We were also on deck 8 and as first time cruisers not sure what to expect, but we also heard a bit of scraping noise above us but luckily for us, it was only for about 5 minutes and we could hear the hoover but then it was over and we heard nothing more, we were towards the back of the ship in cabin 8073. Some people say it is better to be in the cheaper lower deck cabins but I worried about noise from the engines - can you hear it more down lower?

As first time cruisers you obviously were not aware of the need to pick your cabin very carefully to avoid noise, and any other factors that may upset you whilst in your cabin? It always pays to experienced cruisers BEFORE booking a first cruise. They would advise you on the cabin positions in general to avoid, along with many other things that a first time cruiser just would not have a clue about. Unfortunately, you learnt the hard way! Happy Cruising.