Is a Balcony worth???

[sjn911]

For $ 210 total would go from inside to balcony.

 

If 300 or so would stay with inside. That is just us.

 

Me too if I could still do a special thing or two on the trip..like this advice.

 

But..i have experince in a 50's closet inside..my first cruise at twenty on the narrowest wall bunk..like for soldiers that flipped down from wall..this was 1980 on a 5000 ton ship..it was a great time but I said never have an inside again...

 

Then, forward 30 years LOL... I had a 1A on Empress deck Fantasy class..very roomy and well located and a midship inside on Spirit class deck Seven...lots of lights..can figure low or high lighting to relax..when I wanted to sleep any hour or shut out the world and have roomservice and snooze..it was great. They are not lousy insides..not the layout of a closet like they used to be. And I think baring a cruise with a million kids jumping around in the insides..so quiet and smoke free..I went out, zzzzzzzz, as soon as i got the room and almost missed muster..with all the boarding confusion.

Yes I want a window and balcony sometime..but as a solo this is how I can go..and it has been a miracle i have had 2 cruises since 2009. The higher you go the better the insides (usually)..but Carnival has a larger room policy..that 185 square feet is done nicely on their insides..really..Sarah

[lady_cruiser]

We have never sailed without a balcony so I can't compare a balcony with an Ocean View or Inside Cabin. But, we use our balcony as much as we can. We have breakfast on it. When the pool area is crowded or loud we retreat to our balcony for coffee and pastries and read our Kindles. We have been known to not only take naps on it but actually sleep, at least one night , on it.

 

We have met our cabin neighbors by leaning on the rails where watching the world go by. If it wasn't for our balcony chances are we probably would never see our neighbors in the hallways or anywhere else.

 

If that $210 is for everyone in your cabin I would say yes, go for it. But don't forget, if the price goes up your cruise insurance (if you have any) will also go up a few dollars so figure that into the increase too.

[Kato27]

From one of ur earlier posts u were thinking about paying 160.00 $

for a rushed 4 hour excursion.

For 210.00 $ u can have ur balcony for the whole week...personally i would get the balcony....even if u don't use it that much...it's there when u do.:)

[rotting_hell]

Our first cruise we went with an inside cabin and glad we did, we were never in the room. It was just way too many things to do and see being our first. When we got back from cruising we felt we needed another vacation just to unwind from all the activities.

 

On our second we booked a balcony as we already knew what to expect.

 

Either way you can't go wrong!!!! You will be on a cruise!!!:)

[mrpayroll]

If you just plan to use your cabin to sleep, nap and change then an inside cabin is fine. You can see the ocean from all the public decks just as clear as from a private balcony. I've had inside, outside and balcony cabins - and you eat the same food, see the same ports, and enjoy all the same entertainment from all cabin types. A balcony is a luxury; not a necessity. Don't get me wrong - a private balcony is really nice. I'll wait and stay with your inside cabin...if you find you send a lot of time in your cabin then maybe next time book a balcony. It's really a personal preference.

 

Our thoughts exactly. Plus the number of threads that complain about their neighbors smoking on the balcony.

[RuthlessBoss]

No one has asked if you are claustrophobic-if you are in the least then best to not get an inside room. For me it would be like staying in a large walk in closet. No natural light and no way to see outside-just not for me.

 

If you do have an inside room then of course you're only in there to sleep and shower. There is no where to relax and read or just chill out. Friends had their first inside room on our last cruise and hated it. We saw them sitting in the common areas lots of times just so they could get out of that room.

 

Some folks love insides so it really depends on you.

Most people with an inside cabin say why not, they aren't in the cabin much. Of course not. There's just 4 walls, and they get boring real fast.

I find it tiring trying to stay out of those 4 walls.

If it meant a difference of a cruise, or not, an inside cabin is better than staying home.

[Seydlitz]

Hell Yeah.

[PAPERBKWRITER]

We currently are booked in an inside room exactly midship on deck 7.

 

Upon checking prices I see to move up to a "guaranteed balcony" it would be $210 more.

 

Would it be worth the money?

 

I have never cruised so not sure what is best.

 

txs

If it's $210 total on 7 days or longer and not pp that is a nice upgrade at a great price.

[dixieva]

Most people with an inside cabin say why not, they aren't in the cabin much. Of course not. There's just 4 walls, and they get boring real fast.

I find it tiring trying to stay out of those 4 walls.

If it meant a difference of a cruise, or not, an inside cabin is better than staying home.

 

 

For me I would rather stay home than stay in an inside room. I know I'm in the minority here but I just cannot stay in a totally enclosed room. I would be sleeping out on deck. So best for me to just skip the cruise and save until I can afford the cheapest balcony.

[jaxonboy]

Depends on you. If you are cruising to charge your batteries, then the inside is a nice way to do it. One time, we slept about 12 hours the first night, after long flights, time change, etc. On the other hand, if you are a person that doesn't sleep much, get the balcony, you will enjoy it.

 

We have also enjoyed ocean view, natural light, no 2nd hand smoke.

 

Either way, have a good time!

[okgirl]

We currently are booked in an inside room exactly midship on deck 7.

 

Upon checking prices I see to move up to a "guaranteed balcony" it would be $210 more.

 

Would it be worth the money?

 

I have never cruised so not sure what is best.

 

txs

 

If it's $210 total then I would say it would be worth it to me occasionally. But if it's $210 each then no I wouldn't think it would be worth it. I usually cruise at least 3 times a year and the extra money that the balcony would cost if chosen on every cruise would probably reduce us to 2 cruises a year.

 

If I ever start cruising only once a year then I will probably spend the extra for a balcony.

[kelkel2]

I think it depends. Is that money that you can afford to spend? If that's the case, then go for it.

 

 

I like a balcony because I am an early riser. I work at a hospital and get up at 4 am daily. My husband is not accustomed to getting up early and I struggle with sleeping in. With a balcony I can go upstairs, get coffee and bring it back to the balcony and watch us pull into port without really disturbing him. Therefore, it's worth every penny to us. But beware, as soon as you have a balcony it's going to be very difficult to book anything else :)

[flounder315]

Look at the sentence right above my countdown clock... :D

[spunkyhungry]

On my very first cruise we got a balcony, but we thought it was a waste of money because we hardly ever used it. Since then I've always gotten inside cabins. They are affordable, cozy, and dark when all lights are turned off, which makes it very easy to fall asleep. I recommend keeping the inside cabin if you want to save money and put the $210 toward an excursion or something else fun.

[NCTribeFan]

And that balcony that so many say you should definitely take could be in a horrible, noisy location.

 

Personally, I absolutely LOVE inside cabins. I like it dark when I'm sleeping! Strange, I know! :p

 

I've only had two balcony cabins, both on Miracle.

 

OP didn't state what ship. If it's a Spirit-class ship, they could end up in a 7a, with a very obstructed view. On any ship, you could end up under a noisy galley, or over a noisy band area, or under the Lido pool area with chairs being dragged around and trash blowing off the eating areas onto your balcony.

 

If I'm going to spend the money on a balcony, I want to be sure it is exactly what I want and where I want it!

 

"Worth" is so very, very subjective.

[cantwait10]

for me, i would rather not do any excursions so i can get the balcony room...breakfast is so relaxing out there, at night with a beer or glass of wine before bed, during the day when you come back to grab something or get ready for dinner and sit out there for a few minutes in peace and quiet. i wouldnt cruise without a balcony personally.

but like everyone else is saying, its preference.

[dixieva]

And that balcony that so many say you should definitely take could be in a horrible, noisy location.

 

Personally, I absolutely LOVE inside cabins. I like it dark when I'm sleeping! Strange, I know! :p

 

I've only had two balcony cabins, both on Miracle.

 

OP didn't state what ship. If it's a Spirit-class ship, they could end up in a 7a, with a very obstructed view. On any ship, you could end up under a noisy galley, or over a noisy band area, or under the Lido pool area with chairs being dragged around and trash blowing off the eating areas onto your balcony.

 

If I'm going to spend the money on a balcony, I want to be sure it is exactly what I want and where I want it!

 

"Worth" is so very, very subjective.

 

I always carefully choose my balcony rooms to avoid the things listed above. You only have to worry about location if you book a balcony guarantee which I would never do.

[needabreakcanada]

Unless an actual balcony "room" that I can afford and pick myself drops enough for me to afford.....

 

I will stick with my inside for this trip.

 

We carefully chose our inside room (on Freedom) to be #7304 which is in the Grand Suite locations and midship.

 

I did not realize a "guaranteed balcony" could have a bad location. Thanks for the heads up on that!

 

Oh well in 2014 I am booked on a balcony for a Southern Caribbean cruise. Will have to wait for the "balcony" experience until then!

[LadyVolFan]

I think it is worth it. My husband first thought the balcony was too expensive, but now he says we will never stay in anything else. He also loves to be on the balcony when we cruise into the different ports.

[sjn911]

Unless an actual balcony "room" that I can afford and pick myself drops enough for me to afford.....

 

I will stick with my inside for this trip.

 

We carefully chose our inside room (on Freedom) to be #7304 which is in the Grand Suite locations and midship.

 

I did not realize a "guaranteed balcony" could have a bad location. Thanks for the heads up on that!

 

Oh well in 2014 I am booked on a balcony for a Southern Caribbean cruise. Will have to wait for the "balcony" experience until then!

 

I think you have an absolutely great plan..those are the best insides too..I do think it is easier to get a bad balcony guarantee than a bad inside guarantee..and choosing your cabin is always the best...personally..I'd book a couple massages when everything spa goes on special with that money..LOL..I should have done that on my last trip....for me that really shifts the mood to RELAX and Happy on vacation...Sarah

[Spurs Fans]

A balcony is definitely worth it, imho. Nothing like being able to step out on the balcony first thing in the morning and smell the sea. Great place to sit at night and relax for a good night's sleep.

[HelliCap]

We had one on our Alaska cruise, we will never go back. One our next cruise we even got a bigger one. There is nothing like getting away from the hustle & bustle of the rest of the cruise and still have some fersh air.

[nlktx49]

My husband and I just had a discussion about this, trying to decide what kind of cabin to have on our Magic cruise in Feb. 2013. Our next cruise is Nov. 5, and we booked an Ocean View for it. Our last cruise was on Magic in Feb. 2012, and we had an inside. The Ocean Views and Balconies on Magic are both quite a bit more than the Inside. My husband had no doubts, he said go for the Inside! We had a balcony last year on our Alaska cruise, and used it a lot for looking at scenery and whales, etc. But for a Caribbean cruise, I'm with him, an inside is fine, more money to spend on other things!

[sonicbuffalo]

Balconies are where its at!

 

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[cruisecrazy82]

Yes go for it!!!!!!!