Worst Balcony on Equinox

DH and I have booked a balcony guarantee on an upcoming sailing on the Equinox. Since we upgraded from a deck 3 OV to the guarantee for virtually no extra cost and gained oodles of perks, we will truly be satisfied with whatever we get, but are curious, what are the worst balconies?

The TA sent us a doom and gloom disclaimer about booking a guarantee warning about the possibility of fully obstructed or an enclosed steel cage. Since we fully expect the worst in the category it would be great to know what is possible.

DH and I have booked a balcony guarantee on an upcoming sailing on the Equinox. Since we upgraded from a deck 3 OV to the guarantee for virtually no extra cost and gained oodles of perks, we will truly be satisfied with whatever we get, but are curious, what are the worst balconies?

 

The TA sent us a doom and gloom disclaimer about booking a guarantee warning about the possibility of fully obstructed or an enclosed steel cage. Since we fully expect the worst in the category it would be great to know what is possible.

Our experience with "obstructed view" on S-class Celebrity has been fine. Our obstruction was either being on the 6-deck and the life boats are on the 5-deck. When we look down into where the ocean should be we see the top of the lifeboats...no big deal for us. Or we are higher up and the "obstruction" is the "bulge" up ahead or further back...which obstructs the forward or aft views onto the ocean or horizon...again no big deal to us. Others will type about the "bulge" and can do a better job explaining than me :-).

cheers,

Tom

Keep in mind that if you are not happy with your assigned gty cabin you may change to any other open cabin in the same category. Your TA should know this.

Betsy

Even with the worst case scenario, you're still going to be much better off IMO. The worst balconies have a lifeboat next to the balcony. From what I can tell, none of them rose above the railing on the balcony. In my case, the lifeboat was well below the railing and almost at the base of the balcony.

Just wait to see what you're assigned and if you prefer something else within that category, just call your TA and ask her to move you to it. The only reason you wouldn't be able to move would be if the cabin is slated as a triple or quad but usually once you get close to the sail date, they open all the cabins up for booking as doubles.

I don't know what your TA was thinking, but to the best of my knowledge,there are no "steel cages" on the Equinox.

In my study of booking guarantee balconies on Celebrity, this photo shows the most obstructed view I've been able to find:

http://clmedia.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/thumb/59c2c31413d40e2658d333452c21f77d_800.jpeg

There are no steel hull balconies on Solstice Class ships on Celebrity (of which the Equinox is one.) I agree you need a new TA.

The steel cage balconies are on the humps and are deep and dark, with the regular plastic balcony railing. Google a CruiseCritic review of unusual balconies.

The steel cage balconies are on the humps and are deep and dark, with the regular plastic balcony railing. Google a CruiseCritic review of unusual balconies.

Huh? Hump balcony rooms are usually considered "premium" rooms....certainly have been for us......which ships/decks are you referring to?

The steel cage balconies are on the humps and are deep and dark, with the regular plastic balcony railing. Google a CruiseCritic review of unusual balconies.

Is it one of these you mean?

This one (cabin 1120 on Equinox) is the deepest balcony on the hump.

Usually I am sitting rather close to the railing while on the balcony, and then I will get as much light as in a balcony with normal depth. I think it was a great balcony as it was very spacious.

To me the cabin didn't feel dark due to the deep balcony.

/Erik

There is so much ambient light at sea, no balcony is actually "dark"...

In my study of booking guarantee balconies on Celebrity, this photo shows the most obstructed view I've been able to find:

 

http://clmedia.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/thumb/59c2c31413d40e2658d333452c21f77d_800.jpeg

was that from a s-class or m-class??? deck number???

Thanks and Cheers.....

Thank you everyone for your replies! It sounds like we will come out pretty good no matter what we get.

As for our TA, it's one of the big internet cruise agencies, they know what you can and can't do. I think the *you booked a guarantee doom and gloom disclaimer* is something the just send to everyone with a guarantee, properly setting expectations so they don't have to listen to the whining from people who get the worst cabin in the category.

We have all the perks and oodles of OBC, at a price we are very happy with. Any cabin on the ship will suit us just fine.

JoJo

The steel cage balconies are on the humps and are deep and dark, with the regular plastic balcony railing. Google a CruiseCritic review of unusual balconies.

Sorry, but have you ever stayed in one of these "deep and dark" balconies with steel cages? To my knowledge, they don't exist. As others have said, if you are refering to the cabins on an angle off the hump, those are coveted cabins and are anything but "deep & dark". funnel's post and comment is perfect. A great large balcony with as much sun or shade as you desire. I have stayed in those cabins many times.

We were recently on Reflection and had what would be considered the lowest category balcony (2D, cabin 6181). There was a tender right outside, some of the other cabins just have a lifeboat, which doesn't come up as high. Someone else posted a picture of a view between 2 tenders, our friends had one like that. We were on a transatlantic and loved the balcony. We joked that if the ship started to sink we could just jump right on top of the tender and be first on board :).

The steel cage balconies are on the humps and are deep and dark, with the regular plastic balcony railing. Google a CruiseCritic review of unusual balconies.

I think maybe he means this CC article:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=1426

The Cabin: The Tunnel

The Ships: Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Equinox, Celebrity Silhouette

It's basically a hump variation, but the angled balcony (9192) on Celebrity's Solstice-class quartet, taken by kimcheeboy, is unusually enclosed. For those intent on mixing privacy with sea breezes, it certainly fits the bill, but not everyone is convinced. "Sorry, but I love bright, open cabins," writes Presto2. " I would be gutted if I walked into this."

Now I wouldn't mind that balcony at all, but have kept a picture posted by MaryJane56 for many years to remind me on M class that I wouldn't like one like 8108 on the Constellation - so small! How do you get to the chair behind the table - hate to have to move the table each time ;)

was that from a s-class or m-class??? deck number???

Thanks and Cheers.....

S class, deck 6, which is the lowest level of balcony cabins.

We made the change this week from a forward-facing OV to a veranda GTY for our August Silhouette cruise, knowing full well we could be assigned one of the 3 remaining 2Ds but hoping for any higher category of which there are plenty available.

The perks of Go Best with the additional $100 OBC for the Memorial Weekend Special were too tempting to resist.

Fingers X'd!

We made the change this week from a forward-facing OV to a veranda GTY for our August Silhouette cruise, knowing full well we could be assigned one of the 3 remaining 2Ds but hoping for any higher category of which there are plenty available.

 

The perks of Go Best with the additional $100 OBC for the Memorial Weekend Special were too tempting to resist.

 

Fingers X'd!

Wishing you luck! Both times we selected a guarantee, we knew the cabin assignment within 3 days.

For us, the worst possible balcony stateroom would be a balcony directly above the smoking section of the ship.

So for the Equinox, Port side, deck 5 is a smoking section

 

The TA sent us a doom and gloom disclaimer about booking a guarantee warning about the possibility of fully obstructed or an enclosed steel cage. Since we fully expect the worst in the category it would be great to know what is possible.

IMHO, the TA was being rude about the possibility of a bigger commission being lost! :eek:

As others mentioned, the obstructed balcony's are not completely blocked on any of the S-class ships. We have sailed the Equinox the last 2 cruises. Sought out and asked others in the obstructed view cabins what they thought. No one at all moaned or thought the end of cruising was at hand!:D:rolleyes:

Ya'll will be fine.

Wishing you luck! Both times we selected a guarantee, we knew the cabin assignment within 3 days.

We got our cabin assignment exactly 3 days from Sat. when we made the switch- the dreaded 2D category, disappointed as there were so many higher category cabins available and only @3 2Ds :(. (Guess Elite status didn't enter in to the algorithim:rolleyes:) We did luck out in that there was one cabin remaining as available in that category which had the bed by bath arrangement that we prefer and the one assigned us had bed by veranda, so we made the switch. And I am really happy to have a veranda + all the extra perks we received with the change!

We got our cabin assignment exactly 3 days from Sat. when we made the switch- the dreaded 2D category, disappointed as there were so many higher category cabins available and only @3 2Ds :(. (Guess Elite status didn't enter in to the algorithim:rolleyes:) We did luck out in that there was one cabin remaining as available in that category which had the bed by bath arrangement that we prefer and the one assigned us had bed by veranda, so we made the switch. And I am really happy to have a veranda + all the extra perks we received with the change!

I've seen pricing on cruises get a bit haywire after final payment. I would check the website to see if a 2D cabin might price equal to or higher than a 2C. You might get a representative who could make a switch for you. Wouldn't hurt to ask...