Allure/Oasis Central Park & Boardwalk balconies?? Opinions please!!

[Domb23]

I plan on booking a 7 night western caribbean cruise on Allure and was pricing out different balcony staterooms. The cheapest are the central park and boardwalk balconies. I was wondering if the noise from cental park and the boardwalk areas make it a distraction, and if so is it worth getting them or just getting an oceanview cabin or a central park window room? I think my wife would like the balcony, but I don't want her to not be able to sleep during the cruise.

 

Thank you in advance for your opinions!!!

 

CAS

[Trekker954]

When you close the handle on the door, the room is just about soundproof. We love the boardwalk balcony towards the aqua theater as you get to see the wake as well. So if you choice is CP or BW balcony over an oceanview window or CP window, I'd go with the CP or BW balcony. I'm waiting on my Allure Neighborhood Balcony GTY assignement. keeping my fingers crossed for Boardwalk

[Starry Eyes]

The door on my BW cabin (way aft) dampened the noise very well, but we did hear the aqua shows (muffled) in the evening on Oasis. I am told Allure's boardwalk is sometimes loader than Oasis if people are partying loudly at Rita's. Do you stay up late anyway? Then no problem because you'll be up at the noisier times. OTOH, if you turn in early AND if one of you is sound sensitive, BW might be too noisy for you, so you might consider a central park balcony or an oceanview or maybe just ear plugs.

[akcruz]

My kids had a Central Park Balcony on Allure. For the most part it was very quiet, the only time you would hear anything was during one of the pool parties and that's only with the door open.

 

If you are looking for quiet go for the Central Park Balcony, but if you don't mind a little noise (mostly daytime) go for the Boardwalk to be able to see the ocean.

 

Watch the prices, we are looking at doing Oasis/Allure again this summer for the kids and a lot of the Boardwalk balconies I have been looking at are actually more than the Ocean views!

[Domb23]

my other concern is the idea that having a central park balcony you lose the idea that you are actually on a cruise and it looks more like a hotel.....do the boardwalk balcony staterooms really give you the feeling of being on the water, or is having an outside balcony facing the water the only way to do that??

[nyyhoneybee]

We have CP Balconies booked for next year thanks to great rates on them. I am worried about "forgetting" your on a ship but I usually cruise inside cabins (this will be #3 not on an inside and LOS was supposed to be but there was an issue with our cabin and other one one was our honeymoon) so either way not seeing the water doesn't bother me.

[Starry Eyes]

my other concern is the idea that having a central park balcony you lose the idea that you are actually on a cruise and it looks more like a hotel.....do the boardwalk balcony staterooms really give you the feeling of being on the water, or is having an outside balcony facing the water the only way to do that??

 

I could see the wake from my Boardwalk balcony, so there was no doubt we were ar sea. Still had less of a feeling of being at sea than an OV balcony...On the other hand, the people and the aqua show were fun to watch from the balcony...those balconies are unique to Oasis class ships.

[stones902]

I plan on booking a 7 night western caribbean cruise on Allure and was pricing out different balcony staterooms. The cheapest are the central park and boardwalk balconies. I was wondering if the noise from cental park and the boardwalk areas make it a distraction, and if so is it worth getting them or just getting an oceanview cabin or a central park window room? I think my wife would like the balcony, but I don't want her to not be able to sleep during the cruise.

 

Thank you in advance for your opinions!!!

 

CAS

 

Somewhat of a different opinion but after experiencing the Oasis there is no way we would do one of those balcony.

 

Looking across as your neighbors while on the balcony is a deal killer for me. Also, unless their drapes were closed anyone on a higher deck Boardwalk balcony was exposed to everyone watching the zip liners. Not to mention that carnival music does get old on a 7 day cruise.

[Rocketlady]

Been on both ships. Central Park was dead at night. I wouldn't book either one.

I want to see the ocean and know I am on a cruise. And get the fresh air at night.

[rstout]

We were in BW balcony cabins 10711 and 10713 on the Allure and could hear noise when there were aqua shows and movies going on late at night. If you go to bed late, it is not a big deal. We had kids with us so we tended to go to bed a bit earlier (although much later than they would normally at home). The kids weren't bothered by the noise, but I am a light sleeper so I occasionally had a slight problem trying to fall asleep. It wasn't a huge deal. We could see the ocean and the theater, but not well enough that we sat out and watched shows. We preferred to sit in the theater for that. You do have to keep the curtains closed when changing - not a big deal for us. On our cruise, the benefit of having the extra space of two cabins, the light and space of the balcony, and the cost savings of the interior balcony were what were important to us. I'd try something else next time and obviously prefer the oceanview balcony, but I'm glad we tried it at least once.

[berylde]

We did the BW on the Oasis just because it was something new. It was interesting but would not do it again. Found that we prefer the ocean balcony

 

The BW is alot more "open" than CP. And you could see the ocean

 

What was important for us---a cabin near an elevator. It is a very long walk from the stern to nearest elevator

[LMaxwell]

I would only personally take a Central Park view balcony if it were cheaper than an inside cabin. With the low rates on these cabins + C&A discounts that is very feasible. I would not take one in lieu of an ocean view cabin. I would not pay $1 more for a CP Balcony over an inside cabin in a prime location.

 

Boardwalk Balcony similar thinking in my mind; however I'd be intrigued to try one relatively far aft just for the novelty of it, but you do get more noise and sacrifice a lot of privacy.

[krisko]

I had a central park balcony a couple years ago and wouldn't do it again. Very quiet, very boring view. Getting a boardwalk balcony next week and looking forward to it. More action, stuff to look at, and I'm not concerned about noise.

[DnA2010]

Just off Oasis and had a CP balcony and loved it :) The only noise we encountered was the fantastic piano/strings in the evening, and when we heard it we rushed out to our patio to enjoy. We very much enjoyed looking out at the stars and trees. We were on deck 10. We only saw a few people across the way, and enjoyed exchanging a wave when we did actually see someone.

 

I think I would prefer this quietness over BW, but I don't have anything to compare to as this was a first cruise.

[Let'sGo!]

We had 11729 on Oasis last year. It's the very last BW cabin in the row. We honestly LOVED it. We had enough of a view of the wake to remind us we were on a cruise ship -- as if we needed any. We enjoyed watching the aqua show from our balcony, as well as a couple of other events going on there.

 

We honestly never heard the music from the carousel as someone else mentioned. It seemed to shut down fairly early in the evening and was a little ways down from us. We did hear some dishes clanking from Johnny Rockets which was more directly below us. In fact, the entire boardwalk area itself got pretty dead by about dinner time -- unless there was an event going on in the Aqua Theatre.

 

The one thing we really made use of was what some call the "secret balcony" next to our cabin. We had our unofficial meet and greet there for our M&M group and it was a great spot to sit and chill or read and catch some rays without the pool craziness. In the evenings, a crowd would gather on the balconies to cheer for the kids climbing the rock wall.

 

I would totally book a BW balcony again, but probably only if I could get one of these end cabins.

 

Ann

[cynt]

I was in boardwalk balcony cabin 8721 - 5 cabins from the end. IT WAS GREAT!! Like someone else mentioned the room is pretty sound proof unless they're showing the aqua show. The boardwalk is pretty quiet during the day but they do stream a little music. You can't really hear it unless your balcony door is open. It was OK to take afternoon naps. Unless something is going on at the aqua theater you'll be fine. The mornings are super quiet as well. I enjoyed the cabin very much and loved the balcony and being able to see the wake and view anything at the aqua theater. They put it on the screens as well and my balcony location was perfect. I had a late aqua show and started watching it from my balcony and just stayed put. I actually saw it twice from my balcony.

[Familygoboston]

We had a BW cabin 7 cabins from the end on deck 8- it was 8717, if Im recalling it right...(the 8 and the 17 are right, just not sure about the second 7)

 

You couldn't hear anything if you closed and locked the balcony door. Another idea is to get a cabin with the bed by the closet, and the sitting area closer to the balcony. Then you will be sleeping even further from the source of noise.

 

Noises while on the balcony fall into 3 categories:

1 - shows which have a loud soundtrack, but are only held one or 2 hours per day max and generally are all over by 11:30 PM

 

2- merriment at Ritas and private parties. If you have a large group n board either ship, there are times they may "shut down" the board walk for a private party. And Ritas (on Allure) holds a party with DJ, a couple of nights a week. Again these are generally early in the evening, and over by 10:30 ish.

 

3- ambient activity on the BW; little (and not so little;)) kids riding the carousel, clang, clang, and rehearsals, "contests" (belly flop) and movies playing at the AT, people at Johnny Rockets and the bar etc. this is largely day activity and depending on how you feel about it, might be WHY you want the BW balcony.

 

In general the atmosphere is one of a hotel on the "strip", boardwalk or main drag at a beach resort town. Plenty of people watching, ambient sound, and peek a boo glimpses of the water and islands at the wake. An Ocean view Balcony is more like an ocean front condo experience, where you have your ocean to yourself, but no beach or people watching.

 

Which you prefer is individual...we did both and liked both...to be honest, next time I'm on Allure or Oasis, I would get a BW balcony over OV if they were cheaper because on these ships we spend so little time on the balcony anyway. (when we sailed both cost the same, but OVB prices went up by hundreds before we sailed, BW balconies stayed the same.)