Tell me about Balconies!

[AZDCruiser]

We have our first Balcony in December and I swear I'm sitting here daydreaming of listening to the ocean at night, having breakfast and looking out at the ocean/sun, sipping cocktails before dinner...with my hubby.

 

Tell me what you like best about balconies and if you'll ever go back to inside or oceanview?

I don't know if I will be able to and I haven't even experienced it yet!:eek:

[Spurs Fans]

Now, here's the problem. From now on, you will have to spend the extra money for the balcony. You will never go back!!

[Toddcan]

1st cruise, we had an inside cabin. We loved the cruise.

 

2nd cruise, we booked a balcony. It's honestly twice the cruise!!! It's ten times as important if you have a day or two at sea.

 

Waking up in the morning as you are pulling into port:

Without balcony, you have to get dressed, run up to a deck to watch the sail in.

With balcony: Open your door, step out into the morning air, watch the sunrise, etc. Heaven!

 

Relaxing time:

Without balcony: Watch the TV, read , etc.

With balcony: Step outside to a whole new world... if you are at port, you can see the port (some good- some not so good). If you are at sea, watch the waves.. it's like watching a campfire.. very relaxing!

 

Personally, I will not book another cruise without a balcony unless I find myself severely strapped for cash at a time when I feel I MUST take a cruise.

[Sue L]

1st 5 cruises we had OV's which were very nice and then we were the victims of a conspiracy. Yes, the cruiseline plotted against us, bamboozled us and took advantage of our good nature. How you say??

 

They gave us a free upgrade to a balcony for the same price as the OV. Did we grab it? Of course, but now I can't sail without one. They knew what they were doing, they got us hooked and now we spend more $$$ just to have that balcony!!!!

[isujim]

Just wait until you get your first suite.............;)

[newbeestl]

Those are the reasons I'll never book one! :D

[karena1]

Same for us, we always had inside until last year on the Serenade. Will never go back to an inside after having the balcony. What we liked most about it, was late at night, before we went to bed, we would sit out there and just have a drink, and talk about what a wonderful day we had. It is nice to get comfy and just relax.

 

DH loved it in the mornings while I was at the gym. he would have his coffee and enjoy coming into the ports. He would go up on deck for a while and then come back and sit at the balcony until I got back from my workout and then we would get ready to leave the ship.

 

Total night and day for the experience. Now that we can afford to do the balcony, we will not go back. You will be hooked!!!!

[IBookHePays]

Coffee tastes better on a balcony, and so does wine. You feel richer, smarter, and better looking. Other people notice it, too, and remark how good you look. And you've never had such a good time painting your toenails, or doing nothing at all. It's just a "life enhancer"!!!:) :D

[la_croisiere_s'amuse]

Well, I freely admit that my position on balconies is pretty extreme . . . but we honestly would rather not cruise at all than cruise without a balcony. Whenever somebody says it's not worth it because they don't spend that much time in their room anyway, I want to say, "Of course you don't! You don't have a balcony!" :D Okay, so maybe I'm joking about that part. ;) I do realize that people cruise for different reasons, and some people always want to be out & about, regardless of what type of cabin they have.

 

However, for us, cruising isn't about rock climbing or playing bingo or baking in the sun. It's about escaping our responsibilities and enjoying time alone together. That doesn't mean that we never leave our room, but we do spend hours & hours on our balcony. That's why we always book suites: so we can have our own little private haven on the open seas. :) Without at least a balcony cabin, you have to either forgo the "private" part, or not really take advantage of the "open seas" part. :o

[MINIDRVR]

Our very first cruise last year (for 40th Anniv) we booked the balcony stateroom......wanted the room to seem bigger.....and there is no way we would ever want an inside room...:eek: if you watch the on-line TA's you can book some really good rates if you catch them in time......loved it, loved it, loved it:D .........did I mention it made the cruise and we just loved it:D :D

[drifting_away]

Balconies are a must. One word of warning though. That first morning you wake up and run out on your balcony to take a picture of the port, your camera will fog up, so will your sunglasses and all surfaces in your cabin, so just plan on about 5 minutes or so to let the lense acclimate itself to the humidity.

 

The best thing about a balcony is sitting out at night and watching the moon dance on the water......:rolleyes:

 

Enjoy;)

[Marley-Bop]

1st 5 cruises we had OV's which were very nice and then we were the victims of a conspiracy. Yes, the cruiseline plotted against us, bamboozled us and took advantage of our good nature. How you say??

 

They gave us a free upgrade to a balcony for the same price as the OV. Did we grab it? Of course, but now I can't sail without one. They knew what they were doing, they got us hooked and now we spend more $$$ just to have that balcony!!!!

 

 

Hi Sue

 

They got us the same way, we got a free upgrade from an OV to a balcony on our first cruise IN 3 DAYS TIME!!!!. Before we have even taken this cruise we have booked our next and guess what?? We booked and paid for a balcony. I really cant imagine going back after being spoilt on that first one. I have become a balcony snob even before my first cruise...CLEVER CLEVER CLEVER RCCL :D :) :D

 

Chubbas XX

[onecruisenewbie]

We just got back from our first cruise on Adventure of the Seas and we had the balcony....NO WAY WILL WE EVER BOOK AN INSIDE STATEROOM!!! The view from the balcony was incredible and it was really nice being able to relax on the balcony after dinner.

 

Char

[vickiw0318]

Minidrvr just mentioned one of the many things I like about balconies. The room does seem much bigger. We've done quite a bit of winter cruising out of Galveston and the first hours at sea can be somewhat nippy. So, we pull the curtains open and enjoy a floor length vista of nothing but ocean. Your small cabin seems to go on forever.

 

Now, I've/we've gotten addicted to aft balconies. Do I mind the walk? No! Do I love watching the wake? Yes.

 

DD and I had an aft wraparound on our last Rhapsody cruise. It was truly huge - the best private sundeck ever for when you didn't want to suck in your tummy and head up to the pool. She also slept later than I did so it was easy to hang out (literally and figuratively) there waiting for her to get up.

 

In short, you will love it!

[asilde]

The shame I feel....I have an inside not to mention its on deck 3.... I have always had a balcony and I know I going to miss it horribly. I just needed to take a cruise!!!! It only a five night too....I must have been

desperate.

[Sue L]

Hi Sue

 

They got us the same way, we got a free upgrade from an OV to a balcony on our first cruise IN 3 DAYS TIME!!!!. Before we have even taken this cruise we have booked our next and guess what?? We booked and paid for a balcony. I really cant imagine going back after being spoilt on that first one. I have become a balcony snob even before my first cruise...CLEVER CLEVER CLEVER RCCL :D :) :D

 

Chubbas XX

 

 

Ours was actually a couple of day promotion with Princess, you had to book a certain level OV which we would have anyways and they gave you a balcony of your choice.

 

But that is bad that you are hooked on a balcony before you have even sailed once. Have a wonderful,wonderful first cruise and we expect a full report when you get back!!!!!

[CLQ]

And we know it's going to be painful. I'm sure someone who's never had a balcony but who has chosen to read the thread will nail one of us eventually for talking about our balcony addictions. We admit we're addicted. In fact, EBQ has added the "Balcony Snob" tag to her signature. We're twisting and contorting our minds to rationalize why on this short, last-minute cruise it's really going to be okay to be without a balcony. I don't think we're fooling ourselves.

[snwarf]

Well' date=' I freely admit that my position on balconies is pretty extreme . . . but we honestly would rather not cruise at all than cruise without a balcony. Whenever somebody says it's not worth it because they don't spend that much time in their room anyway, I want to say, "Of course you don't! You don't have a balcony!" :D Okay, so maybe I'm joking about that part. ;) I do realize that people cruise for different reasons, and some people always want to be out & about, regardless of what type of cabin they have.

 

However, for us, cruising isn't about rock climbing or playing bingo or baking in the sun. It's about escaping our responsibilities and enjoying time alone together. That doesn't mean that we [b']never[/b] leave our room, but we do spend hours & hours on our balcony. That's why we always book suites: so we can have our own little private haven on the open seas. :) Without at least a balcony cabin, you have to either forgo the "private" part, or not really take advantage of the "open seas" part. :o

 

This is exactly how my husband and I feel about vacations in general. This being our first cruise, his 41st birthday, and our 10 year anniversary, we decided to upgrade to a GS. We plan on spending lots of time on the balcony just escaping from the world.

[Trainman-2]

I shot this short low quality video of the ocean from our balcony cabin 6328 on the Mariner a few weeks ago. We love the sound of the ocean and the waves breaking as the ship moves through the water.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkWdA1hmRII :D

[sasa]

We started out in inside cabins, then went to outside cabins, finally our first balcony, and last year our first suite. Having a balcony completely changed the cruising experience for us. The cabin feels larger and airier, it's the best place to relax (even if your teeth aren't brushed or your hair combed), and my favorite place for breakfast.

 

Only once have I been disappointed and that was an evening before dinner while we were trying to enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset. Our next door neighbors, whom we didn't know, argued for an hour and a half with their balcony door open. We talked louder so they would know others could hear them, but to no avail. Ugh...

[MikeNJ1109]

My wife and I both agree that even the cheapest, least expensive balcony stateroom is better then the most expensive inside or ocean view room. We don't need a suite, or the Concierge Lounge, or any of those other trappings, but the balcony is an absolute necessity. For us, we leave the sliding door to the balcony open just a bit at night to let the sound of the waves lull us to sleep...it's better then a glass of a fine wine or spirit.

 

Michael & Silke

Explorer of the Seas 1999

Brilliance of the Seas 2003

Mariner of the Seas 2003

Voyager of the Seas 2005

Liberty of the Seas, October 2007

[cb at sea]

Not having a balcony is like going to Vegas and not staying on the "Strip"! Sure, you can do it and save money, but what's the point!????

We won't even book a cruise on a ship if we can't get a balcony (actually, a JS!) When I'm on vacation, I don't want to stay in the equivilant of a Motel 8!!!

[Gonzo70]

I have had balconies on two cruises (one I paid for, one via an upgrade) and inside cabins on the other two. Although I definitely enjoyed the balcony, I would not hesitate to book an inside cabin again unless the balcony cabin was only slightly more expensive. I just did not use the balcony enough to justify spending a few hundred more dollars.

[AZDCruiser]

Oh thanks everyone..I'm even more excited now. December cannot come fast enough!

 

Someone mentioned online TA for good prices...what is that? I'm guessing online Travel agent, but what exactly is that and how do you find them.

[Sally Forth]

Coffee tastes better on a balcony, and so does wine. You feel richer, smarter, and better looking. Other people notice it, too, and remark how good you look. And you've never had such a good time painting your toenails, or doing nothing at all. It's just a "life enhancer"!!!:) :D

Corner aft balcony is the ultimate to me. I am a bit "fluffy" with fair skin and I'd rather soak up the sun on the balcony and just shift my lounge chair to get in or out of the sun. Nobody bothers me, nobody steals the chair, nobody plays music I don't like, and every now and then DH comes to the cabin with a cold beer. How can you beat that?

 

Also DH is a runner, and we neatly place his sweaty stuff out on the balcony to drip.

 

On our TA's suggestion, I had an oceanview suite without a balcony when I went to Norway with my mom and that worked well. We could sit next to the floor to ceiling window and look out without getting too chilly. There is a slight obstruction from the overhang on balconies and this gave us a clearer view.

 

Viv