spend on balcony or "other"?

[MsTabbyKats]

Cruising many times, we have stayed in the most lavish of suites (but never a villa), corner balcony rooms, standard ocean view, and even the smallest inside you could find! In other words, we tried them all, except a villa.

 

We now book our room type on value (not cost), and prefer insides. We actually wish lines had inside suites!

 

The ship has many large public balcony (outdoor) areas that offer superior views as compared to the standard balcony cabin.

 

Your second choice is a better value, and this is your first cruise so you will have nothing to compare it to.

 

I'm a "value shopper" also. I can sit at home, alone, in an apt with my husband anytime I want. One of our favorite activities is "people watching" and you just can't do it from your room.

 

We booked a balcony once...and never used it. It was boring...and I wasn't going to force myself to sit there....just because I could.

 

My DH thinks an OV or balcony is more impressive....but I don't care about impressing anyone.

 

And, since I do the booking....I book an inside in what I consider a good location....(good location = midship, with little chance of noise from above or below)

 

If I were offered an upsell at a tiny increase, I'd probably take it....depending on the location

 

But...let's not let this secret get out.......:)

[MsTabbyKats]

Balcony absolutely. Especially for an Alaska cruise. My husband suggested we try an inside cabin. No way. I said, being the terrible person that I am, one of our bathrooms has no windows, we could just spend a week in there for free!! Yuk!! :D:D:D

 

Just to clarify....if there were scenery to be seen....I would do a balcony....

 

But just to look at the ocean....no

[karen327]

Balcony. For the same reasons all the previous posters gave.

[Ms belp]

Happy Birthday (I think)! :D:D

 

I'm with the balcony lovers. We had one inside, and thank goodness it was on a 3-day repo. We went stir crazy. We LOVE to spend time in our cabin and out on the balcony. I'm out there coming into and leaving every port, every morning and evening to see the sun rise and set, reading during the day . . . ahhhhhhhh.

 

The only time we will book an inside is for a 1-night cruise, and even then it's hard. I would rather "Cruise_Less_Often" than give up my balcony! :D

 

Thank you Cruisemoreoften. Yes, today is my birthday! Friday the 13th!:eek:

[candygirl27540]

Balcony vote here too!

[Ms belp]

Balcony absolutely. Especially for an Alaska cruise. My husband suggested we try an inside cabin. No way. I said, being the terrible person that I am, one of our bathrooms has no windows, we could just spend a week in there for free!! Yuk!! :D:D:D

 

Here, here! I see that a lot of responses favoring inside live in the big urban areas in the northeast where they are used to being all up on top of one another. Not me. Oh give me land, lots of land with the sunny skies above; don't fence me in.:eek::D

[chipmaster]

LOL, balconys rule 10:1 or something, its no wonder they can charge so much more for them with the huge demand to limited supply ;)

 

Great for deal seekers like me :D

[STARFISH*4]

all the other stuff...never had a balcony dont know if we ever will...we spend very little time in our cabin; the time we would get one it would be bad weather or we would have a smoker prob and then couldnt use it...would be OUR LUCK!!

[Ms belp]

Yep, definitely smoker problem. Especially if I was your neighbor. My cig and my drink on my balcony are what make my cruise. But I don't blast music or my TV or run around at 3:00 AM banging on doors. ;)

[BikerAl]

If you like to commune with nature, enjoy the spirituality of a sun rise or moon rise, or stare at the wonders of the starry sky, a balcony is a must. If you are happy to spend time alone, or reading a book, a balcony is a priority. On the other hand, if your primary interest is partying, casino, shows and pool, it is not as big a priority. My humble opinion.

 

Al

[MissRabbit]

in a couple months, it will be my first time experiencing a balcony. I am super stoked to try it. That being said, if i was given the option you propose, i'd go for all the extras. That's an aweful lot of extras to pass up on, just on the possibility of liking/using your balcony.

[Starrgazer50]

IMHO. I'd go for the extra's...

On my first cruise I had an inside cabin. I was so excited that I spent most of my time out and about everyday between going on excursions or just exploring the decks, meeting people and getting involved group activities, shows etc.. Now I'm ready to settle down in a balcony. Enjoy your cruise!! :)

[Sauer-kraut]

There is absolutely no question get the INSIDE and get the spa package!!!

I have never cruised in a balcony cabin, first time is coming up in Oct. BUT we did a transatlantic crossing 6 days in an inside cabin, and honestly we weren't in it at all very much. I think my mother went for a nap once in a while but there is plenty of peaceful space on any ship, you just have to look for it.

 

 

Obi1 quoted:

"Balcony! I could not imagine cruising in an inside cabin (but that is just my opinion). I love to sit on the balcony and read, take a nap, or just stand by the rail and look out at the sea."

 

Yeah, but you can do all that without a balcony too! :D

[KimberleyFL]

As I’ve chronicled through varios posts here, my first cruise (7 nights in the Eastern Caribbean) is booked for next April for my husband and I - no kids. I have a semi-hypothetical question for you. If you had your choice of either: 1) a balcony stateroom – not a suite, just a balcony – or 2) dinner at a few of the specialty restaurants, a week-long spa access pass, and perhaps a few extra drinks; which would you choose? I think we’ll end up with “all of the above,” but my husband and I are thinking about where we will get the most bang for our buck on our first cruise, and we’re wondering if the balcony should be our first priority.

 

And, yes, I know there’s a lot of “it depends…do you want to hang out in your room, or …..” I’m really curious though about what you all feel makes for the happiest cruise moments for you J thanks!

 

I would choose the balcony. When I'm in the room in the morning or at night or breaks in between, I like the breeze and calming sound of the ocean/sea. I love to sit out there and enjoy some peaceful time with whomever (husband or sister) I'm cruising with. I love being able to sit out there while pulling into port or leaving a port. I took my sister (45) on her first cruise last year. To my surprise (she isn't an early riser..at all), she woke me up very early (about 6:30) the first port day. She was very excited as she watched us approach our first port. That was a great 'first criuse' memory' she would not have if we didn't have a balcony. I've had many great 'pulling into port' experiences. When I cruise with my husband, he likes the balcony because he is always having to wait for me to get ready to go wherever. You can have a great cruise experience without spending a lot of money on extras. While we (many on CC) may complain about the nickel and diming of any cruiseline, there are a great deal of activities and plenty of dining options that are free.

[swedish weave]

Do the math !! Depending on when and where you are cruising, a balcony will cost you between just under 50 dollars to almost 100 dollars per day over the cost of an inside cabin. If that is an acceptable price to you, then book the balcony. If you would rather put that money to tours, drinks, specialty restaurants, shopping, then book the inside.

 

It depends on your perception of value for the bucks !!

 

If you are thinking of the balcony for watching the ocean and relaxing, there are usually many places on the decks to do that. BTW, we normally book inside because we feel we are getting more use out of our dollars.

[DMH15]

I like to get away from the crowds and much prefer to have a balcony... Even if it's just to have the door open.

[Ms belp]

Baloney! A balcony does not cost that much more. Go to NCL website and see for yourself. You can find a balcony cabin priced very reasonably.

[Ms belp]

I like to get away from the crowds and much prefer to have a balcony... Even if it's just to have the door open.

 

I'm with you Donna.:D

[negn]

Love a balcony,especially on sea days. If you are on a 7 day cruise chances are everyday is a new port and youll be getting off the ship so may not use it as much.

[Obi1]

There is absolutely no question get the INSIDE and get the spa package!!!

I have never cruised in a balcony cabin, first time is coming up in Oct. BUT we did a transatlantic crossing 6 days in an inside cabin, and honestly we weren't in it at all very much. I think my mother went for a nap once in a while but there is plenty of peaceful space on any ship, you just have to look for it.

 

 

Obi1 quoted:

"Balcony! I could not imagine cruising in an inside cabin (but that is just my opinion). I love to sit on the balcony and read, take a nap, or just stand by the rail and look out at the sea."

 

Yeah, but you can do all that without a balcony too! :D

 

Yeah, but with a great price on a balcony, you can have a balcony and do the other things, too! :)

 

For instance, on our upcoming cruise we have saved over $1,000 from when we originally booked our cruise in February of 2009. So, now I can have my balcony and my spa pass too!

[swedish weave]

Baloney! A balcony does not cost that much more. Go to NCL website and see for yourself. You can find a balcony cabin priced very reasonably.

 

I DID !!!!! That is where I saw the prices. Where are you looking???

 

Example -- Star to Alaska July and Aug 7 days Inside $719.00 Balcony $1289.00. That is over $81.00 per day.

 

Where are your figures. I deal in FACTS !!! I interpret your "baloney" as calling me a liar !! That is not nice.

[mjroseville]

I DID !!!!! That is where I saw the prices. Where are you looking???

 

Example -- Star to Alaska July and Aug 7 days Inside $719.00 Balcony $1289.00. That is over $81.00 per day.

 

Where are your figures. I deal in FACTS !!! I interpret your "baloney" as calling me a liar !! That is not nice.

 

I thought the same thing with that comment. A balcony was considerably more on the Pearl to Alaska. It was the difference between $2000 or $3000 for both of us. For us, that's a major difference.

[NMLady]

As I’ve chronicled through varios posts here, my first cruise (7 nights in the Eastern Caribbean) is booked for next April for my husband and I - no kids. I have a semi-hypothetical question for you. If you had your choice of either: 1) a balcony stateroom – not a suite, just a balcony – or 2) dinner at a few of the specialty restaurants, a week-long spa access pass, and perhaps a few extra drinks; which would you choose? I think we’ll end up with “all of the above,” but my husband and I are thinking about where we will get the most bang for our buck on our first cruise, and we’re wondering if the balcony should be our first priority.

 

And, yes, I know there’s a lot of “it depends…do you want to hang out in your room, or …..” I’m really curious though about what you all feel makes for the happiest cruise moments for you J thanks!

 

As much as we've loved a balcony when we had an upgrade to one and an upsell to another, we never book a balcony since we'd rather save that money towards another cruise.

In fact, we usually book one of the cheapest oceanview rooms. On our coming 33 days on the Sun we will be in a porthole cabin on the lowest passenger deck. We've had a porthole cabin on lowest deck before and it was fine. By booking only the cheapest cabin for a cruise we can afford not only tours and drinks but can also put money towards another cruise.

[flowerchild]

When I started cruising with my husband, he insisted on a balcony cabin. He had never cruised before and was terrified that he'd feel clausterphobic. We've cruised several times now and we saw an amazing price for an inside cabin on a Bermuda cruise. After much thought, we decided to try it. I had already been in an inside many times over, so I knew I'd be fine but was still worried about DH. I am happy to report that he loved the inside cabin and loved the darkness when we slept, we felt like hibernating bears, lol, very cave like. He liked it enough to book another inside, this time for a 13 day repo...the difference in price? $1200...I can do A LOT with that much money...a no brainer for me, I'd go for the inside cabin and enjoy the quality of my cruise that much more with the extra funds...

[KarmaElectra]

We like the balcony. We don't drink liquor on cruises, and don't use the spa. We explore most ports on our own. May do one or two specialty restaurants during a weeklong cruise.

 

Also...my usual travel partner is a smoker...so the balcony is nice for that...keeps the smoke out of the room. It also gives us a bit of privacy...while one person is getting ready, the other can sit and relax on the balcony. Also love the ocean smell and watching the water go by, of course!