Balcony Vs No Balcony

[Colleen8580]

Our family is planning to on an Alaska cruise Summer 2017. We will most likely need to go in the mid June-mid August time frame because one of our family members is a teacher. I have heard that Princess is the best line for travel to Alaska but I have also heard that a balcony room is a must. Looking at the currently posted prices, the only cruise line we could possibly stretch our budget to afford a balcony would be Carnival. Should we go with Carnival just to get the balcony or base the decision on other factors and settle for an inside if another line better meets our wishes otherwise? Will we be able to see the glaciers from the decks if we do not have a private balcony?

 

Also, if the teacher decides she is not able to come I have noticed prices in May or early June are much more affordable. Would it be worth going earlier in the season to be able to afford the balcony?

[Quilting_Cruiser]

I've cruised to Alaska three times--all in a balcony and all on Carnival--and have my fourth booked. This time it'll be an inside on NCL. You'll get opinions that vary as to how important a balcony is and whether the cruise line is important. Personally, I think a balcony is important and would have booked another balcony except that I'm sailing solo this time and couldn't justify the price of a balcony for just one person. Of course, I may eventually change my mind and upgrade! The view from on deck are generally better, but the decks will have lots of other people wanting to take in the views as well. Only you can decide if that will be an issue for you.

 

As far as cruise line, I've sailed Carnival, Princess, and NCL. Cruise lines are much more alike than they are different. One of the reasons people say Princess is "best" for Alaska is because, I believe, they have more frequent access to Glacier Bay. Rather than being concerned about which cruise line, I suggest you determine your itinerary. If Glacier Bay is important to you, you ca do that on Carnival, but your date options will be far more limited than they will be on Princess.

 

For me, I'd rather be on the ship in an inside cabin and going to the upper decks for views than not be on the ship! :D

[CowPrincess]

Our family is planning to on an Alaska cruise Summer 2017. We will most likely need to go in the mid June-mid August time frame because one of our family members is a teacher. I have heard that Princess is the best line for travel to Alaska but I have also heard that a balcony room is a must. Looking at the currently posted prices, the only cruise line we could possibly stretch our budget to afford a balcony would be Carnival. Should we go with Carnival just to get the balcony or base the decision on other factors and settle for an inside if another line better meets our wishes otherwise? Will we be able to see the glaciers from the decks if we do not have a private balcony?

 

Also, if the teacher decides she is not able to come I have noticed prices in May or early June are much more affordable. Would it be worth going earlier in the season to be able to afford the balcony?

 

Welcome to "information overload" and "personal opinions" regarding cruising to Alaska :) Everyone has their own opinion, and those opinions may not be applicable to you and your situation.

 

IMHO you need to figure out the itinerary you prefer, and the maximum you are prepared to spend, all-in. That will help with some of your questions. The itinerary is the most important part of your trip to Alaska.

 

Check out what activities are available in each port, and the cost of the ones that appeal to you. (Shorex are generally quite expensive in Alaska.) Mae sure you factor in the cost of the shorex, in the "all-in" price.

 

I've sailed to Alaska in interior, oceanview, balcony and suite cabins. I won't do interior again if I can afford an oceanview. To me, part of the experience of Alaska is being out on deck, watching the scenery, watching for wildlife, so paying a premium for a balcony or suite is for me not good value. But then, if I had little kids, or mobility issues, having a balcony could be good value.

 

As for Princess being the "best", all the cruise lines do a good job, so don't disregard any of them this early in your research :)

[NancyIL]

I've cruised to Alaska twice each on Princess and HAL - in 1 inside and 3 oceanview cabins. I booked b2b Alaska cruises on Royal Caribbean for May 2017, and those are in an inside (northbound) and an oceanview (southbound) cabin. I may have felt differently if I had balcony cabins on my Alaska cruises, but I don't think a balcony cabin is a necessity on ANY cruise.

 

As others shave said - first choose the itinerary that you like best, then choose the ship and cabin. Excursions can be pricey in Alaska, so save room for them in your total budget.

[mskaufman]

I was happy with our oceanview for AK. We were normally on deck to make sure we could see both sides.

[Bklynbill]

If I have a view in my cabin in Alaska (whether it is OV or Balcony) I always find myself asking "am I missing something on the other side?" and end up somewhere on an upper deck.

[JimAOk1945]

We have been on two Alaska cruises and had balconies both times. We have a third booked for August again in a room that provides a balcony.

 

We spent a lot of time on our balconies, relaxing and my wife took a lot of great pictures for here website (links below). She always says, one of the advantages to having a balcony is you don't have to compete for place along the rail to take pictures. But we were also out and about the ship during the entire cruise, so she could take pictures from different vantage points.

 

If you can afford it, or want to try it, book a balcony stateroom. Personally, we wouldn't cruise without a balcony. It just a preference for us.

 

Alaska is amazing. Have a great cruise.

[shadowmeboy]

Consider how much time you spend in your stateroom. Spend a ton? Then I suggest you get a balcony, if you can afford it. The DW and I have always done ocean views, we feel there is more room in the stateroom. Plus we spend little time other than when sleeping in the actual stateroom. We enjoy the view while doing things around the ship. Compare prices and look at room locations and sizes. Decide what you want and can afford and then go from there.

[fredmertz]

Have you considered getting one balcony room and other nearby rooms at lower price levels?

[donaldsc]

My take on a balcony is that is nice if you really want it and can afford it w/o sacrificing other stuff on the cruise. As someone else has noted, excursions in AK are expensive and do you want to sacrifice excursions for that balcony cabin. I wouldn't.

 

Remember that a balcony only gives you a 180 degree view of the world and if something interesting is happening on the other side of the ship, you do not see it. On my AK cruises, I spent more time on deck than in my cabin. Another thing is that there is less useful space inside a balcony cabin because the furniture has to be arranged to allow access to the balcony. With an ocean they have the beds up against the window which makes the room have more useful space than you get in a balcony cabin.

 

Most of the time we do not take balcony cabins. In fact, the only times that we have taken balcony cabins is when we got a free upgrade or when the balcony was only a little bit more than a non-balcony cabin.

 

Hope this helps.

 

DON

[xlxo]

Thoughts....

• Princess and Holland America get higher Alaskan ratings likely due to Glacier Bay. After going to Glacier Bay.... I can understand why.
  
• I found the balcony to be too windy... as a result, I prefer to save my money on cabin with the biggest porthole. The porthole can feel like a climate controlled balcony (especially on the Disney Wonder where kids can SLEEP in it).
  
• Best use of a balcony is on the glacier viewing days. For those FEW hours, you have private space to admire the ice. However others say going up to the public decks will give you a 360 view of the area... not just the side where you have a private balcony.
  
• On some Princess and Holland trips... there is a bonus Tracy Arm excursion where you may get an opportunity to see Sawyer... along with your Glacier Bay cruise.
  http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-destinations/ExcursionDetails.action?excursionCode=100030935
  http://www.princess.com/excursion/exDetails.do?t=A&exType=S&tourCode=TA1-660
  

 

Are you a glacier seeker?

 

[YOUTUBE]LyOFAKRjcpo[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]NHqJf6Un5-U[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]9ln2wYbk6xY[/YOUTUBE] [YOUTUBE]OMzReVZn__M[/YOUTUBE]

[Quilting_Cruiser]

Thoughts....

• Princess and Holland America get higher Alaskan ratings likely due to Glacier Bay. After going to Glacier Bay.... I can understand why.
  
• I found the balcony to be too windy... as a result, I prefer to save my money on cabin with the biggest porthole. The porthole can feel like a climate controlled balcony (especially on the Disney Wonder where kids can SLEEP in it).
  
• Best use of a balcony is on the glacier viewing days. For those FEW hours, you have private space to admire the ice. However others say going up to the public decks will give you a 360 view of the area... not just the side where you have a private balcony.
  
• On some Princess and Holland trips... there is a bonus Tracy Arm excursion where you may get an opportunity to see Sawyer... along with your Glacier Bay cruise.
  http://www.hollandamerica.com/cruise-destinations/ExcursionDetails.action?excursionCode=100030935
  http://www.princess.com/excursion/exDetails.do?t=A&exType=S&tourCode=TA1-660
  

 

 

 

Carnival also has the excursion in Tracy Arm (at least they did last time I sailed them to Alaska). It was amazing!

[Wishing on a star]

GREAT post and great info, xlx0,

 

I agree with everyone else.

These things are all subjective personal preferences!

 

I have only cruised twice, and was lucky enough to have sailed in a balcony both times, due to promotions or upgrade. I am one who HAS to have my sunlight and if possible, some fresh air.

 

As far as ship preference... While I agree that Alaska is all about the destination more-so than the ship, we decided that the Carnival cruise was just not for us. Others might prefer a Carnival cruise over Princess any time.

 

We also gave heavy consideration to Holland America. (def. larger cabins) But decided not to go that route, due to some ongoing comments about a particular factor on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

 

NCL was not even up for consideration.

Celebrity does not have permits for Glacier Bay.

 

So, once the priorities and info are set, it becomes easier to decide.

 

By all accounts, Glacier Bay is considered by many to be a 'must'. And we decided that it was a priority/preference for us.

 

If one is interested in this at all, Princess is known for doing Alaska very well, they have good Naturalists and programs onboard. You might want to take a look at the Princess 'North to Alaska' program.

 

Just personally, for us, Ocean View on the Coral Princess won out.

We are comfortable with a nice Ocean View (some are better than others... We were able to book a better OV, laid out like a balcony cabin with a nice window. do your research on OV cabins on the ships if you consider this option.)

 

Planning a great first-time cruise to Alaska can feel overwhelming. at first.

But once you narrow down the itinerary and the cruise line, you are mostly there!

Edited March 27, 2016 by Wishing on a star

[Ashland]

For us the additional personal, quiet place our balcony offers us is priceless...We've cruised in mid and late May and in September to Alaska and have always used our balcony.

[DougH]

You will get many different opinions but the choice is yours. I've sailed Alaska 24 times and have only missed 3-4 years since 1995. Most have been in the May/June time frame and I've never had a balcony. I would rather cruise multiple times and/or spend the money on excursions. The ship has 1000 feet of open deck space on multiple levels to find a spot to watch the scenery. It helps to get many different views to really experience it.

 

Enjoy Alaska

[OCruisers]

First you should consider the itinerary! Having a balcony is nice but consider how much time you would actually spend on your balcony.

Taking a Princess cruise that includes Glacier Bay would be a great choice. :)

[eandj]

Choose the itinerary and look at Oceanview rooms. Gives you a window and natural daylight. Nice to see if it's raining or sunny and clear when you are getting dressed for the day.

 

As someone mentioned, if you want to do some nice excursions ( do private companies over ship sponsored to get a better value and experience) they add up. Depending on the port, you certainly can do things on your own however.

 

If you want a 360 view, you'll need to be up on deck thru areas like glacier bay. So no, the balcony might be nice, but not a MUST.

[onespots]

For us a balcony provides a few extras. Usually we are on deck 7 or 8. This allows us to be above the life boats & still have cover in case of rain or very windy conditions. Also makes the room much larger, great views when approaching the dock, sail-a-aways, & no crowds to fight while I take photos.

We also always enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail or glass of wine on the balcony prior to going to early dinner. These are just a few of the pluses for us.

 

That said we still spend little time in our cabin except to shower & sleep. Spending time on land is most valuable on an Alaskan Cruise. Many times we have missed dinner because of the good times were are having on shore.

 

Is a balcony as must ? No !!! Set your own proirities by intinerary, interests, costs, time in port, & private shore excursions. Alaksa should also be enjoyed from land & seeing some of the interior. A cruise will just wet your appetite for a future visit. You are smart to begin your planning now. Each port town has a brochure about activities available. Contact them now to help you plan for next year. Good luck...

 

Happy Travels, John

[KathiB]

We are on the HAL sailing out of Seattle to Alaska. There are 4 of us...myself, my husband, and our two grown daughters. My husband and I are in a balcony cabin and the girls are in an inside cabin right down the hall. This way we can all enjoy the balcony when we want but are only paying for one. You may think of that option. I do not think it would be crucial to have balcony for Alaska as I think all of us will be up on the main deck most of the time to really take advantage of the amazing views.

[vplsh]

I'm having the same dilemma. We are booked in an aft balcony on Island Princess for July 2017. Not sure if we should change to an oceanview. We do spend very little time in our cabin, but felt the balcony would be nice for Alaska.

[peety3]

I highly encourage you to browse the excursion offerings of any/every line you're considering. (Yes, you can book excursions directly for a little less money, YMMV, but at least START by looking at what the line offers.) I'm sure Alaska can be enjoyed without doing excursions, but IMHO it'd be silly to plan a trip without budgeting for them. Granted, that could make your budget even tighter, but if nothing else, I'd rather you went into the cruise knowing what's out there than cruising in a manner where you can't really enjoy what the destinations have to offer.

[txwriter]

I'm having the same dilemma. We are booked in an aft balcony on Island Princess for July 2017. Not sure if we should change to an oceanview. We do spend very little time in our cabin, but felt the balcony would be nice for Alaska.

 

I'm having the opposite problem. We've booked an oceanview for May 2017, and I keep wondering if I should upgrade to balcony. But when I weigh the pros and cons and realize that booking a balcony probably means having debt after the trip and an oceanview doesn't, then I am happy with my choice. Let's face it, wouldn't we all book a suite if we could? :D

[CowPrincess]

I'm having the opposite problem. We've booked an oceanview for May 2017, and I keep wondering if I should upgrade to balcony. But when I weigh the pros and cons and realize that booking a balcony probably means having debt after the trip and an oceanview doesn't, then I am happy with my choice. Let's face it, wouldn't we all book a suite if we could? :D

 

I agree, "no debt" trumps "balcony" every time :D Keep watching the prices, you may see a sale that might get the balcony down to a "no debt" level, too!

[RoxiRoo]

Same dilemma here. I booked OV. I am perfectly happy with my cabin. However, if the upgrade fairy were to come calling, I wouldn't slam the door in her face! I would love a balcony, but not for the price.

[RaiderCruiser]

As you can see everyone has an opinion on this subject. I believe everyone agrees itineraries are the most important thing to consider. Cruise line, one way, round trip, ship come second. An Alaskan trip is about Alaska, not the ship. But all things considered we found the balcony to be one of the crowning jewels on our trip on Princess Coral last year. Morning coffee on the balcony as we watched the scenery go by from the serenity of our balcony and evenings watching the world slowly move by were outstanding. I know I would not have enjoyed that portion of the trip nearly as much from an interior or ocean view room.

Now switching sides, I would certainly give up the balcony if it meant better excursions. If I had to make a choice, excursions would win out. We didn't want to have to make that choice so we budgeted early, made a lot of cut backs during the year leading up to the cruise and we were able to do all we wanted. Good Luck. It will be a great experience no matter.