WANTED: A good balcony on Equinox

[CruisinManiac]

My DH and I want to book a cruise on the Equinox for next spring. We are interested in the least (or one of the least) expensive balconies for this itinerary because we will not be spending much time in the stateroom. Not Concierge, not Aqua, just a plain balcony.

 

Can anyone recommend a good deck and area for one of the lower balcony categories and the name of that category? I understand that one category is obstructed and looks right out at the lifeboats, but don't know which it is. I can do a search on bed position type once I have a category.

 

Thank you so much! :)

[Holly2]

We have 6240 booked for next year -- it is 2C because of a minor obstruction -- over life boats. The sticky has some positive reviews of it. There are also some 2Ds which are recommended -- on our cruise the 2c and 2D are now priced the same.

Good luck

There is also

[tiggypooo]

Go to the top of the first page and to The Solstice Cabin Information.

Go to page 35 and to "librarylady19" post and you will find the updated cabin description

list.

[Gonzo70]

We have 6240 booked for next year -- it is 2C because of a minor obstruction -- over life boats. The sticky has some positive reviews of it. There are also some 2Ds which are recommended -- on our cruise the 2c and 2D are now priced the same.

Good luck

There is also

 

Another vote for 6240! I have it booked for a cruise as well! Huge balcony, protected from wind, great location and among the cheapest balconies. Minor obstruction, but only an issue when looking straight down from the railing.

[CruisinManiac]

Thanks Holly and Gonzo! I'll take a look at that stateroom, but it is probably already booked by one of you. :D Where is the bed? lol

 

Sounds like I want to stray from 2C and 2D. We do not want obstructed or partially obstructed if we can help it. Going up $100 pp isn't too bad if we need to up the category. ;)

 

I started looking in the sticky, and became overwhelmed with information, along with all the "extra" post. Perhaps the sticky should be redone to start on page 35. I even tried searching with-in that thread to no avail. Putting in a simple 2 or 2C or 1 or 1A came up with "nothing found." Only when I searched for a specific stateroom will info come up, but I didn't know what stateroom to put in. Thank you tiggypooo and an advance thank you to librarylady19.

[CruisinManiac]

OK, now I am even more confused after searching that stateroom sticky for 6240. Some say it's a 1A, while another says 2B (you are saying 2C) and one person says the bed is near the bathroom, while the other says balcony. Which is it? We do want the bed to be near the balcony doors.

 

Going up from the bottom, what is the first balcony deck that has non-obstructed views? Perhaps I should start from there and then find an appropriate stateroom category.

[dzcruisers]

The following staterooms have the largest balconies (just under triple normal size):

Resort Deck: 2105, 2109, 2106, 2110

Penthouse Deck: 1547, 1552, 1601, 1605, 1606, 1610

Sky Deck: 1075, 1044, 1231, 1243, 1247, 1108, 1120, 1124

Panorama Deck: 9155, 9192, 9209, 9215, 9237, 9241, 9266, 9270, 9292, 9296

Vista Deck: 8199, 8162, 8255, 8259, 8281, 8285, 8228, 8232, 8254, 8258

Sunrise Deck: 7159, 7206, 7215, 7219, 7241, 7245, 7260, 7264, 7286, 7290

Continental Deck: 6155, 6156, 6209, 6215, 6237, 6241, 6210, 6214, 6236, 6240

 

The other staterooms on the slanted portion of the hump have balconies just under double normal size

[mafig]

I had the same problem. That Sticky doesn't have a lot of the "cheaper" balconies.

 

We selected a 2B toward the front of the ship feeling there were no lifeboats beneath us and also deck 6 cabins below.

 

I know when I asked I was told to view the Sticky. However, I also got the sarcastic :rolleyes:, so you were lucky.;)

[junglejane]

We also are looking for a cheaper balcony cabin -- actually we want two connecting balconies, which rules out most or all of the larger cabins people have raved about. We're a family of four with kids who will be 10 and 14 so connecting rooms is more important than scoring a bigger room or bigger balcony. However, we would still like to find a good location, with an unobstructed view and not noisy.

 

Any comments on the 2B cabins on the hump on Continental deck? I think they are unobstructed and near the elevator. Do you think they would be fairly quiet? Any negatives?

[CruisinManiac]

mafig - I was afraid to post this thread, but at least I tried the sticky. ;)

 

dzcruisers - Thanks for that list!

 

junglejane - We have always had good luck with our staterooms being near the elevators. ;)

 

OK, I put in 6240 in the reservations stateroom slot, and it is coming up as a 2C. Now to do some more sleuthing on it. :) I took some great close-ups of the Solstice when she was in San Juan with our HAL ship in March. I'll look for 6240.

 

Can anyone confirm where the bed is? Another concern is that I see the stateroom is over the promenade deck and Michael's Club is nearby. Will there be a problem with smokers underneath us? This is above starboard open deck.

[Albert Ross]

The following staterooms have the largest balconies (just under triple normal size):

Resort Deck: 2105, 2109, 2106, 2110

Penthouse Deck: 1547, 1552, 1601, 1605, 1606, 1610

Sky Deck: 1075, 1044, 1231, 1243, 1247, 1108, 1120, 1124

Panorama Deck: 9155, 9192, 9209, 9215, 9237, 9241, 9266, 9270, 9292, 9296

Vista Deck: 8199, 8162, 8255, 8259, 8281, 8285, 8228, 8232, 8254, 8258

Sunrise Deck: 7159, 7206, 7215, 7219, 7241, 7245, 7260, 7264, 7286, 7290

Continental Deck: 6155, 6156, 6209, 6215, 6237, 6241, 6210, 6214, 6236, 6240

 

The other staterooms on the slanted portion of the hump have balconies just under double normal size

I would also say that 6300, 6302, 6301, and 6303 have larger balconies, and the obstruction is only the 'big blue' so is the same level as the balcony floor so not obtrusive in any way.

[drakes2]

On our recent Equinox cruise we stayed in 7354 which is on deck 7. Very quiet area and the balcony was larger as it was angled, having the Penthouse suite beside it. We couldn't even see the PH suite balcony as it was facing the aft of the ship, so it was very private (nude sunbathing :D:D). The room configuration had the bed by the balcony door which we loved. The best thing about this location is that our room steward always seemed to be right outside our door and was always available when we needed ice, extra towels, etc. On a couple of occasions he even offered us canapes which I think were meant for the Suite and they probably were not in to receive them. This category was a 2C and the cheapest category with a very slight obstruction in the way of the blue solar panel below but you could only see it if you were standing at the balcony, didn't bother us when seated looking out to sea. obstruction

I would also say that 6300, 6302, 6301, and 6303 have larger balconies, and the obstruction is only the 'big blue' so is the same level as the balcony floor so not obtrusive in any way.

[junglejane]

If I want connecting 2B balconies on Continental Deck, am I better off going for the ones by the forward elevators or the ones on the hump by the midship elevators?

[grammyandpoppy]

you can book a Category 1A. Hubby and I love those just forward of the hump (they are the calbins on the slant). They have huge balconies and are so convenient to the elevators. These cabins are certainly worth the extra $100 in our opinion. Happy cruising.

[Chicago Boy]

My DH and I want to book a cruise on the Equinox for next spring. We are interested in the least (or one of the least) expensive balconies for this itinerary because we will not be spending much time in the stateroom. Not Concierge, not Aqua, just a plain balcony.

 

Can anyone recommend a good deck and area for one of the lower balcony categories and the name of that category? I understand that one category is obstructed and looks right out at the lifeboats, but don't know which it is. I can do a search on bed position type once I have a category.

 

Thank you so much! :)

 

We are sailing the Eqinox the end of Oct. Go to Celebrity's web site and you will find which cabins do and do not have obstructed views. We prefer the middle of the ship. We always book the starboard side ship. Any level is fine but we prefer levels 6, 7 or 8.

[junglejane]

you can book a Category 1A. Hubby and I love those just forward of the hump (they are the calbins on the slant). They have huge balconies and are so convenient to the elevators. These cabins are certainly worth the extra $100 in our opinion. Happy cruising.

 

I wish we could do this but we need two connecting cabins, and the only connecting cabins on the slant are in Concierge class (C2) and cost $270pp more than Category 2B, which for four people is an extra $1080. It's not worth that much to me to have the bigger balconies, whereas connecting cabins are a top priority for our family.

[grammagrace]

Try category 1A, cabin 8343, last cabin on starboard side, before the aft. Veranda is in an angle and quite large. We had 2 loungers on it with a table and had plenty of room. Its one of those celebrity secret cabins !!!

[CruisinManiac]

Try category 1A, cabin 8343, last cabin on starboard side, before the aft. Veranda is in an angle and quite large. We had 2 loungers on it with a table and had plenty of room. Its one of those celebrity secret cabins !!!

 

Slightly confused.:confused: I looked at the deck plans and 8343 is port side and the balcony on this plan shows a rectangle. Is this not correct?

 

On our recent Equinox cruise we stayed in 7354 which is on deck 7. Very quiet area and the balcony was larger as it was angled, having the Penthouse suite beside it. We couldn't even see the PH suite balcony as it was facing the aft of the ship, so it was very private (nude sunbathing ). The room configuration had the bed by the balcony door which we loved. The best thing about this location is that our room steward always seemed to be right outside our door and was always available when we needed ice, extra towels, etc. On a couple of occasions he even offered us canapes which I think were meant for the Suite and they probably were not in to receive them. This category was a 2C and the cheapest category with a very slight obstruction in the way of the blue solar panel below but you could only see it if you were standing at the balcony, didn't bother us when seated looking out to sea. obstruction

 

Same for this stateroom. The balcony doesn't looked angled. ???

 

Thanks for that visual of nude sunbathing. Perhaps we should try for the stateroom on the opposite side, unless those deck chairs have been switched or cleaned. :eek: :D

 

Glad to hear of a stateroom that had the bed near the balcony doors. ;) What about the walk to the stairs elevator. Didn't that get old? We prefer to be near the stairs.

 

The more I think about it, DH and I would rather have a stateroom forward of the hump where we can better see what's ahead. It's a shame that all the mid hump staterooms are connectors. We do not which to be connected to anyone else. Being in the Mediterranean, it will not be so much about the balcony this cruise. We will only need it for viewing port approaches.

 

Any suggestions for forward of the hump, preferably not too far from the stairs? Thank you for the suggestions so far. :)

[grammagrace]

As far as the deck plans are concerned, cabin 8343 is not rectangular, it is on an angle and it goes out quite a bit. I know, I stayed in that cabin. It is quite large. Much larger than the regular 1A cabins. The plans are not always correct !!!!!

 

And it is on the port side.

[CruisinManiac]

Thanks1 I know plans can be wrong. i wanted to make sure you were not talking about the stateroom before the last. it does show the angled balcony. ;)

 

Do you mean to say that the stateroom is also larger than a regular 1A? Do you have any photos?

[drakes2]

The same applies to cabin 7354. The deck plans do not show it correctly but the balcony is larger and definitely angled, the one on the left of it has a standard size balcony. When we booked this cabin it was a 2C category, therefore, we got it very cheap, it has now been re-categorized as a 2B and costs $130 pp more than a 2C or 2D on the Continental deck. It was not a long walk to the midship elevators at all, maybe around 30 seconds, and as I mentioned the location for us was great. You really can't judge a balcony by the deck plans.

As far as the deck plans are concerned, cabin 8343 is not rectangular, it is on an angle and it goes out quite a bit. I know, I stayed in that cabin. It is quite large. Much larger than the regular 1A cabins. The plans are not always correct !!!!!

 

And it is on the port side.

[grammagrace]

I will go through my photos and look for some of the veranda. I didn't take any of the inside of the cabin however, I do have some of veranda showing the size. Its like a hidden gem !

[CruisinManiac]

Thank you! I'll keep these two staterooms in mind. :) It's not the walk that I mind, it's the view on the way. Door, after door, after door down a skinny hall. lol Our last cruise, on the HAL Eurodam, the hallway was lined with interesting old photos of passengers from the early liner days. They were blown up into large framed prints (our cabin was right outside a stairway/elevator, but we always seemed to be coming from another direction. :D)

[CCBelle]

We were in 6111 on the Equinox, and it was a normal balcony that was wonderful. Very far forward, but there was no obstruction whatsover. And the walk to the elevators/stairs was perfectly doable. It was the cheapest balcony when we booked so we snagged it.

[CruisinManiac]

Was the bed next to the balcony? :)