Spirit Class - Aft vs Extended Balconies

[dznymom]

Hello Experts

I am currently booked on the Miracle on Deck 5 forward in an extended balcony cabin. Our friends are booked in the same category about 3 or 4 cabins down from us. There are still several aft cabins available and I am considering switching. I guess my dilemma is, how much better are the afts than the extended balconies on the wide part of the ship? I am wondering if the trade off will be worth it when we are on opposite ends of the ship from our friends. Any comments?

Thanks

[serene56]

the aft balcony http://community.webshots.com/photo/...83578778xGRsek

decvk 5- http://community.webshots.com/photo/...25922080YHwMdm

i think if you "expect" to lay out in a lounge chair you will be very disappointed.

I personally would be on the aft-- the views are amazing. On the side you get breezes--on the aft you do not. Its a longer walk to the elevators but the halls are quiet on the aft.

Being far away from your neighbors-- how often do you think you will be in each other cabins?? Telephones in each cabin have vioce mail. Maybe your friends would want an aft balcony too/

[dznymom]

serena56,

Thanks for the great pictures! Now my head is really spinning. I almost wish I never saw those Cat 11 wrap around balconies The main reason we like to be near our friends when we cruise is that we both travel with teens, and I have always felt safer knowing that they are together right up until they enter their staterooms. But they are getting older now, so it may not be that big a factor. Also, they need a quad and we need a triple, so our choices are often limited.

I am more of a sitter and sipper when I am on my balcony, than an actual sunbather. But I spend quite a bit a time out there, and it is one of my favorite things about cruising. I got spoiled with a hump balcony on RCCL, and now I don't want to go back to your typical run of the mill balcony. Am I a brat or what?

I do have a couple more questions. It's hard to judge from the photos how much larger the aft balcony is than the extended. (It's funny - our friends have booked the exact stateroom you have in your extended balcony photo.) Also, are the aft balconies exposed to people standing at the rail on higher decks or are they partially covered? I remember on one ship (I think it was a Disney ship) that people could stand at the rail and look over at the aft balconies. I thought I would be uncomfortable worrying about people looking or dropping things onto our balcony. In this case, would a lower deck be a better choice?

Thanks so much for your help!

[serene56]

http://community.webshots.com/photo/...83579565CHCwCx

looking down--you will see people ONLY if they are hanging/leaning on the balcony rail. If someone threw something out-- the wind can bring it back to your balcony. We never had problems with trash or soot. But even so we wiped down everything before we used the chairs and never left anything out overnight to dry.

For a very LARGE balcony your friends should check into 6232.
that cabin holds 4 people. http://community.webshots.com/photo/...93682914RhfvOj
this pic is next door to that cabin but the balcony is just as nice.

Looking at aft cabins--do any of them sleep 3 people?

I personally like being close to the waters. But reading these baords deck 5 cabins are smaller. but they are located right by the lundry room

[dbauknight]

Aft Balcony was by far the best cruise cabin my wife and I have ever been on. (Carnival Legend)

We spent breakfast out on our balcony every morning with very little wind and great views. Evenings where also very pleasant out on the balcony with fantastic star gazing at night because you have no lights out in the middle of the Caribbean.

The wind on the side of a ship either going down, or coming back will be far too windy to enjoy your time out on deck.

It’s quite back there. You will also get some exercise walking “home” from the shows at night and from the spa and gym.

I notice you mentioned deck 5 which was the same deck we had. You are directly across from Laundry facilities on deck 5, making it easy to iron and clean.

We have family going with us in August on Freedom Of The Seas and do understand how you would like to be “close”, but whenever we had friends join us on past cruises, we would find a public place to hook up on board ship.

[dznymom]

Thanks for the added info debauknight! Sorry I didn't respond quicker, but I was away for son's Debate Tournament and then I killed my laptop I think I have been convinced to make the change, and I hope the ones on Deck 5 are still available. I love the idea of being near the laundry, and the extra walking sure won't hurt me!

Serene56, there are triples (but no quads) aft on the Spirit ships, and in fact, I think this is the first ship we have chosen with the option. I guess that's yet another reason to make the change! On Deck 5, 6 & 7 it's the middle 2 staterooms and on 8 it's the 2 on the right. They show up with a star on the deckplan. I suggested 6232 to my frineds, but so far they are content with what they booked. If my older son was joining us I would grab that in a heartbeat, but they don't give away those quads unless you have 4, which is understandable.

As far as things landing on the balcony, well, I have a couple of stories from my Hump cabin on the Radiance that made me wonder.

Thanks, and I will be calling today to see what's left.

[pazandak63]

I was lookikng at the Valor and they have a aft balcony...6454...if is only one floor off the eagles lounge...do you think this will be a noise problem?
Thanks, Karyn

[serene56]

Chris--if I had the choice between an aft or the 6232--i would be doing the 6232 with no questions.

[pazandak63]

Serene...what do you think of 6454 aft on the Valor? I am curious as to why if there is only one 3 person aft balcony on the ship...when I called today it was the only aft balcony left. Is this room haunted? LOL..
It is the first room off the corner but above the Eagles lounge. Hummm?
What do you think?
Thanks, Karyn

[shawilson]

Just had 6232 on Pride. Awesome, huge balcony, excellent location. We only had 3 in our cabin.

[Jdleong]

I had 6232 also on the Pride in October , and I have it again on the Legend in March...It is the BEST cabin, but if we keep telling everyone, we won't be able to get it again with out booking years in advance...hush...don't tell anyone else... When I had it l,another CC member had 6324 and we opened the balconies for two CC parties..lots of room... and lots of fun
Jan

[Laurab23]

8232 on the Legend is another cabin we don't want anyone to know about.Those huge balconies are great(uh,I mean terrible).LOL

Laura

[Laurab23]

8232 on the Legend is another cabin we don't want anyone to know about.Those huge balconies are great(uh,I mean terrible).LOL

Laura

[dznymom]

Sorry I haven't been back to post but I haven't had any luck getting my Carnival rep to call me back. So maybe that's a good thing, because now I may try to push for 6232 even though there are only 3 of us. I am definitely switching to either that or an AFT.

Thanks again for the good input, and wish me luck!

[serene56]

Originally Posted by pazandak63

Serene...what do you think of 6454 aft on the Valor? I am curious as to why if there is only one 3 person aft balcony on the ship...when I called today it was the only aft balcony left. Is this room haunted? LOL..

A lot of people think being on the aft is a bad place to be. See-it pays to read cruisecritic. this is where I learned about aft cabins and had one ever since.

[misstalkative77]

i keep hearing nothing but great things about aft balcony cabins... we have 7449 and 7451 on the Valor and at first we had all the same concerns i read on this thread.

now we know how lucky we are to have these....we plan on opening our adjoining balconies so its 1 huge one. i will take pics of our balcony to post after the cruise.

happy sailing---

[dznymom]

Well, my rep called back tonight and I was able to book 5299 AFT! I tried for 6232 but he insisted that he could not book it for three people. Begging and whining didn't help me, so I took 5299 and I am very happy with that! It will be my first AFT, and I do not expect it to be my last.

Thanks again for all the help & advice!

[shawilson]

Hmm, interesting that they wouldn't let you book 6232 for 3. Granted I did it for the Pride over a year ago. I also booked it directly from the Carnival website, no rep. I'm sure you will love your aft cabin. Enjoy!

[serene56]

Originally Posted by shawilson

Hmm, interesting that they wouldn't let you book 6232 for 3. Granted I did it for the Pride over a year ago. I also booked it directly from the Carnival website, no rep. I'm sure you will love your aft cabin. Enjoy!

depends on when you are cruising. High peak times will not get you a cabin that holds 4 people if there is only 3. Cruiselines will try to fill every bed on the ships. Sailing during non season high family time you will have a better chance.

Also-- when booking a cabin that holds 4 people and there is only 3-- you could be moved and to a comparative cabin that may be in a location thats not impressive.

[dznymom]

I'm actually not surprised that I couldn't get the quad for 3. Seems pretty reasonable to me. I plan to periodically check and see if it stays available, and maybe try again when we get closer to sailing. Although, I am pretty pleased with the AFT and may just leave things alone. I just wish I could get those visions of Wrap Around Balconies out of my head. A few of those are still available.........