To balcony or not

[zales]

Hey guys, don't like the cold and of course just going for the scenery for the Fjords in early July. Just wondering if the balcony would be worth it. I suppose I could bundle up with blankets to get my money worth about $1200 total more than inside and ocean view $800 more than inside. Insights on the pros and cons would be greatly appreciated:o

[drk]

You'll get 2 schools of thought on this. When we've done Alaska several times we have not paid the significantly higher fares because we know we won't be spending much time on the balcony...DW is a native Floridian! However some say they would never go without because of the scenery. We just find other places inside to enjoy the views and occasionally venture outside. So one vote for save your money for excursions, etc.

[nojoke]

personally, I would go with Oceanview. I love a balcony, of course. Everybody does! And, if we are in the Caribbean, I really, really want to be able to sit outside and eat breakfast outside. But,

if you are looking to minimize expenses, an oceanview would still give you the “view” and you can always go up to the open deck and enjoy more view. And, I’m afraid it will be so cold, you won’t enjoy sitting outside for any length of time.Of course, I have been known to be wrong sometimes. Do have a wonderful cruise no matter what you choose.

[DebbieMacG]

The Fjords in Norway won't be that cold in July! :)

 

Having said that you can enjoy the view from the decks and $1200 is a lot extra for a balcony.

[SusieV]

If the price is reasonable to us, we never go without a balcony in the Caribbean. We love to sit out there and enjoy the warmth and sunshine.

 

I don't think we would use a balcony as much on a cold weather cruise and would prefer to spend the money on excursions (which we don't do in the Caribbean).

[Lois R]

You will get tons of answers. See this thread too:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1818091

 

There are people who will not cruise without a balcony...ever. They

would not book a cruise without one.

 

There are those who book inside cabins and love them.

 

There are those who book oceanviews and when a balcony is within

their pricepoint may decide to book one.

 

There are those who have no problem with booking any of the above.

 

It really depends on you and what is important to you. Money,

cabin category, what makes you happy.......what are your

priorities?

[DrivesLikeMario]

Wait until about 1-2 months prior to sailing and see if there's a lowered price on the balcony cabins, then upgrade. Even if you're in the least expensive balcony cabin, it will be nicer to have that outside space to check the weather out, get fresh air and figure out what to wear for that day's tours.

[satchiesmom]

We always get a balcony IF the price is right. That being said, we have no problem with an inside cabin at all. We don't mind the cold, so the scenery would be our primary concern. On our upcoming Bermuda cruise the balcony cabins went down in price to less than what we were paying for our inside cabin, so of course we upgraded. As a previous poster said, you could wait and see if the balcony prices go down closer to your sail date and then decide if it's worth it to you. $1200 is a lot of money you could spend on excursions.

[Desertbelle]

When we did the Norwegian Fjords (in mid June) it was the only time since we started getting only balconies that we got an outside room without a balcony. I hate cold and thought we wouldn't get much use, but afterwards I wish we had gotten the balcony. I spent a lot of time kneeling on the bad looking out the window, very uncomfortable. The weather was cool but not cold and the views were so lovely I am sad I couldn't enjoy them from a balcony. Plus, the Sun didn't set until around 2 am and it was still twilight until around 3 am...I would have loved to enjoy that experience on our own balcony. We just booked a Baltic cruise for May 2013.... Got a balcony, not making that mistake again.

 

BTW, had a balcony for the Chilean Fjords and going around the bottom of South America. The day we were in the Fjords and went to see an iceberg it was freaking freezing, but I loved bundling up and standing on the balcony and watching the beautiful scenery. When I got too cold I came inside and could still see pretty well...warmed up and went back outside. Wonderful memories!

[sjaak]

We had a balcony when cruising the fjords and to the Northcape. End May begin June and we had beautiful weather, most days around 23 degrees Celsius. So we did use our balcony. We used it when we left Southampton, on seadays, when returning to the ship after a busy day in port. BUT ..... when sailing into the fjords I ran upstairs to the highest deck where I was able to see both sides of the fjord and to see in front of us. That's the only way to see the majesty and beauty of the fjords. That's what you'll miss when you stay on your balcony.

 

Enjoy you're cruise, Norway is beautiful. Hope you have some luck with the weather.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[shoreham01]

We love the balcony. Norway has the most wonderful scenery, it is lovely to watch it from the balcony. It will not be too cold then, although it could be rainy so take many layers and waterproof jacket. The weather in Norway can change three times during the day at least!

 

Check the pricing again, they were offering balcony for same price as oceanview over here in the UK for some cruises.

[richstowe]

As previously stated, the weather would be unlikely to be that cold.

Surprised that OV cabins are only 400 less then Balcony. Too bad.

 

We love balconies especially on Celebrity where smokers are (usually) not an issue.

 

Here is my rationalization for getting a balcony. How much is the total for the entire cruise with and without a balcony ?

 

When you add up the cost of the cruise, air fare, hotel ,drinks, tours ,tips etc, etc, etc, the added cost of the balcony premium

may be 5 % or less of the total ,especially since higher cabin levels often get bigger TA bonuses.

I guess it's always easy to rationalize spending more money.:o Either way, you'll have a great cruise.:)

[Mary loves to travel]

Another aspect to think about, is that even if you don't go out on the balcony, you still get much better views with the sliding glass doors (wall of glass) than with a much smaller window.

 

Again, depends on the price.

 

Decisions, decisions :)

[OCruisers]

My DH had Noro on a cruise. Naturally, I (not sick) needed to stay in that cabin with him for two days.

Had we not had a balcony where I could walk/sit outside and get some fresh air, I would have had big time "cabin fever" for sure! :rolleyes:

 

LuLu

~~~~

[grayjay]

I looked up the cruises for the fjords in July and could see that whereas inside cabins really are significantly cheaper , balcony cabins both on "Infinity" or "Eclipse" were mostly the same price as oceanviews.

Norway in July can be quite warm ( around 20-22 degrees Celsius) and the views are breathtaking . You also will have long stretches of cruising along the fjords - so it's one of the cruises where I'd sorely miss a balcony. On a port-intensive Mediterranean cruise where most of the time you'll either be in port or sailing far away from the coast it might be a different choice.

[Shake]

Especially in Alaska in July get the Balcony. The scenic cruise is so much more enjoyable on your private balcony. Personally we have never cruised without a balcony and never would. It just wouldn't be the same without the ambiance and fresh air of the sea.

 

AND regarding when to go to Alaska. There's a reason they call it shoulder season ........ it's when the rain and cold rolls down your shoulders. Good move not doing Alaska in May/early June or late August/Sept.

[anandaindonesia]

Book an oceanview.

 

The fairies want me to keep this secret but I'm not very good at it : you're next on their list for an upgrade! ;)

LOL :D

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[Macadian]

On cruise lines like Celebrity and Princess (no smoking on Balcony policy) in warmer climes, yes, every time. On other cruise lines without this policy we will now normally book an ocean view or inside cabin.

[gelo7]

If the price is reasonable to us, we never go without a balcony in the Caribbean. We love to sit out there and enjoy the warmth and sunshine.

 

I don't think we would use a balcony as much on a cold weather cruise and would prefer to spend the money on excursions (which we don't do in the Caribbean).

 

I concur...

[phoenix_dream]

My DH had Noro on a cruise. Naturally, I (not sick) needed to stay in that cabin with him for two days.

Had we not had a balcony where I could walk/sit outside and get some fresh air, I would have had big time "cabin fever" for sure! :rolleyes:

 

LuLu

~~~~

This is one of the biggest reasons I will no longer book inside no matter what. I cannot imagine being trapped in those tight quarters under the circumstances. Ocean view is a bit better, but not much. I agree also with those who say that even if the door is closed, just having the balcony makes the view so much better, and it also makes the cabin seem visually bigger - and considering the size of these cabins (as opposed to our normal houses) that really means something to me:)

[XandraMic]

When we did Southern Caribbean cruise, we had balcony. However, we did not use it because it's too hot.

 

We're going to Fjords cruise in June. We really love to have balcony, but the price different between oceanview and balcony is more than $1400 in total. With this big different in price, we go for oceanview, and plan to stay in the open deck to enjoy scenery.

 

Our cruise is the one from Amsterdam. After final payment date, I notice a lot of of cruise leaving from UK in June have balcony/concierge guarantee with cheaper price than oceanview. If the cruise you want in July still have a lot of cabin left, maybe the price will become cheaper too.

[zales]

Thank You guys for your responses, and especially to anandaindonesia for the fairy dust:D

[wednesday]

Hey there Zales:D

 

We have never done inside or ocean view because we love balconies so much. On our Baltic cruise, if it was cold I just bundled up and enjoyed my view.:) I guess I am a balcony snob but I will pay whatever the difference to at least have a balcony...:o

[Desertbelle]

Hey there Zales:D

 

We have never done inside or ocean view because we love balconies so much. On our Baltic cruise, if it was cold I just bundled up and enjoyed my view.:) I guess I am a balcony snob but I will pay whatever the difference to at least have a balcony...:o

Great picture!

[wednesday]

Great picture!

 

Thanks! That was sailing into Stockholm at about 5am, it was cold but those marshmallow socks do the trick!:D