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Ocean View VS Balcony


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This is my first cruise and I was wondering if money is a concern, but I do want to make the most of my cruise, should I spend the extra on the balcony or save it for an excursion? I read the reviews about seasickness and since I don't know if I will get it or not, I was concerned about staying on the 7th deck opposed to the 1st or 2nd. Any advice? I do plan on trying for a room in the middle of the ship vs one of the ends and I will try and avoid elevators and crew sections. I know the 7th deck has people above and below so no worries about pools or clubs correct? Thanks for responses in advance.

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Welcome to Cruise Critic!

Midship cabins have the least movement on deck locations compared to fwd (front) and aft (back). The lower the deck, the less motion you will experience. For motion sickness, there are over the counter meds (Meclizine) that even experienced cruisers bring when needed. Commercial brands include Bonine and Dramamine. Suggest you ask your physician if it is proper for you.

To avoid noise problems that may affect sleep or cabin rest, decks with cabins (deck) above and below the choice deck is suggested.

 

Having an OV or balcony is a matter of personal preference. We like to have a balcony to have an extra relaxation area.

Good luck with your choice!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

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Yes booking a room as mid ship as you can get and on a lower deck will help in terms of sea sickness. You will feel ship movement much more so at the bow (forward) area of the ship. Also at the aft (back) you will feel some movement. The higher you go the more movement you will feel as well. Also a good idea to come prepared with something that will help to prevent sea sickness.

 

An outdoor room has advantages with our without a balcony as you bring in natural light. Some want the balcony to go outside and to bring in some fresh air although you are not supposed to leave it open very long due to impact on the Air Conditioning.

 

On a few ships they have interior rooms that are like being at a hotel with an atrium but that is the exception.

 

My view is if it's in your budget it is nice to have a room facing out. However, if it means you will be forced to cut back on other things such as a shore excursion I would go with the lower priced room.

 

Keith

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You don't say which ship you're planning on...and that can have an impact, also. Deck 2 is the lowest passenger deck (there are several decks below that level!!!) and the smaller ships only go to deck 8 or so. Midship is best..think of a see-saw...the middle experiences less up and down than the ends.

Whether you will like an inside cabin remains to be seen. If money is an issue, then that's certainly the most cost-effective way to sail! You will have the rest of the ship for outdoor times!!

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Save the money, you'll be so busy above decks to do activities and such and you'll probably mostly just be in your cabin when sleeping or changing. I am a budget cruiser and splurged for a balcony room on a Transatlantic crossing and didn't really use the balcony that much at all except when my cabin mates were sleeping or we were all getting ready to dine.

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To some people the ship is all important, To others, ports.are all that matter. To me its a combination of the two. For your first cruise my suggestion would be to take the ocean view cabin with the location you prefer and splurge a bit more on your shore excursions. Hopefully you'll have such a great time that when its over you'll be thinking about your next cruise and then you might want to upgrade to a balcony. JMHO.

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To some people the ship is all important, To others, ports.are all that matter. To me its a combination of the two. For your first cruise my suggestion would be to take the ocean view cabin with the location you prefer and splurge a bit more on your shore excursions. Hopefully you'll have such a great time that when its over you'll be thinking about your next cruise and then you might want to upgrade to a balcony. JMHO.

Yes, I agree with that. A first cruise is so exciting anyway, and you'll likely be out exploring the deck, where there will be plenty of chances to get fresh air. Save a balcony for another time, although we don't bother with one these days- we prefer being out on deck. :)

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I like a balcony, but I do find that we do not use it to the full potential. I have had an inside cabin and with a little extra planning, you don't miss the balcony or ocean view. (the planning would be knowing the time when you pull into & out of port so you can be up on deck. Knowing the times for sunset/sunrise. Or not spending time in your cabin except for sleep.) I would say, if this may be the one cruise you ever take, get a balcony. Of course, then you'll be hooked.

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Sorry if this has been said before, I didn't read everyone's comments.. you didn't specify which cruise line you are looking at, but that is a factor when deciding OV and Balcony. On Carnival for example, their OV rooms are the same size as balcony rooms, without the balcony. On Norwegian OV are much smaller than balcony. I haven't investigated the differences b/t the two on other lines as I haven't sailed them yet.

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I read the reviews about seasickness and since I don't know if I will get it or not, I was concerned about staying on the 7th deck opposed to the 1st or 2nd.

 

Balconies are great but if you go for one your first time out you might get spoiled ;)

 

I'd say don't let fear of sickness dictate your decision though, the ships can be very stable...

 

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Unless you are a super light sleeper, I wouldn't even suggest worrying about the elevators or being below the pool/buffet. I have had rooms in both spectrum and in truth we never heard a sound. That being said.. the elevators on a floor that isn't just a cabin floor may be different! We did have rooms that were above the thrusters though that they used to get in and out of ports. That was more bothersome even on the 7th floor.

 

The sea conditions have more to do with getting seasick than where your room is IMO also. We had horrible weather on our Bermuda cruise (edge of a tropical storm that hit Bermuda our first day there) and it wasn't really affecting people. We had a sailing that was pretty rough in the Gulf of Mexico for 1 night... they closed down the kids club because kids were getting sick over it. The TS didn't affect my DH at all, the storm in the Gulf made him a little nauseous. Mind you.. this is the man who can't ride as a passenger in a car, even in the front seat without getting nauseous and he was okay.

 

I agree about splurging on a balcony may have you never looking back or even disappointed in another cruise if you take one and don't get one. But it also depends on the type of person you are! I couldn't live without one, but I also get really anxious around crowds and could not spend my whole day on the pool deck. Before deciding, think about what you want to do with your vacation and how you define "fun". If fun to you is going out and listening to music, talking to people, hanging out at the bar, go for an inside room! If you are like me and define "fun" on your vacation as finishing 2-3 books in peace? Then a balcony might be worth it.

 

If you post where you are going, then you could get better advice on if you should spend money on excursions vs room/ship. We have taken cruises where we spend less than $100 off the ship in ports, and 7 day cruises where excursions cost more than the cruise. Some ports you almost need to book things, while others you can just wing it and save $$.

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Our first cruise I booked an OV room on Grandeur of the Seas (RCCL). We enjoyed it, could still see the ocean, but because we were on deck 2, you aren't very far above the water line, so the view was somewhat limited. For our second cruise (Carnival Pride) I booked a balcony. I'll never go back. The posters who say you don't spend a lot of time in your room are 100% correct, but it's nice to have that little extra cabin space and privacy. We find it's a great place to just get away from everyone/everything, even if just for a few minutes, but still be "outside". Ultimately I'm happy with the way we did things though. I'm glad we had the OV first. It saved us some money on our first cruise, unsure if we would like it or not. Assuming you enjoy your first cruise, book a balcony for you second and go from there :) Often times, you can even find balconies for nearly the same price as an OV (I've even seen them CHEAPER a handful of times), especially on larger/newer ships (my guess is because there are a lot more balcony rooms than OV on those ships).

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This is my first cruise and I was wondering if money is a concern, but I do want to make the most of my cruise, should I spend the extra on the balcony or save it for an excursion? I read the reviews about seasickness and since I don't know if I will get it or not, I was concerned about staying on the 7th deck opposed to the 1st or 2nd. Any advice? I do plan on trying for a room in the middle of the ship vs one of the ends and I will try and avoid elevators and crew sections. I know the 7th deck has people above and below so no worries about pools or clubs correct? Thanks for responses in advance.

 

Just my opinion but I feel that balconies and in fact higher level cabins than ocean view are a waste of money unless they are free or almost free.

 

DON

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Whether you want an oceanview or another type depends on your needs. We found an OV to be exactly right. My mother didn't want to spend on more than an interior, but I persuaded her that at these prices we should get every minute of ocean possible. It turned out to be great -- we had her bed put right under the window and requested extra pillows. When she rested in the afternoon she could sit up and watch the ocean, and used the deep sill to hold her books or crochet bag.

 

We did our first cruise in January because it was cheapest and supposed to be still warm in the Caribbean. The ports were fine but out at sea it was windy and overcast. Mom couldn't have sat out on a balcony anyway, so the OV room was just perfect. (That's also why I prefer the older ships. Not only is there less walking, but they have those luxurious glassed-in promenades and libraries with big windows and comfy chairs, just right for elderly ladies to sit and watch the view.)

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This is my first cruise and I was wondering if money is a concern, but I do want to make the most of my cruise, should I spend the extra on the balcony or save it for an excursion? I read the reviews about seasickness and since I don't know if I will get it or not, I was concerned about staying on the 7th deck opposed to the 1st or 2nd. Any advice? I do plan on trying for a room in the middle of the ship vs one of the ends and I will try and avoid elevators and crew sections. I know the 7th deck has people above and below so no worries about pools or clubs correct? Thanks for responses in advance.

 

Welcome!

I struggle with motion sickness every where - not just on ships but anything that moves, so I always book an oceanview in the middle of the 2nd deck.

I had a balcony upgrade once and stayed sick the whole time.

To me if you're the kind of person who wants privacy then ok go for the balcony. Otherwise there are plenty of outdoor spaces on the ship for sitting, reading, drinking, napping, etc. And you can even find private places to do that.

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I think it depends on the pricing difference. I was going to change late to balcony on last cruise since they had dropped the balcony pricing to be within $50pp of what I had paid for interior. Was sold out by the time I had time to make the call. I have been happy with the interior rooms. Although small the room was mostly used for changing, bathing, and sleeping. Days were filled with shore excursions and evenings with shows and dining. Sea days it would have been nice though, but as has been stated on these boards before, generally once can take three inside cruises for the price on one balcony cruise.

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Three inside cruises for the price of one balcony is a stretch. Rarely is the cost as much as double; and when you take all costs into account: flights to/from port, hotel, etc. it is usually well less than double.

 

Still, cost always has to be a factor - except for the very wealthy; but I think I would prefer two cruises with a balcony to three in an inside --- which is about how it would work out with all costs considered.

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