5 Reasons to book a balcony...

[honeymooner1948]

Booked on Carnival Legend for 06/07/2016 cruise to Alaska. Got us an extended balcony. Cabin 7219. looking forward to our first cruise. I do appreciate all the words here and other forums that help me make the decisions on our voyage. Now onto the shore excursions...lol

[big al]

Booked on Carnival Legend for 06/07/2016 cruise to Alaska. Got us an extended balcony. Cabin 7219. looking forward to our first cruise. I do appreciate all the words here and other forums that help me make the decisions on our voyage. Now onto the shore excursions...lol

 

Congratulations on your first cruise & balcony! The extended ones are great...the shore excursions are both $$ & time consuming to read & watch ( many have videos)..we are going to Alaska 5/21/16...FYI- Go on the Carnival thread & read on both the Legend & Alaska..you can read ONLY Legend reviews by going to the opening page on Cruise Critic and at the top, click "reviews" and find Carnival, then the Legend...remember that most is subjective on what they write...any questions, give a shout!

 

Big Al

[wampuscat7]

I agree with you, Big Al!

 

The balcony is my favorite part of a cruise. Coffee on the balcony in the morning, cocktails in the evening. Watching the ship move in and out of port. I love watching the pilot boat, pier runners, etc.

 

Last cruise was an aft balcony. It was fantastic.

[big al]

I agree with you, Big Al!

 

The balcony is my favorite part of a cruise. Coffee on the balcony in the morning, cocktails in the evening. Watching the ship move in and out of port. I love watching the pilot boat, pier runners, etc.

 

Last cruise was an aft balcony. It was fantastic.

 

AND there are many who have NEVER had a balcony..never! What you just described, along with many other reasons posted here, is why a balcony is such a great choice! Thanks for your input!

 

Big Al

[JustCruiseyNotCrazy]

Love your post and POV

I get seasick with inside stateroom.

April 2016 will first time with balcony. Ive had a porthole room, ive done the window aft

Just hoping this time I wont be feeding the fish.

I am seriously green faced on boats and cruises. Love to cruise but im.telling you.....

I get weird. Hoping the balcony is the "fix"

[big al]

Love your post and POV

I get seasick with inside stateroom.

April 2016 will first time with balcony. Ive had a porthole room, ive done the window aft

Just hoping this time I wont be feeding the fish.

I am seriously green faced on boats and cruises. Love to cruise but im.telling you.....

I get weird. Hoping the balcony is the "fix"

 

First, love your MB name,lol!!! a balcony is great because one of the first things experts say when you get motion sickness is "NOT go to your inside cabin", but instead, go onto the open decks & get FRESH AIR!! also, make sure the balcony is on a lower deck, NOT HIGHER..have you taken Bonine or used the patch? They are both effective...the salt air is really a cure for many...take a walk OUTSIDE on the open decks ( like the pool deck)..BTW, what ship are you going on? Thanks for your post!!

 

Big Al

[JustCruiseyNotCrazy]

My jamaica grand cayman cozumel cruise, I ate dramamine like candy. I swear I lose weight on cruises....so much heaving and puking. Lol.

Ive heard soooooo many remedies.

Look at horizon, look at something , drink this, eat that, do this and that....blah blah blah.

Im hopeless.

I just manage. Cruising is,worth the pain.

Lol

Daydreaming of my balcony stateroom. I look at pics on Carnival like men spend hours looking at porn. I cannot wait.

[big al]

My jamaica grand cayman cozumel cruise, I ate dramamine like candy. I swear I lose weight on cruises....so much heaving and puking. Lol.

Ive heard soooooo many remedies.

Look at horizon, look at something , drink this, eat that, do this and that....blah blah blah.

Im hopeless.

I just manage. Cruising is,worth the pain.

Lol

Daydreaming of my balcony stateroom. I look at pics on Carnival like men spend hours looking at porn. I cannot wait.

 

But, What's the name of the SHIP?

[bakersdozen12]

I have yet to take my first cruise, but I can imagine that if I were in an inside cabin, I would only be in there to sleep and shower too. I would feel too claustrophobic and I wouldn't see it as a place to relax and unwind. I booked balconies for my upcoming cruises for all of the reasons you mentioned. My husband and I are not partiers (we don't even drink), so I'm predicting we will want a quiet place to retreat to. Besides, we are not in the position to take more than one vacation a year, so we might as well splurge on the one we do take!

 

 

Just to follow up on this, since my cruise was over a couple weeks ago ([emoji17]), I now can speak to whether a balcony is worth it with actual experience. The verdict: definitely! It was so nice to be able to step out into the fresh air in the morning without having to change out of my pjs. Especially if I was overly anxious to get that first glimpse of whatever port we were pulling into, or if I just wanted to feel what the weather was like.

 

Also, and because of this it would have sucked if we had an interior or ocean view: since we sailed out of NOLA, we didn't reach the ocean until the middle of the night (it takes about 8 hours to get down the Mississippi). It was stormy that night due to storms caused by Hurricane Patricia. All I know is that when I went to sleep everything was smooth, and when I woke up in the middle of the night (around 3:30 am), everything was rocking!!! It was nice to be able to step out onto the balcony for a quick minute just to check out the ocean, see the size of the waves and to get acclimated to being out on the ocean. We had a cove balcony, so I really got a close up view of the waves which was amazing. I didn't get sea sick at all during the cruise, but I think my first experience with feeling the effects of stormy weather on a ship would have been a little freaky if we were in an interior and I couldn't see what was going on outside.

 

Anyway, I do think that we can live without a balcony on future cruises if we have to (especially if it means being able to take two cruises a year, or my dream Med cruise), but my preference will always be a balcony. Next up will be the aft wrap I have booked for my 40th birthday cruise next year!

[big al]

Just to follow up on this, since my cruise was over a couple weeks ago ([emoji17]), I now can speak to whether a balcony is worth it with actual experience. The verdict: definitely! It was so nice to be able to step out into the fresh air in the morning without having to change out of my pjs. Especially if I was overly anxious to get that first glimpse of whatever port we were pulling into, or if I just wanted to feel what the weather was like.

 

Also, and because of this it would have sucked if we had an interior or ocean view: since we sailed out of NOLA, we didn't reach the ocean until the middle of the night (it takes about 8 hours to get down the Mississippi). It was stormy that night due to storms caused by Hurricane Patricia. All I know is that when I went to sleep everything was smooth, and when I woke up in the middle of the night (around 3:30 am), everything was rocking!!! It was nice to be able to step out onto the balcony for a quick minute just to check out the ocean, see the size of the waves and to get acclimated to being out on the ocean. We had a cove balcony, so I really got a close up view of the waves which was amazing. I didn't get sea sick at all during the cruise, but I think my first experience with feeling the effects of stormy weather on a ship would have been a little freaky if we were in an interior and I couldn't see what was going on outside.

 

Anyway, I do think that we can live without a balcony on future cruises if we have to (especially if it means being able to take two cruises a year, or my dream Med cruise), but my preference will always be a balcony. Next up will be the aft wrap I have booked for my 40th birthday cruise next year!

 

Thanks for the post! Glad you liked your balcony...FYI & BTW, that cabin you want next time is called a "corner aft" in case you talk to a rep about that..they are great, and ALL aft cabins are much bigger as far as balcony size goes...

[Hawka]

first cruise i will be on and went the balcony as well for all those reasons fresh air etc i also picked the side that when it gets to NZ i see the coast line as we go along i know i could have done the other side for looking out at sea i will see that too on this cruise anyway at points during the cruise maybe next time if i go nz again i will pick the other side anyway for some reason i decided to go up front at the first cabin on deck 10 of the golden princess , never been sea sick dont expect to be either so i cant wait

[Lily815]

I couldn't sail without a balcony!!

[cc_rider]

Recently booked our cruise out of Barcelona. Costs $600 more per person over an inside room, which is a big stretch for us. To pay for it we will have to do low cost or no cost DIY excursions (Rome will be by train and walking tour with no for-pay sites), go with a less expensive hotel in Barcelona, and drop one day from the trip. But since this is our first cruse (and depending on how we like it our only cruise) we think the splurge is worth it.

Edited November 15, 2015 by cc_rider

[rileyinc]

Now I'm depressed. I want a balcony lol

[Edsnan]

Let's face it. There are some people that are only in their cabins to sleep and shower.

 

To me, though, my cabin is my home away from home. There is very little I participate in on the ship. The ship is not my 'destination' (which is why I don't go on of the mega ships). So to me the balcony provides my quiet, private out door space. I love getting up in the morning and going out in my nightgown (or if already in port with a robe on LOL).

 

I love sitting out there and watching the water, reading, napping. It's our own special space. :)

 

We are cruising for the first time in January - a 25 night sector on P&O World cruise. Would have loved a balcony, for all the reasons stated above, especially the fresh air (we even sleep with windows open through the winter) but unfortunately the price was against us so an inside cabin it is. If we win the lottery though we will look to upgrade - oops did I just see a flying pig!!

[rileyinc]

Feel your pain Edsnan. When we booked there was a sale and there were no balconies left. Of course once the sale finished there are miraculously balcony cabins available at a much higher price. Too much for us. However I will keep my eye on the prices. And keep checking with the cruise co for upgrade options.

[Hawka]

i got sent upgrade options last week i am cruising next week maybe that will happen for you guys ??

[HelloKittysMum]

take at least ONE good vacation every year & but don't be cheap on your vacation"...I try to do that always...

 

I live for my holidays (vacations) but always balance more holiday with quality of hotel / cruise cabin etc. We have just booked for Christmas on QM2 but as this our third vacation this year (4 weeks in New England /QM2 TA in summer, a week in Italy in autumn) we are having insides (my parents are having a balcony though so we will join them some of the time). It's different for us brits becuase we get more vacation time (I get 35 days plus public holidays) and I'd rather have an extra holiday!

[big al]

I couldn't sail without a balcony!!

 

I'm with you...done all 4 categories of cabins & balcony best way to go..just got off RCI Adventure Of The Seas 11/21 & had a Junior Suite..even better with walk in closet ( wife loved that!!), bathtub & shower, bigger balcony & small living room area with couch & 2 chairs...so nice to have extra space!!

 

Big Al

[big al]

Recently booked our cruise out of Barcelona. Costs $600 more per person over an inside room, which is a big stretch for us. To pay for it we will have to do low cost or no cost DIY excursions (Rome will be by train and walking tour with no for-pay sites), go with a less expensive hotel in Barcelona, and drop one day from the trip. But since this is our first cruse (and depending on how we like it our only cruise) we think the splurge is worth it.

 

GREAT choice & decision!! A balcony IMO is much more important than the hotel stay in Barcelona...you will get more days & better views from your balcony PLUS salt air, wind, waves, coastal views, moonlight, sunsets, etc...it's your cruise vacation- go for it!!

 

Big Al

[big al]

Now I'm depressed. I want a balcony lol

 

look for last minute sales & upgrades..don't let anything get you down if you have a cruise coming up..you can always splurge & worry later ( don't go overboard, lol with cabin $$$)..

 

Big Al

[big al]

I live for my holidays (vacations) but always balance more holiday with quality of hotel / cruise cabin etc. We have just booked for Christmas on QM2 but as this our third vacation this year (4 weeks in New England /QM2 TA in summer, a week in Italy in autumn) we are having insides (my parents are having a balcony though so we will join them some of the time). It's different for us brits becuase we get more vacation time (I get 35 days plus public holidays) and I'd rather have an extra holiday!

 

Hey, no fair rubbing it in about you Brits getting more holiday time than us here in the States,lol...I know- I have friends in London, Brighton, Liverpool, Oxford, Bristol & few more...before I was released by MERCK 5 years ago, I was up to 20 days vacation, which for here is a lot, but now as a cruise agent, I have no more vacation & wife is self employed, so no more paid holiday time for us...ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT to get a balcony to make the cruise SPECIAL...we are NOT spending a week in a broom closet for our only cruise vacation of the year!1 Next time off..MAY 2016 to Alaska..until then, only a few holidays ( X-Mas & New Year's & that's it for DW..)...

 

Big Al

[HelloKittysMum]

Other things being equal (ship, itinerary etc) would you rather:

 

Cruise every year in an inside or cruise every other year in a balcony.

 

(You can adjust for your budget / vacation time - cruise twice a year inside or once per year balcony)

[HelloKittysMum]

Hey, no fair rubbing it in about you Brits getting more holiday time than us here in the States,lol...I know- I have friends in London, Brighton, Liverpool, Oxford, Bristol & few more...before I was released by MERCK 5 years ago, I was up to 20 days vacation, which for here is a lot, but now as a cruise agent, I have no more vacation & wife is self employed, so no more paid holiday time for us...ALL THE MORE IMPORTANT to get a balcony to make the cruise SPECIAL...we are NOT spending a week in a broom closet for our only cruise vacation of the year!1 Next time off..MAY 2016 to Alaska..until then, only a few holidays ( X-Mas & New Year's & that's it for DW..)...

 

Big Al

 

But you have far more choices of ships etc you can drive to (and usually much better prices) 😉

[big al]

But you have far more choices of ships etc you can drive to (and usually much better prices) 😉

 

Correct & agree 100%...