I'd like your thoughts on Pride (or any Spirit class) Extended Aft Balconies

[Don Kehote]

Wife and I went for the bucket list stateroom on our next cruise - extended aft on the Pride.  Now, we never thought it would be something we could pull off, but there was a perfect storm of opportunity, so we pulled the trigger and landed on #5297.

 

Ordinarily, we're pretty happy with an interior or window.  Last time on the water, we had a lido balcony (on Victory), and really liked it.

 

How would you compare that aft view to the side balcony view?  Since we're not doing Alaska or Panama Canal, I don't think we'll miss anything important that way.  Is the view from the aft dark for stargazing?  I have also read people's comments stating that the air is stale (no breeze), and others saying it is oppressively hot (well, we're winter cruisers, so yes please).  

 

Thank you!

[trvlgirlmq]

I have no thoughts to add as we just booked our first aft cabin for a Pride sailing in 2022.  We are quite excited to try this room.

[vwrestler171]

I love the aft extendeds.  Love sitting on the balcony watching the wake of the ship.  You don't really miss any sites as the ship still passes whatever you want to see.

[NCTribeFan]

The only 3 balcony cabins I've had on Carnival have all been on Spirit-class ships.  First was a side extended balcony on Miracle.  While it was certainly nice to have a balcony, I decided that if I did it again, I'd pick a "regular" side balcony.  Once of my favorite things is to watch docking/departing in port and the view was blocked because the lifeboats are directly beneath those side extended cabins.

 

Next time, I was in 4230, again on Miracle.  Great cabin although it gets really, really hot out there when you're docked and the sun is beating down on the stern all day.  It was fantastic the evening we were leaving Colon, Panama, though.  Just leaving and looking at all the ships waiting to enter the Canal was so cool.  Only other "issue" with the cabin was some slight vibration and the fact that I could smell BACON every morning, as we were just above the MDR.  Like I needed anything to make me want to eat even more! LOL

 

Next time, I was in 4232 on Pride.  Since it was next to the cabin I'd had on Miracle, and I thought it would be great.  It was not!  Yes, Pride was having azipod issues at the time, but the vibration in that cabin was much more pronounced than on Miracle.  The last night, as we were returning to B'more, the shaking was so intense that it was like someone grabbing your shoulder and shaking you awake.  Over and over and over all night.  I had a 6+ hr drive home after disembarking and I was concerned all the way that I was about to fall asleep at the wheel, despite stopping for coffee multiple times.

 

I'll save my funds and won't risk staying in a cabin that can cause that level of sleep deprivation.

[Jim and Monika]

We have had an aft on the Pride and loved the view. When we wanted to see what was in front of us, such as how close to port, we would look on the TV. The only real downside is the vibrations mostly when coming into and out of port.

[kelbell]

I've had an aft ocean view, DH loved it I wasn't sold on ocean view.

We have always had a balcony or suite. Next Pride cruise 1/23 and

reg balcony.  Looking forward to seeing her after she had been refurbished. 

 

[K&RCurt]

Almost a year ago we had an aft extended balcony, 4232 on the Legend.  We loved it.  We just love the view of the wake off the back of the ship and the extra room of the aft balcony.

 

Would book it again in a heartbeat!

[Moviela]

Spirit class ships have a couple of desirable cabin types. The aft balcony's allow a calming view of the constantly changing wake. Most a teesy bit longer for comfortable relaxing, Best is the port side corner wrap on deck 4. The other are the bowling alley cabins port side on deck 7 or 8. They are nicely wide, but they are the length of three cabins. Room for chairs and loungers plus table. As for being windy, the aft balcony's are protected by the ship while underway, and you may enjoy a nice drafting current. I would not worry about a little shaking during docking. You have to pay extra on land for a vibrating bed.

[jperry2011]

Deck 5 should be nice. Great views at night and close to the MDR..

We had deck 8 aft our last cruise and the vibration was terrible

[fair-winds39]

We've been on the Carnival Pride many, many times from Baltimore and for all but one, we have booked the same standard balcony cabin, with one exception. A few years ago we booked the extended balcony 5297. We loved it. We always booked an Aft on the Main deck, but that time we chose the Upper deck an the extended balcony cabin to try it out. Can't wait to start our cruises again. Have fun. I hope you enjoy the extended balcony.

 

 

[JeanieTheMom]

We had a rear facing balcony on the Pride out of Baltimore a few years ago. I second all the good things everyone has said above. On our cruise, we felt a little vibration while moving between ports, nothing we couldn't handle, just enough to mention it to each other. But it really got bad when the captain gunned it on the way back to Baltimore. The last 2 nights, we had to wedge a towel or something in the closet doors to stop the rattle. It was the rattling, not the vibration, that threatened to keep me from sleeping.

 

Would I do it again? I have one reserved for the Miracle in Aug of 2022 in Alaska. Can't wait!

[jetsfan58]

Sailed on  the Pride many times. Great class of ship.

[jetsfan58]

I am also a bit frugal when it comes to spending. Inside cabins mid ship on all our cruises. Never had one issue with noise or vibration.

[Stick93]

My first cruise on the miracle we had a 4th floor corner wrap around suit and connecting rooms. We felt the vibrations all the time. Shocked I every got DW on 20 more cruises after that. But she never let me book anything close to aft again. 

[telebax51]

I just booked the Pride for Oct.21 sailing Europe first time in a extended balcony cabin # 7258 anyone been in this type cabin?

[asalligo]

The Pride is my favorite ship and I sail on her again in January if they work all this mess out. I will be the unpopular opinion though, I would not book an Aft Balcony again and prefer the extended side balconies for three reasons.

 

My aft balcony lacked full shade many times during the day. I burn easily. Many people may consider this a good feature.  

 

I did not like that the angle of the rear of the ship allowed people to look down on my balcony. 

 

Certain wind conditions dropped soot from the pipes on my balcony which made me wonder about air quality. 

 

The vibration was pretty severe on our cruise at the rear, but I was cool with it. Who can beat that view of course, the pros are evident, but combined with increased price and the factors above, I am good with a well placed side balcony. 

 

 

 

[asalligo]

15 hours ago, telebax51 said:

I just booked the Pride for Oct.21 sailing Europe first time in a extended balcony cabin # 7258 anyone been in this type cabin?

I stayed in one of these on my first cruise on the Pride and it was an awesome cabin, but I told myself that in the future I prefer the cabins that are protruded from the ship. This cabin only had two minor issues. A lifeboat under your cabin instead of a direct view down to the water and a slightly obscured view forward due to those outward cabins ahead of you. These really are minor though, the view is still awesome and the room larger. 

[microbuck]

We were on the Pride cabin 5297 , January of 2016.  This was a 10 day cruise , the second half of a 21 day Journey's cruise. We embarked in San Juan and the final leg was Baltimore. It was our first time in the aft. We absolutely loved it. Some people complain about the vibration but it just served to lull me to sleep. The views were spectacular. Sitting there drinking coffee in the morning just watching the wake. Sailing away from islands in the evening was a grand sight , all from the comfort of your balcony. We didn't find the air to be stuffy and did not have any soot issues that others have mentioned. We liked it so much that we are going with the aft again on the Horizon.

aft view.htm

Edited February 9, 2021 by microbuck
added info

[telebax51]

On 2/9/2021 at 10:47 AM, asalligo said:

I stayed in one of these on my first cruise on the Pride and it was an awesome cabin, but I told myself that in the future I prefer the cabins that are protruded from the ship. This cabin only had two minor issues. A lifeboat under your cabin instead of a direct view down to the water and a slightly obscured view forward due to those outward cabins ahead of you. These really are minor though, the view is still awesome and the room larger. 

Right now just being on a ship will be ok, it will be only 9 days then i will be on the Celebration T/A to Miami. Thanks for the heads up on the lifeboat.

[jerseyjjs]

I was in Vista suite 4237 back in 2017 on the Pride.  While the cabin and the wrap around balcony were awesome, the vibrations at night while trying to sleep were brutal.   Our running joke was we were sleeping in Regan's bed from the Exorcist.   As far as an overhang for sun protection, it was fine on deck 4 but anything from deck 5 and above, there's basically nothing to give any shade while on the balcony in the daytime.  

[asalligo]

1 hour ago, jerseyjjs said:

I was in Vista suite 4237 back in 2017 on the Pride.  While the cabin and the wrap around balcony were awesome, the vibrations at night while trying to sleep were brutal.   Our running joke was we were sleeping in Regan's bed from the Exorcist.   As far as an overhang for sun protection, it was fine on deck 4 but anything from deck 5 and above, there's basically nothing to give any shade while on the balcony in the daytime.  

It is not always this bad, but we were on the Pride in 2014 out of Baltimore and the vibration one night was actually moving glasses on the table in the main dining room at the rear. 

[CanWeGoYet?]

Booked the starboard aft wrap, deck 4 on the Miracle, on my last cruise.  No issues at all with vibration, stale air, and not visible really from upper decks.  The downside would be not a lot of direct sun, but on a Mexican riviera it was warm enough in port / not  going to be warm no matter what on a pacific cruise when the ship is going fast.  

My favorite cabin - if finances weren't an issue I'd always book this suite.