First Timer on Carnival (Legend) - Confused over balcony types!

[AntsUK]

Hi all!  Great to have finally decided to going on a Carnival cruise after much deliberation and searching/asking/pondering.....  Not being new to cruises I just wanted to ask you lovely folk about the balcony types and choice.  I would like an unobstructed view and seem to have the choice of 'Balcony' and 'Extended balcony'.  At first they make sense of course but then I wondered why 'Obstructed view' seem to be the more in price than a  'Balcony' cabin (.90c more per person per day) when I would have thought obstructed would be cheaper.  I think I may be missing something here or am I?  Any thoughts/advice would be appreciated! 🙂

Edited September 6, 2020 by AntsUK

[yogibear]

If you can grab an Extended Balcony Aft-View, they are the best! If you want shade, try and get Deck 4.  If you can get one of the "Bowling Alley" extended balconies (ex: 8232), they are fantastic too.

 

Karen

[AntsUK]

2 minutes ago, yogibear said:

If you can grab an Extended Balcony Aft-View, they are the best! If you want shade, try and get Deck 4.  If you can get one of the "Bowling Alley" extended balconies (ex: 8232), they are fantastic too.

 

Karen

Thanks Karen and Hi!  That extended one sounds great.  There will be 3 off us - 1 in one cabin and 2 in the other but want to be next door to each other :-)

[Cruising_Addict]

It’s because the “Balcony” rate is for a Guarantee Rate, meaning, Carnival picks the room for you. As soon as you pick a rate that allows you to choose your room, the rate increases. You’ll find that if you select that Balcony rate and the select the option to choose your own room, it will increase from the $1,679 you are seeing. 

Edited September 6, 2020 by Cruising_Addict

[Roger88]

4 minutes ago, Cruising_Addict said:

It’s because the “Balcony” rate is for a Guarantee Rate, meaning, Carnival picks the room for you. As soon as you pick a rate that allows you to choose your room, the rate increase. You’ll find that if you select that Balcony rate and the select the option to choose your own rate, it will increase from the $1,679 you are seeing. 

This is exactly what I thought when I was first booking the balcony cabin on the Carnival. I mean its a really weird thing after all, I wish I could choose the cabin right from the start and not wait for some option to be offered to me. I mean seriously, its such a silly thing, drives me crazy sometimes 

[jimbo5544]

The dilemma with booking a guarantee.  Cruisecritic has many threads about people wondering what they will get.   The stock answer is whatever is left after the picking is done.  If you are fine with that, then it is win win.  1 in 300 times the cabin is great.   

[AntsUK]

17 minutes ago, Cruising_Addict said:

It’s because the “Balcony” rate is for a Guarantee Rate, meaning, Carnival picks the room for you. As soon as you pick a rate that allows you to choose your room, the rate increases. You’ll find that if you select that Balcony rate and the select the option to choose your own room, it will increase from the $1,679 you are seeing. 

 

11 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

This is exactly what I thought when I was first booking the balcony cabin on the Carnival. I mean its a really weird thing after all, I wish I could choose the cabin right from the start and not wait for some option to be offered to me. I mean seriously, its such a silly thing, drives me crazy sometimes 

 

7 minutes ago, jimbo5544 said:

The dilemma with booking a guarantee.  Cruisecritic has many threads about people wondering what they will get.   The stock answer is whatever is left after the picking is done.  If you are fine with that, then it is win win.  1 in 300 times the cabin is great.   

Thanks all!  Makes some sense now.  I will be popping on in Dover (UK here) for the Europe/Baltice cruise in 2022 (hopefully) and very much looking forward to it.

[jimbo5544]

45 minutes ago, AntsUK said:

 

 

Thanks all!  Makes some sense now.  I will be popping on in Dover (UK here) for the Europe/Baltice cruise in 2022 (hopefully) and very much looking forward to it.

Enjoy your cruise

 

[Elaine5715]

3 hours ago, AntsUK said:

Thanks Karen and Hi!  That extended one sounds great.  There will be 3 off us - 1 in one cabin and 2 in the other but want to be next door to each other 🙂

Finding two same type of balcony cabins that are for two capacity may be challenging.  Many of the best balconies are for 3-4

[firefly333]

If you want 2 balconies next to each other for sure dont go with a gty. You could wind up on opposite ends of the ship decks apart. 

[yogibear]

4 hours ago, firefly333 said:

If you want 2 balconies next to each other for sure dont go with a gty. You could wind up on opposite ends of the ship decks apart. 

Or different decks!!

 

Karen

[firefly333]

2 hours ago, yogibear said:

Or different decks!!

 

Karen

As I said .... or decks apart. Same thing

[AntsUK]

5 hours ago, yogibear said:

Or different decks!!

 

Karen

 

3 hours ago, firefly333 said:

As I said .... or decks apart. Same thing

Agree with both your comments - I have found (after some searching) that getting rooms together won't be an issue if I get in there early enough and have a clear idea of what is available to book too (which I do now thanks peeps!).  No option to share with the 3 of us at it is my husbands mother (my mother in law of course) that will be cruising with us so a defo no no to sharing a cabin :-)

[AntsUK]

13 hours ago, yogibear said:

If you can grab an Extended Balcony Aft-View, they are the best! If you want shade, try and get Deck 4.  If you can get one of the "Bowling Alley" extended balconies (ex: 8232), they are fantastic too.

 

Karen

 Great idea - I have been looking at the Aft Ext cabins and they do look fab.  Carnival have informed me the 2022 dates may not be out (maybe!) until December so I will have to wait some time yet!

Edited September 7, 2020 by AntsUK

[Linsuesue]

We stayed in cabin 5236 on the Miracle(sister ship to the Legend). It was considered an obstructed view, because the lifeboats were on the deck below. When we stood at the balcony and looked down, we saw the tops of lifeboats and water between the lifeboats. When we sat on the chairs on that balcony and looked straight out, it was an unobstructed view of the ocean. We cared about the view looking out the window and sitting on the chairs. Looking straight down at the side of the ship didn't matter to us, so we considered the view unobstructed. Plus the “bowling alley” was about 3 times as long as a regular balcony , and we enjoyed that too. 

[AntsUK]

7 minutes ago, Linsuesue said:

We stayed in cabin 5236 on the Miracle(sister ship to the Legend). It was considered an obstructed view, because the lifeboats were on the deck below. When we stood at the balcony and looked down, we saw the tops of lifeboats and water between the lifeboats. When we sat on the chairs on that balcony and looked straight out, it was an unobstructed view of the ocean. We cared about the view looking out the window and sitting on the chairs. Looking straight down at the side of the ship didn't matter to us, so we considered the view unobstructed. Plus the “bowling alley” was about 3 times as long as a regular balcony , and we enjoyed that too. 

Thanks for that added info!  I must admit that the obstructed view would not be so bad as, like yourself, looking across is more important.  More food for thought thank you!

[Joanne G.]

15 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Finding two same type of balcony cabins that are for two capacity may be challenging.  Many of the best balconies are for 3-4

 

I am not sure about this information, as I am booked in an aft-view extended balcony on the Legend as a solo for an August 2021 cruise.   I booked early -  before the pandemic - so maybe this made it easier to get what I wanted.   Good luck in finding what works for your group, and I absolutely agree with the previous poster who advised not to go the route of guaranteed cabins if you want a specific configuration or location.   Have a great cruise, and here's hoping we all stay healthy and that our future cruises actually sail!  🤞

[firefly333]

Those longer balconies on the side go fast that are the same price as regular. I'd book asap when the date you want comes out. I've heard might come out as early as nov if it's a later date you want in 2022.

 

Those few unusually big balconies dont last. I snagged a aft corner for March 2022. I like looking at the wake. Look at the deck plans to see which are extra long or L shaped. They dont last once the dates are released usually.

[Elaine5715]

2 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

 

I am not sure about this information, as I am booked in an aft-view extended balcony on the Legend as a solo for an August 2021 cruise.   I booked early -  before the pandemic - so maybe this made it easier to get what I wanted.   Good luck in finding what works for your group, and I absolutely agree with the previous poster who advised not to go the route of guaranteed cabins if you want a specific configuration or location.   Have a great cruise, and here's hoping we all stay healthy and that our future cruises actually sail!  🤞

I do believe there is only one aft extended balcony with capacity of 2 on each end with the middles all for 3-4

[AntsUK]

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

Those longer balconies on the side go fast that are the same price as regular. I'd book asap when the date you want comes out. I've heard might come out as early as nov if it's a later date you want in 2022.

 

Those few unusually big balconies dont last. I snagged a aft corner for March 2022. I like looking at the wake. Look at the deck plans to see which are extra long or L shaped. They dont last once the dates are released usually.

 

3 hours ago, Joanne G. said:

 

I am not sure about this information, as I am booked in an aft-view extended balcony on the Legend as a solo for an August 2021 cruise.   I booked early -  before the pandemic - so maybe this made it easier to get what I wanted.   Good luck in finding what works for your group, and I absolutely agree with the previous poster who advised not to go the route of guaranteed cabins if you want a specific configuration or location.   Have a great cruise, and here's hoping we all stay healthy and that our future cruises actually sail!  🤞

 

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

I do believe there is only one aft extended balcony with capacity of 2 on each end with the middles all for 3-4

Thanks all.  I think I need to really focus in on where I want to be cabin wise and then target them when the dates come out.  When I asked Carnival about the dates here is the reply -

"It'll most likely be towards the end of the year, check back in December and we should have a better idea."

.....but I think I will just keep checking anyway as nothing is certain at the moment! :-)

[firefly333]

2 minutes ago, AntsUK said:

 

 

Thanks all.  I think I need to really focus in on where I want to be cabin wise and then target them when the dates come out.  When I asked Carnival about the dates here is the reply -

"It'll most likely be towards the end of the year, check back in December and we should have a better idea."

.....but I think I will just keep checking anyway as nothing is certain at the moment! :-)

Yea maybe a aft balcony for you guys and the one around the corner for mother in law? How is her walking, it's a long walk back there, but love the wake view. I got my ship changed and got in first night on a rcl aft facing deck 9 liberty, but deck 7 bigger, but takes 3 to book. I see mentioned above only corner aft for 2, middle ones need 3 to book. Tricky to book best and have right # of people, that's why they go so fast.

 

I'd start watching early November just in case. 

[Joanne G.]

1 hour ago, Elaine5715 said:

I do believe there is only one aft extended balcony with capacity of 2 on each end with the middles all for 3-4

 

You certainly could be right on that.  For my solo cruise, I am in one of the end ones.  My travel agent picked it for me, and I didn't care whether it was on one of the ends or in the middle, so I don't know why she chose that particular one for me.    And all that matters now is if I get to go!   

[Laurab23]

We were able to snag 8232 on Legend for Oct 2022 and Jan 2023. Gotta book them early to get them. I have had 8232  two times in the past so I know how great they are.

 

Laura

[AntsUK]

1 hour ago, Laurab23 said:

We were able to snag 8232 on Legend for Oct 2022 and Jan 2023. Gotta book them early to get them. I have had 8232  two times in the past so I know how great they are.

 

Laura

Just having bookings sounds amazing at this stage Laura!  I notice that 8232 is next to the elevators but I'm guessing that doesn't cause any issues since youve had the cabin before and booked again :-)

[Laurab23]

8 hours ago, AntsUK said:

Just having bookings sounds amazing at this stage Laura!  I notice that 8232 is next to the elevators but I'm guessing that doesn't cause any issues since youve had the cabin before and booked again :-)

I always try to get near elevators. I have never had any issues and makes finding your cabin easier.

 

Laura