Is a Balcony Worth It? Carnival Panorama Cabin Comparison – 8445 & 8459 #CarnivalCruise #CruiseLife
We’re excited to show you what cabin options look like on the Carnival Panorama. We’ve toured both an interior cabin and a balcony stateroom to give you a clear idea of what to expect when you book your cruise. Each type of room has different features that might work better depending on what you need and your budget.
The interior cabins are perfect if you want a dark, cozy space to sleep without spending too much. The balcony rooms give you more space and natural light, plus you get your own private outdoor area. We’ll walk you through the layout, storage options, bathroom setup, and some helpful tips we learned along the way.
Key Takeaways
- Interior cabins offer comfortable sleeping spaces with good storage but no natural light, making them ideal for budget-conscious travelers who want a dark room
- Balcony staterooms provide outdoor space, more room, and natural light but come at a higher price point
- All cabins include basic amenities like hair dryers, safes, and shower products, though you may want to bring extension cords for devices and your own hair care products
What to Expect from Carnival Panorama Rooms
Room Categories
We saw two main room types during our cruise. Interior rooms don’t have any windows or natural light coming in. These rooms work great if you want a dark place to sleep and don’t mind missing the ocean views.
Balcony rooms give you access to the outdoors. You get your own private space with chairs and a table where you can watch the sunrise or sunset. The balconies aren’t huge, but they’re big enough to sit outside and enjoy some fresh air.
What You’ll Find in Interior and Balcony Rooms
Both room types come with beds that are really comfy. Each person gets their own nightstand with a lamp. The beds have plenty of space between them so you don’t feel cramped.
Storage and Organization
You’ll find these storage options in the rooms:
- Two closets with hangers (some have clips for pants)
- A safe for passports and small devices
- Drawers for clothes and personal items
- Shelf space in the closets and on counters
- Cabinet space for organizing your things
Electronics and Charging
Each room has a desk area with:
- Two USB outlets
- Two standard 110 outlets
- One European outlet
- A telephone with a directory
- A large TV
The nightstands next to the beds don’t have outlets or USB ports. If you need to plug in medical equipment like a CPAP machine, you can ask your cabin steward for an extension cord. We prefer to bring batteries instead because extension cords create obstacles on the floor.
Bathroom Setup
The bathrooms are a good size and include:
- Shower with curtain
- Shower gel and shampoo (we recommend bringing your own if you care about hair quality)
- Shelves on both sides for storage
- Magnifying mirror
- Sink with soap
- Towels
- Clothesline for drying bathing suits
- Outlet for razors
- Tissues and trash can
Other Room Features
Interior rooms have a cooler that opens in an interesting way. Balcony rooms have what we call a cooler instead of a fridge. It keeps items cool but not cold. It won’t work for breast milk or medical equipment that needs to stay cold, but it’s fine for water or beer.
The drawer at the desk has a hair dryer. You can’t move it around because it’s plugged into the drawer, but it gets the job done in 20 to 30 minutes.
Both room types have temperature controls so you can adjust the air conditioning. The rooms can get warm, so the AC is usually set all the way to cool.
Balcony Rooms Only
Balcony rooms have a couch that probably converts into a bed if you need it. There’s a table that’s big enough for snacks or a meal if you want to eat in your room.
The balcony has two chairs, a table, and dividers between you and the next cabin. You can see the promenade deck below and watch people walking by. Some cabins have larger balconies than others.
Connecting Rooms
Some interior rooms have adjoining doors if you’re traveling with another family and want rooms next to each other.
Daily Essentials
You’ll find door tags to let your cabin steward know if you want to sleep in. There’s also a notepad and pen at the desk, though the pen isn’t anything special. If you’re diamond level, you get free laundry service. Other guests need to pay for it, but the bags and slips are in the drawers if you want to use the service.
Inside the Cabin
Where You’ll Sleep
The cabin has two comfortable beds with plenty of space between them. Each bed comes with its own nightstand and lamp.
The main light switch is on the nightstand. Interior cabins are very dark since there are no windows. This makes them perfect if you want a cozy spot to sleep.
In balcony cabins, there’s also a large couch that can turn into a bed if needed.
Places to Keep Your Things
The cabin has two closets with hangers inside. Some hangers have clips for pants. One closet is tall for long items, and another section has a shorter bar for shirts and other shorter items.
Inside the cabinet, you’ll find:
- A safe for passports and small devices
- Several shelves
- Drawers for organizing
There’s a good amount of drawer space throughout the cabin. We found plenty of room to store all our belongings without feeling cramped.
What’s Inside the Room
The cabin has a large TV and a nice counter with space to set out your items. There’s also a writing desk with a telephone.
A cooler is built into the cabinet. It keeps drinks and water chilled but doesn’t get cold enough for medical items or breast milk.
The table is a decent size if you want to have a snack or small meal. We also noticed some shelf space for keeping things organized.
Electrical Outlets and Brightness
At the desk area, there are:
- Two USB outlets
- Two standard 110 outlets
- One European outlet
The vanity area has a mirror with its own light switch. It also has a European plug, two US plugs, and two USB ports.
Important: The nightstands don’t have any outlets or USB ports. If you need to plug in medical equipment like a CPAP machine, you’ll want to bring a battery or ask your cabin attendant for an extension cord.
Each drawer at the vanity contains a hair dryer. The dryer stays plugged into the drawer, so you can only use it in that spot.
The interior cabin is quite dark without extra windows. The lighting comes from the lamps and overhead lights controlled by switches on the nightstands.
Balcony Stateroom Tour
Sleeping and Common Space
We’re showing you cabin 8459, a balcony stateroom. The room has a nice bed with two nightstands on each side. Each nightstand has a cabinet and a light.
We need to point out something important. There are no outlets near the bed. If you have a CPAP machine or other medical equipment, you’ll need to bring a battery or ask your cabin steward for an extension cord.
The main light switch for the room is located on one of the nightstands. We also have a large couch that can probably turn into a bed if needed. There’s a good-sized table where you can enjoy snacks or even a meal if you want.
The room has a big TV for entertainment. We found some nice artwork on the walls too.
Private Outdoor Space
We have a balcony, and it’s pretty bright out here. The space isn’t very large, but it’s enough to enjoy the sunrise or sunset.
Our balcony has:
- Two chairs
- A small table
- Dividers between cabins
- Fresh air and views
We noticed the cabin next to us has a much larger balcony. Our view shows the Queen Mary and the dome. We’re hoping this view will change once we leave port.
Below us is the promenade deck. We can see the patio villas down there where guests can lounge. People can walk by and start conversations with guests on those patios. That’s not really our thing, but if you’re very social, you might enjoy it.
Storage and Bathroom Features
The room has good closet space near the entrance. There’s a long hanging area with hangers, including some with clips for pants. We found a second bar for shorter items.
One cabinet contains:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Shelving | Multiple shelves for organizing |
| Safe | Fits passports, small devices, jewelry |
| Drawers | Storage space with laundry bags and slips |
We have a cabinet with a cooler inside. We’re calling it a cooler, not a fridge. It keeps items cool but not cold. It won’t work for breast milk or medical equipment that needs to stay cold. But it works great for water or beer.
There’s a desk area with a mirror that has a light. We found a European plug, two US plugs, and two USB outlets. The drawer contains a hair dryer that stays plugged into the drawer. You can’t move it around, but it’ll get the job done in 20 to 30 minutes.
The desk has a telephone with a contact directory. There’s a QR code for important information if you connect to the ship’s free Wi-Fi. We also found a small notepad and pen in the drawer.
The bathroom has a large step up when you enter. We have a shower with a curtain, and it comes with shower gel and shampoo. We highly recommend bringing your own shampoo and conditioner if you care about your hair. The provided products work fine for a quick fix though.
There’s a laundry line you can attach if you want to dry bathing suits. The bathroom has shelving space on either side of the mirror. We found a magnifying mirror, tissues, toilet paper, a small trash can, a sink with soap, and towels. The bathroom size seems very fair.
The air conditioning unit is automatically set to all the way cool. These rooms can get warm. We have door tags if you want to sleep in and let your cabin steward know.
At the entrance, there’s a ship map showing where your muster station is located.
Bathroom Features
Shower and Bath Supplies
The shower has a curtain and comes with shower gel and shampoo. We recommend bringing your own shampoo and conditioner, especially if you care about your hair. We always bring our own products, but the provided ones work in a pinch.
For guys, the shampoo and shower gel work just fine. There’s a laundry line you can attach if you want to dry bathing suits or other clothes. A small shelf in the shower gives you a spot to place your items.
Sink and Vanity
The sink area has shelves on both sides to store your things. You’ll find a magnifying mirror mounted on the wall. Extra tissues and toilet paper are provided, along with a small trash can.
There’s an outlet for your razor. The vanity includes soap at the sink. We think the bathroom size is very fair for a cabin.
Storage and Outlets
The bathroom has shelves on either side for storage. Towels are provided and stored in this area. The space works well for keeping your bathroom items organized.
The vanity area outside the bathroom has two US plugs, two USB outlets, and one European outlet. A light switch controls the vanity light. The drawer contains a hair dryer that stays plugged into the drawer while you use it.
Cabin Tips and Recommendations
Making the Most of Electrical Outlets
We noticed that the cabin has several different types of power outlets. At the desk area, you’ll find two USB ports, two standard 110 outlets, and one European outlet. There’s also a light switch for the vanity light right there.
The nightstands next to the bed don’t have any USB chargers or outlets. If you need to use a CPAP machine or other medical equipment that requires power overnight, you’ll want to bring a battery pack. You can also ask your cabin steward for an extension cord, and they’ll be happy to give you one. We prefer using batteries because extension cords can create tripping hazards across the floor.
The bathroom has an outlet that works well for razors and other small devices.
Getting Your Clothes Washed
If you want the crew to wash your clothes, you’ll find laundry bags and order forms in the cabin drawers. Just fill out the form with what you need cleaned.
Diamond members get free laundry service. If you’re not at diamond level, you’ll need to pay for the service.
You can also hang wet clothes to dry in your cabin. The shower has a clothesline that stretches across. Just attach it from one side to the other. This works great for drying bathing suits or other items.
Adding Your Own Touches to the Room
The cabin comes with plenty of storage to make the space feel like home. We saw one guest had decorated the counter space with crystals, which added a nice personal touch.
You’ll have drawer space and shelves where you can keep your belongings organized. The closets come with hangers, including some with clips for hanging pants. There’s both long hanging space and shorter bars for different types of clothing.
The counter and desk areas give you room to set out your items. Some cabins have a nice big counter space and a writing desk where you can arrange things however you like.
