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PROS
Of course, the biggest pro is the free view (click here to jump
down to photos of each room's view) Another benefit is location...other
Category 10 rooms are located on Deck 2, and some of them are under the nightclubs
or other potentially noisy areas. When you are on Deck 5, you are under other
staterooms, so the potential for overhead noise is much less. Another location
plus is that they are forward (in the front of the ship), which puts them in
close proximity to many of the activity areas. Personally, my favorite part
of the ship is aft, but being in the back does involve a lot more walking.
CONS
Of course, nothing is perfect, and this goes for the secret porthole rooms too.
Being far forward can be a problem for people who are prone to motion sickness,
although we have never had a problem with this. Also, there is a light on all
night outside the porthole, and you have to make sure you are "decent"
whenever it is open because you will occasionally see a maintenance worker right
outside (both of this situations are easily remedied by closing the heavy curtains).
Of course, the outside light can be a plus...we left the curtains open a little
and used it as a nightlight.
Also, these staterooms are in a high traffic area because they are the first rooms in the hallway, so you can end up with a lot of foot traffic. Whether or not this is a bother depends a lot on how noisy or courteous the other families staying around you are. Noise is also a greater risk because of four of these rooms being adjoiners. Often, you can hear the people next door pretty clearly right through the door. Personally, I bring a white noise machine with me in order to drown out as much outside disturbance as possible. Although the secret porthole rooms have a greater noise potential, you still run a risk of noisy neighbors in any other stateroom...a lot of luck is involved, too.
Personally, I think that the pros of these staterooms outweigh the cons, particularly if you are on a budget but if you would like some natural light.
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Room
#5520
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Room
#5522 (adjoiner)
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Room
#5524 (adjoiner)
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Room
#5020
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Room
#5022 (adjoiner)
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Room
#5024 (adjoiner)
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| The photos at right show the exterior location of the secret porthole rooms so you can get an idea of where they were located on the ship (note that this is the front of the ship). They are the rooms behind the barrels on the upper floor with barrels, next to the row of "regular porthole" rooms. |  |
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