Balcony vs Inside Room?

My husband is pretty tight with a dollar and,when you're talking about a Mainer, that is really tight. He doesn't think that a balcony is worth the extra money. I'm looking for opinions about balconies. His argument is that we spend very little time in the room, the balconies are small and have uncomfortable furniture, and the ship is sourrounded by the same view of the ocean up on deck. On our upcoming cruise it would run us an extra $450 for a balcony of a 10-day cruise with Princess. Is it worth it?

Personally, I won't even cruise unless I can book a JS...space is important to me. It depends on what's important to YOU! We don't spend a ton of time in the cabin, but when I'm there, I DO want to be comfortable! A balcony will give you a teeny bit of extra space....and you're cruising...because of the ocean...don't you want to be able to see it from your living space??

Yes, you can see it from anywhere on the ship, but having the view from your cabin while dressing, drinking, .....whatever, is nice!

I would always opt for a balcony/veranda. There's nothing better than to wake up in the morning, throw on the bathrobe and stand on your balcony smelling the air and sipping your first cup of coffee.

Then have your pre-dinner cocktail on your balcony holding hands with your sweetie. :)

Then having a nightcap or hot chocolate in your jammies saying goodnight to the ocean.

The furniture is very comfortable, at least it was on our ship. We had a table with wicker chairs and 2 chairs with ottomans.

I would feel too claustrophobic without a balcony.

I agree- we got a balconey a couple of years ago -now I can't get my husband to give up balconey. We had always done inside before -but even though we don't spend a lot of time in cabin - when we are there we use the balconey. Always eat breakfast out there, pre-dinner we sit out there with our glass of wine. Also after evening - we sit out there with late night snack and read or just watch the water.

I was surprised how much we do use the balconey. It also gives us a bit more spreading out room. Especially when getting ready for dinner -my husband will sit out there while I'm getting ready. We arent bumping into each other so much.

And I always get inside cabins. I really like that it's dark as a cave inside when I'm taking a nap or going to sleep at night. Plus the difference in price usually pays for a big chunk of my excursions.

A balcony is wonderful, but it certainly isn't a make-or-break item for a cruise. We have love-love-loved having a balcony, but if it's a matter of cruising or not cruising, we'll be in an oceanview!

First, how much is $450 to you? Would it be a major sacrafice for the vacation (for example, would it mean skipping great excursions or giving up something that you want back at home), or would it just mean spending money that you have but just aren't sure you want to spend?

Second, what kind of balcony can you get for that $450? Speaking only for myself, I'd think twice about spending $45/day on a plain side balcony . . . but IF you could get a great aft balcony (which is room sized, and you'll use it much more) for that price, then it's totally worth it.

Third, how many people are sharing your room? If it's just two of you, then the extra space isn't really a necessity, and the money's harder to justify. On the other hand, if -- like us -- you bring the kids along too, then the balcony's the least expensive way of getting a little extra space, and semi-private space at that. My husband does enjoy having the extra room to disappear into when our daughters are dressing.

Finally, what time of year are you sailing? If it's the middle of summer, your balcony may be so hot during mid-day that you may not be able to use it much.

You've given me lots to think about. It is just me and my husband, no kids with us. I like the idea of checking out the room size balconies . . . that would make a difference! We can afford the extra money but we would normally opt to spend it on excursions, the spa, the specialty restaurants. We just believe in moderation. My husband is more of a believer in "making do" and I am more likely to splurge. I think I will do a little bit more research about size and location.

THanks for your opinions and ideas!:)

My husband is pretty tight with a dollar and,when you're talking about a Mainer, that is really tight. He doesn't think that a balcony is worth the extra money. I'm looking for opinions about balconies. His argument is that we spend very little time in the room, the balconies are small and have uncomfortable furniture, and the ship is sourrounded by the same view of the ocean up on deck. On our upcoming cruise it would run us an extra $450 for a balcony of a 10-day cruise with Princess. Is it worth it?

I've been on 14 cruises, have two more booked, and will soon book a third. I have been in two insides, four ocean views, five balconies and three suites. The next two that are booked are balconies, as will be the third one that I am about to book.

The point is, I have experience will all types. Here is my take.

I don't like insides because you have to leave the cabin to find out what the weather is like.

I usually book ocean views for the shorter cruises because I can't justify the additional cost if I'm not going to use the balcony. Then I booked a southern Caribbean cruise. Five of the six days were in ports, so I figured I'd book an ocean view since I would not have much of a chance to use the balcony. What happened? Toward the end of the cruise I realized I missed the connection with the sea that the balcony gives. That is why my future cruises are on balconies, because I enjoy sitting or standing on the balcony and watching the world go by, kind of like my nephew in this photo ...

Is the balcony good for coming into the ports? Only if the balcony is facing the port. If not, up on deck I go. One of my favorite cruise activities is to sit on the balcony at night and work on my review (I write my review while I am on the ship).

And what are the best balconies? The rear facing balconies. Why? Here is why ...

Finally there are suites. Personally I don't think they are worth the extra cost. However, there are those that do. In general the suites I book tend to run about $1,000 more per week than the balcony cabins on the same ship. So, unless you need the extra room, I don't think a suite is worth it. The extras that you get with a suite are definitely not worth $1,000.

So what it all comes down to is, is the balcony worth the extra cost to you? Obviously it is to me, but that is me. You (or your husband) may or may not agree. And you know what, either way, you would be right.

When I was in an inside I spent less time in my cabin also. Why? There was no reason to stay. When I was in a suite going from Acapulco to the Panama Canal (2 1/2 days at sea) I spent at least 1/2 of each of the days enjoying the relaxing ride. I wrote a review and some people commented that they hoped they could get as much out of their balcony as I did during that two weeks.

I remember my first balcony. When the cruise ended I realized I didn't use it that much. So the next cruise I made an effort to use it more. By the next one I found it that in addition to writing my review on the balcony at night, I also enjoyed getting breakfast from the buffet and eating it out on the balcony.

Basically, a balcony is your private (more or less) space that you can just sit and enjoy the view and perhaps the person sitting next to you.

That said, would I pay an additional $45 per night for a balcony over an ocean view - yes.

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I can't wait to enjoy my balcony on the Ruby Princess!

Mary, I read the other day that most marriages have a 'spender' and a 'saver.' We all know which we are!

A balcony is a great extra -not essential, but worth a few extra dollars per person per day - at $450 for a seven day cruise, $64 per day - $32 per person per day --- do your own math. An inside, however is truly claustrophobic - you have no feeling of being at sea -- not worth the savings in my view.

2 balconies=3 Inside cruises.

My husband is pretty tight with a dollar and,when you're talking about a Mainer, that is really tight. He doesn't think that a balcony is worth the extra money. I'm looking for opinions about balconies. His argument is that we spend very little time in the room, the balconies are small and have uncomfortable furniture, and the ship is sourrounded by the same view of the ocean up on deck. On our upcoming cruise it would run us an extra $450 for a balcony of a 10-day cruise with Princess. Is it worth it?

A balcony is a great extra -not essential, but worth a few extra dollars per person per day - at $450 for a seven day cruise, $64 per day - $32 per person per day --- do your own math. An inside, however is truly claustrophobic - you have no feeling of being at sea -- not worth the savings in my view.

We love having a balcony. We enjoy having breakfast together by ourselves and talk about the day or the day before. A nice glass of wine shared together before dinner while watching the ocean flow by, some quiet time listening to the ocean go by just before bed.....

We have an ocean view room booked for September and I KNOW we are going to miss our balcony this cruise. The ship we sail on only has suites though and we can't justify the price for a 5 night cruise. The price difference is something like $90 a day pp.

It is a 10 day cruise.

OK, make it $45 per day, $22.50 per person. The point is: do the math.

OK, make it $45 per day, $22.50 per person. The point is: do the math.

I would suggest a compromise- he wants an inside cabin- you would like a balcony- get an ocean view- at least you will know what the weather is and see the views. rlb

It is personal, I have done both. I use the cabin as a hotel room and I am in it to shower,change my clothes and to sleep. Therefore, I have no problem with an inside cabin. The balcony is a nice extra which I do enjoy, but I don't feel it is necessary in order to enjoy my trip. There are so many places on the ship where you can sit to watch the world go by, for instance the library and game room with ceiling to floor windows that I find my own little spots all over the ship and I do like variety.

A fellow Mainer who is the saver in the family. My husband would go for a suite every time and then we would never be in it.

Lifestyle may have something to do with it as well. We are light packers and low maintainance as far as getting changed and ready for the 'next' event.

Like my balcony , i spend a total of about two hours on it , dont eat , drink, or sleep out there. Only been on 4 cruises , but my first one was with a balcony , so i guess i am used to it . I like to look outside in the morning and go out there and feel how nice it is to be in the caribbean.

Dont think i could handle an inside. But they are more economical.

We've been on nine cruises and most of them had balconies. I use the balcony every morning to eat my breakfast on and I also use it to take a little me time after being in port all day. We also like to go out on it in the middle of the night, you can hear all the things that are going on on the ship and you get to see the sky, moon and the waves hitting the side of the ship, it's so relaxing. I wouldn't ever want to give up the balcony unless they faced the inside of the ship, then I would probably forget it.

Just an opinion.

Sharon

We have sailed all catagories except suite and while i love the balconys i also love the inside, depends on where we are going for a long cruise like that i would def do balcony... of course as long as im on a cruise i dont care where i am lol

Pat

I am also considered by many to be cheap. So much so that I am been accused of still having my first communion money!;)

"The One Who Must Be Obeyed" and I have been on seventeen cruises with the first fifteen being inside, although a few of them were upgraded to a small porthole and one even had a window. The straw that broke the camel's back came a few years ago on the the Norwegian Majesty when we had the smallest inside cabin ever. You had to step outside to change your mind! DW put her foot down and said, "No more inside cabins!"

Our past two cruises have been balconies along with another balcony for our upcoming cruise in February on the Crown Princess. We just love to sit out and watch the ocean go by, read, or enjoy a snack in the late afternoon. There is of course a downside. We were adjacent to chain smokers on our first balcony, but were able to breathe clean air last February. We know that day will come soon when smoking is banned (at least on one side of the ship) and we can hardly wait!

The straw that broke the camel's back came a few years ago on the the Norwegian Majesty when we had the smallest inside cabin ever. You had to step outside to change your mind! DW put her foot down and said, "No more inside cabins!"

Some of the older ships have very small inside cabins. Some ships have inside cabins that are only a little smaller than the outside cabins (the inside might 150 or 160 sq. ft. and the outside 170 or 180 sq. ft.). Some, like Carnival, have the same size for both inside and outside.

Either way, you can check the size of the cabin before you book it. I am used to cabins that are 170 to 180 sq ft. However, when I booked an ocean view on the Monarch of the Seas, I knew it would be only 119 sq. ft.

So you don't have to give up all your insides because of the size. Just check what it will be before you book it. If smaller than 150, then move to the outside.

Good Choice Mary, you will not regret getting the balcony!!

Mary, you won't be sorry.

I love balconies in part because DH has health issues and is in a wheelchair so needs a lot of rest. He can nap, and I can be on the balcony.

An OV is workable, but an Inside would be too claustrophic for both of us.