Help Me Decide, Cancel Balcony For Inside?

[ilovetotravel1977]

When we were on the Epic, we originally booked an inside. Then, the UBP promo came around and we upgraded to a balcony. Then, we had a nice size price drop post-final payment and NCL upgraded us to a Disabled Aft Facing Balcony, which was HUGE for a cabin! We were spoiled with so much space.

 

We have an inside booked for the Escape, but "hoping" to score an upgrade later in the year.

[Barb Nahoumi]

I would not change to an inside, because I do not want to feel as if I'm living in a closet.

 

The least expensive room that I would book is a port-hole oceanview, because I need to be able to see outside, with natural light.

 

We had a midship balcony cabin on our last cruise, and loved it for quiet reading and sea gazing. We don't spend too much time in the cabin, but enjoy the balcony when we want to.

[Mscruisin]

We just returned from our Epic cruise. Here are some comparisons ...We had an aft balcony, our kids had an inside. They had a difficult time with storage space, where we had ample storage space with some of it being unused. They also had a difficult time waking up since there was no natural light. They felt it was like sleeping in a closet...nice at night to sleep, but hard to get up in the morning. Their cabin was far smaller than ours. Bathroom set up was the same. We had a coffee pot in the room, they didn't. Hard to move around in the inside. We had a couch, they didn't. Their TV was smaller. Their closet was a single door closet, ours was larger with two doors. Even given all this, they said if they just had a window, it would have made a world of difference.

 

That was very helpful. I don't think I'd want to sit on the bed. I would prefer a couch. I've cruised in every category except suites. The balcony is nice. Last cruise we had a cabin with a porthole. The light and being able to look out were great but the arrival in port early mornings was loud. We have 4 sea days on this cruise so the balcony would be used.

[Mscruisin]

That was very helpful. I don't think I'd want to sit on the bed. I would prefer a couch. I've cruised in every category except suites. The balcony is nice. Last cruise we had a cabin with a porthole. The light and being able to look out were great but the arrival in port early mornings was loud. We have 4 sea days on this cruise so the balcony would be used.

 

I'll keep my eyes open. Maybe there will be some big price drops on Haven suites before final payment.

[Mscruisin]

Anyone have any experience with the temperature in December on the Med. Would we enjoy the balcony or would it be too cold? We are booked in an aft facing large balcony on the hump.

[Casino Comp Chick]

I would rather have bamboo shoots shoved up my fingernails then going into an inside cabin.

When I first started cruising we used to take the cheapest insides and then I came across a price glitch on a website where the mini-suite price was cheaper then the insides. I grabbed it & I haven't looked back since. I could never do an inside now. (This is before I started booking through CAS)

[agabbymama]

I've sailed in ocean view cabins twice. I then got a really good price on what they called a Junior Suite (with a balcony) and I would never go back to a cabin without the balcony.

 

Saw inside cabin once on a cabin crawl, and just walking into it was enough to let me know I didn't want to spend time in one.

 

Unlike others posting that they don't spend a lot of time in their cabin, that is where I spend most of my days cruising. I do shore excursions, but return to my cabin. I don't lay by the pool, play trivia, attend art auctions, etc. I usually read on the balcony or watch dolphins in the wake or look for sea turtles and whales.

 

If I couldn't afford a balcony cabin, I just wouldn't cruise until I could.

[Educators2]

Mscruisin, Thanks for starting this thread. I checked the prices on our cruise this October on the Spirit. We had a porthole ocean view with the dining and drink packages. A huge family inside was available today and I saved $700. That includes factoring in the $70 on taxes for the dining package. We have enough wine as Platinum cruisers so for us it was a great deal.

 

I don't mind an inside. Balcony prices for this cruise are very high compared to our other cruises.

[Mscruisin]

Mscruisin, Thanks for starting this thread. I checked the prices on our cruise this October on the Spirit. We had a porthole ocean view with the dining and drink packages. A huge family inside was available today and I saved $700. That includes factoring in the $70 on taxes for the dining package. We have enough wine as Platinum cruisers so for us it was a great deal.

 

I don't mind an inside. Balcony prices for this cruise are very high compared to our other cruises.

We had a family inside (#6035) on the Spirit last December on the Canary Islands and Morocco cruise. We loved it. Lots of room for 2 people and quiet. I would take it over the porthole cabin any day. That is if you don't mind being woken early in the morning on port days. You got a good deal.

[Tiggertastic]

The UK site says you only get a soda package on insides and not ubp, amazing how they differ

[Educators2]

Mscruisin, we were on the a Jade last December 3-13 in the Eastern Mediterranean. I sat on the balcony in the morning on sea days if there was sun. We had a couple of days with 50-60 degree F temps. My husband never sat outside.

It was fun to see Stromboli volcano from the balcony.

The Jade balcony was a bargain ($75 per day with dining package); our inside cabin on the Spirit with UDP is $100 a day this year. (A balcony on the Spirit is $250 pp a day). That is why I downgraded from the ocean view and took the 5035 cabin which sounds like a great choice.

Have a great cruise.

[Mscruisin]

Mscruisin, we were on the a Jade last December 3-13 in the Eastern Mediterranean. I sat on the balcony in the morning on sea days if there was sun. We had a couple of days with 50-60 degree F temps. My husband never sat outside.

It was fun to see Stromboli volcano from the balcony.

The Jade balcony was a bargain ($75 per day with dining package); our inside cabin on the Spirit with UDP is $100 a day this year. (A balcony on the Spirit is $250 pp a day). That is why I downgraded from the ocean view and took the 5035 cabin which sounds like a great choice.

Have a great cruise.

This cruise is the Western Mediterranean whether that makes any difference in temperature I don't know. We're paying about $100 a day for a balcony with the UBP. Last year on the spirit we paid about $80 a day for the same type of room you have but no bonuses. I would take the downgrade from the ocean view as well. Sounds like your room is identical to the one we had but one floor down. Lots of room. The only minor thing I found wrong was that there was only one bedside table but that was because there is a trundle bed under one side of the bed and the table would be in the way. I gave that side to my husband. Haha!

[biker@sea]

I have a large balcony booked on the Epic in December. With the new promo the UBP is offered on inside cabins. I'm debating whether to cancel the balcony room for an inside. The difference would be $700 total. What would I be losing other than the balcony if I did this. Would you do it? Has any one done this with the new promo? Thanks for any advice.

 

I would take the $700 for another inside cabin cruise. Get a cruise reward cert. on the first cruise out of the 7 for even a better deal. :D

[Educators2]

Just to update. The family inside cabin dropped again in price and now our savings for the trade to the large inside cabin on the Spirit is now over $900. A better deal than the ocean view with porthole. In the end, we were able to keep all the specialty dining reservations that I made at 90 days out. They told me the dining reservations and cabin choice might disappear into cyberspace but that didn't happen. Lots to spend on excursions.

The boards are really a wealth of information.

[my_crib_too]

If you don't plan to be in the cabin much or the cruise is port intensive, save the $700. Nothing wrong with an inside room. We like the ones on the upper floors though.