spend on balcony or "other"?

[Mikiejag]

I would look at where you want to go and what you want to do and work from there. It is easy to start with a budget, but with so many budget busting things on a cruise it starts to become a hassle, and no cruise should be a hassle.

I would not get an inside room no matter what, at least ocean view for me. I personally do not spend too much time in the room. While I thought I might, but in reality the ports, sea days, there is always something going on around the ship. I found I really only slept and the kids took a nap. Then back out and about.

I always weight the options and if the next room up is only a few hundred (2 or 3 at most) then I upgrade and skip something.

 

I would recommend, find your budget, find your cruise and work the numbers around. If you get an inside, you may like it. Enough people do and there is nothing wrong with it, then more for other stuff.

 

My next one is the Bahamas/Florida and I selected a balcony. Most of the stuff will be beach and relativly cheap. Mucho snorkling and chilling. Plus the finishing cost for 4 was 3500 before gratutity for balcony and that is were I like to stay for the 7 nighters.

 

Just get to cruising, I think that is really the point. :D

[Sauer-kraut]

We like the balcony. my usual travel partner is a smoker...so the balcony is nice for that...keeps the smoke out of the room.

 

Might keep it out of your cabin, but blows right into the neighbor's balcony .....

[ForSharonB]

If you're still counting -- B A L C O N Y!!!!

Had oceanview for first cruise and then balcony for last two and our next...

Balcony will be a must from here on..

LOVE watching sunrise and listening to the water!!

[tgptmp]

Ok--here are your choices. When you go to your room if you want the opportunity to smell the ocean, see the sun rise or set, feel the breezes, watch a late night thunder/lightening storm, wake up sit in your bathrobe sip coffee or juice, watch yourself coming into port, or snuggle with your loved one in the privacy of the open air---then get a balcony. But when you go to your room if you prefer to live in a closet without any of the the above options then go with the inside.

[rickechambers1@aol.com]

Get a balcony...the rest you can decide to do once on board, but you cannot go back and change your cabin...that is the one choice that must be made in advance. Don't want you to look back and think..."wish we would have___".

 

13 years ago, when I was 25 and just started cruising, I had inside cabins...the progression to bigger and better was somewhat swift as I saw how much different cruising could be (and finances improved). Wouldn't [err...counldn't] go back now.

 

So book the balcony when the pricepoint is good for you and then decide on the other things later.

 

If you think about it, it's a million dollar view...actually most million $ homes don't have that view. Personal space on a cruise ship is so limited, this extra space is so worth it.

[downsized]

Ok--here are your choices. When you go to your room if you want the opportunity to smell the ocean, see the sun rise or set, feel the breezes, watch a late night thunder/lightening storm, wake up sit in your bathrobe sip coffee or juice, watch yourself coming into port, or snuggle with your loved one in the privacy of the open air---then get a balcony. But when you go to your room if you prefer to live in a closet without any of the the above options then go with the inside.

 

Great post!

So many here have never booked a balcony, so they have no idea how sweet it is.....ummmm....now granted....I have to admit here that I've never booked an inside for myself, but I did book two insides in March for my kids and grandkids....guess where they spent their time?

[negn]

Funny story about our last cruise;kept our door open at night, felt so tropical. 2nd night out of St Lucia DH woke me and told me to get out of the room. There was a huge bat in the room ! Must have come in around St Lucia cause would not have flown in when we were so far out to sea. Called to have them come and take care of it which they did and checked room thoroughly to make sure the whole bat family had not hitched a ride. Needless to say, door was shut when we slept fom then on !

[tgptmp]

Funny story about our last cruise;kept our door open at night, felt so tropical. 2nd night out of St Lucia DH woke me and told me to get out of the room. There was a huge bat in the room ! Must have come in around St Lucia cause would not have flown in when we were so far out to sea. Called to have them come and take care of it which they did and checked room thoroughly to make sure the whole bat family had not hitched a ride. Needless to say, door was shut when we slept fom then on !

 

 

We love to sleep with the door open too. Have wondered about birds coming in. Some night though --depending on where we are---it gets too muggy and we are forced to shut it.

[Arubamoose]

We almost always book an inside. Best price we ever got was on the MSC Orchestra - one week cruise for $249 - plus they upgraded us to an obstructed ocean view. We took two other great vacations that year with the family.

 

We are doing the Epic with the family this year and we have two inside cabins. Figured that there is WAY TOO MUCH stuff going on that a balcony would be a waste.

 

But next year we will be taking our first Med cruise as balcony virgins. CANNOT WAIT!!

 

Some places just cry out for a balcony....the Med, Alaska.

[redhummer96]

Well, I guess I will go against the masses here and say, without a doubt, skip the balcony and go for the other "stuff". While I could care less for spa treatments, the other options are really fun....and just make for a great cruise all around.

 

I guess I'm one of the strange ones that ( after having inside, ocean view and balcony ) really don't care what type of room I'm in.

[fi'fi]

yes get the balcony. my first cruise my dh and i had ocean view. 2nd cruise went with my mom we had a inside. 3rd cruise balcony. will never go back just up. love to sit out there and read, have a night cap. let fresh air into the room. eat breakfast.

[raventhebouv]

Ahhhhh....if only I were on our NCL Jewel aft balcony right now! Only 280 more days and I will be!!:)

[IslandSliderGirl]

The balcony ALL the way...it's wonderful to have your own private area of the ship to enjoy the ocean, relax, read or take a nap.