First time balcony - Fun things to do on it???

[Laurie S.]

Get naked and enjoy the sunshine....we did. :)

[swimmongotta]

On our balcony we enjoy having breakfast in our robes, drinking tea late at night before bed, reading and watching the world go by. I love the idea of the battery operated candle for after dark. Watching the water go by is the favorite thing to do.

 

Just having our own little private outdoor space is great.

 

Not ever heard the 'run Forest fun' being called out but LOVE the idea. To be honest it would have to be in jest with those running as the ship is still there, you wouldn't be yelling it out if they the ship had pulled away from the pier, as they wouldn't be running.

[NoobCruise]

Might not be the best idea if you're not on a high floor. You could wake up soaking wet with salty seawater, which is not a fun thing to experience. I know that when we've had balconies on lower floors, the deck was always wet and salty in the morning.

 

lol you brought up a few memories for me. We had a houseboat when I was growing up. We used to sleep on the top under the stars. Best way possible to fall asleep.

 

Once we hit our teen years, my older brother and his friends would sneak off in the dinghy to party at nearby houseboats, then sneak back on in the early morning. One morning, they were sound asleep on the back deck when one of his friends rolled off the deck into the drink in his sleeping bag lol it was a pretty rude awakening lol

[NoobCruise]

If you have an aft balcony, go fishing or try some parasailing ;)

[Erik101]

If there is a thunderstorm that the ship dodges and if that storm is miles away but yet clearly visible, watch it from your balcony especially at night! It's a very pretty light show! :)

[fleckle]

I cruise in 3 weeks on MSC Poesia and have a balcony for the first time ever. Any suggestions on things to do on it?

 

Alone in cabin --- male in early 30s

As soon as you wake up each morning, open the draperies and step right out for that first look around. Take your time to enjoy the scenery along the approach to the new port each morning at your leisure. There is no need to rush to get dressed or comb your hair first.

 

Balcony in your bathrobe is great for watching the morning port arrival, the docking procedures, and early morning activities taking place at each new port.

Keep camera and binoculars handy,

Order room service coffee, or light breakfast, or full breakfast, as you wish, to enjoy out there. You can always have a later breakfast in the dining room or buffet, after you are dressed.

 

If you will be cruising through an area where it may be chilly, ask your cabin steward to leave some deck blankets for you.

 

Picture yourself relaxing on a lounger on your balcony in your robe, wrapped up in a deck blanket, sipping on that first cup of coffee or tea, enjoying the sunrise.

 

Depending on your routing, keep an eye out for whales, dolphins, sea birds or other wildlife.

 

Hope your balcony is at least partially covered so you can enjoy it on rainy days too.

 

Dinner on the balcony can be wonderful on days when you want to escape from the mob scene of the noisy, crowded dining room and simply enjoy your dinner in peace and privacy.

 

We especially like to do that when cruising through a scenic area at sunset. It feels almost like dining on our own private yacht.

 

If you are a single male and meet someone interesting, think of the possibilities of a nice, romantic dinner. ;)

 

One thing to be aware of though is that on some ships your balcony may not have a dining height table, only a small, low table.

 

We booked what is called a Verandah Suite on the HAL Amsterdam that was really not a suite at all, only a regular balcony that is named and priced as a suite.

That balcony had only one regular chair, one lounger, and one small, low table not at all appropriate for dining .

 

So if you are someone who enjoys meals on the balcony, it would be a good idea to try to find out how your balcony will be furnished in advance.

 

You can also look forward to an afternoon glass of wine on the balcony, or beer, or cocktail, or whatever beverage you enjoy. If you feel sociable, invite a new friend to join you out there.

 

Depending on positioning, when the ship is docked at some ports close to a town, you may be able to pick up a free wi-fi signal from the town right on your balcony.

 

In the stillness of the night, you can sit there looking out at the moonglow on the water, listening to the sounds of the water lapping against the ship. On clear, dark nights, you may have a wonderful display of stars above, and even see some shooting stars.

 

Many times the show from our balcony at night was superior to the show in the theater.

Any time I wake up in the middle of the night, I like to step out there for a look around.

 

When the cabin stewards come in to do the evening turndown, they usually close the draperies as part of their standard routine.

If you are cruising through an area where it stays light out late, such as Alaska, you may want to open them again as soon as you return to your cabin.

By doing that, we got a lot of great views that we would otherwise have missed.

[LJT68]

love to have my morning cuppa on the balcony and its great to take pictures coming in and leaving port

[rmurray847]

Sounds like pretty juvenile behavior to me. I hope the people I cruise with have more class than this. :rolleyes:

 

Considering there will be thousands of people on your ship, what do YOU think the odds are that some of the passengers will not have "class?" Regardless of the ship or cruise line.

[TracieABD]

Get naked and enjoy the sunshine....we did. :)

 

I hope your balcony was not open to those above you! :eek:

[Happy ks]

Every time I read posts that state "don't get a balcony, you will never use it" I think, huh???

 

We have coffee in the morning, read there in the afternoon, sometimes taking a little nap. A glass of wine out there in the evening, sometimes after my shower I put my makeup on out there, much better lighting. We always end the day with time on the balcony, enjoying the stars if you can see them, sometimes just enjoying the sound of the ocean going by.

 

We cruise for the ocean, not the interior shops, shows, casino. The last time we booked an interior cabin to save $ we were so disappointed and swore we would never do that again.

 

About the only things I'd not do that I see mentioned here on CC a lot is; get naked out there or join the balcony club, there really is not all that much privacy. I doubt I'd ever want to sleep out there all night, either. Not just the ocean spray and morning dew, but automatic window washers from above can come rolling by. Why spend the night on a hard, damp surface when there is a comfy bed just steps away?

[missyk55]

We booked our first balcony this time. We sail in October and I am very excited about the balcony. My husband likes to take a power nap in the afternoons on sea days. So I will be out on the balcony reading while he naps! And I won't feel so confined because I can still see and walk outside from the comfort of my room!

[notentirelynormal]

Sounds like pretty juvenile behavior to me. I hope the people I cruise with have more class than this. :rolleyes:

 

I guess people that are responsible enough to get back on board when they are supposed to and have enough time to get back to their cabin and relax, feel those that are inconsiderate and time challenged enough that they need to hold up several thousand people because of their selfishness need a dose of what we think of their entitlement. If you can't tell time, if you can't be responsible for yourself, then I guess your "juvenile behavior" is met with the same. The difference is - the behavior of those on board isn't affecting all the other passengers and crew on board. The late comers are potentially affecting everyone and costing us more money us the ship ends up paying more fees or using more gas to get to the next port.

 

Of course there are always some that have legitimate reasons but since there are so many others those of us responsible for ourselves don't feel the need to figure it out. If my 7 YO grandson can read a watch, why can't an adult?

[rubytue]

As soon as you wake up each morning, open the draperies and step right out for that first look around. Take your time to enjoy the scenery along the approach to the new port each morning at your leisure. There is no need to rush to get dressed or comb your hair first.

Unless you docked first thing in the morning, and you walk out to find your balcony facing the pier and another ship just the other side of it. In that case, getting dressed, or at least tying the belt on your robe is a good idea.

 

Not that I've ever made that mistake. Nope. Never. :D

[EvilBanker]

To ridicule, heckle and laugh at someone's misfortunes is not what I consider to be mature behavior.

 

With respect, returning late because your tour bus broke down in some miles-away tropical ghetto is a misfortune. Being unable to see your watch or walk three steps in a straight line because your shore excursion consisted solely of an extended tour of Senor Frog's margarita menu isn't a misfortune, it's a choice.

 

To ensure this stays on topic, here's a modified suggestion for your balcony: hoot and holler at the dock runners, and then post video of them on YouTube. Schadenfreude is a wonderful thing :eek:.

[Donder1]

Balcony+binoculars!!! Don't leave home without them.

[fleckle]

Unless you docked first thing in the morning, and you walk out to find your balcony facing the pier and another ship just the other side of it. In that case, getting dressed, or at least tying the belt on your robe is a good idea.

 

Not that I've ever made that mistake. Nope. Never. :D

Oh, so that was you we waved at that morning. ;)

We were wondering why you ducked inside so quickly and didn't wave back.:D

[chipq]

Meet a new friend and invite them over to enjoy sunrise naked.

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[dorisis]

We love to sit outside every evening and have a drink before dinner and watch the sun set.

 

We do the same but since we are a couple we take an electric candle along with our wine.

 

Breakfast is also nice when the seas are calm. ~Doris~

[RIvacationgirl]

Balcony+binoculars!!! Don't leave home without them.

We had a minisuite with balcony and I brought my binoculars. I would read out on the deck and if I saw something far out in the horizon, I would grab the binoculars! They came in handy to identify if it was another ship. I liked using them at night too.

We also used them when we were approaching the ports, very nice to see what we were approaching!

Enjoy your balcony:)

[wassup4565]

Being more practical, if you bring a couple of clothes pins, the chair on your balcony is a fine place to hang up your dripping wet swimming suit.

 

And, on our last cruise our aft balcony overlooked the area two decks below where the kitchen staff came out for breaks. When we were approaching ports, we could tell immediately that there was an off-board signal on our cell phone because the staff were already clustered along the rail working their phones. Guess they`d been there before!