Balcony Dwellers Question

[frangran]

For me, balcony when there are a lot of sea days. For a port-intensive cruise, ocean view is OK. I wouldn't like an interior room - too claustrophobic for me. I spend a lot of time in my room relaxing.

[John&LaLa]

Inside cabin - afternoon delight

 

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[davekathy]

Inside cabin - afternoon delight

 

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Great! Now I've got that song stuck in my head. :D

[breezy270]

Have done more balcony cruises than inside...Tried an inside because it was comped for us by NCL. How can you say no to an almost free cruise. :) For the two of us it was just fine. It did make us spend more time in the public areas which was nice. I really did not miss the balcony and realized I did not use it as much as I thought I did. Balcony cabins are nice do not get me wrong! The price of an inside means I can gamble and have more money to take a second cruise in the year which is great. I am going with an inside again on our Allure cruise we booked a large interior which seems to be a bit larger than the cabins on NCL so I am happy about that...I would say give it a try you might not mind it and actually like the savings especially if you are doing a shorter cruise.

[cruisegirl1]

OP - you mentioned you were considering a short cruise - maybe 3 or so nights. It is personal opinion, but we have no issue with a window cabin for a short cruise. With some itineraries there is not even a day at sea. Most are in the cabin to sleep and shower.

 

We try to book a balcony but have also cruised in an OV cabin even for longer than a long weekend. We just returned from the Empress 7 night Cuba trip. That itinerary was fairly expensive and the only option for a balcony is a JS or higher. We opted for an OV cabin knowing they are all VERY small. We had no problem at all! We did not enjoy that cruise any less than the cruises when we are in a balcony or JS.

enjoy

[karena1]

 

My family has only done 7 day cruises, and we find a balcony the right category to fit our needs. Hoping someday to snag that perfect suite, but it hasn't happened yet. I am wondering, though, if on a shorter cruise...say 3-5 days...people who normally book balconies-suites find inside rooms okay? I love the view & the space a balcony offers but wonder if it would matter on a short 3 day weekend type cruise. What are your thoughts? Insides are so inexpensive on short cruises it makes them a little more attractive when looking at booking. Thank you for your opinions!

 

 

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We do a boatload of 3/4 night cruises every year. We do OV for the most part and we are totally happy with it. We would never do Inside. Had to do that when we first cruised and could not afford anything else. On 7 night we always do balconies, but on short cruises we do OV and watch prices and if they go down then upgrade to a balcony.

[Bruin Steve]

45 cruises and counting...

We've done everything from inside cabins to a 1200 square foot suite...

Our usual "go-to" is a balcony cabin...but it's got to make sense. If the balcony is a fairly small premium above an OV, it's an easy call...BUT, if there is a major jump in price from an inside or an OV, then...maybe I do without my balcony...

AND, if the cruise is short enough, I don't really have a problem with an inside. Actually, for my Alaska cruise NEXT summer, as of now, we are booked in an inside...It frees up the budget so that we can come home from that one and head right back out to a Danube river cruise...

And, in Alaska in the summer, with zero night/dark hours, the inside cabin is great for sleeping...

 

When we have our normal balcony or suite, we spend a little time out on the balcony...but, to be truthful, we rarely get as much use as the price merits...We find ourselves in port...or at dinner...or at shows...or out and about around the ship. If you are only using the cabin, for the most part, for sleeping and changing clothes, the balcony...even the window...are of little use. And, for your lower price, you still get the same food, get to go to the same shows, get to visit the same ports, etc.

 

So, sure, while I really like the balcony...the ability to see the outside or to enjoy some fresh air without leaving my cabin...truth is, it is NOT really an outright necessity... I say "Just get me on the ship!" I can always use the open decks as MY balcony...

[cruizergal70]

When I travel with a companion, we always get a balcony. I'm doing my first solo cruise next year and I booked an inside cabin. I hope I don't find it too confining. It's only a 3 day cruise so I should be okay.

[CCC3]

Thank you all for your thoughtful responses!!! I am still contemplating an inside, and now perhaps OV for a short cruise. Your experiences & advice are super helpful!!

 

 

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[CCC3]

Depending on the cruise, we go with a balcony, or at minimum a large ocean view. We did inside once and we will never do that again. We also did an interior promenade on Navigator and wouldn't bother with that agai. For the price diff we'd rather see the ocean, sun, and evening over folks walking around the promenade.

 

 

My adult sons also did a promenade inside on Navigator to mixed reviews. One hated it. The other said it was fine. If the price were right, I might do one.

 

 

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[ColoradoGurl]

I am an odd ball in that I started out cruising in balconies but have switched to insides. I can afford the balcony, so it isn't about trying to fit in more vacations or making a sacrifice in order to sail a longer trip or any of that. My reasons were because a friend showed us their inside once and I didn't think it was so bad (size wise). I always imagined an inside being too tiny and claustrophobic, but I just didn't get that feeling when we visited their room.

 

I decided to try an inside the next trip, (actually a promenade) and liked it for several reasons.

 

1) They aren't as humid as balcony rooms. I see this as a benefit because I don't like the humidity when I'm trying to get cleaned up, since it makes it harder to dry off after a shower, and makes my hair frizzy before I even have a chance to try and tame it. The humidity also leads to more complaints about rust in the bathrooms, and if you have clothes that are a bit wet, forget trying to dry them out in a humid room.

 

2) I find the balconies too windy and cold to enjoy. You go out there and your hair is whipping into your eyes, and you need a coat. If I want to see the ocean, or get fresh air, I'll go up to the pool deck (even when I do have a balcony) where the sunshine can keep me warmer, and I can see whichever side of the ship is more interesting (like if you're coming or going from a port and the island is only on one side of the ship, you can just walk to the other side, whereas if you're on your balcony, you may or may not be able to see what you want).

 

3) We have never spent a lot of time in our room. We are always out and about doing something, and we only use the room to sleep and shower. I quickly realized that it was a big waste of money to pay for a balcony room that I didn't get any more benefit or joy out of than I did for an inside. So, even for someone who doesn't need to save money for the vacation, it can still make sense to get the cheaper room because, why pay $1,000 more for something you don't use?

 

 

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[frank808]

We have done everything from insides to cls. We get whatever cabin that we think is reasonable for the cruise. Although for oasis class we now book nothing smaller than a gs. Love the sl and coastal kitchen.

 

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[kalliekae]

On our first cruise, we had a porthole and on the next cruise, we had an ocean view window. The second cruise wasn't so bad since it was port intensive and we were rarely in the room. However, we only book balconies now. We really use our balcony and would not want to cruise without one. On a 3 day cruise, I suppose I could get by with an ocean view window, but I think I would find it disappointing.

[topnole]

We've had the smallest inside cabins, outsides, balconies, jr suites, sky class suites and even a star class suite. Pricing varies so much that sometimes certain categories just make more sense for a given cruise. For shorter cruises it would matter much less to me especially if you don't spend much time on your cabin. For me, if it means an extra cruise a year I'd do an inside without a thought. Try it once and then you will know how you feel.

 

Completely subjective, I know, so do not flame me. I also know that any day at sea is better than going to work. I am also aware that someone over the course of months/years may have asked a similar question. So that being said, here is my question for balcony-suite people...

 

My family has only done 7 day cruises, and we find a balcony the right category to fit our needs. Hoping someday to snag that perfect suite, but it hasn't happened yet. I am wondering, though, if on a shorter cruise...say 3-5 days...people who normally book balconies-suites find inside rooms okay? I love the view & the space a balcony offers but wonder if it would matter on a short 3 day weekend type cruise. What are your thoughts? Insides are so inexpensive on short cruises it makes them a little more attractive when looking at booking. Thank you for your opinions!

 

 

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[Psycho and Barb]

We only book balcony! We've done the others but we won't book any future cruises without a balcony. It's just too important to us

 

 

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[JimAOk1945]

We have never booked a cruise shorter than seven days, and I always book a suite. But if I did book a short cruise, I would book a room with a balcony.

 

There is no right or wrong answer to your question. You should do what makes you happy and what you can afford.

[Gquie]

I've done an inside on Adventure and loved it. I need pitch black to sleep really well and it delivered. I didn't find it overly small. My main criteria is that the room is clean and the bed is comfortable. I travel light so I dont need a ton of space for my things.

 

That said my other half demands balconies and wont do any category below that. So.... balconies are all we do :p

[CCC3]

I've looked at some cabins (Empress) on YouTube videos, and I'm wondering how you would choose an inside without the pull down beds? We wouldn't need or want them, and DH is tall and wouldn't want to bend and contort around them to get into bed.

 

 

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[Clarea]

I've looked at some cabins (Empress) on YouTube videos, and I'm wondering how you would choose an inside without the pull down beds? We wouldn't need or want them, and DH is tall and wouldn't want to bend and contort around them to get into bed.

From the deck plan, it looks like the "Q", "L", "M", and "N" categories do not have the pullmans.

[sross6019]

We prefer a balcony no matter how long the cruise is. So relaxing sitting on balcony. We love morning coffee and watching the sunrise.

 

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[johnjen]

On our first cruise it was an inside (Grandeur). We'd wake up late all the time stumbling around in pitch darkness....after balcony cabins, we feel we'd never go back, but for a three night cruise, we might consider that.

[vacationlover_mn]

We just had a window for our one short cruise, and we were ok with it :). However, we definitely prefer longer cruises with a balcony :)

 

 

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[forest4trees]

I'll offer a dissenting view in my reply. My wife and I have done 8 or so cruises and this next one is the first one where we didn't purchase an inside cabin. Our itineraries (with an inside cabin) have ranged from 5 night Bermuda cruises to a 12 night Alaska cruise. Because of all of the activities and availability of public spaces we find that we hardly spend any time in the cabin except to sleep and change clothes. We use the savings in cost to afford more interesting or immersive shore excursions.

 

Our next cruise (6 days from today - WooHoo!) will be the first where we booked a balcony. I am curious to experience it and see if the extra cost is truly worth it for us.

 

No matter what I or anyone else says, cabin choice is an extremely personal decision, you have to weigh factors such as number of guests sharing the room, how much time you spend in the cabin, personal preference, phobias or other issues, etc.

 

I think you have the right idea; trying it on a shorter cruise to see how it works.

 

And as you said, any day on a ship is better than a day at the office!

 

-Kurt

 

Completely subjective, I know, so do not flame me. I also know that any day at sea is better than going to work. I am also aware that someone over the course of months/years may have asked a similar question. So that being said, here is my question for balcony-suite people...

 

My family has only done 7 day cruises, and we find a balcony the right category to fit our needs. Hoping someday to snag that perfect suite, but it hasn't happened yet. I am wondering, though, if on a shorter cruise...say 3-5 days...people who normally book balconies-suites find inside rooms okay? I love the view & the space a balcony offers but wonder if it would matter on a short 3 day weekend type cruise. What are your thoughts? Insides are so inexpensive on short cruises it makes them a little more attractive when looking at booking. Thank you for your opinions!

 

 

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[srlafleur]

Hubby says he will never sail less than a balcony, but I might, and that's a BIG might, consider an inside, dependent upon the itinerary, if it came down to a choice between an inside or no cruise at all, particularly if sailing solo.

I have had an inside and an outside, but mostly balconies.

[vacationlover_mn]

My BFF really wants to do a short, super-cheap cruise next year, so I might get to do an inside cabin. I love sleeping when it's super-dark, so I'm curious to try an inside cabin :)

 

 

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