Inside or balcony?

[EllieinNJ]

In May we booked an inside sailaway for a Bliss 21 day Panama Canal cruise for April, 2020.  It was a great price and in about two weeks we were assigned a IA deck 11 midship.  We were going on a Princess British Isles cruise in August in a balcony that was costing far more than I ever spent before so I was trying to save money and hoping I could successfully bid on a balcony for the Panama Canal cruise.

 

When we returned last week, I saw that the balcony prices for the Panama Canal cruise had dropped and they added the extra $50 per port excursion perk so we crunched the numbers and with the 20% off, $100 OBC, free 250 min. wifi, $100 per port excursions, the balcony would be only a few hundred more than the inside so I upgraded.  Now I will not have the anxiety waiting to see if my bid is accepted or not.

[SouthLyonCruiser]

On 9/11/2019 at 12:45 PM, Petoonya said:

Have a very expensive choice to make. On a May 2020 Bliss Alaska sailing a minimum inside with one perk costs $1800 less that minimum balcony with all perks. I can stand an inside, and I'm holding one, but sure would prefer the balcony. My dilemma is that I've already spent a small fortune on a cruise that departs right before this one. It's an 18 day Tahiti on Oceania which is very costly especially with airfare. I figured we'd wait a year before booking anything else but here we are.

 

This Alaska cruise was sprung on us a few weeks ago. I can't get out of it as it's a family cruise. The timing is bad as I already feel "cruise poor" in spending so much money on myself for cruises next spring. I'm not even including pet sitting for two dogs and four cats. 28 days away from home and a petsitter adds up.

 

I read somewhere here that the value of all perks together is about $700-800, so if that's true I'm deciding if the balcony is worth $1200.  Realize that in Alaska it is especially nice to have a balcony as there is so much to see- I have been before but never to Glacier Bay as this cruise does.

 

Only I can make the decision certainly based on my available funds. But curious what you'd do. Thanks.

We have been to Alaska 3 times and are booked for another one next summer. Never get anything less than a balcony. You are in sight of land almost the whole cruise and it is much more comfortable enjoying the view from your own private balcony instead of crowding the rail with those who do not have one.

Glacier Bay is a good example of avoiding the crowds. The ship faces the main glacier for about thirty minutes and then turns 180 degrees and gives the balconies on the other side of the ship thirty minutes.

[Named-Tawny]

On 9/11/2019 at 3:19 PM, Xyla said:

I'm not an inside cabin person, but with that price differential and the fact that you are just coming off a long Tahiti cruise, I would strongly consider the inside. Or maybe upgrade slightly to an oceanview to at least get some natural sunlight coming in.

This.

When we did Alaksa we had an oceanview and it was the best of both worlds.  We saved a boatload of cash over a balcony, and had natural light and the ability to watch the scenery while having our roomservice breakfast, or look out to see how the skies were looking before getting dressed.

[Petoonya]

6 hours ago, megansdad1 said:

Eh.  Don't worry about the Ego.  I have done the same thing on a family cruise.  My MIL was in a suite, My Fiancee and her daughter in a balcony and I was in an inside.  It never came up as an issue or attack on my pride 🙂  But yeah, for that price, I would go inside all day long.  

Thanks! Your words of wisdom speak volumes.

[Petoonya]

2 hours ago, SouthLyonCruiser said:

 

2 hours ago, SouthLyonCruiser said:

We have been to Alaska 3 times and are booked for another one next summer. Never get anything less than a balcony. You are in sight of land almost the whole cruise and it is much more comfortable enjoying the view from your own private balcony instead of crowding the rail with those who do not have one.

Glacier Bay is a good example of avoiding the crowds. The ship faces the main glacier for about thirty minutes and then turns 180 degrees and gives the balconies on the other side of the ship thirty minutes.

.

I've been to Alaska 7x too every time in a balcony and have always wondered about the wisdom in paying the extra for a one. Glacier Bay probably most demands it but Bliss is the ship that has the huge inside viewing area and I've heard rave reviews about the lack of crowding. As I said I'm doing an expensive 18 day Tahiti cruise on Oceania two weeks before leaving on this cruise and overwhelmingly I prefer Tahiti. Would rather spend extra nickels there. So going with the inside.

[Petoonya]

2 hours ago, Named-Tawny said:

When we did Alaksa we had an oceanview and it was the best of both worlds.  We saved a boatload of cash over a balcony, and had natural light and the ability to watch the scenery while having our roomservice breakfast, or look out to see how the skies were looking before getting dressed.

Surprisingly the OV is only $400 less than getting a balcony. Not like that on every cruise but it is on this one and who knows why. It would really not be saving us much. But thanks.

[Named-Tawny]

2 minutes ago, Petoonya said:

Surprisingly the OV is only $400 less than getting a balcony. Not like that on every cruise but it is on this one and who knows why. It would really not be saving us much. But thanks.

Wild.  When I cruised AK, it was the other way around - OV and insides were only a couple hundred apart, and then it was a giant jump to the balcony cabins.

[Petoonya]

On 9/11/2019 at 1:01 PM, Deeliteful said:

My choice would always be an aft balcony on an Alaskan cruise. I used mine all the time on my last two Alaskan cruises.

We have an aft balcony on the Tahiti cruise right before and I far prefer one on that way over an Alaska.

[Petoonya]

6 hours ago, EllieinNJ said:

In May we booked an inside sailaway for a Bliss 21 day Panama Canal cruise for April, 2020.  It was a great price and in about two weeks we were assigned a IA deck 11 midship.  We were going on a Princess British Isles cruise in August in a balcony that was costing far more than I ever spent before so I was trying to save money and hoping I could successfully bid on a balcony for the Panama Canal cruise.

 

When we returned last week, I saw that the balcony prices for the Panama Canal cruise had dropped and they added the extra $50 per port excursion perk so we crunched the numbers and with the 20% off, $100 OBC, free 250 min. wifi, $100 per port excursions, the balcony would be only a few hundred more than the inside so I upgraded.  Now I will not have the anxiety waiting to see if my bid is accepted or not.

There is that too. Wait and see what happens!! 🙂

[SouthLyonCruiser]

21 hours ago, Petoonya said:

I've been to Alaska 7x too every time in a balcony and have always wondered about the wisdom in paying the extra for a one. Glacier Bay probably most demands it but Bliss is the ship that has the huge inside viewing area and I've heard rave reviews about the lack of crowding. As I said I'm doing an expensive 18 day Tahiti cruise on Oceania two weeks before leaving on this cruise and overwhelmingly I prefer Tahiti. Would rather spend extra nickels there. So going with the inside.

Best of luck. I hope to see a review by you and seeing as you have done it with a balcony, I am anxious to see how the inside works for you.

[drvmywifecrzy]

YOLO ......get the balcony

[njkate]

You've cruised Alaska many times, you are going because it's a family cruise, book the inside and save the money, maybe you will luck out with the upgrade Fairy

[htnut]

The balcony was pretty important to us for Alaska.  Every day we spent a little time out there and most of the time we left the sliding door open to hear the sound of the water and keep the fresh, cool air coming in.  Slept very well every night!

 

On the inside passage, there is land visible from both sides nearly the entire cruise.  

 

That said, you need to place your own value on it.  If you’re unlikely to sit out there with a sweater, and don’t mind always enjoying the view from the public areas, then the money saved is significant.  The observation lounge has some nice semi-quiet areas that you and your family can sit in, and the decks outside the restaurants are like one huge balcony. 

[billslowsky]

On 9/13/2019 at 12:18 PM, Petoonya said:

I've been to Alaska 7x too every time in a balcony and have always wondered about the wisdom in paying the extra for a one. Glacier Bay probably most demands it but Bliss is the ship that has the huge inside viewing area and I've heard rave reviews about the lack of crowding. As I said I'm doing an expensive 18 day Tahiti cruise on Oceania two weeks before leaving on this cruise and overwhelmingly I prefer Tahiti. Would rather spend extra nickels there. So going with the inside.

If you've been 7 times then you should know whether you can see what you want to from public areas or need a balcony.  

[Petoonya]

3 minutes ago, billslowsky said:

If you've been 7 times then you should know whether you can see what you want to from public areas or need a balcony.  

 

Nope. I have no clue if I'll see enough. I've done the inside passage every time previously. I'd know the answer if it were the inside passage again, but doing Glacier Bay not sure at all.

 

 

 

 

[llcruisers]

We just returned from an Alaska cruise on the Joy.  We had a balcony and it was nice and we were out there only for a short while while sailing through the glaciers.  However, we saw lots of folks on Deck 8 on the waterfront set up with folding chairs and blankets and warm drinks.  It looked fun and seemed like a big ole party on that deck.  I think for an Alaska cruise, I would forego the balcony and use the savings for other things and join the viewing party on the waterfront.

[Luigi007]

2 hours ago, Petoonya said:

 

Nope. I have no clue if I'll see enough. I've done the inside passage every time previously. I'd know the answer if it were the inside passage again, but doing Glacier Bay not sure at all.

 

 

 

 

But we've mentioned it to you already, the Norwegian Bliss has the huge, nice, and comfortable Observation Desk, and also the Waterfront like the other poster has just mentioned (it's a long corridor along the entire ship on all sides, which features outside tables for all their main restaurants). So, Glacier Bay is hugely visible from these venues, making it unnecessary to have a veranda in order to see it. Again, like everybody said, having one is nice, but in my opinion and that of most others here, not required. Don't worry, you'll see Glacier Bay very well even without one.

[Petoonya]

26 minutes ago, Luigi007 said:

But we've mentioned it to you already, the Norwegian Bliss has the huge, nice, and comfortable Observation Desk, and also the Waterfront like the other poster has just mentioned (it's a long corridor along the entire ship on all sides, which features outside tables for all their main restaurants). So, Glacier Bay is hugely visible from these venues, making it unnecessary to have a veranda in order to see it. Again, like everybody said, having one is nice, but in my opinion and that of most others here, not required. Don't worry, you'll see Glacier Bay very well even without one.

 

You haven't read the complete thread as several times already and early in the thread I said I planned on keeping the inside cabin and that more input was not required. Thanks all the same.

[Luigi007]

4 hours ago, Petoonya said:

 

You haven't read the complete thread as several times already and early in the thread I said I planned on keeping the inside cabin and that more input was not required. Thanks all the same.

Yes, I have read the entire thread, and my surprise is that, after saying you'd stick with the inside, you said you had no clue if you'd be able to see Glacier Bay well, when I had already told you that yes, you will, and others said the same. I quote: "I have no clue if I'll see enough." By now, I thought you already had a clue, since most of us said you will. It's precisely because I read the whole thread that I know what most people told you.

 

I wasn't questioning your decision about keeping the inside. I was questioning the fact that you still seem uncertain if you'll see enough of the view. Again: yes, you will.

[4774Papa]

On 9/11/2019 at 12:45 PM, Petoonya said:

Have a very expensive choice to make. On a May 2020 Bliss Alaska sailing a minimum inside with one perk costs $1800 less that minimum balcony with all perks. I can stand an inside, and I'm holding one, but sure would prefer the balcony. My dilemma is that I've already spent a small fortune on a cruise that departs right before this one. It's an 18 day Tahiti on Oceania which is very costly especially with airfare. I figured we'd wait a year before booking anything else but here we are.

 

This Alaska cruise was sprung on us a few weeks ago. I can't get out of it as it's a family cruise. The timing is bad as I already feel "cruise poor" in spending so much money on myself for cruises next spring. I'm not even including pet sitting for two dogs and four cats. 28 days away from home and a petsitter adds up.

 

I read somewhere here that the value of all perks together is about $700-800, so if that's true I'm deciding if the balcony is worth $1200.  Realize that in Alaska it is especially nice to have a balcony as there is so much to see- I have been before but never to Glacier Bay as this cruise does.

 

Only I can make the decision certainly based on my available funds. But curious what you'd do. Thanks.

Does NCL give you the  option to book without any perks.

We don't care for the overrated beverage packages.  We bring our own wine and pay the corkage.  

We did an aft-balcony on the Sun for Alaska and it was wonderful, especially Glacier Bay and the Hubbard Glacier.

[Petoonya]

5 hours ago, 4774Papa said:

Does NCL give you the  option to book without any perks.

We don't care for the overrated beverage packages.  We bring our own wine and pay the corkage.  

We did an aft-balcony on the Sun for Alaska and it was wonderful, especially Glacier Bay and the Hubbard Glacier.

 

Thanks but we're spending the money that we save on getting a balcony for our Tahiti cruise which precedes Alaska by two months.

To anyone else wanting to contribute, thank you but as I've said multiple times we've already decided on the inside and won't need anymore help. Thanks very much!

[NittanyCruise]

You could keep the inside and always bid on a balcony later. 

[MotownVoice]

3 minutes ago, Petoonya said:

(...) thank you but as I've said multiple times we've already decided on the inside and won't need anymore help. (...)

You could always just stop reading this thread when there are new posts.

[billslowsky]

1 minute ago, MotownVoice said:

You could always just stop reading this thread when there are new posts.

Yes, a simple "thanks for the advice" a few posts back and then not responding would certainly have set a much more cordial tone than "I've said multiple times".

[Petoonya]

1 minute ago, billslowsky said:

Yes, a simple "thanks for the advice" a few posts back and then not responding would certainly have set a much more cordial tone than "I've said multiple times".

I said "thanks" three times in my last post. As I've said thanks in my posts several times in previous posts that say we've made up our minds.

 

It says to me that some people are obviously not reading the thread. If you read the thread you'd see how many times I've said thank you.

 

I'll take Motown Voice's advice to heart and just stop reading.

 

And again thank you very much but we've made up our minds.