Balcony Poll

[kellywhitehills]

Here ya go!

 

Kelly

[232271]

I need a dark room, so I need an inside. I can always go to the upper deck and get a 360 degree view of the scenery. I will use my savings for excursions which are very expensive in Alaska!!:eek:

[vbmom87]

we booked an inside...trying to save money for excursions...if money were no object, I would get a balcony..still hoping prices may drop enough for us to make a change, but I am not holding my breath...

[swansonia]

It 's a must for us in Alaska....so much to see....I wanted to sleep on the balcony last time!!! ;)

[australian_girl]

We are splurging for our very first cruise and have booked an aft wrap-around cabin.. hope it's worth it :)

[jmk22574]

We cruised to Alaska last September and had one of those balconies that is kind of "jagged" and sticks out where the ship widens again. We LOVED it. I personally would not sail to Alaska without a balcony, but if it meant the difference between being able to do shore excursions or not, then I would completely understand. Have a great cruise! :)

[kellywhitehills]

We are splurging for our very first cruise and have booked an aft wrap-around cabin.. hope it's worth it :)

 

You will love the aft wrap...Its well worth the splurge..Last year we had on on the empress deck..This Sept we have one on the main deck..Looks like you are on the cruise just before we are..:)

 

Kelly

[kellywhitehills]

We are splurging for our very first cruise and have booked an aft wrap-around cabin.. hope it's worth it :)

 

 

You will love the aft wrap...Its well worth the splurge..Last year we had on on the empress deck..This Sept we have one on the main deck..Looks like you are on the cruise just before we are..:)

 

Kelly

[Yukon]

"None of the above" - we cruise with oceanviews. We hate insides but can't justify a balcony in Alaska.

[CC Help Michell]

We are splurging for our very first cruise and have booked an aft wrap-around cabin.. hope it's worth it :)

 

I agree with Kelly, and will add... I hope your budget is really LARGE! You will be spoiled for life by this one, I guarantee. I've cruised for 15+ years and don't have my first aft balcony booked until April '09. If (like most) you become addicted to cruising vacations... I see a lot of searching for primo aft balconies in your future!

 

(PS -- that's not a bad thing. ;) )

[australian_girl]

I agree with Kelly, and will add... I hope your budget is really LARGE! You will be spoiled for life by this one, I guarantee. I've cruised for 15+ years and don't have my first aft balcony booked until April '09. If (like most) you become addicted to cruising vacations... I see a lot of searching for primo aft balconies in your future!

 

(PS -- that's not a bad thing. ;) )

 

Yeah, I know. It could be dangerous :)

 

Kelly,

We'll be on the main deck too :)

[CC Help Michell]

"None of the above" - we cruise with oceanviews. We hate insides but can't justify a balcony in Alaska.

 

I'm not an "inside cabin" person either, Murray. The one time I tried one I gained a new perspective on the feelings of our classroom hamster, waiting every morning for someone to arrive and turn on the lights -- I don't think I got 2 hours of sleep per night for the entire cruise. :(

 

We normally are "balcony snobs," I confess, and we don't live in Alaska like Yukon, so I'd been thinking of it as a "must do balcony" trip. Then (while I was researching a land-based trip to the interior for summer '09) I had an offer hit my email for a 14 day cruise at really amazing prices. The hitch was, on that cruise the balconies and suites were booked, so it was OV or Inside.

 

I got busy and hit CC. The net result was finding a really quirky little set of 2 cabins on the ship that are priced as insides, yet have a window in them (hence, an oceanview with an inside price -- and the bonus is they abut a marvelous aft deck that runs from port to starboard). I booked so fast I think I got keyboard burn on my fingers. I'd say (and I haven't voted) -- that if money is no object, and/or your cabin is the priority for the trip, a balcony or suite would be great. Alternatively, if you have other priorities, an oceanview (which isn't a choice in the poll?) may well be the way to go if inside cabins don't suit you and you need daylight. If insides are good with you, you are golden and CAN book the cheapest thing you can find and put the savings toward shore excursions and have a blast! Whether you SHOULD do that depends on whether the perks of a balcony outweigh the money equation, and only you can decide that.

[kellywhitehills]

Yeah, I know. It could be dangerous :)

 

Kelly,

We'll be on the main deck too :)

 

Which one is yours..Starboard side or Port side??..We have the corner cabin on the starboard side..:)

 

Kelly

[kellywhitehills]

"None of the above" - we cruise with oceanviews. We hate insides but can't justify a balcony in Alaska.

 

Crap I knew I forgot something!

 

Kelly

[australian_girl]

I was wrong, we're on the empress deck in 6393; the cabin on the other side was booked. Is that the cabin you had last time? I read your review a while ago and can't remember.

[wolfshadow]

My DH and I had a huge Oceanview Cabin on the Infinity for Mexico which was wonderful but this time, even if it is in cooler weather on the Millennium in Alaska this June, we wanted to have our own balcony. And I sort of lucked out cuz I just booked a month ago and there was a cancellation for one on the port side, 7th deck, mid-ship. And, I mean just one. Just a few were left on the starboard. I'm sure you've guessed we're doing the southern version. Even starting out with a cruise tour from Fairbanks down. Can't wait!!!

[fti]

We normally are "balcony snobs," I confess, and we don't live in Alaska like Yukon

 

I hope Yukon doesn't see that :D. He lives in Canada, not Alaska.

 

John

[CC Help Michell]

I hope Yukon doesn't see that :D. He lives in Canada, not Alaska.

 

John

 

Yikes, now I'm blushing. I just was trying to say "we don't live in the region with the option of cruising there frequently," as he does, and didn't notice the mistake. I apologize; I actually do know where he lives, having read his guide and so many helpful posts here -- not to mention his screen name(!) -- it was just a senior moment I guess.

[Yukon]

I hope Yukon doesn't see that :D. He lives in Canada, not Alaska.

 

John

 

It's okay - I really enjoy saying that I'm going "south to Alaska" when I drive to Skagway :D (that phrase probably wouldn't have worked as well for Johnny Horton, though!)

[haligonian37]

I'm not an "inside cabin" person either, Murray. The one time I tried one I gained a new perspective on the feelings of our classroom hamster, waiting every morning for someone to arrive and turn on the lights -- I don't think I got 2 hours of sleep per night for the entire cruise. :(

 

We normally are "balcony snobs," I confess, and we don't live in Alaska like Yukon, so I'd been thinking of it as a "must do balcony" trip. Then (while I was researching a land-based trip to the interior for summer '09) I had an offer hit my email for a 14 day cruise at really amazing prices. The hitch was, on that cruise the balconies and suites were booked, so it was OV or Inside.

 

I got busy and hit CC. The net result was finding a really quirky little set of 2 cabins on the ship that are priced as insides, yet have a window in them (hence, an oceanview with an inside price -- and the bonus is they abut a marvelous aft deck that runs from port to starboard). I booked so fast I think I got keyboard burn on my fingers. I'd say (and I haven't voted) -- that if money is no object, and/or your cabin is the priority for the trip, a balcony or suite would be great. Alternatively, if you have other priorities, an oceanview (which isn't a choice in the poll?) may well be the way to go if inside cabins don't suit you and you need daylight. If insides are good with you, you are golden and CAN book the cheapest thing you can find and put the savings toward shore excursions and have a blast! Whether you SHOULD do that depends on whether the perks of a balcony outweigh the money equation, and only you can decide that.

 

As a single cruiser (I do cruise with two friends, but book a cabin by myself) I had booked oceanviews as balcony cabins aren't a financial option but for my last cruise (a 10 day), I too snagged one of those "quirky" insides on the Volendam and it was a good choice. The only people I ever saw out on "my" deck were either crew (warning: they washed the back deck down every morning around 6am) or passengers making their way up or down, to/from the lido deck.

 

For my next cruise (see below), I've gone back to my old reliable obstructed oceanview, which I do prefer. For the next, next cruise though, I may have to try a true inside cabin to save $$$$, which I wouldn't have a problem with.

[vbmom87]

I too snagged one of those "quirky" insides on the Volendam and it was a good choice. The only people I ever saw out on "my" deck were either crew (warning: they washed the back deck down every morning around 6am) or passengers making their way up or down, to/from the lido deck.

 

For my next cruise (see below), I've gone back to my old reliable obstructed oceanview, which I do prefer. For the next, next cruise though, I may have to try a true inside cabin to save $$$$, which I wouldn't have a problem with.

 

Can you tell me why you prefer the obstructed oceanview to the "quirky" insides on the Volendam? I had only read good things about those cabins before.

 

thanks

[brunolvr]

I’ll have to vote for a balcony. The scenery is non-stop when cruising the inside passage and you don’t want to miss a thing! It’s nice to be able to pop out on your balcony early in the morning in your robe to see a beautiful sunrise and enjoy the magnificent views. While your spouse is showering and getting ready for the day, you can be enjoying room service and taking pictures from your balcony, and vice-versa.

When getting ready for bed at night, you can still enjoy Alaska’s scenery, especially when it stays light late at night. We enjoy sleeping with the balcony door open to feel the fresh air and hear the sounds of the ship gliding through the ocean.

So, if you can afford it, a balcony is quite enjoyable in Alaska!

[haligonian37]

Can you tell me why you prefer the obstructed oceanview to the "quirky" insides on the Volendam? I had only read good things about those cabins before.

 

thanks

 

Sorry, I should've been more clear in my original post (oops). My next cruise is a vista class ship, the Oosterdam, which doesn't have the aforementioned "inside" cabins. If I'm ever on the Volendam again (or the Zaandam) I'd book one of those cabins in a heartbeat!

[vbmom87]

Sorry, I should've been more clear in my original post (oops). My next cruise is a vista class ship, the Oosterdam, which doesn't have the aforementioned "inside" cabins. If I'm ever on the Volendam again (or the Zaandam) I'd book one of those cabins in a heartbeat!

 

Thanks...I feel better now, since we booked one of those.

[deadzone1003]

Balcony on the Carribean deck of the Sapphire Princess during summer 2007. My family enjoyed the oversized balcony. Got my moneys worth. However, next time, it will probably be an inside or obstructed oceanview to save money.