Thanks, cruise ship balcony!! A commentary..

[firemanswife209]

Thanks Al! We are going on the glory, January 2015. I will keep your tips handy for sure! Thank you!!!

 

 

 

Cheryl- Congrats on your first balcony!!! You won't believe how much more you will love your cruise with the actual SEA at your feet!! A tip: either print out my suggestions OR write them down along with others here and BRING them with you on the cruise..the MUST DO'S ARE:

 

1) Breakfast on the balcony ( day at sea preferred )..remember to tip waiter about $5 in CASH to set table up outside..

2) When you get up EVERYDAY, go on your balcony and enjoy the scenery ..enjoy a cup of coffee, read cruise pamphlet on what to do today, etc..

3) When you get back from the pool ( on a sea day) OR back from an excursion at a port of call, chill out on your balcony and realize you don't have to be looking at 4 walls, no light, no wind, no waves, no sounds, NO NOTHING EXCEPT the amazing ocean & harbour...

4) If you are facing West, check out the sunsets...

5) Before bed, go outside & check out the sea at night, ESPECIALLY if it's a moonlit night...I love seeing the whitecaps and HEARING them under a moonlit sky ( and the STARS!!)

6) Finally, if there's a storm with lightening & rain, don't be afraid to sit out there & check it out- it is an AMAZING thing to see ( as I mention in my original post)

 

 

When are you going and on what ship? Make sure you come back on this thread and let us know what you thought and how your hubby liked the surprise!!

 

Big Al

[big al]

Heading to Alaska next month. Do you think a balcony is worth it, given the potential weather?

 

People are divided on balconies in Alaska..you can see a few posts before these, and you will see differences of opinion on this..a friend just came back from Alaska 3 weeks a go on Princess and said "you MUST have a balcony in Alaska!"...I won't cruise in anything BUT a balcony at this point..I would suggest looking at the price difference if price is an issue...my thoughts if you are going to fly all the way to Alaska, you might as well go all the way and get a decent cabin, too..would hate to miss all those beautiful glaciers as you're going up the inside passage...unless you were on an open deck, for SURE you would miss them in an inside cabin.....

 

Big Al

[big al]

Thanks Al! We are going on the glory, January 2015. I will keep your tips handy for sure! Thank you!!!

 

You have 6 mos to go...are you going to wait till he opens the door to the cabin? Tough to keep that a secret till then....I have upgraded to a Junior Suite and never told my wife about that, but to keep a HUIGE upgrade like yours is tough..you'll HAVE to lie ( as much as you may not want to do..) if he starts asking questions about your cabin....good luck and please let me know what happens!!

 

Big Al

[Twice_a_year]

Our first cruise was with an ocean view cabin. There were no balconies on the Horizon. Next we had balconies on most. Intermittingly we sailed on the Horizon and Zenith (no balconies) after enjoying balcony cabins on other vessels. The best were the Panama Canal, Hawaii, and Alaska – Balconies were a big plus.

 

We sailed the Med several times but one time on a very tour extensive cruise we chose an inside cabin. We were so exhausted after the day tours we had no time for a balcony. It was a good choice.

 

Balconies range from great to good depending on your itinerary. Take what you can afford without skimping on tours and/or partying. You may be able to go on two cruises or extended cruise with an inside versus a balcony.

 

PS We enjoyed all our cruises regardless of our room!

Some newer ships have the virual ocean view in the insde cabin.

[homeschoolmama]

I would encourage a balcony. Remember it stays light almost all night for a good portion of the sailing dates. Also for things like the inside passage it is marvelous! There are other places people swear by being able to run back and forth to both sides of the ship. But that is personal preference. Sometimes there are whales on one side but not the other and things like that. Anyway, it is some of the most magnificent scenery, especially if you go through the inside passage and hubbard glacier.

 

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Edited July 6, 2014 by homeschoolmama

[TheDivineMrsM]

We'll be taking our first cruise soon. Many people recommended we splurge for a balcony, so we did. One main reason:

 

Two years ago we booked a hotel room at Virginia Beach at the boardwalk. When we opened the hotel room door, directly across from us were sliding glass doors with a breathtaking view of the ocean. We were enthralled, never having experienced that before in a room. There was an afternoon storm one day while on vacation, and we went to the room, opened the sliding doors and took a little nap, listening to the waves and allowing the ocean breeze to blow in. It was the most refreshing nap I'd ever taken. So....balcony? Yes, please.

 

That said, there are different personalities that cruise. I prefer a balanced mix of crowds and some alone time. I know many people who are very outgoing and want to always be where the 'action' is and don't spend much time in their own home, let alone an interior room on a ship. I've also read that many people select a cabin without windows to save on the cruise price allowing them to cruise more often. Why not, if you prefer the crowds?

 

I'd like to thank the OP for this post. At first, I thought it was too long to read, but I was happy to learn of the many ways to enjoy our balcony view.

Edited July 11, 2014 by TheDivineMrsM

[big al]

We'll be taking our first cruise soon. Many people recommended we splurge for a balcony, so we did. One main reason:

 

Two years ago we booked a hotel room at Virginia Beach at the boardwalk. When we opened the hotel room door, directly across from us were sliding glass doors with a breathtaking view of the ocean. We were enthralled, never having experienced that before in a room. There was an afternoon storm one day while on vacation, and we went to the room, opened the sliding doors and took a little nap, listening to the waves and allowing the ocean breeze to blow in. It was the most refreshing nap I'd ever taken. So....balcony? Yes, please.

 

That said, there are different personalities that cruise. I prefer a balanced mix of crowds and some alone time. I know many people who are very outgoing and want to always be where the 'action' is and don't spend much time in their own home, let alone an interior room on a ship. I've also read that many people select a cabin without windows to save on the cruise price allowing them to cruise more often. Why not, if you prefer the crowds?

 

I'd like to thank the OP for this post. At first, I thought it was too long to read, but I was happy to learn of the many ways to enjoy our balcony view.

 

I'm glad you did read it- I posted it a bit long BECAUSE I wanted people to know ALL the advantages a balcony cabin can have...you mentioned kinda getting away from the crowds ( like the pool area for me) , and seeing an amazing storm from your hotel balcony as well as listening to the waves..that was some of my points...you certainly cannot hear the waves or see the storm from an inside cabin, can you? Thank you for reading this- I hope some of my suggestions & tips helped & like I tell everyone here- either print my first page OR write down my suggestions & take it with you on your cruise..when are you going & what ship? Have a GREAT cruise!!

 

Big Al

[TheDivineMrsM]

Our son, who'll be a senior in college, is going on the cruise with us. I know he's never read any forums on the subject, but when we made the reservations last year, his one request was that we have breakfast on the balcony at least one morning of our trip. Then I learn of this website and in reading many posts, breakfast on the balcony seems to be one of the highlights! So my son has 'cruising' in his blood, apparently, without even knowing it. Yes, we will definitely enjoy it, all of it.

[MsVulcan]

Big Al,

 

You described the balcony experience perfectly! My first cruise was on Monarch of the Seas (sister to Majesty) and was in a broom closet room, so I feel your pain. I was with my 16 year old son and when I was done showering he had to go stand in the hall so I could get dressed in the room. Since we dreaded going back to the cabin, we spent every night watching karaoke in one bar. We were bored to death. I thought I would never want to cruise again.

 

Now I travel solo for the most part and my first solo cruise I booked a balcony on the Grand Princess. The room was so much better, and while I can't describe like you did the feelings of having a balcony making you feel more part of the cruise, it really does. I am on a ship to experience being on the water, so I want to be as close to it as I can at all times. But sometimes I just like to be alone. My last cruise had outdoor dining at the buffet, so I never ate in the MDR. I went every night to the buffet so I could sit at the back of the ship, in the open, and enjoy my dinner while watching the wake. Was the food as good as in the MDR? Probably not, but I didn't care. I wasn't on the cruise to go to a fancy restaurant. We have those in Phoenix. I was there to be on the water. We don't have much of that in Phoenix. :D

 

My son (now 24) and I are going to Alaska in September 2015 and have an aft balcony. I hear aft balconies are great and I am looking forward to spending some quality time out there.

[big al]

Big Al,

 

You described the balcony experience perfectly! My first cruise was on Monarch of the Seas (sister to Majesty) and was in a broom closet room, so I feel your pain. I was with my 16 year old son and when I was done showering he had to go stand in the hall so I could get dressed in the room. Since we dreaded going back to the cabin, we spent every night watching karaoke in one bar. We were bored to death. I thought I would never want to cruise again.

 

Now I travel solo for the most part and my first solo cruise I booked a balcony on the Grand Princess. The room was so much better, and while I can't describe like you did the feelings of having a balcony making you feel more part of the cruise, it really does. I am on a ship to experience being on the water, so I want to be as close to it as I can at all times. But sometimes I just like to be alone. My last cruise had outdoor dining at the buffet, so I never ate in the MDR. I went every night to the buffet so I could sit at the back of the ship, in the open, and enjoy my dinner while watching the wake. Was the food as good as in the MDR? Probably not, but I didn't care. I wasn't on the cruise to go to a fancy restaurant. We have those in Phoenix. I was there to be on the water. We don't have much of that in Phoenix. :D

 

My son (now 24) and I are going to Alaska in September 2015 and have an aft balcony. I hear aft balconies are great and I am looking forward to spending some quality time out there.

 

 

Wonderful story! I find it AMAZING that your first cruise & cabin was on the Monarch, similar to our 1st inside cabin ( AKA Broom Closet,lol) , and the you had your first balcony on the Grand Princess, same as OUR 1st balcony!! In fact we were upgraded from a standard balcony to a mini-suite with our own butler!! BTW, like you, I probably don't cruise for the food..MDR food is generally "fair" to "decent" to "OK" , "mediocre" , etc...I have a saying: "if you want to eat, go to the buffet...if you want to eat better, go to the MDR..if you want to DINE & enjoy your meal & make it an experience, go to the specialty dining venues"...and that's what we do...the aft balconies are awesome - corner afts are the best, but they are the first to go and are more $$ , but in the future, try & get a "corner aft"....we are looking to go to Alaska in June 2016 with several family members...have a great cruise, and keep on enjoying your balconies!!

 

Big Al

[MsVulcan]

Oh, I did get the corner aft!

[big al]

Oh, I did get the corner aft!

 

!!!!!!!!! What a good girl!!

[DaKa2002]

Big Al - you got so many features right on. We agree with them all; never had an inside cabin on a cruise ship. Growing up I was taught to "Always have a second way out; never sit in a restaurant with your back to the main door!" In a plane, know the locations of emergency exits - in both directions. Driving on the highway, watch what's going on around you and be alert to a way out of a potential accident situation. Balconies forever - someday maybe a suite, if we can get the nerve to splurge.

[homeschoolmama]

Beware, if you splurge for a suite there is no going back. :) we learned the hard way. Not complaining mind you, but it is like moving from a 7 day cruise to b2b. It is toooooo short going back to 7 days. :cool:

 

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[ducklite]

Beware, if you splurge for a suite there is no going back. :) we learned the hard way. Not complaining mind you, but it is like moving from a 7 day cruise to b2b. It is toooooo short going back to 7 days. :cool:

 

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I disagree. We used to do suites as our sone cruised with us and we wanted privacy for all concerned. Now it's just my husband and I. Out first cruise with just the two if us, not only did we not have a suite, but we didn't even have a window, just portholes. Frankly in that hectic, port intensive Med cruise we didn't miss the space, the balcony, none of it.

[clementine01]

For all you balcony lovers . . . how many decks above the lifeboats to you need to be to avoid them being a distraction to your view?

 

Thanks!

[meatball_nyc]

Depends on the ship and the configuration or placement of the lifeboats.

We were just on deck 10 on Breakaway and had no problems with the view. The lifeboats are on deck 7.

I'm sure people staying on 8 or 9 had obstructed views.

Have fun!

 

 

~Robin

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

Edited July 28, 2014 by meatball_nyc

[TheDivineMrsM]

Uh oh. So you have an ubstructed balcony view due to lifeboats on deck 7?

[clementine01]

Thanks for your response.

 

We will be sailing on Holland America's "Nieuw Amsterdam". Anyone had a verandah room on that one?

[ducklite]

For all you balcony lovers . . . how many decks above the lifeboats to you need to be to avoid them being a distraction to your view?

 

Thanks!

 

 

This will vary by ship. There is no single answer.

[big al]

This will vary by ship. There is no single answer.

 

This is true- it does vary from ship to ship..I always look at the deck plans when I choose a balcony..I personally like: "hump" or " bump" cabins ( on the hump/bump of the ship- better views), mid ship OR corner afts, and about 4-5 cabins down from the elevator ..life boats tend to be somewhere between decks 6-8, but it does differ....

 

Big Al

[JLvacation]

Morning all ~ Balcony choosing is always a discussion for us , not whether we are going to get one or not , yet where ! We have done the Aft we have been port or star board , , over the gangway to watch the runners . as well as the Sun Set or Rise off the back with coffee or cocktails ! :D ! ! !

 

If you get a balcony mark obstructed view , odds are you are going to be looking at a life boat or it's top side if you are in a balcony !

 

We always enjoy the life boat drills they perform every now an then .. as well as when they leave a little note the night before that the window washers maybe coming by , an you my want to keep the curtains pulled :eek: ~ lol ~ just saying.

 

Hope everyone has a pleasant morning an good day !

 

P.S. ~~Can't wait to check out our balcony on the Allure coming up in just a few weeks .

 

Happy Cruising ~ J.L.

[TheDivineMrsM]

So are you saying that a room will be designated "obstructed view" when you book it? We booked through a travel agent and requested a balcony room in the middle of the ship. Nothing on our information says it's an obstructed view, but I wonder if being on the 7th floor if there is a possibility it could be.

[meatball_nyc]

What ship will you be on?

Sorry, but I don't see anyone's signatures on my iphone.

 

 

~Robin

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

[clementine01]

Robin,

 

We will be on Holland America's Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

Jean