Jump to content

Balcony or no Balcony on World Cruise


dee66
 Share

Recommended Posts

I am curious to hear from people who booked a balcony on a world cruise and their opinions on if it was worth it. Also, looking forward to hearing from people who booked an inside or ocean view room and regretted not booking the balcony in hindsight.

 

Thank you in advance for your thoughts and opinions.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just booked an inside cabin on HAL Amsterdam for 50-day GWV from Hong Kong to FLL. We usually book inside cabins except for outside view cabins on two past cruises.

 

We have been avoiding balconies because of the adage: "Once you try balcony, you never go back".

 

But MSC just upgraded us from an OV to a balcony on the Splendida, so we'll try not to enjoy it too much. ;-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a balcony on my first WV (Cunard) and loved it. I would try to spend some time each morning when I got up and each evening before I went to bed at least.

 

Unfortunately on my next WV (HAL) the balconies are much more expensive so I am settling for an ocean view.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a balcony on my World Cruise on Cunard's Queen Victoria in 2014. I felt it was deffently worth it. I enjoyed being on the balcony going in & out of ports. I would always have room service on those mornings.

 

I spent most of the time as we went through fiords in South America & New Zeland along with the Panama Canal. The weather was so nice we were lucky enough to go around the entire island of Cape Horn.

 

Seeing these views on the he balcony was worth every penny spent. I'm not one for crowds and the public decks were crowded during these events.

 

Save your money so you can enjoy a balcony.

 

Don

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

I am retired Senior who now pays for all her cruises. I would rather be on an Inside on a better cruise line, long or short cruise, than a balcony on say a CCL, NCL or RCL I have always done this. Check out the savings. Its your dollar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been on two lengthy cruises, a 4-month world cruise and a 72- day grand voyage, on two different lines. Sailed with a friend on both, and had a balcony on both. I would say it was worth it on the world cruise, but not on the grand voyage. Not because of the length of the cruise, but because of the following factors:

 

1. Culture of the ships. On the grand voyage, most of the passengers gathered on the top deck for sailaways, so that was a more desirable place to be than my own balcony, where I could see only one side of the ship and where there was not much mingling. On the world cruise, no central gathering point ever developed.

 

2. What deck you are on. The higher up you are, the better your view in port (you are more likely to be able to see over the terminal building), and the less the sea spray when at sea. Of course, the higher you are, the more you pay. And the tougher on your system if you're prone to seasickness.

 

3. How pretty are your ports. If you have a lot of industrial ports, you won't be wanting to hang on the balcony. Hint: the more exotic the itinerary, the more industrial the ports.

 

4. Ocean crossings. You will not spend any time on your balcony during ocean crossings if you're on a lower deck, because you'll be getting sea spray the whole time. Yuck. So if your vision of your trip is a book on the balcony on sea days, fuggitaboutit.

 

5. Ports. When we docked, being on a lower deck, we had a prime view of the terminal building in most ports. Not very pretty. When we dropped anchor, we tended to have a lovely view. For us, the grand voyage was on a small ship, so we docked most of the time and thus had a lousy view. For the world cruise, the ship was not huge, but was large enough (about 1,000 pax) that we anchored more often. We were anchored in Sydney harbor, for example. The tendering experience there was one of the worst I've ever seen, but we were there for a couple of nights, and sitting on that balcony at night with that view made the balcony so worthwhile.

 

6. Weather. Both trips spent a lot of time in stinkin' hot climates. Not a lot of balcony usage there.

 

7. Reasons to quickly pop outside. It's nice to have a balcony to step out in your robe to check the weather for yourself, or to go look at the dolphins or whales that you just heard are on your side of the ship. If you have to dash out to a deck, you'll likely miss them.

 

For us, the price differential between the non-balcony cabins and the lowest-priced balcony was not that big, particularly in the context of the big price tag on the cruise altogether. And both were ships where there was only one class of non-balcony cabin. Had the differential been greater, and knowing what I know now, I might skip the balcony on both. But you have to decide for yourself how important the factors above are to you. It's the value TO YOU that matters.

Edited by wishIwerecruisin'
left something out
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We rarely get a balcony and next year we have an inside on both the WC and four months on the Prinsendam. I enjoy them when we have them but find we seldom use them. Given the price difference on longer voyages we are fine inside.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 months later...

Personally, I truly dislike traditional inside cabins (though Promenade View can be fun) but I do have a suggestion: why not save some money and book an ocean view cabin. You can get great views and not be locked inside a large closet!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, I truly dislike traditional inside cabins (though Promenade View can be fun) but I do have a suggestion: why not save some money and book an ocean view cabin. You can get great views and not be locked inside a large closet!

 

I can only agree with you:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

For a WC, you will be at sea many days, which usually means no balcony time (too windy, etc.) Once in port, we're off (usually) and if there are sights to see, I can use the Promenade Deck, etc. But main thing for us is to be LOW and CENTER for a WC. Where we're crossing a lot of potentially heavy seas, I know I'm more comfortable there. We had friends on an upper deck who were getting seasick, came down to us on the low level and couldn't believe the lack of motion...so for us...it's an OV on this WC to hopefully be more comfortable. Other times we like verandahs just fine...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ocean crossings. You will not spend any time on your balcony during ocean crossings if you're on a lower deck' date=' because you'll be getting sea spray the whole time.[/quote']

 

 

I disagree with this. I've had a balcony, minisuite or full suite cabin for the past 10 years and have never felt any "sea spray." And I'm always in a lower level cabin. No issues with wind either as I get a mid ship to aft cabin. I've also done 3 ocean crossings and no issues.

 

I cannot cruise without a balcony; need fresh air, meals out there, relax alone, spend time watching the gorgeous world go by. Even in Alaska I sat out on the balcony, wrapped in a blanket with a hot chocolate, watching the glaciers and bergy bits float by. Doesn't get any better. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

I've never had an inside cabin, but since I tend toward claustrophobia, I think it would be rather like the 9th circle of hell. When we first started cruising, we always did ocean view staterooms. As our discretionary income level rose, we decided to try a balcony.

 

There is no going back.

 

Some people are energized by crowds and excitement and we enjoy them in small doses. But we've learned that after socializing for a while, we need a chance to be alone to recharge. A balcony provides that lovely private space.

 

We just booked a BF balcony (yeah, that's the cheapest one) for the 2018 Princess World Cruise. We weren't able to choose a specific cabin, so we'll probably end up over a loud late night venue or near a door that leads to the crew smoking area, but it will have a balcony.

 

Which is all we need.

 

Think about how you rejuvenate yourself when you're on land. How can you replicate your personal "charging station" on the ship? That might help you figure out if a balcony is worth the extra $ to you.

 

Join us on our WC by following my RoundTheWorldWriter blog!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

I enjoy having a balcony. I'll sit, read, watch the ocean and sky for hours. It gives me a calm, peaceful feeling. I love being with people, but I do that a lot on land, being at sea is a time to recharge. We'll see how it goes on our long WC!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had a balcony on our QM2 world cruise in 2016. We wanted the extra space, somewhere to escape from the crowds (or each other!), and we love having room service breakfasts with a view too. I would go for it if the budget allows without a doubt.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...