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Balcony vs Inside


CruiseLovah82
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My first and only cruise was in a balcony cabin. Loved loved loved the balcony. My next cruise will be in an inside cabin in order to keep the cost low. I'm keeping an open mind. Maybe I'll end up liking it and maybe I'll hate it. Either way I can't wait to find out. Based on other's reviews and experiences I'm most concerned about it being so dark I end up sleeping my day away and missing my morning coffee on the balcony.

 

For those who usually cruise inside, why do you cruise inside vs balcony and what do you love about it?

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I would NEVER do an inside...I HATE electric lights when the sun is out! However, my mother would NEVER book a balcony....she feels she gets the same experience as I would , but for MUCH less money! It all depends what's important to you!

 

If you're worried about sleeping the day away...turn the TV to the outside view of the ship...turn the sound all the way down...when the sun comes up, it will "light up" your cabin.

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I would NEVER do an inside...I HATE electric lights when the sun is out! However, my mother would NEVER book a balcony....she feels she gets the same experience as I would , but for MUCH less money! It all depends what's important to you!

 

If you're worried about sleeping the day away...turn the TV to the outside view of the ship...turn the sound all the way down...when the sun comes up, it will "light up" your cabin.

 

Thanks for the great tip to "light up" the room. I will definitely do this!

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I would NEVER do an inside...I HATE electric lights when the sun is out! However, my mother would NEVER book a balcony....she feels she gets the same experience as I would , but for MUCH less money! It all depends what's important to you!

 

If you're worried about sleeping the day away...turn the TV to the outside view of the ship...turn the sound all the way down...when the sun comes up, it will "light up" your cabin.

 

Did your mother "get the same experience" you got by booking her inexpensive inside cabin and then making use of the balcony you paid for? Just wondering...

...not that it's any of my business, but you started it...:p :rolleyes:

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We've always cruised in a balcony cabin and are cruising next week (Baltics) for the first time in an inside.

 

We live in Denmark and in the summer, we have 18 hours of daylight, give or take. Blackout shades and sleep masks work to an extent, but not really, and the birds start singing with the sunrise. We've booked an inside so we can get our first decent night's sleep since April!

 

If you're worried about sleeping the day away, set an alarm.

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I have limited experience, only 4 cruises. One suite, one balcony and 2 insides.

 

I don't like the insides at all. On my TA 13 days , I caught a nasty cold, and felt pretty crappy. I was in my windowless cabin for over 24 hours, never again. I have 2 more coming up one balcony and one OV. I won't do inside, or bottom decks either.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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Insides are great with me, I love a completely dark room for sleeping. I do keep a tiny battery operated tea light in the bathroom so I don't have to blind myself if I need the necessary in the night. I do leave a wake up call, easily done by your cabin phone. I rarely need it, learned long ago to wake when i tell myself a certain time, and am always within 10 minutes of that time. Thanks Uncle Sam!

p.s. since this next cruise is likely my last, I opted for a balcony this time! can't wait.

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I've had both experiences for me balcony is best. we had an ocean view first the balcony every other time it's nice been able to walk outside without having to go up to the public areas. Some people don't mind the inside cabins and others prefer balcony everybody has their own preference

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My last cruise was over a decade ago, but hopefully I can still offer a worthwhile perspective.

 

We chose a porthole room and even found that to be an unnecessary extra expenditure, since we ended up using the room only to sleep and only really needed the bare-bones option. This was a Bahamas trip, and for my upcoming Caribbean trip I am going with the interior option to save money. If you don't spend a lot of time in the cabin, going for the cheapest room possible is a great way to save hundreds of dollars.

 

On the other hand, someone I know just went on an Alaskan cruise and she said the balcony was well worth it. I think balconies can be more worth it for certain destinations; in the Bahamas or Caribbean there might not be much to see but miles of open ocean, whereas other destinations can be more scenic. If you're really interested in having a private view of the scenery (and can get a room on the correct side of the ship to view said scenery!) it can be worth it to get a balcony. It's one of those things where there is no one right answer.

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My first and only cruise was in a balcony cabin. Loved loved loved the balcony. My next cruise will be in an inside cabin in order to keep the cost low. I'm keeping an open mind. Maybe I'll end up liking it and maybe I'll hate it. Either way I can't wait to find out. Based on other's reviews and experiences I'm most concerned about it being so dark I end up sleeping my day away and missing my morning coffee on the balcony.

 

For those who usually cruise inside, why do you cruise inside vs balcony and what do you love about it?

 

I think it is terribly rude for others to post their opinions that they would NEVER do an inside cabin, when you are looking for confirmation and encouragement in your decision to cruise in an inside. You already know the joys of the balcony.

 

I am in your same situation. I have booked my first inside for our upcoming 11 night cruise in March. I am very nervous about it, but I keep looking at the numbers and the price difference just doesn't justify a switch. On our previous cruises I have noted that we really do not spend that much time on the balcony. It is very nice to have, it is a luxury. I think if I can get that idea of missing out on a "luxury" out of my head, I will be fine. I plan on meeting more people and enjoying the public areas of the ship.

 

So, for those of you "STRICTLY BALCONY" people, if you can't say something nice, just don't say anything at all.

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Inside cabins work great for some. Not so great for others.

 

depends how often you spend in your cabin.

On that balcony cabin being your first cruise you probably did not use it as much as someone that cruises a lot

 

Inside cabins are great choice for a new cruiser-- who use the cabin to shower, sleep and change.

 

Inside cabins are EXTREME dark-- not just dark. set a wake up call to wake up-- even if for a nap too

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Oh the balconies are nice, and yes if the price is right I will go for the balcony, and so many people say for instance I would not do Alaska or some other without a balcony, I say I am not skipping a cruise because I could not afford or get a balcony.

Also I still believe there is a lot to be said for the inside in that it gets you out on deck and sharing the experience with others, seeing everyone, enjoying the view, that "Oh my look at that!" is not the same on a balcony by yourself or just one other. So I kind of have an odd feeling in that I would enjoy the balcony more on a cruise where there is actually less to see as you cruise. Can go out and just enjoy the sea and breeze and waves and serenity.

In the passages and viewing the glaciers on an Alaskan cruise, out on deck, with everyone else, seeing the wonders God has made is just fine with me. I will just stop for a snack and drink on the way back to my inside cabin and be just fine.

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This is a great topic. I've cruises 50 or so cruises. My first on QE2 was an inside. It was small but the rest of the ship was so luxurious it did not matter. I was also 35. Five years ago I booked an inside on an RCI. So small a room I could not get over the bed. My jewelry was stolen so it added to my disappointment a lot!

Bottom line for us is to find a good value on Oceania, Celebrity, Princess and RCI and then book 99% of the time a Balcony. We did do OV in June on Pacific princess. Found it just fine as the public areas were so spacious.

 

We enjoy our cabin time so no insides if they were giving them away. All good suggestions tho to have a flashlight, TV on, wake up call and be aware you get all the same amenities and points towards getting up to perks of Elite +.

 

Tis nothing nicer, tho, than seeing sunrises and sunsets from your private balcony.

 

have a great cruise.

 

DIanne and Al

Victoria BC

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I'm back from my inside cabin cruise and thought I'd post back. We didn't mind the inside cabin and would book one again.

 

If the price difference was negligible, we'd probably go for the balcony, but if it's a few hundred dollars or more, we can't justify the expense because all other aspects of the cruise are equal and we we really don't spend much time in our cabin... balcony or not.

 

The only thing we sort of minded was that DH had to go down to the lower promenade deck every morning and report back on the weather. But he stopped by the coffee bar and brought me a chai latte, so it worked out great for me :D

 

I'm prone to seasickness and was worried about out how I'd do in our aft inside, but I took ginger and wasn't seasick at all.

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I'm back from my inside cabin cruise and thought I'd post back. We didn't mind the inside cabin and would book one again.

 

If the price difference was negligible, we'd probably go for the balcony, but if it's a few hundred dollars or more, we can't justify the expense because all other aspects of the cruise are equal and we we really don't spend much time in our cabin... balcony or not.

 

The only thing we sort of minded was that DH had to go down to the lower promenade deck every morning and report back on the weather. But he stopped by the coffee bar and brought me a chai latte, so it worked out great for me :D

 

I'm prone to seasickness and was worried about out how I'd do in our aft inside, but I took ginger and wasn't seasick at all.

 

Thank you for posting back with your recent experience. I'm glad your interior cabin worked out for you. I'm sure the chai latte from DH helped! I'm pretty sure we'll be ok too. I just have to remember to set an alarm and keep the muted tv on.

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  • 4 weeks later...

We book an Ocean View, either picture window or portholes. On most ships the porthole cabins are listed in the Inside section and are priced as Insides. I have found that we never really utilize the balcony in that type of cabin. You also have to sometimes deal with people smoking or partying on the next door balcony. You can also get the same view from an Ocean View cabin as you can from the Balcony cabin. Just as I would never book a hotel room that had no windows I would not book an inside cabin. Everyone has their own preferences and requirements and should simply book the cabin that meets those two criteria. Just as some folks book party type ships like Carnival and Royal Caribbean others book more reserved ships like Holland America and Celebrity.

My requirements are only that the cabin is located in a quiet area of the ship. Cabins above and below, not directly opposite the elevators, not anywhere near a nightclub or the theater, and hopefully not next to cabins that allow up to 4 people.

 

As far as cabin utilization goes. We are not dogs where we are let out at daybreak and brought back in before bedtime. Our cabin is our home away from home. Just as we don't spend the entire day and part of the night outside of our home, returning only to go to bed, we follow the same pattern on a ship.

Edited by Floridastorm
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I've been on 3 cruises, 2 inside and 1 balcony. The lack of sunlight was always an issue with the insides, but that tip about putting on the ship view TV channel is good... Anyway, my balcony cabin was on a cruise to Alaska, and while it was certainly nice to have, I honestly didn't use it that much. My next cruise will be a studio with a digital window.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Been on six cruises. First two were inside. Next three were balcony. I loved balcony so much I thought there was no way I could ever do an inside again...until my last cruise. Went back to an inside to save money and I realized that it didn't matter what kind of cabin I had. What matters to me is the cruise itself.

 

Like others said, when you have an inside, you leave the cabin more to experience what the ship and scenery have to offer. When I was in a balcony room, I stayed inside our cabin a lot more to enjoy the view from our room. Which meant I didn't enjoy the rest of the ship as much.

 

Of course it all comes down to personal preference, but you'll probably have just as good of a time, no matter what kind of cabin you have.

 

ETA: My upcoming cruise is another inside cabin. I feel spoiled no matter what class of room I have.

Edited by hucifer
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Been on six cruises. First two were inside. Next three were balcony. I loved balcony so much I thought there was no way I could ever do an inside again...until my last cruise. Went back to an inside to save money and I realized that it didn't matter what kind of cabin I had. What matters to me is the cruise itself.

 

Like others said, when you have an inside, you leave the cabin more to experience what the ship and scenery have to offer. When I was in a balcony room, I stayed inside our cabin a lot more to enjoy the view from our room. Which meant I didn't enjoy the rest of the ship as much.

 

Of course it all comes down to personal preference, but you'll probably have just as good of a time, no matter what kind of cabin you have.

 

ETA: My upcoming cruise is another inside cabin. I feel spoiled no matter what class of room I have.

Thank you for this encouraging information. As previously posted, I too am taking my next cruise in an inside after having a balcony on our last eight cruises. You have helped to ease my concerns.

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Thank you for this encouraging information. As previously posted, I too am taking my next cruise in an inside after having a balcony on our last eight cruises. You have helped to ease my concerns.

 

I am so glad! I was concerned about "downgrading" to an interior, but I would not have had a better time if I had a better cabin. So much, like I said, that I booked another interior cabin while I was on that sailing. Looking ahead to future cruises, I will absolutely consider interior cabins first. And I used to consider myself a balcony snob. :)

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...

If you're worried about sleeping the day away...turn the TV to the outside view of the ship...turn the sound all the way down...when the sun comes up, it will "light up" your cabin.

 

We have often booked Inside cabins, even for long cruises, in order to afford more cruises. Using that bow tv channel at night and turning the sound way down is exactly what we do in order to know when it is daylight.

 

We have had a balcony cabin twice and enjoyed the balcony but usually the cost difference is too much for us so we choose inside.

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All of our recent cruises have been in inside cabins, but we had balcony or ocean view cabins for several others a few years ago. As I have aged, I find that I sleep through the night more easily in an inside cabin because it is so dark. The last thing I want to do is lie awake at 3 AM on a cruise ship! I also can sleep later in the morning in a dark cabin rather than awaking as soon as the first rays of the sun come in beside the balcony door or the curtains. The other plus of an inside cabin for us is that the lower cost helps offset the ever increasing airline costs. We don't enjoy the 12-14 hour drive to the ports anymore so the inside cabin helps to keep the total vacation cost at a level similar to earlier cruises when we drove to the port.

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  • 2 weeks later...

 

As far as cabin utilization goes. We are not dogs where we are let out at daybreak and brought back in before bedtime. Our cabin is our home away from home. Just as we don't spend the entire day and part of the night outside of our home, returning only to go to bed, we follow the same pattern on a ship.

 

This is actually the funniest statement that I have read on cruise critic. I agree with you. Sometimes I need to get away from people and the cabin is my sanctuary (just like my home).

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