Is the Sapphire Balcony Rooms Worth the Extra Cost?

[PhoenixRev]

Hello, all.

 

I am sorry for the rudimentary question, but I do have a question regarding the difference in cost between the unobstructed view room on the Sapphire (we are looking at the 4-day Mexican Sampler cruise in December) and the balcony room.

 

Right now, the difference is about $130 pp and wondering if that is worth the cost. I have never cruised before and we are taking this to see if we like the concept or it just isn't for us (you never know).

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

One other question. If we do take a balcony room, there are some available on the Aloha, Lido, Caribe, Emerald and Dolphin decks. Any desk better than the other?

 

I appreciate your comments and have enjoyed lurking and reading about Princess cruises.

 

Thank you and have a great holiday weekend!

[jagsfan]

You'll have people tell you you'll spend so little time in your cabin it doesn't matter.

My first cruise we were in an inside with upper and lower bunks. Didn't know any better.

Fell in love with cruising. We went from there to oceanview and then balcony.

The trouble with starting with a balcony is that you don't want to go back. The worst

thing that happened to me was getting upgraded to a suite on QM2. I dream of having

something like that again.

The main point is that the less you spend on a cruise the more often you can do it.

Why not start with an oceanview and see how you like cruising. It gives you natural

light, and if you're coming into port while you're dressing for breakfast, at least you

can look out the window. The windows, by the way, are good size.

If you want to splurge, there's nothing like a balcony. You can order free room service

breakfast and sit out there and enjoy it. You can bring your own wine onboard and

snag some cheese from the buffet and sit out there at sunset and have your own little

wine and cheese party. Lots of options!!!

I hope you have a wonderful cruise no matter which way you decide to go.

[bluenoser2]

We were on the Sapphire last year in an unobstructed view cabin (to Alaska) - there will be those who wouldn't think of going on a cruise without a balcony, and there are those who choose inside rooms all the time too. We've done a cruise with a balcony, and the one above without and we loved our time on both. If you like a private spot to be outside where you can have your own chair then the balcony is great. (Though it's not TOTALLY private - you can see other people on their balconies, so they can see you too!) Is it worth the extra cost - if you're pinching pennies, I'd say no. You can have a wonderful vacation in any room. If you've never experienced a cruise, you will have a marvelous time in whatever room you have. As far as balconies on different decks, some people like to be close to the eating areas, and then they like the higher decks. If you're concerned about seasickness, then sometimes the lower the deck the less the motion is felt. Caribe balconies are the biggest, the rest are the same size - some covered, some uncovered.

[Working 2 Cruise]

Sapphire is a beautiful ship. Save your money. It might be worth it on longer cruises. Enjoy

[ILVTX]

If you are concerned about your grammar or your spelling, you can hit the edit button at the bottom of the page, and fix it. I do it all the time.

 

I agree with the previous poster. When we were working, we did the same thing. We started inside, then an inside mini-suite, then obstructed (which we didn't mind at all), and we recently had a balcony. We were young and saving for our retirement, and didn't want to spend too much on vacations. Now that we're retired, we feel like we did the right thing. This is not a financial lecture, but money saved early in life will be worth much more when you retire.

 

Now that we have had a balcony, we don't want to go back!

 

Have a great cruise!

[Chesie]

We just returned on Sapphire the beginning of the month for a 7 day MR. Had a balcony and upgrade to mini suite Emerald deck as the price went down on the balcony so we splurged.

 

Going down from San Pedro it was too cold to stay outside and the return also. When we were in port for the 3 days we didn't use the balcony as we were off and running.

 

We will be doing obstructed view next time to try it and save a bit.

 

Unless you feel the weather and sea days are worth a balcony, I'd save the $$ so you can cruise more!

[Putterdude]

First off, welcome to Cruise Critic. I would suggest that if this is your first cruise and if your budget will handle the balcony then do it, it is a great introduction to cruising...if not then book what the budget allows, I am sure that you will enjoy your vacation whatever you decide.:)

[TracieABD]

Welcome to CC! Not to worry about a small grammer misteak. Yoo will sea al sortz of that on thes boreds!;)

 

Now, about that balcony... I love them! If it came down to not cruising because I could not afford a balcony, I would sleep in the launderette or the engine room. But, I save a little extra money each month so I can have a balcony! But that's just me...:)

[Toto2Kansas]

I wouldn't bother paying the extra for a balcony on your first short cruise, you will only be in your stateroom to sleep, shower and change anyway. Save for your next longer cruise and then book a balcony when you have more time to enjoy it! Have a great time.

[senior lady]

for the 4 day sampler I'd get the cheaper room. Your going to be so busy exploring the ship and enjoying everything that you won't be in your cabin much:D

[PhoenixRev]

Thank you all very much for the input. It is greatly appreciated and gives me a lot to think about.

 

I am sure I will have more questions as time presses on. :D

[WestCoastCruzinator]

Balconys are ALWAYS worth it.....and be sure to book one on the Caribe deck as they are much larger than the same cabins on other decks

[Happy ks]

We're booked on this same cruise you are thinking about and we are dedicated balcony snobs. However, for this cruise we are actually booked into inside cabins :eek:

 

Primarily because it is an extra vacation for us, we want to check out the ship before our next 7 night cruise on this ship in 2011 and it's our Christmas present to each other. Being only 4 nights, we think we can tolerate it.

 

It the extra $260 is affordable for you, go for it. A balcony is always worth it. People who state "you are never in your cabin anyway" only say that because if you are in inside or OV cabins, you cannot wait to get out of there!

[geoherb]

We enjoy balcony cabins, but the price difference is usually more than I want to pay. I've finally convinced DH that it's better to go on more cruises than to go on fewer ones with a balcony cabin every time.

 

Our favorite time having a balcony is for breakfast. It's very relaxing to have room service bring you breakfast so you can eat and enjoy the view, especially if the timing is right and your ship is sailing into a port while you eat.

 

We're going on the Sapphire in August to Alaska. The price difference between an obstructed view and a balcony was more than $500 per person. That's enough to pay for some nice shore excursions plus our tips and drinks.

[Pennyscandy]

Welcome! DH & I love balcony cabins. Went to Alaska with two other couples and opened up the balconies between our cabins (we were side by side). That way we missed the crowds up on the decks while cruising in Glacier Bay. If you are the least bit claustrophobic go for the balcony.

[Happy ks]

Welcome! DH & I love balcony cabins. Went to Alaska with two other couples and opened up the balconies between our cabins (we were side by side). That way we missed the crowds up on the decks while cruising in Glacier Bay. If you are the least bit claustrophobic go for the balcony.

 

 

Just in case you didn't notice, this is a 4 night sampler cruise. The stops are Santa Barbara and Ensenada. If it were to Alaska, I'd definitely spring for the balcony :)

[wg6530]

If I were you, I'd probably select a OV cat E room with very little obstruction. These are midship on deck 8. Easy access to stairs/elevators and one flight from promenade. For a four day cruise, you'll have plenty of ship to explore--get out of the cabin and enjoy. Use the extra money on drinks, tours, etc. Plus you can always watch for price changes, possibly snaring a break or upgrade in the next few months.

 

Depending on the exact cabin, I'm not sure the unobstructed is worth significantly more in than cat E. So, if you are comfortable spending more, I'd go straight up to the balcony, but I'm not sure it would be worth it to me.

[TracieABD]

Another thought to ponder--

Get the cabin you can best afford. Then check the Princess website obsessively for changes in your cruise. You may end up with a better stateroom at a better price!

We did that last year for Alaska and ended up in a wonderful mini-suite for less than we originally paid for a balcony.

As long a you have not made your final payment, Princess will "refare" you as many times as you request (provided there is a change in fares:)).

Good luck and enjoy your cruise!

[cdngrl]

i also say for 4 nights save the money. find out if you love cruising (you will ;)) and try for a balcony on a longer cruise.

[Pam in CA]

If it were me, I'd grab a balcony on Caribe deck as it's a much larger balcony and is half-covered/half-uncovered. You'll have at least a couple of sea days on the 4-day sampler so you'll have time to enjoy your balcony. I was originally booked on this cruise and had a mini-suite that I was looking forward to.

[HomelessBear]

I'd also go for the caribe deck balcony without doubt. At least by having a balcony on a short cruise will give you some idea how much you use it, so that when you book your next longer cruise, you won't be paying the extra for a balcony IF you know you won't use it much.

 

Even in cooler weather I sit on the balcony a lot, and on one occasion when it was too breezy to sit outside but the sun was shining, my DH brought in one of the reclining chairs and set it up just inside the balcony door. So I still had the lovely view but I was warm and not windswept!

 

If you can afford it, my opinion is try the balcony. Whichever you go for, enjoy your cruise!