Emerald Princess tips on selecting balcony cabin

[kfhintx]

Hi! I am looking to book a balcony room on Emerald Princess for a Pacific Wine Country cruise. I've never cruised on Princess (although we are going on Regal Princess next month), so I would love some advice or tips on selecting a balcony room. Which ones are more desirable or which ones should I avoid? I'm open to any of the decks or location on the ship. Thanks in advance!

[skynight]

1 minute ago, kfhintx said:

Hi! I am looking to book a balcony room on Emerald Princess for a Pacific Wine Country cruise. I've never cruised on Princess (although we are going on Regal Princess next month), so I would love some advice or tips on selecting a balcony room. Which ones are more desirable or which ones should I avoid? I'm open to any of the decks or location on the ship. Thanks in advance!

Mostly all balcony Category cabins have the same interiors.  The difference is location. Some mid ship and stern facing cabins are classified 'premium' but, that designation only refers to location. No difference in the cabin amenities.

In general select a cabin with cabins above and below you. Also avoid connecting cabins, as you may hear some noise from the connecting cabin. If you go to the Princess deck plans on the Princess web site  you can check the box for connecting cabins and they will be identified. Cabins on deck 10 have 9' x 9' balconies of which 5' is covered and 4' uncovered. This provides the best of both. Cabins on decks 11, 12, 14 and 15 have 9' x 5' balconies fully covered. There are some stern facing balcony cabins on decks 8, 9, 10 and 11 with various size balconies. We have been choosing cat. BD cabins aft on deck 10 with the larger balcony. Some people like cabins R747 and R746 which have large balconies and are very close to the Terrace Pool. A747 also has an extended balcony.

Hope this helps.

[JF - retired RRT]

Aft balconies (totally aft or side-facing) are my favorites. Check out Riviera deck in the 700s. It's a great location. The "secret" door goes up about 6 steps to the Terrace Pool. From there you can go up another set of steps to the Horizon Terrace and the Outrigger Bar. A few steps away from the bar is the entrance to the buffet.

As mentioned by "skynight" those extended balconies (747 & 746) are a real treat.

[Snow cat]

One more recommendation here for Caribe balconies Deck 10!  Large and half/covered. Best of both worlds as poster above indicates.

[kfhintx]

Thanks everyone for your great and helpful info! I decided to book the R747 for the larger balcony and quick access to the terrace pool area. Now trying to convince my sister & brother-in-law to get R746! 

[SLC1954]

1 hour ago, kfhintx said:

Thanks everyone for your great and helpful info! I decided to book the R747 for the larger balcony and quick access to the terrace pool area. Now trying to convince my sister & brother-in-law to get R746! 

This is my usual go to cabins, I love them, but they are almost totally enclosed with the opening facing forward.  You are able to see each balcony on the side of the ship, and everyone can see you too.  When in your cabin you are not able to see out to the sea very much. Yet, the closeness to the “backdoor” makes it a great location.  If they are booked I usually will book the next closest aft.  

[Colo Cruiser]

1 hour ago, kfhintx said:

Thanks everyone for your great and helpful info! I decided to book the R747 for the larger balcony and quick access to the terrace pool area. Now trying to convince my sister & brother-in-law to get R746! 

Great location!

[skynight]

2 hours ago, kfhintx said:

Thanks everyone for your great and helpful info! I decided to book the R747 for the larger balcony and quick access to the terrace pool area. Now trying to convince my sister & brother-in-law to get R746! 

Tip. R747 is a category BE cabin. This means there are what Princess classifies as higher category balcony cabins around the ship, BD, BC, BA, B4, B1. All booking default to passenger will accept a category upgrade. Upgrades may not provide what you would think is a better cabin. If you want to keep your cabin have your T.A. or Princess mark your booking no upgrade.