Is the balcony worth it?

[Retired LEO]

Thanks all for your answers! I have upgraded my interior to balcony room! Cant wait see how much i'll love it and if it is worth it. I am sure i will be spending a bunch of times on balcony with my boyfriend :D

 

And you'll also get to be inducted into the club. :D

[royalcruz]

We only get a balcony if the price is very good because we hardly use it. We tend to be on the upper deck during all daylight hours and it gets windy and chilly on the deck at night. We do like to have the big open window from the balcony and it makes the room feel bigger (often the rooms are bigger).

[Pumbaamd]

Florida Scorpion, thanks. We forgot to mention the club.

Rick and Deirdra

[BaccaratBoy]

We always get a balcony since it helps stave off seasickness and gives you options. My wife loves sitting out there with a glass of wine.

 

We found the more ports you visit, the more a balcony makes sense. In the Baltic, we spent countless hours watching the arrival and departure. In St Petersburg, we spent hours when we returned from the ship just watching the busy port work. In the Med, it was great fun to watch the arrivals into Genoa, Barcelona, etc. We always get an interior for the kids. They are never in the room except to crash. If they want, they come sit on our balcony.

 

But in Nov. we did Bermuda again with the in-laws. We gave them the balcony for their first cruise and we took the interior. Not a big deal. Used to work in Bermuda, so didn't need the view. Nice and dark in the interior for sleeping.

 

But, hard to wake up and you lose track of time with no daylight.

 

And in the Baltic it was totally wild going to bed at midnight with the sun just setting and then watching it rise again about 2 hours later.

 

Going next month with friend and we are getting balcony for us, interior for her. She will join us on the balcony.

 

Now THAT's a really exclusive club. lol

[LittleMissMagic]

We usually get a balcony. Sometimes it's "worth it," sometimes it's not.

 

On our last cruise, it was incredibly windy. We could hardly open our balcony door. It wasn't very pleasant to stand outside and face the 50+ mph winds!

 

However, on our southern Caribbean cruise, we got a lot of use out of our balcony. I would sit outside and read, drink a Diet Coke, and enjoy the day.

 

You never know what the weather's going to be like, but I like to have it just in case. It's a great way to escape the family when they're fighting over the shower! :D

[wannacruisemore]

Yes, yes, and yes! It is the best part of cruising.

 

My feelings exactly!!!! Try a suite, even better.

[BlancaNoir]

Yes, yes, yes! A balcony is worth it and then some! I will never cruise without one again. Sitting on the balcony first thing in the morning with my coffee . . . Watching the dolphins in the afternoon . . . Glass of wine in the late afternoon watching the sunset . . . And then at night, breathing the ocean air, looking up at the stars! I love having the ocean to myself on my balcony. The sounds of the waves, the smell of the salt water, the fresh air . . . Ahhhh.

[driftingaway2017]

I think that it just depends on the cruise whether or not a balcony is worth it. I had a balcony on my last cruise, the Carnival Destiny, and it was definately worth it. The balcony was larger than most, and the price was pretty good. I injured my foot on this cruise, and as a result spent more time than usual in my cabin. It was really nice to be able to relax on the balcony instead of being confined to a small space.

 

I have also had interior cabins which have been just fine, such as on the Oasis. There is so much to do on that ship, I did not miss having a balcony.

[wowcruisers]

Two Words: Balcony Club

 

We'll never go back to OV or interior after having a balcony on our last 3 cruises.

[dcward89]

For me, a balcony is an absolute must for a cruise. If I couldn't afford a balcony or if there were none available I would rather stay home. There's just something so relaxing about watching the ocean gliding past from your own private space. I keep a journal when we are on vacation so I love sitting out there in the evening recounting the days events. I adore watching as we dock in each port and again as we leave. It's a must!!

[cruzkitty]

Definitely worth it!! Having breakfast and/or coffee on your Balcony while out to sea is the best thing since SPAM!!:eek:

[sjb317]

We had interior rooms on our first three cruises as I couldn't see spending the extra money when we did not spend that much time in our room. But we decided to splurge for our Baltic cruise and became balcony "snobs" (and club members:D)from that point on! However, our last cruise on the Jewel proved there is such a thing as a bad balcony. We went with a guarantee balcony for the first time and ended up with a room that we referred to as the cave. We were in the last room on deck 7 in the corner. Balcony was large but was almost enclosed, which made the view quite limited and the room darker than ususal. There was a supply closet & some type of electrical unit right outside our railing, you never knew on port days when a crew member would be outside. :D Unless we get a super cheap price, we probably won't try a guarantee cabin again.

 

Sherri:)

[smeck]

Enjoy your balcony! In addition to the things others have already listed, here are a few more things we enjoy about a balcony: my husband enjoys smoking a cigar, it's nice to step outside to see what the weather is like before getting dressed, I like to read on the bed or sleep at night with the door open and feel the breeze/hear the waves crash against the ship. Have fun!

 

So it was your cigar smoke that was making it's way into my balcony.

[starcat]

I booked an aft balcony on the Enchantment in May. For those who have had an aft balcony, are they even much better that a regular balcony? I bet it is nice looking out the back.

[coaster]

Not worth it based on our December Radiance cruise. Cigar smoker next to us. Would have to constantly close our balcony door as our cabin would fill with smoke. Sitting outside was hit or miss. The smoker seemed to have early dining as that time of day was always smoke free. Next time I will save the extra $$ and go for an inside or outside.

[ba10rk]

wow, many answers, thanks you guys all!!! i am really excited about the balcony and will find out if it is worth it for us or not.... i bet it will be since i have 5 days on the sea (2 at the first and 3 at the end). it would be nice relaxing outside by oursevles without anybody else/crowded on the deck :)
will post an update here after my cruise and let u guys knw if it was worth it or not :D

thanks u all again :D:D

[metgame24]

In my short cruising experience, I have stayed in an oceanview, inside and a balcony. I prefer the balcony cabin, but my DH has no preference for one. For us, the itinerary and our budget for the trip will be the deciding factor. Have a balcony booked for the Explorer in February. Price and itinerary where right for that choice. Had an inside on a New England trip in October and that was fine, as we were in ports all day and it was a cool weather trip. That's what is so great about cruising, you can contour your vacation to fit your needs! Will admit a balcony on the 12 day Caribbean coming up is something I am extremely happy about!!:p

[nAuntie]

We were on the Serenade for a 10 day cruise starting Dec 23rd and we used our balcony every day. It was wonderful to sit out there after a shower, watching as we left a port. My teens and I loved to sit out there before bed as well.... watching the dark go by. My 13 year old spent a lot of time out there while the rest of us were showering and getting dressed.

If you're port side, it's also a great way to watch the people who are late running back to the ship LOL!

I've only ever had a balcony and only ever will.

[MrsPete]

We have very much enjoyed having a balcony, but it is not a make-or-break item for us. Several random thoughts on the subject:


The balcony is worth more money, but it is not worth a big financial stretch. If the balcony means going without something you really want or need, then skip it. It won't make that much difference.
I am much more willing to pay for a big aft balcony than a little side balcony.
If we're sharing a cabin with the kids, a balcony is the cheapest way to get a separate space for some privacy.
We do not like to eat out on the balcony -- too windy, and the table is too small and short.
The length of the cruise, the number of days at sea, and the itinerary all play into my decision about whether the balcony is worthwhile.

[klingoncruiser]

I have always found that balcony no matter where, to be a must. Always a place to run and hide and get away from everything at the very least.:D

[nelblu]

Yes. Once you've sailed with a balcony stateroom, you will never go back, assuming one can afford to pay a little extra. Think about having breakfast with averanda view of the sea(s):D

[seaofwonder]

For us it is definitely worth it....but everyone wants something different from their vacation. So you personally need to assess whether the cost is worth it for your family and your financial situation.

Some people swear by the inside rooms because they spend all their time on the pool deck, etc.

Us? Well, we never actually go up to the pool deck. We do hang in the room...usually on the balcony, just vegging. We love watching the sailaways and looking for late people running for the ship :-)

Every single penny is worth it for us! BIL had an inside on the last cruise and we personally couldn't imagine it.

[storm1of4]

[quote name='ba10rk'][SIZE=4]Is the balcony worth it on the enchantment?? it is my first time doing the balcony but this is my second cruise. i am doing 12night cruise to southern caribbean in feb. please tell me if it is worth it or not! any pictures would be greatly appreciated. THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE:D:D[/SIZE][/quote]


[FONT=Georgia][SIZE=3][B][COLOR=red]UMMMM.... [SIZE=6]YES!:rolleyes:[/SIZE][/COLOR][/B][/SIZE][/FONT]

[ehfl]

For us, a balcony on a Caribbean cruise would not be our first choice, unless you can get a really good deal. Otherwise, you're paying a lot for the exact same view you can get on deck for free.

We've ended up with smoker and/or noisy neighbors (or both) nearby, so it's not always possible to enjoy the fresh air and solitude. We found that you can always find a quiet, smoke-free place on deck. Again, same experience at no extra cost.

For an Alaska or European cruise that had something interesting to look at day or night that was different from your day to day experience, then we would probably consider the balcony worth it.

It really depends on your budget. We like to take 3-4 cruises per year, which we probably would not be able to do if we spent so much extra on the view. But if you can cruise as often as you would like to do, and still pay balcony prices, then go for it. Different people have different budgets.

[dsvd79]

One word.

Norovirus!

I got the norovirus on Voyager a few cruises ago. I was stuck in my room for 2 days. The only thing that kept me from going insane was being able to relax on the balcony and smell the ocean water. I couldn't imagine being in an interior room or oceanview room with norovirus. After that cruise, it has been balcony all the way!