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Choosing between an Inside or Balcony cabin on West. Med cruise


hrmkr
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I am looking at a few Western Med cruises. It is mainly down between the MSC Divina and The Norwegian Epic sailing in late April 2108.

 

I am trying to find out if it would be worth it to pay the approximately $400 per person to get the balcony cabin instead of the inside. Looking at the itinerary, it seems that I would be getting off the ship early and getting back on late afternoon. I would then take a shower get dressed and then go to dinner. When would I actually use the balcony?

 

I am leaning toward the inside and save the extra money to be able to do a lot of excursions at the ports.

 

I appreciate all opinions good/bad. it would be great if anyone has been on both ships and could give comparisons.

 

Thank you for your help.

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If it is port intensive then take the inside if you are not claustrophobic

I prefer an outside ..I like a bit of natural light

a Balcony is not necessary but lots of people will not sail without one

it comes down to your personal choice

 

JMO

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I would never subject myself to spending 1/3 of my cruise in a windowless box. Considering all the hours spent sleeping, changing clothes, getting cleaned up, etc., that's a lot of time to spend in a box. I care too much about myself to sentence myself to that kind of punishment. At least a window, but better a balcony where daylight and fresh air is just a few feet away.

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If you think a balcony will not make any difference for you to enjoy your cruise, by all means allocate the extra $400 per person to other cruise expenses. What is important is you are happy with how your money is spent.

We have cruised the Western Med last year in May and have found our balcony to be a very relaxing place to have our morning coffee and a glass or 2 of wine before dinner.

JMHO.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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We did a 12 day Med cruise on Regal Princess in an inside cabin. As a result of the savings, we were able to hire private drivers in three of our Italian ports. For us, nothing beats that, so it was worth going with the inside.

 

We were off the ship so quickly in the mornings, to start our excursions, that we would have had zero time to relax on the balcony prior to getting off. When we returned, we used the room to shower and change and then spent the evening at dinner, at shows, or people watching in the Piazza. Our 14 or so cruises have been split between insides and balconies, dependent on the itinerary, and other factors such as the balcony upgrade price, and price of air from where we are in Canada which can be quite prohibitive, regardless of where one is going in the world.

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This is one of those that in the end there is no right or wrong answer.

 

For some people it is a must on all cruises and for some people it is a waste of money. Some make good use of it and others do not.

 

If you are on a tight budget then in my humble opinion you are better off saving the money and using it for other things such as tours.

 

Keith

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This is one of those that in the end there is no right or wrong answer.

 

For some people it is a must on all cruises and for some people it is a waste of money. Some make good use of it and others do not.

 

If you are on a tight budget then in my humble opinion you are better off saving the money and using it for other things such as tours.

 

Keith

 

I agree with Keith. This is personal preference. If having a balcony isn't important, then go for the inside.

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We used to have balconies, but they were underused... we now have inside or outside. Look at the obstructed outsides, which can be cheaper, so long as you can find out what the obstruction is- eg, on Grand Class ships (Princess, P&O), there's 2 cabins on each side which are 3/4 covered by the life rafts... but most of the others just have a small part of the life boat showing.

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The main advantage of a balcony is that it's convenient, being right by your room - no distance to walk, and handy if you want to (eg.) change your book. But bear in mind that half the time it will be facing the wrong way for the sun, wheras the main deck won't be.

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I've cruised in all categories of cabins, except a full suite, and while I really prefer a balcony cabin, if it makes better financial sense to not splurge on a balcony, an inside or oceanview cabin is just fine. You go all the same ports, have access to the same things on the ship, and receive the same amount of services from the ship's staff no matter what category of cabin you choose.

I will say that I am fine, in most instances, in a inside cabin, but when feasible, going up one category to a OV really makes a huge difference for me, in terms of having natural light in the cabin. It's preferable to wake up to daylight and to walk into my cabin in the daytime and not feel as if I just entered a pitch black cave!!

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Whether it is worth $400 is simply dependent on your own budget. Since you have raised the issue, we assume this is an important issue...and you should go for the inside. You might want to simply book an inside guarantee (unless you are very picky as to cabin location) which will increase the chances of getting an upgrade to an outside. Given an choice between spending dollars on the ports or on the ship...we would definitely opt for shore.

 

You might also want to do homework on each of your ports (you can use the CC Ports of Call blogs) to look at all the options. Many European ports are relatively easy to do on your own....which can save you a lot of money over always booking the expensive excursions. Also get active on your CC Roll Call blog where you might be able to join with some others on private tours, which are often better and less expensive than what is sold onboard.

 

Hank

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  • 4 months later...

Would love to hear what you ended up booking.

 

We're currently going through the same thing. Inside cabin on Oceania (OV wasn't an option - sold out) or Balcony on Celebrity + drinks. They're about the same price but Oceania's itinerary is light years better than Celebrity. In my case the price difference is just under $4,000 cdn for the two of us....ouch! We'd love either I'm sure but it is tough to give up that balcony.

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I'm not interested in most of the onboard shows, and a big part of the cruise for me is to enjoy the ocean. Most evenings after dinner on a cruise you will find me enjoying a cocktail on the balcony - watching the sunset and the world slip by.

 

For that reason, an inside room is never something I consider.

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This is one of those that in the end there is no right or wrong answer.

 

Very true. I love balconies myself. But if I was about to save a thousand or more...I might reconsider. HOWEVER, look at the size of the cabins. Balcony cabins are already pretty small...in many cases, the Inside cabin is even smaller. That would likely be a deal breaker for me. Being in a box would put me off a little; being in a really tiny box would limit my enjoyment.

 

We've done a couple of European cruises, and it is true that you spend less time on ship. On one hand, that lends credence to the argument that "heck, we'll hardly be in the cabin." But some of the most beautiful arrivals we've seen have been to Dubrovnik, Amalfi Coast, southern France, Greece and especially Venice. Yes, I could throw on some clothes and go out on deck to see...but we loved having those views from our balcony while we got ready in the morning or even had some room service.

 

But I would re-emphasize...to each his own. I would just suggest, if you go with the inside, make a PLAN for what you'll do with your savings. Private excursions would be top of my list...but it might be specialty dining, or a drink package, or lots of souvenirs. Don't just let the money dribble away...state what you're using it for so you can remind yourself of the trade off you made each night as you're cramming into your dark little cabin!

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