Royal Class (Discovery Princess) Forward Facing Balcony: How Bad Is It?

[phroggie]

After looking at the deck plan, checking every image I could find and freeze-framing videos I fell in love with one of those forward facing balcony cabins located right above the bridge. I mean what is there not to love: a view to both sides and forward, extended balcony, love seat and, whaddaknow, it's even a few bucks cheaper than the standard balcony cabins just a few feet aft with their view of only one side. Ya gotta love it, no? My heart has been all aflutter every time I think about it....

 

...until I received the Deposit Confirmation e-mail and saw the dreaded words:

 

"Part Obstructed View. Non-Glass Balc Rail/ Balcony Access When In Port Only."

 

I guess this makes sense since at 20 knots the wind could slam the door with very dangerous force.

 

But my question is regarding cruising through the Endicott Arm: I assume they slow down and even come to a stop near the glacier.

 

Do they keep them closed then too? 

[suekel]

They are wonderful.  We had one, M106 which is a mini suite,  in April for a Mexico cruise.  Our boys had M101 whick is a deluxe balcony like you picked.  Their balcony was a bit more sheltered than ours and was a tad bigger!  We used the balcony every day except one when it was cool and windy.  You do have to stand to see over the balcony unless you are 6' 7" like my husband.  We booked the same cabin for Hawaii in November and one up on Lido L105 for Alaska next year.  I think for Glacier viewing it'll be amazing.  

 

No one locks the door.  You do have to keep your curtains closed at night if your lights are on, no big deal.  You even get a foot stool for your chair which reclines.  

 

If you're social, you can meet all your neighbors since they are all standing out there too.  It's quiet and peaceful and you'll get your steps in most days! 

[Mary Ann 2]

I agree with the previous post.  We had a forward facing balcony room on our trip to Alaska last August and no one keeps you from having balcony access.  It can be very windy and cold on a trip to Alaska, but the other perks make it worth it.  We saw more whales from our balcony than ever before on a ship! If you are out on the balcony, you can see them before the ship scares them away.  I got one photo where the whale was so close to the bow that I feared for its safety! It was also magnificent on the Glacier Bay day.  We had a balcony breakfast and really enjoyed it.  The ship barely moves even when rotating so there is no wind and such a great view!

[Mingus]

We had L104 on the Discovery this past May sailing to Alaska.

We also had concerns but none materialized. We were able to use the balcony every day, even while underway. Would not hesitate to book again.

[phroggie]

Thank you so much peoples for your responses. You put my mind at ease.

[Lady Arwen]

Sailed in L101 many times and loved it!  Nice cabin and huge balcony.  The metal walls didn’t bother us a bit.  Yes, it can get windy at times, but most of the time it was quite usable.  No one ever closes you balcony door.  Never.  The views are spectacular, especially in Alaska.  Enjoy!

[vm52226]

Currently on a B2B in cabin L105 on the Royal.  It is a fabulous cabin.  Huge deck and we have been on the deck many times.  Raining today in Glacier Bay but was here last week and the views are stunning. I would recommend this cabin and  I have booked it on the Sky for the Caribbean next year.

[karatemom2]

We just had L102 and L104 on our recent Royal cruise in Alaska. Best decision ever! Yes, they can get a bit chilly and windy while traveling on the open ocean and between ports where it is not very protected. But on our glacier days and cruising in and out of our ports, they were glorious. The full expansive view as shown in the photo above is just amazing. We saw so much amazing scenery and wildlife. I'm spoiled on ever having a small side facing balcony ever again!

[GiftOfTheSea]

We had L107 on Discovery Princess to Alaska last week, and the views were amazing.  It wrapped around the starboard forward corner of the ship.  The sailaway from Skagway was particularly gorgeous for hours.  It does get breezy, and for one of our sea days going through a pretty rough rainstorm, it wasn't possible to go outside comfortably, but we'd book it again in a heartbeat.  The partial obstruction is just that the balcony below the rail is the solid hull of the ship and not glass.  It was a non-issue for us.

Edited June 15, 2022 by GiftOfTheSea

[TravelGirlinDallas]

We just booked L101 yesterday on Discovery Princess for next March. We are very excited about it, but I'm wondering if I should be concerned about the motion? We aren't all that prone to motion sickness, and we've sailed in aft balconies without issue, so I hope it will be similar? This cruise is a California coastal itinerary that includes LA, San Francisco, San Diego, etc.

[Sea Hag]

On 6/14/2022 at 9:26 PM, GiftOfTheSea said:

We had L107 on Discovery Princess to Alaska last week, and the views were amazing.  It wrapped around the starboard forward corner of the ship.  The sailaway from Skagway was particularly gorgeous for hours.  It does get breezy, and for one of our sea days going through a pretty rough rainstorm, it wasn't possible to go outside comfortably, but we'd book it again in a heartbeat.  The partial obstruction is just that the balcony below the rail is the solid hull of the ship and not glass.  It was a non-issue for us.

I have a question for you. The forward facing part of the balcony of L107 looks to be partially covered and partially uncovered. About how much is covered? 50%? More? Less? Thanks for any info you can offer. 😀

[Lady Arwen]

33 minutes ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

We just booked L101 yesterday on Discovery Princess for next March. We are very excited about it, but I'm wondering if I should be concerned about the motion? We aren't all that prone to motion sickness, and we've sailed in aft balconies without issue, so I hope it will be similar? This cruise is a California coastal itinerary that includes LA, San Francisco, San Diego, etc.

L101 is our go to cabin.  We love  the motion and it is different from aft motion.  Aft is more vibration and forward is more up an down.  This cabin can get quite windy at sea, so keep that in mind.  You may not be able to use the balcony under some conditions some of the time.  To us it’s worth it.  The balcony is huge!

[fishin' musician]

These are my favorite rooms on Royal Class ships.  Even going 20+ kts the wind is only bad in the very front of the balcony, move back a few steps and it goes over you.  You could likely fit 20 people on the balcony for a sailaway party!  And the views coming into ports are fantastic!  Just don't open the cabin door with the balcony door open while you are cruising... you'll be chasing papers down the hall!

[Asquare]

We had one of these rooms on Sky Princess in the Mediterranean,  it was very port intensive and we mostly sailed at night…the weather was extremely windy and the room was very loud with the wind whipping the lights & lines.  I doubt I would pick this room again.  Now offer me an aft balcony and I would jump so fast!!!

[fpsphil]

M107 is by far my favorite cabin on any royal class ship. Have it booked for the next 3 cruises I have booked on the Discovery/Enchanted

[DrivesLikeMario]

Incredible.  Best Club Class minis and balcony cabins on the ship!  We've had L-107, M-108 and have M-108 again soon for a long cruise.  We always have to book them FAR in advance (like when cruises are released) and the price rarely ever goes down.  It's such a small group of cabins that they sell out quickly.  You're lucky you got one!  We've never been told we couldn't be out on the balcony.  At night, we keep our curtains closed so the light doesn't bother the navigators on the bridge.  

[Sea Hag]

12 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

Incredible.  Best Club Class minis and balcony cabins on the ship!  We've had L-107, M-108 and have M-108 again soon for a long cruise.  We always have to book them FAR in advance (like when cruises are released) and the price rarely ever goes down.  It's such a small group of cabins that they sell out quickly.  You're lucky you got one!  We've never been told we couldn't be out on the balcony.  At night, we keep our curtains closed so the light doesn't bother the navigators on the bridge.  

I was lucky enough to get L107 for the eclipse cruise, and I'm wondering about the forward-facing part of the balcony. Can you tell me how far the overhang overhangs? 

[DrivesLikeMario]

13 minutes ago, Sea Hag said:

I was lucky enough to get L107 for the eclipse cruise, and I'm wondering about the forward-facing part of the balcony. Can you tell me how far the overhang overhangs? 

About 2’.   The balconies on Marina Deck are about twice as big BTW.  

[Sea Hag]

11 minutes ago, DrivesLikeMario said:

About 2’.   The balconies on Marina Deck are about twice as big BTW.  

Thanks for the info. I know about the huge balconies on Marina, since we've had that. Wasn't successful in getting one for the eclipse cruise, but I feel very lucky to have scored one on Lido. We love the layout of the M6 minis. 

[GiftOfTheSea]

7 hours ago, Sea Hag said:

I have a question for you. The forward facing part of the balcony of L107 looks to be partially covered and partially uncovered. About how much is covered? 50%? More? Less? Thanks for any info you can offer. 😀

It’s been a minute for us at this point, but I remember the front part of the balcony feeling mainly uncovered. The part near the ship that is covered would often have a bit of water dripping from the structure above, so we kept our chairs out closer to the railing. Hope that helps! We loved it!

[caribill]

7 hours ago, TravelGirlinDallas said:

We just booked L101 yesterday on Discovery Princess for next March. We are very excited about it, but I'm wondering if I should be concerned about the motion? We aren't all that prone to motion sickness, and we've sailed in aft balconies without issue, so I hope it will be similar?

 

When the front of the ship goes up, the aft goes down by the same amount. When the front goes down, the aft goes up by the same amount.

[Sea Hag]

8 hours ago, GiftOfTheSea said:

It’s been a minute for us at this point, but I remember the front part of the balcony feeling mainly uncovered. The part near the ship that is covered would often have a bit of water dripping from the structure above, so we kept our chairs out closer to the railing. Hope that helps! We loved it!

Thank you, this does help. 😀

[Lady Arwen]

8 hours ago, caribill said:

 

When the front of the ship goes up, the aft goes down by the same amount. When the front goes down, the aft goes up by the same amount.

Yes, except that the front of the ship is breaking into the water and the aft is not.  It’s an entirely different experience, especially in rough seas.

[DrivesLikeMario]

On 8/17/2022 at 12:35 AM, caribill said:

 

When the front of the ship goes up, the aft goes down by the same amount. When the front goes down, the aft goes up by the same amount.

We were in 40-50mph winds and rough seas on our way back from Canada to NYC and it was surprisingly good!  You definitely feel more movement at the bow of the ship but I've experienced much worse on other Princess ships.  You get more pitching than rolling (which I hate).