voice your opinion on balconies!!!!

[ExDean]

We usually book a Caribe Deck because of the larger balcony./ With a mini we always look for the large balcony on Dolphin...except for the Royal. We find that the larger the more comfortable and, when we want the balcony breakfast the large balcony works best for us. We spend a lot of time on the balcony, especially on sea days. We did the TA on Ruby and welcomed our mini large balcony.

[JimmyVWine]

Do you have the figures to back up your statement?

 

Yes. They have been presented here. Royal cabins are smaller, especially the mini-suites. I didn't think this was even an issue. This has been widely reported beginning with the numerous press reports and videos starting with the very first Travel Agent cruise to nowhere. Now, let me buckle in and prepare for your attack that the 6 or so forward minis are bigger and that people have a "choice".

[JimmyVWine]

I've read that one should not place a value judgment of the size of the cabin and the size of the balcony and should instead refer to them as being different than other ships, not better or worse.:rolleyes:

 

Well played!:)

[JimmyVWine]

I'm for smaller balconies. You only need room for 2 comfy chairs and a small table.

It is precisely this approach that makes this issue so frustrating. Take a look at the deck plan. Over 1/3 of the non-suite cabins are set up to accommodate 3 or 4 people. Maybe more. But the ship has around 100 such cabins with balconies that will hold 3 people or more. I find it rather insulting that Princess would invite families of 3 or more onto the ship and at the same time tell them that they must draw straws to see who gets to sit on the balcony. But people who always travel as singles or couples chime in and say: "this doesn't impact me so I don't care". Isn't this the very definition of selfish? How would you like it if Princess eliminated the Crown Grill and then read a string of posts from vegetarians crowing about how they don't care? Balcony size does matter to families. Why no sympathy for them?

[Pam in CA]

Too bad they've changed the balcony furniture on many ships and we no longer have "comfy" chairs but quite uncomfortable ones (imho).

This is so true! I used to enjoy sitting on my balcony with my feet up. My last several cruises, I've had the "new" furniture and they are not comfortable for lounging. For me, they're like sitting on concrete. There's no "give" or lumbar support. If you look at the old chairs, they had a slightly curved back for better support. These chairs don't. Perhaps sitting straight up but even bringing pillows from the bed to sit on, I lasted only a few minutes.

 

 

Last October I booked an oceanview cabin for the first time in years, found that I didn't miss the balcony and have booked only oceanview or inside cabins since.

[OCruisers]

While we absolutely want a balcony, we so seldom use it.

We had much rather have extra cabin space than a larger balcony.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[faymuiheng]

We are the same, we like the balconies, but for a different reason. We like the fresh air that these rooms afford us. Of course, we use it occasionally, but either it's too hot to sit out there for a period (mexico) or too cold to last long. (alaska)

 

I do like the fact that Princess does not allow for smoking on the Balconies. NCL still allows it, and it's a hot topic that keeps resurfacing on their forum.

[KruzPrincess]

If they actually added space inside it would be something I could support. Some cruise lines have a larger inside space with a couch in all categories of cabins. I would like that on Princess, but it seems like the new ships' standard cabins are smaller with smaller balconies.

[Mom33]

Yes. They have been presented here. Royal cabins are smaller, especially the mini-suites. I didn't think this was even an issue. This has been widely reported beginning with the numerous press reports and videos starting with the very first Travel Agent cruise to nowhere. Now, let me buckle in and prepare for your attack that the 6 or so forward minis are bigger and that people have a "choice".

 

Attack? Really? :rolleyes:

The mini suites in the videos I have seen from the Royal don't show to be smaller. So if they are, as you seem to know for sure they are, then it is hard to see. Perhaps there is some confusion with the Deluxe balcony and the mini.

 

It really doesn't matter in the long run. You are the one that needs to have the Royal be a dud. I am just going to enjoy my cruise even if an inch or two is missing from some part of the cabin.

[AZbeachboy]

My DW and I love the balcony's. The smallest we had was on the Tahitian Princess. We were disappointed in the size when we had Dinner on the Balcony for our 25th Anniversary while traveling from Tahiti to Hawaii. It was a beautiful night but with the table and chairs we could barely get to the table. We had a family suite once and the balcony was huge. We really enjoyed it.

[Pam in CA]

We are the same, we like the balconies, but for a different reason. We like the fresh air that these rooms afford us. Of course, we use it occasionally, but either it's too hot to sit out there for a period (mexico) or too cold to last long. (alaska)

The issue with fresh air is that you get it only when you're actually on the balcony or going in or out. Balcony doors left open screw up the air conditioning or heating for not only your cabin but those in your area. If someone complains about the A/C not working, chances are it's a neighbor who has left their balcony door open. Every balcony door carries a sticker that says:

 

[hckrphil]

For an Alaskan cruise, I'd HIGHLY recommend an AFT BALCONY....

 

For a Caribbean cruise, sure, I felt a balcony was nice to get fresh air in the room, but other than that, it was just a drying rack for my bathing suit. I really didnt' spend much time out on it.

 

However, I know many people love their balcony's :) I'm just rarely in the room. My half a cent opinion ;)

[RMM34667]

I love a balcony and aft balcony is the BEST. But on Princess I've always booked inside for price. As a smoker now I would never pay for a balcony. But on my Royal cruises I booked an inside GTY at the II level. If I get any upgrade it will be to a balcony. We will see what happens. And if I get a balcony for an inside price then I won't care that it's small or obstructed! Win Win for me!

[lovetocruise2020]

I just read an article on cruise critic from Norwegian that new ships they are building will have smaller balconies as cruisers prefer larger space inside. Who are they kidding? Princess reconfirmed the Regal will be the same as the Royal. I switched from Norwegian to Princess due to smaller cabins & balconies. What is your opinion???

 

On NCL it all depends on your cabin! Im sure that is the same with PCL.

[SeagoingMom]

It is precisely this approach that makes this issue so frustrating. Take a look at the deck plan. Over 1/3 of the non-suite cabins are set up to accommodate 3 or 4 people. Maybe more. But the ship has around 100 such cabins with balconies that will hold 3 people or more. I find it rather insulting that Princess would invite families of 3 or more onto the ship and at the same time tell them that they must draw straws to see who gets to sit on the balcony. But people who always travel as singles or couples chime in and say: "this doesn't impact me so I don't care". Isn't this the very definition of selfish? How would you like it if Princess eliminated the Crown Grill and then read a string of posts from vegetarians crowing about how they don't care? Balcony size does matter to families. Why no sympathy for them?

We cruise as a couple and you will never hear us say, "This doesn't impact us, so we don't care." We do care! I have not yet sailed on Princess because the non-suite cabins are already small compared to the lines we prefer, and now having tiny balconies (and no promenade deck, as well) kills any desire we might have had to sail on Royal. We have no interest at all. If we want to be cramped on our balcony, sitting on uncomfortable straight-backed chairs with our feet in each other's laps and our dinner plates balanced on our knees, we will sail with Carnival, and get what we pay for.

[dleighb]

My husband and I are newbies to cruising having only been on four cruises on three ships. Disney Magic, NCL Pride of America, HAL Zuiderdam. Our first Princess Cruise on the Caribbean Princess is booked for January.

 

We have never sailed in anything other than a balcony cabin. We've always had a sofa (albeit a small sofa) in our cabins. Our Disney cabins were 304 sq. ft. and felt downright roomy compared to the 260-280 square feet of the PoA and Zuiderdam.

 

Paying more for a cabin with smaller square footage and a smaller balcony would not interest me. My husband and I have always traveled with family or friends and we have spent a fair amount of time on our balconies either visiting or reading in the open air. We love having breakfast on our balcony and not having to fight for a table. That being said, when I showed a picture of the Royal's balcony to my traveling companion, she said "It's still a balcony." So, she is far less picky than I am.

 

Our biggest balcony was on NCL. It comfortably fit six of us. I know it was an anomaly for that ship, but it was great. We have a mini-suite on the Caribbean Princess. Hopefully the balcony will be a decent size.

[Loonbeam]

It's worth re-noting that current pricing should not be used as an aribiter of value. Since its a new ship and new design, there is always a certain amount of price padding. Final fares in 2015 will reflect closer to the true cost of cruising on the Royal, especially once the Regal launches and takes over the new ship mantle.

[Cauzneffct]

It is precisely this approach that makes this issue so frustrating. Take a look at the deck plan. Over 1/3 of the non-suite cabins are set up to accommodate 3 or 4 people. Maybe more. But the ship has around 100 such cabins with balconies that will hold 3 people or more. I find it rather insulting that Princess would invite families of 3 or more onto the ship and at the same time tell them that they must draw straws to see who gets to sit on the balcony. But people who always travel as singles or couples chime in and say: "this doesn't impact me so I don't care". Isn't this the very definition of selfish? How would you like it if Princess eliminated the Crown Grill and then read a string of posts from vegetarians crowing about how they don't care? Balcony size does matter to families. Why no sympathy for them?

 

I don't necessarily think its selfish when gauging whether or not something is worth the investment vis a vis something else. For example, if it turns out that 80% cruisers don't care about balcony size, then it may behoove the cruiseline to limit the size of balconies to maximize something else. Going off your Crown Grill analogy, if it turns out that the majority of people don't care about the Crown Grill, it may make sense for Princess to leave it out of future designs or remove it from current ships in favor of something else.

 

If tomorrow Princess said they were going to further limit their beer selection because most people don't care, that would stink, but I get that majority usually rules when it comes to business decisions.

[boca7]

Thank you all for your comments, & yes when they say inside is that in the cabin or lounges? I`m surprised so many would be content with smaller balconies, I usually cruise with family & spend time with them on the balcony versus fighting for a lounge on deck.

[dorisis]

We decided against a trans Atlantic on the Royal when we found they had no oceanview cabins. I don't need a balcony on the North Atlantic. A complete waste of money. And I prefer a balcony when the climate is warmer. i do like the idea of using balcony space in the cabins. Princess cabins are small to begin with. I would rather see larger bathrooms.

[Times Prince]

We decided against a trans Atlantic on the Royal when we found they had no oceanview cabins. I don't need a balcony on the North Atlantic. A complete waste of money. And I prefer a balcony when the climate is warmer. i do like the idea of using balcony space in the cabins. Princess cabins are small to begin with. I would rather see larger bathrooms.

We just took a transatlantic cruise in April from Florida to Southampton via Portugal and used our balcony a lot, so I wouldn't call it a complete waste of money.

[Times Prince]

My husband and I are newbies to cruising having only been on four cruises on three ships. Disney Magic, NCL Pride of America, HAL Zuiderdam. Our first Princess Cruise on the Caribbean Princess is booked for January.

 

We have never sailed in anything other than a balcony cabin. We've always had a sofa (albeit a small sofa) in our cabins. Our Disney cabins were 304 sq. ft. and felt downright roomy compared to the 260-280 square feet of the PoA and Zuiderdam.

 

Paying more for a cabin with smaller square footage and a smaller balcony would not interest me. My husband and I have always traveled with family or friends and we have spent a fair amount of time on our balconies either visiting or reading in the open air. We love having breakfast on our balcony and not having to fight for a table. That being said, when I showed a picture of the Royal's balcony to my traveling companion, she said "It's still a balcony." So, she is far less picky than I am.

 

Our biggest balcony was on NCL. It comfortably fit six of us. I know it was an anomaly for that ship, but it was great. We have a mini-suite on the Caribbean Princess. Hopefully the balcony will be a decent size.

Dolphin deck mini suite balconies are a good size, and are open with no sheltering overhang.

[Loonbeam]

Not on the Royal. They appear to be the same as all others.

 

Dolphin deck mini suite balconies are a good size, and are open with no sheltering overhang.

[cruiserus]

We love the bigger balconies on Caribe deck on the Grand class ships. I will sit out there a good part of the day, watching the ocean, reading, sunning, etc. We will often eat breakfast or lunch out there too. The fact that 2/3 of the balcony is covered is great for my DH, since he burns easily in the sun. I enjoy getting a bit of sun once in a while, and don't really like all the noise and commotion around the main pools, so I choose my balcony to do that. I figure I can sit inside any time I am at home, but I can't have the fresh ocean air, the sound of the waves, and the chance to view passing ocean life sitting inside aboard the ship or around the pool. Balcony size on the Royal and Regal are a deal breaker for me.

[spyro1952]

The last few cruises I've taken and had balcony cabins, I kind of kicked myself that I paid for the balcony cabin and didn't use it. I would rather cruise more often, on longer cruises, than pay for a balcony that I don't use. I am perfectly comfortable (I am a solo cruiser much of time) in an inside or OV cabin.

I rarely cruise in the Caribbean anymore but that would be the only itinerary I would consider a balcony.