Aft Balcony for Northern Europe?

It's really hard to imagine an aft balcony. We love our balcony and spend a good amount of time on it, and I'm trying to decide whether it's worth it to pay extra for an aft balcony, specifically for a Northern Europe cruise -- Bergen, Alesund, Iceland and British Isles.

The advantage seems to be that you can see both port and starboard, but the disadvantage seems to be that you can't lean forward and see where you're going. It seems like it would feel weird. We've stood on the upper decks of the stern of ships before, but that's a bit different because you can see 360 degrees.

I know that people swear by aft balconies, but I'd just like a little bit of the pros and cons, especially for the fjords in the two Norwegian cities and for the other parts of the itinerary. Not concerned with extra motion or engine rumbling in the stern, just mainly concerned with the views and experience in the balcony. Thanks very much in advance.

We're doing a TA from Copenhagen to NY via Iceland and Greenland in an aft next month. If you can wait a bit to make your decision we'll let you know what we thought of the experience. We've been in an aft one time before in the Mediterranean but did not have much time to spend on the verandah. This cruise we have 7 sea days including some "scenic" cruising days so we shall see.

This issue of the pros and cons of aft balconies applies worldwide, not just in the Baltic. Yes, you can't see forward, but you can see far more aft than any port or starboard balcony. Bear in mind, the scenery IS NOT different if you are port or starboard, from being aft, you just see more of it.

Overall, from many years on Cruise Critic, I see very few people not happy with aft balconies. On some ships, the aft corner balconies are some of the biggest on the ships. We have done a couple, and enjoyed them. We have one booked for next March (in the Caribbean).

It is all personal preference.

We are looking forward to our aft balcony on our upcoming Baltic cruise. I would think that there will be more shelter from the wind while the ship is moving. I love aft balconies but have only ever had them on hot weather cruises. I saw a whale rise up in the wake from mine in the Caribbean. :)

We just had an aft S2 on our Baltic Cruise and while it was fine, I wouldn't do another aft, especially on a warmer cruise as there's very little protection from the sun/rain. The scenery was pretty, but I can just as easily go up to the Sunset Bar and watch the same view (actually wider angle) from there. It's a long walk to the midship stairs/elevator from there and it gets old after a few days.

Northern Europe will be cold at any time of year, so the amount of time you can and will want to spend on your balcony may be less than on other itineraries.

I sailed the Norwegian Fjords last June in a balcony and I think the money was misspent. I'm cruising the Baltics next month and decided not to go for a balcony.

If your ship has good outdoor space and a wrap around promenade deck, your money may be better spent elsewhere.

I live in Denmark and this summer it's been mostly too cold and windy to sit on my balcony at home, let alone a balcony at sea.

Weather is a chance you take. It is just like here in Scotland. We had a heatwave May/June but since then it has been mixed. I am expecting it to be the same on our Baltic cruise. My daughter did the cruise in August a few years ago and had scorching weather all the way. We will be prepared for anything.

Northern Europe will be cold at any time of year, so the amount of time you can and will want to spend on your balcony may be less than on other itineraries.

 

I sailed the Norwegian Fjords last June in a balcony and I think the money was misspent. I'm cruising the Baltics next month and decided not to go for a balcony.

 

If your ship has good outdoor space and a wrap around promenade deck, your money may be better spent elsewhere.

 

I live in Denmark and this summer it's been mostly too cold and windy to sit on my balcony at home, let alone a balcony at sea.

On the other hand I'd say an aft balcony would then be my choice because the wind is much less. I personally love to sit outside on the balcony even when the weather is cold if it's not too windy. We had an aft balcony, for example, during our cruise to Antarctica - absolutely perfect - we were able to sit outside on the balcony wrapped in a blanket, enjoying the sunshine and didn't have the wind to consider.

Thanks for the great perspectives all.

We're doing a TA from Copenhagen to NY via Iceland and Greenland in an aft next month. If you can wait a bit to make your decision we'll let you know what we thought of the experience. We've been in an aft one time before in the Mediterranean but did not have much time to spend on the verandah. This cruise we have 7 sea days including some "scenic" cruising days so we shall see.

Yes please, it would be great if you happen to remember.

We did an aft balcony on the BI cruise we did with Princess and it turned out to be one of the highlights of our cruise. We had two staterooms at the back and the divider was open. Our balcony was large enough for two chaise lounges and a 4-person table/chairs, plus then the two chairs on the kids balcony. We had dinner out there at least twice, and ended up bundled up in blankets on the chaise lounges with a bottle of wine on more than half the evenings after dinner, just watching the scenery go by (and the late sunsets helped a lot with that.) Our DS would bring us a couple of slices of pizza or some dessert treats so we had our own "butler" service. We loved that we could see everything on both sides....even if it was after the ship had passed. So here's a vote for your aft!