How much time per day do you use your balcony - poll

We use it in the morning to feel the fresh air, in the afternoon having a drink after a shore excursion, and at night before bed enjoying a glass of wine and looking at the stars.

Same here! Plus, I'm out there at 4:30 or 5 AM planning our day and reading while DH sleeps. Have a little book light type thingy so as not to disturb others.

We barely used it. Only to hang bathing suits up and watch docking at ports if we were up. Although we did have a balcony you couldn’t see through.

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Am I the only one that gets a balcony and have cruises that we don't even go out once??!!

My sister and niece never used their balcony on a recent cruise. They are always "on the run" doing things onboard and didn't see the need to relax or spend time just watching the sea from balcony.

Use it daily. Coffee, Watching sail away, Looking at stars. Sea days we are out there a lot. When it was just me and my daughter, we used it less.

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We loved our balcony on a warm Alaska cruise, but it would have been wasted money on an earlier Alaskan cruise with high seas and strong winds. We practically lived on our balcony on our Mediterranean cruise, but rarely used our balcony on a chilly, windy Baltic cruise. I think I'll be more careful about considering the climate on future cruises. We're thinking about cruising Norwegian fjords and I may not pay the extra for a balcony. I think a lot depends on the public spaces of the ship and their connection to the sea. For all we rarely used our balcony on NCL Getaway in the Baltic, it was one of the few places on the ship with a connection to the sea. HAL ships have a large enclosed space with epic views over the bow. Warm, great views of the sea -- would have been perfect for the Baltic. So, it may be matching the ship and the environment to determine if a balcony is worth the investment.

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One hour in the morning. Coffee and fruit.

Two hours in the afternoon-reading. Another hour pre dinner wine. Sometimes a little while at night, after dinner.

Subject to change based on weather and port.

We book balcony on occasions when the price difference isn't so great and other times we use inside and window cabins. We do use the balcony doors for fresh air as well as sitting out on the balcony. Since windows don't open and inside cabins have no fresh air option - the fresh air can be nice when the weather permits. My wife can become a bit seasick on occasions and the fresh air becomes even more important during these times as well as having a visual of the horizon. On a recent trip to Mexico we spend an overnight in Cabo; I was unable to sleep and very early in the morning when it was still dark I had a cup of coffee on the balcony and watched all the fishermen heading out to sea in a constant parade that was beautiful to watch. We are planning an Alaska cruise and the price for balcony is double the inside cabin price, will probably spring for the added cost anyway since having a front row seat while cruising the inside passage seems to make sense.

(disclaimer) We don't keep door open and a/c on at the same time, and generally like the fresh air when weather is mild, not when its hot - since we like our a/c as much as the next person.

Rarely use it. I prefer other shipboard locations for reading, watching the ocean slip by, or the more expansive views that you get from an open deck when entering or leaving port.

As a solo, balconies are nearly always 200% while you might get a discount on an inside or ocean view. It's all the same to me. On port days I'm off the ship pretty much as long as possible. On sea days, I like being around others, participating in activities, etc.

I once had a deluxe solo balcony cabin -- used the balcony exactly twice in 12 days.

In good weather: hours!

In cold weather: out to take pictures.

We use our verandah everyday.

We love to sit out there with a cocktail -- reading and watching the world go by.

On port days, once we get back on the ship -- drink and people watch.

As much as I can. Favorite time is first thing in the morning, going into or leaving a port and right before dinner while my beautiful wife finishes getting ready,

Happy Cruising

As much as I can. Favorite time is first thing in the morning, going into or leaving a port and right before dinner while my beautiful wife finishes getting ready,

 

Happy Cruising

I spend lots of time on my verandah. When I still had my DH, we loved siting out for quiet convesation, , at sea, entering and leaving ports, late at night for some fresh air. In Alaska, we loved vieiwng the scenery from our verandah, We loved it for our Canda new England cruisers............ Fabulous in the Med. Heavenly in the Caribbean.

Not that much but like it to see weather for day, people running to beat the ship, fresh air,

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Use the balcony everyday, regardless of how many days are included in the cruise. May, perhaps, use it even more on sea days since I usually find a lot of the sea day activities a little boring. Usually have breakfast on the balcony most every day of the cruise too. Out of 30 previous cruises, only three times with oceanview cabins, and that includes Windstar Spirit that has no balconies. :)

All the time!!

Won't sail without a balcony; we call it "the living room." Even if it's cold, we're out there. Fresh air and a gorgeous sea view literally pulls us out there like a magnet. Once we started sailing with a balcony there was no turning back. :D

Always first thing in the morning, several times during the day, even for 5 minutes and before dinner. Usually after dinner before bed. Love the balcony!

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We'll enjoy breakfast on the balcony many days. We also like have a dinner served to us on the balcony. During the heat of the day, I don't use it much. DH will sometimes go out there and read (really nap). In late afternoon, we'll enjoy a glass of wine out there before dinner. And when we get back to the cabin after dinner and show, we'll go out to look at the stars. It adds up to maybe 90 to 120 minutes out of the day.

We've had balcony cabins primarily on our cruises to the Caribbean except for one time we were upgraded to a cabin with a balcony on an Alaskan cruise. On that one, we hardly used it--except when we were viewing the glaciers. Then it was priceless (even though we did not pay for it).

We enjoy the balcony certain times during the cruise weather permitting including arrivals and departures to port.

Sometimes I am cold in the room while my wife is warm so in warmer weather ports I will sit outside to stay warm while she is getting ready for dinner.

Keith

This but add coffee for the morning.

Room service breakfast (coffee and croissants) on the balcony every morning. Highlight of every cruise

We do like the Veranda. Have had some massive ones like the Penthouse suite (way too big) on the Millennium class ships and the forward viewing one on the Azamara ships (much smaller) for viewing and approaching ports while eating breakfast.

Fresh air and listening to the water is peaceful and relaxing.

I've only had a balcony on one of my cruises. We both used it but not for hours on end or anything. I would just go out on it in the morning before going to get food. Just to stretch and such and see how hot/cold it was. Midday, on sea days maybe before or after lunch we would sit out on there, we were just under the pool where the band played and we could listen to the music... but I'm not one to just sit around doing nothing. So maybe we'd be out on it for 5-10 minutes at a time 3 or 4 times a day.... Maybe an hour of use a day in all? I did enjoy the natural light and fresh air but I don't see myself booking another balcony if the price was much much more than just a window or interior

Another thing I’ll say about a balcony....on the downside of them, you don’t have any privacy, everything you say or your neighbors say, is heard.

Depends on the size of the balcony.

Small (two chairs, small table and not much more space): maybe 30 minutes a day. Hence, I never book a standard size balcony on NCL anymore.

Medium (two chairs, a table and room to stretch): Maybe 2 hours per day. Once to have a cup of coffee, once to read for a brief time, and before bed to gaze at the moon.

Large (lounge chairs, decent sized table): 3-4 hours per day. Morning coffee & pastries/yogurt on port days (just coffee on sea days), feet up gazing at the sea, a few reading sessions, playing cards if with friends, afternoon wine & cheese.

I get restless, so I like being out and about on the ship. If the balcony is large enough for me to move around and stretch on a lounge chair, then I prefer that to finding a lounger on the sundeck areas. If my balcony was really small, I found myself still getting out to more spacious areas on the ship to read/relax.

If i could i would sit looking out to sea for hours.

Lots.

But if I could get a cabin with floor to ceiling windows that opened I’d be tempted.