Panama Canal - Balcony Yes or no?

[Pete69]

Hi All,

 

Interested in peoples thoughts. We are heading to the panama canal with NCL however its $1500 difference between ocean view and balcony - is it worth it? We are happy to pay it if its worth it?

[karoo]

There's plenty of places on deck to get good views going through the canal. in now, keep an eye on the price and if the balcony price drops closer to the time you sail you can always ring and ask for an upgrade. $1500 is almost the cost of another cruise.

[phoenix1181]

We did a full transit a few years ago in an OV & are booked to do it again in 2015. This time, we're in a balcony cabin............. Yes, there's plenty of space on deck but there's not necessarily plenty of room at the rails so you can get a good look at things. While I don't recommend spending the day on your balcony, standing at the rail & jockeying for position gets old fast........

 

Bite the bullet & get the balcony. You'll still want to spend time on deck but when you're ready to sit for awhile, you can do it on your balcony & not miss anything.

[roger001]

For us, a balcony is a must have. We've done two PC cruises and have a third booked. Not only is a balcony nice for the day you cross the PC (although I'm out and all over the ship also that day), this is a 14 day cruise. The balcony will be a very nice to have for all of those days. We enjoy them also while in a port. A balcony is your own private world and private view of the ocean. Sit out for coffee in the morning, adult beverage in the evening. Balcony.

 

 

And I forgot to add....do read The Path Between the Seas before you go. Super excellent book about the PC. After reading it, the journey through will mean much more.

Edited November 9, 2013 by roger001

[NH Cruisers]

We had a balcony on HAL Zuiderdam on our Panama Canal cruise. It was worth it to us. For we only paid $900 p/p for a 10 day cruise in 2011.

 

But depending on your deck you may not want to be on your balcony during your transit. We were all over that ship going through the canal. On our balcony when the lock is drained all we could see was a little over the locks side. We spent a lot of time on the bow (they opened it during the transit) or on one of the upper decks. It was a great trip. I will always get a balcony myself if it is within my budget. I have never felt it wasn't worth it.

 

Jon

Edited November 9, 2013 by NH Cruisers

[OCruisers]

A full transit can be a very long day! It's good to be able to rest for a while in the privacy of your own balcony. ;)

 

LuLu

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[kcwingwalker]

A full transit can be a very long day! It's good to be able to rest for a while in the privacy of your own balcony. ;)

 

LuLu

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Agree!

 

Keep looking for price drops.

[RJ2002]

Agree with the others... Try for a balcony if possible.

[swedish weave]

Hi All,

 

Interested in peoples thoughts. We are heading to the panama canal with NCL however its $1500 difference between ocean view and balcony - is it worth it? We are happy to pay it if its worth it?

 

The answer is in the numbers !! If the balcony is worth $100 dollars per day to you, then do it.

 

Personally, I can't see the value for myself because I like to roam around the ship while in the canal. On a balcony, you will miss half of the sights.

 

For the rest of the trip, you will probably be several miles from shore, so there is not much to see. Also, most ships have areas on the decks where you can relax and see the ocean.

 

The places on deck at the front of the ship will be very crowded for the first set of locks, then the crowd will disperse and will be light until the next set of locks. Very few people spend the entire transit in the choice viewing spots.

Edited November 9, 2013 by swedish weave

[scopewest]

If you really can't afford the balcony, you will be able to see roaming the decks. You may have to fight your way to the railing as everyone else will be standing there. One tip is to bring an umbrella. It does rain on occasion, and when it does, everyone will go back inside leaving the railings empty. DH stood out in the rain just so he could see the sights, and if we do this crossing again, I'll make sure he has umbrella so he can stand there as long as he wants.

 

And if someone says you can stand there in your bathing suit, please let me know if you've ever seen someone do that!

[Macadian]

We did the balcony on our Panama Canal transit....at 5AM! Had our breakfast delivered to the stateroom . Only thing that marred it was smoking on the balconies either side of us, something that will be a serious consideration next time we sail with NCL. If you can put up with that, go balcony! Given what I know now an inside or ocean view would be our choice.

Edited November 9, 2013 by Macadian

[HokiePoq]

There's plenty of places on deck to get good views going through the canal. in now, keep an eye on the price and if the balcony price drops closer to the time you sail you can always ring and ask for an upgrade. $1500 is almost the cost of another cruise.

 

This was our thought. Our December cruise is a freebie if we consider the cost of a balcony on our upcoming Panama Canal cruise versus the inside we booked. We had a balcony going through the Suez, but the best views were up front so we got out there very early. Not to say it wasn't nice sitting on the balcony and watching the desert go by, but $$ is a factor. I also figured it was one day out of fourteen for seeing the canal and we stay busy with activities most of the time anyway. DH takes naps and never sits on the balcony which I enjoy.

[Pete69]

Thanks for the info and thoughts - definatly something to consider - not sure I can justify $1500