5 Reasons to book a balcony...

Your opinion and suggestions are welcome. i have cut corners and taken vacations on the cheap through the years with my family of 5 now retired and kids all grown and on their own DW and I do not try to cut corners just to say we are on a cruise, with my meager retirement i can do at least 2 cruises a year ( with a Balcony Cabin ) thanks BIG AL for your post

My Dad told me to be cheap all year EXCEPT when I take a vacation..he said save & do it right..so my wife & I don't eat out that much anymore, we save for our balcony cruises and try & go 2x a year..I am retired mostly now & she still works...you are welcome for the post telebax51!

Big Al

This thread reminds me of our (my wife and I) cruise history :). She had fought me tooth and nail for over ten years about NOT even going on a cruise. Cruises, she informed me, were for 'snobs' (she had seen too many episodes of the T.V. show 'Love Boat', that moronic Hollywood waste of tape). And no way was I ever going to change her mind, except... :) to go behind her back and reserve us a (inside cabin) five day cruise to Nassau/Freeport in 2006, on the CCL Holiday. I booked an inside because, well, she might NOT like a cruise and I couldn't see the sense of getting a balcony and she's miserable. But, my prayers were answered ! After seeing the ship (the Holiday's a rowboat compared to the Mega cruise ships of today) and walking aft for the sailaway party and after only ten minutes :) :) She was HOOKED !! She gushed, 'WHEN can we do this, AGAIN!!'. I just laughed and said,' Well honey, we haven't even left the dock yet. Let's give it a few days and then we'll see'. But I was suitably excited that, at the end of the cruise, she loved everything about the cruise and for our second one I surprised her with a balcony and she's been a confirmed 'cruise addict' ever since. And after the second cruise she LOVES the balcony too her that IS a cruise. She loves the underway horn, the bright blue cobalt ocean rushing by as she watches out on the balcony at both day and night We did, once and only once, do a last minute cruise with an inside cabin, but when she saw we actually didn't have a balcony, I could see how much she missed it. We've never made that mistake again.

 

Mac

Great story!! Mine ( as you probably read) is similar..we had 3 window cabins & one inside cabin before we splurged on a balcony on the Grand Princess in 2000- nothing has ever been the same for us since...when I wake up in the morning, I love to open those curtains and see what's out there, but even more AMAZING, is stepping out on the balcony and feeling the sea, the sun, smelling the salt air, the waves- WOW, what a rush!!! ...there are 2x that I know I'm on a cruise vacation: first, during the sailaway when we leave port and you see & feel the ship leaving and people are waiving & cheering..second, the NEXT morning when you get up & open the curtains and you are usually at sea OR at close port, like Nassau, or approaching a port..I know now, I'm on vacation!!!:D Thanks for your input!!!

Big Al

Al Thank you for some great information. This is my first cruise and the thought of NOT having a balcony never entered my mind. The view and the ocean air are all part of the experience. Your points reinforce my thinking that I was right to spend the extra money. I'm on the Norwegian Gem Dec 2nd and I'm counting the days. I am a little concerned to read that there is no lounge chair on the balcony. I was hoping for some sort of seating. Also how private are the balconies on the Gem? I like to have my morning coffee in my briefs. I don't need to scare anyone or anything but the Gulls.

Balconies on the Gem are pretty small..no way to get a lounger in there..BTW, usually only suites are big enough to have lounge chairs..I would be careful how you go out on the balconies- each ship is different as far as privacy goes..you will know as soon as you go out there when you enter your cabin the first time..great website for how big balconies are is cruisedeckplans.com..just click on "Norwegian", the the Ship, "Gem", and then on the left & scroll down till you find your cabin class..most ships like the Gem are 36-42 SQF..largest balconies are on RCI, Disney, Celebrity, and HAL..smaller ones are on NCL, Princess ( new ships, older ones OK..) & Carnival..

Big Al

Remember you don't experience the sea in an inside cabin- you experience & feel NOTHING- no salt air, no waves, no sounds, no sunshine, no rainbows, no islands, no ports, no cruise ships passing , no nothing..again, would you book a hotel room on the beach with NO windows?? The difference IMO is that on a balcony, you are part of the sea cruise experience, and in an inside, you are NOT ( for sure)..did you ever hear anybody say as they walk down the hall towards their inside cabin, "can't wait to get into my inside cabin!" :o..nobody is dying to get to their inside cabin..BUT I know everytime I walk into my balcony cabin, a NEW ADVENTURE outside awaits!! :D..that's the way I feel about this...

 

Big Al

Right on Big Al...We ALWAYS book a balcony; some times an oversized balcony cabin. We leave the door open at night to hear the ocean. Like having our morning coffee on the balcony just as we do at home. We can also work on our all-over tans (we're nudists and don't want tan lines).

Right on Big Al...We ALWAYS book a balcony; some times an oversized balcony cabin. We leave the door open at night to hear the ocean. Like having our morning coffee on the balcony just as we do at home. We can also work on our all-over tans (we're nudists and don't want tan lines).

We also try & get extra large balcony cabins.."hump " cabins are sometimes bigger, especially on the Oasis/ Freedom class ships on RCI..Junior or Mini suites are also great if the price is not too $$...we also have breakfast on the balcony at least one SEA day ( never on a port day)..:):cool:

Big Al

Big Al,

I read somewhere that leaving the balcony door open affects the temperatures of the adjoining cabins. Is there any truth to this?

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Big Al,

 

I read somewhere that leaving the balcony door open affects the temperatures of the adjoining cabins. Is there any truth to this?

 

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Never heard that..only that on some ships, A/C goes off if you leave the door open if you don't have a key card in A/C slot on the wall..

I've been enjoying reading everything I booked a mini suite for may for me and my 3 young men I choice a balcony and mini suite for the extra space they are all over 6 ft and 2 have anxiety issues at times so thought having the balcony was a nice get away clear head place a few friends said don't waste the extra money get a inside your only in to sleep and shower but reading everyone's post I'm glad I made the choice

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I've been enjoying reading everything I booked a mini suite for may for me and my 3 young men I choice a balcony and mini suite for the extra space they are all over 6 ft and 2 have anxiety issues at times so thought having the balcony was a nice get away clear head place a few friends said don't waste the extra money get a inside your only in to sleep and shower but reading everyone's post I'm glad I made the choice

 

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You did make the right choice..guess why people who say "you're only in your cabin to sleep & shower" is because, yes, when you have an inside cabin, why would you WANT to back to a small dark, closet-like place with no visual stimulation other than to sleep & shower? WE love going back & hangin' out on our balcony in our cabin..it's kinda like you're own private little world out there..trust me, no one goes back to hang out in their broom-like closet :D...like I said in my original post, I have cruised in all 4 types of cabins, and balconies are soooo worth it IMO!!..BTW, what ship are you going on?

Big Al

Norwegian Gem may 12th is what we have booked right now

Remember you don't experience the sea in an inside cabin- you experience & feel NOTHING- no salt air, no waves, no sounds, no sunshine, no rainbows, no islands, no ports, no cruise ships passing , no nothing..again, would you book a hotel room on the beach with NO windows?? The difference IMO is that on a balcony, you are part of the sea cruise experience, and in an inside, you are NOT ( for sure)..did you ever hear anybody say as they walk down the hall towards their inside cabin, "can't wait to get into my inside cabin!" :o..nobody is dying to get to their inside cabin..BUT I know everytime I walk into my balcony cabin, a NEW ADVENTURE outside awaits!! :D..that's the way I feel about this...

 

 

 

Big Al

You are right Big Al. Another good reason is if you’re claustrophobic like I am there is no way in hell I could stay in a inside cabin.

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You are right Big Al. Another good reason is if you’re claustrophobic like I am there is no way in hell I could stay in a inside cabin.

 

 

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Great point- I, too, have a touch of claustrophobia...that one week in a 118 SF cabin on RCI's Majesty Of The Seas was brutal..I knocked down my 104 lb. wife 6 or 7 times only because the cabin was so small & tight..horrible & boring..never again..no balcony, no cruise ! :(

Norwegian Gem may 12th is what we have booked right now

The Gem has pretty small balconies, BUT their inside cabins would've been brutally small..try & go to Cagney's Steakhouse, Teppanyaki's ( Japanese hibachi steakhouse), Moderno's for Brazilian steakhouse and Le Bistro for French cuisine- all terrific...all cost $20-30 pp, but well worth it IMO...hope you got the free specialty dining perk that gives you 3 dining restaurants :cool:...

Yes we got the free drinks for 1st and 2nd and the 3 specialty is it worth purchasing it for the other 2 we were looking at the first 3 we went to a Brazilian steak house in Plymouth last spring boys loved it even my picky one. Figured one for mother's day

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The Gem has pretty small balconies, BUT their inside cabins would've been brutally small..try & go to Cagney's Steakhouse, Teppanyaki's ( Japanese hibachi steakhouse), Moderno's for Brazilian steakhouse and Le Bistro for French cuisine- all terrific...all cost $20-30 pp, but well worth it IMO...hope you got the free specialty dining perk that gives you 3 dining restaurants :cool:...

I haven't cruised on NCL yet but April i will be on the Carnival Horizon Med. and TA cruise 24 days and will be in the new Havana Cabana Cabin they have a Lanai instead of balcony, i don't know how a balcony will compare to this new type of cabin but i'm up for a new experience.

Yes we got the free drinks for 1st and 2nd and the 3 specialty is it worth purchasing it for the other 2 we were looking at the first 3 we went to a Brazilian steak house in Plymouth last spring boys loved it even my picky one. Figured one for mother's day

 

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IMO, yes very worthwhile..Moderno's is WONDERFUL for Brazilian steak..drink package so worth it IMO...:D

I haven't cruised on NCL yet but April i will be on the Carnival Horizon Med. and TA cruise 24 days and will be in the new Havana Cabana Cabin they have a Lanai instead of balcony, i don't know how a balcony will compare to this new type of cabin but i'm up for a new experience.

They are nice, but a little close to the water, not very high up..nice layout, though..:cool:

We just booked our next cruise on Princess Ruby, we decided to upgrade to a mini-suite balcony since we are taking our 24 yr old son as a graduation present. Our cabin is a category MD - D625

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We just booked our next cruise on Princess Ruby, we decided to upgrade to a mini-suite balcony since we are taking our 24 yr old son as a graduation present. Our cabin is a category MD - D625

 

 

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Mini suites on the Ruby Princess are approx. 323 SF, almost double a regular cabin..there also 2 TV's in there..also you are pretty close to the elevators..good choice..keep in mind there are not many 20 something people on Princess...your son may be bored with the older passengers, but if he is just looking to relax & have a good time, he should like it..have a great cruise! :cool:

Mini suites on the Ruby Princess are approx. 323 SF, almost double a regular cabin..there also 2 TV's in there..also you are pretty close to the elevators..good choice..keep in mind there are not many 20 something people on Princess...your son may be bored with the older passengers, but if he is just looking to relax & have a good time, he should like it..have a great cruise! :cool:

My son is an old soul [emoji4] This will be our second cruise on Princess (we just did a 10 day Alaskan cruise back in August) and we told him how the atmosphere is. I think he’ll enjoy the lounge shows and the relaxing!! Plus he’s a big ‘foodie’ and really wants to do the Chefs Table. Can’t wait!!

Jenn

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My son is an old soul [emoji4] This will be our second cruise on Princess (we just did a 10 day Alaskan cruise back in August) and we told him how the atmosphere is. I think he’ll enjoy the lounge shows and the relaxing!! Plus he’s a big ‘foodie’ and really wants to do the Chefs Table. Can’t wait!!

 

 

Jenn

 

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Sounds like you guys will have a great time..if he likes steak, don't miss either the Crown Grille or Sabatini's ( lobster, too!) for a nominal fee, both great dinner options...;)

I agree with everything big al said about why he loves balcony cabins. I've had one junior suite on RCI -- on a Mediterranean cruise -- and loved it. But, my favorite has to be the "aft wrap" that I experienced on the Carnival Glory. Wow! It was HUGE.

If you want details (including photos) just click on this link to my review of that trip:

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2233023

I agree with everything big al said about why he loves balcony cabins. I've had one junior suite on RCI -- on a Mediterranean cruise -- and loved it. But, my favorite has to be the "aft wrap" that I experienced on the Carnival Glory. Wow! It was HUGE.

 

If you want details (including photos) just click on this link to my review of that trip:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2233023

2nd try for link: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2233023

2nd try for link: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2233023

Sounds like a great cruise & cabin!!!:cool:

Although this is an older thread, and I haven’t read the whole thing, one reason I prefer a balcony is to see how I should dress. Is it cool? Will I need a sweatshirt? In a cabin I wouldn’t know till I went out on the deck, and I get cold far more then my husband does.

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