Trying to Save Money, Balcony or not? will we be disspaointed?

[232271]

Boy the Alaska cruises are much pricer than I thought, so we are looking at ways to save money.

 

IS it really necessary to have a balcony? I have had one on a Caribbean Cruise and it was so windy that we rarely went out there.

 

 

I know that we will want to be on the top deck for better views and pictures, so can we save some money and go for an inside room instead?

 

Hopefully you guys can give me some good insight.

[Diggerdon]

We had a balcony and thought it was worth every penny. We sat on our balcony and had lunch at Glacier Bay without having to look over someone else and if got cold we just went back in the cabin for a few minutes.

[suziqz007]

You will get all kinds of answers to this one. Some say it is not worth the extra money. Just keep in mind that this is NOT like a Caribbean cruise.

 

I personally will not do an Alaska cruise without a balcony. There is something very special to me about relaxing on your private balcony while cruising the Inner Passage with no one else around...your own private slice of heaven. Just me and hubby in our bathrobes (if that's how we feel), a steaming mug of Bailey's & Coffee and our smoked salmon ordered from room service. We just consider it an extra "excursion" cost.

 

Many people travel AK without a balcony and have a marvelous time...that's just not our choice.

[pisces1]

If you want to enjoy Alaska, and your budget would be compromised with a balcony, than by all means do not get one. My husband and I enjoy our private time, so having a balcony is a natural extension of the room and we relish it. There are many folks who like to spend much of their time in other parts of the ship and only utilize their rooms for resting and showering. You can completely enjoy an Alaskan cruise without a balcony, especially since many of the ships' itineraries include numerous port visits and excursions, at which time, you would not even be on the vessel itself. When the ship sails into glacier territory there are several excellent locations from which you can get a 360 degree view of natures best...something you couldn't do off your balcony.

 

And for those who want to pay the extra $$$, it can be worth it. I had difficulty sleeping as a result of some medical issues, so I enjoyed going out in the early morning (4:30 a.m and light) in my pajamas and coffee cup and celebrating the ever changing dramatic views that paraded in front of me without ever having to leave the comfort of my room.

[Chat Noir]

Our first cruise to Alaska was with the Carnival Spirit, balcony cabin. Carnival Spirit has some of the cheapest balcony cabins. We found we used the sliding balcony doors more as a huge picture window than anything else. Most of the cruise was cold, wet, and windy.

 

Second cruise, we choose an oceanview window on Sapphire Princess. The Sapphire oceanview was comparable pricing to the Spirit balcony. We were perfectly happy with the oceanview, also.

 

Third cruise, I found a last-minute bargain on Celebrity Mercury, but it was an inside cabin. To be quite honest, we enjoyed this cruise every bit as much as either of the others. For one thing, the cabin is completely dark for bedtime, even if it's still light outside. I slept better, and overall had a much more relaxing trip. We spent time outside on deck, up on Lido with its massive windows, and in the clubs/library areas which also had fabulous windows.

My thoughts: if you can afford a balcony and have your heart set on one, by all means go for it. If you have to break the bank just for a balcony, it is one option that is easy to give up. You can still have a wonderful trip, regardless of your cabin/budget. You can then focus your funds toward seeing Alaska up-close via excursions/tours rather than viewing it from a balcony cabin that costs extra and missing out on the many opportunities Alaska offers.

[Toyz711]

i loved our 1st balconey....DH says that's the place for it. BUT if money is that much of a issue, go for the lesser room so you can have some money for at least one really good excursion.

yes, we were out on it a great deal, even had breakfast for glacier bay.

but the rest of the family didn't have a balconey and didn't miss it at all.

all the ships have open areas for glacier viewing.

the excursions are so expensive, but they are more important the the balcony itself.

[ute_fan]

We lucked into a balcony on our first cruise to Alaska, but when we returned in May, we didn't bother to get one. My comment is exactly the same as yours -- too windy to really enjoy it. We'd gone with blankets and coats, so it wasn't the cold that bothered me -- it was the noise of the wind.

 

From my standpoint, I'd rather save the money and not be as worried about the cost of the shore excursions. We didn't even do any flight trips at all, but by the time you add up the cost of two small boat tours (whale watching and Misty Fjords), and the long train ride from Carcross to Canada, we still spent about $1,000 just in shore excursions. If I'd wanted a balcony cabin, on our particular cruise, we would have paid at least that much to go from an inside to a balcony. We spent a lot of time sitting on the promenade deck watching for wildlife. Even though you're out on deck there, since it's wider, the wind normally isn't as noticable. When we got chilled in spite of blankets and layers, we headed to one of the public rooms to sit in front of a window and look out.

 

One of the members on our roll-call did have a balcony. She mentioned that they'd moved the chairs in front of the sliding glass doors, so they could sit and look at the scenery but not be outside in the cold and wind. To me, that doesn't make it worth the additional cost.

[sacway]

In two weeks, we'll be sailing the Inside Passage in an inside cabin. We like a balcony so that we can be together and alone at the same time (One of us watching a movie on TV, say, and the other watching the world go by in silence.) But we saved about fifteen hundred dollars on this trip by going inside. More importantly, we are finally going to Alaska after many Caribbean cruises (This will be our second cruise this year.) The inside cabin prices are so reasonable because the scenery outside is so fabulous. Do I have some angst over this? You bet. But we've taken two other cruises in inside cabins (one on RCI, one on X) and thoroughly enjoyed both. We use the bridge cam channel as our "porthole." I'm sure we will have a *fantastic* vacation this time, too. Plus, I have that light-affected insomnia thing and I never sleep better than in an inside cabin.

 

You might select an inside cabin close to an outside space, either near the outside deck with the lifeboats, or to the aft (my preference) where many ships have a public stairwell. These become semi-private "neighborhood" hangouts that serve as balcony viewing for those of us without windows. On one of our windowless cruises, we took our "happy hour" outdoors this way, with little sandwiches from the buffet and a glass of wine from our room. Both the aft stairwells and the lifeboat decks also tend to offer good shelter from the weather.

[cruise-a-lot]

You will have fun with or without a balcony. Without you will just spend more time up on deck and less in the cabn. We opted for the balcony because we like being able to step out anytime night or day and it's not more than 4 feet from our bed. We like to check scenery and weather. We also like to sip coffee/hot choc on balcony and watch for whales. We like the privacy of it. We had an inside the last two times we went to Alaska and we did like it being dark at night; however, we hated trudging up on deck anytime we wanted to get outside or see anything. The Alaska cruise is a land intensive cruise and that makes a balcony an exciting change for me this time. We did pick a balcony on a ship (Carnival Spirit) that has a large overhang on the Panorama deck so our balcony will be much more protected from water if it rains. Either way, enjoy your cruise because that's what it's all about.

[clarencebyer]

I agree in some respects... if having a balcony is going to break the bank, then by all means, do without and you will still have a wonderous trip. If you can afford it though, it surely will add another dimension to your time onboard. We had a balcony on our early June Alaskan cruise and used it quite often. The weather can be totally unpredictable and it may depend on when you are going. But we really didn't have days that made it too cold to go outside. Certainly some times were colder than others... Glacier Bay for example. But we were up on deck for awhile there and got quite chilly. It was nice to be able to return to our room, view from the balcony and then warm up when we needed to. It was also really nice to hear about something on the ship tv channel and just step out onto the balcony to see what was going on...especially listening to the onboard naturalist.

 

Sleeping shouldn't be a problem for anyone as the drapes are room darkening and made it appear like any night time. Having a balcony would be ideal, but if you can't afford to have one on this trip, go anyway and just enjoy things in a different way.

[Grannycb]

We decided to go for the cheapest cabin on the ship for the Alaska cruise. We are only in the room to sleep and dress for dinner. Our money is better spent on excursions and other cruises. The cruise will be just as much fun for us with either an inside or a balcony so why pay the extra?

[cruisinalong001]

Boy the Alaska cruises are much pricer than I thought, so we are looking at ways to save money.

 

IS it really necessary to have a balcony? I have had one on a Caribbean Cruise and it was so windy that we rarely went out there.

 

 

I know that we will want to be on the top deck for better views and pictures, so can we save some money and go for an inside room instead?

 

Hopefully you guys can give me some good insight.

 

If you decide not to get the balcony, try checking out the locations of "partially obstructed oceanview." Some are hardly obstructed at all.

[vfb2girls]

We just return from our Alaskan cruise and we had a balcony and both myself and husband use it all of the time. Being from North Dakota the weather didn't bother us much and we sat outside most of the time we were in our cabin. And while it was not in use at night we left the curtains open to just kick back and enjoy the water. We had never cruised before and really didn't know if we would use it or not but seeing that we got lots of use out of it for us we will always try to book a cabin with a balcony, this might mean we will not get to cruise as often. But as others pointed out if it really is not in your budget then by all means skip the balcony, Alaska is meant to be enjoyed with excursions not sitting on a balcony.

[bellefr]

Hi just back from Alaska aboard CCL "Spirit" June 27th-July 4, 2007. I would definately get a balcony cabin. It is nice being able to go out and enjoy the scenery at your own leisure. You can warm up with hot chocolate and enjoy the landscape go by. It is not as cold as you would imagine on the balconies and you can always duck inside and warm up then pop out again. Alaska is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited and I have been many places. It would be a misfortune not to soak it all in and see as much as you can only to save some money. Its only money and when will you have a chance to go again. Believe me if you do go again, and on a cruise, the next time I guarantee you will want a balcony room. The biggest advantage I had in the balcony room was when the naturalist would point out seeing whales, eagles, bears, mountain ranges, etc. you could just go out on your balcony and pull out the binoculars and view. No running up to the top decks and push through the crowds and hope you did not miss what was out there. The whales are only on the surface for a few seconds at a time and are easy to miss. Good luck hope this helps with your decision. Happy cruising!

[ute_fan]

According to the original poster, what bothered them on their Caribbean cruise was that it was too windy -- not too cold. That was the same issue that we had in Alaska with a balcony. We'd gone prepared to bundle up for the cold, but the wind made it too unpleasant to spend much time out there.

 

The video tape that we shot from the balcony is almost unwatchable, just from the sound of the wind in the background. There are so many who advocate balconies (not just on this thread, but in general), that it really makes me wonder what's wrong with me.

 

Did we just happen to be in an unlucky location? We were near the front of the ship -- probably 15 cabins or so back, so it's not like we we had one in the very bow, where I would have expected direct wind. Do the rest of you just not mind the wind? A gentle breeze is one thing, but that certainly wasn't what we were experiencing. I wouldn't have said the wind was blowing directly at our side of the ship. It was more an issue of the wind that was generated by the ship as it traveled at over 20 knots. Just curious, because it's really scared me off from paying the money for another balcony.

[Budget Queen]

I am one who greatly enjoys my volume travel time ( for 2007- second cruise in two weeks to Alaska with another week on Vancouver Island, 2 cruises to Hawaii, 1 week New Orleans, 2 weeks New Zealand, 1 week in Paris, and just back from a week in Boston) and I definately have to go cheap. :) So a cheap inside cabin is always what I pay for, I have been upgraded a few times to outside, but rarely used it, as I only like front viewing. I like spending all sailing time out on the front deck, front lounges are great for poor weather. I don't skimp on tours and greatly enjoy my flights and whale watches.

 

So, my take- live for today and go with what you can afford, better than staying home!!! There are plenty of nice walking tours and cheap options to consider that will offer you a wonderful time in Alaska. :)

[232271]

I am one who greatly enjoys my volume travel time ( for 2007- second cruise in two weeks to Alaska with another week on Vancouver Island, 2 cruises to Hawaii, 1 week New Orleans, 2 weeks New Zealand, 1 week in Paris, and just back from a week in Boston) and I definately have to go cheap. :) So a cheap inside cabin is always what I pay for, I have been upgraded a few times to outside, but rarely used it, as I only like front viewing. I like spending all sailing time out on the front deck, front lounges are great for poor weather. I don't skimp on tours and greatly enjoy my flights and whale watches.

 

So, my take- live for today and go with what you can afford, better than staying home!!! There are plenty of nice walking tours and cheap options to consider that will offer you a wonderful time in Alaska. :)

 

wow, I am impressed! thanks for the advice! We are now just trying to narrow down our Cruise Line as there are so many in Alaska.

[Keith1010]

Alaska is one of those cruises that if you can afford the verandad you will likely use it a lot. But, if you can't don't worry about it. Go on the cruise and just take advantage of the beautiful views from the outside deck. If this is a budget issue and then don't worry about it. You will still have a great time.

 

Keith

[agabbymama]

I disagree with the majority. I'd rather stay home and save another year, than sail without a balcony. I've even contemplated saving for a Suite, rather than just a balcony cabin, but then decided the balcony cabin was large enough after all.

 

My first two cruises were with an ocean-view room. Your viewing area is very limited. My third cruise I got a really good deal on a mini-suite with a balcony. And I'll never go back to an ordinary ocean-view and NEVER would have stayed in an inside cabin. I want windows in my hotel rooms, I would suffer claustrophobia in an inside cabin with no windows.

 

I sit out on that balcony rain or shine, wind or calm. I love it out there. We had storms out of San Juan and 25-30 foot waves, and I still went out on that balcony. Bottom line is I will save the extra $$$ needed to have at least a balcony cabin.

 

So it's different strokes for different folks.

 

BQ, are you retired? How in the world do you get off that much time for traveling, then how do you pay for it?

[Budget Queen]

 

So it's different strokes for different folks.

 

BQ, are you retired? How in the world do you get off that much time for traveling, then how do you pay for it?

 

 

 

Definately, it has to be right for you. I am only giving a reason for my cheapness. :) No I am not retired, I get almost 8 paid weeks off per year, have a good paying job and swapping options, to get the time I want. Most of these were quick booking sale deals, I never travel at full price and have gotten very good at bargains. Although not always used, (won't be for Hawaii, New Zealand) I have nonrev flight benefits. I frequently travel with friends, also a big cost saver spliting costs.

[Bunco49cruiser]

We just returned from Alaska, June 10. We had booked an inside cabin, at an incredible rate. Ended up being upgraded to an oceanview cabin. We find that although the window or balcony is nice (providing weather cooperates), we spend most of our time out of the cabin. Case in point, on this cruise we were treated to a wonderful display of about 100 porpoises. We were able to watch them jump along side the ship for at least half an hour. They were not on the side of the ship where out cabin was. If we had been sitting on a balcony on the other side of the ship, we would have totally missed this wonderful viewing. Same later in the week with a pod of whales. Get out of your cabin and spend your time on the deck or in one of many inside lounges on the decks and take advantage of all that your trip has to offer. Although these are big ships with lots of people, we have found that it is pretty easy to find open space on the decks and in the lounges. Enjoy!

[232271]

We just returned from Alaska, June 10. We had booked an inside cabin, at an incredible rate. Ended up being upgraded to an oceanview cabin. We find that although the window or balcony is nice (providing weather cooperates), we spend most of our time out of the cabin. Case in point, on this cruise we were treated to a wonderful display of about 100 porpoises. We were able to watch them jump along side the ship for at least half an hour. They were not on the side of the ship where out cabin was. If we had been sitting on a balcony on the other side of the ship, we would have totally missed this wonderful viewing. Same later in the week with a pod of whales. Get out of your cabin and spend your time on the deck or in one of many inside lounges on the decks and take advantage of all that your trip has to offer. Although these are big ships with lots of people, we have found that it is pretty easy to find open space on the decks and in the lounges. Enjoy!

 

sounds wonderful!!

what deck were you on? and what ship?

thanks!

[thawan]

We've only taken 2 cruises both to Alaska mid May, both times inside cabins.

We spent so little time in them. They are claustrophobic :)

 

I don't know if we would have spent more time in them, if they'd been balconies or not. But it's so nice out on deck. And if you find a good spot, you can see both sides of the scenery, And if someone spots something they always say something. I figured what I saved on the cabin we spent on excursions.

[qiangf2]

I am cheap on cabin. We took inside cabin for our last two cruises, so to save money for excursion or other expensive toys.:D :)

[232271]

I am cheap on cabin. We took inside cabin for our last two cruises, so to save money for excursion or other expensive toys.:D :)

 

That is part of the reason we were debating, cheapness. We finally recieved quotes from TA and the difference between II inside on Princess Diamond and Balcony is so great, we are really thinking of taking the savings!

 

 

thanks for all your opinions, it helped us alot!!:)