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Ocean view or Balcony? what would you do.


spanishguy1970
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We are booked on the 19 day cruise on the Getaway this coming October. We usually book either Mid ship inside or mid ship balcony on higher decks. When we booked this cruise back in October of last year everything was sold out, only thing available was mid ship family inside on Deck 10 so we took it.  The price for the inside was kind of high but we loved the itinerary so we booked it. Recently, the mid ship Large picture window on Deck 5 became cheaper than what we paid for the inside, our travel agent offered us the upgrade for free so we took it. It will be our first time in an ocean view and on a lower deck by the medical center. Now, the Balcony is a lot cheaper than what we paid and we are thinking about moving again. We are also bidding for Spa Balcony, and spa mini suite. My companion thinks it would be fun to stay in the ocean view and try it out, so at the end we may stay put and enjoy our cruise like we always do.

 

Our question is, has anyone been in an ocean view stateroom? on  a lower deck? if so what do you think about it, are they quiet? would you recommend them? or should we just move up to a balcony.

 

Thank you for your replies.

 

P.S by the way ours is a connecting Ocean View.

Edited by spanishguy1970
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Just now, Iworktocruiseandtravel said:

Balcony, as long as it’s not directly above or below clubs, weight room, pool deck, garden cafe/dining areas, etc

yeah, that's the thing. When we moved to the Ocean view we kept our perks however the Balcony option would be for the Balcony guarantee, so if we do that we would lose them and don't know where we would end up. Ocean view would have to be really bad in order for us to consider paying extra to get mid ship Balcony, that's why we asked for people experience with Ocean View staterooms. The reason we moved to the Ocean view in the first place was because my companion wanted to try it and because they are larger than an inside cabin.

 

Thank you for your reply just the same.

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I usually stay in a balcony, but was in an oceanview on the Breakaway and it was great. Check what is above you (mine was below the MDR so problem there.

 

I like a balcony to sit out on, but was very happy with that oceanview. It was a cold weather cruise though. I may have missed the balcony if the weather had been better. We have also booked an oceanview (on the Spirit) at Christmas, as I doubt we would use the balcony as much then.

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1 hour ago, spanishguy1970 said:

yeah, that's the thing. When we moved to the Ocean view we kept our perks however the Balcony option would be for the Balcony guarantee, so if we do that we would lose them and don't know where we would end up. Ocean view would have to be really bad in order for us to consider paying extra to get mid ship Balcony, that's why we asked for people experience with Ocean View staterooms. The reason we moved to the Ocean view in the first place was because my companion wanted to try it and because they are larger than an inside cabin.

 

Thank you for your reply just the same.

I’ve never done ocean view (only balcony), but I toy with the idea when bidding for an upgrade (to minisuite or suite).  Have yet to bid any time because of where cabin may be (cruise coming up is on Dawn... most mini suites are under pool deck... NO THANK YOU... sister-in-law did that one cruise and slept like crap due to hearing chairs dragging across deck, the music, etc).  Learning through others experiences 😊

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Another vote here for Balcony. No contest here. Nothing like opening that balcony door, fresh air and the view of watching the sunrise/sunset. Will they let you upgrade to Balcony Cat BF for a small cost so you can keep your perks?

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Have done both OV and Balcony on the Breakaway.  Have never had a problem with noise on the 5th floor.

 

Traveling on a 19 day cruise I would stick with the cabin with the benefits.  Also if your cruise is port intensive the lower floors make it easier getting on and off the ship.  Coming back to your cabin on a lower floor after a long day of excursions is very nice, no waiting for elevators when everyone is getting back on the ship at the same time.

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4 hours ago, spanishguy1970 said:

When we moved to the Ocean view we kept our perks however the Balcony option would be for the Balcony guarantee, so if we do that we would lose them and don't know where we would end up.

 

In your first post, you did not mention that your balcony option was for a guarantee.  We never book guarantees; we care very much about cabin location, and will not take the chance of being someplace undesirable, such as under a noisy public space.     

 

8 minutes ago, tarahobbies said:

 Also if your cruise is port intensive the lower floors make it easier getting on and off the ship.  Coming back to your cabin on a lower floor after a long day of excursions is very nice, no waiting for elevators when everyone is getting back on the ship at the same time.

 

Just speaking for myself, waiting for the elevators after coming back from a port would never factor into my consideration as to what type of cabin to book.  

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1 hour ago, cruisinsc1 said:

Another vote here for Balcony. No contest here. Nothing like opening that balcony door, fresh air and the view of watching the sunrise/sunset. Will they let you upgrade to Balcony Cat BF for a small cost so you can keep your perks?

Hmmm i dis not know i could ask for that, i will go to my travel agent and suggest that. Thank you.

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4 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

I usually stay in a balcony, but was in an oceanview on the Breakaway and it was great. Check what is above you (mine was below the MDR so problem there.

 

I like a balcony to sit out on, but was very happy with that oceanview. It was a cold weather cruise though. I may have missed the balcony if the weather had been better. We have also booked an oceanview (on the Spirit) at Christmas, as I doubt we would use the balcony as much then.

We are by the medical center and i think below Taste restaurant but will check for sure. We also love balconies and this itinerary includes Bermuda which would be nice to have a Balcony. We will see what we do

 

thank you for your response

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We had a balcony guarantee on our cruise to Alaska on the Joy last month and we got all the perks.  I think it is only the sailaway balcony that you don't get the perks.  The balcony guarantee worked out great for us - we ended up in a BA cabin on deck 12 - midship.

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We got an ocean view once as an upgrade and ever since then I’ve had a love affair with them.  All the benefits of a balcony (almost) and the price is great.

keep the perks for a 19 day and go for the ocean view 

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I've been in balconies and oceanviews on Breakaway, which is virtually identical to Getaway. There is no advantage to the balcony cabins other than the balcony itself, the sliding door that lets in fresh air,  and the coffeemaker.  Deck 5 is quiet, has wider corridors, and is convenient to the restaurants and activities on Decks 6, 7, and 8.  

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18 hours ago, spanishguy1970 said:

We are booked on the 19 day cruise on the Getaway this coming October. We usually book either Mid ship inside or mid ship balcony on higher decks. When we booked this cruise back in October of last year everything was sold out, only thing available was mid ship family inside on Deck 10 so we took it.  The price for the inside was kind of high but we loved the itinerary so we booked it. Recently, the mid ship Large picture window on Deck 5 became cheaper than what we paid for the inside, our travel agent offered us the upgrade for free so we took it. It will be our first time in an ocean view and on a lower deck by the medical center. Now, the Balcony is a lot cheaper than what we paid and we are thinking about moving again. We are also bidding for Spa Balcony, and spa mini suite. My companion thinks it would be fun to stay in the ocean view and try it out, so at the end we may stay put and enjoy our cruise like we always do.

 

Our question is, has anyone been in an ocean view stateroom? on  a lower deck? if so what do you think about it, are they quiet? would you recommend them? or should we just move up to a balcony.

 

Thank you for your replies.

 

P.S by the way ours is a connecting Ocean View.

Of course most people would prefer the balcony for the same or a similar price, but to answer your question: we have stayed in an outside cabin on a lower deck. Our last cruise was on the same deck as the med center and we loved it: we missed our balcony but loved how quiet the deck was and the gangway was fight there so it was easy to get on and off the ship. At first we were disappointed about not having a better location. By the end of the first day we were happy with what we had. 

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We often book oceanview cabins or bid for them because of the price savings.  I like them because you get daylight!  On our last cruise we had the cabin steward divide the bed into two twins and then we could use the beds like couches and look out the window.  Otherwise you have to crawl to the head of the bed and look out.  With the beds divided, the room seemed so much bigger too!  As they said in the movie "Step Brothers" we had more room for activities.  ha.

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We have mostly had OV categories on lower floors recently due to costs.  Really nice and quiet, with no problems except for one that was in very front of Breakaway.  They are nice and maybe should be tried out to see what you think.  That being said we love ourselves a balcony and will be on the Breakaway in 5 weeks in a balcony near back stairs this time and are very excited for it.  But you said you would loose perks and for us that would be very sad as this will be our first cruise with drink package.  All in all....... I vote for staying with the ocean view.

 

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Well, you have a trade off and only you can know the better value for you.

 

I have sailed in OV cabins.  If well located, they are just fine (and really, nobody will advise you to pick a poorly located cabin of any class!). As another poster mentioned, when beds are set as twins the  main aisle is wide open and the view from window is more accessible; also likely to be an easier arrangement for those who make more bathroom trips at night.  That said, the queen bed arrangement is workable if that is your preference.  

 

So, if you do not “have” to have a balcony to be happy and do really value those perks, then you should keep your OV cabin.  And on a long cruise, those perks could be very valuable indeed.  And, if you keep your OV, you might have a chance to bid for the balcony upgrade (have you been offered the option of bidding?)

 

Other people do not make as extensive use of perks, but really, really value the balcony.  You are gambling location as it is a gty, but for people who love to spend time on their own balcony above all else, the answer might be clear.  And depending on the perks you selected, you might get some gratuity money back, which you can save for drinks and dining and such aboard.

 

Personally, I suspect I’d favor the OV with perks over the balcony without perks on a long cruise, but opinions will vary.  Assuming balcony with perks is not in budget (or price is disproportionate to perks or whatever), pick the one that suits you best and have a great time....no wrong answer.

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I enjoyed our ocean view. We did Alaska on a lower deck  and a whale breeched right outside our window. Being below Taste isn't a problem. Close to the galley can be noisy though.  Easy out at ports is a plus and the balconies on the Getaway are too small.

 

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