Do You Remember Your First...Balcony?

[richstan]

First balcony and first suite was on a Fantasy class ship back in 2000---we were on the Verandah Deck and the balcony looked down onto a public deck---still thought we were HOT stuff!

[BenjiRodney]

Loved being out there as we left ports and in the mornings as we pulled into new ones. You don't have to fight for a spot on the open deck to view.

[mystone99]

Our first balcony was our first cruise on the Glory. We had booked an oceanview on the Riveria deck, and 4 days before the cruise we got a call from the upgrade fairy to move to what is now called an Ocean suite I think. It was the bigger balcony room on the aft end of the Glory on deck 8.

DW was so shocked by the call she almost turned it down. She called me at work and asked if we should take it. Luckily it was still available. We've been hooked ever since.

[GlendaleCruiser]

Well, after 6 cruises in interior and oceanview rooms, we finally bit the bullet and booked a balcony for our upcoming November cruise.

 

I'm getting super excited! Anyone remember their first balcony? Any tips or hints to help us make the best of our experience?

Thanks!

 

 

Make sure your cruise goes to a warm destination. I didn't really get much out of ours in the inside passage of Alaska. Too cold to be out there for long and I could see much more from the Lido deck.

[aml3679]

We renewed our vows last Sept. for our 25th anniversary on the Celebrity Mercury and had a balcony. Not only was it our 1st cruise ever but our first balcony. We loved our balcony. We also have one coming up in January on the Carnival Freedom 8 day West Caribbean.

 

We had breakfast twice on our balcony. We sailed under the Golden Gate Bridge twice while being on our balcony. We had a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge while parked in SF for 2 days.

 

I don't know what the weather will be like but I would bring a sweater or jacket. Our balcony was a place to sit and relax. We would leave the slider open when we were in our cabin and hear the ocean or watch other ships go by.

 

You will love it but you will be spoiled forever and no want to stay in any cabin that doesn't have one. IMHO

[sjn911]

Oh yeah....I remember our first balcony. It was great! (Well... I was happy with it the way it was) but.... the spouse felt it "needed something". And sure enough, at the very first port she bought a little area rug for our balcony. :confused:

(At the end of the cruise she gave it to our cabin steward, :rolleyes: )

My folks to a T if they ever add cruises to their repetoire....Laughing..:D:D.

[girlscruise2011]

I am on my first balcony in 23 more days and can't wait to have my early morning coffee and relax at night on it. The only down side is I am going for a girls weekend so my husband won't enjoy it with me because I know he would love it for the same reason. I guess I'll just have to book another cruise with a balcony so he can enjoy it. I know I'll be hooked :)

[nanuak]

October 2006, cabin 7444 on the Conquest :D

[Room Service!]

I do remember our first balcony (we've ONLY done balconies). Sunrises, sunsets, and just quiet relaxing times.

No balcony, no go.

Balcony Club members here.;)

[loveJake]

Yes I remember. Our first cruise on Carnival on a September sailing on the Glory. It was a free up-grade from an inside room to a balcony. Well Carnival and Princess made out on that up-grade. We have never sailed in any other cabin since. They knew what they were doing, creating a balcony snob!

[Rockportgirl]

Our first balcony was our fourth cruise, first on the Conquest. We had only sailed Elation and Ecstasy before that. I love putting on my robe and having breakfast and coffee and Bloody Marys in the morning, lounging and reading with a cocktail when I've had enough of the lido deck during the day, sitting after dinner with a drink just looking at the blackness and hearing the water... I'm with the legion that will not sail again without a balcony.

 

OP, be prepared- you may never go back. :)

[gelo7]

Well, after 6 cruises in interior and oceanview rooms, we finally bit the bullet and booked a balcony for our upcoming November cruise.

 

I'm getting super excited! Anyone remember their first balcony? Any tips or hints to help us make the best of our experience?

 

Thanks!

I use to always say that the cabin did not matter, I've never had an inside cabin, but the first time I got a balcony changed my mind forever. We paid for an ocean view and received an upgrade to a balcony. I spend most of my "in cabin" time out on the balcony. Reading my kindle, taking a nap or watching the world go by.

[B and C Blake]

Oh I forgot to add this helpful tip.

 

If you turn your chairs sideways you get more walking room, LOL

I turned our chairs sideways against the divider. Put table in front of them and this added more room by the door.:D

[azpilot]

Yep last year on the Splendor for our MR cruise. Now we don't cruise without getting a Balcony cabin! :)

[BIGA961]

The first cruise I booked with Carnival, I made the mistake of letting my wife look at the website before I booked it. Needless to say, the inside cabin that I was considering, quickly went by the boards, and we got the balcony. We've never done anything else, and I'm guessing that we never will. She dislikes the crowds, so she spends 80% of her ship time, on the balcony.

[atxlady]

2006 Holland America Noordam, it was the inaugural sailing out of New York. It was incredible, we were late leaving port due to inspections and such. We sailed by the Statue of Liberty at night. She was all lit up and it was an amazing, beautiful sight.

[Brewzz]

It was our very first cruise, just this past August 21-28, on Legend for our 24th anniversary.

 

An interior was (and still is) out of the question, as Wifey is very claustrophobic. We considered an OV, but then decided that the balcony wasn’t too much more, so we went for it, and were extremely happy that we did.

 

We're getting ready to book Glory out of Norfolk, for October 2012, and, you guessed it, another balcony! :D

 

We're still up in the air about whether to go for an aft this time or not, but as long as we can afford it, we’ll always take a balcony.

[Alwaysundecided]

Well, after 6 cruises in interior and oceanview rooms, we finally bit the bullet and booked a balcony for our upcoming November cruise.

 

I'm getting super excited! Anyone remember their first balcony? Any tips or hints to help us make the best of our experience?

 

Thanks!

 

We got our first balcony back in 2005, and it will be hard to ever go back to an ocean view. It was a great way to escape the crowds, but still have the wind and full ocean view of being on deck.

 

I would find my husband out there napping after a glass of wine. It was his favorite place on the ship...:D

[kew1031]

but ask me again on November 6th, after we get back from our FIRST balcony cruise.:D

I am looking forward to it immensely.

[PirateGal]

Some really great advice and tips...thanks everyone!

 

OP, be prepared- you may never go back. :)

 

Yeah, I don't think we'll ever be able to go back to an interior!

[crusinpsychRN]

On my first balcony I opened the champagne out there and started my cruise! Got an extended balcony once and it was really nice.

 

On the Mariner of the Seas we had an aft balcony and it was huge! You could fit 2 lounges end to end. But I didn't like seeing where I'd been.

 

The doors are very heavy, take care. Don't leave bathing suits or towels out there b/c it might not be there later.

[blakey]

We just came back from our Alaska cruise (Spirit) in our first balcony-an extended aft. Loved it!!!!!

We've tried inside rooms, port hole rooms and oceanviews...they're ok and will suffice. But that balcony made the trip soooo much better. Cold? put on more clothes. Raining? put on rain jacket and rain sleeve on the camera. Enjoy it.

We've booked another cruise to Alaska, this time a starboard balcony. And the cruise coming up in Jan to West Carribean was originally booked inside (4J). Upgraded to an oceanview before the Alaska cruise. Now, after the Alaska cruise, I'm thinking of upgrading that to a balcony.

Are we hooked? Yep!!! Very much so.

[MsTabbyKats]

First time we cruised we had a balcony....never used it.

Now it's inside.......

 

It's not that were "people persons"......but I work out of my home....so I spend enough time "alone".