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Hello!

 

My husband and I have been on a few cruises and recently had our first balcony stateroom. Planning our future cruises we would also really like another balcony, however it's almost double the price of an inside or oceanview. How do you get good deals on balconies, or how do you convince yourself that you don't need a balcony and just get an oceanview?

 

Sidenote, we aren't very social and prefer to spend time alone in our room (and on our balcony.) We both really like being frugal and not spending lots of money. And I recognize this is a silly question but it's deferring us from wanting a cruise vacation altogether because we know we can go to the beach somewhere for cheaper than a balcony room. What're your thoughts? Have you struggled with these thoughts too?

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I have not seen the balcony cost double the inside cabin.

I used to get an inside cabin for the kids, but I started

to put them in a balcony next to us as it is not much more.

 

On Norwegian if you have an inside cabin you miss out on

the extras including beverage and dining or gratuity packages,

so the balcony can be less than the inside cabin all in.

 

I like to spend time on the balcony away from the masses.

....but a picture is worth 1,000 words.

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Hello!

 

My husband and I have been on a few cruises and recently had our first balcony stateroom. Planning our future cruises we would also really like another balcony, however it's almost double the price of an inside or oceanview. How do you get good deals on balconies, or how do you convince yourself that you don't need a balcony and just get an oceanview?

 

Sidenote, we aren't very social and prefer to spend time alone in our room (and on our balcony.) We both really like being frugal and not spending lots of money. And I recognize this is a silly question but it's deferring us from wanting a cruise vacation altogether because we know we can go to the beach somewhere for cheaper than a balcony room. What're your thoughts? Have you struggled with these thoughts too?

 

We are also frugal but part of that (for us) is getting the most value for our dollar rather than just spending the least amount. We have only sailed in balconies and realize this means fewer cruises but they will be cruises we will enjoy more.

 

Unless there are extra "included" perks for a balcony I'd be surprised to find many cruises where the balcony is twice the cost of an inside (and definitely not an ocean view).

 

Consider what you enjoyed more with your recent balcony stay and if you thought it made the cruise that much more enjoyable. We enjoy alcoholic drinks but not enough to purchase a drinks package. We had a cruise where it was included and it was nice, but not nice enough to pay for. We love to look at the sea and time spent on our balcony is time spent not spending $ elsewhere;) . For us, a balcony is worth the extra charge.

 

A possible compromise would be a french door "interior" cabin. I think Carnival is the line that has them (possibly others too). The rate is interior, but there is a door you can open (for a brief time) and get fresh air and limited sea views - they are usually eye level with lifeboats.

 

Many ships also have "obstructed" balconies that are a lesser cost. Several of these cabins have a very minimal obstruction and can be a good deal.

 

At the end of the day any vacation is a luxury. Enjoy your time with your husband either at sea or on the beach:cool:

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however it's almost double the price of an inside or oceanview

Maybe for an Alaska or Panama Canal itinerary, but usually shouldn't be double for Caribbean cruises, unless it is a smaller/older ship where majority of the cabins are inside/OV and only have a very limited number of balconies. Try to check the price of a newer/larger ship of most mass market lines where there are relatively more balcony cabins than inside/oceanviews, the price gap between them should be less than what you find on a smaller/older ships.

 

 

 

How do you get good deals on balconies

Transatlantic or re-positioning itineraries, especially on NCL or RCI. You just need to book it at the right time. Keep monitoring.

 

 

or how do you convince yourself that you don't need a balcony and just get an oceanview?

Choose an itinerary that is more port-intensive such as those Southern Caribbean cruise sailing out of San Juan or some one-way Canada/New England itinerary going from Boston to Montreal (or vice versa) where there are 5 port days in a 7-day cruise. These will obviously be a different type of cruise vacation but you won't feel the need to have a balcony as you should be spending most of the day at the port anyway.

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I agree with everyone else, I've never seen a standard balcony be double an inside or an ocean view. We just got back from a group trip and those staying in the inside cabins paid about $300 less than those staying in balcony cabins. We stayed in an extended balcony cabin back in November and that balcony was likely double an inside, but it was because the cabin and the balcony were substantially larger than a standard cabin.

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