Do you really need to get a balcony on an Alaskan cruise?

[leahthecaterer]

We've cruised 10 times but never on Princess and never an Alaskan cruise.  Just wondering your thoughts on whether it's worth the extra money to get a balcony instead of an inside cabin.  We are thinking about Royal Princess.  It's an inside passage with Glacier Bay seven-day cruise.

 

Any tips you have would be wonderful! 

Thanks!
Leah

[nini]

There have been many threads with the same question. It really depends on your cruising style, budget, etc. 

For us, we book balcony cabins with the larger balcony. We use our balcony for viewing and quiet. It is a blast taking a look outside and spotting whale spouts. 

However, many think of it as a waste of money because they will obviously be viewing from other areas of the ship. We do as well.

It is personal preference and only you know your expectations and budget.

Edited February 20, 2023 by nini
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[travelin.sisters]

short answer: NO

 

long answer: we are balcony people, we like being able to be in our own space, not surrounded by lots of people & able to watch the sights, we are also older & have some mobility issues so this is good for us...others find the balcony a waste of money as they enjoy the excitement of being outside & able to go from one side of the ship to the other as things appear on one side or the other or find different places on the ship to see different things.

 

actual answer: you have to look at your budget & decide what is most important for you, will having a balcony mean you can't afford an excursion or adventure that you really want to do? do you love being able to hangout on a balcony with your morning coffee & laze, I hope this thread gives you tons of insight to help you make the best decision for you

 

[cr8tiv1]

In my opinion, the Royal Class ships are the worst to have an inside/interior cabin for Alaska.  They do not have a full Promenade Deck.  They do not have Plaza Deck cabins.
 

On a Grand class ship, you could be in a Plaza Deck 5 inside cabin and still have access to a full Promenade Deck 7.  
 

You could possibly choose an aft interior just below the aft pool on both ships and walk a few steps up to an outside area.  You would almost have to use the (crowded) elevators to get anywhere. 

 

Unfortunately, the Coral, with her many hidden doors to viewing areas, is not available for Alaska.  

Alaska is really all about the gorgeous views. If a balcony isn’t in your budget, do what you can do and enjoy your cruise,  

 

[Canuker]

On our Alaska cruise last year, there were so many people in the forward lounge nattering that we could not hear the excellent onboard specialist describing the marvelous Hubbard Glacier right in front of us. Also the audio out on deck wasn't the best either. So we repaired to our cabin and watched the 'show' plus listened to the audio (via the TV channel) on our balcony. We are very glad we did, otherwise we would have missed so much.

The ship rotates so everyone with a balcony can see.

Incidentally, quite a few people paid megabucks to board a smaller local vessel, the idea being to get closer to the glacier face than the cruise ship. Compared with how the mother ship maneuvred, I'd say that was a waste of money. By not going on that we paid for most of price of the balcony versus an inside.

Lastly, take a good pair of binoculars.

[VibeGuy]

Of all the itineraries, I honestly think Alaska is about the most important to have a balcony - right up there with Norwegian Fjords.  
 

being able to sit and relax and really soak in the scenery, especially on a Glacier Bay itinerary, is really the entire point of glacier days and scenic cruising

[justafem]

1 hour ago, Canuker said:

On our Alaska cruise last year, there were so many people in the forward lounge nattering that we could not hear the excellent onboard specialist describing the marvelous Hubbard Glacier right in front of us. Also the audio out on deck wasn't the best either. So we repaired to our cabin and watched the 'show' plus listened to the audio (via the TV channel) on our balcony. We are very glad we did, otherwise we would have missed so much.

The ship rotates so everyone with a balcony can see.

Incidentally, quite a few people paid megabucks to board a smaller local vessel, the idea being to get closer to the glacier face than the cruise ship. Compared with how the mother ship maneuvred, I'd say that was a waste of money. By not going on that we paid for most of price of the balcony versus an inside.

Lastly, take a good pair of binoculars.

I've taken the smaller ship several times.  To me, it's more than worth the money.  So close, so very close.  Oftentimes there are pods of whales following the smaller ship.  Really, following and waving at us.  I think it's their 'people zoo'. 

 

But we normally book insides, well, free insides, taxes and port fees.  

[disneyochem]

We were told on our first Alaskan cruise that we “had” to get a balcony.  The weather was so cold and rainy that I did not use it!  Hubby (who has a greater tolerance for cold) did enjoy sitting on it a couple of times.  But we both thought the difference in price was not worth it.
 

Since then we’ve cruised to Alaska about 20 times—interior, ocean view, balcony, mini suite and suite.  We like having access to a balcony but there are usually so many public viewing areas on a ship that we don’t miss them when we’re in an interior/ocean view cabin.  Even with a balcony, we’re constantly going from our cabin to out on deck to see the views on glacier days.

 

We were in an interior cabin last summer on the Royal (free casino room) traveling with family and friends.  Even though there isn’t a full promenade, there were a number of outside viewing areas.  The day we visited the College Fjords, we sat at Crooner’s, played cards, had drinks and popped outside for viewing (there’s a door to deck 7 in Crooner’s).  Fabulous day!  The top deck and the Lido were good viewing areas during our Glacier Bay visit.

 

Excursions in Alaskan are pretty pricey!  My suggestion is to take the money saved by booking an interior cabin and apply it to a truly unique Alaskan experience! There’ll be a number of opportunities to get up close to a glacier and to see wildlife.

 

 

 

[Cruise Raider]

6 hours ago, VibeGuy said:

Of all the itineraries, I honestly think Alaska is about the most important to have a balcony - right up there with Norwegian Fjords.  
 

being able to sit and relax and really soak in the scenery, especially on a Glacier Bay itinerary, is really the entire point of glacier days and scenic cruising

I am with you!  If there is any place to splurge on a balcony, Alaska is it!  
And you are so right, Glacier Bay absolutely stunning and ver enjoyable from your own balcony.  
 

[PEB]

Do you need a balcony when cruising Alaska? No it is not needed because there are plenty of places on the ship to see Alaska, however it is nice to have. 

[MileHighAko]

Sailed Alaska several times and have settled on aft facing balcony is the only way (for us) to go. Lack of wind, wide open view, soft purr of the engines, soothing sound of the wake, we just love everything about it for Alaska.

[trvlwrld]

The only time we have ever booked an inside room was on an Alaskan cruise…that was the only cruise we’ve ever not liked because we felt “cheated” on the scenery…we definitely felt we missed out.  With that being said, an inside room on a cruise is better than no cruise at all!

[Ken the cruiser]

We agree with the aft-facing cabin suggestion. If you decide to splurge for a balcony, my suggestion would also be to spend a few extra $$$ to get a premium aft-facing balcony cabin, if any are still available. This way you can sit on your balcony while the moving ship is blocking the wind, have a view of both sides as well as the aft as you cruise by the glaciers and fjords looking for wildlife and at the awesome scenery, as well as full views of the ports as you're leaving them. 

[Guindalf]

IMHO, a balcony is ESSENTIAL in Alaska. The whole point in going there is for the scenery and an inside stateroom would rob you of that!

 

We're taking our third trip to the frozen north in September (first on Princess) and this time, we're splurging on a suite. We love Alaska and sitting on the verandah with a cup of coffee and not feeling like we HAVE to socialize or squeeze in to get a better view is a major part of that enjoyment.

[deultgen]

9 hours ago, leahthecaterer said:

We've cruised 10 times but never on Princess and never an Alaskan cruise.  Just wondering your thoughts on whether it's worth the extra money to get a balcony instead of an inside cabin.  We are thinking about Royal Princess.  It's an inside passage with Glacier Bay seven-day cruise.

 

Any tips you have would be wonderful! 

Thanks!
Leah

 

We find we use the balcony more on Alaskan cruises as opposed to warm weather cruises.  If it is cool, rainy and windy, it can be helpful to be on your balcony for 15 minutes then inside for a while to warm up, then back outside.  

[LibrarianMonroe]

We've cruised Alaska twice, once in an inside, and once in a balcony.  The trip on the inside was fine, and I don't regret taking it.  That said, I'm not sure I would have been outside when scenic cruising on our second (balcony) one when the most amazing rainbow appeared,  and we were able to watch it a long time sitting on our balcony.  We may or may not have seen it, or had seats to comfortably watch it, if we had an inside.

 

Need a balcony?  No.  But I recommend it.

[leahthecaterer]

36 minutes ago, trvlwrld said:

The only time we have ever booked an inside room was on an Alaskan cruise…that was the only cruise we’ve ever not liked because we felt “cheated” on the scenery…we definitely felt we missed out.  With that being said, an inside room on a cruise is better than no cruise at all!

I totally agree - I'd take an inside before I'd stay home 😉  We're sold on the balcony.  Thanks

[Paula_MacFan]

Yes for all the reasons already stated 😊 We saw so much wildlife from our balcony it was awesome. Also the open decks are noisy -- from our balcony we could hear the cracking & popping of the ice in Glacier Bay. On the open decks all we could hear was people talking. We could easily hear the ranger narration from our balcony with TV on and even spotted a grizzly bear onshore with his directions. Also nice to have weather gear, binoculars, camera, drinks etc handy from room vs open deck. We had a mini suite and turned the couch to face the balcony door so we could comfortably sit and see out if it got too cool.

 

Go for it!

[Steelers0854]

Count us in the Yes column, done Alaska twice and would recommend a balcony, but maybe not for the reasons you may think, plus if you are really price sensitive then our thought process isnt for you.  We mixed our time on scenic cruising days between top decks and our balcony.  For us, it’s an amazing part of our journey to wake up, with a cup of coffee in hand to sit out on our own balcony and just relax and take in the sights.  We also do this in the evening given that it stays light pretty late during the cruise season.  When doing glaciers you will get a chance to see it no matter the side of the ship you are on as they will spring the ship 360 for everyone to get a view.  Really the only reason we go to public decks is to have the flexibility to see wildlife since you never know what side of the ship you will see it on.  You could get lucky and be on the side of the ship that they are all on, but in our experience you are generally moving sides often to see what is out and about.  If that isnt important to you then your balcony might be your best bet.  For us, always having a seat, without fighting anyone for it, being blocked by someone in front of you, not worrying about losing it when going to the bathroom or getting food etc is well worth the cost.  Is it necessary to have an amazing trip, absolutely not.  

[nini]

It is true; we really enjoyed the commentator (usually a National Parks Ranger) on our cabin tv and enjoying the views. The Captain will do a 360 degree spin. Be sure and book a larger balcony that is at least partially covered. Room service is wonderful!!!

However, yes, we have also been on top in Skywalker's (the Golden and the Crown) and enjoyed inside and outside viewing.

Alaska is FABULOUS!!!

[TN-Mountains]

How tall are you? If you are short or traveling with someone that is short, you should seriously consider a balcony.  My husband (6'1") could easily stand behind someone and still see the views, but at 5'1", all I could see were a$$es and elbows.  There is too much stress having to plan our day around getting to the deck/rail at the right time for me to see anything.  If all I could afford was an interior, I would still go, but I enjoyed having a balcony to view the glaciers.  Plus, as was mentioned above, if it is really cold, you can step back inside to warm up and still get a view from behind the glass doors.  

[stevenr597]

12 hours ago, leahthecaterer said:

We've cruised 10 times but never on Princess and never an Alaskan cruise.  Just wondering your thoughts on whether it's worth the extra money to get a balcony instead of an inside cabin.  We are thinking about Royal Princess.  It's an inside passage with Glacier Bay seven-day cruise.

 

Any tips you have would be wonderful! 

Thanks!
Leah

The answer is a definite yes.

[bjkTX]

Like most have said, I couldn't conceive of the idea of not having a balcony on an Alaska cruise.  There is so much to see, and while you can go on some decks and look out, sitting on your balcony with a beverage of your choice watching another whale swim by, or another eagle fly by, or more waterfalls, or more seals floating by on hunks of ice.  I also second the aft facing premium balcony cabins although it seems Princess is trying to price them out of our range any more - because you can be out there pretty much 24/7 regardless of the weather.  Breakfast first thing in the morning, a glass of wine after your tour, then a Baileys when the sun sets.  We all like different things - you'll enjoy Alaska whatever you choose!!!

[cruzsnooze]

14 hours ago, leahthecaterer said:

We've cruised 10 times but never on Princess and never an Alaskan cruise.  Just wondering your thoughts on whether it's worth the extra money to get a balcony instead of an inside cabin.  We are thinking about Royal Princess.  It's an inside passage with Glacier Bay seven-day cruise.

 

Any tips you have would be wonderful! 

Thanks!
Leah

A balcony is is always worth it no matter where or which cruise. There is no substitution for fresh air or a leisure morning coffee overlooking the water on a balcony.   

[donswife]

Depending on the sailing date, you can save a few hundred dollars by booking an obstructed view balcony instead of standard balcony on the Royal class ships. These are listed under the inside cabin tab.