Should We Upgrade From Category BD to BC?

[tarheelmjfan]

We're taking our first Princess cruise on Island in Oct. Now that I've spent more time on this board, I see the Caribe deck seems to be the coveted deck. Should we upgrade from the BD cabin we have booked? I think the upgrade would cost us around $200. There's only 2 of us, but we do plan to book UBB & UBD. The balcony we have booked is covered. It sounds like the Caribe deck balconies are only partially covered. Which would you do? TIA :)

[JanetAlice]

I believe Caribe is BA or BB. Maybe the Island is different. Our upcoming cruise Will be our first Caribe. We are looking forward to the extra space since we are a group of six with connecting balconies.

[tarheelmjfan]

Unfortunately, I made a mistake in the title. I wish I could edit it. We're considering upgrading to a BA category cabin on Caribe deck. Our current BD cabin is on Dolphin deck.

[LoriPhil]

If you're interested, check Tom O's comprehensive photos/deck plans for the Coral/Island showing which cabins are covered, partially covered, part of a bump-out configuration etc. We use it every time we're booking a cruise on the Coral and it's very useful. Enjoy the Island - these are our favorite ships!

 

(Hope this works as a link, but the address is correct)

 

http://mysite.verizon.net/res76zxu/princessbalconies/index.html

[tarheelmjfan]

Thanks for the link. :) We chose Island for the itinerary. I'm glad it's a good choice. :D We currently have a balcony cabin on Dolphin deck. I'm wondering if the balconies on Caribe deck are worth the upgrade price of around $200 total. The money wouldn't be a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Then again, if the Caribe deck balcony cabins aren't worth the difference, I don't want to just spend it to be spending either.

[tarheelmjfan]

I believe Caribe is BA or BB. Maybe the Island is different. Our upcoming cruise Will be our first Caribe. We are looking forward to the extra space since we are a group of six with connecting balconies.

 

I hope you all have a fantastic cruise. It sounds like a lot of fun.

[2pbears]

We have booked Caribe deck balconies for our last few cruises and have really enjoyed the additional deck space, the extra furniture (4 chairs, large table and foot stools). However, on our recent cruise on the Sapphire they had removed the extra furniture during dry dock and replaced it with two rather uncomfortable deck chairs and a dinky (think two cocktails sized) table. I don't know if they have done this on the Island but if that is the case I would rethink the upgrade. I'm not so sure we will make it a point to book Caribe deck balconies in the future. Just something to think about.

[JanetAlice]

If the $200 isn't a big issue I would upgrade. Having seen the Caribe balcony on our last cruise I wondered why we hadn't considered it before. Also check the Caribe BBs. That is what we did. I don't care about midship. I prefer aft and would rather walk to minimize the cruise pounds.

[JanetAlice]

We have booked Caribe deck balconies for our last few cruises and have really enjoyed the additional deck space, the extra furniture (4 chairs, large table and foot stools). However, on our recent cruise on the Sapphire they had removed the extra furniture during dry dock and replaced it with two rather uncomfortable deck chairs and a dinky (think two cocktails sized) table. I don't know if they have done this on the Island but if that is the case I would rethink the upgrade. I'm not so sure we will make it a point to book Caribe deck balconies in the future. Just something to think about.

 

Princess has reconsidered their decision. Search for the threads on the board. The change prompted an unprecedented outcry from loyal Princess cruisers.

[catr13]

I have a BD cabin booked on the caribe on the Island, maybe there is one of these left?

[Astro Flyer]

We have booked Caribe deck balconies for our last few cruises and have really enjoyed the additional deck space, the extra furniture (4 chairs, large table and foot stools). However, on our recent cruise on the Sapphire they had removed the extra furniture during dry dock and replaced it with two rather uncomfortable deck chairs and a dinky (think two cocktails sized) table. I don't know if they have done this on the Island but if that is the case I would rethink the upgrade. I'm not so sure we will make it a point to book Caribe deck balconies in the future. Just something to think about.

I got off the Island on the 11th & the Caribe deck balconies still had 4 chairs & a decent table. The minis were the only ones I saw with the new furniture & they had 2 chairs/ottomans & 1 table. I have no way to know what it'll be like by October but still would get a BA for the extra $200. We had a BB on Aloha deck (guarantee upgrade) which was completely covered & barely fit the card table for our UBD.

Princess has reconsidered their decision. Search for the threads on the board. The change prompted an unprecedented outcry from loyal Princess cruisers.

While that was the Princess statement, I haven't read any posts saying that it has happened so it's still to be seen if they will have the same original number of chairs on the larger partially covered Caribe deck balconies.

[JanetAlice]

I got off the Island on the 11th & the Caribe deck balconies still had 4 chairs & a decent table. The minis were the only ones I saw with the new furniture & they had 2 chairs/ottomans & 1 table. I have no way to know what it'll be like by October but still would get a BA for the extra $200. We had a BB on Aloha deck (guarantee upgrade) which was completely covered & barely fit the card table for our UBD.

 

While that was the Princess statement, I haven't read any posts saying that it has happened so it's still to be seen if they will have the same original number of chairs on the larger partially covered Caribe deck balconies.

 

I think it would take awhile to re-replace :-) the new furniture. I'm sure us CCers will be keeping an eye out to make sure they live up to their word.

 

You are correct BB can be on several decks. You need to make sure you have a BB on the Caribe deck.

[Astro Flyer]

I think it would take awhile to re-replace :-) the new furniture. I'm sure us CCers will be keeping an eye out to make sure they live up to their word.

 

You are correct BB can be on several decks. You need to make sure you have a BB on the Caribe deck.

It will undoubtedly take some time to make the change & hoping to hear about it being done as soon as possible. Unfortunately I haven't read any positive feedback about the comfort & dependability from those who have experienced the new balcony furniture.

 

Guess we'll all eventually have the new furniture so we can each decide what we think about them. ;)

[tarheelmjfan]

We have booked Caribe deck balconies for our last few cruises and have really enjoyed the additional deck space, the extra furniture (4 chairs, large table and foot stools). However, on our recent cruise on the Sapphire they had removed the extra furniture during dry dock and replaced it with two rather uncomfortable deck chairs and a dinky (think two cocktails sized) table. I don't know if they have done this on the Island but if that is the case I would rethink the upgrade. I'm not so sure we will make it a point to book Caribe deck balconies in the future. Just something to think about.

 

Thanks for the warning. In that case, it would be money wasted. I wish we could know for sure, if they were going to change out the furniture or not.

 

If the $200 isn't a big issue I would upgrade. Having seen the Caribe balcony on our last cruise I wondered why we hadn't considered it before. Also check the Caribe BBs. That is what we did. I don't care about midship. I prefer aft and would rather walk to minimize the cruise pounds.

 

The site doesn't list Caribe deck as an option for BB category. Maybe, they're sold out.

 

I have a BD cabin booked on the caribe on the Island, maybe there is one of these left?

 

That would be great. I don't think there's any available though.

 

I got off the Island on the 11th & the Caribe deck balconies still had 4 chairs & a decent table. The minis were the only ones I saw with the new furniture & they had 2 chairs/ottomans & 1 table. I have no way to know what it'll be like by October but still would get a BA for the extra $200. We had a BB on Aloha deck (guarantee upgrade) which was completely covered & barely fit the card table for our UBD.

 

While that was the Princess statement, I haven't read any posts saying that it has happened so it's still to be seen if they will have the same original number of chairs on the larger partially covered Caribe deck balconies.

 

Are all 4 chairs the same, but the table is larger on Caribe balconies? We only need 2 chairs, but a larger table & balcony sounds advantageous for the UB meals. If we knew we'd get the old furniture, we'd probably go ahead & upgrade. Is there any way to find out for sure?

[KruzPrincess]

I had a BD on Dophin (D419) on the Island in November and loved the location. It was a really convenient mid-ship location. The balcony was larger than a regular balcony and about 3/4 covered. I was really happy with it and wouldn't have spent the money to be upgraded. It probably depends on which cabin you have and if you need the extra balcony space. I had 4 chairs and a table on the balcony. Not sure what furniture is there now, though.

[tarheelmjfan]

We're currently in D627. The balcony appears to be the same size as the other regular balconies. From what I can tell, at least. Do you know, if that's the case?

[KruzPrincess]

We're currently in D627. The balcony appears to be the same size as the other regular balconies. From what I can tell, at least. Do you know, if that's the case?

 

These BD cabins on Dolphin are between Mini-suites and Suites and the depth of the balcony is the same as those categories. These are sought after cabins on the Island and Coral. Hopefully you can see this picture. The picture is a bit dark, but you can see the extra size and furniture. This is D419.

[Astro Flyer]

Are all 4 chairs the same, but the table is larger on Caribe balconies? We only need 2 chairs, but a larger table & balcony sounds advantageous for the UB meals. If we knew we'd get the old furniture, we'd probably go ahead & upgrade. Is there any way to find out for sure?

The old furniture was still on all decks that I could see on the Island except for the Dolphin minis. The Caribe has 2 regular chairs, 2 chairs that recline slightly & a table large enough to enjoy a Champagne Breakfast. We had these on a BA Caribe deck balcony on the Island's sister ship the Coral three years ago & it appeared to be the same set up during our recent cruise on the Island.

 

Unfortunately there's no way to know for sure unless there are posts from those onboard the ships. Calling Princess is useless because many of the agents aren't even aware of the changes because no one informs them.

 

They bring a card table for the UBD to all cabins (maybe not suites which I'll never experience) & probably would do the same thing for the Champagne Breakfast but don't know that for a fact. Unless you plan to have many guests join you on your balcony, even the 2 slightly reclining chairs should be enough for you. I think most passengers are like us & used the 2 non-reclining chairs as an ottoman. :p

 

On our recent Canal cruise on the Island with the great weather we planned to spend a lot of time on our balcony & had the old style of furniture. Unfortunately even our 2 non-reclining chairs (used the mini-table as an ottoman) weren't comfortable enough to spend a long time there without having to sit on a folded towel. I feel that one of the areas Princess needs to improve upon is balcony furniture but I'll sail with them again because the overall experience is best for us within our budget. :)

[tarheelmjfan]

These BD cabins on Dolphin are between Mini-suites and Suites and the depth of the balcony is the same as those categories. These are sought after cabins on the Island and Coral. Hopefully you can see this picture. The picture is a bit dark, but you can see the extra size and furniture. This is D419.

 

So, does that mean we got lucky & D627 is like D419 & has one of the bigger balconies with 4 chairs & a decent size table or did I misunderstand your post? It would be awesome, if we're already booked in a desirable cabin. If that's the case, we'll stay where we are.

 

The old furniture was still on all decks that I could see on the Island except for the Dolphin minis. The Caribe has 2 regular chairs, 2 chairs that recline slightly & a table large enough to enjoy a Champagne Breakfast. We had these on a BA Caribe deck balcony on the Island's sister ship the Coral three years ago & it appeared to be the same set up during our recent cruise on the Island.

 

Unfortunately there's no way to know for sure unless there are posts from those onboard the ships. Calling Princess is useless because many of the agents aren't even aware of the changes because no one informs them.

 

They bring a card table for the UBD to all cabins (maybe not suites which I'll never experience) & probably would do the same thing for the Champagne Breakfast but don't know that for a fact. Unless you plan to have many guests join you on your balcony, even the 2 slightly reclining chairs should be enough for you. I think most passengers are like us & used the 2 non-reclining chairs as an ottoman.

 

On our recent Canal cruise on the Island with the great weather we planned to spend a lot of time on our balcony & had the old style of furniture. Unfortunately even our 2 non-reclining chairs (used the mini-table as an ottoman) weren't comfortable enough to spend a long time there without having to sit on a folded towel. I feel that one of the areas Princess needs to improve upon is balcony furniture but I'll sail with them again because the overall experience is best for us within our budget.

 

I'm glad to see they bring in a larger table for the balcony meals. That makes sense. I'm looking forward to hearing what KruzPrincess has to say about our balcony. If it is bigger than normal, we'll stay where we are. We like the fact that it's fully covered. If it isn't a bigger balcony, we'll probably upgrade. After all, we will probably need those ottomans. :D

[KruzPrincess]

So, does that mean we got lucky & D627 is like D419 & has one of the bigger balconies with 4 chairs & a decent size table or did I misunderstand your post? It would be awesome, if we're already booked in a desirable cabin. If that's the case, we'll stay where we are.

 

 

D627 has the same size balcony as D419. I don't know what kind of furniture is on the balcony now, though. I was on the Island in November. If you look at the deck plans for the Dolphin deck you can see the forward balconies have the regular size balcony and you can see that the BD's have the larger balcony. D419 was mostly covered and D627 os fully covered.

[tarheelmjfan]

D627 has the same size balcony as D419. I don't know what kind of furniture is on the balcony now, though. I was on the Island in November. If you look at the deck plans for the Dolphin deck you can see the forward balconies have the regular size balcony and you can see that the BD's have the larger balcony. D419 was mostly covered and D627 os fully covered.

 

Thanks for the info. I appreciate your patience. Do you know how much larger the Caribe deck balconies are than our current balcony? It's starting to sound like we should stay where we are, but I want to make sure. Without ever sailing on a Princess ship, it's hard to know exactly what you're booking. I'm glad we have people here who are willing to guide us through it. :)

[KruzPrincess]

Thanks for the info. I appreciate your patience. Do you know how much larger the Caribe deck balconies are than our current balcony? It's starting to sound like we should stay where we are, but I want to make sure. Without ever sailing on a Princess ship, it's hard to know exactly what you're booking. I'm glad we have people here who are willing to guide us through it. :)

 

I don't have that answer for you. Good luck with your cruise.

[tarheelmjfan]

I don't have that answer for you. Good luck with your cruise.

 

Thanks :)