Is a balcony really worth the extra $$?

[DBXX]

This is our first cruise and there will be 3 of us in a room. Us plus our 19 year old son. It is $950.00 more for the balcony. Is this worth that much extra money? I have heard it is but want to be sure. What do you guys think?

 

Danielle

[kiwicruiser83]

It is worth every penny!

[MoneyGuy]

It is worth every penny!

 

Why?

[jennglux]

One of my most favorite things to do on a cruise is to sit on our balcony and relax, and read my books. To me, I would not want to cruise without one - but then again, I spend a lot of time on the balcony - I am not too interested in the organized activities, etc -

 

So, it really depends on what your idea of what is most important to you. I have been in both cabins with and cabins without balconies, and will always get a balcony from now on -

 

Just my opinion - whatever you decide to do, I am sure you will have a fantastic cruise!

[kiwicruiser83]

Sitting on your balcony at night listening to the ocean and enjoying a hot cup of joe in the morning. It does not get any better than that!

[hotmike98]

While opinons on this issue are totally subjective, there are several factors to consider: Is your cruise "port intensive" meaning you will spend majority of time off the ship? You would not be using the balcony on those occassions. Some cruises (Alaska, for example) have a huge amount of scenery nearly all day every day. Balconies are wonderful for that. Also, how tight is your budget? $950 dollars is a lot of money that you could spend on shore excursions, massages, jewelry, art (questionable value on the last two IMHO) at the casino or in the bar. If your budget already includes all those, and you value solitude, a balcony is a very nice thing to have, but your cruise will not be ruined if you forego a balcony. There are places all over the ship to view the scenery, just not as convenient as falling out of bed.

[jacksan1]

If money is no concern, I am certain that everyone agrees that a balcony is a nice thing to have. But money is a concern for most people (it is for me!), and how big a concern it is is different for everyone, I am not sure that there is a ready answer for it. To some people, a balcony is worth it no matter how big the premium is for one. Some other people would rather spend the extra money on shore excursions, or use the difference between a balcony and a non-balcony to pay for at least a portion of their next cruise.

 

And it is certainly not true to say that not having a balcony does not a good cruise make. There are hundreds of cabins that do not have balconie on any large cruise ship, and I see people smiling in and out of them all the same (or getting upset even if they have balconies). My first cruise, years ago, was not a balcony cabin, but I remember enjoying the trip immensely.

 

If you want to go for a balcony, go for it. And if you want to save money by going for an oceanview or inside, that's a good way too. There are no right or wrong ways, except perhaps to not go at all! :)

[DREAMSAFLOAT]

I agree with Hotmike98 on this one. Opinions are totally subjective. This is mine: I have done inside, balcony and ocean view cabins. For me, the inside cabins are fine. I sail 3 in a cabin with my husband and son also. However I am from the East Coast and live on the water. I wake up everyday to the ocean & smell of salt air so relaxing in the a.m. on a balcony with my coffee is not a priority. I like to be out and about where the "action" is meeting people and people watching. This is your first cruise do you think you would rather be out and about seeing and doing all the activities? My 1st cruise I felt like I needed to check everything out and spent little time in the cabin at all!

Last year we spent a little time on the balcony. It is nice having the sunlight and beautiful sunrises(if you can make it up early). Would I pay an extra $950 not worth it to me.Would I get a balcony for the same price as an inside? You betcha! We also sailed when it was extremely hot and I never stayed out there long especially when the sun was on that side.

My new philosophy is I get an inside on the higher decks (usually lido) so you can just walk out and be outside. If you want it there is always a quiet spot to find peace and solitude with a deck chair you just have to look for it! Drawbacks to inside cabins are its dark in the a.m. so bring an alarm clock/clock radio otherwise you could sleep through the cruise!

[linda_22003]

While opinons on this issue are totally subjective, there are several factors to consider: Is your cruise "port intensive" meaning you will spend majority of time off the ship? You would not be using the balcony on those occassions. Some cruises (Alaska, for example) have a huge amount of scenery nearly all day every day. Balconies are wonderful for that.

 

And some cruises are both. We had a very port-intensive cruise in the Baltic, but I will never forget our last afternoon cruising toward Stockholm through the Swedish archipelago, and the spectacular view going by our balcony. It was wonderful private time for my husband and me, with fabulous scenery like we had never seen before. :)

[sho]

It's nice to have a balcony as one can open the door and step out for a breeze of fresh air.

But it all depends on the itinerary, particularly useful if there are several at-sea days when one has plenty of time to relax on the balcony. Otherwise the busy schedule will keep you occupied from day to night. To be honest, I found that I did't spend much time sitting on the balcony on most cruises.

It also depends on the weather: once I was at the Baltic Sea in May and it was freezing cold. Went out for 2 minutes and back in again. Another time there was a storm and rain in the Mediterranean and I had to sit tight insde the cabin.

[PelicanBill]

More reasons to love a balcony:

 

* I get up earlier and ger ready faster than my wife and daughter... so I sit on the balcony and watch the scenery or waves.

* I like to watch the docking operations when on my side

* I bring a GPS and like to check our speed and location from the balcony

* Easy to check temperature and weather conditions and know how to dress

* Someplace to sit and talk when our daughter is sleeping (she is too young to leave alone in the cabin)

[johnql]

To me, it depends on the cruise. If there's something to see (e.g., Alaska), I say that a balcony is absolutely worth it. If it's just the ocean, then it depends on how much more the balcony costs. In the OP's case, $950 more is probably not worth it to me - unless we're talking about Alaska (or someplace similar where the scenery is part of the attraction).

[thehittgirl]

And also wanted to add that I've read on here that once you book a balcony, it's harder to go back to anything else, so I am starting slowly. My first two cruises were an inside, and for my upcoming and third cruise, we've booked an OV. Maybe afterwards, we'll try to balcony. Or maybe one more OV.

[suezyq50]

We have had inside, ocean view, and we just had our first balcony. I don't think it was worth it, but my DH felt the opposite. We used it in the morning when we had room service. Went out once or twice in the evening between shows, casino visits, etc.,for the balance of the week. I would rather spend my money else where.

[patrice1]

We can only cruise once a year, regardless of the cost of the room. We also enjoy cruising for the quiet, relaxing time together and spend alot of time in our room. For those reasons, we get a balcony cabin. Some folks will say "why get a balcony when you're never in your room?" I say if you get one, you'll be in your room more! We spend alot of time out there watching ports come and go and just looking at the ocean.:D

[alcheme]

I think a balcony is worth extra, but I might be a little reluctant, if the extra were $950, others wouldn't bat an eye at that much, so it's hard to say for you. I booked a balcony for our next cruise on the Voyager, but the difference between the cheapest interior stateroom and the D1 (larger size balcony) was only $410 total. For that, we get a balcony vs. a little mirror hung on the wall and significantly more space in our cabin. Well worth the $$, I thought. Compared to a standard oceanview, the difference was only $140.

 

Only you can balance what the advantages of balcony are worth to you, but the benefits have been pretty well laid out by posters above. I've seen others swear that they would book nothing less than an Owner's Suite, which can be thousands more than a balcony (not worth it in my book, no matter how nice the room might be).

[raytownlady]

We can only cruise once a year, regardless of the cost of the room. We also enjoy cruising for the quiet, relaxing time together and spend alot of time in our room. For those reasons, we get a balcony cabin. Some folks will say "why get a balcony when you're never in your room?" I say if you get one, you'll be in your room more! We spend alot of time out there watching ports come and go and just looking at the ocean.:D

 

 

this is exactly why we always book a balcony! This year we've kicked it up a step and booked our first suite:D

[qorc]

This is our first cruise and there will be 3 of us in a room. Us plus our 19 year old son. It is $950.00 more for the balcony. Is this worth that much extra money? I have heard it is but want to be sure. What do you guys think?

 

Danielle

 

first the difference is rarely $950, unless you're talking about the difference between a balcony room on 10 and an interior room on deck 3! Usually the difference on the same high deck to us for a balcony was a few hundred at most, and for a family of 4, it seems worth it. why?

 

yes, it's worth it to me! especially the balconies on the back which are protected from the wind. we booked on the Enchantment twice to get one of the backend balconies which are very large, provide sun and protect you from the wind you get up on deck when the ship is moving.

 

I will spend far more time in solitude and peace on my balcony than I will fighting the riff-raff in the public areas, fighting for a decent chair at 9 am, being pestered by waiters trying to hock expensive drinks, the sight of far too many women in bikinis who should not be, by bad music, endless announcement and stupid deck games.

 

Yes, solitude and quiet is worth a few hundred $ to us. The people who are "never in their rooms" are the people with small, interior cabins. The couple times we did that we didn't stay there either! who'd want to!?? It was depressing! But when we have a balcony room, we've made use of them. Once we had one, we could never go back to an interior room, even on a high deck. No way. It was like vacationing in a crypt.

 

I love getting up in the morning and going out on the balcony in maybe just underwear and enjoying a breeze.

 

I enjoy the peace of having a glass of wine with my wife on the balcony before dinner.

 

are they worth it? To us, totally. I wouldn't go any other way.

[jacksan1]

If I were you, I might look at the additional $950 as more of a percent increase. Yes, 950 bucks is 950 bucks, but if, for instance, you are paying $2,000 for an oceanview, and a balcony is $2,950, that's +47.5%. A lot, in my formula. But if you were paying $5,000 for an oceanview (for a long, luxurious cruise), and a balcony is an additional $950, that's only 19% more. Here, I would say that, since you are already paying a lot, might as well go for +19% to get the amenity.

 

In my and my wife's world, actually, percentage or dollar figure, $950 would be too much to move to a balcony (by the way, I have never seen a price spread like that between an oceanview and a regular balcony). That would (almost) pay for an airfare for one to Bangkok, and I would rather much go to Thailand than to get a balcony.

 

But that's just me.

[alcheme]

Yes, solitude and quiet is worth a few hundred $ to us. The people who are "never in their rooms" are the people with small, interior cabins.

 

Actually, that's an often repeated generalization on these boards, but it's not necessarily true. I think the amount of time spent in your room has more to do with personality. Of course, that same personality difference might also influence what type of room you pick, making your generalization partly true. Some people enjoy solitude and quiet in their rooms or on their balconies, others would prefer to be out and about on the ship, participating in activities, people-watching, meeting fellow cruisers, etc. So are those interior cabin dwellers staying out of their room because they don't have a balcony, or did they choose to forgo the balcony room, because they'd rather be out and about around the ship?

 

I like having a balcony and am willing to pay some extra for it, but I don't spend a lot of time in my cabin, whether I'm in an interior or a JS. It's just not what I go on a vacation for.

[qorc]

Actually, that's an often repeated generalization on these boards, but it's not necessarily true. I think the amount of time spent in your room has more to do with personality. Of course, that same personality difference might also influence what type of room you pick, making your generalization partly true. Some people enjoy solitude and quiet in their rooms or on their balconies, others would prefer to be out and about on the ship, participating in activities, people-watching, meeting fellow cruisers, etc. So are those interior cabin dwellers staying out of their room because they don't have a balcony, or did they choose to forgo the balcony room, because they'd rather be out and about around the ship?

 

I like having a balcony and am willing to pay some extra for it, but I don't spend a lot of time in my cabin, whether I'm in an interior or a JS. It's just not what I go on a vacation for.

 

you are correct. to a point.

 

if you have a small interior room, FEW people if any will spend any real time in it. The couple times that we did earlier in our cruising career, we only slept there. It was too dark and cramped to do otherwise. Pretty much were forced to be in the public areas 16 hours a day.

 

if you have a balcony, you have the choice. I'm not anti-social. I spend time on the decks, do some of the activities, etc.

 

but I also have the ability to pull up a chair on my balcony and enjoy the quiet, wind-free solitude of relaxation.

 

And the difference on the same deck is usually a few hundred.

 

I believe the OP was asking if it's "worth it." some are suggesting it's not. That's their subjective belief and I have mine.

 

I would never go back to a low deck interior room. No thanks. It may be cheaper, but it limits my options. Plus, if so, you might as well vacation in a crypt. I like light, space and yeah a certain amount of quiet, wind-free space.

 

My subjective opinion: yes, it's worth it.

[alcheme]

I agree with the above, gorc. I was mainly responding to the comments I see fairly commonly, where people suggest that, if you don't spend much time in your room, it's because you have a crappy room, and you would spend so much more time in your room, if you had a balcony cabin. It's just not true for everyone.

 

Of course, the OP didn't provide a lot of data, so it's hard to guess if it's worth it or not. We don't know if that $950 difference was between the cheapest interior and a standard balcony or between OV and balcony. Nor do we know what kind of cruise it is. That price difference might be way to much on a 5-night cruise, but well worth it on a 14-nighter.

 

I have gotten a balcony on my last couple cruises and still didn't spend much time in my room, so I could see going back to an OV or even interior, if the price difference was high enough.

[sandgrace]

My first couple of cruises I had an inside cabin, and I didn't mind it at all, because I didn't know what I was missing! My husband talked me into a balcony on our 3rd cruise, and now I can't go back to inside, I'm way too spoiled.

 

My advice is if you've never cruised before save money on your first cruise and get an inside cabin. That way you'll make sure that you like cruising, believe it or not it's not for everyone.

 

In my experience once I tried a balcony I didn't want to go back to inside, and if you have a limited budget (like me) you won't be able to cruise as much.

[DBXX]

OK here is some more info for you guys. We are going as a group there will be about 17 couples, I am the group leader. We are going out of New Orleans on the Fantasy. To Cozomel and Costa Maya for 5 days. The OV price is $1096 this is for 3 people and the Bal suit (they dont just have regular bal on this ship so we move up to the suite) it is $2044 for the 3 of us. That makes it $948 more to move from the OV which we were going to get to the Bal Suite. Does that help?

 

Thanks again for all of your responses.

 

Danielle

[jacksan1]

OK here is some more info for you guys. We are going as a group there will be about 17 couples, I am the group leader. We are going out of New Orleans on the Fantasy. To Cozomel and Costa Maya for 5 days. The OV price is $1096 this is for 3 people and the Bal suit (they dont just have regular bal on this ship so we move up to the suite) it is $2044 for the 3 of us. That makes it $948 more to move from the OV which we were going to get to the Bal Suite. Does that help?

 

Thanks again for all of your responses.

 

Danielle

 

That does help. A suite is a different ballgame. You have not told us what kind of suite it is, but it does explain the jump in the price. Since there are three of you, an extra space in this situation may be worth it even if bought at a little under $1,000 extra. Some ships' OV cabins are small, and putting three adults (correct?) could be a congestion. The question now is would each of you three be willing to pay $316 per person more for that extra space?