Aft Balcony pro and con

[schatzi10]

We are booked on the NCL Getaway for August 2 in a large balcony room but I am considering an aft balcony room. My husband is concerned that it might be noisy from the engine. Any pros and cons? Anyone been on An aft balcony on the Getaway ?Thanks

[wassup4565]

Not on the Getaway, but many experiences with aft balconies.

PROS

1. Very quiet hallways, because nobody wants to walk that far without a purpose

2. Aft balconies on many ships are at least three times as large as side balconies. This means you usually get loungers as well as chairs.

3. The aft view has a much larger range, kind of a big pie-shaped wedge. Side balconies can only look right or left

4. Some, like me, who have previously enjoyed aft balconies say the view of the ship's wake can be pleasantly mesmerizing

5. Saw more flying fish off aft balconies

6. Depending on your view downward, you may be able to see the kitchen crew come out on a deck below you and start up with their phones as you come into port. This is a clue to you that you can possibly pick up better signals than the expensive ones on board

CONS

1. Long way to walk to elevators and staircases

2. On a coupla cruises we did have soot land on our aft balcony. Cabin attendant cleaned it up. But I don't mind a teensy bit of soot for all those other advantages.

 

Do NOT book an aft balcony if you have any concerns. Leave them for us devotees, please.

[fortinweb]

 

PROS

3. The aft view has a much larger range, kind of a big pie-shaped wedge. Side balconies can only look right or left

 

I'm not sure I follow. On side balconies, you have a 180 degree view - towards the front, towards the rear and straight out. If aft balconies only see a "pie shaped wedge", that would be about 45 degrees, much less that the 180 degrees of the side balconies. That would make the view of a side balconies a "much larger range" :confused:

Edited April 22, 2014 by fortinweb

[MNfamilycruiser]

I'm not sure I follow. On side balconies, you have a 180 degree view - towards the front, towards the rear and straight out. If aft balconies only see a "pie shaped wedge", that would be about 45 degrees, much less that the 180 degrees of the side balconies. That would make the view of a side balconies a "much larger range" :confused:

Maybe a better description would be a pie with a wedge taken out of it - as if you were standing in the wedge and the remaining arc of the "pie" is your view. More than 180° anyway. Depending on exactly where your aft balcony is - MUCH more that 180. We will be in our first aft "corner" where the balcony wraps around one side a bit as well as facing aft.

[fortinweb]

Maybe a better description would be a pie with a wedge taken out of it - as if you were standing in the wedge and the remaining arc of the "pie" is your view. More than 180° anyway. Depending on exactly where your aft balcony is - MUCH more that 180. We will be in our first aft "corner" where the balcony wraps around one side a bit as well as facing aft.

 

What you are describing is different than what wassup4565 described. I can understand what you are saying - if you are on a corner aft balcony, you could have up to a 270 degree view. However, if you are on a middle aft balcony, your view is still going to be only 180 degrees - essentially the same as a balcony along the sides, but with a different perspective.

Edited April 22, 2014 by fortinweb

[John Bull]

- Except for corner cabins, the view from an aft-facing cabin is as broad as from a cabin on the side, except of course you see where you've been & not where you're going.

- Balconies are often bigger, with loungers.

- Because they're usually at the end of a corridor they're usually quiet.

- But there's no elevator & usually no stairs on cabin decks at the stern, so it's a long walk to go anywhere - even to say a dining room immediately above or below you.

 

- Big difference we've noticed is that the balcony is very much more sheltered from wind & rain. When others with their little chicken coops along the side can't use their balcony or even have the balcony door open, we can sit out very comfortably on a stern-facing balcony.

 

Wassup's comment about looking down on a crew area is specific to a ship. And even Wassup's and my own more-general comments don't apply to all cabins or all ships ;)

 

JB :)

Edited April 22, 2014 by John Bull

[ATC cruiser]

I just stayed on an aft balcony on Independence of the Seas, I don't think the walk to the elevator is any longer than from the middle of the ship. Now to get to the front elevators, yes that is a bit of a walk. I bet if you measured the distance from half way between the elevators and compared it to the distance from the back elevator to your aft balcony, it would be pretty much the same. Getting to the windjammer is a piece of cake. When the pool deck got to crowded, we would go to our balcony and lounge there. I will always choose an aft balcony, if I can get one, now that I've had one.

 

 

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[navybankerteacher]

The only real negative would be for someone subject to motion sickness - being right at the stern any pitching of the ship would be felt most strongly.

[kpgibbs]

We stayed in an Aft cabin on Princess two years ago in Alaska. LOVED IT! Loved it so much, we are doing it again this year with the wrap around. I never felt any motion. Watching the wake of the ship is mesmerizing.

I say go for it. You will not regret it.

[agabbymama]

CONS:

As John Bull stated, you see where you've been not where you're going, and as you pull into port, it's difficult to look forward and see the port or take photos.

 

The wake of the ship can be mesmerizing or can be the cause of seasickness.

 

The long walk to and from your cabin.

 

PROS:

The balconies are usually huge and more protected from the wind than side balconies.

 

As you can tell, I'm not a fan of Aft balcony cabins. We booked once and won't again, but we are two older ladies with mobility issues, so we will stick to midship. And with only two of us, the huge balcony didn't really mean much.

[Beachdude]

However, if you are on a middle aft balcony, your view is still going to be only 180 degrees - essentially the same as a balcony along the sides, but with a different perspective.

 

Actually you see all 360 degrees because you eventually get past where you were once going. That is different than being on the side because you never see more than 180 degrees of where you are or have been. This difference became really apparent on our Alaskan cruise with land on both sides. We never had to run to the other side of the ship to see the view. We just wait until we pass it.

 

Burt

Edited April 22, 2014 by Beachdude

[fortinweb]

Actually you see all 360 degrees because you eventually get past where you were once going. That is different than being on the side because you never see more than 180 degrees of where you are or have been. This difference became really apparent on our Alaskan cruise with land on both sides. We never had to run to the other side of the ship to see the view. We just wait until we pass it.

 

Burt

 

As others have said, you only see where you have been, so if there was something interesting to focus on, you can only do so as you move away from it, instead of as it comes closer. This is one reason why I don't like to ride in backwards facing seats on trains. I see something interesting, and before I can check it out, it's getting smaller.

 

I haven't tried an aft cabin yet. It's on my bucket list. What concerns me about them is the "alley" affect I sometimes see in photos of long balconies with partitions along the full sides of them. Some photos make it seem as if you are looking at the view with blinders on.

[Beachdude]

As others have said, you only see where you have been, so if there was something interesting to focus on, you can only do so as you move away from it, instead of as it comes closer. This is one reason why I don't like to ride in backwards facing seats on trains. I see something interesting, and before I can check it out, it's getting smaller.

 

I haven't tried an aft cabin yet. It's on my bucket list. What concerns me about them is the "alley" affect I sometimes see in photos of long balconies with partitions along the full sides of them. Some photos make it seem as if you are looking at the view with blinders on.

 

Yes, but there are very few balconies on the front of the ship. You won't miss anything on the aft because once you get where you are going, the ship turns around. There is not a better view then relaxing with a glass of wine while leaving a port. I never get tired of watching Ft. Lauderdale, or any port really, fade into the horizon.

 

Not all, but you will find most folks on the aft are addicted to the view.

 

Burt

[John Bull]

What concerns me about them is the "alley" affect I sometimes see in photos of long balconies with partitions along the full sides of them. Some photos make it seem as if you are looking at the view with blinders on.

 

I know where you're coming from, but all balconies have dividers providing privacy from neighbours. So the furthest 3 or 4ft is exactly the same as a balcony on the side. The difference is that most aft-facing balconies are much deeper, with room for loungers. And mebbe a grand piano and a six-piece band.;)

 

But of course in most cases with balconies & cabins above & beside, there's very little more direct sunlight on those big balconies except possibly early or late in the day.

The alternative is the deep side balconies on the lowest balcony-deck on some ships. Big sunny balcony but overlooked by all & sundry.

More pros & cons. :rolleyes:

 

JB :)

[navybankerteacher]

I know where you're coming from, but all balconies have dividers providing privacy from neighbours. So the furthest 3 or 4ft is exactly the same as a balcony on the side. The difference is that most aft-facing balconies are much deeper, with room for loungers. And mebbe a grand piano and a six-piece band.;)

 

But of course in most cases with balconies & cabins above & beside, there's very little more direct sunlight on those big balconies except possibly early or late in the day.

The alternative is the deep side balconies on the lowest balcony-deck on some ships. Big sunny balcony but overlooked by all & sundry.

More pros & cons. :rolleyes:

 

JB :)

 

I have noticed on a number of ships that the aft balconies have no privacy from above because the higher ones are slightly more forward - while this makes them more likely to be sunny, the lessened privacy makes them, to me, somewhat less desirable than the ones along the sides of the ship.

[John Bull]

I have noticed on a number of ships that the aft balconies have no privacy from above because the higher ones are slightly more forward - while this makes them more likely to be sunny, the lessened privacy makes them, to me, somewhat less desirable than the ones along the sides of the ship.

 

.......... which goes to show that generalisations don't work on all ships. ;)

 

JB :)

[wassup4565]

Yeah, I'm not so sure about the pitching and yawing being worse at the back of the ship. My first cruise ever we had a side balcony mid-ship, bad weather, and I found that the motion of the ship was the worst I experienced. Not to mention the rain slapping us in the side of the face every time we stepped out on the balcony.

 

We had a really bouncy trip on the Legend this past Feb, but I thought our aft balcony was pretty stable, not to mention no rain slapping us in the face. I kind of think of it like our half-ton pickup truck going through the mud in the spring. The front bucks and rears, but the back end just follows along after the front end breaks through.

Edited April 23, 2014 by wassup4565

[SPacificbound]

Not your ship or cruise line, but aft balcony, totally quiet, never heard a thing.

 

I also love the walk! :)

 

In 15 nights only had soot one time and it was cleaned up right away.

 

I love that it is not windy. :)

 

The first night it was a little strange with the motion but it rocked me to sleep really quickly. :D

Edited April 23, 2014 by SPacificbound