Will a balcony spoil me?

[KKB]

Yes...and no.

We do love a balcony--and often now book one as they can be a great value with extra perks thrown in.

THAT BEING SAID...we have cruised interiors & oceanviews since our first balcony cruise. It all comes down to price, especially if we are traveling as a family. I would rather take ANY cruise than NO cruise, and with 5 of us, INT or OV may be the most economical way to do it.

Our upcoming cruise they booked the 3 young adults an accessible OV (only OV available).  I had the chance to upgrade them to a balcony & they said they would rather have the extra room of an accessible room (and they could use our  balcony if they wanted.)

My folks had a sunset family veranda on celebrity--OMG THAT spoiled me. HUGE balcony. Entire family (7 of us) could fit. Several loungers, table & chairs, not crowded at all. Was able to snag it for only $75pp more than what I booked our original INT rooms for!

My inlaws had a 1BR balcony on Disney Magic--all 26 of us did sail away there. Pretty amazing...cannot imagine what it ran them. I know our Family Balcony was $10K for the 5 of us...and they had 4 in theirs.

[fredflint]

This is probably the most asked question without a real answer.

 

Since it depends if you did a survey and had 5 options: inside, outside, outside window, balcony, suite and asked people what they had sailed in the most.

 

You would get answers all around

 

Then ask if they were priced within 100.00  of each other would you upgrade to a balcony?

 

Would you book a guaranteed Inside cabin or outside cabin in hopes of getting something better?

 

 

You will get the same variety of answers if you ask what kind of Fish do you like?

[superduper123]

4 hours ago, Ourusualbeach said:

 

Is your friend also Diamond.  Reason I’m asking is that if she is not then you can still get your Diamond balcony discount applied to the reservation even if she’s the one who made the booking.  On a 7 day cruise it would be up to $225 for the discount.

Thanks, I did not know this. My friend is not Diamond. We are within final payment date though.....

[Ourusualbeach]

4 minutes ago, superduper123 said:

Thanks, I did not know this. My friend is not Diamond. We are within final payment date though.....if you booked through Royal it's worth a call.  They might not be able to do anything but I would still call.  Your name was on the reservation from the start do it was really an oversight.  Call C&A at 1-800-526-9723.  Good luck, hope it works out. 

 

[The Fun Researcher]

I’m guessing we’re oddballs but we prefer inside to balcony.  We’ve done both and the balcony rooms didn’t do much for us.  I’d rather view the ocean from the open decks of the ship rather than a cramped (IMO) balcony.  I do like the extra square feet of a balcony but LOVE the pitch black of the inside when taking a nap or wanting to sleep in.  

 

Dan

[mugtech]

We enjoy inside cabins because the price allows us to cruise more often.  I do love that first sunrise on the first sea day, but it is no trouble to get up to the outside decks for viewing purposes.  We are booked for a balcony on the Ovation 18 days out of Sidney to Hawaii in 2020, mainly because the price was only a few hundred dollars more than inside with the C & A discount.  Looking forward to new places and the balcony experience.

[GUT2407]

For me it’s all about that full length window.

 

i do spend time in my cabin and would go stir crazy in an inside cabin.

[George C]

I am been cruising since 1975 , started at cheapest inside rooms back then there was no balconies, started doing balconies in 90’s when they came out , last six or so  years nw book suites, once you get used to the better things you really do not want to go back, if you can afford it. 

[rncruiser]

We used to cruise only in inside cabins as it was all we could afford. We switched to a balcony when there was a huge price drop and it only cost a few dollars more to upgrade to a balcony. We have decided we love balcony cabins now. Luckily we can usually afford them now. We do not really spend a lot of time on the balcony, but one of our favorite things to do on a cruise is sit on the balcony with coffee and fruit prior to starting our day. 

That said, we have also gone back to an inside when we have had to cut back on vacation spending or when the weather doesn’t justify sitting out. 

So yes, it did spoil us, but we can go back to an inside if needed and enjoy the cruise just as much. 

[crystalspin]

I'm with GUT on the big window. Have had two balconies, one it was too hot+humid to use, one it was too cold! But LOVED the big window and the ability to walk right up to it.

 

Therefore looking forward to the Panoramic OV on the RhOTS in December!

 

ETA, I would consider a super-J or SuperK inside on Holland America, but only for a short cruise -- dr'spin simply does better with natural light.

Edited October 28, 2018 by crystalspin

[Desert Cruizers]

I enjoy a balcony especially in the evening before going to bed, very relaxing. during the day I am not in my room except to change or get ready for dinner. When my husband was alive our first cabin was an OV but have gone with balcony cabins since then except for the 4 x's in a JS. 

[broberts]

I love balcony cabins but if it comes down to a choice between cruising without a balcony or not cruising, cruising wins every time.

[Kruzer Zuker]

Location trumps room type for me.  An inside in a desirable location is better than a balcony in a bad location.  

 

 

[Cigar King]

Personally I would never cruise without a balcony.  I'll tell you what spoiled me though.  Not the balcony.  The bathroom.  Once we moved into a JS we never considered a regular room again.  That shower is just a pain.

[crystalspin]

1 hour ago, Kruzer Zuker said:

Location trumps room type for me.  An inside in a desirable location is better than a balcony in a bad location.  

 

 

KZ, I think you make a very good point! The funny thing to me is, so many of the suites are too high, not center/midships, and/or under the pool-deck! Speaking industry wide, not RCI in particular.

[John&LaLa]

1 hour ago, crystalspin said:

KZ, I think you make a very good point! The funny thing to me is, so many of the suites are too high, not center/midships, and/or under the pool-deck! Speaking industry wide, not RCI in particular.

 

Oasis class places most suites vertically.  Eady to avoid under pool deck dilemma 

[Kruzer Zuker]

1 hour ago, crystalspin said:

KZ, I think you make a very good point! The funny thing to me is, so many of the suites are too high, not center/midships, and/or under the pool-deck! Speaking industry wide, not RCI in particular.

 

Yep.  And on larger ships I like to stay close to elevators.  Some of the highly prized balconies are all the way forward or all the way back.  

[brillohead]

Only times I've bothered with a balcony was a Central Park on Oasis class, because it was cheaper than an inside due to the sheer number of CP balconies available versus the relatively few insides on that class. 

I'm a night owl, and I typically roll into the room around 4-5am to head to bed, so the pitch black of the inside is ideal for me.  I head to the MDR for Tutti Salad for lunch (my breakfast, I guess! LOL), then spend my afternoons on deck alternating between a shaded lounger, a hot tub, and a pool, so a balcony is useless to me.  Only thing I've really used it for is to dry off snorkel gear after excursions.  

Some people use their balcony every day -- others, like me, have no use for it.  Same with drink packages (I don't drink booze, so I only get the soda-pop package) or specialty dining (I get plenty fat in the MDR) -- it all depends on what YOU enjoy doing.  

If you like sitting by yourself without access to a bar, pool, or hot tub, you may really enjoy it.  If you prefer to be out on deck, you may find that you have little use for it.  Only way to know for sure is to give it a try.

 

[sdear]

All I can say is never book a suite 🙂     

[h20skibum]

This is they same type of question I wondered about, as we booked a junior suite for our cruise leaving in 4 weeks.  I think it will be nice to experience it, and we may one day book a higher suite, but we have no problem with balconies or OV cabins.  In fact, our January cruise will be a balcony, and July will be an OV.

 

Balcony cabins are nice, because we like to have our coffee there in the mornings, and it gives me a place to relax while my wife gets ready.  Much depends on price.  For our July cruise, the price difference was $1,200 between an OV and Balcony, and that difference could go toward some shore excursions.

 

i guess you will know if you are spoiled after your cruise.  Enjoy it.

[lovescats5]

I admire you who can do inside rooms.  They are too dark for me, I need the sunlight and the enjoyment of the water.  I go on a cruise to enjoy the boat and watching the water from a balcony is so relaxing.  Isn't it a good thing that all ships have the many different rooms and levels so everyone can enjoy what they want.

[LuckyStar]

On 10/27/2018 at 5:40 AM, superduper123 said:

I typically book oceanview or interior, strictly because of the price. My friend has booked a balcony and invited me to go with her. Wonder if after this cruise I will be content to sail an inside cabin once I've experienced a balcony.  Although, as I'm typing this, I realize that as Diamond status, I believe there is some sort of balcony discount? I've never actually looked into it before...

I have never felt spoiled by a balcony. I thought it would but I'm a bargain hunter.  If the inside is a better value, I'll book the inside.  The balcony was nice but not essential for me to have a great cruise experience.

[lovescats5]

Why would you never book a suite.  We always book a suite and will continue to do so as they usually have the biggest balcony.  Suites are like balconies, once we were in one we do not want to go back to a room with a balcony that you have to walk over each other to get a chair.  But, as I said, isn't it great that all ships have the kind of room we each want.

[ladocevita]

I have booked from an inside to a mini suite. As long as I’m cruising I don’t care where I sleep. 

[Bloodgem]

Any cabin that is wheelchair friendly and has a sofa bed is fine with me.