Any downside to an aft balcony?

[Monica887]

Looking at an aft balcony in the Encore. Only "downside" I can think of is that it's far from the observation lounge. 

 

Does anyone NOT like an aft? Why?

[ggTexasGal]

1 hour ago, Monica887 said:

Looking at an aft balcony in the Encore. Only "downside" I can think of is that it's far from the observation lounge. 

 

Does anyone NOT like an aft? Why?

We love aft rooms. However, some people will not like the "long walk" aft.  Some will not like the extra motion that might take place when seas are rough. There can be lots of noise created anchoring (or docking) at port stops.

Also, we won't book any room that is directly under the pool deck, due to noise levels from above.

[hernando52]

We really do like aft balconies but found the balcony can get pretty dirty overnight from the ship's funnels.  The amazing view is great though!

[schmoopie17]

It has its ups and downs...

[pete_coach]

We were upgrades to a suite in the aft corner of a ship (Not NCL). On a higher deck.

 

We loved the fact it was a free upgrade. How great is that LOL

Unfortunately, it is a long way to anywhere.

There is also exaggerated movement during choppy seas.

We had soot from the exhaust on the deck furniture, deck and railings.

Our friends on a lower aft deck said they felt the propellers, especially early in the mornings while docking.

[TheDawg79]

I book only aft facing cabins. Ships are not THAT long, let’s get real, so it’s really not a significant walk anywhere. And let be honest….who doesn’t need a walk a few times a day after all the food and drink we consume onboard. The views from an aft cabin are simply the best. You don’t have to think about what the “other side” is seeing and if the have a better view. Front facing cabins have wind while at sea and many have funky interiors due to the design of the ship with sloping walls.

[Homosassa]

15 minutes ago, schmoopie17 said:

It has its ups and downs...

And side to side in rough seas.

[SoloAlaska]

I only book midship after my first cruise had a day of rough seas in Alaska. Can’t enjoy that view if I’m in the washroom or bed all day.

[firstimer2009]

I severely sprained my ankle before a cruise and had an aft.  It was a longgggg walk to the observation lounge.  Lots of motion and noisy too but still beautiful.  I would do another but my husband won’t.  

[Laszlo]

5 hours ago, Monica887 said:

Looking at an aft balcony in the Encore. Only "downside" I can think of is that it's far from the observation lounge. 

 

Does anyone NOT like an aft? Why?

Been in an Aft twice, once on the Gem and once on the Breakaway. We had a fair amount of vibration when cruising slow. Also each morning we had a fair amount of ash / sot on the balcony. On the Gem our balcony was washed down every morning 

[dexddd]

Not Encore specific, but soot and vibration can be issues aft.  Fleet specific, they figured out about ten years ago they could charge more.

[wolft927]

I have stayed in the Aft Haven suite and so far my favorite. The balcony is huge!!!!!!! 

[Two Wheels Only]

6 hours ago, Monica887 said:

Looking at an aft balcony in the Encore. Only "downside" I can think of is that it's far from the observation lounge. 

 

There are differences in balcony depth (by deck) and in balcony width for the aft-facing balconies on the Breakaway Plus ships (Escape/Joy/Bliss/Encore). The stateroom configurations and bed locations (near closet vs. near balcony) also vary. All 4 ships have matching sizes and stateroom configurations for aft-facing balconies although the stateroom numbers can be slightly different from ship to ship. 

 

If you have any questions as far as bed location and balcony size for a particular stateroom, feel free to ask.

 

[Monica887]

Well the rest of my group didn't want aft, so, moot point. Sigh. Alaska seemed like the right place to try it. 

 

Now I need to decide if I want vibe or spa or if a plain old balcony will be enough. 

[TheDawg79]

1 hour ago, Monica887 said:

Well the rest of my group didn't want aft, so, moot point. Sigh. Alaska seemed like the right place to try it. 

 

Now I need to decide if I want vibe or spa or if a plain old balcony will be enough. 

Too bad because Alaska is the absolute PERFECT place for an aft!! That is where I fell in love with them. 

[ChiefMateJRK]

There is a reason aft balconies cost so much more than regular balconies.  I can’t take a nap in those crappy chairs on a regular balcony.  Arguably the worst seats on the ship.  A lounger on an aft?  😎

[RocketMan275]

4 hours ago, Monica887 said:

Well the rest of my group didn't want aft, so, moot point. Sigh. Alaska seemed like the right place to try it. 

I suspect that the rest of the group will congregate on your aft balcony in Glacier Bay or any other scenic area.

[cruiserbear55]

  You never know where  you're going in an aft balcony, but you always know where you've been!!

[BirdTravels]

14 hours ago, Monica887 said:

Looking at an aft balcony in the Encore. Only "downside" I can think of is that it's far from the observation lounge.  Does anyone NOT like an aft? Why?

It's not that we don't "like" aft staterooms... 

 

But....

 

It is a hike to the aft elevators 

It is a full ship hike to the Haven 

It is a full ship hike to the Observation Lounge

It is a full ship hike to the Buffet

It is a full ship hike to the Theater

Depending on the room, you have to deal with soot from the engines

The sound of the azipods 

[wilmingtech]

I weigh the cost of the aft cabin to the size of the balcony and other possible options for staterooms.

On a recent purchase I chose the front facing balcony over an aft because it was much cheaper and the balcony up front is huge compared to the aft balcony that was available and it'll be mostly a slow trawling cruise through the inside passage.

On past ships we have chosen 2 staterooms side by side with a removable divider as opposed to a rear balcony because the combined balconies were slightly cheaper and larger and way more space with 2 separate rooms.

We have also chosen an Oceanview room that was much cheaper than a balcony as the Oceanview had 3 separate rooms vs the cost of a single room of a balcony.

I'll usually weight the cost against the size (including balcony), layout and location of the room.  Most of the time the aft is very expensive for the benefit of seeing the wake.

Edited November 23, 2023 by wilmingtech