What's Your Financial Breakpoint In a Balcony?

[The Traveling Man]

5 minutes ago, Russiamomm said:

We’re doing a short five nighter to Bermuda in October.  The difference in cost between a OV and a Club Balcony was less than $300. 

Was that the price per person or the total cost for all persons in the stateroom?  Using points for an upgrade covers all the paying guests in a stateroom.  Still, we usually hold onto our points and only use them when the price difference on a cruise that we find interesting is at least $500, and preferably more than $1000 per person.  That way our $10,000 buys us 30,000 points which are worth at least $2000 in upgrade value, for a return of at least 20%.

[Russiamomm]

7 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

Was that the price per person or the total cost for all persons in the stateroom?  Using points for an upgrade covers all the paying guests in a stateroom. 

Looking at the invoice, it was per person.  We started with a comped inside and paid $315 each for the upgrade to a Club Balcony.  It would have been a little higher for a regular balcony.  It wasn’t worth blowing 60k points for the balcony.

[The Traveling Man]

1 hour ago, Russiamomm said:

Looking at the invoice, it was per person.  We started with a comped inside and paid $315 each for the upgrade to a Club Balcony.  It would have been a little higher for a regular balcony.  It wasn’t worth blowing 60k points for the balcony.

It's a bit unusual for the price difference between Inside and Balcony to be that small, but it does occur sometimes.  In your case it really wouldn't make much sense to use points since it cost so little more to upgrade using cash.  A better choice under the circumstances would be to save the points for an upgrade on a different cruise.

 

The most unusual case we ever encountered was on a 14 day cruise on the Breakaway in 2016.  We originally booked an Inside at a reasonable price.  When fares dropped just after final payment due date, we were able to change our booking to a Balcony for about $75 more.  When the prices dropped again a few days before sailing, we were able to upgrade again, this time to the Haven for another $75.

[MagnoliaBlossom]

You are not limited to particular balconies, you can choose the cabin you like,if it is within your upgrade level.  Meaning, if you book a low level inside or ocean view, you will be limited to a BD or lower.  If I want a BA, depending on the ship, I need to book one of the two highest level cabins.

if you manage to accrue enough points there is even a free cruise option.

 

there is a sticky about theNCL Mastercard if you are interested.

[Riverbound]

Hello,

Ultimately, balcony vs inside is a personal choice. We almost always book inside. Can we afford balcony? Yes. But since we only do 7+ day cruises, the difference is often the price of another cruise and we spend so little time on a balcony, so it doesn't seem like a good value. On our upcoming NCL Northern Europe, a balcony is almost double the cost of an inside. Here are some points to consider that we find helpful:

1) How port intensive is the cruise? Port days are busy - you have little time to enjoy a balcony. 

2) Are you traveling with others? Most balconies are too small to host other guests and thus you are far more likely gather in public spaces if you are with other couples. We generally travel with 2-5 other couples.

3) How's the view? Will you be staring at a horizon where blue sky meets blue sea? Maybe not worth it. Or are you watching glaciers calve or whales breach in Alaska? Worth it. I would always upgrade to a balcony for Alaskan cruises - especially if you are traveling in June when it is daylight at 2am. You're going to use that balcony.

4) How much time do you anticipate using the ship's public places? If you never miss an evening show, love the casino, spend time in the pools/whirlpools daily, and love meeting new people in the pubs and bars - then you'll likely be in your cabin from Midnight-7am. A balcony might be a waste of money that is better used for shore excursions and on-board fun. 

5) Are you on your honeymoon? Private balcony. 

6) How much downtime do you need? If you require regular time away from crowds to recharge, a balcony makes sense. Breakfast or happy hour cocktails & apps delivered to your room and enjoyed on your private balcony would provide the perfect balance to the more people-filled public places on the ship.
7) Do you suffer from claustrophobia or motion sickness? I understand that a room with view is pretty helpful for these conditions.

 

Hope this helps! Happy Cruising.

[cruiseny4life]

25 minutes ago, Riverbound said:

Hello,

Ultimately, balcony vs inside is a personal choice. We almost always book inside. Can we afford balcony? Yes. But since we only do 7+ day cruises, the difference is often the price of another cruise and we spend so little time on a balcony, so it doesn't seem like a good value. On our upcoming NCL Northern Europe, a balcony is almost double the cost of an inside. Here are some points to consider that we find helpful:

1) How port intensive is the cruise? Port days are busy - you have little time to enjoy a balcony. 

2) Are you traveling with others? Most balconies are too small to host other guests and thus you are far more likely gather in public spaces if you are with other couples. We generally travel with 2-5 other couples.

3) How's the view? Will you be staring at a horizon where blue sky meets blue sea? Maybe not worth it. Or are you watching glaciers calve or whales breach in Alaska? Worth it. I would always upgrade to a balcony for Alaskan cruises - especially if you are traveling in June when it is daylight at 2am. You're going to use that balcony.

4) How much time do you anticipate using the ship's public places? If you never miss an evening show, love the casino, spend time in the pools/whirlpools daily, and love meeting new people in the pubs and bars - then you'll likely be in your cabin from Midnight-7am. A balcony might be a waste of money that is better used for shore excursions and on-board fun. 

5) Are you on your honeymoon? Private balcony. 

6) How much downtime do you need? If you require regular time away from crowds to recharge, a balcony makes sense. Breakfast or happy hour cocktails & apps delivered to your room and enjoyed on your private balcony would provide the perfect balance to the more people-filled public places on the ship.
7) Do you suffer from claustrophobia or motion sickness? I understand that a room with view is pretty helpful for these conditions.

 

Hope this helps! Happy Cruising.

Great points for those wondering to consider! I certainly answer your questions differently - as in a balcony is vital to my enjoyment. I understand where you/others have different feelings. Yay for variety, eh?

 

Consider my counterpoints in which I mean no disrespect, nor are they a challenge to your very valid answers! Just my simple man's opinion.

 

1. I want to drink an espresso on my balcony in the morning. And, some water in the evening while enjoying sail away and/or the sunset.

2. Agree with you on this one, unless in some of the specific suites with large balconies.

3. I love all the views. The blue ocean. The gray skies. The scenery. The night sky. Sunsets. Sunrises.

4. Quite a lot, but still enjoy my balcony.

5. I hope my honeymoon was a one and done! Anniversaries, however...

6. So much. So much! I don't like masses of humanity.

7. Nope. Still love the balcony though. 🙂 

[slidemaster5]

1 hour ago, Riverbound said:

Hello,

Ultimately, balcony vs inside is a personal choice. We almost always book inside. Can we afford balcony? Yes. But since we only do 7+ day cruises, the difference is often the price of another cruise and we spend so little time on a balcony, so it doesn't seem like a good value. On our upcoming NCL Northern Europe, a balcony is almost double the cost of an inside. Here are some points to consider that we find helpful:

1) How port intensive is the cruise? Port days are busy - you have little time to enjoy a balcony. 

2) Are you traveling with others? Most balconies are too small to host other guests and thus you are far more likely gather in public spaces if you are with other couples. We generally travel with 2-5 other couples.

3) How's the view? Will you be staring at a horizon where blue sky meets blue sea? Maybe not worth it. Or are you watching glaciers calve or whales breach in Alaska? Worth it. I would always upgrade to a balcony for Alaskan cruises - especially if you are traveling in June when it is daylight at 2am. You're going to use that balcony.

4) How much time do you anticipate using the ship's public places? If you never miss an evening show, love the casino, spend time in the pools/whirlpools daily, and love meeting new people in the pubs and bars - then you'll likely be in your cabin from Midnight-7am. A balcony might be a waste of money that is better used for shore excursions and on-board fun. 

5) Are you on your honeymoon? Private balcony. 

6) How much downtime do you need? If you require regular time away from crowds to recharge, a balcony makes sense. Breakfast or happy hour cocktails & apps delivered to your room and enjoyed on your private balcony would provide the perfect balance to the more people-filled public places on the ship.
7) Do you suffer from claustrophobia or motion sickness? I understand that a room with view is pretty helpful for these conditions.

 

Hope this helps! Happy Cruising.

 

Since our preferences are the opposite, I will share my points:

 

1. We go on trips to relax so we are spending time in the room regardless of itinerary so it will never be a small room and will have a balcony. Again, personal preference.

2. This one I would agree with unless we go wanted to host the group and go large.

3. I like watching the ocean, so the views are worth it. If I didn't like the ocean I would fly. 

4. Outside of the gym and dining, just a few shows. No to the casino, whirlpool, bars. We would never meet on a cruise lol.

5. When we had our honeymoon the ships probably still had sails. 

6. Not sure what recharge aspect means. I don't want crowds because I don't want lines. I am circumventing this by whatever means necessary.

7. I ask wife what she wants. The reply will never be inside cabin.

[carohs]

1. We spend much about the same time in our room/balcony on a port day or sea day, so not a big factor. Port day excursions are replaced by sea day activities. 

2. for sure

3. I would much rather look at blue horizons than sit outside on a cold Alaskan day. Yay for differing preferences 🙂

4. Varies

5. Does one really need a balcony for bow chica wow wow? 🤣 JK, JK. 

6. As an introvert I appreciate getting away, but that can be in the room as well as outside as well as at a poolside lounger with my nose in a book

7. does not apply

[The Traveling Man]

@Riverbound @cruiseny4life @slidemaster5 @carohs

On many NCL ships, the interior size (not counting the balcony itself) on standard Balcony staterooms is about 40 to 100 square feet larger than Ocean View or Inside staterooms on the same ship.  Balconies also include a sofa which usually is not available on I or OV cabins.  For us, the extra space is the deal breaker for not sailing I or OV.  The lack of outside awareness Inside is another major hurdle for us.  Whether we actually make use of the balcony or not, the extra space makes it worthwhile for us to sail in a Balcony room.  On some other cruise ships, such as Celebrity Edge class ships, rooms without a balcony are about the same size as an NCL Balcony stateroom.  They also include a sofa.  We're quite happy to forego an actual outside area on those ships while enjoying the extra space.  A number of frequent posters, such as @ChiefMateJRK, have made it clear over the years that they don't value that extra space as much as we do.  As many others have said, it's a personal choice, so YMMV.

[Ozmodiar]

I prefer a balcony, but I don't need it, so I tend to book an inside room but track the pricing on the balcony rooms - if the balcony prices drop so that upgrading is in the $25 to $50 a day range, I seriously consider it. And for many unique and off-peak itineraries the balcony price may dip to allow that.

 

The times I most seriously consider it are for longer cruises (10 days or more) with multiple sea days - the balcony itself provides a way to be outside and experience the sea without being in a crowd, and the extra space in the room helps as I find I choose more "cabin time" as the cruise continues and have experienced most of the ship offerings at least once.

 

I do have a different take than some, which is that the balcony is actually restrictive when doing scenic cruising - if in Glacier Bay for instance, you want to be on deck so you can get the panorama and be able to move around if something worth seeing is on the other side of the ship. I wouldn't drive though Yellowstone only looking out one side of the car...

 

 

[Riverbound]

This is a great topic! And simply balcony vs inside does not take in what we really investigate when booking, and that is location of the room.

 

As some have said, balcony cabins can be larger. But this is not always true. Careful research can uncover unusually large inside cabins - we love the insides on Holland that include corner couches!  

As far as location, we avoid embarkation floors, especially on port intensive sailings as your hallway can get clogged with queues of folks waiting to get off the ship. Along with making it difficult to get out of your own room, it can be noisy.

We also avoid close proximity to elevators & restrooms and we try to be sandwiched between two "cabin-only" floors.

 

I like to be mid-ship, (up, down & bow, aft). I find it more convenient to get to everything. 

 

Another plus for the Balcony side of the spreadsheet is watching the ship dock. We frequently travel with another couple and the husband loves to watch the ship dock, which is generally very early in the morning. So a balcony and lots of room service coffee is his nom. 

[slidemaster5]

15 hours ago, The Traveling Man said:

@Riverbound @cruiseny4life @slidemaster5 @carohs

On many NCL ships, the interior size (not counting the balcony itself) on standard Balcony staterooms is about 40 to 100 square feet larger than Ocean View or Inside staterooms on the same ship.  Balconies also include a sofa which usually is not available on I or OV cabins.  For us, the extra space is the deal breaker for not sailing I or OV.  The lack of outside awareness Inside is another major hurdle for us.  Whether we actually make use of the balcony or not, the extra space makes it worthwhile for us to sail in a Balcony room.  On some other cruise ships, such as Celebrity Edge class ships, rooms without a balcony are about the same size as an NCL Balcony stateroom.  They also include a sofa.  We're quite happy to forego an actual outside area on those ships while enjoying the extra space.  A number of frequent posters, such as @ChiefMateJRK, have made it clear over the years that they don't value that extra space as much as we do.  As many others have said, it's a personal choice, so YMMV.

 

Totally agree this thread is YMMV and I enjoy other's point of views as long as they are respectful of opinions. (I've been on this site a few months and see the occasional "if you do X you are WASTING MONEY etc.). 

 

As I mention we view the cabin as more than a place to sleep and treat it as such. We have friends who always "squeeze the toothpaste on both ends" and do as much as they can on vacation. As I previously posted we enjoy the journey as much as the destination. I never did one, but I remember 30 or so years ago when "cruises to nowhere" were popular. We would probably enjoy them. Ironically, DHS has banned them anyway. 

 

Can we now talk about whether to fly coach, premium or first class to the port? lol.

 

 

[Asawi]

12 minutes ago, slidemaster5 said:

 

Can we now talk about whether to fly coach, premium or first class to the port? lol.

 

And how much to pay for the hotel when arriving the day before embarking? 😄 

 

(Me? I fly coach and try not to pay more than $100 for a room. Try...)

 

[DorothyB]

I sail balcony only (or suite) now.  I fly business class for any flight over a couple of hours (and maybe shorter).  I go with the least expensive hotel that is safe and clean.

[Bubbeh]

11 hours ago, slidemaster5 said:

Can we now talk about whether to fly coach, premium or first class to the port? lol.

My rule of thumb is to fly economy domestically and up to 5 hours internationally.  Anything over 5 hours and I'm a business class passenger.  

[Bubbeh]

10 hours ago, Asawi said:

And how much to pay for the hotel when arriving the day before embarking? 😄 

 

(Me? I fly coach and try not to pay more than $100 for a room. Try...)

 

If only I could find a decent hotel room for $100!  My limit is probably around the $300-$350 mark.

[MohrPfun]

Yeah, the hotel part is a whole ‘ other story.

 

In Anchorage next month, decent properties are north of $400/nt.  I thankfully had enough Hilton points to use for that, which worked out to be a great redemption.

[The Traveling Man]

2 hours ago, MohrPfun said:

Yeah, the hotel part is a whole ‘ other story.

 

In Anchorage next month, decent properties are north of $400/nt.  I thankfully had enough Hilton points to use for that, which worked out to be a great redemption.

Both my wife and I used to travel extensively for business, especially her.  We received tons of frequent flyer, rental car, and hotel loyalty points, so we often use them for upgrades or free hotel nights.  We rarely fly coach on flights over three hours and we rarely stay at anything other than major hotel chains.  If we had to pay cash for everything, we might consider more economical travel.  Fortunately, we usually don't have to make that choice.

[astera]

On 5/17/2024 at 6:54 AM, Bubbeh said:

Wouldn't even consider anything other than a balcony cabin.  Once did a cruise on a small ship with no balcony's, somehow kneeling on the bed while struggling to see our to a port hole just doesn't compare to walking out onto a balcony.   If I couldn't afford one, I simply would not book.   

 

I tend to usually book balcony but there are times I would (and have) considered an outside cabin, namely when there's a ship+dates+itinerary that I really like over everything else but for some reason the prices for balcony cabins and above is through the roof (even though an outside cabin is still decently-priced).

 

Pricing can be completely haywire, and as others have mentioned it can even be completely illogical at times: a higher-class cabin priced less than a lower cabin.

 

To me the difference between outside and balcony is worth around 25-30%. So if the balcony cabin is priced at 10/15/20% extra then it's a no-brainer. 25-30% and I'll still consider it. But once it shoots up into the 40/50%+ range the value just disappears, at least for me. Especially for small balconies without deckchairs...

[ChiefMateJRK]

5 hours ago, astera said:

Especially for small balconies without deckchairs...

They have balconies without any chairs?  Which ship?

[Asawi]

5 hours ago, astera said:

Especially for small balconies without deckchairs...

 

18 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said:

They have balconies without any chairs?  Which ship?

While both balconies I have had (Gem and Dawn) had chairs, none of them had deckchairs.

Edited May 25 by Asawi

[ChiefMateJRK]

I didn't realize that all chairs on a ship's deck were not deck chairs.  I guess I learned something on the internet today! 😎

[Bubbeh]

10 hours ago, astera said:

Especially for small balconies without deckchairs.

Never heard of that, as ChiefMateJRL says, which ship?

[MohrPfun]

Oh c’mon people, enough with the chair nonsense.

 

Most of us know that the term deckchair is the English version of lounger.

 

https://www.fritzhansen.com/en/categories/by-series/steamerdeckchair/steamer-deck-chair?sku=S1550505

 

What’s funny is that nowadays, the term deckchair is usually referring to those hideous canvas strap models:

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deckchair

 

So no, NCL doesn’t use either model any longer, but on the larger private balconies (suites) you may have loungers and you may also have chairs, as NCL doesn’t use the term deckchairs for either of those two options that they provide.

 

Does that help everyone…?

 

 

[ChiefMateJRK]

20 minutes ago, MohrPfun said:

Most of us know that the term deckchair is the English version of lounger.

I didn't!

20 minutes ago, MohrPfun said:

Does that help everyone…?

No.  Google beat you to it.  Nice try though.🤣