wall of the shower that can be pulled out to hang wet clothes.

You will have cabin stewards clean up your room twice a day. Once in the morning to make your bed and replenish toiletries, towels and such. And once again in the evening before you go to bed they will turn down you room, which is where the cabin steward basically gets your bed ready for you, puts a chocolate on your pillow, and turns your towel into a fun sort of animal. In my cruising experience, the cabin stewards are usually fantastic. You rarely see them actually in your room, yet every time you return to your cabin its spotless. My only tip when it comes to cabin stewards is that they will be in your room at least twice a day so just be cognizant about leaving valuables out in the open. And not even just valuables. There job is to keep the cabin clean, so sometimes they will move your things around which may cause some confusion later.

Towel Animal!

While I’m rarely in the cabin, the key times that you will actually find me in there are when I’m sleeping or getting ready. Discuss with your roommates what their shower schedule is. My biggest piece of advice when it comes to the cabin is to coordinate getting ready with your roommates. There really isn’t enough room for more than one person to get ready at the same time, plus there aren’t extra mirrors and outlets. So for example if you all wanted to shower and change before dinner, I would suggest you assign times for people to get ready. 5:00- girl #1 gets the entire cabin. 5:30- girl #2 gets the entire cabin; etc.

My last tip for you interior cabin folks is to take advantage of the cruise channel that is a live feed of the outside of the ship. Otherwise you have no concept the weather outside when you’re getting ready. I like to keep this channel on overnight so I can still wake up to “sunlight” and not oversleep. Otherwise that cabin is pitch black and you have no concept of what time of day.

 Standard Interior Cabin

I'm Officially Booked!

Yay!! I'm so relieved that I'm officially booked. I've been stressing these past few weeks on who I'm rooming with, which room to get, and even whether or not I should go.

So in the end I decided to room with 2 of my friends from last year- Chrissy and Cory. We got an interior cabin for 3 people on Deck 5. More specifically we'll be in cabin M46, so come say! We were hoping for Deck 6 but did not see any available.

I felt the booking today went pretty smoothly. The site went live a few minutes before noon and luckily we had no problems getting through and even selecting which cabin we want. There seemed to be a little concern around the reservation numbers as some girls had the same one. I speculated that it could be a different set of reservation numbers for the different dining seatings (early vs late) or perhaps the suites were on a different system than the rest. However Jeannie from Rose Tours clarified that the reservation numbers are time stamped and supposedly the first four digits are meaningless, which would then explain why some people got the same reservation number. Not sure the validity of this.

But just in case you're curious..my reservation number is 1136. It also appears that the numbers start at 1100 this year. So in the event that these numbers do matter, we made out pretty well. Just FYI for new cruisers, the reservation number dictates your position in the lounge, which is why everyone is stressing over it (myself included)

So now that the cruise is taken care of, I have to start thinking about making arrangements for the rest of the trip. This includes booking flights, get a hotel room for the night before, await the announcement of an acoustic show (at least I sure hope so) and make plans to extend the trip with some sort of pre-cruise adventure. 3 days is just too short of a trip for me. If I'm going to fly down to Florida anyway, I figure why not? I'm strongly considering going to Disney World for a few days before the cruise. It's only a 4 hour drive from Miami and seeing Disney World around Christmas time is so magical. Plus there's the added bonus of possibly seeing Brian. He took his family last year after the cruise, so there's always a slim chance of running into him.

Aside from all the logistics, I also can start thinking about more of the fun stuff. I plan on buying a new camera, some new outfits, thinking about my door decoration, figure out plans for Nassau, etc.

Lots of fun to be had in the months to come so keep checking back for more updates, tips, and my lovely opinions. If there's anything you'd like to hear about, feel free to post a comment below or send me an email. I'd love to hear from you.

How did you past cruisers make out today? Meanwhile good luck to Fan Club members for their pre-sale on Wednesday and everyone else trying on Friday for tickets! Let us know how it goes.

We Can Pick Our Cabins This Year

Just announced on the official BSB cruise site:

New this year, you will be able to select your exact cabin when making your reservation.
Once you pick your category, you will be able to choose your cabin. Please take a minute to look over Carnival's Imagination deck plan so you are familiar with your cabin options. Click Here to View Deck Plan.
Please keep in mind cabins will go quickly.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out they throw me a curve ball! Even though I’m incredibly indecisive, I think this is a nice addition so you have more control over where you will be staying. It allows you to coordinate with your friends so you can get rooms near each other. The other benefit is that you will know where your room is right from the beginning, rather than having to wait until a few weeks before we cruise. So ideally you can get to know your neighbors that much sooner.

Since we have more control over where to stay, just wanted to point out a few things when selecting your cabin. I would recommend midship as being the ideal location for obvious reasons. You are halfway between both ends of the ship. If you debating between forward and aft, there are a few things to note. Typically if the waves are rough you might feel slightly more motion towards the front of the ship because if you think about it, that’s where the waves meet the boat. However in the aft, you will be right above the engine and the anchor so it could be noisy. When we are coming and going from port, the anchor can get quite loud. Considering we will be arriving in Nassau at 8:30am and leaving at 7:00am, that will not be a pleasant wake-up call (If you’re even sleeping that is).

Since midship tends to be more expensive than forward or aft, I’m personally leaning towards aft myself. I figure I will be awake most of the trip and even if I will be sleeping I’ll be too darn tired to let the noise even bother me. I wish it was Monday already so I could be booked and be done with all the decision making.

***EDIT*** Some people are having are having trouble with the link to the deck plan. If the Carnival site is giving you trouble, you can view the deck plan here as well.

Cabin Fever

I know I'm not the only one stressing over which cabin I want to get. There are just so many things to consider! I thought Id share a few things I've been debating over in hopes it may help you decide.

Interior vs Exterior- If you get seasick, or fear that you may get seasick, I’d recommend an exterior cabin so you can look out at the horizon. Exterior rooms also have the benefit of sunlight, which is helpful trying wake up (that is if you plan on sleeping at all ;) ) But interior cabins are far cheaper and the reality is, you will not be spending much time in your cabin anyway.

Balcony vs no Balcony- No decision necessary as the Carnival Imagination does not offer room with balconies. That makes one less decision for us!

Suite vs non Suite- Aside from the fact that there is more room in a suite and the cabins are nicer- If you book a suite, you are guaranteed one of the first 6 rows to the events. This is a huge perk. If you buy a suite, you will also have a greater chance of being on the same floor as the Backstreet Boys or at least closer to them. While the perks are fantastic, the cost is obviously a lot more for a suite. You’re looking at an additional $1000+ per person

Which deck do you want?- I didn’t realize until rather recently, but you can select your deck and placement on the deck. For example if you are looking at an inside room for 2 people you could decide you want deck 2 midship or perhaps deck 7 Fwd/Aft. The higher up you go the more money you’ll pay. In my opinion, you gain nothing by being higher up, well, except you will be closer to the buffet. Another factor to consider is that the Backstreet Boys will most likely be staying on Deck 6 in the suites. So if you wanted to be closer to them, you can try your luck there. Just note that there will be security blocking off their hall, so I’ll leave it to you to decide if the extra money is worth the extra potential glimpse.

# of People in the room- You can get a room for up to 4 people, which I’ve done and it can be cozy but it does cut costs. If you decide to go with any more than 2 people per room, those people will have to sleep in a bunk type of bed that retracts from the ceiling. Also consider the fact that you will have to coordinate getting ready, and make room for everyone’s suitcase. Plus, there’s the inevitable drama that comes with too much estrogen in one room.

To room with friends or not? – Well, this could probably be a whole separate post in itself. But really think about this before deciding to commit. Its great to room with someone you know and trust, but it might be fun to meet new people. You just want to think about if your living habits will be compatible. I have this same philosophy outside of the cruise. Its just not worth ruining a friendship over.

Handicap accessible rooms- Be sure to ask for handicap accessible room if you need it. They are typically larger and equipped to handle a wheelchair.

I’m still debating which type of cabin I want. I'm so tempted to splurge on an ocean-view or suite, but the reality is my budget is causing me to stick with a good ole interior cabin. I'm just going to wait until the full price list is revealed before I decide how many roommates I want to have.

Happy cabin shopping!