$500 dollars for a balcony is it worth it?

[CarnivalOnlyPlease]

Answers:

 

(1) YES

 

(2) Your agent or the catalog will say.

 

(3) NO

 

(4) YES

 

The entire cruise experience is much better with a balcony.

[CaboWabo62]

For me-gotta have a balcony. I won't cruise without one. I could never stay in an inside room. They are tiny and with no window it would be like staying in a closet. However lots of folks are perfectly happy in one so it depends on the person.

 

We use the balcony a lot and there is nothing like being able to get up and walk out in your nightgown or night shirt or whatever-no combing your hair and putting on makeup- and watching the ocean while enjoying a cup of coffee delivered by room service!

 

We're always out there for the approach to a new port and again when we sail away from that port. It's great.

 

Have a great time whatever you decide!

 

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Love the personal outdoor space.

Our first cruise was a balcony can't imagine cruising any other way.

;) ;)

[Jasperdo]

I'm in the minority here. I would not pay $500 more for a balcony. I just returned from the Mariner of the Seas. It was our first balcony in 11 cruises. I only booked it due to a price drop. I was able to upgrade from an inside to a balcony for only $60PP more. While I did like having a balcony, I really didn't feel it was necessary. I'd much rather be up on deck enjoying the expansive view, than being confined to the limited view from the balcony. Many people say that once you've had a balcony you'll never go back. In my case, that's just not true. Unless I can get a great deal like I got on the Mariner, I'll stick with a much cheaper inside.

[mominwestlake]

I'm trying to decide the same thing but we're looking at $1000 difference for the 2 of us. We have booked a PR room on the FOS. It is our first 7 night cruise. Our other 2 cruises were 5 nights. One time we had a balcony and the next time we didn't. It didn't matter to us either way. I am worried we'll miss the balcony for a 7 night cruise but $1000 can go toward another vacation.

[cruiseguy1016]

I'm another that would not spend any extra money on a balcony. We have always stayed in Oceanview cabins. On our last cruise on Adventure we decided to splurge and try a balcony. We nabbed one of the coveted corner aft balconies. I will admit it was nice on the few occasions I was out there but it was nothing that I would miss if I didn't have it. I'll bet I didn't spend two hours out there total on our 7 day cruise. I'm a people person and I'd rather be "out and about" where the people are.

 

So, if you really value your alone time, you might want to give it a try. I don't think it's worth $500 but if you can get it for $200 or $300, maybe.

[Mark_K]

$500 dollars for a balcony is it worth it?

That completely depends on what $500 is worth to you, and no one else can answer that question for you.

[Ambrosia64]

First cruise was an OV with 2 kids for 9 days. Second cruise was me and fiancee, 4 days, with an aft balcony. Next two cruises are booked - balconies both. The rumors are true - once you go balcony you can never go back. ;)

[Jfultz81]

I'm trying to decide the same thing but we're looking at $1000 difference for the 2 of us. We have booked a PR room on the FOS. It is our first 7 night cruise. Our other 2 cruises were 5 nights. One time we had a balcony and the next time we didn't. It didn't matter to us either way. I am worried we'll miss the balcony for a 7 night cruise but $1000 can go toward another vacation.

 

$1000 is wayyy too much, in my opinion, but that's why we are doing an IS Guar. this cruise (cheap getaway!). We loved our PR room on the Voyager.. its so much different than a plain inside or a balcony. We love to people watch and it was just a great little spot to sit and read and see what was going on. A lot of fun to watch the parades as well!

 

Not to say that we don't love balconies.. we do! But $1000 is what we are paying for our Liberty cruise and I'd definitely take another cruise over having a balcony!

[molly361]

I'm trying to decide the same thing but we're looking at $1000 difference for the 2 of us. We have booked a PR room on the FOS. It is our first 7 night cruise. Our other 2 cruises were 5 nights. One time we had a balcony and the next time we didn't. It didn't matter to us either way. I am worried we'll miss the balcony for a 7 night cruise but $1000 can go toward another vacation.

 

I love a balcony but for $1,000 difference I don't think so. We always have had a balcony in recent years for 7 days cruises and it isn't really that we actually sit on it a lot, more like someone had said just being able to see the sea from your bed, but not for that kind of money. $500 maybe, even that is a nice piece of change.

[RetireeWannabee]

Sorry, but we would take three or four cruises in an inside cabin compared to two with a balcony any day!

Yes. I will take quantity over enhanced cabin space.

[griffy]

Splurged on a balcony; tried to go back; now we only book balcony, so I guess we feel it's worth it. It's like having another room added to the cabin. I love stepping out to the sunshine or the shade or the breeze. We would like to say we would book insdie again, and that it didn't matter, but for us, it would be a lie. We NEED the BALCONY.

[DCPIV]

There is no way I would pay an additional $500/week for a balcony. I like them quite a bit. They are nice. It is especially nice to have such a large window in the stateroom, as opposed to the somewhat recessed porthole. But they are not worth much extra money. Maybe they are worth $150-200 extra for a 7-night cruise, but that's about it. Shoot, my share of the bar tab barely hits $500. ;)

 

We have cruised in cabins with balconies only because the C&A discount only applies to balcony rooms and suites. The difference between the price of a room without a balcony and one with a balcony was the same as the discount, so we went with the balcony for the same price. That was more than worth it!

 

Edit: For certain cruises, such as a Panama Canal or Alaska cruise, I might pay $500 more for the balcony. On those cruises, you spend a day just cruising along something pretty cool, and you might want your happy balcony space for that. On just a typical Caribbean cruise or anything else where you are just in port by day and sailing by night, I would not find it worth that much money.

 

D