Opinions wanted - upgrade to balcony or stay interior??

[pearle1]

Hello - I currently have a 4k booked ( interior french door) on carnival pride this summer - I called to inquire to see if I would qualify for the $150.00 OBC with the latest sale - and I would not because there are not any interiors left in that promotion on this sailing ~ However, they said I could go up to a balcony 8C category , which would cost $400.00 more total - and then I would get $150.00 OBC - so in reality it would cost $250.00 more to go from interior to balcony.

What would you do??? Any opinions/thoughts are much appreciated :)

[forwardcabin]

Have you ever been in a balcony cabin? If not, go for this deal. Once in a balcony you may never go back to an interior.

[Capitan Morgan]

It is a very good deal ... good opportunity to try this experience. I would do it if I was you...I can guarantee that once you try the balcony you will not go back on interior!

[K&P Luv2Cruise]

Hello - I currently have a 4k booked ( interior french door) on carnival pride this summer - I called to inquire to see if I would qualify for the $150.00 OBC with the latest sale - and I would not because there are not any interiors left in that promotion on this sailing ~ However, they said I could go up to a balcony 8C category , which would cost $400.00 more total - and then I would get $150.00 OBC - so in reality it would cost $250.00 more to go from interior to balcony.

What would you do??? Any opinions/thoughts are much appreciated :)

 

I love the 4K's !

 

For us, a balcony is not worth it. We spend very little time on the balcony, preferring to spend that time up on deck. However, it is certainly a personal decision.

 

We would use the extra $250 for excursions/spending/steakhouse, etc. For us, we would stay in the 4K.

Edited March 19, 2014 by K&P Luv2Cruise

[cooltj]

I had a 4K and upgraded for 178 to a balcony on the Miracle. I felt this was worth it... I say go for it...

[luvsviola]

I would upgrade in a HEARTBEAT!!!!

 

My kids call it "the porch". We love to sit out there and read, watch the water, and just "be." For $250 I'd have already done it.

[PCHENG]

Not sure if I would do it. You already get the fresh air and the natural light with a 4k. If your room is between life boats you will also get partial view of the water. As such, the $250 is really for use of the balcony space only.

Edited March 19, 2014 by PCHENG

[CaribbeanLuver]

Depends on what's important to you and how much money you have! I personally am happy with an interior and more money to spend on excursions and DOD's! :D I sleep sooooo good in an inside and have never had a balcony so don't miss it.

[cdamion]

I have had balconies a couple of times, and while I definitely like them better, I won't pay a lot extra for them.

 

The first time I had a balcony, I spent a ton of time out there because the weather was good and it was a nice way to chill out away from the crowded ship. I had a routine of eating a snack out there in the middle of the afternoon, and a before-bed drink every night. It was very relaxing.

 

The second time I had a balcony, the weather was quite chilly, so I was only out there a couple of times the entire week and actually regretted spending the money on it.

 

Unless the difference is a couple hundred dollars, I will stick with Oceanview or the type of cabin you are currently booked in.

 

If you spend a lot of time in your cabin, go ahead and grab the balcony. If you are not the type to sit in your cabin, save your money.

[SadieN]

Keep the 4K, especially if you have one between the lifeboats. On most of them the French doors for fresh air.

[pauleydm]

If this is your first cruise, I say go for it. If you have cruised before, base your decision on how much time you spend in your cabin normally. $250 can go a long way for other purchases.

 

Our first cruise we had a balcony, and as enjoyable as it was, we have never had a balcony since. With all of the activities on board, we actually spent very little time out on the balcony. The money we saved by opting for a 1A with portholes has given us the opportunity and money to cruise 2 times a year:)

[k2excursion]

For me, absolutely not! I have had balconies, and despite what some people are trying to say here, I have gone back to interiors...every time. But if those statements were right, you would be wise to never get a balcony. That way, you would save tons of money by never getting one. But since you and anyone can easily go back to interiors, it's not bad to get a balcony once every 5 or 6 cruises or so.

 

For me, I don't care as much about the balcony as the room setup. The room setup of the 4Ks are exactly like the inside part of a balcony, and that setup is much better than the standard interiors. Plus, you are still getting a little sun and some fresh air. So I cannot see how a balcony would be worth anywhere near $250. If it was from a basic interior, then maybe it would be worth it for some people, but not from a 4K. If you aren't in the room very much, like me, definitely do not upgrade for that price.

[Mysticks1]

For just $250 I would absolutely take the balcony. I spend hours every day just sitting on my balcony reading, drinking coffee early in the mornings and just resting after a long day in port. It is so nice in the mornings not to have to get dressed to sit outside. I will not book a cruise now without a balcony.

 

If you are someone that is always out and about in the middle of the action and activities and only use your room for sleeping and changing then it might not be worth it to you. If you enjoy peace and quiet and a lot of relaxation time then you would enjoy having your own private outdoor area.

[Pete C]

My wife and I went from balcony on our first cruise together to interior on our second (with baby), and we are planning to do interior for our next cruise. The balcony was awesome, but we found interior was perfectly fine for us and would rather use that money to do other things. Our interior room on the Dream was much larger than I had anticipated. I'm not saying I wouldn't do a balcony again, but definitely not every cruise.

 

I agree with k2excursion's logic. If you know you are already fine with interior rooms, and you spend the extra for balcony and "never want to go back", you just locked yourself into years of splurging for balcony rooms.

Edited March 19, 2014 by Pete C

[mek]

I believe 8C's on Pride are standard balconies and if so, please be aware that standard balconies on Carnival are very small, and IMO not worth that much extra. Lots of people love them, but I only book Carnival balconies when I get a fantastic deal or can get an aft like I did last month for $675 pp. I would keep the French Doors and go up on deck.

[Mysticks1]

I agree with k2excursion's logic. If you know you are already fine with interior rooms, and you spend the extra for balcony and "never want to go back", you just locked yourself into years of splurging for balcony rooms.

 

The other side of that coin is if you always stay in interior rooms you don't know what you are missing if you had a balcony. :)

[Anyislandwilldo]

Another consideration is you can watch the ship pull into port. You can't see pier runners from an inside room. Personally I think the offer was good. I would have taken it.

[cruizinisthebest]

For $250 already having a French door interior, I wouldn't do it. All I need is a view and some sunlight coming in the room. You're going to have fresh air when you open the French doors to boot. So unless you love a balcony, I would keep the $250.

[WindsorFred]

We cruise only once a year, for now. Have always gone with a balcony. We enjoy the quiet time in both the morning and evening out there. Breakfast, cocktails, reading etc. Also sail-away after port calls. Spend most of the day on Lido people watching but a balcony is your own Serenity area when wanted.

[guxu]

Call me minority (or young), that "never want to go back" thing does not apply to me. I did go back and forth between inside and balcony without problems. I stayed in OV before and liked it too.

[Smiling Cruiser]

I like the balcony when I want to sit outside and read or listen to music. I can't spend hours in the sun so the shaded balcony allows me to be outside longer and save my sun time for the pool and hot tubs. I like meeting new people and getting involved in Carnival activities but down time is good too. Happy Sails in the room of your choice.

 

 

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[edwardsm]

I'm not a big balcony fan either. On our upcoming Liberty cruise, I first booked a porthole, then paid $10 more to upgrade to 2 interior rooms on Lido. Always wanted to try an OV so I called Carnivaland they said since we had paid in full and was under a differnt promotion, we could not ge OBC but they had two OVs on the Main deck. I took those! Being on Lido is not important to me. Its only a few more steps and elevator ride to get on Lido but at least I have my windows! :D Now I can say I've tried all cabin types except suites. Maybe one day.:)

[jkd9977]

We prefer interior or OV to the balcony. With two little kids it makes it tough to relax on a balcony. Although it is nice being able to smoke a cigar on the balcony....

[anastasia3939]

I'm not a fan of balconies. We got upgraded to one on our Carnival Legend cruise because of a booking error. We did not use it very much. It felt very claustrophobic, even though it was an 'extended balcony'. And the cigarette smoke!!!! Not very pleasant for a non-smoker. I would never pay extra for a balcony. I'd keep my little cozy cave and spend the money on an excursion or souvenirs.

 

 

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[TheCalicoCat]

Hello - I currently have a 4k booked ( interior french door) on carnival pride this summer - I called to inquire to see if I would qualify for the $150.00 OBC with the latest sale - and I would not because there are not any interiors left in that promotion on this sailing ~ However, they said I could go up to a balcony 8C category , which would cost $400.00 more total - and then I would get $150.00 OBC - so in reality it would cost $250.00 more to go from interior to balcony.

What would you do??? Any opinions/thoughts are much appreciated :)

 

I'd stick with the 4K. The room is the same size as the balcony room (I think, I'm not 100% sure what an 8C is in the deck plan.) because I can think of a lot of other ways to spend the $250.