First time with a balcony...some ??

[lockone]

We've sailed on an inside and an oceanview but got a great deal on a balcony this time coming up in March on the Breakaway. A couple of questions:

 

Is it worth it? We've had a negative Nelly friend tell us it's SO windy and blah blah...

 

What do you like about a balcony?

 

Thanks!!

[adbnva]

I love to sit on the balcony and read or drink. not too windy very often. love to stand there and watch us come into port.

[Rhea98]

Never been on the Breakaway, but love a balcony. Even if it were raining, I'd love having the giant picture window! However, if the cost is prohibitive on a particular cruise, I don't mind OV or even Inside. A cruise is a cruise however I'm lucky enough to do it.

 

 

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[TowerOrchard]

I won't cruise unless I can have a balcony (and there is some wind, but I find it to be pleasant, not harsh). I love to sit out there with a drink & a book and just watch the beautiful ocean!

 

It's also nice for us because I am an early riser and DH is not! I love the extra space where I can sit and enjoy my coffee and watch the sun rise without disturbing him.

 

Ignore your friend - balconies are great! :D

[roger001]

Can't sail without a balcony. Spend so much time sitting out there...or just looking over the railing. If the Breakaway balconies are like the Getaway balconies, they are smaller than the ones on the other class ships. However, still well worth it to us.

[AEckhardt]

I love the ability to have the door open and hear the ocean at night! Can't do that in an ocean view!

[browniegirl]

First cruise many years ago did an inside with the 4 kids and omg......never again. We have had balconies/suites ever since and I can't imagine being on a cruise ship without a balcony! Such a great place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee or glass of wine, you will never ever regret a balcony IMO!!!

 

Leah

[LrgPizza]

I like the fact that it's windy.

[weltek]

We were the same as you. Our last cruise (Dec. on the Getaway) was with a large balcony. DH was out there more than I was. My favorite time was in the morning. We'd get coffee and pastries via room service and sit there.

 

I'm a more social creature, so while DH enjoyed the balcony, reading on many sea days, I'd go up to Spice H20 to sunbathe. We had a few "happy hours" on our balcony with cheese and wine (we purchased the wine package and snagged some good cheese from the buffet the previous night in preparation).

 

Of note for others: On the Getaway, there were a ton of quiet, comfortable places to read and even close your eyes for a cat nap around the ship. On older ships, there's not as much of that, so the balcony is a big deal if that's your thing.

 

I packed a "travel blanket" in our luggage to facilitate some windy evenings in my pjs before bed. It was windy, but it didn't matter with a ponytail and my blanket. Loved just staring out at the stars for awhile.

Edited January 15, 2015 by weltek

[Manbo]

We have had balconys on 3 of 6 cruises. they are nice, but we don't spend much time in our room. So, honestly, unless you are going to Hawaii or Alaska, I don't think it is worth the price.

[ute_fan]

We've been on 8 NCL cruises and had a balcony for half of them. The first time was on the Sun to Alaska -- and I didn't enjoy it. I don't know if it was the location of the cabin or the design of the ship, but it was REALLY WINDY! It wasn't the cold or the feel of the wind that bothered me that much, but the noise. We have some video we shot of a pod of dolphins that we jumping outside our balcony, and it's basically unwatchable due to the noise factor.

 

Then I had a friend talk me into trying a balcony again (on the Dawn, Canada/NEW itinerary) and I loved it. Our favorite itinerary is Alaska, and I love being able to go outside on the balcony and photograph the sunrise at 4 AM, while I'm still in my jammies. I love sitting inside if it's cold, watching the scenery sail by. I love watching for sealife from my balcony. I loved visiting with our neighbor, who was sailing by herself, on our last cruise around the balcony divider.

 

I'm still trying to decide if I can go back to an inside or ocean-view cabin, but I think it might be hard -- and I was always one who said it didn't matter a lot.

[melodyesch]

DH and I always want a balcony. We love going out first thing in the morning and watching us arrive/leave port. We like reading out there and having coffee. We do also go up on deck, but LOVE the balcony.

 

We will sail in less than a balcony if the difference is going vs. not going, but we always prefer a balcony.

[trish1c]

We stopped getting balconies when we cruise from NYC. You can't use them for 4 days of the cruise. I also don't think they seal shut all that well. Ours always whistled which drove me bonkers & prevented me from sleeping.

 

In the warm places, it's lovely to have a private place to sit.

[garycarla]

We've sailed on an inside and an oceanview but got a great deal on a balcony this time coming up in March on the Breakaway. A couple of questions:

 

Is it worth it? We've had a negative Nelly friend tell us it's SO windy and blah blah...

 

What do you like about a balcony?

 

Thanks!!

 

You will get a wide range of opinions, but here are some facts.

 

The newer ships have a high percentage of balconies vs insides or OV. Balconies cost more than inside or OV.

 

BREAKAWAY:

42 Haven

SuitesSpa cabins,suites, family cabins, mini-suites (248),

Balconies (960),

Oceanview (120)

Inside cabins (449).

 

They book them all up.

 

So, a reasonable assumption from that is that most people feel they are worth it.

[cb at sea]

It's windy at the rail...not so much if you're sitting or standing near your cabin door....It gives you a bit of extra space, and instant fresh air! Totally worth it, IMO!

[SuiteTraveler]

We have always enjoyed having a balcony cabin no matter where we were sailing and have not had any problem with the door not sealing and making noise. We tend to use the balcony as a "living room" and spend quite a bit of time out there. Heck, I even like to go out on the balcony at night to look for other ships, look at the lights on land and look at the stars.

 

Unless your balcony is on the front of the ship, I can't imagine what your negative Nelly friend is talking about in terms of it being windy. There are partitions between every balcony (often half metal and half safety glass, sometimes all metal) that cut most of the wind. Perhaps if there were a hurricane? But other than that, usually it's not windy at all. There might be a gentle breeze or a bit more when sailing at full speed, but normally, the balcony is just an extremely pleasant experience and one of my absolute favorite places to be on a ship.

[travelhound]

We have never paid for a balcony, but on two of our last three cruises we were upgraded to a balcony because of price drops.

 

In June we sailed the Breakaway to Bermuda with a free balcony upgrade. The biggest benefit for us was the size of the room, not the balcony itself. So, even if you never step foot on the balcony, your room will have a couch and longer counterspace than if you're in an inside room. On the BA, inside rooms are really small (as they all are) but it's basically a bed in a room with a little table/desk. I think the bathrooms are the same, but they are fairly decent when it comes to ship bathrooms.

 

That said, I loved the balcony itself. We weren't out there too much during sailing times, but were always out there for mornings, sailaways, etc. Windy or not, cold or not, if you can get a balcony on the BA, do it.

[Kenlorz]

Balcony? Wouldn't sail without one... seriously, not kidding. For us, it's so extremely special and a vital part of the whole cruise experience. It keeps you connected to the sea. Sitting out enjoying breakfast in your bathrobe, enjoying a glass of wine before dinner or late at night, it's all part of the dream. I wouldn't hesitate to book one... ever.

 

As for wind, well if the weather outside is quite blustery, then chances are good you will experience wind on your balcony. It's no different then opening your windows at home... some days you will have a good breeze and some days nothing. But honestly, if your negative nelly friend has never personally cruised in a balcony cabin then she might have gotten the idea that they are "SO WINDY" by walking past a cabin that has both the balcony door open AND the hall door open at the same time. Sometimes if you walk by someone's cabin that has both doors open it is like a raging hurricane of wind (negative pressure perhaps? I'm no scientist, so not sure why :p). Yet, on our balcony, always smooth as glass :).. but we never have both doors open at once ;).

[WillingToBeDazzled]

The balcony offers a direct connection to what's happening outside, whether sailing under a bright moon or pulling into the dock. All your senses are engaged by stepping onto your balcony. You are that much closer to the ocean!

[Travelling2Some]

We've sailed on an inside and an oceanview but got a great deal on a balcony this time coming up in March on the Breakaway. A couple of questions:

 

Is it worth it? We've had a negative Nelly friend tell us it's SO windy and blah blah...

 

What do you like about a balcony?

 

Thanks!!

Depends on a combination of factors for me - outside temperatures (hard to get much out of a balcony on a winter sailing out of New York for example) - itinerary (gotta have it for a cruise of Alaska or the fjords of Norway) - price difference (sometimes a balcony is a couple of hundred more, sometimes it doubles the price of the cruise). Also the ship itself is a factor. If I can find a nice quiet deck with some shade to read on close to my cabin then I might save some money by packing a comfy outfit and doing my relaxing there. Some ships have expansive floor to ceiling views in many of their public spaces. Others (like the Epic) don't have a walkable promenade deck with a view or good views from inside the public rooms of the ship, which makes having a balcony more important. However, a balcony is wonderful to have in many ways. The sound of the sea when you're sleeping, room service breakfast in your robe while surveying the port du jour, romantic cocktails before and after dinner. A balcony also gives you a pleasant place to go while your kids nap or if you can't sleep or if you're waiting for your spouse to get ready (or wake up). Generally I would book a balcony if the price difference is not excessive. It's worth it.

[Scotchick]

I would rather sail in an inside cabin more often than buy balconies. The main part of our cruise is the itinerary and ports. So, more important for us to spend money and time on excursions. :p:p:p

[gymbomb]

For me it depends on the cruise. Sometimes I love having a balcony and think it is definitely worth it, like for the cruise I just returned from with my 10 month old son when we were able to enjoy nice weather on the balcony after he went to bed and while he napped. Other times, like a girls trip with my mom where we spend lots of time out on an upper deck, we are very happy with an inside.

 

 

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[GoofyCrew]

Just off the Sun earlier this week. It was our first cruise and we had a balcony. As suspected, it was worth every penny and we will never sail without a balcony in the future.

 

-The breeze was great on the hot days, cooled us off. On the one chilly day that we had, as long as we sat back in the chairs (versus standing at the railing) we were out of the wind.

 

-We aren't big entertainment people so we spent a lot of time just relaxing on our balcony. If you plan on going to shows/events all day long, you need to weight out the cost versus the benefit for your situation.

 

-Dolphins, flying fish

 

-I absolutely LOVED sitting out there first thing in the morning before my family woke up. I wasn't disturbing them, and I didn't need to get out of my PJs to go elsewhere on the ship. The quiet, the sunrise, ahhh...beautiful! And most mornings we were just pulling into port so I got a private viewing spot for that too!

 

-Fresh air! That cabin air gets stale after a day or two, especially with wet, sea water bathing suits hanging around trying to dry.

 

-I will admit, it was a bit unnerving to go out on our balcony in the dark on our one rougher sea day. Those waves swirling around...augh!

 

-And our balcony neighbor made a valid observation: At the muster drill we quickly realize that there was no way we would ever get from floor 10 all the way down to floor 6 to the lifeboats before they would probably launch. In fact, some people at our muster station grumbled that it took 'some people' (us) too long. We left our cabin at the start of the alarm and headed right there. We didn't dilly-dally. It just takes a long time to get down four flights of stairs and then down the deck to the correct muster station with everyone else. Our neighbor said we'd stand a better change putting on our life vests and jumping overboard. Definitely NOT protocol but, depending on the urgency of the issue, I have to agree with him. I like having an 'out'. ;)

[lockone]

Thank you all!!! We booked a BX which was a guaranteed balcony and are blessed to receive the B1 which is an AFT Balcony for our first balcony..I think we will be super spoiled!!! Love it!! Any ideas or info much appreciated!!

[JohnLocke2012]

We've sailed on an inside and an oceanview but got a great deal on a balcony this time coming up in March on the Breakaway. A couple of questions:

 

Is it worth it? We've had a negative Nelly friend tell us it's SO windy and blah blah...

 

What do you like about a balcony?

 

Thanks!!

 

Yes it is absolutely worth it. I've had lots of luck snagging balcony deals last minute for what some people pay for their inside rooms. It's great for arriving and leaving ports, that's what I mainly use mine for. I used to enjoy having a cigarette, but those days are gone :(

 

I've never had an inside or ocean view room, and I probably wouldn't book one personally. I'm sure id still have fun, but I absolutely love having my private little area outside gazing at the deep blue. As for wind, you'll get some obviously, but it isn't unbearable. Unless you have a forward facing balcony, you'll be fine. I myself have my first Aft facing balcony coming back up in 2 weeks on the Epic!