got the upgrade to a balcony offer - never done a balcony so what do I need to ask

[BuckeyeMark]

we're interior cabin people. we've never had a balcony. today Princess made us a nice offer for the Golden in June in Alaska. but it's still a lot of $$$$ .... but we are tempted. so what should I be thinking about to evaluate do I want a balcony on this cruise? kinda wonder if it's too cold/windy to enjoy a balcony in AK. thoughts? what's a bad location for balcony? what should I be looking at if we decide to upgrade to make sure we get a great cabin? thanks for your help!

[tamsocal]

you might lose the opportunity if you ponder too long....

mid ship preferred but I have had balconies forward, mid, aft and rear facing- we sleep easily so aren't too picky but once we did have cabin above pool and it was a little too noisy

 

cabins above and below you

if not cabins above and below see what is there- potential for noise if this might bother you

we have had interior to suites for Alaska and love the balcony but would never skip a cruise to only have a balcony. easy to enjoy the balcony even if it is cold-- the scenery is worth it.

Glacier bay makes it a nice option to spend some time there, on open decks, etc- we keep moving all over the place.

[Cairn Mom]

we're interior cabin people. we've never had a balcony. today Princess made us a nice offer for the Golden in June in Alaska. but it's still a lot of $$$$ .... but we are tempted. so what should I be thinking about to evaluate do I want a balcony on this cruise? kinda wonder if it's too cold/windy to enjoy a balcony in AK. thoughts? what's a bad location for balcony? what should I be looking at if we decide to upgrade to make sure we get a great cabin? thanks for your help!

 

 

 

A balcony is wonderful for an Alaska cruise. The inside passage is very scenic. We spotted whales while on the balcony. I would not want to be under the the pool/ buffet as that could noisy. A covered balcony would be optimum as Alaska can be rainy. I suggest you bring binoculars. Enjoy your trip.

 

 

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[moki'smommy]

You'll have better views from an open deck where you get a full panoramic view. You have to decide whether the balcony is worth the price or whether the money could be better used for excursions or ???. A balcony is nice, but Alaska wouldn't be my first choice of where to spend the money on one.

[DrivesLikeMario]

If you want a balcony with this upsell, book it ASAP. Seriously, you cannot take your time on this or you won't have the opportunity. IME, it's not too cold or windy for the most part and the best part of having the balcony is being able to lay in bed and watch the amazing waterfalls and gorgeous scenery sail by late in the evening while it's still daylight. Do it and don't wait!

 

Edited to add: aim for the Caribe Deck, midship if at all possible, for a large balcony and 1/2 overhead coverage. If you go with the Aloha or Baja Decks, you'll have full overhead coverage but a smaller balcony.

[Cairn Mom]

You'll have better views from an open deck where you get a full panoramic view. You have to decide whether the balcony is worth the price or whether the money could be better used for excursions or ???. A balcony is nice' date=' but Alaska wouldn't be my first choice of where to spend the money on one.[/quote']

 

 

 

It’s certainly a personal choice, but the inside passage is one of the most scenic itineraries and not just during Glacier Bay or Tracy Arm (I have done both). If it can be afforded, I would definitely want a balcony on this cruise. The ship stayed very close to land for most of the cruise. It was beautiful. We also saw whales, just randomly,from the balcony. For Glacier Bay of Tracy Arm, it is nice to go to the open deck too. We did both. We listened to the Ranger’s commentary on TV while having breakfast ( all bundled up) on the balcony. Later, we went out on deck. Many itineraries spend lots of time in open ocean where there isn’t much to see. Alaska is not like that. We’ll agree to disagree on this one :)

 

 

 

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[mytime53]

I've sailed the inside passage in an inside, an oceanview, and a balcony. I think the balcony is worth the price if it's reasonable to you. Last week was the oceanview...the weather was bad, and even if it wasn't, we can't be on an open deck all the hours of daylight. We would look out and see an awesome view (at 11 pm); if we were in a balcony I could have stepped out no matter how bad the weather. As it was, I just watched it pass by quickly through the window.

[Cruise Raider]

The one itinerary for which I would absolutely recommend getting a balcony is Alaska. It’s worth the extra $ in my opinion.

Those upgrade offers sometimes go quickly, though ... they put their feelers out to many passengers and the first ones to respond are those that get get the deal.

[Knickearth]

just got off the grand princess from alaska. First, this was the calmest waters the entire trip. We saw many many whales this trip. Dont know when u r going, but the trip was the coldest i have experienced.

 

Balconies r nice as u can lay in Bed with balcony door open. Alaska is beautiful and grand. Enjoy

[yags]

The Problem with getting a balcony is you will NEVER go back to an inside room. Have a great trip. We are on the Grand to Alaska in 3 weeks with a balcony room.

[stoneharborlady]

The Problem with getting a balcony is you will NEVER go back to an inside room.

 

 

So many people say that, but I found the opposite to be true for me. Started with a mini suite with balcony first cruise. OV second cruise. Inside cabin third cruise, and I liked that fine. I thought the balcony a great waste of money, we barely used it all week. I actually found the balcony confining and boring. I much prefer to spend my time out and about on the ship. We are all different.

[JF - retired RRT]

Go on the Princess website while you're waiting for the call back from Princess. Start a "fake" booking, so you can see which balconies are shown as available. Decide where you want to be. Wait for your call.

One of the times we did this, the rep who called immediately offered a balcony that was mid-ship. Some would immediately say "OK". I had checked the available cabins and knew we wanted one of the aft balconies. I asked for it and got it.

It was GREAT! This was for a Panama Canal cruise and we were so close to the lock gates as they closed we could have touched them.

We originally booked an inside for ~ $2000pp, The balcony was currently priced at ~ $10000pp (IIRC). The upsell was only a couple of hundred dollars. We thought we got a great deal.

[BuckeyeMark]

GOT THE CALL!!!! Got a port side balcony with cabins above and below us. PRETTY PUMPED!!! ALASKA HERE WE COME!

[Pierlesscruisers]

It was GREAT! This was for a Panama Canal cruise and we were so close to the lock gates as they closed we could have touched them. We originally booked an inside for ~ $2000pp, The balcony was currently priced at ~ $10000pp (IIRC). The upsell was only a couple of hundred dollars. We thought we got a great deal.

 

Must be one heckuva balcony to be 5 times the cost of an inside! :eek: I know it's probably just a typo but I couldn't resist saying something. Oh, might I make one small suggestion? The small font size sometimes makes your messages really hard to read so you might want to maybe increase the size of your font. Stricktly up to you, of course. Have a great day!

 

Tom

[svcalum07]

GOT THE CALL!!!! Got a port side balcony with cabins above and below us. PRETTY PUMPED!!! ALASKA HERE WE COME!

 

What sailing are you on? We’re on Golden too inside rooms but only got an offer for ocean view rooms. How much was your upgrade?

[paradiselivin1]

GOT THE CALL!!!! Got a port side balcony with cabins above and below us. PRETTY PUMPED!!! ALASKA HERE WE COME!

 

Great! You won't regret spending the money, I swear. If you are photographers at all you will love the ability to shoot from your own balcony. I had my camera set on a tripod which helped take some great photos from the balcony and the rear deck a few feet from our cabin when I wanted a shot from the back of the ship. Enjoy!!

[geoherb]

I'd upgrade to a balcony if it was $200 or less per person for the cruise. The only time we've had a balcony cabin in Alaska was when we got a free upgrade to a deluxe ocean view cabin with balcony at the front of the ship. It was on the Sapphire Princess. The balcony did not have any furniture. We used it primarily while the ship was at the glaciers. It was great then.

 

In the Caribbean, we like having a balcony to enjoy breakfast occasionally, to sit and read during the day, to have a glass of wine at sunset, and to have the Ultimate Balcony Dinner once during a cruise. We get a lot more use out of our balcony on warm weather cruises.

 

As for never going back, we're booked for an inside cabin on the Royal for the 15-day trans-Atlantic in September. The last time we were on the Royal, we were in a suite.

[voljeep]

we started out in a OV on an Alaska cruise in 2007

 

our next cruise - got the balcony in the Caribbean

 

got a mini suite for a 10 day Panama

 

back to a balcony for a 10 day Southern Caribbean

 

a deluxe premium aft balcony for a 7 day western Caribbean, but also had the AIPB , and found out we were spending more time out on the ship , then on our balcony

 

since then we have just booked interiors ( aft on the Crown , etc by the 'secret door' to the aft adult pool and outrigger bar )

 

we do have a currently booked balcony on the 3 day SKY Princess in 12/2019, but that is obviously subject to change as we will again spend little time in the cabin and more time out on the ship decks on the 'new' ship

[Cairn Mom]

GOT THE CALL!!!! Got a port side balcony with cabins above and below us. PRETTY PUMPED!!! ALASKA HERE WE COME!

 

 

 

Great news! You won’t regret it[emoji4]

 

 

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[elliair]

we're interior cabin people. we've never had a balcony. today Princess made us a nice offer for the Golden in June in Alaska. but it's still a lot of $$$$ .... but we are tempted. so what should I be thinking about to evaluate do I want a balcony on this cruise? kinda wonder if it's too cold/windy to enjoy a balcony in AK. thoughts? what's a bad location for balcony? what should I be looking at if we decide to upgrade to make sure we get a great cabin? thanks for your help!

 

Find out if it's an obstructive view. Like a lifeboat being in front of your cabin, or a part of the ship obstructing your view. For an Alaskan cruise no way would I even consider an inside cabn or even a cabin with a window. Once you have a balcony, you may never consider going back to an inside cabin. I wouldn't even consider asking about the price, to me being able to see the wildlife without having to go up to the top decks and trying to get a spot for a best view is worth every penny. It will be cold in Alaska, so dress for the occasion. Thermal tops and a sweat shirt worked for me. I also brought along a nice ski jacket but only wore it once on the trip. Princess has nice waterproof coats on sale when you board (maybe 2nd day out). There's no bad location other than being under MUTS or the Lido buffet. I'd steer clear of those areas..been there done that. Where is the cabin located?

[elliair]

Go on the Princess website while you're waiting for the call back from Princess. Start a "fake" booking, so you can see which balconies are shown as available. Decide where you want to be. Wait for your call.

One of the times we did this, the rep who called immediately offered a balcony that was mid-ship. Some would immediately say "OK". I had checked the available cabins and knew we wanted one of the aft balconies. I asked for it and got it.

It was GREAT! This was for a Panama Canal cruise and we were so close to the lock gates as they closed we could have touched them.

We originally booked an inside for ~ $2000pp, The balcony was currently priced at ~ $10000pp (IIRC). The upsell was only a couple of hundred dollars. We thought we got a great deal.

 

WOW! I just booked a 19-day Panama Canal cruise on the Coral Princess for November. We have a balcony on the Caribe deck and our total cost including tax/port fees came tp $6,200. We get free round trip air flight on EZAir, free gratuities, and $500 OBC. $10,000 each seems a little steep to me = $20,000! Yikes.

[cakelover]

just got off the grand princess from alaska. First, this was the calmest waters the entire trip. We saw many many whales this trip. Dont know when u r going, but the trip was the coldest i have experienced.

 

Balconies r nice as u can lay in Bed with balcony door open. Alaska is beautiful and grand. Enjoy

 

If whales can be seen from the cruise, is it necessary to book excursion of Whale Watching at any port? I will stop at Skagway and Icy Strait, which people mention a lot whales to be seen there.

[GUT2407]

The one question i’d be asking

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Is

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Location?

[moki'smommy]

If whales can be seen from the cruise, is it necessary to book excursion of Whale Watching at any port? I will stop at Skagway and Icy Strait, which people mention a lot whales to be seen there.

We saw a lot more whales on a whale watching excursion than we did from the ship, but you can't predict what you'll see from the ship. Most excursions guarantee that you'll see whales. We saw both orca and humpbacks, and it was a great excursion.

[cakelover]

We saw a lot more whales on a whale watching excursion than we did from the ship' date=' but you can't predict what you'll see from the ship. Most excursions guarantee that you'll see whales. We saw both orca and humpbacks, and it was a great excursion.[/quote']

 

Did you stop on both Skagway and Icy Strait? On TripAdvisor, someone mentioned that Icy Strait has more whales than Skagway and suggest to watch whale there. I'm open to watch at either ports. However, what else I can do if I stop at Icy Strait without doing the whale watching, but at Skagway? Thank you.