Always A Balcony.. Never An Interior. Until Now?

[sanmarcosman]

Ask your partner to pony up the $600 difference and he can have a balcony. ;)

[PortSideCruzan]

Also, my best friend and her partner will be cruising with us. It is their first cruise.

They initially wanted a balcony (for experience) but when I told them the difference in price and how rarely we used it, they settled for an interior.

I remember on my first cruise I had to have a balcony or I wasn't going..

Is a balcony cabin a MUST for a first time cruiser?

Should they upgrade?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

 

Hi Surfjock :)

 

This is the only issue I'd be concerned about at this point. You

rarely used the balcony, but you have no idea if they will or

would have, depending on their decision. It's wise to give them

the pros and cons of both an interior stateroom and a balcony

stateroom so they can make an informed decision themselves.

 

What may be ok for you may not be ok for them.

 

 

:)

[SadieN]

I am not a fan of inside cabins, so at night we put on the forward view camera on the tv with the sound off. That way it feels like I have a window:-)

 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Forums mobile app

 

 

We keep the Lido cam on.:)

 

Our cabin choice depends on the itin. The short 3/4 dayers we travel IS. Longer cruises we will do OV. On the Spirit class we will book 4Ks or 7As.

 

We have had suites on HAL (upsell) and Princess (upgrade) that come with ALL the perks and while nice, just didn't have the 'must do' feeling.

 

 

Been to Alaska twice. Once in an OV and once in the aforementioned suite. Enjoyed the OV more. Figured out, for us, we liked the interaction on deck rather than the solitude of a balcony. YMMV

Edited January 19, 2014 by SadieN

[sharecruises]

I have been in all of them...interiors are fine...they usually have fake window curtains haha....i never look out the window in an oceanview it seems

 

One important point to consider - Carnival balcony doors slam....and frankly given some of the party people on these ships you may hear them out there in/out/making noise, playing music

 

another important point : Carnival still allows smoking - even cigars= on the balcony - there have been many complaints of that even before but remember this Jan Royal Caribbean put in a new rule = NO MORE BALCONY SMOKING...and they limited it greatly...even the Italian line MSC has NO balcony/cabin smoking, mostly a non smoking ship

 

so....dedicated smokers will be in full force on Carnival

Carnival has (thank heavens) limited the deck smoking on the 2.0 ships...which means...chain smokers perch on their balcony

 

If I paid $600 more and had a slammer/smoker next to me = :eek:

 

I can say maybe on some cruises - Alaska - a balcony has some merit, or a honeymoon....I like a non smoking balcony on MSC...and hey IF a balcony was a small upsell...yeah maybe...but $600??? LOL

[sharecruises]

 

 

Also, my best friend and her partner will be cruising with us. It is their first cruise.

They initially wanted a balcony (for experience) but when I told them the difference in price and how rarely we used it, they settled for an interior.

I remember on my first cruise I had to have a balcony or I wasn't going..

Is a balcony cabin a MUST for a first time cruiser?

Should they upgrade?

 

Thanks in advance! :)

 

LOL>>> I would say the opposite....start small and maybe if they get hooked work your way up

 

I first cruised on an old ship with bunk beds, 4 young people (many years ago) to a cabin, - so now it is all good

 

Caribbean cruises = balcony can be hot, nothing to see really - pull into port - check it out from the deck or from the windows at the buffet

 

Not to mention - you are from Florida (me too)...most of us have a screen porch, a patio....we can sit out every morning and enjoy our coffee

Sometimes when I read reviews I have to remind myself that this is a big deal to people who have a backyard full of snow - LOL

different strokes for different folks

 

Unless they are smokers I don't see any reason to pay $600 more (that is a lot) - I would think about what else you could do with that money -

dinner in steakhouse, captain's table, awesome excursions etc

JMO of course

Edited January 19, 2014 by sharecruises

[pokerbob]

I have always booked balconies... but I use them a lot and with 4 people in room it is nice to have it... If we didn't use it, I would probably book an interior because of the savings and the fact that any window almost seems like a tease that I didn't book a balcony again.

 

The only exception would be one of those panoramic rooms at the front of the ship... no balcony but a really nice view.

[Daddyfto]

You will have a great balcony ...just head toward the bow and you will find a pair of doors port side one after the other that lead to a great balcony just above the bridge. Some call it the secret deck ...sometimes there are signs that say its too windy but for the most part its a great place to go to catch the sunrise or just chill...you have to give the doors a good push so don't be shy!

I booked my daughter and her friend on lido for just that reason. And as a footnote on our last cruise we had a balcony but had a chain smoker next door making our balcony virtually unusable plus we had the joy of listening to him hack up a lung every morning at 630am

Edited January 19, 2014 by Daddyfto

[mrgame101]

I dont mind an interior, I also dont mind having an ocean view. But it depends on class of ship. We prefer having a couch to sit on in the cabin. So on Fantasy Class that does not have a couch we book interior or porthole. Bigger ships like Spirit and Conquest class will be an ocean view. And you can not beak the Obsctructed french doors on Spirit Class!

[irishnyc]

If we didn't use the balcony so much, we'd book an interior without a second thought. But, we do spend a lot of time on our balcony.

[nol4am]

We have sailed in all types of cabins also. I would never sail in interior again unless it was all I could afford. The interior cabins are smaller on most ships. I would do oceanview cabins but my preference is balconys. But we use ours. It's what you prefer that will be deciding factor but interior rooms when it comes to space is smaller. First time cruisers won't know a difference.

[KPfromCT]

I don't think I could do an interior, even it was free. We spend quite a bit of time on the balcony. Coffee in the morning, come back periodically throughout the day for some drinks on the balcony, and then later at night, wine on the balcony. Plus, I AM a smoker, so that is an added bonus.:o:o

But, I am a considerate smoker;);)

[RMcoolX]

On our first couple of cruises we got inside cabins. We got a good deal on a blacony at some point and never thought twice about an inside cabin again. I typically start off by pricing an oceanview cabin, and if at some point I can get a balcony for no more than about $350, the switch is made to the balcony.

 

Bottom line is, we need to be able to see something outside of the room, albeit an OV or balcony.

[Jenna1983]

I started off in only balcony cabins until I realized it's about double the price and since I barely spend any time in my cabin- no need.

[S.C.]

When we first started cruising we always got an ocean view cabin. Then we booked a balcony and we would never go back to anything but a balcony. We have coffee in the morning out there and we have wine in the evening on the balcony. We did get an ocean view on the Inspiration and hated it. They have no balconies available on the Inspiration - only suites. Hated the ship - never again. I peeked in on an inside cabin and became immediately claustrophobic - so no way - not even for free!

Same here we love a balcony and always use it.

[Carnival_Brides]

We usually book whatever best fits our needs and budget. The only downside to the regular insides is the lack of sunlight. My body needs a ray of sunshine to tell itself to wake the heck up, so we usually book the porthole cabins (same price as an interior), 4J (little more than an inside) or an oceanview. The cabins (insides and oceanviews) are normally about the same size as the balconies if not bigger and everyone is happy.

Edited January 19, 2014 by Carnival_Brides

[cruizinisthebest]

We usually book whatever best fits our needs and budget. The only downside to the regular insides is the lack of sunlight. My body needs a ray of sunshine to tell itself to wake the heck up, so we usually book the porthole cabins (same price as an interior), 4J (little more than an inside) or an oceanview. The cabins (insides and oceanviews) are normally about the same size as the balconies if not bigger and everyone is happy.

 

Same here. I'm down with any variety of a view; although I have never done a porthole cabin. We had a balcony once when we had a suite on the Fascination. I saw little value in it and have never booked a cabin with a balcony since. I suppose I would if the price was right, but I just haven't been compelled. Conversely, my sister will not sail without a balcony. She would pay extra to upgrade to a suite before she did an OV or an inside. Everyone has their preferences.

[abisha]

I've sailed in all types. To me, waste of money to book balcony if you would rarely use it. If having view of ocean or some light, then oceanview is better option as long as you don't mind being on lower deck. If having a bit of light in middle of the night in an interior, two tips: pack a few small battery operated tea lights (found in craft stores or dollar stores) or you can leave bathroom light on with door closed to only allow a very small stream of light. I like the "flickering" type of battery tea lights with yellow bulb..makes a nice soft glow and nice ambiance in the stateroom. I found the size of interior stateroom to be just fine and I can tend to be claustrophobic.

[nlktx49]

Our first cruise we had an interior. I thought it would bother me and be very tiny. I was surprised - bigger than I thought it would be and it didn't bother me a bit! That total darkness is great for sleeping.

 

The only time we had a balcony was on our Alaska cruise. Even then we didn't use it a lot - smoker on one side, people talking loud on the other, music playing I didn't care for. You're too close to the other balconies to have any feeling of privacy. And the extra money? No way! Plus we always cruise the Caribbean, and it's hot out there. And a balcony cabin is the same size as an Inside.

 

I like Ocean View cabins as they are bigger, have a table, and you can see out if you want to look at something. If they are not a lot more than an Inside, we'll get it.

[tammymacb]

I'm about to take the same adventure.

 

We've sailed on multiple lines, most often in balconies with our teens across the hall. This summer we sailed concierge class on the Disney Fantasy (about 4x the cost of our upcoming spring break cruise) and we're booked on 8 nights concierge on the Dream this coming fall.

 

I'm used to really nice rooms and amenities. However, for spring break, my daughter chose Carnival- the Breeze- and I booked us side by side insides on Deck 8. It'll definitely be different, but I hope OK. I rarely use the balcony either ( though I always use the concierge lounge ) so I figured I might as well save a little money where I could.

 

I hope we both have a great time.

[Carnival_Brides]

Same here. I'm down with any variety of a view; although I have never done a porthole cabin. We had a balcony once when we had a suite on the Fascination. I saw little value in it and have never booked a cabin with a balcony since. I suppose I would if the price was right, but I just haven't been compelled. Conversely, my sister will not sail without a balcony. She would pay extra to upgrade to a suite before she did an OV or an inside. Everyone has their preferences.

 

We only upgrade to balconies when the price is right. I don't pay more than $525 a person on 7 days for those. We've never booked a suite--not even for our wedding or honeymoon cruises because it's just a bigger room on some ships or a really small balcony on others (Fantasy class).

[leedm]

We always book a balcony cabin. For us it is the right choice. We are not the "set around the pool all day type" our balcony is great for that morning coffee, or open the curtains and lay on the bed. Good for that noon nap or just read a book, and also that evening cocktail. If you sail out off New Orleans the river cruise at night can't be beat. I like to see the weather comming and ships that sail by..... For us a balcony the the right cabin...Just Cruise LOL

[Vitamin_Sea]

We have had a balcony room and used it a total of like 10 mins. Complete waste of money unless you plan on using it. We spend very little time in the room so we no longer get a balcony room.

 

An inside or an OV is perfectly fine plus you save a few hundred.