Delfin III Cabins

Editor Rating
4.0
Very Good
Cabins
Jason Frye
Contributor

Cabins on Delfin III are roomy and quite comfortable. While the smallest rooms are 237 square feet, most rooms are 253 square feet. The Owner's Suite -- a whopping 597 square feet -- is palatial by comparison, thanks in part to the room's position at the bow and the floor-to-ceiling windows making up the entire front wall of the cabin. Every cabin onboard has these same floor-to-ceiling windows -- outfitted with shades and gauzy drapes -- which make the cabins feel much larger and provide fantastic views as you sail.

All cabins come with a king bed that can be reconfigured into a pair of oversized twin beds. A desk in the cabin gives passengers room for a laptop or camera gear or to serve as a defacto charging station. A speaker phone, which allows the cruise director to make announcements, sits on the desk as well. A seating area gives you somewhere to lounge other than the bed or the public areas. Beside the bed are a pair of wall-mounted shelves (with outlets handy) and gooseneck lamps. The lamps, while a nice touch, are about due for a replacement as only one of our two would hold its shape.

Cabin design is modern and clean, with natural touches to remind you you're in the Amazon. The desk and bedside shelves are wood, with a broad, pronounced grain that stands out against the walls. The headboard -- a rich brown faux leather -- and oversized art photograph hanging over the bed brought in more natural touches, as did the inset panels above the bed, which were rough fabric that added the right touch to the room in terms of color, texture, and sound dampening. On the remaining wall, painted artifacts resembling spears or totems hung in a sextet.

Under-bed storage allows you to stow your larger luggage, while the built-in closet and shelving gave just enough room for a pair of people to store a week's worth of clothes. A safe in each cabin (locked and opened by a four to six-digit pin set by the passenger) provided a secure area to store valuables and currency, and since rooms only lock from the inside, this is a nice touch. In terms of security, the ship has cameras and discreet guards who keep an eye on all things onboard.

Each cabin is also outfitted with a hair dryer, iron and ironing board, and laundry bag, and, most importantly, an individual climate control unit. The unit can be tricky for Americans as it displays the temperature in centigrade, but pressing the setting button twice would switch it to the more familiar fahrenheit. Regardless of the number displayed, it was easy to adjust the temperature and fan to a comfortable setting. There's no need to keep your unit running all day; after three or four minutes running, the room was as cool or warm as you needed it to be.

Bathrooms were spacious as well, with a long countertop and single sink, with storage shelf below. On the counter there were the usual soap and lotion, as well as a glass pitcher of water, a pair of water glasses and a refillable, Delfin-branded water bottle (fill it and take it on your excursions, you'll need the hydration). Cabin stewards, in addition to picking up, making the bed and performing turn-down service, filled the pitcher as many times as needed.

There was one thing that may catch American travelers by surprise in the bathroom: the waste bin. Because Delfin is sensitive to the Amazon's environment, and because the ship's sewage system can only handle so much paper, Delfin requests that you put all used toilet tissue into the waste bin and not to flush it down the toilet. Given the frequency of the cabin stewards' visits, smell or hygiene was not an issue. There are small paper bags available for feminine hygiene products, which should be placed in the bag, then tossed into the waste bin.

The shower -- glass fronted and frosted with an image of the jungle -- is roomy and equipped with organic soap, shampoo and conditioner. There are times when water pressure leaves something to be desired or when hot water is at a premium, but if you avoid those busy moments -- immediately after returning from an excursion, as soon as the morning wake-up call comes across the speaker phone -- you won't have issues.

You won't want for charging stations in the cabins as there are several outlets located beside the bed and by the desk. Most outlets were the same as the ones in the US, so there's no need to lug an adapter with you.

Bed and bath linens were both soft and well laundered, as was the robe in the cabin. The cabin stewards replace towels as frequently as you like, but you'll often find a couple of extra towels in the shape of towel origami on your bed when you return from an excursion. These towel sculptures run the gamut from the expected -- frog, elephant, swan -- to the surprising -- a monkey hanging from a coat hanger -- to the truly unusual -- our favorite, a man made out of towels found lounging on our bed.

Suites: Located on Deck 1, there are eight suites, the standard room aboard Delfin III. Spacious at 237 square feet, and equipped with a king (or dual twin) bed, they are the least expensive cabin option onboard.

Corner Suite: The two Corner Suites, located on Deck 1, come in at 253 square feet and feature large windows giving big, 90-degree views of the scenery. In addition to the standard amenities, they include one complimentary 30-minute spa treatment per guest, a stocked mini-bar, a scented bath upon request and complimentary laundry (up to 10 pieces twice per cruise).

Upper Suites: Located on Deck 2, the 10 Upper Suites are large at 253 square feet, but other than the extra space, have the same features and amenities as the suites on Deck 1.

Owner's Suite: A true Owner's Suite (Delfin's co-owner was onboard for most of our sailing), this 597 square foot room included one complimentary 30-minute spa treatment per guest, a stocked mini-bar, a scented bath upon request and complimentary laundry (up to 10 pieces twice per cruise) and 180-degrees of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the bow of the ship. The bathtub had a slice of this big view, as did the seating area, but the bed had a commanding position in the center of the room, giving the most panoramic view of any cabin onboard.

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