Balcony vs Premium Balcony

[MSPCUBS]

Looking at a cruise on the Crown.  What is the difference between a balcony cabin and premium balcony?  I know the dimensions are different (231 sq ft vs 271 sq ft), but what does it actually mean?  Does it have a couch instead of just a chair?  Is the outside balcony larger?  Does the regular balcony room feel cramped?

Thanks for any insight.

[famski740]

I believe a premium balcony is mostly just location, and possibly a slightly larger balcony.

 

If you are looking for a couch in a balcony room you need to look for a Deluxe Balcony.

[dreaminofcruisin]

It depends on the cabin. On the Crown, the Premium Balconies are mostly related to location. I 'think' on that ship they are either on the Aft of the ship or on Caribe deck mid-ship which Princess determines are better locations. The balcony may be larger, but you need to check the deck plan and visually determine that. On the Crown, all balcony cabins (regular and premium) are larger--half covered and half- un covered. They don't have a couch. The dimension difference is usually the size of the balcony which is included in that calculation. For 2 people, we haven't felt cramped in a balcony cabin, but YMMV and if you have more than 2 people, it might. There is only 1 chair generally as Princess has gotten rid of their barrel chairs that were in the rooms....pre-pandemic you could sometimes still request one....who knows now....

Hope that helps.

[Astro Flyer]

On the Crown there are 3 categories of Premium Balcony cabins:

• B1: Caribe - Mid-ship
• B2: Caribe - Mid-forward; Mid-aft
• B4: Baja, Caribe, Dolphin, Emerald - Aft

All Caribe deck balconies on the sides of the ship have larger 9’x9’ balconies instead of the standard 9’x5’. That includes the Premium Balconies (mid, mid-forward, mid-aft) and Balconies (BD-aft; BC-forward).

 

I’ve never had an aft facing B4 balcony but have visited friends there & balcony sizes can vary by deck & are shown on deck plans.

 

As said none have a couch although on Royal-Class ships their Deluxe Balcony cabins have a loveseat sized couch which we enjoy now that other balcony & interior cabins have only a desk chair.

 

It’s been awhile since having such cabins so going by memory & their online deck plans.

 

Edited February 20, 2021 by Astro Flyer

[3JCruiser]

We have taken the larger balcony on Caribe B1/B2 at the side of the ship several times just so we can spread out comfortably if we don't want to sit up on public decks. The cabins above on Baja do overlook the larger ones at the outer railing area..we've never found it a problem but something to consider. As Astro mentioned above they do not have a couch.

[skynight]

On the Crown Princess interiors for all balcony cat. cabins are the same, no sofa, very comfortable bedding, beds in queen or twin config. your choice, one desk chair, one TV, fridge, 6 ft. open closet, lots of draw space and a wardrobe in the closet area, bath with tight stand up shower. No extra amenities for "premium" cabins. Balconies have 2 chairs with foot stools and a table. All balcony cabins on deck 10 have a 9ft. x 9ft. which has 5ft. of cover from deck 11 above. Balconies on  decks 11, 12, 14 & 15, excluding the full suites on deck 14, are 9ft. x 5ft. and covered. Cabins on deck 10 mid ship, B1 & B2, are classified as "premium" because of their mid ship location and desirability. Forward and aft cabins on the same deck are identical to those mid ship, but are classified BE and BD. For a number of years on the Crown and its sister ships we have been staying in the deck 10 BD cabins. Great location, comfortable, identical to the B1 & B2 cabins. There are also "premium" B4 cabins with stern views on decks 8 through 11. Again these have the same interiors with various sized balconies.

With the current Best Sale Ever promo all cabins BF to BA have the same fares. Pay for a BF and book any available cabin up to BA. Cat B1, B2 and B4 are excluded. You should note that if you select a BD or BE cabin on deck 10 because of the larger balcony Princess could upgrade you to a higher category cabin with the smaller balcony. The 9ft. x 5ft. balcony size is still very nice. If you want the cabin you booked you need to have your booking marked no upgrade.

Hope this helps.  

[trbarton]

7 hours ago, skynight said:

On the Crown Princess interiors for all balcony cat. cabins are the same, no sofa, very comfortable bedding, beds in queen or twin config. your choice, one desk chair, one TV, fridge, 6 ft. open closet, lots of draw space and a wardrobe in the closet area, bath with tight stand up shower. No extra amenities for "premium" cabins. Balconies have 2 chairs with foot stools and a table. All balcony cabins on deck 10 have a 9ft. x 9ft. which has 5ft. of cover from deck 11 above. Balconies on  decks 11, 12, 14 & 15, excluding the full suites on deck 14, are 9ft. x 5ft. and covered. Cabins on deck 10 mid ship, B1 & B2, are classified as "premium" because of their mid ship location and desirability. Forward and aft cabins on the same deck are identical to those mid ship, but are classified BE and BD. For a number of years on the Crown and its sister ships we have been staying in the deck 10 BD cabins. Great location, comfortable, identical to the B1 & B2 cabins. There are also "premium" B4 cabins with stern views on decks 8 through 11. Again these have the same interiors with various sized balconies.

With the current Best Sale Ever promo all cabins BF to BA have the same fares. Pay for a BF and book any available cabin up to BA. Cat B1, B2 and B4 are excluded. You should note that if you select a BD or BE cabin on deck 10 because of the larger balcony Princess could upgrade you to a higher category cabin with the smaller balcony. The 9ft. x 5ft. balcony size is still very nice. If you want the cabin you booked you need to have your booking marked no upgrade.

Hope this helps.  

FYI....I always have my reservations marked “META Upgrade” which means I will only except the next higher category like from balcony to Mini Suite. 
 

Tom 😀

[Cruisen Elf]

We had Cabin C743 on the Crown Princess on our last cruise in 2019.  It was category BD and was the last stateroom on the starboard side - as far aft as you could get without paying for an aft balcony!  It had a slightly larger than usual Caribe deck balcony, and we found it to be a great location.  It is not considered "premium," but had great views and a large balcony.  As mentioned previously, there are not couches or loveseats in any of the Crown's balcony rooms as far as I know.  I believe you would have to upgrade to a mini suite to get a couch on that ship.

[arizonaperson]

Does anyone know -on Emerald Princess category B4 is there a sofa to sit on or just 1 desk chair?

Thanks

[trbarton]

On 2/22/2021 at 5:11 AM, skynight said:

On the Crown Princess interiors for all balcony cat. cabins are the same, no sofa, very comfortable bedding, beds in queen or twin config. your choice, one desk chair, one TV, fridge, 6 ft. open closet, lots of draw space and a wardrobe in the closet area, bath with tight stand up shower. No extra amenities for "premium" cabins. Balconies have 2 chairs with foot stools and a table. All balcony cabins on deck 10 have a 9ft. x 9ft. which has 5ft. of cover from deck 11 above. Balconies on  decks 11, 12, 14 & 15, excluding the full suites on deck 14, are 9ft. x 5ft. and covered. Cabins on deck 10 mid ship, B1 & B2, are classified as "premium" because of their mid ship location and desirability. Forward and aft cabins on the same deck are identical to those mid ship, but are classified BE and BD. For a number of years on the Crown and its sister ships we have been staying in the deck 10 BD cabins. Great location, comfortable, identical to the B1 & B2 cabins. There are also "premium" B4 cabins with stern views on decks 8 through 11. Again these have the same interiors with various sized balconies.

With the current Best Sale Ever promo all cabins BF to BA have the same fares. Pay for a BF and book any available cabin up to BA. Cat B1, B2 and B4 are excluded. You should note that if you select a BD or BE cabin on deck 10 because of the larger balcony Princess could upgrade you to a higher category cabin with the smaller balcony. The 9ft. x 5ft. balcony size is still very nice. If you want the cabin you booked you need to have your booking marked no upgrade.

Hope this helps.  

Do you know if any of the  category of Balcony staterooms on deck 10 contain a sofa?

 

I upgraded/bid on my cruise next week on the Emerald & went from a cat BD - B2 & I think the only thing I received was the location. 
 

Earlier this year I was on the Royal Princess & had a deluxe stateroom & that had a sofa. 
 

Tom😀

[trbarton]

43 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

Does anyone know -on Emerald Princess category B4 is there a sofa to sit on or just 1 desk chair?

Thanks

That’s a good question. I had a deluxe balcony on the Royal Princess earlier this year & that had a sofa. I’m also interested to hear what other people say. 
 

Tom😀

[Abercrombie2019]

1 hour ago, arizonaperson said:

Does anyone know -on Emerald Princess category B4 is there a sofa to sit on or just 1 desk chair?

Thanks

Emerald Princess Premium Balcony cabin category B4 will not have a sofa or loveseat.  Only Royal Class ships (Royal, Regal, Majestic, Sky, Enchanted & Discovery) currently have loveseats in Deluxe Balcony rooms.  The Sun & Star Princess will have sofas when they come into service. 
 

 

[Abercrombie2019]

1 hour ago, trbarton said:

Do you know if any of the  category of Balcony staterooms on deck 10 contain a sofa?

 

I upgraded/bid on my cruise next week on the Emerald & went from a cat BD - B2 & I think the only thing I received was the location. 
 

Earlier this year I was on the Royal Princess & had a deluxe stateroom & that had a sofa. 
 

Tom😀

Balcony and Premium Balcony cabins on Emerald Princess will not have a sofa or loveseat.  A Mini Suite will have a sofa.

[trbarton]

53 minutes ago, Abercrombie2019 said:

Balcony and Premium Balcony cabins on Emerald Princess will not have a sofa or loveseat.  A Mini Suite will have a sofa.

Thanks. I guess the premium balcony which I upgraded to was considered premium because of its location. 
 

Tom😀

[skynight]

11 hours ago, arizonaperson said:

Does anyone know -on Emerald Princess category B4 is there a sofa to sit on or just 1 desk chair?

Thanks

Just a desk chair. All balcony category cabins have the same interiors. The word 'premium' only refers to location. 

[Lady Arwen]

Deluxe balconies and obstructed deluxe balconies have a two seater love seat.  Mini suites have a three seater large sofa.  

[Abercrombie2019]

6 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

Deluxe balconies and obstructed deluxe balconies have a two seater love seat.  Mini suites have a three seater large sofa.  

Unfortunately, Emerald Princess doesn’t have Deluxe Balcony cabins.  After having one on Discovery and Regal, it will be hard to go back to a regular Balcony stateroom.

[Lady Arwen]

Just now, Abercrombie2019 said:

Unfortunately, Emerald Princess doesn’t have Deluxe Balcony cabins.  After having one on Discovery and Regal, it will be hard to go back to a regular Balcony stateroom.

Yes, I just realized the OP was not referring to a Royal class ship.  My bad, too early in the morning. lol.  I agree that once you have have a loveseat or sofa with a little coffee table it’s really hard to go back to just a desk chair.  Princess is one of very few lines that doesn’t offer a little sitting area in all balcony cabins.

[Wishing on a star]

Yes, it is too bad to still see a lot of confusion.

 

DELUXE Balcony - On Royal Class and the new builds..  The INTERIOR CABIN is a bit larger, with a love-seat (small sofa on the new builds?) 

These are not available on the ships before Royal.

 

PREMIUM Balcony -  Premium refers to the size of the actual  EXTERIOR balcony.   it will be larger than the standard balcony.  Know that some might be larger than others...  looking at deck plans will show you about how much larger each of these premium balconies might be.

 

NOTE on Royal class ships, you can book a Deluxe Balcony cabin (slightly larger w./loveseat) with a premium (larger balcony) or with a standard exterior balcony.

 

Look on deck plans for both balcony cabins and deluxe balcony cabins that might have a larger exterior balcony, even without the 'premium' category.    The mid-ship bump-out area,  There are two small standard balcony cabins on deck nine on Royal Class ships newer than Regal that have a larger 'premium' sized balcony.

Edited December 5, 2023 by Wishing on a star

[trbarton]

11 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

Yes, it is too bad to still see a lot of confusion.

 

DELUXE Balcony - On Royal Class and the new builds..  The INTERIOR CABIN is a bit larger, with a love-seat (small sofa on the new builds?) 

These are not available on the ships before Royal.

 

PREMIUM Balcony -  Premium refers to the size of the actual  EXTERIOR balcony.   it will be larger than the standard balcony.  Know that some might be larger than others...  looking at deck plans will show you about how much larger each of these premium balconies might be.

 

NOTE on Royal class ships, you can book a Deluxe Balcony cabin (slightly larger w./loveseat) with a premium (larger balcony) or with a standard exterior balcony.

 

Look on deck plans for both balcony cabins and deluxe balcony cabins that might have a larger exterior balcony, even without the 'premium' category.    The mid-ship bump-out area,  There are two small standard balcony cabins on deck nine on Royal Class ships newer than Regal that have a larger 'premium' sized balcony.

I paid $200 in bidding on the Emerald  Princess. not realizing that my bid was only for a different location, not an upgraded stateroom with a Love Seat. I just spent $200 for nothing. 
 

This is a good discussion so the terms are explained. 
 

Tom😀

[Wishing on a star]

Tom....  You will not have the loveseat,  but I believe that you will have the larger balcony, with an actual small table with the chairs.  That will be great!

Can you tell what deck and location you had, and where you are now?

That could possibly be a plus as well.

We have been in one of those larger balconies on deck 10, on the Ruby, and it was great!   👍

 

 

Edited December 5, 2023 by Wishing on a star

[trbarton]

I was originally in C707 cat BD.  Now I’m in C617 cat B2. The only difference I see is the location. My preference, I’m on the Caribe deck, since the balcony is part covered/uncovered plus it’s larger. That deck is always my 1st choice, if available. If you know of any other differences besides the location, I paid $200, to be moved where I thought that my stateroom might be different with a sofa/loveseat. 
 

Lesson Learned that it’s apparently only on the Royal Class ships that might have the Loveseat which is a nice addition. 
 

Tom😀

[PG_traveller]

13 hours ago, Lady Arwen said:

Yes, I just realized the OP was not referring to a Royal class ship.  My bad, too early in the morning. lol.  I agree that once you have have a loveseat or sofa with a little coffee table it’s really hard to go back to just a desk chair.  Princess is one of very few lines that doesn’t offer a little sitting area in all balcony cabins.

 

I was pretty surprised when I first started looking at a Princess cruise that the balcony cabins didn't have sofas. I have only sailed on Carnival and HAL before, so I was used to having a sofa. I had to choose a Deluxe balcony on my upcoming Regal cruise to get one. I like having somewhere comfortable to sit other than the bed. 

[Wishing on a star]

Yes...  a very short move...  I don't know how bidding even let you move from one Deluxe Balcony to another Deluxe Balcony, with just a small location upgrade???  (from aft to mid aft)

All those balconies on Caribe are larger.  I thought that bidding was for a CATEGORY upgrade.  Like from balcony to premium balcony, or from deluxe balcony to mini-suite.   

 

Now that you have your new cabin category, If you would like...  pull up your cruise, and if there are any other cabins in that category that show up,  like perhaps one closer to the mid-ship panoramic lifts...  you can easily call and do a quick even switch.  More convenient, and less walking in most cases!

Edited December 5, 2023 by Wishing on a star

[reedprincess]

1 hour ago, Wishing on a star said:

Yes...  a very short move...  I don't know how bidding even let you move from one Deluxe Balcony to another Deluxe Balcony, with just a small location upgrade???  (from aft to mid aft)

All those balconies on Caribe are larger.  I thought that bidding was for a CATEGORY upgrade.  Like from balcony to premium balcony, or from deluxe balcony to mini-suite.   

 

Now that you have your new cabin category, If you would like...  pull up your cruise, and if there are any other cabins in that category that show up,  like perhaps one closer to the mid-ship panoramic lifts...  you can easily call and do a quick even switch.  More convenient, and less walking in most cases!

@trbarton did a "category" upgrade. Balcony to Premium Balcony.  That was the upgrade bid. They're on Emerald, Deluxe Balcony, of any kind, is not an option as those categories are only on Royal class and newer.

The OP, from 2 years ago, again, on Crown. No Deluxe Balcony cabins available as they don't exist on that class.  Balcony to Premium Balcony.