Balcony worth it?

[janny444]

Hi...as you have probably gathered by now there is no one definitive answer so you have to work it out for yourself what is acceptable and best for you. If you are on limited budget then I would work out what the extra cost pppn to have a balcony over an inside would be and then ask yourself ...is it worth that price for me. For us once it is more than £50 pppn each then I start to look at itinerary lots of POC where the extra could be spent on trips to actually go and see where you are visiting and possible weather conditions for the cruise.

[skynight]

Book the balcony. We enjoy having the drapes open with all the light, and in the evening you can see the stars, rain or whatever. It's also nice to have a cup of coffee, or other beverage. According to your posting your booking would also come with the AIBP worth $640.85/pp a plus.

Interior space for a balcony cabin is approximately 186 sq. ft. + the balcony. For an interior cabin it's 166 sq. ft.

[jasbo49]

For me, it doesn't matter what the itinerary is, or what time of year, or even how much time we'd actually spend out there. It's just a matter of your cruising style.

 

If you're the kind of cruiser who's always out and about, there's less value in an enjoyable room. If you are the type who likes to rest up between activities, maybe read a bit, and just enjoy the feeling of being at sea, then a balcony makes a lot of sense.

 

We're the latter type, so we almost never sail without a balcony. A lot of what I like about cruising simply isn't available from an inside cabin.

 

Jim

[Tatka]

We rarely book balconies especially for exotic port intensive cruises. We spend most of the time outside of the cabin or in ports. Mostly book insides just to sleep.

[beckntom]

For me, it doesn't matter what the itinerary is, or what time of year, or even how much time we'd actually spend out there. It's just a matter of your cruising style.

 

If you're the kind of cruiser who's always out and about, there's less value in an enjoyable room. If you are the type who likes to rest up between activities, maybe read a bit, and just enjoy the feeling of being at sea, then a balcony makes a lot of sense.

 

We're the latter type, so we almost never sail without a balcony. A lot of what I like about cruising simply isn't available from an inside cabin.

 

Jim

 

Exactly. Kind of hard to explain, but I totally agree with the last statement: "A lot of what I like about cruising simply isn't available from an inside cabin." It's as simple as that.

[Tatka]

It is if you spend most of the time inside.... of course then everything is limited. We don't.

[FritzG]

We won't cruise without a balcony. We usually sail the fall N Europe and ta's, and even though the weather is not always ideal we use our balcony every single day. We love having the fresh air, and hearing the sound of the waves. We can get ready for the day with room service breakfast while watching the ship arrive in port. We can watch the sail away from the comfort of our cabin.

 

The Regal/Royal balconies aren't as large as the other ships', but they're still adequate for 2 people. We've been on both ships, and we were fine with them.

 

That being said, as others have noted, only you can decide if the cost is "worth it" for you. For us, it always is.

[floridalover5623]

Balconies on the Regal and Royal are way too small [emoji17] The only way to sit and use the ottoman is to sit sideways looking at each other. The Mini that we had on the Royal was 2+ feet deeper allowing us to turn our chairs.

 

 

 

 

If you select a balcony don't take this one in the photo it looks Awful!!!

Tony

If that was the only size balcony available on either the Regal or Royal :( it would mean an inside cabin for us or most likely not cruise at all on Princess. It's practically unusable for most people except to just stand there when leaving port. :mad:

[Rala]

It is if you spend most of the time inside.... of course then everything is limited. We don't.

 

I think this is the intangible thing that is being alluded to about a balcony. If you have a balcony, you are not or,at least, do not feel like you are "inside". Everyone does what makes the most sense to them for whatever reason. Happy Cruising!:D

[Tatka]

I guess one needs to try and see if it works.

We had balconies about 8 times with various lines. It didn't make our cruises more enjoyable as we almost never used them.

[Pickels]

Ah, nothing like sitting on your private balcony, sipping the beverage of your choice, watching the world drift by. We've always had a balcony cabin since 2003 on several different ships, IMHO, it's worth every penny...Enjoy!

[suec12]

We almost always get a balcony (but on Celebrity). However we are doing Alaska with Princess this July and the cost differential was just too high IMO. We got an obstructed OV for just a bit more than an interior (these are now listed with the interior cabins) and for a 7 night cruise, a balcony would have been $1500 more - no thanks.

 

Also to consider - when is your sail. We did the Baltics in May and it was too chilly to use our balcony for 85% of the time.

[Sea Hag]

Not worth it to us, but it's a very individual decision. As others have said, find out what the weather will be like. Then try and figure out how much time you'll spend on the balcony. If the time spent doesn't look like much and the price difference is large, then maybe you'll decide to spend the money on more excursions instead.

[COMBOY]

We're looking into a 11-night Northern Europe sailing on the Regal Princess. Originally we were going to book an interior stateroom but have considered a regular balcony. I know value is subjective, but we would be getting a complimentary beverage package with a balcony (which is of some value to us, but not essential) and i t would be nice to have the window as opposed to the interior. Is an upgrade to a balcony really worth the increase in price? Is it significantly more space?

 

The Baltic cruises are some of the most expensive cruises. The Baltic cruises are also very port intensive. The question is how much time do you spend in your cabin and how much of that time do you spend on your balcony to justify the cost? I've had inside, outside and balcony cabins and each cabin goes to the same ports and you can see the ocean from the open decks as you can from a balcony so it's not absolutely necessary. You know your travel budget and weather you can afford a balcony. Ultimately, it's your call. The interior cabin space is the same with or without a balcony unless you are in a mini-suite or higher.

[Poulsbo Cruisers]

I've always found it interesting when walking down the hallways on the passenger decks and noting how many platinum and elite name tags adorn the doors of inside cabins. Just something to think about.

[Tatka]

I've always found it interesting when walking down the hallways on the passenger decks and noting how many platinum and elite name tags adorn the doors of inside cabins. Just something to think about.

 

 

Exactly! When I read that people are waiting several years to save for a balcony or suite... I cannot imagine how I'd feel.

[goldiep]

So funny about preferences here. I had a balcony once. It was hot and muggy in the the South Pacific and I rarely used it. We usually get an inside or an ocean view. Depends on perks. Celebrity can have pretty good ones if you book OV or above. Otherwise, an inside is ok with me as we choose port intensive cruises anyway.

 

 

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[Mo_Cruising]

Once we had a balcony, we didn't go back. There are some larger balconies on the Regal, if you can get them. Some are actually listed in the "interior " price ranges (the obstructed balconies up front). We are about to board the Regal today, and expect the weather to be cool, but nice. We bring layers...and love to watch the world go by. There will be some very pretty scenery on this cruise, especially sailing out of Stockholm.

 

 

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[geoherb]

DH would prefer to have a balcony every cruise. I finally convinced him it was better to go on a cruise in a lower category than not go at all. When difference in price is too much for me, we'll get an obstructed view or even an inside cabin.

[rocklinmom]

Yes I would love to get balcony cabins on our next cruise (British Isles) but with five of us we need two cabins and as of now can only afford two interiors. We have always had balconies in the past but if it means being able to go or not we will make do with the interior cabins. Or maybe the prices will drop closer to final payment, who knows.

[framer]

WOW! my turn. It all depends on the deal. I normally start as cheap as I can get a room. Inside is fine, location does not matter. If I spot a deal later or am offered in a upgrade offer that good I grab it. About 1/2 the cruises were in inside or OOV cabins and the other 1/2 in balconies with two in mini's.

 

Port intensive cruises I find less use of the balcony, Alaska is an exception, I insist on a balcony in AK. Warm water cruises with sea days make use of a balcony priceless.

 

Regal and Royal balcony IMHO are too small. They do have a few that are bigger but you need to hand pick them and mark your room as no upgrade or you can lose it.

 

Also on the Regal they have obstructed balconies on Emerald deck. These are selected from the interior cabin selection area. Some of the obstructed Balconies have bigger balconies. It really take a bit of research to make a smart choice.

 

framer

[LSGDRG]

My husband and I will not cruise without a balcony. Our preference is an aft wrap We spend a lot of time out there on the balcony and really enjoy a private space onboard. We rather cruise less and have what we want. For someone who doesn't spend much time in their cabin, a balcony would not be as big a deal.

[ESStutts]

We're looking into a 11-night Northern Europe sailing on the Regal Princess. Originally we were going to book an interior stateroom but have considered a regular balcony. I know value is subjective, but we would be getting a complimentary beverage package with a balcony (which is of some value to us, but not essential) and i t would be nice to have the window as opposed to the interior. Is an upgrade to a balcony really worth the increase in price? Is it significantly more space?

 

We did the Regal Princess to St. Petersburg last spring. Balcony was TOTALLY worth it - I spent a lot of time sitting on it as we were sailing out of port. Stockholm, in particular, was beautiful (probably about 2 hours of sailing before we got out of sight of land). I was tired from the excursions and didn't feel like sitting up on deck so this was a nice alternative.

[Sacto Rick]

We never purchase balcony cabins because it's almost as expensive as purchasing another cruise. I just can't justify the higher price.

But that's just us. We are retired and not wealthy but we can travel if we spend reasonably.

If money wasn't a factor, we would have a balcony every time.

[pincak]

We recently had an inside cabin on the Grand for a 15 day cruise to Hawaii. DH got sick and was bed ridden for 4 days. He didn't mind much, but I was miserable with no place to sit with him except the desk chair. Check out the other furniture in the room. That may help you decide. We're about 50/50 between insides and balconies but after that experience, it's a balcony from now on.

 

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