First time cruiser. Room 5648 on Magic? About This Page:

[caryl]

This room is on deck 5, 2nd from the back, It has the solid railing and is set back some from the one next to it. I used Small World Travel, (wish I didn't), so Disney can't talk to me about changing room. Travel agent says she'll "put in a request".
I'm told mid-ship, clear railing, and higher deck is better.

[iamgrumpy]

I'm sure your TA will put the request in and hopefully they can find a Category 6 that is maybe on a higher deck or with a clear railing. If not from what i have read that area tends to be very quiet and while the solid railing may not be what everyone prefers the cruise is so much fun i'm sure you will still have a great time regardless of where the room is.

Welcome to the boards!

[OffKilter_Lynn]

I can give you a few facts about the cabin you're currently in. It is located aft, in the curved section of the ship. That gives you a slightly bigger verandah and a beautiful view straight back from the ship (excellent at sunset!) It also means there will not be any noisy foot traffic in the hallway. The one drawback to cabins in this area is the potential for noise and vibrations from the thrusters when docking.

I hope they'll be able to switch you to a cabin more in-line with your request. Welcome to the boards and I hope you enjoy your cruise!

[Dave Marx]

The "midship, higher deck" advice is questionable, as far as I'm concerned. The higher the deck, the more motion you'll feel. Midship? Most folks feel aft has the least motion (as the bow rises and falls, the aft of the ship moves the least, midship somewhat moreso).

The solid steel railing will effect the view, of course, and the amount of light that will come into the room. However, a bit less light and a bit more privacy are not necessarily such a bad thing.

It the old days, the first class staterooms were on the highest decks, and I think the "high deck" thing is a holdover from those days. Of course, cruise lines still encourage that association by having the cheapest staterooms on lower decks, and increasing the price as you go higher. For suites, high floors are traditional, whether in a hotel or on a ship. It's a status thing, and sometimes, you get a better view (not all that better on a ship). While it's true that the verandahs on the higher decks are about six inches deeper than those on five and six, there's no difference in interior stateroom dimensions. Personally, I see no reason to pay extra for a Cat. 5 over a Cat. 6.

Each deck has different proximity to different facilities. If you'd rather be within easy stairway walking distance from Deck 9, then pay for a higher deck. However, the higher you go, the farther you'll be from the dining rooms, necessitating elevator rides at the busiest times of the day. If you have kids who will be participating in the kids clubs or care at Flounder's Reef, Deck 5 is great, since those facilities are on Deck 5. Deck 5 is also very nice for stairway access to Decks 3-5, where you'll find all the restaurants, theaters, and the adult entertainment district.