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Alaska Cruise - Balcony or Ocean View??


HenanSan
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We are planning on taking a b2b cruise to Alaska in June of 2022.  Would there be an issue with an ocean view cabin vs a balcony?  We usually do balcony but with our plan to do a b2b on the Alaska cruise and there is over a $2,000 dollar difference in cabin selection.  I can put that towards another cruise.  BUT, if OV is terrible, I may just bite the bullet.  I know on the Miracle you can be on Lido since its closed but what are your Thoughts on cabin choices for an Alaskan cruise???

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I’ve been on three Alaska cruise although none on Carnival. I would say that Alaska in the most important place to have a balcony. Especially on the glacier day(days). The people with inside and OV rooms crowd the decks and camp out by the windows in the lido. The captain slowly turns the ship around in circles so all cabins had views of the glaciers. Two of the ships I was on we had an aft balcony and that was the best because as the ship was leaving the glaciers you saw them for a long time.I’m not sure if the Miracle has aft balconies but that would be my first choice. I’ve been doing mostly OVs on Carnival on my Caribbean cruises but plan to have a balcony for Hawaii on the Miracle.

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53 minutes ago, HenanSan said:

We are planning on taking a b2b cruise to Alaska in June of 2022.  Would there be an issue with an ocean view cabin vs a balcony?  We usually do balcony but with our plan to do a b2b on the Alaska cruise and there is over a $2,000 dollar difference in cabin selection.  I can put that towards another cruise.  BUT, if OV is terrible, I may just bite the bullet.  I know on the Miracle you can be on Lido since its closed but what are your Thoughts on cabin choices for an Alaskan cruise???

I did alaska but dont remember the cabin on miracle. It wasnt a balcony and was fabulous. I didnt book the cabin, a TA did, if was me, I usually book port holes for solo cruises.

 

All the people without balconys will be up in the buffet chairs lined up with their binoculars.  To me that was fun because if someone spotted something they would call out. Up on the pool deck you can see out both sides of the ship you cant with a balcony. 

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We booked a balcony on our only Alaskan cruise ... just loved being able to go out there and see the beautiful scenery!   To be fair, we just prefer balconies.

 

Though we have booked Inside & OV. The ONLY cabin I disliked? The Porthole on the Imagination ... damn that was NOISY!!!!

 

🛳🛳

 Bobbi 

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We always book balcony cabins, and I would say if you can swing it, get one for Alaska.  We put the tv on loud, opened the balcony door and had commentary by the naturalist throughout.  People up on deck were squished together.  

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It depends on you. Personally, I am not a balcony person. $2000 is a lot of money, especially for something that can be viewed all over the ship. Sometimes, the best views are not even viewable from your balcony.

 

With that said if there is ever an itinerary to get a balcony, Alaska would be it. The privacy and relaxation is a big perk to many.

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I kid you not. 

 

On a Princess last minute obstructed OV 7 day 'Glaciers' cruise, we paid $349pp while the Balcs had gone for many thousands.  We practically lived up on the top deck, especially our day in Glacier Bay NP.  The entire cruise we felt like we were stealing.  Perhaps our favorite cruise ever and we enjoy a good Balc as much as the next folks.  YMMV but we would probably never get a Balc for Alaska because it is precisely what everyone wants.

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16 hours ago, HenanSan said:

We are planning on taking a b2b cruise to Alaska in June of 2022.  Would there be an issue with an ocean view cabin vs a balcony?  We usually do balcony but with our plan to do a b2b on the Alaska cruise and there is over a $2,000 dollar difference in cabin selection.  I can put that towards another cruise.  BUT, if OV is terrible, I may just bite the bullet.  I know on the Miracle you can be on Lido since its closed but what are your Thoughts on cabin choices for an Alaskan cruise???

Balcony, we are OV people but did a balcony on one cruise and it was wonderful. Even though it was cold, middle of September, I was bundled up out on the balcony enjoying the scenery. The next year we did our OV and I really missed the balcony.

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Absolutely a balcony and a true aft one is perfect for us. Only four Alaska cruises (RCI) and the option of that quiet private space is wonderful. Out on the balcony, cozy PJ's, a blanket & hot chocolate watching Alaska go by....amazing !!!

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I have always considered a balcony a total waste of money and that even includes AK cruises.  You can always go on deck and move around the ship to get the best view.  If you have a balcony, you only get 50% of the best view since if something happens on the other side of the ship, you don't get to see it. 

 

Also, when I am on deck, I get up early and I am aggressive about the spot that I pick.  I figure that if I got up early enough to get a good railing spot, I am not going to give it up.  If someone asks if they can get close to the railing to get a picture, I tell them that I am not moving.  If they wanted to get a good railing view, they should have gotten up early enough to get one.

 

DON

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I have done Alaska a ton and have done everything from insides to suites. 

 

I don't consider a balcony a must. Even when I had one, I was out on deck for most of my viewing glaciers. I would rather spend more time in Alaska on 2 cruises in an outside cabin compared to 1 cruise in a balcony. 

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We always book a balcony cabin. Feel for Alaska it is the best. Decks can be packed and end up much like deck chairs, hard to find a decent spot, for viewing.

Have Ovation booked for July 30, 2021. Deck 12, balcony cabin. 

 

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We’ve cruised to Alaska in inside, OV and balcony rooms.  My preference is not having a balcony in Alaska—usually too cold for me to fully enjoy.  I’m a morning person so having coffee on the balcony in Alaskan waters is not for me!  Hubby though prefers balcony so if the price is right, we get it.

 

I didn’t noticed much difference between the inside and OV in Alaska.  One thing that is nice about an inside is that it’s dark!  In a balcony/OV, I have to remember to bring clips to close the curtains so we can sleep!

 

Regardless of cabin type, our cruising style is such that we don’t spend much time in the stateroom.  And in Alaska, we’re all over the ship looking at the scenery and wildlife!

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We had a balcony on our last Alaska cruise, thought it was definitely necessary when I booked it. We do like balcony cabins in the Caribbean. However, it was too chilly for me to sit out there all the time. The Naturalist on board would announce things we went by or things she saw...."Pod of dolphins on the starboard side" or points of interest. Our cabin would be on the wrong side. So we spent most of our time up on deck so we could see both sides. Or if I got chilly, we would go someplace with windows on both side - like the buffet area or a plaza area.

 

The glacier day would be nice on the balcony, could wrap in a blanket if you're cold. We took the Glacier excursion though and weren't onboard anyway. If you stay on your balcony though, you may miss waterfalls, etc on the other side. Alaska really is about having a panoramic view.

 

We just booked another cruise to Alaska last week for this coming August spur of the moment. We hesitantly booked an inside (which I normally would never do) but it is just a few doors down on the Lido deck from the doors to the pool. Very easy to just go out to the deck to see everything like last time. And like the poster, the room was over $2000 cheaper than a balcony. (Which was nice since this was last minute).

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15 minutes ago, CheckersMidwest said:

We had a balcony on our last Alaska cruise, thought it was definitely necessary when I booked it. We do like balcony cabins in the Caribbean. However, it was too chilly for me to sit out there all the time. The Naturalist on board would announce things we went by or things she saw...."Pod of dolphins on the starboard side" or points of interest. Our cabin would be on the wrong side. So we spent most of our time up on deck so we could see both sides. Or if I got chilly, we would go someplace with windows on both side - like the buffet area or a plaza area.

 

The glacier day would be nice on the balcony, could wrap in a blanket if you're cold. We took the Glacier excursion though and weren't onboard anyway. If you stay on your balcony though, you may miss waterfalls, etc on the other side. Alaska really is about having a panoramic view.

 

We just booked another cruise to Alaska last week for this coming August spur of the moment. We hesitantly booked an inside (which I normally would never do) but it is just a few doors down on the Lido deck from the doors to the pool. Very easy to just go out to the deck to see everything like last time. And like the poster, the room was over $2000 cheaper than a balcony. (Which was nice since this was last minute).

August...best of luck.

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We loved our balcony on our Alaska cruise, nice to see the beauty then run in and warm up a minute then back out. We are doing a Princess cruise tour starting 5/25/22 and are splurging on a mini suite, since I have Rheumatoid Arthritis we decided I needed the extra comfort, Alaska is sometimes a once-in-a-lifetime cruise and to me a balcony is worth the extra money 

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We booked an inside room because we like to spend the extra money on activities and other trips. I had strongly considered a balcony because I knew it was recommended for Alaska; but in the end I just couldn't justify the cost. 

 

I ended up being very pleased with our inside room because of the sunlight issue. It only was dark for a few hours each night and I liked that our room had no windows and was dark. One "trick" for an inside room is to turn your TV on to the bridge camera when you are in your room. This makes it feel like you have a window. 

 

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22 hours ago, CheckersMidwest said:

Ashland: ??  Our last trip to Alaska was in August also. It was beautiful weather. Chilly in the morning and warm enough for tshirts in the afternoon. No rain. Only snowed going into the Tracy Arm Fjord.

It's not the particular month...My response was related to 2021 Alaska. As that is what I gathered from your post...so if it's 2021...best of luck.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I won't cruise some place warm without a balcony because I spend hours and hours out there. 

 

In 2018 I did an AK cruise on the CCL Legend (Spirit class like Miracle) with my mom, niece, and nephew.  Mom and nephew were in handicap accessible cabin 8234, which is a 'bowling alley' balcony.  Niece and I were in a nearby interior cabin.  We sailed the first week of June, RT Seattle, and rarely used the balcony because it was too chilly when the ship was under way.  Even when cruising Endicott before boarding the excursion boat, we opted for watching from inside one of the public areas, or from a table by a window near the pool on Lido most of the time.  We always kept the TV in our room tuned to the bridge cam, so even in our cabin, we could see where we were heading. When we did go out on deck for viewing, there was never a problem finding a place to watch from.  

 

I told DH if we cruised AK, we would get an interior cabin and use the difference, which as you pointed out, is substantial $$$, for excursions or add ons at the beginning or end of the cruise.   I just booked AK on Sapphire Princess for Aug '22, and went for the interior, but then took a very inexpensive (like $50) upgrade to an obstructed OV just to be able to get some daylight in the cabin.

 

I hope you enjoy AK on Miracle as much as we did on Legend.  I'm a huge fan of the Sprit class after that sailing.

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We are balcony people and LOVE being able to just step out onto our balcony

in jammies and a robe, hot coffee and croissants. Or a glass of wine later in the day.

If needed, we have blankets too.

In other words, we really use our balcony and yes, even in Alaska! When your neighbor

is also outside and shouts, "There she blows!", you can run out and see the whale pod as well.

 

However, we are from the Pacific Northwest and 40 degrees is ok with us. I see others

who have posted and realize that this would frigid for them. For us, 75 degrees and maybe

some humidity is getting rather uncomfortable! BUT- we still used our balcony when doing

the Panama Canal itinerary............ whoa..... so humid, my camera lens fogged up just by

stepping outside! Still, always a balcony for us.

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We did a cruise in Alaska 4 years ago and hardly used the balcony. When there were things to see, we wanted to be on the upper decks with the ability to move from side to side. Your balcony only allows you to see one side. You will miss so much by just sitting on your balcony the whole time. For instance, if your balcony is on the port side and there is a pod of whales on the starboard side, you'll never know it. If you're hanging out on the upper decks, you'll know where the sights are being seen. I don't think we spent any time on our balcony when the ship was moving. I spent the most time out there when we were in port so I could watch what was going on on shore. My suggestion is to take the money from not being in a balcony and put it toward a special excursion on shore.

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