Royal Caribbean Specials and Carnival Cruise Specials are current as of January 31, 2005. Prices vary by sailing date.

News, Notes and Specials

I know, I know, it is cold just about everywhere. After all, it is February and with few exceptions across the USA, it is the middle of winter and it feels like it. That typically means cold, snow, ice, sleet etc. etc. The good news is... now is the perfect time to plan your summer vacation. Start thinking about the warm tropical weather you will be enjoying on one of your favorite cruises to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda or Mexico.

In the February issue of our monthly newsletter, we will discuss a popular topic with many of our customers and that is how to choose the best stateroom. It must be one that compliments your needs as well as providing the best available value to you. With the exception of the very experienced cruiser, stateroom selection is often one of the most confusing decisions to make when selecting your cruise. We will break down some basic details and help you navigate through this important process.

Don't forget about our winter special, where you can earn shipboard credits when you book on Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Celebrity or Norwegian. Don't worry, summer is right around the corner!

- CruisePerfect.com

Winter Special

We are offering one of our most exciting specials for those customers who book a cruise during the winter months for anytime in 2005 or 2006. Book online at CruisePerfect.com with one of the following: Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Carnival or Norwegian and receive a shipboard credit applied to your stateroom, it is that easy!

Select a cruise line below for the best fares to your favorite destinations

Here is how to calculate the amount of your credit. Add up all the cruise fare not counting any taxes and fees or airfare charges and use the simple chart below to see your credit...

Complete details of this offer available here.

 

Selecting the Perfect Stateroom

Part 1 of a 2 part series.

Pop quiz... Is an inside stateroom better than an outside? Is a category 4A better than a 6A? How about a category 12 compared to a 7? You thought when you finally decided on which cruise to take, on which ship, on the date that worked for you and your friends that you were done, Right? Well, pretty close you still need to decide what type of stateroom you want to spend your cruise in. The selection is very wide and varies from cruise line to cruise line. Below is a detailed summary on the "ins and outs" of stateroom selection that will surely help you the next time you book your favorite cruise.

Where to start?

First, let's consider the basics of selecting a stateroom. There are three basic considerations that everyone needs to make when selecting a stateroom.

1) How many people will be occupying the stateroom?

2) What type of stateroom do I want?

3) Where should my stateroom be located?

How many in a stateroom?

This decision is often the easiest to make. Often, the cruise lines will tell you how many people can fit into a specific stateroom. Sometimes, you are traveling as a couple, thus the decision is easy. Other times, you are traveling as a family of 3 or 4 with small children and again your decision is pretty simple. In all of these cases you will select one stateroom and your entire party will be traveling in the same room.

When traveling with more than 3 people, the first decision to be made is do I select one stateroom or two? For the maximum enjoyment of your cruise, we always recommend 2 adults per cabin and up to 2 children per stateroom if they are young. We will discuss in more detail below the sizes of staterooms. Typically, most of your time can be spent lounging out by the pool or enjoying one of the many activities through out the ship. In most cases the only time you will be in your stateroom is when you are sleeping or planning what to do next. Cruise lines offer reduce fare rates on the 3rd and 4th person in a room, so when traveling with small children, I recommend taking advantage of this offer whenever possible! Once your children reach their teens, for not much more money, you can get a second stateroom next to yours for what is typically a very reasonable amount. Having enough space to rest in your own stateroom is more than worth the extra expense.

Here is how to understand the cost difference between booking a stateroom for 4, or selecting 2 separate staterooms each with 2 adults. (Staterooms are based on double occupancy)

In this first example, there are 4 adults sharing this stateroom on the Royal Caribbean sailing shown below. The Total price for this sailing is $1146.20

In the second example, when it is available, there are only two adults in each stateroom. By adding two of these staterooms together, the total for the two staterooms is $1386.20 or about $240 more than a single stateroom. You can decide in this example is it worth having the extra space for the additional amount you will be paying.

There is often a misconception that by booking another stateroom and splitting up the party, that the price would nearly double. As you see here, the price is very reasonable for having your own stateroom!

What type of stateroom?

Those that have cruised in the past understand the fundamental differences between a stateroom on a cruise ship and a hotel room. While there is a host of small differences when comparing the two, the most significant difference is the size of the stateroom. The typical hotel guest room ranges anywhere from 275 square feet to 450 square feet. The picture to the right is a fair representation of a typical hotel room that many of you may have enjoyed during your travels.

A typical stateroom on a cruise ship is designed much more efficiently. While a stateroom on a cruise ship has many similar amenities as the hotel guest rooms, they typically range from 130 square feet to 250 square feet for a standard inside stateroom. As we discussed above, when deciding on how many people will occupy a stateroom, the size of the stateroom is often a significant consideration.

Each cruise line has different names for the types of rooms; the cruise lines call them "Categories". I can make this easy for you, the types of staterooms fall into 4 basic types. Inside Staterooms, ocean view staterooms, balcony staterooms, and suites are the 4 primary types of staterooms available today.

The inside stateroom, sometimes referred to as an interior stateroom is typically the best priced category on a cruise ship. Most inside staterooms range from 130 square feet to 190 square feet. Inside staterooms are great when you are on a budget, you are traveling with small children, or you have large groups of different aged travelers. We have booked several cruises where we have booked a balcony stateroom for the adults, and just outside their door is an inside stateroom for their teenage children. Below are several examples of inside staterooms across various cruise lines.

The Ocean view stateroom, or Outside stateroom is often the same size as the inside stateroom but with one major difference. The ocean view stateroom adds a window to see the Ocean so you can be in the comfort of your stateroom and watch the waves of the ocean while you are sailing between destinations. Ocean view staterooms are great when you never want to be far from the ocean, there is not many hotel rooms that give you a view out to the beautiful blue waters of the ocean. Below are several examples of an ocean view stateroom.

In our March newsletter we will discuss the most popular staterooms on a cruise ship the balcony staterooms. We will also cover the varying types of Suites available. We will also cover the best area on a ship to select when choosing where your stateroom is located.