Help! Cove or Reg Balcony on Magic

:confused:Looking to booking the Magic for next Sept. We have never had a balcony before we have had inside or oveanview rooms before. I am a light sleeper so I know if I get a cove not to get one over galley. So should I go for a cove or regular balcony and if regular which deck do you recommend. With this sale my PVP said I could go all the way to 9th deck for same price. Something else I am considering is a 4J on Lido.

We loved our cove on the magic! Rooms 2293 and 2297. Both were super quiet and no noise from above. We actually go an upgrade call for our upcoming cruise offering us to upgrade to a higher balcony. I declined. I just love the coves that much!!

My preference (and the preference of a lot of other people here) is the Cove balcony. Closer to the water, more private, slightly bigger, shaded, etc. You've already addressed the biggest complaint about them, which is location.

That being said, not everybody likes them. The arguments against Coves are that they feel claustrophobic, they're all the way down on Deck 2 - away from the action, occasional sea spray on the balcony (I've never experienced this myself).

If those kind of things bother you, then maybe a Standard balcony would be better. Just keep in mind that Deck 5, the Lanai, will be right beneath you if you get a deck 6 or 7 balcony. You'll see and hear every movement down there while most people would prefer to look straight down and see water.

We have never had a cove but would love to experience one at some point. But Some things to consider, are price and location.

The coves are lower on the ship and are farther from the lido deck and other things that may be of interest to you. Some of them are also reported to be noisy because they have the galley noise. Also they have lifeboats above so not too much sun. That can be a plus or a minus depending on what you are looking for.

Also, they are closer to deck 5 so that can be a plus depending on how much you use deck 5 and the venus there.

Do some research or ask on here before you book one and people can usually tell you if the Cove you are wanting to book has been reported to be in a noisy area.

My preference (and the preference of a lot of other people here) is the Cove balcony. Closer to the water, more private, slightly bigger, shaded, etc. You've already addressed the biggest complaint about them, which is location.

 

That being said, not everybody likes them. The arguments against Coves are that they feel claustrophobic, they're all the way down on Deck 2 - away from the action, occasional sea spray on the balcony (I've never experienced this myself).

 

If those kind of things bother you, then maybe a Standard balcony would be better. Just keep in mind that Deck 5, the Lanai, will be right beneath you if you get a deck 6 or 7 balcony. You'll see and hear every movement down there while most people would prefer to look straight down and see water.

The suites (considered to be highly desirable on a cruise ship) are on deck 7 so I always book my balcony room there. Midship, middeck. And don't let people give you the deck 5 below you song and dance. Sitting on your balcony you will not see it...you will see the beautiful ocean and on deck 7 people on the lanai can't see you given sight line constraints. Deck 7 has cabins above and below, less crowded corridors because of the suites, easy access to all the public venues, 4 sets of elevators and stairs for easy transport. Besides you don't have to worry about the placement of lifeboats. And from a deck 7 balcony you can see the entire side of the ship and what is happening in front and behind you. Absolutely perfect when pulling into port.

Go for a regular balcony. We like the spa balcony cabins on Deck 12. You can quickly get outside to the pool and Lido by just walking out the door and down a short flight of steps. With a cabin down on deck 2 you will spend way too much time waiting for an elevator.

If you are a light sleeper, it is the perfect location because it is super quiet up there.

The suites (considered to be highly desirable on a cruise ship) are on deck 7 so I always book my balcony room there. Midship, middeck. And don't let people give you the deck 5 below you song and dance. Sitting on your balcony you will not see it...you will see the beautiful ocean and on deck 7 people on the lanai can't see you given sight line constraints.

Oh I don't doubt that - I'm sure if you're sitting down on your balcony or just looking out at the water you'll see just that: water. But some folks enjoy looking straight down to see the flying fish and whatnot, or just the waves crashing against the side of the ship. My wife will spend waaaay too much time on the balcony doing just that, lol. So in the cove vs regular balcony debate, Coves have the advantage there because of the Lanai.

For the experience would try the cove

My preference (and the preference of a lot of other people here) is the Cove balcony. Closer to the water, more private, slightly bigger, shaded, etc. You've already addressed the biggest complaint about them, which is location.

 

That being said, not everybody likes them. The arguments against Coves are that they feel claustrophobic, they're all the way down on Deck 2 - away from the action, occasional sea spray on the balcony (I've never experienced this myself).

 

If those kind of things bother you, then maybe a Standard balcony would be better. Just keep in mind that Deck 5, the Lanai, will be right beneath you if you get a deck 6 or 7 balcony. You'll see and hear every movement down there while most people would prefer to look straight down and see water.

I agree with all of this. We've had both and prefer the cove BY FAR! And this last cruise, it rained quite a bit at night and we could sit out on our cove balcony and not get wet. There were a few mornings we found salt on the railing, so the sea spray must have hit the balcony some time through the night, but we never experienced it during the day.

And being on deck 2 was not bad at all. It was really quiet down there, plus we were a straight shot down from the pool area, so we'd walk a few steps to our elevator, go up, walk out, and be at the pool. Great location!

The only thing I didnt like about the cove was the noise from the galley above us. It was constant, especially late at night. The room itself was nice, and the balcony was even nicer.

Cove

loved our magic cove cabins- 2310 & 2314 - no noise from galley, very quiet

loved our magic cove cabins- 2310 & 2314 - no noise from galley, very quiet

Those are a good choice for a cove. The reason you hear no noise from the galley is because the galley isn't above those cabins. The dining room is above those cabins and is empty at night unlike the galley where food preparation, dish washing, etc is going on almost all the time. Of course not all cabins under the galley have noise, some of them are quiet. If I haven't seen a review that says a cabin under the galley is quiet, I just wouldn't take a chance.