thank you for the Tr very informative
Some time can you do a little mini review of the stateroom choices , please thanks
Sure. The Ponant boats are laid out similarly. If you go to the following link, you can view the rooms by clicking on them, which also allows viewing of a room plan and videos. If you scroll down to the ship, and click that, you can bring up deck plans.
Epicurean Delights: The Food & Wine of Sicily: from Valletta (Malta) to Sicily. Duration: 9 days, 8 nights on board. Theme: Timeless
au.ponant.com
The lowermost cabin deck (say, 3) will have 'lower deck balcony stateroom', much the same as deck 4 'upper deck balcony stateroom' - (the latter also called 'Prestige' staterooms), except lower deck will have a large window and a regular door whereas deck 4 (and above) will have large sliding door to the balcony. Both pretty tight, but manageable. You don't spend much time in them except to sleep! Separate v small loo, also bathroom - stand before the sink, and separate shower. Oodles of storage space - and on cruises, you unpack completely!
Decks get more expensive as you go up (even same room type), but not as you go from, say, bow area to midships, unlike SilverSea for instance. I choose deck 4 midships for stability, and price. Deck 5 waste of extra money for same room.
Deck 5 will also have 'upper deck balcony staterooms', but with inter-connecting rooms.
Deck 5 and above will have 'Deluxe suites' which will be 50% bigger and more than 50% more expensive; priority boarding, butler service for all the upper deck types. More like a small hotel room. Never been in one, but look to me to just have more main floor area, and extra 'dressing room' area. I thought the latter would be a waste, but on SilverSea, the 'dressing room' is really good for storing bags etc.
Deck 5 and above will also have 'Prestige suites', twice as big as the 'upper deck balcony staterooms' and is essentially a double cabin. Can take 4 (ie kids in sofa bed I guess) 'Privilege suites' are smaller than Prestige.
Grand suites and owners suite top-of-the range; baths, big rooms, big terraces, the lot. Tend to be at the ends and upper decks, so if stability is an issue may not be great choice, although the boats are small, so no point really high and swaying, except in worst seas.
Main a la carte restaurant tends to be on lower deck, or deck 2 and pool and buffet restaurant tends to be on upper-most deck, say 6. Lifts in the middle and bow. Like hotel rooms, I stay away from the lift areas.
