Balcony Lovers

[SunshineMom68]

DH and I just got back from sailing on FOS and had our first balcony cabin on deck 8 and loved it. We will be sailing on BOS in April with our DD and her friend and am considering upgrading from a window to a balcony. The cost would be $583 and that is for a guaranteed balcony which could be we would have an obstructed view. Is it worth it to pay the extra money for the balcony?

[Clarea]

DH and I just got back from sailing on FOS and had our first balcony cabin on deck 8 and loved it. We will be sailing on BOS in April with our DD and her friend and am considering upgrading from a window to a balcony. The cost would be $583 and that is for a guaranteed balcony which could be we would have an obstructed view. Is it worth it to pay the extra money for the balcony?

"Worth it" depends on a number of factors, some of which are: length of cruise, itinerary, time of year.

[iahawkfan21]

Only you can decide that. Personally, we'd save the money and use it on drink package, excursions, etc as we're intentionally not in our room too often. That said, I know many who won't cruise in less than a balcony room. Cost is a really subjective thing in Cruising.

 

On our upcoming Navigator 9 night we went with a Promenade room as balcony room would've been nearly $800 more which for us is a big deal moneywise. No matter what you decide, enjoy!

[johnjen]

I think most of us work our way up to a balcony. From there, we'd never go back to ocean view or inside.

 

But, a tip - don't get a balcony cabin underneath the main topside deck walkway. And, you're completely blocked out from the sun. We did that on Anthem last summer, never again. Other than that, no complaints.

[cruzgryphon]

As Bob mentioned you're itinerary and route would, to my mind, be a key factor in deciding whether or not to go with a balcony. It maybe quite scenic and you may want to sit on your balcony watching the scenery with a coffee/tea in hand or it could be mainly sea, in which you may not want to go with a balcony.

[Beachammo]

I think most of us work our way up to a balcony. From there, we'd never go back to ocean view or inside.

 

But, a tip - don't get a balcony cabin underneath the main topside deck walkway. And, you're completely blocked out from the sun. We did that on Anthem last summer, never again. Other than that, no complaints.

OP's next move would be an Aft balcony....then they are hooked!

 

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[robmab]

We spend more time on the balcony than we do in the stateroom itself. It's nice to have your own private outdoor space to enjoy coffee in the morning, read a book, watch the sunset (if you're facing the right way). I can't think of any reason we'd ever skip a balcony -- even on a cooler itinerary or during winter months, I'd just take a blanket out there.

 

To me, it's definitely worth it because it's one of the truly unique parts of the cruise vacation: opening your drapes each morning to a completely different view and being able to experience the sounds and sights of each port from your stateroom before you venture out and again as the ship is pulling away. A window just isn't the same. (In fact, I'd save the money and go with an inside stateroom before I'd pay for just a window.)

[KPfromCT]

We cannot and will not cruise without a balcony. lol

We take a lot of "room breaks" during the day, and we spend a lot of time on the balcony.

Coffee in the morning, breaks during the day, or after coming back from port, couple of drinks before dinner on the balcony and then a nightcap before bed.......

I say go for it!!!!

Enjoy!!!:D

[KansasEMT]

The fresh seafood air in the tranquility of your own balcony . . . . Priceless!

 

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[KansasEMT]

The fresh sea air in the tranquility of your own balcony . . . . Priceless!

 

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[dkirksmith]

I think I will always have a balcony. Being in a dark, inside cabin does not appeal to me.

 

 

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[jamesr3939]

Then the next step is a suite. I curse the day our kids secretly upgraded us to a GS.

[movierunner]

We are on 8th deck with a balcony mid ship. Looking forward to this & our 1st cruise.

[BillHoo]

The fresh seafood air in the tranquility of your own balcony . . . . Priceless!

 

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I know they tend feed you a lot on a cruise, but I didn't expect the air to be filled with seafood as they toss shrimp and fish nuggets at you!

[sockmonkeygirl]

First time for us with a balcony. It was an additional $200 above the cost of an inside room. Well worth it to us at that price point. It also guaranteed us a couch in the room I stead of just 1-2 chairs.

[CTCruiser74]

We did the balcony on our last cruise on Oasis. We had a balcony at the beginning of the hump. While onboard we booked our next cruise on Oasis with a larger balcony on the full hump. We will never go back now!

 

I am also looking at upgrading to a JS and watching the prices for that. I'm hoping we can get into one of those!

 

 

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[MikeNJ1109]

Our cruises have all been with balcony cabins ... there's something very special about morning coffee on the balcony as the world glides by on the open water. We wouldn't cruise without a balcony, and for us it's worth the extra cost.

 

Michael and Silke

[impatientlywaiting]

We've always booked balcony cabins. Then one day we decided to try a cabin with just a window. NEVER AGAIN! We felt closed in. We didn't realize how much we used our balcony!

[JTBCruiser]

DW and I both love a balcony but we would consider getting a room over the Promenade. Friends had one on the Liberty and DW said she would like to give it a try. They were able to enjoy people watching and told us they had no issues with noise, they were on the highest deck.

[Bruin Steve]

I'm closing in on 50 cruises...I have sailed in everything from inside cabins to 1200 sq. ft. suites...

My usual rule is that I don't care what kind of cabin I'm in--just get me on the ship! I've been in suites where the butler has brought me breakfast to my room most mornings...and I've been in inside cabins where I've only used the cabin to sleep, use the bathroom and change clothes. I am very adaptable. Of course, I've also had suites for cruises where we've only had one at-sea day on a two week cruise and I barely got to enjoy the nice balcony!

 

Sure, always nice to have a balcony--it gives me the ability to get some fresh air right outside my room...and the room seems lighter and more spacious. BUT, it really comes down to a question of what the trade-off is for the upgrade. On RCCL, I've often found only a $100 pp difference between an OV and a balcony--and, then, with my C&A discount, it's basically the SAME price...That's a no-brainer... If the difference in price is small, I'll take the balcony...If it's relatively large, I have no problem downgrading--and using all that saved money for pre- or post-cruise stays in the embarkation port...or more exciting shore tours...or whatever else seems more worth the money to me...

 

Take a good look at HOW you like to cruise. Are you one who really likes to dine out on your balcony, have drinks on your balcony, sunbathe with privacy...or whatever...OR...are you one of those who thinks the balcony is nice, but spends most of your time in port, out and about the ship, socializing, etc? Then think about what else you might do with that budget...Unless you are super-rich, in which case the $$ never matters and you may as well book a suite. BTW, suites are even WAY better than those small balcony cabins...

[JTBCruiser]

What Bruin Steve said, wise advice.