Is a Balcony a must for Alaska ?

[freewilly]

We want to take our family of 5 on an Alaskan cruise, normally we book an inside cabin and spend $$ on "making memories" i.e. excursions. Should we alter this for Alaska because of the scenery?

[tiyana4]

Alaska is all about the scenery and you miss so much of that if you are not booked in a balcony.

 

However, the shore excursions are very, very pricey for Alaska. With a family of 5, the excursion costs are going to add up quickly. It will be up to you to decide whether you want the view. While you always have the option of going up on deck or viewing the scenery while sitting in one of the lounges, IMO it's just not the same as having your own private escape to the outdoors.

[Essiesmom]

I saw plenty of Alaska without a balcony. I spent a lot of time on deck. when the naturalist or captain says there is a whale out there, it might not be on your side of the ship. Or the eagle, or the bear...

Depending on the time of year, it may be a bit chilly to spend much time on your balcony. Alaska is not the Caribbean. Morning coffee on the balcony might be necessary to keep your hands warm...EM

[Mary Ellen]

Alaska is all about the scenery and you miss so much of that if you are sitting on your balcony. You'll only see half of what is out there. We've done six Alaskan cruises. Two of those were in balcony cabins due to family 'issues'. We really did NOT use our balconies. Probably no more than 15-minutes on one and even less the other time. The scenery is all around the ship and we like to move around freely, not stuck on one side or the other. We look for ships that have plenty of open deck space and have found that HAL's R & S class ships fit our needs the best.

 

I'd suggest a compromise and go with an outside cabin.

[BIG_Steve]

Balconies in Alaska are marvelous. But if your budget doesn't allow for a balcony AND good excur$ion$, then forget the balcony. You can view from deck, but you can't see Misty Fjords from the pier in Ketchikan.....

[chipmaster]

My 2cents is that open deck and the covered lower decks are free, takes but a minute to get there. You got the all the beauty, same food, same service and its free. The money one saves can be a lot! With a family of 5 you are talking two if not three cabins. If money is tight go inside and spend the money saved on excursions. As another poster noted good excursions are pricey, even more reason to save money where it adds little real value! I think its crazy to think that without a balcony you miss scenery that is simply a disingenuous statement!

 

There are some free things; open deck in Glacier Bay, hours watching the inside passage go buy. Some cheap excursion; bus to Mendenhall Glacer, Whale watching runs ~ 100/person. THan there are the expensive ones too.

 

I did do an Alaskan and had a balcony. I did spend time on it, it was funny as I had an upper level and could look down at a lot of balconies. We were fortunate to have good weather most of the trip. Was funny also that I saw so few people out enjoying it, YMMV.

 

We want to take our family of 5 on an Alaskan cruise, normally we book an inside cabin and spend $$ on "making memories" i.e. excursions. Should we alter this for Alaska because of the scenery?

 

Alaska is all about the scenery and you miss so much of that if you are not booked in a balcony.

 

However, the shore excursions are very, very pricey for Alaska. With a family of 5, the excursion costs are going to add up quickly. It will be up to you to decide whether you want the view. While you always have the option of going up on deck or viewing the scenery while sitting in one of the lounges, IMO it's just not the same as having your own private escape to the outdoors.

[gerryl12]

The only reason you need a balcony is if you are not planning on leaving your room. The top deck is greatest, then you can go from side to side and see it all.

 

If you get up in the morning, breakfast in the lido by a window,and get out and about you will see all and there is a lot to see.

[donaldsc]

We want to take our family of 5 on an Alaskan cruise, normally we book an inside cabin and spend $$ on "making memories" i.e. excursions. Should we alter this for Alaska because of the scenery?

 

Certainly not a "must" but Alaska is probably the only place where I would pay extra for a balcony.

 

DON

[Keith1010]

We want to take our family of 5 on an Alaskan cruise, normally we book an inside cabin and spend $$ on "making memories" i.e. excursions. Should we alter this for Alaska because of the scenery?

 

It is not a must so if your budge will mainly accommodate a balcony or tours if this was me I would use it for the excursions.

 

The reality is that when you are in port you can just go off the ship on tours and to walk around so a balcony is not key. And on days that you are at sea you can see so much from public rooms and the open deck. When we have sailed Glacier Bay and that includes just this past August, I spent most of the time that I was outside on the open deck and not on our balcony. I find the views to be much better from the open deck because I am able to easily go from side to side in an instant to view sea life and all that is around us versus being much more limited on a balcony.

 

In the end, do what works best for your budget.

 

Keith

[Krazy Kruizers]

We love our verandahs -- love being out there whenever we arrive or leave from a port.

 

Many times we have been able to sit out there in Alaska and watch the scenery.

[rimau]

We preferred to be out on the promenade deck, or what ever it may be called on your ship. More people looking means more whales spotted. You can run through the lobby to the other side if an announcement is made.

[mr green]

No, you do not have to have a balcony for Alaska. That being said, this is the only cruise where we ALWAYS have one.

 

john

[phish tales]

We want to take our family of 5 on an Alaskan cruise, normally we book an inside cabin and spend $$ on "making memories" i.e. excursions. Should we alter this for Alaska because of the scenery?

 

 

cruising is all about new sites, and wonderful things to see. a balcony was a must for us on each and every cruise we have done and will be for everyone we will ever do............................:)

[chipmaster]

Lots of open balcony, where were the people, it was spectacular and nowbody out there go figure.

:D

 

My 2cents is that open deck and the covered lower decks are free, takes but a minute to get there. You got the all the beauty, same food, same service and its free. The money one saves can be a lot! With a family of 5 you are talking two if not three cabins. If money is tight go inside and spend the money saved on excursions. As another poster noted good excursions are pricey, even more reason to save money where it adds little real value! I think its crazy to think that without a balcony you miss scenery that is simply a disingenuous statement!

 

There are some free things; open deck in Glacier Bay, hours watching the inside passage go buy. Some cheap excursion; bus to Mendenhall Glacer, Whale watching runs ~ 100/person. THan there are the expensive ones too.

 

I did do an Alaskan and had a balcony. I did spend time on it, it was funny as I had an upper level and could look down at a lot of balconies. We were fortunate to have good weather most of the trip. Was funny also that I saw so few people out enjoying it, YMMV.

[GoingWithTheFlow]

We've always had balconies, EXCEPT for Alaska.

 

Several years ago, we joined my parents on their Island Princess Alaska cruise at the last minute. All we could get was an obstructed oceanview. To our surprise, it turned out to be perfect! Enough light so I wasn't claustrophobic and the room, though small was fine.

 

As it turned out, we hardly spent any time in our cabin. Yes, we could have hung out on my parents large balcony (they were in a handicap cabin) but we didn't want to miss the 360 degree Alaska views. There's always the chance it will be wet and freezing cold on the balconies anyway--as it was on our cruise. This is not the kind of cruise where you sit for hours gazing at the turquoise waves rippling below you.

 

Unless prices is not an object, I'd book an inside or OV and spend the money I saved on excursions. :)

[tiyana4]

My 2cents is that open deck and the covered lower decks are free, takes but a minute to get there. You got the all the beauty, same food, same service and its free. The money one saves can be a lot! With a family of 5 you are talking two if not three cabins. If money is tight go inside and spend the money saved on excursions. As another poster noted good excursions are pricey, even more reason to save money where it adds little real value! I think its crazy to think that without a balcony you miss scenery that is simply a disingenuous statement!

 

There are some free things; open deck in Glacier Bay, hours watching the inside passage go buy. Some cheap excursion; bus to Mendenhall Glacer, Whale watching runs ~ 100/person. THan there are the expensive ones too.

 

I did do an Alaskan and had a balcony. I did spend time on it, it was funny as I had an upper level and could look down at a lot of balconies. We were fortunate to have good weather most of the trip. Was funny also that I saw so few people out enjoying it, YMMV.

 

I don't dispute the fact that scenery can be seen from other parts of the ship. However, unless one wants to spend all their time up on deck or in a lounge they will miss out on scenery. With a balcony, one doesn't have to get dressed at 5 AM in order to be presentable up on deck. The views aren't only during the day, but at night as well. If I wanted fresh air at midnight I didn't have to make the treck up to an open deck. We also had wonderfully warm weather 6 of 7 days on our cruise, so it was well worth the extra money. Personally, I would want to have a balcony in Alaska.

[FTLcruisers]

We did not have a balcony the first time we went to Alaska and thought we missed out so when we went to Alaska for the 2nd time a few months ago, we booked a balcony. Well, we found out that we actually missed more WITH the balcony. We only saw what was straight in front of us - when on deck, you get the whole 360 degree view. We could not see the eagles soaring over the ship from our balcony. We were not able to see the whale on the OTHER side of the ship from our balcony. Yes, it was nice to open the drapes in the morning and appreciate the glorious views - and run out to take a quick photo - but it was much too chilly to sit out there for any length of time. If we go again, we would definetely would not spend the extra $$ on a balcony.

 

Marianne

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We did it twice with a inside room.

[EGG]

It partially depends on your sleeping/eating habits and your preferences. We have never missed a sail in because we are early birds. We are usually heading to breakfast as the ship approaches port. We have our choice to stay outside and enjoy the view on the side of the ship with the best view, or grab a table and have breakfast while we watch the ship dock. It is always fun to share this with others.

 

I remember when we visited glacier bay and we went from one side of the ship to the other to enjoy the best views and picture opportunities.

 

We also prefer to read out on deck on the comfortable lounge chairs, as opposed to the

balcony which usually has uncomfortable straight back chairs and limited direction views. On deck we can enjoy the view and there are multiple people who will point out any whales or wildlife.

 

This is not to say the views from the balcony are not great. But is it worth it when you can get the same views by going out on deck? If the difference in price is only a few hundred dollars then go for it. But if there is a significant difference and you have to ask "is it worth it", it probably isn't.

 

And looking at the last post I would like to add that I would much rather do 2 Alaska cruises in an inside cabin then one in a balcony.

[cheggy]

I saw plenty of Alaska without a balcony. I spent a lot of time on deck. when the naturalist or captain says there is a whale out there, it might not be on your side of the ship. Or the eagle, or the bear...

Depending on the time of year, it may be a bit chilly to spend much time on your balcony. Alaska is not the Caribbean. Morning coffee on the balcony might be necessary to keep your hands warm...EM

 

Agree . We had the balcony and ended up topside to get the whole view instead of partial as it floated by. Would not spend the money out for it again .