Is The Balcony Room worth the extra money on The Horizon?

[Cant wait until March]

We are planning on sailing on the Horizon next March. We have never had an interior cabin before but the savings are substantial. What are your thoughts???

[evandbob]

We are planning on sailing on the Horizon next March. We have never had an interior cabin before but the savings are substantial. What are your thoughts???

 

 

We sailed the Horizon Memorial Day with a spa balcony booked. We weren't impressed with that particular itinerary (Amber Cove, ugh) but we sailed for the ship.

 

Because we didn't utilize the spa every day , having a balcony gave us our own space to relax in during the 4 sea days we had. We used the serenity deck on port days when it was basically empty, so we had a quiet couples cruise together without the activity and noise of the crowded Lido deck.

 

IMO, the balcony was worth every penny, just don't think we would get another spa balcony again.

[tallnthensome]

If you don't spend time in your cabin except to shower and sleep then why not? If you spend lots of time on the balcony then ...... Only you can answer that for yourself. Perhaps the savings will allow you to splurge else ware.

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

It's your money, so you have to decide if it's worth it to you.

 

The main benefit of a balcony cabin of course is the balcony. The question becomes, how important is the balcony to you? Do you like sitting out there sipping your wine, or do you just step out to take a quick look at the view and see how the weather feels. Do you sit out there for an hour or so a day or just a few minutes? The answer to these questions should decide for you. (unless money was not an object)

 

You do get more cabin space with the balcony, but you would get that with an ocean view as well. People ask the same question of value for those cabins as well. Again, how much time do you spend in your cabin. For many it is the place where they sleep, the place they store their stuff, and the place where they wash up before meals, nothing more and don't want to spend extra for a couple of dozen extra sq. ft. of cabin space.

 

For the typical family it's hundreds of dollars more for an OV and then even more for that balcony. That money can be used for other things, but many just want to have a good time and are willing to spend that extra amount and don't care. So it's clearly in the eyes of the beholder.

 

have a great cruise

[riffatsea]

I agree that it is an individual decision. We spend time in our cabin and would never book and Inside one! IF I couldn't afford a balcony I wouldn't go on that cruise I'd book a different one that is less expensive.

[CH5220]

We just booked the Horizon for March, and we were struggling making the same decision. We are going with our two kids though, and for the 4 of us it ended up being slightly cheaper to get two interior adjoining rooms than one balcony room, so having double the space and an extra bathroom made up for not having a balcony.

[Ehpride]

I get motion sickness and inside cabins don't work for me for that reason. If the cost of a balcony was prohibitive, I would personally get an oceanview.

[Micahs Grandad]

Over the years we trend toward being out and about more and more and when we get a balcony spend relatively little time on it.

 

These days unless it is very cheap we go with inside or even O/V.

[nursemommy7578]

We are booked on Horizon for March. We love balconies. We booked a Havana Cabana for this trip.

We like to relax together with some quiet space.

[ParrotRob]

It all comes down to how much you value outdoor privacy. You can get outdoors on Lido or Serenity. You can get privacy in an interior. You can only get both on a balcony.

[April42749]

We were on the 6/5 sailing, with a 4J, interior walk away view. It's one of those cabins all the way forward and has a "secret deck" (although it was very windy on this secret deck...too windy to use when the ship was sailing). If you can get one of those "grab it". We had 9203 and loved it. Eyeballing it, the cabin seemed as large as the balcony cabins (minus the balcony).

 

 

 

However, we never had trouble finding an outdoor spot to sit. There are lots of decks besides the lido with seating. The cabins on this ship are relatively large.

 

 

As a "value shopper" I'd say save the money and spend it on other things.

[Joebucks]

I'd say, if you are someone who wants relaxation, privacy, and a great ocean view, go for it. Lots of people who read books on the cruise will absolutely swear by it. It can also be great to enjoy a drink and just unwind.

 

Personally, I'm in the other crowd. I had one last year, and while it was nice, we didn't use it much. We like to be out and about, finding the fun on the ship. Rarely in the room. There are plenty of places to get a good ocean view. With it sometimes rivaling the cost of two interiors, I'd rather do two cruises instead.

[riclop]

No way they want way to much $$$$$$$$$.

[crewsweeper]

If it's priced near your affordability, and you think you'll use the balcony, then a regular balcony cabin is worth considering, depending upon location. Decks 8-9 between the forward and mid ship elevators would be good locations, cabins above and belong, just avoid the ones across from the IMAX partition.

 

However, based on our Vista experience, spa balconies aren't worth it. the spa on the Vista isn't very good compared to breeze, Dream or Magic or even the older Splendor.

[chicchic325]

I've sailed inside, ocean view and balcony. I'm an avid reader who spent hours almost everyday on the balcony when I had it.

 

That said, unless I win the lotto, I'll be sticking with an inside cabin. I can't justify the costs of a balcony when I compare it to an excursion or drinks. We use our cabin for sleeping and getting ready.

 

I also get motion sick and love the middle of the lowest deck as the ship barely moves!

 

All that said, we decided to try the Havana inside on our next cruise because of all of the complaints of people on the Vista.

[Towel Critter]

If one can afford it, then absolutely a balcony is worth it. If one can't afford it, then it is not. Personally, I couldn't enjoy a cruise as much without a balcony. I need it to get away from the crowd and recharge my batteries. Watching the water go by and the flying fish soaring from the crest of one wave to another does that for me. Other personality types don't require that and like the Energizer bunny, can just keep going, and going, and going. It is a personal choice and everyone has to decide, based on expendable income and temperament what is best for them.

[Surrealistic]

We ways prefer a balcony as a quiet retreat, but price dictates what we chose to sail in. ;p The Horizon has many outdoor areas you can go and sit, and while you don't have complete privacy, you can find quiet and relaxation. There are areas outside Ocean Plaza or the Library that are relatively peaceful and away from the Lido action. Serenity is also a nice respite area. You can make it work if you decide the price point is more important. Enjoy your cruise whatever you choose to do.:)

[Micahs Grandad]

It comes down to how much time you spend on the balcony and what it is worth to you.

 

Typically we might spend max of $ 300 total to move from inside to balcony but lately would be less as even with balcony we just didnt spend that much time on it.

[buddylover]

We are planning on sailing on the Horizon next March. We have never had an interior cabin before but the savings are substantial. What are your thoughts???

 

We always LOVE balconies (early mornings/evenings watching the seas)' date=' but on this class of ship it seems so much more crowded than other ships, that we used our balcony even more.....for some more relaxing time away from lines and crowds. You can never go wrong with a balcony IMHO![/color']

[dani85bri06]

I have to have some sort of view to the outside so no inside room for me! With that being said I have only ever cruised with a balcony so we really enjoy having it. I know that we can only take one cruise a year with our busy lives and work, so we make it good!!

[DukeASUGirl]

I'm not the kind of person who will sit for hours on a balcony. I need to be out and enjoying myself doing activities, especially with kids.

 

My mom on the other hand will not even consider cruising unless she can get a balcony.

[Cant wait until March]

Thank you to everyone for the input. We decided to go with the balcony, now I can't wait for 246 days to pass.

[AAAAmerican]

Dear can't wait till March,

 

On any ship in March the WX can be quite different day 2 day hour 2 hour etc..

 

Choices abound.

 

Not too long agon ships for a passage did not even have a balcony. Now with many names they do and the cruise lines do make a lot of excess revenue generations from these.

 

My MIL , in her 100th year has to have one so every cruise I book and pay for one for her. I guess you can say Balcony/Verandda Addiction...

 

 

We are planning on sailing on the Horizon next March. We have never had an interior cabin before but the savings are substantial. What are your thoughts???

[LCTXcruiser]

You know, I see this question posted quite often but I don't think I've ever responded. I have a rule of thumb... if its under 5 days - I take an interior. If it's 5 + I book a balcony. There are positives and negatives to both. If you're prone to seasickness it's better to get a balcony or an oceanview. Usually being able to see the horizon tends to ease the queasiness.

 

I do like the interiors being as dark as they are when we go to bed because I sleep in a little longer and I value my rest :). However, I like the privacy of a balcony and I always think about if something happens (like with the Triumph). It would be nice to have a door propped open if needed. Knock on wood, I've been on 15 cruises and never had an issue like that. So, in short - I guess it comes down to your preference. Either way, enjoy your cruise!!

[SWILDER67]

We use to get balcony cabins, but after we tried an inside we have never looked back. You save a significant amount of money and we are never in our room except to sleep and get ready for dinner. We like to spend the money we save on a balcony room for excursions, specialty restaurants, etc. It all depends on what is important to you. The cabin is low on our list :)