Honeymoon Suite or Balcony...

[deenie]

I am getting a cruise as a gift from a family member!! We are excited but she mentioned she was going to book a ocean view but our idea of our honeymoon was to enjoy a suite so we are going to pay the difference for the upgrade in rooms. But the problem is Carnival doesn't allow you to upgrade out of your class. So if you book an ocean view you can't upgrade to a balcony or suite.

 

For those of you who have booked or thinking of booking for your honeymoon why did you choose your particular room? Is there much of a difference between the suite and balcony rooms? What are the extended balconies like?

[briseis23]

We went with a suite that has a balcony, so I guess I am confused. Can they not be both? We are on the Carnival Imagination. We chose a suite because we (more like I am all the ladies involved in the wedding) needed a lot of space to get ready the morning of the big day.

[deenie]

We are not getting married on the ship we just wanted a nice room for our honeymoon. And we are trying to decide between a suite or a balcony room. Obviously there is a savings there but wanted some feedback on the difference. Are the suites that nice or is it just a little larger balcony room? Is it worth the upgrade?

[DiverGal]

We've traveled in both, and suites are a bit more luxurious than a balcony room. There's a larger sitting area with a couple of chairs as well as the sofa, a refrigerator and a whirlpool bath/shower in the bathroom instead of only a shower. The balconies are larger also, as are the closets. The category 12 "penthouse" suites on Carnival ships have walk-in closets and a vanity area in addition to the usual dresser set-up. Those on other lines, of course, may have different amenities.

 

I'm a huge fan of balcony rooms, and that is what I get for every cruise, given the opportunity. The suites are nice, but not necessary for me to be a happy camper. That said, my love and I decided our honeymoon was just the excuse we needed to try that darn penthouse suite. So we booked it as a wedding extravagance. It made us feel extra special, and we will then be able to say we've cruised in every category of cabin save the Owner's Suite. :)

 

Thing is, you don't need to spend the extra money to have a wonderful cabin. It comes down to whether the added amenities would add to your enjoyment. It would be a shame, too, to spend the money and have expectations the cabin couldn't meet. You really don't get that much more with the suites than what you get with the balcony cabin, just a slightly different experience.

[deenie]

Divergal: Great post...thank you!

 

After doing a lot of reading I think we will be happy with a balcony. Although I'm sure the suites are extra special. I just dont want to feel cramped. While we will not be spending a tremendous amount of time in the room we will probably sit on the balcony at night and eat breakfast there too.

[briseis23]

You can always check out www.cruisedeckplans.com and look at photos and layouts of different staterooms.

[DiverGal]

I think the two of you are going to LOVE that balcony! The reason we so love balcony cabins is the incredible romance of a private view of the sea, and of toasting the moon with glasses of champagne, and having morning coffee out on in the open air. The ocean and many ports can be pure magic.

[briseis23]

Wow! I can't wait! Our first cruise was so disappointing because we could barely move around in our room. I'm very excited and definitely plan to spend a little more time in the room during this trip. ;)

[2007CarnivalBride]

Our suite was also a wedding gift! While we have been a cruise before we previously had the outside room so the catagory 12 penthouse suite was an extra special treat! The balcony is super romantic and after all the excitement of our wedding day, one of our favorite moments was spending time together watching the sunset on our balcony or first night as man an wife!:) You'll love the view!

[wdngcruz]

My fiance and I are getting married in Cozumel Feb 2008 via Royal Caribbean. After much research, we chose a Balcony. My soon to be Mother in Law tried to tell us to splurge and get the Suite but I just don't think we would use the bathtub afterall. We chose a room far away from the elevators, which was some good advice given by someone.

[RachieLnnn]

First balcony here, too!

 

We've cruised twice before but always in oceanview rooms. I can't wait to try out that balcony! ;)

[AlwaysReady2Go]

Your first post said you were going to be given an "Ocean View" room. I am hoping that you have figured out that the ocean view is different from a balcony room. Ocean view does not have a balcony but a large window giving you an "Ocean View". The balcony has a slider with a porch attached and reclining chairs. I have cruised in Cat 8 (Balcony Room), Cat 9 (Ext Balc Room) Cat 11 (Suite) and Cat 12 (Larger Suite). I would tell you that you can have a wonderful time in ANY room!! I do love the balcony rooms for extra space either early morning, cruising into and out of ports and evening time. The suites are more spacious and have nicer/larger bathrooms with jacuzzi type tubs. You WILL have a great honeymoon in ANY of these rooms and I am VERY jealous that people actually are given cruises - you are SOOOOO lucky!! Give that person/s a BIG hug! Congrats and ENJOY!!!!

[deenie]

AlwaysReady: The gift was for the ocean view room which is very generous but we are going to ask her to book a balcony and pay the difference.