Worth it or Mistake?

[EGM112]

My dh and I love a balcony found out that the hard way when our last cruise we had ov cabin was nice but we really missed the balcony. So when we booked our next cruise on the Freedom, I researched and found that the aft balcony I think it was 8450 had a larger aft so we booked it. After reading about that balcony the comments that there was no shade and no breeze so it gets hot we re-thought. We spend a lot of time on our balcony morning, afternoon and night. I researched again and upgraded to the aft wrap balcony 8455, I am thinking with the portion on the side if there is not shade in the back there should be shade and breeze, wind on the side. The cost was significantly more my dh hesitated to spend that much but we bit the bullet and booked it. So asking for opinions is the extra cost worth it? Thanks

[SNJCruisers]

Only you can make the decision if the upgrade cost is worth it, but since you "spend a lot of time on our balcony morning, afternoon and night." I believe that you have your answer. On our Horizon bookings for 2018 & 2019, we decided to go with Havana insides since the area is basically youngster free and not crowded with exclusive pool and large hot tubs.

 

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[riclop]

It's your $$$.

[jayscore]

We had an aft wrap on Glory last April,(Same set-up), and loved it! The cabin had a bit more "leg room", but no sofa.

Mind you, if I couldn't get an aft wrap on a Conquest class ship, I'd snag 8450 or 8457 in a heartbeat!

That "too hot" thing in back thing is only for a couple of hours, if that, including the aft wrap.

Either way, once you go aft, nothing else will do!;)

[cccer]

If you use the balcony a lot and are worried about the sun, then the aft would be great for you. Of course it costs more, but you can move around to avoid the sun so it would work out for you. Have a great cruise.

[Bkchero]

The aft wraps look awesome but don't hold 3 people so we can't book them and bring our son. I'm looking at 1 next year and both 8450 and 8457 are still both available so thanks for the heads up on those as well.

[Markmom18]

We love the Aft Wrap Balcony's too!! My husband and I do think it's worth the extra money, but obviously not all agree. Which is fine :D because there are only a handful on the ships.

[grest]

Our first aft balcony was on the Freedom, not a wrap, and we were sold...

[Macnally]

we had the aft wrap balcony on the Valor, we didn't find it hot and had a breeze but not a strong wind like on the side of the ship. The cost of these rooms is a big factor, but you need to try it at least once.

[tonit964]

We've had aft balconies about six times so far with the next one coming up and absolutely love them. The sun will not be on you the entire time. It will depend on the ship and the direction it's going each day in relation to time of day, either morning or evening. It is less breezy but for us, its never been so hot we couldn't use it.

 

Enjoy your balcony and to us, the extra cost is very worth it!

[BalzacBill]

Our experience with Aft wraps is:

- A great view

- Lots of room

- Can get very hot in direct sunlight

- Rarely a breeze directly aft

We love the heat, so it wasn't an issue for us.

[cloudninecat]

It wasn't an aft wrap but we thoroughly enjoyed our aft balcony the first half of our B2B cruise. We couldn't get it for the 2nd half and it was sorely missed. It wasn't too hot. I even slept on it. The only thing I didn't like is that the bottom half was so dirty on the outside that you couldn't really see the view unless you stood up. Unfortunately there was no way to clean it without hanging over the edge which I wasn't about to do. Also, it didn't have a cover so one night it rained and I got woke up in the middle of the night and had to scramble to get inside before I got soaked. We loved it so much we even booked 3 aft balconies for our next family cruise so all of us can enjoy it. The wraps look amazing. One of these days I want to try one of those. I hope you enjoy it to the max.

[jdemps]

My husband and I love the larger balcony and the extra room a suite give us. The aft wrap vista suite has a separate bedroom too so we can nap and use the living room area at the same time. I wouldn't say I use the balcony a lot but he does so it's worth it for us. It's was $3500 for two on this Miracle 7 night including the tips. We book about 18 months out and findn we get the best rate and best rooms that way.

Our friends have a regular french door room and it was $1950 so a significant increase in room cost but hey, we don't vacation that often! It's your money so only you can decide if it's worth it to you.

[cruise_everywhere]

We just booked our first aft wrap as well on the Pride - slight difference but really we are basically the same and enjoy the balcony and all times of the day. We upgraded from a regular aft balcony to the Vista Suite when it became available. I can't wait! It'll be awesome!

[BTromboneFrack]

We'll be on our fourth aft wrap this Christmas, all on Conquest Class ships. We've been on deck 8,6,7, and now again on 6. While the wraps are a little different on each deck, we never really felt we were worse off on deck 7, which is a bit smaller. When it gets too hot outside, I just jump in our shower with my bathing suit and a towel. When I get back on the balcony, I can stay out for awhile with a wet suit and towel. Air drying while drinking a beer is a heaven!!! LOVE THE WRAPS!! It s a luxury, but my parents died young, so I'm spending the money now!!!

[Lerin]

The aft wraps look awesome but don't hold 3 people so we can't book them and bring our son. I'm looking at 1 next year and both 8450 and 8457 are still both available so thanks for the heads up on those as well.

Depends on the ship. Some of them hold 3.

 

OP: if a balcony + shade is your goal, you should try to book regular aft balcony cabins. They are deep enough that there is almost always a portion shaded. The aft wraps are HUGE. That's a lot of space for just 2 people who want to sit and drink coffee. When we've had aft wraps we were traveling with large groups so it was a perfect "hang out" spot.

[EGM112]

Thanks everyone for the reassurances. I think we are going to enjoy it