Jump to content

20th Anniversary cruise- room question


wardwhitty
 Share

Recommended Posts

We are pretty big cruisers but almost always with kids. So for our 20th we wanted something special. We are looking at the Sky princess for March of 2020. Right now the Aft Facing Balcony and Mini suites are the same price. I had an avid Princess cruiser co-worker who only booked the Aft Facing Balconies but a mini suite ????? This cruise has 3 sea days so we will be out on our balconies a fair amount. We are also interested in the Balcony dining option. Has any one done this and is it worth it?

 

My question is: which would you do and why? are there any special perks we should consider? Any expertise in this area would be greatly appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We love the mini suites for the extra room - but if you are going with the balcony the aft facing are the best for views (if you have weather issues the aft cabins can get a little rocky)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If the stern-facing cabin is a deluxe balcony (cabin category D- rather than B-) the only major difference between the D- and a mini suite (M-) is that the mini suite has a second TV and a tub in the bathroom. And two glasses of "unpacking juice" to greet you at embarkation (not for a second to be mistaken for actual champagne).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

regular mini suite or CLUB CLASS mini suite? -

 

we don't do tubs, so the aft deluxe balcony would be for us

 

 

we've got a regular aft balcony - not 'wake facing aft' booked for the 3 day 12/4/19..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes there are balconies (not aft) that are bigger than 'standard', depending on the ship.

Not sure if there are any on the Sky, or if they are available?

 

If you are not booking well in advance, those would probably be all booked up.

 

For example, on March 7, I see

D407 Deluxe Balcony- larger balcony.

E405 Deluxe Balcony (obs. but not really obstructed) - larger balcony

And, I am seeing something called Premium Deluxe Balconies with what looks like extended balconies on Deck 9. Assuming those will be at least partially/mostly uncovered. I don't know, but look maybe 1/4 to 1/3 covered, and the extended balcony uncovered.

 

There are always L301 or L302 with the larger angled standard (not deluxe) balconies.

Pool access - but might be noise?

 

I also wonder if soot might be an issue on some of those aft-facing balconies?

 

Happy Planning!

Edited by Wishing on a star
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The mini suite would always be my choice because it’s a bigger room, bigger bathroom with a tub/shower, more storage and a sofa. There are also 2 TV’s. We did a balcony on our last sailing for the first time as that was a special that I received and I really missed the room that the mini-suite offered us.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are pretty big cruisers but almost always with kids. So for our 20th we wanted something special. We are looking at the Sky princess for March of 2020. Right now the Aft Facing Balcony and Mini suites are the same price. I had an avid Princess cruiser co-worker who only booked the Aft Facing Balconies but a mini suite ????? This cruise has 3 sea days so we will be out on our balconies a fair amount. We are also interested in the Balcony dining option. Has any one done this and is it worth it?

 

My question is: which would you do and why? are there any special perks we should consider? Any expertise in this area would be greatly appreciated.

The aft facing balconies are deluxe balcony cabins with slightly larger balconies. If they are the same price as a mini suite I would select the mini. The mini is larger with a larger bathroom and larger sitting area. If by balcony dining you are referencing the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, this can be ordered in either cabin. If you are referring to Club Class Dining then you can only get that if you book a Club Class Mini Suite or a full suite.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The aft facing balconies are deluxe balcony cabins with slightly larger balconies. If they are the same price as a mini suite I would select the mini. The mini is larger with a larger bathroom and larger sitting area. If by balcony dining you are referencing the Ultimate Balcony Dinner, this can be ordered in either cabin. If you are referring to Club Class Dining then you can only get that if you book a Club Class Mini Suite or a full suite.

Club Class dining has nothing to do with eating on your balcony!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Club Class Mini Suites are mid ship - they do include CC dining which is wonderful. I the price is not too high I would go for the CC otherwise I do like the larger balconies in the aft cabins - we once hosted a cocktail party for 8 on one

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are also interested in the Balcony dining option. Has any one done this and is it worth it?

There are several really good videos on YouTube for the Ultimate Balcony Dinner.

After you watch one of those, you'll know what it's about and if it's something you'd want to do.

We rarely book a balcony, but we have one on the Royal next year and I'm drooling to try the UBD.;)

IMHO: I'd go with the aft balcony. Love them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For a special occasion , I would definitely consider doing the Ultimate Balcony Dinner . I arranged for this once as a surprised to my DW. My preference was to plan it for a day with a late departure , however an AFT balcony would probably reduce that need as it should be fairly well sheltered. The meal was amazing and the service top notch . Here is a picture for motivation9d40cd7945984f3b3562a45c02bbd6bf.jpg

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Ultimate Balcony Dinner is our go-to celebration on Princess. We've done four. My advice is to pick a good night early in the cruise. We waited once until the last night of a cruise to celebrate DH's birthday on its actual date. It's nice if you have a late departure from a port, but we've also had it at sea as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for the responses. You all brought up some things i didn't think about. How much bigger is the balcony on an aft facing then a mini suite? I didn't think about the balconies being uncovered on the aft which may be nice for a little sun but could get really hot. I think we definitely would do the Ultimate Balcony Dining it seems like a great option for our anniversary.

 

Thank you again !!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you all for the responses. You all brought up some things i didn't think about. How much bigger is the balcony on an aft facing then a mini suite? I didn't think about the balconies being uncovered on the aft which may be nice for a little sun but could get really hot. I think we definitely would do the Ultimate Balcony Dining it seems like a great option for our anniversary.

 

Thank you again !!!

Standard mini suite balcony is approximately 9' x 4'. Some mid ship minis have larger angled balconies. The aft facing deluxe balcony appears to be 9' x 5'.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One other point to consider. On the Sky’s sisters, the Royal and Regal (don’t know about the Majestic), there appears to still be a soot problem on the aft balconies. I would consider a Baja or Dolphin deck cabin that has a larger (9’ deep versus 5’ deep) partially covered balcony. The balconies on the center two cabin on Baja split a center space between the cabins and are even slightly wider.

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Definitely do the Ultimate Balcony Dinner! You won't be disappointed. My husband and I are doing one to celebrate our 50th anniversary on our TA in September while at the Cork/Cobh, Ireland port. This will be our third UBD!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I think just by logistics, the bigger balconies will be partially uncovered.

If I am right, on some ships, cruisers might avoid Dolphin deck, as they are totally uncovered.

It appears that those balconies on Dolphin deck on the Sky are at least partially covered... Just not sure how much!

 

Study the deck plans and the pricing... looking at the larger balcony options mentioned, and you will def. be able to choose a good one for you!

 

Would you want to be far forward? I am thinking that there might be a few balconies in the very front, where the metal railing ends and the Plexiglass railings begin, that are larger. The most forward balconies that have metal railings are listed as 'obstructed'.. look for the first UN-obstructed balconies right behind those.

 

The standard balconies are pretty darned narrow, so snagging a larger one would be great.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...