Balcony newbie - please help with my dilemma

[123happy]

I booked an aft cabin having read so many great things about them. Now I'm reading other posts that say they are very hot, have no breeze, and no shade. We're traveling at the end of July so this has me concerned. Should I take an umbrella to hold over my head? Is it possible to use a fan on the balcony? I need guidance from experienced cruisers so I can enjoy all the great things I've read about balcony cabins. Thanks for helping a balcony newbie.

[riffatsea]

I love balcony cabins but we are not aft people!

We like to be in the center of the ship for stability of the ride. I don't know about the sun but you are not allowed to bring a fan on board the ship and I don't think there's a place to plug one in on the balcony anyway. There should be a breeze but it might be quite sunny!

[kalh7]

We bring a fan on every cruise we go on so not true on that part. It's just a small 8 inch fan but none the less it's a fan. Have seen people checking in with full size box fans.

[GUT2407]

We love a balcony, but midship please.

[MtnDweller]

I don't know about the sun but you are not allowed to bring a fan on board the ship and I don't think there's a place to plug one in on the balcony anyway. There should be a breeze but it might be quite sunny!

 

 

Incorrect!! Fans are allowed as they are on the exception list. From Carnival's web site:

 

"Electrical devices such as fans, power strips, multi plug box outlets/adaptors, and extension cords (without surge protectors) are allowed on board when used with proper caution. However, if such devices are determined to pose a hazard, they will be removed and returned the last day of the cruise prior to debark."

[riclop]

I love balcony cabins but we are not aft people!

We like to be in the center of the ship for stability of the ride. I don't know about the sun but you are not allowed to bring a fan on board the ship and I don't think there's a place to plug one in on the balcony anyway. There should be a breeze but it might be quite sunny!

 

Wrong info about the fan.

[Port of Tampa]

We love balcony rooms but prefer port or starboard over aft. Some people prefer aft so it is good to try it out as well. You do get a nice panoramic view and when cruising no wind can be good thing. Negatives for me in an aft were: no shade at times and a lack or privacy do to the stepped design and the partitions are sloped.

 

Enjoy the cruise and a word of cation...balcony rooms are addicting.

[jayscore]

Being an official "aft snob", I can only praise this location!

It's only the mid day sun that gets really warm out there.

Next, it's quiet back there, with a minimal amount of foot traffic outside your door.

The view can't be beat.

Leg room you won't get anywhere else.

Of course there are negatives to any location on a ship, which can't be denied........

Try it out, then make your own decision!;)

[hutt1]

Aft balconies are quite lovely and you are going to have a great time. They tend to be a little roomier, the view is more sweeping, and you get to hear the wake as the ship moves through the water.

We frequently book aft balconies and rarely have had difficulty finding shade. Remember you are free to move around the ship and enjoy the Serenity deck or the Promenade which both offer shaded areas.

Enjoy your cruise!

[sandij]

We enjoy the aft balconies, they have more room and the view is to die for. They can get hot especially midday but the evenings are lovely. Some complain of soot settling on the furniture over night but we haven't had a problem with that. We had a restaurant above us once and they washed the windows and flooded our balcony but they apologized and were more careful, but you can get that with a side balcony too.

[cb at sea]

It depends where the sun is in relation to your balcony, whether you'll have shade or full sun. Yes, when underway, there is little breeze there.

[riffatsea]

Sorry about the fan mistake.

I still don't think there is a place to plug one in on the balcony. We are usually too cold inside so don't bring one although I know some like the white noise it makes. I cannot imagine lugging a full size box fan onto a ship but I suppose everyone travels differently!!

[crusinpsychRN]

I didn't like the aft balcony. Didn't like seeing where I'd been.

[vwrestler171]

Depending on when you cruise, the aft balconies can be very hot. That said, they are the only balcony me and my wife get when it's just the 2 of us. Quieter because no one goes to the back of the ship if they don't have rooms back there so traffic is minimal. The view is amazing, we love watching the wake while having a drink.

[Drazil65]

Balcony yes...but only midship, deck 7 port (usually) please...do not want to see where I have been...want to see where I am going ;)...

 

Have had relatives and friends that have had aft balconies, same issues as you have read previously, hot and some have said depending on the deck, the people above can look down onto some of the balconies so be aware of the deck and cabin location for more privacy.

 

We have a hard time riding "backwards" (think train seats, buses, amusement rides etc.) and that is something we think about as well so we will always stick with balcony midship.

 

Good Luck and have a blast no matter what cabin you end up in!

[cdamion]

A lot of ships have a vibration or shimmy aft. For this reason I avoid those cabins.

[Foxinspace]

My first cruise was an aft balcony.

 

Pros:

Watching the Wake is incredible

Less Foot traffic

The views in port were awesome

 

Cons:

It was hot. Couldn't even rest your arms on the wood, because it was so hot.

No Shade.

 

Thoughts:

We are a pale easy to burn family. The lack of shade was a big problem. Many days my DH wasn't interested in even checking out the view. We've done a mid ship since and that is the way I will go from now on. The deck above you is stepped back so you get a definite lack of shade even versus a normal balcony. Hot much you will care about the heat is very personal, and will depend on your itinerary. Balance that versus the incredible view... For me if DH won't go out and enjoy the view because of the direct sun and heat, it's not worth it. IMO.

 

Either way have a fantastic time!

[tandemcruzr]

We've done 1 aft balcony in our 29 cruises. All of the Pros and Cons mentioned by previous posters are what we experienced. As such, we have not booked and aft balcony again. I guess you could say that the Cons made our decision. :-)

Edited May 30, 2016 by tandemcruzr

[Spudder]

Being an official "aft snob", I can only praise this location!

It's only the mid day sun that gets really warm out there.

Next, it's quiet back there, with a minimal amount of foot traffic outside your door.

The view can't be beat.

Leg room you won't get anywhere else.

Of course there are negatives to any location on a ship, which can't be denied........

Try it out, then make your own decision!;)

 

You don't get the breeze like you would in a side cabin but the tranquility can't be beat. I agree with jayscore, you have to try it once...

[storm1507]

Is there any class of Carnival ship that does not have this "step back" aft balcony design? Lack of shade would be our biggest factor in not booking one. Everything else sounds great.

Edited May 30, 2016 by storm1507

[SuiteTraveler]

For newer ships the step down design is pretty much the standard across all lines. If you look at older Carnival ships like Ecstasy, you could probably find a more private aft balcony on the lower of the two floors that have aft balconies.

 

We avoid aft balconies because of the vibration -usually early in the morning when pulling into port which wakes us up and also due to the feeling of weightlessness and vibration when at sea which can make someone with slight motion sickness feel bad most of the time when in the cabin. And yes, aft balconies are not all that private and the can be very hot. You might need to keep your curtains closed a great deal of the time to keep the cabin at a reasonable temperature.

[123happy]

Thank you all for posting. I feel much better about my choice of an aft and am super excited to have my first balcony. Am taking an umbrella to shield me if it's too sunny and I can't wait to see & hear the wake as I sit out reading a book. The Cruise Critic community is wonderful and I feel fortunate to have discovered this great forum.

[deanaw72]

I am going on my 10th cruise the end of June and have been all over the ship in every type of room except a suite. Each type has their pros and cons so my advice is just keep taking cruises, try different rooms and find out what you like. As you can tell from this thread, what one person likes, another hates, so it's really up to you. But no matter what cabin you're in, I always say, a day on a cruise is better than a day at work! Have fun!!

[SeaGoingDAD]

I booked an aft cabin having read so many great things about them. Now I'm reading other posts that say they are very hot, have no breeze, and no shade. We're traveling at the end of July so this has me concerned. Should I take an umbrella to hold over my head? Is it possible to use a fan on the balcony? I need guidance from experienced cruisers so I can enjoy all the great things I've read about balcony cabins. Thanks for helping a balcony newbie.

 

What ship and what deck? We have had a bunch of afts. Some decks have no covering, so when the sun's beating down, and can or can't be hot depending on the wind. I can't remember a time feeling that though. Maybe I just moved when I got hot.

 

But I don't think there are any outlets out there, and an umbrella can inflict harm if used improperly.

[Sylphy]

Fascination does not have the Tiered aft cabins. We loved ours!

 

Carnival Fascination docked in Nassau, The Bahamas by Susan, on Flickr

 

Relaxing on balcony by Susan, on Flickr

 

view off our balcony E240 by Susan, on Flickr