At first I was hesitant to spring for a Balcony, because I'm one of those that's only in the cabin to change & sleep. However that all changed last year ... we had booked a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas. When booking, I looked at Balcony prices, and surprisingly they were not a lot more than an OV with large window, so we splurged and took the balcony ... as the cruise had one full day underway, we figured it would be a place to sit & relax.
The cruise was out of Tampa, in March. Florida. March. Can anyone say, 'Spring Break'?
Now, while the eye-candy for both the wife and I was ... AWESOME ... let's just say that a bunch of drunk 19- & 20-somethings is not the demographic with which we usually hang. To give you an idea of our ages, our *youngest* daughter will be 25 this year.
Mornings on the cruise weren't bad - because all the kids were still passed out from the drinking & partying they had done the night before. (We're early risers - usually up by 6:30'ish even without an alarm.) But by noon the first of the zombies would start stirring, by 1:00 in the afternoon the bars were starting to fill and by 3:00-3:30 every open bar was three & four deep and filled with he cacophony that only a horde of drunk college students can create. (Which really sucked for me, as I don't drink alcohol & always purchase the soda package - and can only get my official cruise soda cup filled at a bar.)
If it wasn't for the Balcony, I would have been tremendously disappointed in the cruise. However, having that little piece of 'my own space' on the ship was a Godsend. I don't mind sitting & 'people watching' in crowds (note my comment about the young, hard-bodied 'eye-candy' above!) but when on vacation, I like to occasionally 'get away from it all' and just sit & read in peace & quiet. The balcony provided that option. I was able to see some of the marine life - dolphins dancing in the bow waves - and was also on the correct side when we came across and picked up some Cuban refugees afloat south of Cuba.
In short, I'll never cruise again without a balcony again ... for all the reasons you mentioned, and so many more.
5 Reasons to book a balcony...
in Cabin Selection Tips
Posted
Big Al,
At first I was hesitant to spring for a Balcony, because I'm one of those that's only in the cabin to change & sleep. However that all changed last year ... we had booked a 5-night Western Caribbean cruise on RCCL's Brilliance of the Seas. When booking, I looked at Balcony prices, and surprisingly they were not a lot more than an OV with large window, so we splurged and took the balcony ... as the cruise had one full day underway, we figured it would be a place to sit & relax.
The cruise was out of Tampa, in March. Florida. March. Can anyone say, 'Spring Break'?
Now, while the eye-candy for both the wife and I was ... AWESOME ... let's just say that a bunch of drunk 19- & 20-somethings is not the demographic with which we usually hang. To give you an idea of our ages, our *youngest* daughter will be 25 this year.
Mornings on the cruise weren't bad - because all the kids were still passed out from the drinking & partying they had done the night before. (We're early risers - usually up by 6:30'ish even without an alarm.) But by noon the first of the zombies would start stirring, by 1:00 in the afternoon the bars were starting to fill and by 3:00-3:30 every open bar was three & four deep and filled with he cacophony that only a horde of drunk college students can create. (Which really sucked for me, as I don't drink alcohol & always purchase the soda package - and can only get my official cruise soda cup filled at a bar.)
If it wasn't for the Balcony, I would have been tremendously disappointed in the cruise. However, having that little piece of 'my own space' on the ship was a Godsend. I don't mind sitting & 'people watching' in crowds (note my comment about the young, hard-bodied 'eye-candy' above!) but when on vacation, I like to occasionally 'get away from it all' and just sit & read in peace & quiet. The balcony provided that option. I was able to see some of the marine life - dolphins dancing in the bow waves - and was also on the correct side when we came across and picked up some Cuban refugees afloat south of Cuba.
In short, I'll never cruise again without a balcony again ... for all the reasons you mentioned, and so many more.
Cheers!