Choosing the Best Disney Cruise Room For You

Inside, Ocean View, Verandah or Concierge... Decisions, decisions!

Questions that just about everyone who wants to book a cruise asks when choosing their Disney Cruise stateroom are: 

1.  Should we get a balcony?

2. How bad is an inside stateroom ?

3. Is location that important?

4. Whats the best location for the cost?

Unfortunately, there are no cut and dry answers and the biggest factor in this decision will be your family's own personal preferences and budget... but let's see if I can help you out!

Disney Treasure Inside Stateroom

Disney Cruise Line has four main stateroom categories:

1. Inside – The most affordable, and some even feature a "magical porthole" (screen) with a live video feed of the ocean and surprise Disney character appearances.

2. Oceanview – Includes a large porthole window (some have two small ones) for natural light without paying for a balcony.

3. Verandah (What Disney calls their balcony) – Perfect for morning coffee, sunrise/sunset views, extra sitting space, and fresh air. 

4. Concierge – The most luxurious option with priority boarding, exclusive lounges, larger rooms, and upgraded amenities. This category has oceanview and verandah and suites depending on the ship.

Verandah Room on the Destiny 

A balcony, or verandah, works out well for guests that will find themselves in the stateroom during the day for children's naps, or just a break in the day, since it provides you with an opportunity to still enjoy the spectacular views and gorgeous ocean air, while having some quiet time. A verandah is always enjoyable if you're someone who who's an early riser, or loves to read and spend time on your own. Most Guests love having the opportunity to step right out of their room and be out in the fresh air. (A word of caution, though, do NOT get a verandah because you smoke. Smoking is not allowed on verandahs, only in designated smoking areas on the outer decks.) If you can afford to treat yourself to a verandah stateroom, you certainly won't be disappointed. 

Disney Magic Oceanview

You may also want to take into consideration the itinerary that you'll be sailing on. The most scenic cruises, like an Alaskan and the Mediterranean, may have more of a call for a verandah than some of the other Caribbean itineraries or a Trans-Atlantic, where sailing time is without a view of anything other than the ocean. (Not that the ocean is a bad view, but if you're sailing a coastline looking at fjords, glaciers or villages, a balcony makes more sense.) 

Disney Dream deluxe family ocean view 

Can you enjoy a stateroom without a balcony? Absolutely! In fact, my husband and I don't mind an inside stateroom, without a window. We are only in the room to sleep and shower, so we will gladly save some money! We can always see what the outside weather looks like by tuning into the channel on the tv that shows the live cameras, and it's never a long walk to get somewhere where we can step outside. 

oceanview porthole window

If the idea of being in a room with no window doesn't exactly thrill you, you can also choose a room with a large or small porthole, depending on the price point you want to pay, and where you want to be in the ship. These are just called "ocean view," and are great for some natural light without a verdandah price. I love to get oceanview rooms for my kids to look out, but without worrying about the safety of the verandah. We enjoyed the 5 person deluxe family oceanview room on the Dream! 

Verandah views of Castaway Cay

Location is important too, when it comes to certain things that are specific to your party. If you have a baby, or just a light sleeper, you may want to make sure that you are not near an elevator, as the foot traffic and voices going by can be disturbing. If you are a couple, traveling without kids, you may want to try and be close to the adult only area, so that you just have to take an elevator up to the adult only pool area and spa. On the other hand, if you're traveling with littles who will be using the Oceaneer's Club, being near the midship elevators, or just on the same deck as the club, may be the most convenient. Then there's sensitivity to sea sickness to consider. Generally speaking, the forward staterooms will feel the motion of the ship the most, followed by the aft staterooms. Midship is always the most stable. 

Disney Wish Verandah room

Higher decks tend to cost more, but they’re also closer to the action — pools, kids’ clubs, and dining. Lower decks can be more convenient for quick access to tender boats on port days.

Families often love Deck 6–8 midship on most ships — it’s quiet, central, and not too far from anything. Noise warning: Avoid rooms directly under the pool deck, stage theaters, or above nightclubs.

Traveling with Five People? Not all Disney Cruise rooms sleep five! If you have a larger family, look specifically for Deluxe Family Oceanview or Deluxe Family Verandah rooms. These offer a queen bed, single sleeper sofa, upper pull-down bunk, and a murphy bed. They also include a split bathroom - a major plus when everyone’s getting ready at once.

bunk beds on Disney Treasure

Special Room Types to Know

• Aft-Facing Verandah Rooms: Oversized balconies with wake views (facing backwards) 

• Gaurantee Rooms: These are the least expensive rooms in each category. The catch is, you can't choose your room location or cabin #. It will be assigned to you. If you don't care where your room is, ask for an inside, oceanview or verandah gaurantee to save some money.  There are other stipulations so ask your Kingdom Konsultant Agent to explain all the details.

• Connecting Rooms: Great for families who want two bathrooms and extra space. Not all rooms have connecting doors, but we can specifically book them for you! 

• Accessible Rooms: Available in all categories and tend to be larger, but must be booked for guests who require them. 

• Navigator’s Verandah (on select ships): A partially enclosed balcony that is cheaper that a full sized balcony.

• Tower Suites and Royal Suites: On the newer ships, there are more luxurious room types to choose from like one-bedroom suites and rooms inside the funnels. Ask your agent for more information when it's time to choose your room category, and you want to upgrade to something extra special. 

Concierge Family Stateroom on the Treasure

So, it really all comes down to your budget and preferences. I think a smart way to look at it is to start with looking at the lowest priced cabin that you would be ok with staying in, and then look at how much it is to upgrade to the next step from there. Let's say you know that you don't want an inside cabin, but aren't sure if you want to spend the extra money for a balcony. Price out an oceanview cabin, and then ask what the price to upgrade would be to a cabin with a verandah. You will likely find that upgrade costs are not as high as you would expect. 

No matter what stateroom category you select, you will be in heaven on any Disney ship! 

If you want help deciding on YOUR stateroom location, or you're ready to book your Disney Cruise Line adventure, contact us today! We also have a super easy Quote Request Form you can fill out.  All of our Disney Cruisers get a generous onboard credit to spend on their cruise!

Summer Squires loves to help families book stress-free Disney trips, especially first timers! Email her at summer@kingdomkonsultant.com.