1st ever cruise, balcony or not?

[Snail999]

We have just booked our first ever cruise. September on the Independence of The Seas to the Canaries. We have booked a Ocean View Cabin, but was wondering is it worth the extra £904 they are asking to upgrade to a balcony cabin? We are torn between the two.:confused:

[SoupPlease]

Personally, I would prefer to spend the £904 on other services. We have only upgraded to balcony in the Caribbean. I always tell my wife that I am happy to pay for a balcony but if it means I can have more cruises through having no balcony then I prefer no balcony.

 

If, like most of us, your first cruise becomes the first of many, you will have the opportunity to decide how much you would value a balcony.

 

A balcony is very nice to have, but all the other services on the cruise are the same so please be aware that you are paying £904 solely for the balcony. If you have a strong desire for a balcony and can happily absorb the cost, then go for it.

[Bonnie J.]

A balcony is not very big at all. Unless it is a suite balcony, it has two chairs and a table and there isn't any room for anything else. A chaise will fit only if there is nothing else on it. We have had balconies but it is no big deal for us. We grew up at a beach so seeing he ocean is nothing for us. You can sit on a ship's deck and watch the ocean.

But some people like to order coffee or breakfast and eat it on a balcony.

As was said, this is your 1st cruise and ask your room steward if they'll show you a balcony.

There is probably an empty cabin they can show you. You can always get one on a later cruise- and watch out, you're going to get hooked on cruises!

[cruiserking]

We have just booked our first ever cruise. September on the Independence of The Seas to the Canaries. We have booked a Ocean View Cabin, but was wondering is it worth the extra £904 they are asking to upgrade to a balcony cabin? We are torn between the two.:confused:

 

Hello Snail999,

 

If you can afford it, I would highly recommend getting the balcony cabin. There is nothing quite as wonderful as stepping out on your private balcony to enjoy the ocean vistas, ever-changing views and privacy.

 

It is immensely thrilling to stand on your balcony as you arrive into port or sail away later in the day. It is simply wonderful to have a private sanctuary to read, sip coffee or just relax.

 

The only problem with getting a balcony is that once you book one, you will never want to go without one. ;)

 

Jonathan

Edited January 11, 2017 by cruiserking

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Only you can decide if it is worth the money and if you will be using the balcony a lot. Some of us do like them as it is a quiet place to sit and relax.

[SmoothFlying]

We have just booked our first ever cruise. September on the Independence of The Seas to the Canaries. We have booked a Ocean View Cabin, but was wondering is it worth the extra £904 they are asking to upgrade to a balcony cabin? We are torn between the two.:confused:

 

IF, you think you MIGHT enjoy a balcony, go for it. However, ( isn't there ALWAYS some idiot who says either, 'However or But') since this is your first cruise, and I HOPE not your last, why not settle for the ocean view. See if you even like cruising. On my wife's first cruise (2007) I had booked the same as you have. Simply because she had swore for 10 years, she'd NEVER step foot on one because of that idiot TV show 'Love Boat'. After all, she reasoned, WHO, in there right mind would wanna spend a week with a bunch of gown and tuxedo-wearing snobs. On our 1st cruise after just ten minutes onboard as we went up for the sail away party, she was in heaven, asking me,' WHEN can we do this AGAIN!!' Needless to say, she was a confirmed 'cruise addict' and now has only gotten the 'bug' even more. However she decided that after the first, a balcony definitely the way to go and we've only done those for our other cruises. What you decide to do is your decision, talk with each other, but PLEASE whatever you decide give the ship and cruise line a fair chance. It may NOT be perfect,but give it a chance and have a FANTASTIC cruise!!

 

Mac

[sloopsailor]

Our first cruise was in a balcony room. We have never gotten anything less since. If you prefer quiet places to relax in, a balcony is hard to beat. We almost always get a room in the forward part of the ship. When underway, we enjoy opening the door in the morning and hearing the sound of the water splashing against the hull as we get ready for the day's adventures. When arriving in port, we enjoy watching whatever we are passing by.

 

We have decided that we will only book cabins with a balcony as a minimum. It does cost more money, but we feel it is worth it. We are on vacation. We want our vacation experiences to be the best possible. Being able to open the door, step a few feet, and have the ocean right there in front of us is what cruising is about for us.

 

We are on a ship overlooking the vastness of the world's oceans, after all, not in a Holiday Inn overlooking a parking lot. :D

Edited January 11, 2017 by sloopsailor

[john watson]

First cruise, ocean view is a reasonable option. You have saved £900 and that will go a long way if it were budgeted in on other things including a second cruise. What sometimes happens is that the cruise line comes along with a free upgrade or more likely an upsell, where they offer you nearer to sailing date a balcony on a special low price deal. I should be happy to wait for that to happen or not happen.

 

If you go on a second cruise you can big things up by going for a balcony cabin. It it tougher to do a balcony first then downscale on the second cruise.

 

There are open decks with loungers and a huge variety of activities available during the time you are up and about. So balconies are not a definate requirement but many like them.

 

Regards John

[geoherb]

That's a lot more than I'm willing to pay for a balcony. My usual rule of thumb is to pay no more than $28 a day total to upgrade to a balcony from an outside cabin. (Same rule to upgrade from an inside to an outside.)

[packer99]

If you think you are any sort of clausterphobic, then get the balcony. I don't think I could handle not having fresh air.

 

Plus early morning, or late at night if someone else wants to sleep, you can go out there and hang out.

[davekathy]

We have just booked our first ever cruise. September on the Independence of The Seas to the Canaries. We have booked a Ocean View Cabin, but was wondering is it worth the extra £904 they are asking to upgrade to a balcony cabin? We are torn between the two.:confused:

 

Stay with the OV. Save the money you would have spent on the balcony for your next Cruise. That's if you get hook on Cruising after your maiden voyage. ;o) And if you choose to Cruise again at least you'll have your own personal experience with an OV. Enjoy your Cruise.

Edited January 11, 2017 by davekathy

[iancal]

It comes down to personal itinerary, personal preferences, priorities, and budget.

 

We like a balcony. We have our coffee there in the morning, we sit and have wine in the afternoon. We know people who prefer insides because they sleep better.

 

Only you can decide. Try one out and see for yourself. Or don't bother if you are perfectly happy in an ocean view.

Edited January 11, 2017 by iancal

[Sequim88]

One of our most looked forward to cruise experiences in warm areas is the late night brandy just before bed on a dark balcony watching the water go by and maybe stargazing if clear. A great way to wrap up the day. On the other hand for Alaska we initially booked an inside because the balcony can be cold and wet much of the time. Then when the price came down by half for a balcony (same price as an Oceanview) we jumped on it.

 

But I have to agree £904 is a lot from an Ocean View and there are plenty of public deck spaces to get outside.

[Beachdude]

The balcony adds more perspective to your vacation experience. Coffee in the morning and a nightcap under the stars in the evening are just a couple examples. I find watching the ocean going by therapeutically relaxing. If we don't have a balcony (aft balcony), then we don't cruise. I can't say if it is worth the cost for you because I don't know your budget. But how will you know if you don't try. GO FOR IT!

 

Burt

[Extra Kim]

"September on the Independence of The Seas to the Canaries."

 

Keep in mind that the trip down from the U.K and the trip back could be cold when you add the wind factor. I did my first cruise in the west mediterranean sea in early Juni 2011 and some times it was a bit "cold" on the pooldeck.

 

We have booked insides, ocean views and balconies, to us it all comes down to the price. We would NOT pay £ 900 for a balcony. It´s nice to have a balcony, but we have never walked of a cruise and said "If we only would have booked the balcony the cruise would have been so much better!".

 

On our last cruise we had a balcony, on our two upcoming cruises we have an inside and a ocean view.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Extra Kim

[pkay414]

I haven't read all the replies, but here is my two cents. (I've had cruises where I booked a balcony and cruises where it's not worth it).

 

It's worth it when there a lot of scenery. There's nothing like sitting out on your own balcony with a glass of wine looking at the beautiful scenery -- like on an Alaskan cruise. Yes, you can go to the pool deck; but then you're fighting with everyone else to get a good view.

 

On my Mediterranean cruise it was not worth it because basically from sunup to sun down we were out in the ports and it was dark by the time we got back to the room. Definitely not worth the extra money.

[GUT2407]

We have just booked our first ever cruise. September on the Independence of The Seas to the Canaries. We have booked a Ocean View Cabin, but was wondering is it worth the extra £904 they are asking to upgrade to a balcony cabin? We are torn between the two.:confused:

 

How long is the cruise?

 

904 is a lot if it's short, not much if it's long.

 

Personally I doubt I'd bother going if I didn't have a balcony.

[Bankshot]

Generally not worth the price, especially if someone is smoking up-wind from you. This has happened to us more than once. An ocean view cabin suits us just fine. Interesting story: We were at the Customer Service desk when we overheard a guy say, "Everything in our cabin is covered with a black film. The walls, ceiling, the bed, our clothes, EVERYTHING IS BLACK". They asked if he slept with the balcony door open and was his cabin located aft? His response to both questions was yes. They told him this was soot or residue from the ship's stacks that had been drawn in by the ship's air system and the room would require a thorough cleaning at a cost of $250. This is why they have a note in all balcony cabins advising you NOT to leave the door open.

[Beachdude]

This is why they have a note in all balcony cabins advising you NOT to leave the door open.

 

Just to keep facts strait, the reason the ship ask their guest to keep the door closed is because the open air can disrupt the Air Conditioning and Heating system.

 

A few ships suffer the problem of soot on the "aft" balconies but that isn't a typical industry problem. In fact ship designers today design the exhaust stacks and top of the ship structure to move the soot is moved past the ship.

 

Burt

[PictureNana]

Hello Snail999,

 

If you can afford it, I would highly recommend getting the balcony cabin. There is nothing quite as wonderful as stepping out on your private balcony to enjoy the ocean vistas, ever-changing views and privacy.

 

It is immensely thrilling to stand on your balcony as you arrive into port or sail away later in the day. It is simply wonderful to have a private sanctuary to read, sip coffee or just relax.

 

The only problem with getting a balcony is that once you book one, you will never want to go without one. ;)

 

Jonathan

 

 

I was going to basically answer and say the same thing Jonathan! Our first two cruises were ocean view and were nice...but on our third we sprung for the balcony and will never go back!!! We do room service every morning and get our coffee and tea and a little snack and sit out there to wake up before going to get our breakfast. It's wonderful. Coming into ports you have your own private viewing area and we've seen dolphins while sitting out there. It's a nice extension on your cabin and we just love it! For me it's sooooo worth the extra money.

[SantaFeFan]

For the majority of people it is worth it. There are several times more balcony cabins than insides and ocean views combined on a typical cruise ship. And they usually sell out faster than the cheaper cabins. Most ships have a much higher percentage of balcony cabins because a higher percent of cruisers want them. For example, on Celebrity's popular Solstice class, 85% are balcony cabins (only 210 of the 1,425 cabins are inside or ocean view). On Royal Princess, the percentage is 80% (only 342 of the 1,780 cabins do not have a balcony).

 

Thankfully, the designers plan for a few insides and ocean views. That way there are cabin types for everyone no matter what your priorities in a cabin are.

Edited January 11, 2017 by SantaFeFan

[HardToPort]

We have just booked our first ever cruise. September on the Independence of The Seas to the Canaries. We have booked a Ocean View Cabin, but was wondering is it worth the extra £904 they are asking to upgrade to a balcony cabin? We are torn between the two.:confused:

 

I love balconies but would never pay an extra $1,500 CDN to upgrade from ocean view.

 

For your first cruise the fun and novelty of cruising will be enough.

 

Enjoy!

[spazwok]

The first three cruises we went on, we had inside cabins, not even window view and we had a fabulous time. We spent a lot of time exploring the ship and up on the deck enjoying ship life. The room was only used to sleep and cleaning up.

 

We then got a great deal for a balcony on the next cruise, and loved it so much we can't go back now which is a real curse for us because they are just that much more expensive.

 

I think either way you'll have a great time, if money is tight I don't think the balcony is necessary but if you can afford it there's nothing better than eating your breakfast on the balcony as you pull into a port.

Edited January 12, 2017 by spazwok

[JimAOk1945]

I realize it's a matter of opinion, as well as what you can afford. However, we would not cruise without it. We have always had a balcony so have no way to compare it to anything else.

Edited January 12, 2017 by JimAOk1945

[MJSailors]

MY DH and I experienced one inside cabin over twenty years ago when we first started taking cruise vacations.

The remaining fifteen and counting cruises have always been in cabins with some sort of balconies.

I agree with many posters, once you have enjoyed a balcony cabin,it may be difficult to go back to a cabin without one.

As to the size of balconies, it seems that the new mega ships are building balconies with smaller dimensions.

For example ,on our first cruise on NCL Breakaway and the Regal Princess,we were disappointed that the balcony to the cabin was so much smaller than what we were used to on the Princess Grand class ships.

When we booked another cruise on the Breakaway last September and the Regal this past October, we booked cabins with deluxe or extended balconies . On both cruise lines, these balconies had enough room for two loungers,two chairs and a good sized table.

FYI ,on the newly built Royal and Regal Princess ships there are no ocean view cabins. The categories are inside,balcony,deluxe balcony,mini suite and suite cabins.

There are several reasons why we choose balconies.

I am asthmatic and sometimes having access to fresh,ocean air is a necessity for me.

We also do enjoy a cup of morning coffee or afternoon refreshment on the balcony for some relaxation time.

Most often, we like the sailaways and approaches to a port while sitting on the balcony.

This has been our experience.

Some people prefer balcony cabins while others prefer inside cabins. There is no right or wrong answer in choosing a cabin you would prefer.

My advice would be to enjoy your cruise, find out if you like the ocean view cabin and than plan accordingly when you book your next cruise.

Bon voyage !