Is balcony a must?

Is a balcony on a 7 nights Northbound Alaska and Hubbard Glacier itinerary a must vs an oceanview cabin? We will be on the correct (starboard) side of the ship regardless. Thanks.

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Depends on you. I spent most of my cruising time on deck so that I could see what was going on both sides of the ship.

There is no "correct" side of the ship to be on. The scenery is not so limited, or specialized that there is one magic spot to see the sights.

No, a balcony is not a "must". There is a good amount of open deck on most (you don't tell us a ship) ships, plus there are lounges and other indoor areas with larger viewing windows.

Far too much emphasis is placed on the " best" or "correct" side of the ship.

Choose what works best for you personally. Many have their own preferences ... mine is a (JS) balcony mid-ship usually port side on deck 9. Enjoy the 7 nighter northbound on ROS...a favorite of ours.

If your budget is limited and you would have to cut back on shore excursions then save the money. My experience is we enjoy the most views by getting out on the open decks.

If it does fit within your budget it is always nice to have but really not a must.

As to side, we no longer concern ourselves with which side of the ship we are on.

Keith

My husband and I actually prefer and inside cabin and 50% of our cruises have been inside. For my first Alaskan cruise last May 2017 I originally booked and inside cabin but after speaking with several other cruises that have been to Alaska previously they stated that we should have a balcony cabin at least for the for time. I changed my cabin to a balcony and I don't regret at all. It stay light outside until at least 11:00 am so we enjoyed being in our cabin and looking at side at all of the beauty. I did book another Alaska cruise in May 2018 and again I chose a balcony. It is really true that you spend very little time in your cabin but when we did the scenic cruising it was wonderful to not have to fight for a place so see the scenery. We stayed on our balcony and listened to the Naturalist describe what we were seeing. Very interesting. If you choose an inside cabin your cruise will be just as nice anyway. You can go to all the public areas on the ship and see everything.

Balcony is not a must for us for Alaska, just preferred like in any destination. For glacier viewing, we stay at the open deck for a 360 degree viewing.

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Definitely, if finances are not an issue, I prefer a balcony when cruising Alaska. There were so many times when I would be in my cabin relaxing or changing and beautiful scenery would be outside. I could open the balcony door and enjoy it right away. So great to stand on your balcony when the ship is sailing away from the port. They are beautiful themselves.

Balconies are not necessary in open ocean cruises such as the Caribbean or cruising the west coast up to Vancouver.

Hope you can go for it.

A balcony is not a must. When there were things to view, we wanted to be on the upper decks where we could move from side to side. As for the preferred side to view scenery, the best side of the ship is the OUT side.

We had a OV and walked about the ship to see the sites. I believe you will see more then just sitting on the balcony. The Caribbean is a must to have a balcony. :D

The cabin catagory we like has a balcony ... BUT having a balcony is not a must. We seldom use ours. We like walking around and seeing both sides. :)

We had a balcony on our North-bound Alaska cruise and didn't use it much. My husband may not have gone out on it at all. I went out occasionally briefly a) to check the weather and b) to use it on principle since we had one. Most mornings it was foggy while I was getting ready in the cabin so it wasn't even useful to catch the morning view. For the scenic cruising and glaciers, we preferred to be either on deck or in the forward lounge that had windows forward and on both sides so we could see the scenery everywhere but aft.

If affording a balcony means cutting back on other parts of your trip such as excursions, go with the Ocean View.

It doesn't matter whether your cabin in port or starboard. For most of the cruise, you are in the inside passage so you can see land on both sides.

Going into Glacier Bay, as we came in, there was more wildlife spotting on the starboard side, but when you get to the glaciers, they are mostly on the port side or in front. The ship does turn so both sides get a view of the glacier, but I think the port side had more time facing the glaciers. When the ship goes leaves the inside passage to cross the Gulf of Alaska to Seward (or Whittier), the land is to starboard, but the ship is too far out to sea to see the land.

We like getting up when the ship is entering port at dawn. Those are the best times to use a balcony. Whales could be seen as well as bears along the way into Glacier Bay. It was quiet and peaceful with a profound sense of being alone in the wilderness. You can go up on the public decks and see the same but at that hour a balcony is a lot more convenient. The ship spins around in Glacier Bay and Tracey Arm so both sides are fine I also highly recommend going up the Klondike Highway in Skagway. Dyea Dave or one of the other small bus tours are wonderful. DONT take the train. It is a pitifully boring way to blow the best port in my opinion!

No balcony,

No cruise.

I am in the NO camp. I think the best views are moving around the ship and not to be confined to a balcony.

We love having a balcony and refuse to cruise without one. We enjoy coffee and room service breakfast on the balcony, watching as we sail in and out of port, watching the pilot boat arrive and depart, the quiet and solace on sea days, reading/doing crossword/word find puzzles/napping on the balcony, a late afternoon appetizer, etc. We use it a LOT and the added cost is worth it for us. It depends on what YOU like. To each their own.

I am a firm believer that an ocean view cabin is suitable. I’ve had balconies and ocean views on several trips, and Alaska is definitely one I was glad to have a balcony. However, an ocean view is much more affordable. Whatever suits your needs!

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We had a balcony NB end of May. Was a bit chilly to hang out there for long. We spent most time up top in the sun. Our balcony was fully covered. So keep in mind time of year.

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My husband had a case of the norovirus and the balcony was a must as he did not leave the cabin for two days. He spent time out there when the steward came to clean and the second day he was feeling some better and sat out the whole day.

A balcony is nice, but not required. Book what works best for your budget and watch for price drops as the sail date get closer. For our May 2017 cruise, we booked an inside, switched to an outside about 2 months later for $ 50 pp, then upgraded to a balcony about 60 days prior to sailing for only another $ 50 pp. The balcony prices dropped by 50% between the time we booked 6 months out and the sail date. You may not have as much luck as we did, but just keep checking.

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Thanks for the suggestions and alternate points of view. We opted for a balcony on the starboard side for a northbound cruise in June 2019.

Depends on your budget, but if were going on 3 trips Alaska, Mediterranean and Caribbean and could only afford balcony on one of those, it would be Alaska. Norway would be the only trip to beat out Alaska. We have been on cruises to all 4 of these destinations. I really enjoyed our balcony in Alaska. Of course for the Glacier viewing you probably will go to the deck but there is a lot of scenery throughout the week besides that.

Enjoy.

We had a OV and walked about the ship to see the sites. I believe you will see more then just sitting on the balcony. The Caribbean is a must to have a balcony. :D

I agree! A couple of years ago I travelled with friends. We had balconies, and I barely used mine because I was outside on the open decks. I saw whales and dolphins and more whales and more dolphins and eagles.... and they left the ship having seen very little wildlife, except for what they saw from their balcony. They sat on their balcony for the entire cruise. They missed so much :(

When we cruised north to Alaska, we spent a lot of time on the balcony, early mornings with coffee or later with an adult beverage. I believe the starboard side is best going in that direction too to see more wildlife and shoreline. Alaska is all about the view, the beauty of the land and wildlife. Personally, I can’t imagine a cruise without a balcony.

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Is a balcony on a 7 nights Northbound Alaska and Hubbard Glacier itinerary a must vs an oceanview cabin? We will be on the correct (starboard) side of the ship regardless. Thanks.

 

 

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Not IMHO; because i do not spend much time in my cabin at all! However, there are others who swear they would not go any other way then with a balcony. I would rather spend the money on my excursions