Really need help deciding whether to upgrade to balcony w/15 m.o.

[BethV114]

I posted this on the Royal Caribbean board, but I thought it would be a good idea to post here, too.

 

DH and I have been on several cruises together and have sailed in cabins ranging from balcony to GS. We didn't care so much for the GS as it's just too darn big. JS's are great and the balcony cabin we sailed on on Celebrity Solstice was a decent size, too. Right now, we're booked in a Central Park View cabin (no balcony) for our Allure sailing in December. If it were just the two of us, we would upgrade to a balcony without a second thought since the price differential is pretty small with our Diamond discount. However, this will be our first cruise with DD, who will be 15 months old at the time. I did some checking and the price difference to go from a CV to a D4 with our Diamond discount would be a total of $250. Normally, I would say, heck, yeah, let's go for it! However, DH has some concerns with the safety of having a balcony cabin with a toddler. Would anyone who has been in the same situation mind weighing in and giving their opinion? As it stands, here's our list of pros/cons:

 

 

 

Pros:

1. We love standing on our balcony at sail-away
   
2. We enjoy ordering room service from our balcony on port days (it's so much easier and I can imagine that would be doubly true w/a toddler!)
   
3. It gives us some additional space to get away from each other
   
4. We have a nice space to just hang out and relax with a glass of wine before dinner or bed
   
5. We would be able to hang out on the balcony while DD is napping inside the cabin, rather than sitting there with her and being bored or disturbing her
   

Cons:

1. The price difference would be $250 (although I really don't think that's bad at all)
   
2. Concerned about safety with DD (this is where we could really use the input/advice from other cruisers who have sailed w/small children)
   

[nolejagbuc]

We upgraded to a JS two weeks before our RC Liberty of the Seas cruise. I was more nervous than my husband because our 18 month old (at that time) was half monkey. He felt the need to try to climb and conquer anything. My husband reassured me and said "have you ever seen a news story about a child falling off a cruise ship?" It was a life saver to have the balcony! When our son was asleep at nap time, we could relax out on the balcony. When he was out there, we removed the chairs and table so he didn't get any wild ideas about swimming with the fish. He loved standing out there and oohing and aahing about everything. I think only you can make the decision based on your toddler. Worst case scenario is that you leave the balcony door locked and closed while she is awake and use it only while she is sleeping. I would say go for it and see how it goes. Crusing with a toddler can be tiring and you and dh probably will need some relaxing down time on your balcony. Have a wonderful cruise!

[brenderlou]

Definitely do it.....Think about it. Would you ever have your child out on the balcony without you or your husband thereat all times. With that in mind, you have no worries

If our daughter is on the balcony it means we are as well. But honestly, she would rather be laying in bed watching some tv if we were in the cabin then out on the balcony. It gives Mommy and Daddy some quiet time on the balcony and some R&R time for our daughter.

[A&Jfamily]

Do it. It is great for naptime, and having a quiet, dark room at night while the little one falls asleep.

[ShelbysMom]

We sailed with a balcony with a 23 month old on a ship where the balconies aren't solid glass, but rails. We had no qualms about doing it, because he was NEVER on the balcony without us.

 

We loved having the balcony to sit outside in the afternoons and evenings when he napped and after he went down for the night.

 

He loved being outside on the balcony with us. Attached is a pic of him enjoying the view. Keep in mind on most ships the balcony will be a solid wall of glass, not the railing. Even with the railing, we never had an issue because we were always out there with him.

[mom2isabella05cole08]

I tried to convince DH to do a balcony for our cruise in January, but he was pretty dead-set against it because both DD4 and DS1 (5 and 2 when we actually cruise) are part monkey. DD was actually getting out of her crib at 13 months. As much as I'd LOVE the balcony, we managed to find a solution without even trying. My grandma is joining us on the cruise and booked the cabin next to ours which happens to be a balcony. More than likely naptime will take place in her room while we enjoy the balcony (and by we I mean my grandma and I, DH can do his own thing) I have a feeling that the next cruise he'll want to do a balcony on though...

[geegee1]

Cons:

1. 
   
2. Concerned about safety with DD (this is where we could really use the input/advice from other cruisers who have sailed w/small children)
   

 

We were in a Mini Suite on NCL with our daughter when she was 2 and then when she was 3 in JS on Explorer. She too is a climber, but in order for them to climb over, they would need to move furniture and climb without you noticing. The JS are nice sizes, but they aren't that big where you won't know where she it. Take the JS, then you can enjoy all the things you do.

[jam82]

Book the balcony. Our DS is just 3 and we've taken him on nine cruises. The first one was without a balcony. NEVER AGAIN! Having a balcony with rails does make me nervous, but he is never out there without us and we make sure to keep all the furniture away from the edge. All balcony cabins that we have been in have a top lock and the door are very heavy. At 15 months most kids would not be able to open them.