Aft balcony with a "?" on the back....

[kymbakitty]

We have been on some AMAZING aft balconies. The Vision of the Seas comes to mind...there is a mini suite (and actually, one below it) that has an awesome wrap around balcony. We've had a couple others that had some amazing views. We were hooked on these----until....

 

We did a cabin crawl on the LOS and saw an aft baclony that just about floored us. There was this HUGE monstrosity between the balcony and the back of the ship. Directly below this cabin was a family suite and they basically had it even worse...they probably would need binoculars to see the water as whatever that monstrosity was...well, it was their back yard.

 

Bottom line, if you were used to an aft balcony on just about any other cruiseline, you would very likely be quite surprised about the construction of the aft decks. WTH? I know how much research we do--so I would know never to book those cabins because I would find a picture of it first...but there are many who don't go to those types of lengths to research and I would doubt many travel agents give that type of insight.

 

I am guessing that all the Freedom Class ships have this design (which means we would never even consider an aft on these ships). Do all the other ships have these types of "aft" balconies. You are so far away from seeing the water--it's kind of ridiculous. And no one even knows what purpose it serves (the thing between your balcony and the back of the ship).

 

I know I am not alone...we were ALL talking about it on the cabin crawl. And most of us had never witnessed anything like it and everyone that was there with us stated the same thing, "can you imagine booking this, not knowing, and walking out to your balcony and finding this???"

 

:/

[ksuds]

LOL......you are right. We were docked next to the LOS in Cozumel a couple weeks ago and were looking at their aft cabins from our ship. We didn't understand what this large area of dead space was. There weren't even any chairs or anything in the area. All the aft cabins seemed to be set back into the ship and the view from a balcony consisted of rafters and medal.

[kymbakitty]

LOL......you are right. We were docked next to the LOS in Cozumel a couple weeks ago and were looking at their aft cabins from our ship. We didn't understand what this large area of dead space was. There weren't even any chairs or anything in the area. All the aft cabins seemed to be set back into the ship and the view from a balcony consisted of rafters and medal.

 

 

Could you imagine booking one of those--figuring, "heck, we've had aft cabins before--what can be different about an aft cabin?" only to walk out and see that? OMG...I can't even imagine what would come out on DH's mouth. I'm so glad we saw that or we probably would have never known that any ship's would design such a flawed "aft" baclony (yes, flawed).

 

Come to think of it...not seeing it in "person," I wonder if you could actually get the full story in a picture? I mean, who would think that there was something built like that on a ship so if you didn't know what you were looking at, you still might not get the full concept of just what is back there. I just know I am thrilled to have seen that because it will really make us research any future aft cabin. One of the reasons you book an aft is to be ultra close to the water/sounds of the ocean. You shouldn't need to look over a deck of some sorts, a bunch of stucture (metal) and then need to whip out binoculars to see the water. You can forget about hearing the sounds of the ocean--especially if you can't see the water over your balcony.

 

Ugh...

[ssb]

Every aft cabin and balcony is as varied as to the

Cruise line

Class ship in each line

Floor level

Area Location on aft as to center, near side or corner

 

As example on RCL Voyager Class

Cabins afts are on 6 to 10

and cabins and balconies

are different

on the same floor level

and are different

from floor level to floor level.

 

 

Do your homework!

Go on the cabin crawls!

 

We love certain cabins!

[kymbakitty]

Every aft cabin and balcony is as varied as to the

Cruise line

Class ship in each line

Floor level

Area Location on aft as to center, near side or corner

 

As example on RCL Voyager Class

Cabins afts are on 6 to 10 and cabins and balconies are different on the same floor level and are different from floor level to floor level.

 

Do your homework!

Go on the cabin crawls!

 

We love certain cabins!

 

True, but these type of aft cabins really set a new standard for being different.

 

We have toured MANY aft cabins...and yes, to some degree they vary. Depth of balcony, view from balcony, blah, blah, blah. But most have one thing in common--there is nothing BETWEEN the balcony and the back of the ship!

 

This was a show stopper moment for every one in that cabin crawl! Even after you were leaving with your group, you could still hear, "what in the world...what is that????...."

 

I still love aft balconies, but the LOS opened my eyes to something I would have never considered--and even with all the research I do, I could see a picture of that balcony NOT really showing me just what was between us and the back of the ship (especially if I had no prior knowledge and the angle of the picture taken).

 

Dawn

[Cshgrand]

Here is the RFS balcony from 8666 on the Enchantment taken last week - even these do not convey how totally HUGE and amazing this space was!

Hope these come out as have done them via tapatalk - balcony had separate covered and sheltered eating area, empty floor space plus loungers.

[Cshgrand]

Also deck 7 had awesome afts too to put this one on your safe list!

[WhiteSoxFan]

Deck 6 afts on the Voyager/Freedom class definitely have an expanse of dead space behind them (blue area in pic below). The area below this is a crew lounge area IRCC. The balconies on deck 6 are deeper but with less of a view. I had the deck 7 corner aft on Freedom and Deck 10 corner aft on the Mariner and thought they were both great.

 

[sr4mjc]

The Radiance class have very large aft balconies with no obstruction. We book them when they are available, 1602 two years in a row!

[kymbakitty]

Here is the RFS balcony from 8666 on the Enchantment taken last week - even these do not convey how totally HUGE and amazing this space was!

Hope these come out as have done them via tapatalk - balcony had separate covered and sheltered eating area, empty floor space plus loungers.

 

Now that's what I call an aft balcony!

 

So it seems like the Freedom and Voyager class ships have this poor design for their aft balconies?

 

It‘s not even the obstruction--it's that they simply are not aft!

 

Dawn

[Toddcan]

Clearly, you assumed all "Aft" balconies are to have a clear view straight down to the water.

 

Consider yourself educated now that you know the truth.

 

We cannot wait for our aft balcony on the Indy (Freedom class). It's a corner aft on deck 7 - monster balcony. I know I am not able to look directly down at the water.

[ssb]

Clearly, you assumed all "Aft" balconies are to have a clear view straight down to the water.

 

Consider yourself educated now that you know the truth.

 

We cannot wait for our aft balcony on the Indy (Freedom class). It's a corner aft on deck 7 - monster balcony. I know I am not able to look directly down at the water.

 

Well on 7 deck corner aft

Voyager Class

On side of balcony

and at corner of railing of aft and side

You can look straight down to water

[Toddcan]

Well on 7 deck corner aft

Voyager Class

On side of balcony

and at corner of railing of aft and side

You can look straight down to water

 

Yes, you can. We're looking forward to it on our Freedom class deck 7 corner aft too.

[ssb]

Yes, you can. We're looking forward to it on our Freedom class deck 7 corner aft too.

 

Congratulations !!

Enjoy your cruise!

[micmacmissy]

When you go to book an aft balcony on those ships on the RCCL website, it does come up as "obstructed view".

 

You gotta do your research!

[ssb]

When you go to book an aft balcony on those ships on the RCCL website, it does come up as "obstructed view".

 

You gotta do your research!

 

My research is from enjoying that cabin and balcony on many Voyager Class cruises.

We even have it in the fall with a BTB again!

Everything is relative.

Enjoy your cabins on your cruises

and we will enjoy our's!

[kymbakitty]

When you go to book an aft balcony on those ships on the RCCL website, it does come up as "obstructed view".

 

You gotta do your research!

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

Just giving a shout out for something that we had NEVER seen before on any of our previous aft balconies (4 of them total). We were not alone in our surprise.

 

I can't even begin to list all the things I've learned on this board. Helps tremendously with the research.

 

:)

[Toddcan]

[kymbakitty]

 

We could definitely overlook the monstrosity with that side view!

 

What category is that cabin (does it at least have a couch/sitting area)?

 

Dawn

[ssb]

We could definitely overlook the monstrosity with that side view!

 

What category is that cabin (does it at least have a couch/sitting area)?

 

Dawn

 

E1 deluxe ocean view with balcony

It is not jr suite

[Merion_Mom]

We could definitely overlook the monstrosity with that side view!

 

What category is that cabin (does it at least have a couch/sitting area)?

 

Dawn

 

 

 

 

 

[monkeyinhat]

Love those aft fantail balconies

a big reason why Oasis and Allure do not appeal to us. we would miss the aft balcony

would really hate to see the ships all go toward designs to no more perfect aft balconies. sigh:(

[Toddcan]

We could definitely overlook the monstrosity with that side view!

 

What category is that cabin (does it at least have a couch/sitting area)?

 

Dawn

 

It's cabin 7708. The most sought after cabin on the aft :) As you can see, 7708 & 7408 are on the corners, but it does not afford a view of the side of the ship - but you can look down into the water from that round cutout.

 

It's just an E1. Yes, the cabin has a love seat - not a full couch. The balcony is famous.

[vickiw0318]

Superstructure or no superstructure, I am looking forward to spending 4 days on the balcony of 8414 starting 9 days from today.

 

I do far prefer the aft balconies on the Vision and Radiance class ships because I can look straight down into the water. However I do find that when I am on a Voyager or Freedom class aft that, after only a short period of time, my eyes just look straight out and the beam sorta fades.

[kymbakitty]

Superstructure or no superstructure, I am looking forward to spending 4 days on the balcony of 8414 starting 9 days from today.

 

I do far prefer the aft balconies on the Vision and Radiance class ships because I can look straight down into the water. However I do find that when I am on a Voyager or Freedom class aft that, after only a short period of time, my eyes just look straight out and the beam sorta fades.

I could care less about the beam. A lot of balconies have one type of structure in the sight line somewhere.

 

I'm talking about that awful area that was immediately below the balcony----not to mention covered in that outdoor blue carpet.

 

Maybe the further up you get, the less of an eyesore this is.....more research needed, obviously.