Do you spend the extra money for a balcony cabin or do you get an inside cabin?

we got an inside cabin to our Mediterranean cruise because it is a very port intensive cruise, but now I wonder if I should have booked a balcony cabin in order to enjoy the view....

Roll Call on Brilliance of the Seas 06/17/05

Enchantment of the Seas, RCCL, 11/01 - Eastern Caribbean

Tropicale, Carnival 08/99 - Western Caribbean

personally; NEVER do an inside cabin. We had an inside cabin once and we did not enjoy the cruise as much as we normally do. The simple things such as weather, time of day, sunsets etc....are never seen from an inside cabin.

My view is why not enjoy your vacation to the fullest; for us its a room with a view

IMHO if you can afford a balcony, do it. The Med is beautiful and you will be happy you did.

I don't care about an inside cabin if I am on a 3-4 cruise to the Bahamas because I do not spend any time there. But for this trip, I would splurge.

RCI(37),NCL(12),Princess(1),HAL(2),Celebrity(3), Carnival(2), Eastern (13),Radisson(2), Star Clippers(1),Home Lines(2), Costa(5),Big Red Boat (6), Dolphin (1), Commodore (2), Others (11)

We had an inside on our Med cruise. While I like outside better, it really wasn't bad. There was a big difference in the prices, so it was worth the savings for our family of 4. The only time it bothered me was in the middle of the night- it's very dark! But we were on a cruise ship in the Greek islands, so how bad could that be????

For a port intesnsive cruise like the Med how often would I use the balcony? hardly at all. By the time I eat dinner, gamble few bucks, see a show then turn in so I can be fresh for the next day. The only way I would take a balcony for that cruise is if its 100 more but any more money I can use it for a shore excursion.

Going NOWHERE

Miracle, February 13, 2005

Legend, October 22,2004

Voyager August 31,2003

Victory September 22,2002

Regal Empress,June 2001

Sensation,August 2000

We've had balacony suites, outside and inside cabins and enjoy the cruise just as much with an inside cabin. We feel better trying to cruise twice a year because we do it on the cheap.

In fact, we've gotten to the point that we prefer the inside cabin. Quiet, dark and perfect for sleeping.

Happy Cruising!!

HAL Zaandam - June 2004

HAL Rotterdam - Jan 2004

RCI Enchantment - Mar 2003

Sun Princess - Sep 2002

Celebrity Millennium - Feb 2002

RCI Radiance - Apr 2001

Sea Princess - Jan 2001

HAL Veendam - Jun 2000

HAL Veendam - Feb 1999

Carnival Inspiration - Apr 1997

After 5 cruises, we tried a balcony cabin and it took only one time to spoil us forever.

Being cheap, we generally book an inside cabin (and got upgraded once to an oceanview). On our last cruise, we booked a balcony cabin because we were with a friend and we got a very good deal. It was lovely and if I had the resources I would always have one BUT if the truth be told for us it is an unnecessary luxury - since we do not spend a lot of time in the cabin.

 Until NCL SKY

After our first cruise in an inside cabin, we will never book an inside again. There were many mornings where we barely made it up in time for lunch. With the darkness of the cabin and the gentle rocking of the ship, each time the alarm would go off, we would just fall back asleep.

The only choices for us are oceanview or balcony. If our cruise is port intensive, then we will book an ocean view. If there are more sea days than port days, then we book a balcony.

Only you can decide if the price difference is worth it to you.

If we do Alaska again - even though it is port intensive, I would book a balcony due to the long days (20 hours of daylight, 2 hours of dusk, and 2 hours of dawn.) It would have been really nice to be able to sit out there before going to bed and after getting up in the morning.

Zenith-Western Caribbean-6/92

Zenith-Eastern Caribbean-6/93

Century-Maiden Voyage-12/95

Galaxy-Southern Caribbean-11/99

Mercury-Northbound Alaska-6/00

Millennium-Westbound Transatlantic-9/01

Horizon-Western Caribbean - Adults only cruise-11/02

Millennium-Westbound Transatlantic 10/26/03

Century - Western Caribbean 1/31/04

I only book a balcony room even on the Cruise to Nowhere. I've been in a window room and it's just not the same as a balcony. In Alaska it was great just to be able to go out on it and take pictures.

I like sleeping in the dark, and don't care about an oceanview cabin. But I loved having a balcony. It was so nice to have room service breakfast or a drink before dinner on our own balcony.

I would rather take three cruises inside than to take one cruise balcony.

I would not want a balcony simply because: I would not want to spend the cash; I would not want to be forced into dealing with a balcony next to me that contained a smoking individual; I wouldn't want to chance being so close to someone who is an abundant drinker or loud mouth; dealing with their hours instead of my own. Sound does carry from balconies and inside provide me the quiet , solitary darkness that I prefer.

I think it depends on you as an individual and how you want to spend your cash.

'Til my next cruise

After reading all of the posts, I think I am going to stick to my interior cabin and spend the extra money on excursions. To us, it is a better use of money

Roll Call on Brilliance of the Seas 06/17/05

Enchantment of the Seas, RCCL, 11/01 - Eastern Caribbean

Tropicale, Carnival 08/99 - Western Caribbean

I have never sailed on a ship with balcony cabins before. Back then, I didn't think that the extra money for a porthole cabin was worth it. I am booked on a cruise next month on the Norwegian Dawn. Since 4 of us are sailing, our TA got us a good deal on two inside guarantee cabins for significantly less than the 4 of us in a single cabin, even an inside.

Three months and many boards later, I am thinking that I booking an inside and a balcony may have been the better way to go. DW and I don't do much sun worshiping, and look for shady spots near the pool or on the beach to read and view the scenery. A balcony may have been the perfect thing for us. We can do what we want, and not have to worry about chair hogs.

No way ! Spend the extra money for the balcony !

I've had all 3 rooms - inside, ocean view and balcony and was spoiled by the balcony. We sat on the balcony every day. We would sit out there and watch the ship port or when at sea just relax and watch the waves. It was woooonderful. I highly recommend that type of room.

The inside was horrible. It was difficult to know what time of day it was. It was like being in a cave. The ocean view was OK but just not as good as the balcony cabin.

We recently had our first balcony on Miracle. On the previous ships we have been on balconies were only in suites and so much more expensive.

Now we loved our balcony but on Carnival even with an inside cabin you get a decent cabin-so especially on Miracle I loved the ship so much I would do an inside cabin too.

Now befoe this last cruise we would always like go up on the lido and sip coffee as we watched our ship go into port-alwyas loved that. this time we got coffee through room service and enjoyed our balcony. Now it did seem sounds carried worse there. We were on empress deck so right in the middle deck of the balconies. We heard a couple fighting like 2 a.m. one night-at first we thought it was next door but when we walked out on the balcony we realized they were 2 decks above and to the side of us. Anyway I posted about this after our cruise and had posts who answered who were on deck 4 and deck 8 that said they heard nothing-so I guess it was just a fluke where our cabin was.

Anyway I will definetly do a balcony again but I will also even do an inside cabin-if I do an inside I just spend more time on the lido.

Now when cruising RCCL I would rather at least have an outside cabin as their inside cabins are smaller.

Carnival Tropicale 10/15/98 Western Caribbean

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/22/99 Bahamas

Carnival Fascination 09/23/00 Southern caribbean

HAL Statendam 05/20/01 Alaska

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/08/01 Bahamas

Pacific Princess 09/29/02 Bermuda

Carnival Inspiration 12/14/03 Western caribbean

Carnival Miracle 04/09/04 Bahamas

We've had inside cabins, balconies, mini suites without balconies, obstructed views, port holes. They've all been great. Anything that gets us on a ship and away from here is great.

My rule of thumb is that if I can book a balcony cabin for around $100 per day per person, we'll take the balcony. On more expensive itineraries, we'll stick with outside cabins or even inside cabins.

where can you get a balcony for 100 per day?

Next time on the Sensation

For me, it is not just the balcony, but the extra space and larger bathroom with a tub. I am claustraphobic and felt that the extra room was worth the extra bucks.

Judy

Cruisin in July on the Golden Princess

Balcony for $100 a day? Princess Affiliates program.

So you are saying Princess balconies have bath tubs? We only had a bathtub once on HAL but the thing was so dinky I was wedged into it, not very comfortable and I am not huge I'm a size 12.

We had a chance to book Princess on the Grand last Dec. for $700 a person for a balcony but because hubby and friends wanted to scuba dive at Grand Cayman and Cozumel we took Carnival Inspiration and then because of bad weather the dives were cancelled. I am still a little mad about that with hubby and now you tell me we could have had a bathtub also.

Carnival Tropicale 10/15/98 Western Caribbean

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/22/99 Bahamas

Carnival Fascination 09/23/00 Southern caribbean

HAL Statendam 05/20/01 Alaska

RCCL Sovereign of the Seas 11/08/01 Bahamas

Pacific Princess 09/29/02 Bermuda

Carnival Inspiration 12/14/03 Western caribbean

Carnival Miracle 04/09/04 Bahamas

Because I usually cruise solo and have to deal with the single supplement, I'm stuck with booking an inside guarantee. I could pay extra and get an outside or balcony, but then I would only get to cruise every 2-3 yrs.

Anybody know a Sugar Daddy?

Roz

For us, we enjoy our aft balcony and never book anything but. We like to sit there during the day when the pool is jammed. It's your own private suite balcony for the week. Simply the best!

OUR NEXT ONWARD JOURNEY!

We started with an inside cabin but switched a balcony by advice from our TA. Too much scenery to miss. We are going to Alaska May 21 on the Summit. This will be our first cruise, don't want to miss anything!

Mike & Angie

We've always had a balcony cabin before (except on the Sovereign that doesn't have them). We're cruising with two other families that have never cruised before that want to keep it as cheap as possible. They want our cabin close to them because they're "nervous" because they don't know the "ropes". So...we're all doing the inside cabins! I'm probably going to have claustrophobia!! It is pretty cheap though so I shouldn't complain! We usually do spend some time in our cabin and on the balcony. But...maybe we won't if it's an inside!! It would be another $500 for a balcony.....and they would be all alone!! Plus....we're going to let their kids "bunk" in our room until they get "in" for the night! I'm sure we'll get used to it!!

Car Destiny-W Caribbean-6/1/00

Sovereign - Bahamas - 6/15/01

Star Princess-Alaska-7/16/02

Navigator-E Caribbean-8/02/03

Mariner-W Caribbean-01/25/04

Caribbean Princess - 9/25/04

UNTIL THE CARIBBEAN PRINCESS !!!!!!

Kathi

LOVE THE VOYAGER AND GRAND CLASS!!! BUT ANY SHIP WILL DO!!!