What's Your Financial Breakpoint In a Balcony?

[Capitan Obvious]

42 minutes ago, Daruma said:

 

Also, I'm unsure of what would make me happy... discussions like this can help me to decide. 

 

I know that, but the question is how does the breakpoint for me or anyone else help you to decide what makes you happy? I believe that your happiness can be determined regardless of how factors affect other people, just explain to me how you feel the opposite? Unless you live by following what everyone else does, I don't see the logic.

 

37 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Well, I was really just answering the OP's question from the perspective of somebody who doesn't base the decision upon resources available (i.e. the opposite of your position).  My perspective of diminishing returns is that once I have to pay more than $25 per day for a balcony, it really isn't worth it to me. 

 

You see how you end up arguing against yourself, right? You can't say your perspective is "somebody who doesn't base the decision upon resources available" and them claim "diminishing returns" and/or "really isn't worth it to me". Not honestly anyway. Worth and return both refer to those available resources you claim not to use.

 

 

All that said, my point...once again...is that financial or otherwise, no factors in my decision on whether or not to take a balcony (or make any other decision) are a one-size-fits-all for the OP to use to make the same decision for themselves. We are individuals, not clones.

[Daruma]

1 minute ago, Capitan Obvious said:

 

I know that, but the question is how does the breakpoint for me or anyone else help you to decide what makes you happy? I believe that your happiness can be determined regardless of how factors affect other people, just explain to me how you feel the opposite? Unless you live by following what everyone else does, I don't see the logic.

 

 

 

 

As I said above ... I may be able to gleen information from peoples' replies that I hadn't thought of... and that has indeed been the case. 

 

My last cruise was 15 yrs ago on Disney, (where we did hapoen to have a balcony), so I'm essentially a know nothing newbie, and folks may, and have, offered insight as to what their break point is, or how they assess the cost overall which I have found helpful. 

 

I'm not sure why this seems so difficult for you to understand considering it's the second time I've explained it 🤷

[jrt.mom]

10 minutes ago, Capitan Obvious said:

 

I know that, but the question is how does the breakpoint for me or anyone else help you to decide what makes you happy? I believe that your happiness can be determined regardless of how factors affect other people, just explain to me how you feel the opposite? Unless you live by following what everyone else does, I don't see the logic.

 

 

You see how you end up arguing against yourself, right? You can't say your perspective is "somebody who doesn't base the decision upon resources available" and them claim "diminishing returns" and/or "really isn't worth it to me". Not honestly anyway. Worth and return both refer to those available resources you claim not to use.

 

 

All that said, my point...once again...is that financial or otherwise, no factors in my decision on whether or not to take a balcony (or make any other decision) are a one-size-fits-all for the OP to use to make the same decision for themselves. We are individuals, not clones.

I think some people might want validation that they've chosen wisely for what they booked, it's human nature to want to feel good about the choices you make.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, Daruma said:

 

Uh... technically that'd be easier to do on a balcony... just sayin' 🤣

touche'🤣

 

Actually, 98.6% of the time I am in my cabin I'm either sleeping or in the bathroom.  Ain't much world watching happening then, with or without a balcony.

Edited May 14 by ChiefMateJRK

[ChiefMateJRK]

26 minutes ago, Capitan Obvious said:

You see how you end up arguing against yourself, right? You can't say your perspective is "somebody who doesn't base the decision upon resources available" and them claim "diminishing returns" and/or "really isn't worth it to me". Not honestly anyway. Worth and return both refer to those available resources you claim not to use.

 

No, they don't. I absolutely don't base any of my cruising decisions on available resources.  Some folks don't choose to spend all available resources only on themselves (cruising and otherwise).  That said, I get it.  Typical people in my country spend more resources than they have available on things like this.  That's why they wind up broke and miserable (or asking for handouts).🤑

 

LBYM.😎

[ChiefMateJRK]

21 minutes ago, jrt.mom said:

I think some people might want validation that they've chosen wisely for what they booked, it's human nature to want to feel good about the choices you make.

I think that some people also want to hear from folks who skipped expensive cabins but still had fantastic cruises.  I see a whole lot more reports from people who say they would be miserable in steerage but have never actually tried it.

[RocketMan275]

36 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

I think that some people also want to hear from folks who skipped expensive cabins but still had fantastic cruises.  I see a whole lot more reports from people who say they would be miserable in steerage but have never actually tried it.

Because of my military experiences I know I wouldn't be miserable in steerage.  

Because of my military experiences I know I would much prefer to be in First Class.

[ChiefMateJRK]

5 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

Because of my military experiences I know I wouldn't be miserable in steerage.  

Have you sailed in steerage on NCL?

[ziggyuk]

You need to pay me to book a balcony, why...

Firstly, we go to breakfast at at 8am and return to the room at midnight.

Secondly, I need a pitch black room for a good nights sleep.

 

Every time I have booked a balcony it has been a waste, we never use it. Even in Alaska we used it for 1hr then went to the deck for better views.

[ChiefMateJRK]

1 hour ago, ziggyuk said:

Firstly, we go to breakfast at at 8am and return to the room at midnight.

Secondly, I need a pitch black room for a good nights sleep.

No afternoon nap?! I guess that explains the late start in the morning....😁

[jrt.mom]

2 hours ago, ziggyuk said:

You need to pay me to book a balcony, why...

Firstly, we go to breakfast at at 8am and return to the room at midnight.

Secondly, I need a pitch black room for a good nights sleep.

That's a valid point, when we did the Alaska cruise last June there was visible light outside 24 hours a day and we couldn't get the room dark enough to sleep well, even with the curtains closed. An interior room would have been great for sleeping!

[curmudgeon98]

My wife won't go for inside cabins, though she's never tried one.  Just thinks she'd feel claustrophobic.  We are relatively indifferent on the subject of OV vs balcony because we tend to spend a lot of time out on the decks or in the observation lounge.  We've had a balcony on an Alaska cruise and rarely used it because it was a little too cool for comfort (on the other hand, I won't sail Alaska on a ship that doesn't have a good forward observation lounge).

 

  Two years ago we had a balcony for 14 days of Greece and Croatia; we figured that with great weather and beautiful ports and coast we would use it a ton.  In reality we had one gorgeous breakfast out there, but when we wanted to view the scenery, we preferred to be on the more open deck.

 

 Funny enough, though, this year we answered the original question almost exactly.  We booked two cruises back-to-back.  On the first cruise the price difference between balcony and OV was $40 pp/pd, and we took the OV.  On the second cruise, the difference was $30 pp/pd, and we took the balcony.  The actual dollars don't really matter to us, but somehow both my wife and I gravitated to the same decision.

 

  

[lepidoptera]

14 hours ago, Daruma said:

 

Fortunately, (or not depending on your point of view), I don't drink alcohol, so I don't need to upgrade my drInk package 😁

 

I've already booked the Vibe and Thermal Spa on my 11/25 Encore cruise... they're not yet available on my 4/26 Aqua cruise... but as soon as they are... WHAMMO!! 

 

So, as I just posted above I just got a great deal to upgrade to a solo balcony on my 11/25 cruise by pushing it back a week, and the Solo Balcony is only $200 more than I was paying for an interior Solo Studio for the prior week. 

 

Now, thus far I'm paying $2200 for an interior Solo Studio on the Aqua for 4/26... and currently a Solo Balcony is $1600 more; $3800... that's a 72%'ish increase 😳 NUH UH 🤣

 

That is a great deal upgrading for $200. 
 

For my upcoming Alaska cruise the upgrade from solo inside to solo balcony was also $1600 but >100% of my cruise fair. Um no!

 

Since I booked after final payment I got an upgrade email pretty much right away and bidding started at $100-so $200 for a solo. I did not bid and wait since I knew I really wanted a balcon. Instead I upgraded with points to a solo balcony. The balconies are sold out now so I am glad I didn’t wait. 

[RocketMan275]

13 hours ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

Have you sailed in steerage on NCL?

No but I've spent many nights camping with the  US Army.

[Peachypooh]

I haven't read all of the replies. I have sailed in a cabin with just portholes, one with a balcony, and one with two balconies. At least one  balcony is worth it for me as I tend to get a little seasick and stepping outside helps.  That said, it would depend on my finances at the time. No amount of money how little would be worth it to me if I had to take it away from my food budget for example. If I felt I could afford it, anything under $100 per day for two people in a balcony I would say is OK.

 

[KimHum]

Everyone is going to have a different perspective due to finances and priorities. I’m not a seasoned cruiser but am currently on the Jewel in Alaska in an interior room. The cost was very low and I had some discounts. As the person said when I was booking the room it was practically a comp. Our room at the Pacific Rim the night before cost more than the cruise.  I have never sailed in an interior but, after sailing in a balcony room for the Panama Canal and literally spending maybe 2 hours on it having a balcony wasn't worth the up charge for me. I was willing to pay an additional $300 and bid that but, that didn't get accepted. I do miss the space the balcony room gives you. But I love the dark of the interior. We sprung for the thermal pass and have enjoyed the views from around the ship. My next two cruises are interiors as well. 

[Asawi]

Gee, I feel so simple and unorganized... I have never thought about price per person per day! I look at the total price and think "Is it worth it?" I seem to have a great time whether  in insides,  oceanviews and balconies so there is no "must have" for me. But I do look at different aspects apart from money.

Does the ship have good outdoor spaces where I can spend time instead of having my own balcony? Is there an observation lounge where I can hang out? Is this a "once in a lifetime" trip or am I likely to do a similar itinerary at some other time?

And after considering those things, "is it worth it?". Maybe, maybe not...

 

[DCGuy64]

19 hours ago, schmoopie17 said:

I prefer boobies that are unmasked. But maybe that just me...

That's why I love the pool deck, to see all the brown boobies. We're talking about sea life, right? 😉

[The Traveling Man]

As many others have said, "it depends."  My wife and I have sailed with NCL 35 times out of about 50 total cruises.  Seven of our 35 NCL cruises have been in Inside rooms, although we haven't sailed Inside in over six years.  While there are several advantages to steerage, such as price and the ability to completely block out the light, the disadvantage of cramped quarters became too much for us to put up with as we got older.  Several of the times that we have sailed in Balcony, Suite, or Haven staterooms we barely used the balcony.  The additional space around the bed, the presence of a sofa, the sometimes larger bathroom, and the additional privileges, amenities, and the occasional extra nights of specialty dining swing the pendulum for us.  We are fortunate enough to be able to afford the more expensive stateroom, so I'm not sure there even is a monetary decision point for us.  Plus, as others have said, we have a Bank of America NCL Master Card which accumulates World Points that can be used for room upgrades.  There is a thread on the CC NCL forum dedicated to this card.  It has over 6,000 posts, so I won't bother to cite the details here.  Suffice it to say that we rarely pay for a Balcony stateroom.  Instead, we pay thousands of dollars less for an Ocean View, then use the card for an upgrade to a Balcony.

 

On some other cruise lines, the relative sizes of Inside, Ocean View, and Balcony staterooms break down differently than they do on NCL.  Inside rooms usually are smaller than any other, of course.  On NCL, though, Ocean View rooms are generally about as cramped as Insides.  On several other lines, Ocean View rooms are much larger, about the same size as Balconies in some cases.  On Celebrity, for example, we have sailed on each of their Edge class ships.  Those ships feature what they call an "Infinite Veranda," which actually is just an Ocean View room, but with a full width, floor to ceiling window.  There is not an actual balcony in those rooms, but the interior room space is about the same as an NCL Balcony stateroom including the actual balcony itself.  We love those rooms, although many complain that there isn't an actual balcony, or veranda as Celebrity calls it.

 

So, would we ever be willing to travel in an Inside room again?  Not unless the floor space were at least as generous as an NCL Balcony stateroom.  The lack of any outside awareness in an Inside room would probably be a deal breaker anyway.  So, maybe an Ocean View?  Probably, but only if the room were at least as large as a standard Balcony room.  That's my two cents worth.  YMMV.

 

Edited May 15 by The Traveling Man

[PartyPlannerLady]

Not only is it nunya, but what "I" would pay is not at all relevant.  All that matters is what YOU would pay.

[CptBoatface]

We would save a lot of we didn't get a balcony, as the Admiral wouldn't go and I wouldn't want to go without her.

[graphicguy]

8 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

No but I've spent many nights camping with the  US Army.

Come to think of it, they didn't offer us any cookies while we were camping out.  The nerve!

[RocketMan275]

7 minutes ago, graphicguy said:

Come to think of it, they didn't offer us any cookies while we were camping out.  The nerve!

Did  you get the warm milk before climbing in your sleeping bag?

[KarlK]

I admit I am a cheapskate. If an Ocean view or a Balcony was a $1.00 more, I would likely pass. Every cruise has been inside. I am up at 5:30, maybe 6AM everyday and leave the room, somedays I do not return till 8-9PM. On Port days I grab Port stuff for 5 minutes and stop in after Port for 10 minutes to drop off goodies, then out again till 8 or 9 (staying up till 10:00 is impossible for me with all that sea air all day). With so little time in my room, a balcony would be wasted.

[ChiefMateJRK]

8 hours ago, RocketMan275 said:

No but I've spent many nights camping with the  US Army.

So those are equivalent?