I booked a 'secret porthole' room on a Disney cruise that gave me ocean views for a cheaper price, and it felt like getting a free upgrade
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- I recently booked one of Disney Wonder's deluxe inside staterooms with a "secret porthole."
- Even though the window had an obstructed view, it brought a lot of natural light into the room.
As someone who's been on over 50 cruises, I've heard a lot of chatter about the "secret porthole" rooms on some Disney ships.
Even though these cabins have exterior-facing windows, the cruise line lists them as deluxe inside staterooms, and they're much less expensive than ocean-view staterooms.
But there's a catch: The portholes in these "secret" rooms have partially obstructed views.
So ahead of my family's cruise aboard the Disney Wonder, I decided to book one of the rooms and see if it was really possible to enjoy ocean views in a budget-friendly inside stateroom. Here's what it was like.
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I booked my family a 214-square-foot deluxe inside stateroom for a four-night voyage aboard the Disney Wonder.
My stateroom, number 5520 on deck five, had an exterior-facing porthole that Disney Cruise Line didn't advertise during the booking process. In fact, the website says the room has "no exterior view."
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The cabin's porthole looked like it was the same size as the ones in nearby ocean-view staterooms, which were much pricier to book.
The porthole offered a slightly obstructed view, which is likely why Disney sells this cabin as an inside stateroom, but it let a ton of natural light into our room.
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The obstructions didn't bother me since I could still see the ocean and admire ports.
The porthole was right next to the living area, which had a three-seat couch and a small table.
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Above the couch, there was a piece of art displaying Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas.
The rest of the cabin lacked artwork, aside from a photo of Walt Disney and his wife, Lillian Disney, near the dresser and closet.
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However, there were a lot of subtle Disney-inspired details, including the Mickey Mouse ears on a wall sconce.
There was also nautical decor throughout the room, including light shades that showed cruise ships sailing around the globe.
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The blanket at the foot of the queen-size bed also featured some nautical imagery. Unlike large beds on many other cruises, the queen didn't separate into two twins.
The room could sleep two additional guests thanks to a pullout couch and a retractable bed, which is where my son stayed throughout the trip.
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The top bunk had a whimsical night-sky design above it, and my son could easily turn the built-in night-light on and off on his own.
We could separate my son's sleeping area from the queen-size bed using a thick, dark curtain.
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Across from my son's sleeping area, there was a desk, drawers, a mini fridge, and a flat-screen TV that swiveled between the living area and the queen-size bed.
The desk area had several USB ports and outlets, giving me a place to charge my electronics and plug in the blow-dryer that was provided in the room.
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The stateroom had a split-bathroom design, with a toilet and a sink in their own room.
The shower and tub were in a separate room, along with a second sink.
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The adjustable showerhead was a nice touch that can accommodate adults and children regardless of their heights.
Reusable containers of H2O+ products were featured throughout the bathroom, which added to the stateroom's comfortable, luxurious feel.
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This "secret porthole" stateroom offered ample space, useful amenities, imaginative design touches, and many comforts at a lower price point than a traditional porthole room, and we'd love to book it again.
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