Is a balcony really worth the extra $$?

[Guest maler]

Just make sure that the balcony is not blocked, even partially.

 

We booked a balcony room (extra $600) for our Hawaiian cruise for the views and loved to be able to open the door for fresh air but it turned out to be a partially blocked view, (we were not told) and with the crew out there every day, we couldn't really use the balcony and with all the noise they made, we couldn't really open the door and with the crew right outside our room, we couldn't really open the drapes.

 

After a stern complaint to NCL about it (among other things) we got over a $1000 refund.

[DBXX]

O that sucks to pay extra and have it obstructed I would be very upset. Thanks for telling me but yes I did tell them no obstructed views (I learned that here :D ) so I did make sure.

 

Thanks though.

 

Danielle

[loug1601]

Hi Danielle,

 

We love having a balcony. If you are the type who likes to "step outside" at home to check the weather, sky, etc., you will LOVE the balcony.

 

I don't consider myself claustrophobic, but I do seem that way in a tiny cruise cabin. The balcony puts an end to that. A suite balcony makes it even better! I bet the three of you will definitely enjoy your time out there, be it eating, sipping coffee or a cocktail, watching as you slip into or out of port, enjoying the moombeams illiminate the ocean... I could go on forever.

 

Enjoy your balcony. I am sure that you will :)

 

Pat

[LoneStarJeffe]

If you are a couple traveling by yourselves, then a balcony makes sense. If you are traveling with others in separate cabins, it can still make sense, but you really need to consider how much time you will spend in your cabin instead of being out and about. If money is tight, you might want more in your pocket during the cruise then invested in the balcony.

 

It's a cruise!!! :) You will have a great time with or without a balcony. You are just choosing where to spend your money.

[romy]

This will be our 4th cruise. We're sailing on the Pearl, 9 days to the southern Caribbean. 1st-inside, 2nd and 3rd OV. Now it's time to enjoy a balcony. This is our first sailing on the Pearl and our first to the southern caribbean. Although we enjoy some activities onboard and certainly meeting fellow cruisers, we also enjoy spending time together alone.

 

We love the idea of sitting on our balcony at many different times, i.e. sunrise, sunset, afternoons and late at night. Although we're certainly social, we're not crazy party animals (early forties, grew out of that nonsense year ago):rolleyes:.

 

The extra sunlight and the thought of falling asleep at night listening to the waves and feeling the breezes sounds pretty darn perfect to us.

 

Happy Sailing!

[derksta]

Just couldn't afford the Balcony but would love to have that luxury... Maybe next time. We're going to Key West (for Fantasy Fest,) Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios!!! I'm sure we'll have a GREAT TIME! Can't freakin wait!

 

 

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[Soprrrano]

:o Get the balcony for several reasons. First, your 19 year old son will be in the same room, so it will be like having a second separate room. Second, balconies are the best for enjoying scenery so that instead of hanging out with the thousands of other guests, you get your own private viewing. My husband enjoyed taking naps on the balcony in the afternoons. Except for Alaska itself, that was his favorite part of the cruise. He really got to relax because of the lull of the waves against the side of the ship rocking him to sleep in the fresh air.

[sasysutler]

What kind of a gambler are you??? We booked an OV guareentee and got upgraded to a room WITH a balcony at OV prices. This has happened on our last 3/3 cruises. We are going on carnival liberty 8/26. Paid $400 each for OV. Our Cabin is a Balcony!

[Handsome58]

I say get one....a balcony makes me feel at times like I am on my own private ship..........plus lets face it......we all need some private time from our mates, family etc......meaning it is cool to be in the cabin and on my balcony reading a book and my wife is taking a nap or reading or just cooling inside...or if you have kid(s) you and your wife can find peace on the balcony while they are in the cabin.....and with my wife and me there are times that we both want to be in the cabin but do not want to do the same thing.......it is like having 2 parts to your cabin...........remember it is a vacation.....so do you and your family...meaning if that $900 can make the trip better if not used on a balcony then do not get one......but if the $900 is no problem I would get one..........

[Beckylou]

For most cruises I say no to balconies...just cause I am frugal and I am one who does not spend much time in the room.

 

Having said that, for Alaska we splurged. THere was always so much to "see" as opposed to watching the sea go by. It was worth every penny, yet for our upcoming caribbean cruise we opted for an inside cabin.

 

Where are you cruising to (if you will excuse my ending a sentencde in a preposition lol)?

[DBXX]

Going to Cozumel and Costa Maya. 9 more mths to go :rolleyes: Thanks guys for all of your great tips.

 

Danielle

[VaBeachCruisers897]

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

 

 

YES!!!

[dferreira7]

Having a balcony is a very personal preference. The wife and I have always done a balcony since I am a very early riser, go down get coffee, tea, some munchies, and bring them back to the room. I'll read out on the balcony while she still sleeping. When she gets up her coffee is there and we spend some time outside before getting ready for the day. Also if you have a cruise with a lot of kids you don't have to worry about some quiet space to call your own! It's a personal prefernce though. I agree with the statement earlier that I've seen plenty of smiling faces from people coming out of interior rooms.

 

Dan

[Cruisin' Carole]

This winter will be my 4th cruise, and all have been in inside cabins.

For light, or to know when day breaks, just keep the TV tuned to the Bow Cam. You will see when it gets light, and when you approach a port.

 

I prefer to sit and read on a deck chair, on the side of the ship I can select at the time(sun or shade). I also enjoy people-watching, and you can't do that on your own balcony.

 

For me, I would rather spend the extra money on something else, rather than a balcony.

 

Carole

 

Noordam Dec '07

Noordam Dec '06

Norwegian Dawn Dec '05

Norwegian Dawn Dec '04

[gonzo67]

Just returned from our first CB W Caribbean cruise and would totally recommend a balcony. We are glad we went with one.

[Whimsy]

Just returned from our first CB W Caribbean cruise and would totally recommend a balcony. We are glad we went with one.

 

Would you mind posting a review on the Princess forum? We cruise in September and I love reading the reviews!

[tonitoot]

It is a matter of what you like. We love it. We like to sit there in the morning and evening to listen to the waves. We like to watch the scenery as we are coming and going into and out of port. It is a great place to sit and read. We go as a family with children so we do not do much nightlife and the balcony is a nice place to spend some quiet time. It is also a nice place to be when the kids are napping during the day. I don't think I could go back to an ocean view. I am spoiled now.

Toni

[Travelitis]

We love balconies, but that's a big price spread. I might opt for just an OV instead. If we have a nice cabin, then we spend more time in it. If we have an inside cabin, then we spend our time out of it. If it's just my dh and me, then we'd get the balcony. If we have our kids, then we'd save that money.

[qorc]

This winter will be my 4th cruise' date=' and all have been in inside cabins.

For light, or to know when day breaks, just keep the TV tuned to the Bow Cam. You will see when it gets light, and when you approach a port.

 

I prefer to sit and read on a deck chair, on the side of the ship I can select at the time(sun or shade). I also enjoy people-watching, and you can't do that on your own balcony.

 

For me, I would rather spend the extra money on something else, rather than a balcony.

 

Carole

 

Noordam Dec '07

Noordam Dec '06

Norwegian Dawn Dec '05

Norwegian Dawn Dec '04[/quote']

 

what's interesting is that virtually everyone who has posted here who's had a balcony recommends them to others.

 

Those who've never had one always say it's not worth it.

 

Again, it's a different, and better, cruise experience if you don't have to spend 16 hours a day in public areas.

 

Totally worth the extra $.

[alcheme]

what's interesting is that virtually everyone who has posted here who's had a balcony recommends them to others.

 

Those who've never had one always say it's not worth it.

 

Again, it's a different, and better, cruise experience if you don't have to spend 16 hours a day in public areas.

 

Totally worth the extra $.

 

I've had inside, oceanview and balcony, and to me it's not that much of a different cruise experience. The balcony was a nice extra, and I would be willing to pay some extra money for a balcony in the future, but if it were an extra $950, no way.

 

It was nice to sit out on the balcony every once in a while, but we really didn't spend a lot of time there. Other people do spend a lot of time sitting out on their balcony and would be willing to spend that much more in a heartbeat. It may be hard to know, without experiencing it for yourself, whether it'll be worth it to you or not. But if you think you'll be the type to really value quiet time, with out anyone else around, except maybe your SO, a balcony may be very important to you. If you think you'll want to be around the ship participating in activities, hanging out at the pool, playing the casino, etc. etc., you might not put a balcony to that much use.

 

I think I like the balcony the most on a cruise when our son was younger and had a relatively early bed time. We could get him down to bed and them, if we weren't quite ready to turn in ourselves, I could go get a couple drinks, and my wife and I could sit out there for a while talking and enjoying the view, w/o disturbing the kid. :) Now he's a bit older and stays up about as late as we do, so there's no big advantage there.

[Handsome58]

I love a balcony. It is all up to the person........

[as19111]

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

 

Danielle, on our first cruise (Alaska) we chose an inside cabin. DH loved it. It was perfect sleeping conditions for him, 24/7! I only longed for a window or balcony on the college fijord sailing day, because there was so much to see all day long. The other days were we in port, so it really didn't matter.

This time, we have a mini-suite with a balcony. We made the huge jump (for us) because 8 of the 15 days are at sea. We will like the solitude to read, relax, and have a place to enjoy the early morning and late nights.

If our next cruise is shorter and port heavy, OV or inside will work just fine.

 

Don't fret over it. Once you cruise, you'll know what feels right for you. Enjoy:)

Andrea

[delaney86]

We personally are never in the room only to sleep/shower. I would much rather spend my money on other things. We always get a inside stateroom. $950 would pay for all four of us all week Drinks, Gifts, Doing stuff on the Island. But we'll all different so whatever makes you happy. Happy Cruising!

[romy]

Being on a cruise at all is all that matters!!! A broom closet would probably suffice. Okay, probably not, but you know what I mean!

 

Happy Sails!

Romy

[Trekker954]

I enjoy watching the docking operations and those silly travelers and crew who are making the mad dash to the vessel before they pull the gang planks up. It can be quite entertaining.

 

While my daughter, possibly part dracula, prefers the inside cabin that can stay dark well into the morning. She likes to sleep in.

 

We are sailing in a couple of months. seperate cabins.