balcony worth it?

We will be cruising from Buenos Aires to Valparaiso in Feb. 2016 on the NCL Sun. We normally don't spend much time in our cabin and therefore don't spend the extra money for a balcony. However, I was wondering if it would be worth it considering the cooler weather and scenery we should be able to see on this cruise. Any comments as to if it is worth it? If so, best side of the ship to be on? Also, in general, how crowded are the public viewing areas when going through the fjords, etc. and is it better to be up on deck where you can see all around in every direction or can you see enough from a balcony.

We have cruised from B.A. to Valparaiso twice (and from Valpo back as far as Ushuaia once), on Princess. We made considerable use of our balcony for sightseeing and for watching whales and birds, which are abundant on this itinerary. This is an itinerary where a balcony is especially desirable IMHO.

We selected a starboard-side cabin on the expectation that starboard would provide better views more often than not. That is certainly the case in some areas, e.g., when traversing westward through the Beagle Channel, where the glaciers are on the north (starboard) side. (However, ships that leave Ushuaia late in the day will pass these glaciers at night.) At the Amalia Glacier in the Chilean Fjords, during both our cruises the ship rotated while stationed off the glacier, so folks on both sides got good views. The same was true at Cape Horn during one of our cruises. During the other, we travelled all around Isla Hornos in a counterclockwise direction, so the shore of the island (and Cape Horn itself when we passed that) were on the port side--invisible from our starboard-side balcony.

All that being said, despite having balcony cabins, we did spend quite a lot of time on deck where we could better look forward, or get from one side to the other fairly quickly. As I recall, the public areas were occasionally fairly crowded, e.g., when at Amalia Glacier or Cape Horn, but one could still get a good view and unobstructed photos -- especially when the weather was less than ideal and the less intrepid passengers tended to be inside.

In summary, I would much prefer to have a balcony cabin, and would choose a starboard-side cabin again. However, regardless which side you are on, some of the sights will be on the other side, and (if you are like us) you will want to spend significant time on deck. At times, it is likely to be quite cool, very windy, raining -- sometimes all three in combination -- on deck and during excursions. Bring rain gear (including waterproof & windproof outer shell with hood, and waterproof outer pants) and be prepared to dress in layers.

John

We did LA to Rio in December/January and had an inside cabin. Firstly let me say that whether you are on a balcony or on the deck cold is cold. When we returned home we discussed whether or not we would have been better off having a balcony. We decided that it is still difficult to justify the extra cost when you consider how little time you are likely to spend on your balcony.

Our first few cruises we had a balcony on the starboard side - if we had a starboard balcony on this cruise we would have been on the 'wrong' side of the ship so we would have been up on deck anyway. After our first few cruises we have always gone for an inside cabin and have not been sorry for one minute. LA to Rio was 31 days which was a bit of a test but we had no worries at all - after all you do little more in a cabin than sleep and shower.:)

Just further to my last comment, remember that by being on the deck you get a greater degree of flexibility in terms of just what you can see compared to a somewhat restricted vista from your balcony. When on deck you have the opportunity to walk right round the ship and take in whatever particular view you like. Of course there will be those who will swear 'black and blue' that a balcony is best and that's OK. I just can't justify the extra cost compared to any benefits.:)

Unless money is no object I would always say stay inside and use the saved money to book two more cruises and still probably come out ahead. Why not cruise three times as much for about the same price? Just saying.

Our first cruise was in an OV, which was fine, then on our second cruise, balconies were a hundred dollars more than an OV, so we went with a balcony. Now DW only does balconies.

We enjoy balconies, even with cool weather. I will say that on our cruise to Norway, Iceland, Shetland Islands and Ireland/Scotland in September/Oct that we almost never went on the balcony. Our ship was bypassing a storm and it was too cold to go outside anyway.

On Around the Horn, it did get chilly in the far south, but for much of the cruise, we were in warm weather and used our balcony.

I think if you can easily afford one go for it. If booking one would limit what you can do in port, spend on the ship or limit how often you can cruise I would say go for an inside cabin as the cruise service and amenities are the same whether you have an inside cabin or a balcony. You can always find areas on a ship that are semi private/quiet and comfortable where you can enjoy peace and solitude just by going up on deck. Is it as convenient as a balcony cabin? No, but much less expensive.