Unlike her newer sister the Crystal Symphony, the Crystal Harmony does have a number of inside cabins (staterooms) that sell for several hundred dollars less per cruise than outside rooms on the same deck. As I have had both inside and outside rooms on other ships, I can only offer that the difference is how you feel about having money in your pocket compared to having a window.
A local friend recently telephoned me with a long list of questions about how to book on Crystal Cruise Lines. I directed my computer to Crystal's WEB site which has prices, deck plans and other information. My caller does not 'believe in' using the Internet. (It might be easier to telephone me. He had already spoken with the folks at Crystal by telephone. I assumed that he was trying to save money; so I recommended an inside room. I also suggested that he consider booking a room that is listed as having an 'obstructed view'. He beat around the bush for a while. I thought perhaps the entire cruise was out of his price range as both he and his wife are teachers.
Excuse me. Boy was I wrong! He wanted to book a much more expensive room. One with an outside unobstructed view. Apparently I had come close to insulting him. There was no point in backpeddling as I had made a strong case for saving money.
With an inside room or one with an obstructed view you get the same basic size room for your catagory, degree of service, meals, entertainment and use of the rest of the ship. Why pay several hundred dollars per person per week more? Status? Who cares?
The lack of interest in inside rooms caused Crystal to eliminate this catagory of room totally when the newer Crystal Symphony was built. That space is now used for service areas, staff quarters, offices and such. It's a same really, as some of us really do enjoy getting more cruise for our money. It's makes enough of a difference that perhaps we can take an extra cruise once in a while. That means more to me than a window.
The exception to this rule for me is when the object of the cruise is scenery. We went for a room with a balcony on this trip to Norway as the scenery was incredible. With the Midnight Sun we often both fell asleep and woke up with incredible views of the fjords. One morning I woke up just as we were going under the Firth of Fourth Bridge in Scotland. What a treat! I ran out on to the balcony in my night dress. I'm sure an impressive sight.
But on the average cruise going to the average place, I prefer the least expensive room I can get. My opinion. Crystal Cruise Lines.