Would you get a balcony again?

[Soxfan05]

I'm curious what the price difference is from balcony to inside. We booked a D-1 balcony (there are 3 families) and we have aft cabins on deck 10 (after searching around I realize they are PRIMO!) and didn't pay an awful lot of $.

 

I never asked for pricing otherwise as I just figured with 4 in the cabin, it would be nice to have the outside area as well.

[RanDe]

Our first cruise was an oceanview and our upcoming cruise is an aft balcony. We booked a year ahead so that we could put away the additional cost of the balcony throughout the year without feeling the big hit at once. I haven't even experienced it yet and can probably safely say that I'll never go back to an OV. I'm looking forward to having the balcony as much as I'm looking forward to the cruise.....maybe more! :)

 

 

De

[ILUVCRUIZN]

I understand the reasoning about the 5 cruises with inside rooms compared to the 3 cruises with the balcony.

 

I have limited vacation time every year therefore I cannot take the 5 cruises, so I would go for the 2-3 and go with the balcony. I wish I had enough vacation time for 5 cruises. I would be in heaven......

 

Everyone makes great points.....

[ducklite]

I am very prone to motion sickness and never had a problem with my balcony. Where I did have problems was looking out of portholes on lower decks where the water and it's movement was much more obvious.

 

I'd never cruise without a balcony--I'd just rather stay home.

 

Anne

[cruisinfever]

At this point in our lives we book inside cabins because we take our two children. I couldn't afford to take them if I booked balcony for the four of us. Someday we will do the balcony thing, and I will sit on my balcony and

think of all the fun times I had cruising with my sons in our inside cabin. n I'm afraid that time will come too soon.

[Honey's Gal]

Cruisinfever, what a nice thing to think about. You enjoyment right now are your sons and that is as it should be. Your balcony pleasure will come someday.

 

We have had inside, outside and balcony's and yes we also prefer them. But if push comes to shove and there was a cruise we really wanted to go on and we couldn't get a balcony, heck I wouldn't say no.

 

We tend to book our cruises well in advance so we get the cabin we want and we also save for it. It is like going to WDW, do you want to stay inside or outside. Have also done both and it really depends on your personal choices at that time.

[newmexicoNita]

I am the minority on this one, or should I say DH is. If the price is only about $100 more per person we opt for the balcony, but to be honest he doesn't see the benefit much at all and I do prefer one, but not for $200 or more per person. I have had them twice We are doing a 14 day repo this fall with 6 days at sea, for that I would like the balcony but so much is going on this year we have decided just to enjoy the outside cabin. If the prices drop we may re-consider. NMnita

[gailc]

I thought I might get lots of responses to my question. Balconies & food aways do. I'm not surprised that most people would get a balcony again once they've had one. We have friends that are cruising this week & have their 1st balcony. It's their 3rd cruise. I can't wait to find out what they have to say about the balcony.

 

We met a couple on our last Roll Call. They only get inside cabins right now. They still have a son in high school with more school to come. She said that she'd love to get a balcony, but it will wait a few years.

 

We didn't start cruising until my husband retired so we're making up for all the years we didn't cruise. If we still had children at home, we would probably be waiting until later to get a balcony.

 

In the end, it doesn't matter what type cabin you're in as long as you can cruise.

 

Gail

[emmy]

In the end, it doesn't matter what type cabin you're in as long as you can cruise.

 

Gail

 

Hi Gail...so do I prefer a balcony ...of course I do but do I need it to cruise ...no way. I truly just want to be on the ship. I have had insides, atrium inside, outside and balcony and it has not affected the enjoyment of my cruise for DH or myself.

 

Just booked the Freedom of the Seas inaugural and booked an inside.... but the pricing for the balconies for that particular sailing was more than I wanted to spend but I will still be on that ship. Have an aft balcony on Jewel for April 23 so will enjoy it to the fullest.

 

Try to cruise twice a year now one is a balcony and one is an inside.

 

Emmy

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

Actually, we typically book suites, so it's more like 1--2 cruises as opposed to 5, I guess! :p

 

That being said, I would be willing to cruise in a non-suite, balcony cabin. Three of those would be just fine by me. But the only time we had no choice but to sail in an inside cabin (DH's company cruise), we agreed that we would rather vacation elsewhere than cruise without a balcony.

[pamssanity]

We were talking to friends of ours today. The subject of balconies came up. The other couple said they wouldn't want a balcony, because they wouldn't spend enough time on it. They like to go, go, go, & not miss anything on a cruise. We have had one since our 2nd cruise, & we would not go on a cruise without a balcony unless we had to for some reason.

 

I'm curious if anyone did not spend much time on it & would not get one again.

 

Gail

HI Gail-- we went on our first cruise this past January and had a balcony-- wouldn't be without one. It was great late at night and first thing in the morning-- and for our one breakfast by room service-- ... and being able to smell the ocean air was priceless!!! Pam

[juliew]

No question - the first two ships I ever sailed on were just oceanview, but we've had balconies ever since and I'm spoiled - I'll admit it. I don't get to go more than once a year, so when I go I'm having a balcony and if you have it, you'll definitely use it.

 

There's nothing better than having coffee in your cabin on your own, private verandah as the sun is coming up! Wow!

[glr068]

My first cruise we were in a room with just a porthole. The next and all after we got a balcony and I would never even consider a cruise without one. there is nothing better than waking up and having room service and sitting out on the balcony with coffee and rolls. On the other side of the coin, coming in at night after an evening of dancing and having a few drinks to go out on the balcony and see the moon and star filled sky. Sets the mood, if you get my drift. ;)

[Nano]

Our first Mariner cruise we had a Promenade cabin. It was very nice, and I didn't think a balcony would make much difference to me (like others on this thread, we're go go people). However, DH said he'd like to try a balcony cabin on our last trip so he could watch the docking, etc. (he loves boats, ships, anything that floats)! Anyway, we are now officially hooked! I can't tell you how many enjoyable hours we spent on our balcony - watching the ports come in and out of view, listening to the waves, enjoying coffee in the AM, cocktails before dinner, getting away from the crowds around the pool in the afternoon, etc. It was so much better than I even expected. Yes, it was more expensive, but well worth the cost in my opinion.

[wwinfl91]

We have had balconys on some cruises, including our last two, but don't have one on our next one but do for the one after that. We decide based on the cost versus the amount of time we think we will be able to use it comfortably.

 

For example, our next cruise is a transatlantic leaving from Ft Lauderdale going to Bermuda for 2 days and then doing 5 days at sea in the Atlantic in May until we arrive in Lisbon, then Vigo Spain, then a day at sea, then Le Havre, Zeebrugge and docking at Harwich. We figured we might be able to use the balcony on less than half of the days on this particular cruise because of the time of year and route.

 

Our next cruise is a 14 day Alaskan cruise that goes from Vancouver to LA with two Alaskan inside passages (one northbound and one southbound), stops in Victoria, Seattle and San Francisco as well as time at the Hubbard Glacier and 4 ports in Alaska.

On this cruise we decided the balcony was worthwhile especially with the time in the Inside Passage.

 

What we have found is the regular balcony cabin is about the same as the large outside cabin except for the balcony. Also sometimes the balcony cabin isn't always arranged as efficiently as the outside cabin, IMHO.

 

So in my opinion deciding on whether to get a balcony cabin or an outside one is a personal choice that everyone gets to make almost every cruise.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[bpear1600]

We've been getting balcony cabins and Junior Suites on our last few and they are nice even though we don't use the balcony other than to walk out once in a while.

Our best cruises have had nothing to do with our rooms. They were about the good times we had and the great people we met.

Cruises aren't about rooms to us. We've had much better rooms in resorts.

[sailrnav]

If you are prone to seasickness you definately need a balcony. The only thing on a ship that doesn't move is the horizon. Stand on the balcony and watch the horizon. In the winter months I cruise, in the summer I sail small boats. Anytime I fell sick in a small boat I just stare at the horizon for a while and it goes away every time.

[ha1024]

Can never cruise without a balcony again. The best being off the very back of the ship. Dreamlike!!!!!!!:cool:

[hstrybuf]

Our first cruise was in an inside. We tried a balcony on our second cruise and now won't book anything less. We actually enjoy sitting there morning or evening for some privacy and quiet.

[FinelyCruising]

Balcony or bust! We get up in the middle of the night and go out and look at the stars or the other ships in the lanes we are sailing in and it never goes to waste. I have a cruise booked with frinds next year on Zenith with no balconies and I am not sure how I am going to handle that. I want to do it though becuase I really want to cruise with these people, but it is going to be sorely missed.

[debsavas]

I just had my first balcony room on Princess over Christmas and Never used it except to dry a shirt on the Chair. I have booked on FOS in June 2006 and am trying it one more time. If i do not go out there, I will go back to my oceanview room and spend the difference elsewhere.

[sailor moon]

Once a balcony..... :) Now we have created a problem because we have tried J/S's and G/S's. So far I haven't had a serious urge to try a O/S yet. I think I would try a O/S if we took a longer than 7 night cruise and had our DS with us. I am working on my speel for DH as to why we need to take DS on the Scandinavian cruise in 2006. It would be soooooo educational for him....

[ald3114]

Hello all,

This will be my second cruise. We only vacation every two years. I have a very busy and demanding work and personal schedule. When I took the first cruise, there was no cell phone, the kids and my hubby found things to do on the boat (I never saw any of them until dinner and bedtime). I sat on one of the decks (because we had an oceanview) and just watched the water and relaxed with no bills, no cares, no cooking/cleaning/laundry, no employees paging and calling, no problems. It was one enjoyable week of doing nothing but pampering myself and relaxing. I did get off and see the other island when we docked.

This time we decided to go for the balcony because I want to be relax from my cabin instead of a public deck. I am looking forward to doing nothing (sleeping and eating) from my room and returning to work refreshed after the 10 day cruise.;)

[PhoenixCruiser]

Agree with most posters...always a balcany! However, we decided on a JS for our last cruise since it was a very inexpensive upgrade, we were SPOLIED!!! Now we are addicted to JS's :D :D

We'll be in another one in about 144 days!!

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[dc-snoopy]

1st cruise, we weren't sure what to expect and didn't want to spend the extra $$$, so we got an inside cabin. 2nd cruise, we decided to splurge. We were going for a balcony and found that the D1 was only $38pp more than the E1 so we got it. Between the D1 and the Roll-A-Table as has been touted here on the boards...we won't be going back. Although we don't spend a huge amount of time out there, the time that we do spend there makes it worthwhile for us. We found we liked watching docking and sailing from the balcony and we also found we liked the occasional breakfast on the balcony.

Regarding motion sickness, I guess I'm in the minority. I got headaches in the interior cabin and hallways when the walls and hallways would move and I couldn't see what was doing to anticipate. It played havok with my "sea legs". When we had the balcony/window, I could sea the rolling waves and it didn't bother me as much. Another reason for me to have at least an oceanview.

Regarding the cost of 3 balcony vs 5 interior, we find that we aren't limited by budget but by vacation time that we can be away. Between family commitments and commitments to other things (such as DW's doctor visits to an out-of-town surgeon), we could only afford the time to sail once/year. At that, the balcony works for us. If we're only going to sail once/year, we're going to make it as enjoyable as possible.