'Private Balcony' - Really?

[jetteh22]

This is just a little thought. Not even really a complaint.

 

I was on the Breeze on the 12/8 cruise (I did post a review and I loved the cruise and I loved the ship!) and I had a last-minute upgrade to a balcony. The description that the Carnival rep gave me over the phone said 'private' balcony. It was room 6298. We also had another couple in our group staying in 6274 (just down the hall) which she is also pretty sure was stated as a 'private' balcony on the description on the website.

 

Both of our balconies (and from what I can tell - ALL balconies on deck 6 and above) were not private at all. Deck 5 has a walkway the completely circles the entire ship (or so it seems, I never actually walked the whole thing). My room was between the hot tub and the giant chess and the other couple was directly in front of the giant chess.

 

Not a complaint but shouldn't they advertise the balconies as 'walkway view' as I have seen on other rooms I've looked at before? Having anybody on the walkway on deck 5 be able to look up into your balcony and (if you're on a lower balcony with the shades open) into your room - it's not very private.

 

Again - not complaining because I don't do anything on my balcony besides relax and read but I was just talking to the other couple and we both found it a bit misleading at first. From now on I am going to be getting a cove balcony because we had another couple who had a cove balcony and being that close to the water is sooooo cool and relaxing. And they're actually private :P

[re-re]

Wow, I couldn't decide if i wanted a regular balcony or a cove. Did you notice if it was more private towards the aft? i was looking at the l-shaped cabin on deck 8

[jetteh22]

Wow, I couldn't decide if i wanted a regular balcony or a cove. Did you notice if it was more private towards the aft? i was looking at the l-shaped cabin on deck 8

I couldn't tell you for sure about the privacy thing (we were mid ship and we never walked the entirety of deck 5) but from what I could see from deck 5 it was pretty much wide open. The higher you are the more privacy you have, obviously, but you can still see people almost all the way up from the deck.

 

Most people don't bother looking up but I wouldn't go and have sex on the balcony cause you never know!

 

But I can tell you that the cove balcony was freaking awesome. Watching the ship slam against the waves up front is just so cool.

[Beebob1]

Stayed in a cove balcony on the Dream and love it - much more private than a regular balcony. This was our first time for the cove and would do it again.

[Cruizinman]

This is just a little thought. Not even really a complaint.

 

I was on the Breeze on the 12/8 cruise (I did post a review and I loved the cruise and I loved the ship!) and I had a last-minute upgrade to a balcony. The description that the Carnival rep gave me over the phone said 'private' balcony. It was room 6298. We also had another couple in our group staying in 6274 (just down the hall) which she is also pretty sure was stated as a 'private' balcony on the description on the website.

 

Both of our balconies (and from what I can tell - ALL balconies on deck 6 and above) were not private at all. Deck 5 has a walkway the completely circles the entire ship (or so it seems, I never actually walked the whole thing). My room was between the hot tub and the giant chess and the other couple was directly in front of the giant chess.

 

Not a complaint but shouldn't they advertise the balconies as 'walkway view' as I have seen on other rooms I've looked at before? Having anybody on the walkway on deck 5 be able to look up into your balcony and (if you're on a lower balcony with the shades open) into your room - it's not very private.

 

Again - not complaining because I don't do anything on my balcony besides relax and read but I was just talking to the other couple and we both found it a bit misleading at first. From now on I am going to be getting a cove balcony because we had another couple who had a cove balcony and being that close to the water is sooooo cool and relaxing. And they're actually private :P

 

 

I understand your not complaining ;) . If they sold those balcony rooms as

walkway balconies Carnival would have to reduce the price on them , or figure out a way to charge more for them.

 

 

[jetteh22]

I understand your not complaining ;) . If they sold those balcony rooms as

walkway balconies Carnival would have to reduce the price on them , or figure out a way to charge more for them.

 

 

You're probably right. The more I think about it it's just the lower decks (6 and 7 mainly) that are really viewing the walkway. The higher ones will pretty much only see the ocean from their balcony unless they look down but people could still see up into them a little.

[Amy Giard]

To me private means no one else as access to them.

 

I think the walkway view rooms are rooms that look

out on the "secret" decks or other public walkways.

[tlw440]

This is just a little thought. Not even really a complaint.

 

I was on the Breeze on the 12/8 cruise (I did post a review and I loved the cruise and I loved the ship!) and I had a last-minute upgrade to a balcony. The description that the Carnival rep gave me over the phone said 'private' balcony. It was room 6298. We also had another couple in our group staying in 6274 (just down the hall) which she is also pretty sure was stated as a 'private' balcony on the description on the website.

 

Both of our balconies (and from what I can tell - ALL balconies on deck 6 and above) were not private at all. Deck 5 has a walkway the completely circles the entire ship (or so it seems, I never actually walked the whole thing). My room was between the hot tub and the giant chess and the other couple was directly in front of the giant chess.

 

Not a complaint but shouldn't they advertise the balconies as 'walkway view' as I have seen on other rooms I've looked at before? Having anybody on the walkway on deck 5 be able to look up into your balcony and (if you're on a lower balcony with the shades open) into your room - it's not very private.

 

Again - not complaining because I don't do anything on my balcony besides relax and read but I was just talking to the other couple and we both found it a bit misleading at first. From now on I am going to be getting a cove balcony because we had another couple who had a cove balcony and being that close to the water is sooooo cool and relaxing. And they're actually private :P

I don't think that a private balcony means that you can't see in but it is for your private use only.

[ray98]

I don't think that a private balcony means that you can't see in but it is for your private use only.

 

Correct.

[Spaniel Lover]

This is definitely something to be aware of when choosing a cabin on the Breeze/Magic/Dream. When choosing a balcony cabin, the most privacy will be had on the highest floors and also way far forward and way far aft.

 

Spa balcony cabins are especially great because not only are you up high and far forward (so the deck 5 privacy thing is simply not an issue) but also you have all the benefits of the spa.

 

We lucked in to a spa balcony cabin on the Magic (because all regular balcony cabins were booked) and when it came time to book a cabin on the Breeze for 2013, I went for a spa balcony cabin again since I had enjoyed it so much on the Magic.

[bbohbbneedacruise]

I think the balconies on the lower decks are nothing compared to the 'taco shell' Allure of the Seas balconies.

[angelndscz]

I suppose the "private" part means no other guests can access it but you. Not that it is private as in no one can see you.

[Tapi]

Our balcony on the Dream was on deck 6 and it never bothered us that it had a walkway straight below us. We didn't consider the view to be "obstructed".

 

As far as privacy goes, there's really not much (and it's not because of the people walking one deck below). Here's a picture of a peeping tom (our 2 year old son) checking out what the neighbors were doing.

 

[Tapi]

I think the balconies on the lower decks are nothing compared to the 'taco shell' Allure of the Seas balconies.

 

There's a difference though. When we sailed on the Allure, the Boardwalk and Central Park balconies were considerably cheaper than the Oceanview balconies (and even slightly cheaper than staterooms with a regular oceanview window). For our particular sailing, a Boardwalk balcony was apx $1000pp, while a regular Oceanview balcony was apx $1400-$1500pp.

 

On Carnival, the difference between a balcony on deck 6 and one on a higher deck may be just $20-$40.

[k2excursion]

Wow, I couldn't decide if i wanted a regular balcony or a cove. Did you notice if it was more private towards the aft? i was looking at the l-shaped cabin on deck 8

 

I personally would pick the cove over the deck 8 L-shaped. However, you wouldn't have much of a privacy issue with the L-shaped balcony. The outside walkway on deck 5 (the "lanai") does circle the entire ship, but it is much skinnier as you approach the front or the aft. And most people who are enjoying the lanai hang out more towards the middle. They would only be passing by those skinnier sections towards the aft or front. Plus, deck 8 is higher up than decks 6 or 7, so it's much more difficult for people to see onto a deck 8 balcony. So being higher and having a skinnier lanai almost completely eliminates any obstruction to your ocean view.

[Dave85]

There's a difference though. When we sailed on the Allure, the Boardwalk and Central Park balconies were considerably cheaper than the Oceanview balconies (and even slightly cheaper than staterooms with a regular oceanview window). For our particular sailing, a Boardwalk balcony was apx $1000pp, while a regular Oceanview balcony was apx $1400-$1500pp.

 

On Carnival, the difference between a balcony on deck 6 and one on a higher deck may be just $20-$40.

 

Exactly. It's one of the perils of pricing out an Oasis class ship... they'll show you a pretty nice rate for a balcony cabin, you'll look and see that it's a Boardwalk or Central Park View (interior) balcony. :D

 

I value my balcony view of the sea too much to stay in one of those... but, of course, if it was between the interior balcony or no balcony at all I'd take it!

 

This is definitely something to be aware of when choosing a cabin on the Breeze/Magic/Dream. When choosing a balcony cabin, the most privacy will be had on the highest floors and also way far forward and way far aft.

 

Definitely, this is exactly why we chose a Deck 9 balcony on the Breeze for next week. There was no way I was going to take a balcony on Deck 6, not just for privacy reasons but also for noise reasons.

[sparks1093]

I don't think that a private balcony means that you can't see in but it is for your private use only.

 

I suppose the "private" part means no other guests can access it but you. Not that it is private as in no one can see you.

 

Agreed. Join the balcony club at your peril;) (and remember, the US Navy has night vision devices:D).

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Stayed in a cove balcony on the Dream and love it - much more private than a regular balcony. This was our first time for the cove and would do it again.

I agree ...

[dobiemom]

Agreed. Join the balcony club at your peril;) (and remember, the US Navy has night vision devices:D).

And I think the ship has security cameras that can see into some (all?) balconies.

[tef43]

Whether anyone can see onto our balcony is of no concern to us.

 

Enjoy the show.

[Dave85]

And I think the ship has security cameras that can see into some (all?) balconies.

 

The cameras are in place to monitor the rail so ship personnel can use that footage in the thankfully rare situation that someone goes overboard. Everything I've read in the past indicates that the lines respect guest privacy on the balconies, but I wouldn't be surprised if a balcony here or there could be viewed by the camera simply by virtue of its placement.

 

Engage on the balcony at your own peril :cool:

[CruiseHealing]

Stayed in a cove balcony on the Dream and love it - much more private than a regular balcony. This was our first time for the cove and would do it again.

 

We also did the cove. The other balconies were not considered for the reason given by the OP. However, the cove balconies also are not very private because of the secuity cameras hanging down between the life boats. I am sure Carnival has quite a bit of x-rated videos ;) from folks not knowing that those things hanging down between the boats are cameras.

 

I ask my room steward about them and said they only look along the side of the ship. I am sure they see a little more than that.

 

I have attached a photo of the cameras

[CruiseHealing]

I think the balconies on the lower decks are nothing compared to the 'taco shell' Allure of the Seas balconies.

 

How do you import photos like this? I can never seem to add them like this, but I am stuck attaching them.

[CENTEX CRUISER]

Here is a shot, not showing a lot, of 2288 cove on the Magic. It is definitely more private, and is a good location for getting on and off the ship.

 

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

 

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Bonneville02]

The cameras are in place to monitor the rail so ship personnel can use that footage in the thankfully rare situation that someone goes overboard. Everything I've read in the past indicates that the lines respect guest privacy on the balconies, but I wouldn't be surprised if a balcony here or there could be viewed by the camera simply by virtue of its placement.

 

Engage on the balcony at your own peril :cool:

 

I was in room 2268 on the Dream a year ago (cove balcony). I'm sure the security camera had a clear view of the balcony. Truth be told, no balcony is really "private".