7 Days Balcony or 14 Days Inside Cabin

[2TheSea4Me]

Hi all!  I'm new to cruising and have had the desire to go to Alaska.  

 

I'm looking to go next May for a big birthday.   I'm realizing I should have booked a long time ago.  Anyway, I'm seeing we can do a 14 day inside cabin on the Nieuw Amsterdam for about the same price as a 7 day balcony cruise.   I have "held" the 14 day inside cabin with HA.

 

Are we crazy to skip the balcony in Alaska?   Just seems like 14 days versus 7 is a whole lot of difference when we can go on deck and see a lot, plus see other port visits.

[ECCruise]

We've never had an inside cabin.  Always OV, balcony or suite.

 

But given the parameters of your decision, it would be inside for us and double the time.

[Stpatsirish]

Since it is the Nieuw Amsterdam, I would book the inside and get a Lido Cabana for the 2 weeks. That is what we have done for Alaska and are doing for the Panama Canal. We have an indoor space to ourselves for viewing that is dry and warm, we can still go outside for viewing and we have a steward serving the cabana. 

[Mary229]

If you consider the room a hotel room you only need it for grooming and sleeping.  I have taken many cruises and try to book the largest inside cabin I can get and use my budget for excursions and other enrichment.  Or as I say “I buy the cheap room and spend like a drunken sailor once traveling “

[Mary229]

Let me add.  There are so many really great excursions in Alaska - spend your money there 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

14 days inside.

[sunviking90]

We just did this in an inside for 2 weeks on Nieuw Amsterdam. This was our first time in an inside in over 20 years I think and I was nervous about it. We’ve been to Alaska many times in a balcony and this was a last minute thing so we spun the wheel on a guarantee. We ended up with a K category and it was larger than many of the balcony cabins we’ve been in. Nieuw Amsterdam has many nice areas to lounge around outside of your cabin, and we enjoyed relaxing on the promenade or reading in the library. See if you can get a K category cabin for the extra space. 

[Moriah]

Absolutely the 14 day.  In Alaska you don't want to stay in your cabin, even if you have a balcony.  The great thing about HAL ships is there are so many outdoor decks you can hang out on and see the amazing vistas in Alaska from all sides of the ship.  Nothing wrong with an inside cabin - you still have the SAME ship as everyone else, and 14 days on NA in ALASKA sounds heavenly.  Having said that, either cruise will be awesome!!!

[objko]

On the other hand, we use our balcony a lot!  For any destination, but especially for Alaska.  It adds significantly to the pleasure of the cruise, for us.  The privacy, having all our stuff on hand, eating our lunch or having cocktails on the veranda while watching for whales.  No need to go searching for a table or perfect place to sit or stand.  Not for everyone, or every budget, I agree, just an alternate perspective.  Tho if it was a definite either or choice, doubling your time there is a very compelling argument.  I'm sure you'll have a great cruise whichever option fits you, Alaska is stunning.  Enjoy!

[dfish]

Another vote for the inside cabin.  The experiences in Alaska are what you're going for.  Spend your money  on the excursions, not the sleeping quarters.  Ten years from now you'll remember the excursions and experiences, not the cabin.

[Ichiban Nekko]

Please add me to the INSIDE Cheerleaders. We cruised many, many times on HAL and other lines in an inside. We did insides to Alaska on HAL. Multiple times. Had a fabulous experience. However, that's because we were there only to sleep/clean up, etc. 

 

Alaska is amazing. So is the cruise experience.

 

Wishing you a wonderful trip!

 

 

[shippmates]

I vote for the inside.  Many years we always booked an inside cabin until Covid happened and we started to book oceanview or a balcony.  In Alaska you want the money for shore excusions not a cabin.  Enjoy your trip.

[Torquer]

If this is your first cruise, I would recommend the 7-day cruise, to see if you like cruising before committing to 14 days, which can be a long time on a ship for some people.  Our first cruise many years ago, was a 7-day Alaska cruise.  But it took us many 7- and 10-day cruises after that before we worked our way up to 14 day cruises.  And it was only last year we did our first 20+ day cruise.

 

And of course for Alaska, you will use your balcony a lot, so that is another reason to pick the 7-day cruise.

[Fouremco]

50 minutes ago, Torquer said:

If this is your first cruise, I would recommend the 7-day cruise, to see if you like cruising before committing to 14 days, which can be a long time on a ship for some people.

Our very first cruise was the 21-day Southern Caribbean Wayfarer/Seafarer aboard the Noordam. We knew within the first 7 days that we loved cruising, and were so thankful that we still had 2 weeks left to enjoy! Unless the OP has significant apprehension that she might not enjoy cruising at all, I'd definitely recommend taking the inside cabin for 14 days.

 

Reviewing my Alaska photos taken aboard ship, the vast majority were taken from an open upper deck, not from our balcony. For most of your cruise, there's wonderful scenery on both sides of the ship, so you tend to miss out on a lot if you remain on your balcony, unless you have a stern cabin and don't mind seeing where you've been, not where you're going. 😇

[SilvertoGold]

7 days is just way too short a time to be on an Alaska cruise. Those days go by so fast it is hard to believe and you have no time to enjoy the ship and do all the things you could do on the more leisurely 14 day one.

[Petronillus]

I think the best tip you've gotten was from @Stpatsirish: Book the 14-day inside cabin and go for a cabana (if any is still available at this point). You mention that both you choices are approximately equal in price; if cost is a significant factor, you'll likely be busting your budget on the cabana.

 

DW & I tried an inside cabin only once. I just found perpetual nighttime was not to my liking.

 

Let me pass along a useful tip I got from CC. In addition to the usual nightlights, get yourself an illuminated alarm clock that simulates dawn by progressively glowing for the hour before the alarm is set. Invariably, however, the cabin stewards disconnected it so that I had to reset it every single evening. (File that last comment away under "First World Problems.")

 

 

[FlaMariner]

4 hours ago, 2TheSea4Me said:

Are we crazy to skip the balcony in Alaska?  

 

IMO

 

Not crazy.  

 

Luckily, the ship arrives at the ports and the amenities onboard are the same no matter inside or balcony.  You only miss a private place in the room to sit outdoors.  Lots of other nooks onboard to sit outdoors.

 

We've gone back and forth on balconies over the years....They are nice but if it means staying onboard for an entire additional week, I'd be just fine in the inside cabin.

 

Spend the money on what gives you value......being onboard for 7 more days is worth more than a balcony.  You will not miss it or regret it....IMO.

 

 

[ORTravelGal]

While I have always had a cabin with a balcony, given the choices you've presented I would go with the inside cabin for the 14-day trip.  In addition to the excellent reasons mentioned above, I'd choose the 14-day trip as you'll find the crew to have a more relaxed vibe & better service since they won't be focused on doing another turnaround of passengers in a short time period.  There will be less likelihood of lots of kids on the ship, if that matters to you, and you'll get to see more of Alaska.

[tupper10]

4 hours ago, 2TheSea4Me said:

Hi all!  I'm new to cruising and have had the desire to go to Alaska.  

 

I'm looking to go next May for a big birthday.   I'm realizing I should have booked a long time ago.  Anyway, I'm seeing we can do a 14 day inside cabin on the Nieuw Amsterdam for about the same price as a 7 day balcony cruise.   I have "held" the 14 day inside cabin with HA.

 

Are we crazy to skip the balcony in Alaska?   Just seems like 14 days versus 7 is a whole lot of difference when we can go on deck and see a lot, plus see other port visits.

Just so you know chances are in May that it will be way too cold to sit outside on your balcony.  The best viewing points will be inside the ship with some forays outside with jacket, gloves, hat, etc.  to see the sights.  Also the ship you are booking on has a nice promenade deck, with chaises,  so if you do want to sit outside, you can.  

[Lido deck main]

Inside cabin go for the 14 days, there are plenty of spaces on the ship to see the views.   

[rrraydon]

14 days with the inside, for sure!

[lcand1923]

I’m joining the 14 Day Inside group with one caveat.

 

Do you know how you handle traveling on a cruise ship?  

 

If you don’t know whether or not you will be seasick, I would do the 7 Day in a balcony, to act as a test.  Being on a ship for 14 Days in an inside cabin while you are sick, will spoil cruising for you forever.

[pengu1n]

I'm in favor of inside/14 day option. We cruise in both balcony and insides. Love the darkness of the inside cabins for sleeping, although usually there's a good gap under the door and room is bright enough without a nightlight. Leave your TV tuned in to the forward deck camera if you want the room to brighten with the sun.

 

A balcony will be limiting for what you can see, you're going to want to be on a deck where you can move from port to starboard, because you can bet the whales will always be on the side you're not!

 

Something no one has mentioned is that the airfare to Vancouver or Seattle will be cheaper than that to Alaska, so you may save some $$ that way too (unless you live in Anchorage!)

[canadianbear]

If you aren’t claustrophobic I’d vote for the inside 14 day cruise.   

[Petronillus]

2 hours ago, tupper10 said:

Just so you know chances are in May that it will be way too cold to sit outside on your balcony.  The best viewing points will be inside the ship with some forays outside with jacket, gloves, hat, etc.  to see the sights.  Also the ship you are booking on has a nice promenade deck, with chaises,  so if you do want to sit outside, you can.  

The weather in and along Alaska is mercurial. Friends sailed in August and had to dress in cold-weather gear and fight snow/sleet combinations on deck. DW & I went in May and it was gloriously dry and warm for the whole 7 days. BUT whale sightings were few and far between.