Legend Extended Balcony question / opinions

[waykaylincruz]

We booked the Legend for October 7, 2012 and pretty much decided in one night where we wanted to go and which ship to take us there. However, I did the unthinkable......I booked without researching ship and cabin choices.

 

We called our PVP and asked for a balcony cabin (we actually needed 3 since we are travelling with friends of ours). She stated that she was able to upgrade our cabin to an extended balcony (Deck 7) for the same price of a standard balcony. I, of course thought this was awesome, and jumped at the deal. I was so proud of myself thinking I had done good.....until tonight!!!

 

I was reading a review and saw that the reviewer had an extended balcony and their view of looking down from their balcony was lifeboats!!!! I like to look down at the ocean and I see this as a disadvantage and I am thinking I want a standard balcony where I can look down at the sea.

 

Can anyone that has stayed in these cabins please share your experience and reassure me or confirm my fears with these type cabins. Does the obstructed view take away from your enjoyment of the balcony.

 

Please, please share your thoughts on this with me!!

 

I hear great things about the Legend and it is an itinerary that we are excited about. I hope I made the right cabin choice!!

[afergvip]

I'm interested in hearing this as well. We are in 6279 which is suppose to be a larger room with a larger balcony but there are life boats just below. I guess it don't obstruct your view out.....but is it an inconvenience or problem?

[VickiD59]

We sailed the Miracle twice (sister ship to Legend), on our first cruise we had extended balcony cabins. We didn't know.. we thought extended meant they e x t e n d e d out on the ship where it bumps out. Wrong. We were mid-ship, cabin 7215 and our immediate view down was the tops of the lifeboats. This past cruise when I booked I made sure we had a regular balcony cabin (7325) so that our immediate view down was the promenade and water. I preferred the water view. I understand completely what you're saying.. because I felt the same way. It didn't make or break my cruise but... again, it bothered me enough not to book an extended this past time. Here's some photos of each.

[waykaylincruz]

We sailed the Miracle twice (sister ship to Legend), on our first cruise we had extended balcony cabins. We didn't know.. we thought extended meant they e x t e n d e d out on the ship where it bumps out. Wrong. We were mid-ship, cabin 7215 and our immediate view down was the tops of the lifeboats. This past cruise when I booked I made sure we had a regular balcony cabin (7325) so that our immediate view down was the promenade and water. I preferred the water view. I understand completely what you're saying.. because I felt the same way. It didn't make or break my cruise but... again, it bothered me enough not to book an extended this past time. Here's some photos of each.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and for the pictures!! It's too late to change cabins now so I must make the best of it and enjoy my balcony!

[River_Rat]

My daughter and I went on the Legend in 2008, we had an extended balcony, yes you can see the life boats, however the larger size balcony was wonderful and nice to have, if I had a choice I would go extended just for the extra room,:D

[michelle028]

We sailed the Miracle twice (sister ship to Legend), on our first cruise we had extended balcony cabins. We didn't know.. we thought extended meant they e x t e n d e d out on the ship where it bumps out. Wrong. We were mid-ship, cabin 7215 and our immediate view down was the tops of the lifeboats. This past cruise when I booked I made sure we had a regular balcony cabin (7325) so that our immediate view down was the promenade and water. I preferred the water view. I understand completely what you're saying.. because I felt the same way. It didn't make or break my cruise but... again, it bothered me enough not to book an extended this past time. Here's some photos of each.

 

But Can you change your cabin by calling your TA? Even after final payment? I'm sailing in 3 weeks and I have room 7209 beside yours , looking down to the lifeboats. Is it possible to change? Thanks for your reply!

[myangel]

We are sailing the Legend for the 4th time in November. We have extended balcony cabins every time, and they have all been on the Veronda (7) deck, which is my favorite deck to have a cabin on. There are no issues with lifeboats obstructing any views. Enjoy your cruise, the Legend is wonderful!

[SueG]

The extended balconies are about 50% wider. You do not have to squeeze by each other to walk around on it. If someone is sitting down on the first chair, you usually have to climb over the person to get to the next chair on a regular balcony. I think you are really going to enjoy the extended balcony.

[michelle028]

Thanks for the re-assurance:) its just different not looking down and seeing the water below!!

[jsjjkelly]

Hi! Just wanted to chime in that for our Legend cruise, we booked regular balcony, and got an upgrade email to go to an extended balcony for $40. Our 3 rooms jumped on it.

 

We were in 8228 and we looked straight down to the water. We were at the back of the ship though, and felt this was a great location! We were just 2 staircases up to the buffet... My in laws were 2 rooms away ( there was someone between us) and they too looked down to water. My brother in law was on the other side of the boat ( I get them mixed up. We were on the drivers side so to speak, and they were on the passenger side) and they didn't have any lifeboats either.

 

We enjoyed it, and I'm sure you will too!

 

Good luck!

Shawn

[GeorgiaMomof4]

We booked the Legend for October 7, 2012 and pretty much decided in one night where we wanted to go and which ship to take us there. However, I did the unthinkable......I booked without researching ship and cabin choices.

 

We called our PVP and asked for a balcony cabin (we actually needed 3 since we are travelling with friends of ours). She stated that she was able to upgrade our cabin to an extended balcony (Deck 7) for the same price of a standard balcony. I, of course thought this was awesome, and jumped at the deal. I was so proud of myself thinking I had done good.....until tonight!!!

 

I was reading a review and saw that the reviewer had an extended balcony and their view of looking down from their balcony was lifeboats!!!! I like to look down at the ocean and I see this as a disadvantage and I am thinking I want a standard balcony where I can look down at the sea.

 

Can anyone that has stayed in these cabins please share your experience and reassure me or confirm my fears with these type cabins. Does the obstructed view take away from your enjoyment of the balcony.

 

Please, please share your thoughts on this with me!!

 

I hear great things about the Legend and it is an itinerary that we are excited about. I hope I made the right cabin choice!!

 

Wow - it's a small world!

 

We are on this cruise as well and are from Dalton. You need to be sure and check out our roll call here on CC. It's been kind of dead lately, but hopefully will be picking up since we are past final payment and only 67 or so days away. That's saying something since we booked at about 400 days out!

 

This is our first time on the Legend and we have a balcony on the Verandah deck - aft and an interior for our kids across the hall. I really don't think the lifeboat issue will be much of a problem. You probably won't be looking straight down very much - will probably be sitting down and looking out more. Even if you are standing there is so much to see looking out especially if you are docking in a port or something I just don't think you'll even notice it after you get settled in.

 

How many of you are going and do you have any kids coming along? There will be a total of 13 of us ranging in ages from 58 or so down to my little boy who will turn 8 the day we get off the ship.

[Irishlinny]

After sailing the Legend and her sister (Miracle) 3 times, I will honestly say that I prefer the extended balcony, despite the fact that there are lifeboats when you look straight down. We usually get the "bowling alley" balcony now (which is awesome), but I like the deeper balconies which offer more leg room and maneuvering room. It's more likely that you will be sitting, in which case you won't even see the lifeboats.

Enjoy...we love the Legend and her itinerary!:)

[GuitarPlayer]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and for the pictures!! It's too late to change cabins now so I must make the best of it and enjoy my balcony!

 

Just wanted to say that how much you enjoy a cruise is 90% attitude and 10% environment.

 

Try to use that to your advantage, and don't start out thinking you won't like it. (because it becomes very likely you *won't* like it)

 

You *will* be on a cruise after all! (While the rest of us are still home, working our tails off, making our own dinner and cleaning up afterwards! :rolleyes:)

 

GP

[mavis2222]

I had a extended balcony on the Miracle (8818). Balcony deeper but same width as cabin and other balconys. Its right under the lido Rest, noise wasnt a problem, only thing i didnt like was the large roof overhang above which jutted out about 10 ft past the balcony so no sun could get there. Plus the balcony is setback so you cant look down the side of ship when leaning over the rail, there were lifeboats below, but they were several decks down so It didnt matter to me.

[Banditswife]

We were on Legend last Dec in 8145, an extended. Yes we saw life boats straight down. But we could still see the water. We loved the extra space.

[NCTribeFan]

Hmmm. Might have been me that posted the pics in the OPs original post.

 

I was in 7192 for my first Miracle cruise and my first balcony.

 

 

For me, I wouldn't spend extra for the side extended again. I'd trade the slight-smaller balcony (it's not like the extended is so gigantic after all) for the ability to stand at the rail and look straight down into the water.

 

I know, you don't see the lifeboats when you're just sitting out there! Just depends on what you want.

[VickiD59]

The midship extended and a traditional balcony are exactly the same length, they are just deeper. The floor space is approx 15" deeper, alittle more knee room if you're sitting, but unless you have super long legs, you wouldn't really notice it.. or at least we didn't when comparing the two types of balconies. I think we stood looking out over the railing more than we sat (both times), which is why... for me.. my opinion, was that I preferred the water view.

Either way.. I know you're going to have a fantastic time.

Happy sails :D

[waykaylincruz]

Thanks everyone for your responses. I think the balcony will be ok and pretty much has to be at this point.

 

We are so excited about this cruise and are really having fun planning it:)!!

[Rosefloater]

Hmmm. Might have been me that posted the pics in the OPs original post.

 

I was in 7192 for my first Miracle cruise and my first balcony.

 

 

For me, I wouldn't spend extra for the side extended again. I'd trade the slight-smaller balcony (it's not like the extended is so gigantic after all) for the ability to stand at the rail and look straight down into the water.

 

I know, you don't see the lifeboats when you're just sitting out there! Just depends on what you want.

 

I have the same picture from the same cabin as above, except mine was taken from the Spirit. I agree about the extra footage not really worth it IMHO.

[happy flamingo]

We have an extended balcony on the spirit -mid ship on the verandah deck -for the first time. Have always had regular balconies in the past. It looks like the regular balconies extend past the extended balconies. Wondered if that affects the view to the aft or forward. Looking forward to that extra leg room!

[VickiD59]

We have an extended balcony on the spirit -mid ship on the verandah deck -for the first time. Have always had regular balconies in the past. It looks like the regular balconies extend past the extended balconies. Wondered if that affects the view to the aft or forward. Looking forward to that extra leg room!

Ahhh yes.. I had the same misconception. The midship extended cabins (the ones overlooking the lifeboats) are not on the bump-out section of the ship, but actually on the recessed section of the ship. What I did notice when we had the extended balcony, is that the railing and sometimes the chairs, always had a layer of sea salt on them. Now this past cruise (non-extended) there wasn't any. Not sure why the difference, but there definately was one.

But truth be told.. with either balcony.. we rarely spent more than 10 minutes out there at any given time.

[serene56]

We have an extended balcony on the spirit -mid ship on the verandah deck -for the first time. Have always had regular balconies in the past. It looks like the regular balconies extend past the extended balconies. Wondered if that affects the view to the aft or forward. Looking forward to that extra leg room!

 

 

the ship juts in and out.

http://www.travelingnuts.com/2011cruise/images/DSCN0186.JPG

 

for the amount of time spent looking forward or aft it really didnt make that much of a difference to us.

 

I think for a person who had those two "end" balconies it would affect them more then being midship.

 

this is a similar extended balcony:

 

a standard balcony will be this narrow and between those two silver poles

 

standard balcony

 

 

extended balcony