Rare EngIceDave Posted August 7, 2021 #1 Share Posted August 7, 2021 (edited) Odd question I guess, but we got another great offer too good to pass up, a 9 day Med tour Start - Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Naples (Capri/Pompeii), Italy Messina (Sicily), Italy Valletta, Malta Fun Day At Sea Fun Day At Sea Malaga, Spain Gibraltar Portimao (Algarve), Portugal Lisbon, Portugal Here's the question, I was able to secure an aft balcony cabin, #8275 Never had an aft balcony, but heard some love it, but I wonder how cut off do you feel? Do you see less of the world passing by or more? I can switch, likely be able to switch to any possible balcony, the cruise is in a year. Just want to know the negatives. I do realize if the seas are heavy, that could suck Edited August 7, 2021 by EngIceDave dorkfinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly333 Posted August 7, 2021 #2 Share Posted August 7, 2021 Some have said they got soot on their aft balcony. Still the wake view makes up for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnitaVacation Posted August 7, 2021 #3 Share Posted August 7, 2021 The Vista Suite on the Pride (or Miracle) is our all-time favorite cabin. That being said, the aft balconies on deck 8 and deck 4 will have the best (size)...the view is unbeatable. Yes, there may be some soot (mostly happens overnight, just don't leave anything out there)...the balcony is way deeper than a regular balcony and will (probably) have two chairs, a table and a lounger, if not, you can request a lounger from your cabin steward and they will usually accommodate (insert tip $$ here)...the deeper balcony will also be half covered, so even if it rains, you still have plenty of room to sit out there.....I would take an aft balcony over a side balcony anyday... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate melting cake Posted August 7, 2021 #4 Share Posted August 7, 2021 About the only disagreeable item I can think of is the vibration you might feel when docking or leaving port. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mondello Posted August 7, 2021 #5 Share Posted August 7, 2021 1 hour ago, EngIceDave said: Odd question I guess, but Start - Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Naples (Capri/Pompeii), Italy Messina (Sicily), Italy Valletta, Malta Fun Day At Sea Fun Day At Sea Malaga, Spain Gibraltar Portimao (Algarve), Portugal Lisbon, Portugal I wonder how cut off do you feel? Do you see less of the world passing by or more? Just want to know the negatives. Sitting and enjoying your aft balcony, you may miss the hairy man contest. I'd imagine some of those Europeans bring some intense competion. Other than that, sounds like a plan for a great cruise. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodfaerie Posted August 7, 2021 #6 Share Posted August 7, 2021 Downsides to my aft balcony experience: 1. the blazing hot floor! We couldn't dare walk barefoot out on it. 2. No escape from the sun. You might think that's one of the purposes of going on a cruise, the sunshine. I am 1000% on board with that one but there was also no escaping it. Unlike a side balcony of which you can enjoy the views and outdoors without the sun beating down relentlessly on your possibly already toasted body (said from a dark haired highly freckled person). 3) potential inhibition from joining the balcony club due to zero-minimal overhang (a friends experience, of course) 1st world problems, right! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cruise Related Posted August 7, 2021 #7 Share Posted August 7, 2021 I had an aft wrap on the Horizon. Soot rained down on me every morning around 6am. Didn’t care one bit, I wore the carnival robes to keep clean. When it got to be around 10am, it became unbearable because of how hot it got this is especially so on port days.There was no overhang unless on deck 9 so no shade. Privacy is non existent unless on deck 9. Other than that, I loved it. Would I get again? Nah. Regular ole balcony is good enough for me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogibear Posted August 7, 2021 #8 Share Posted August 7, 2021 DH and I have had Aft Wraps on the Legend and Pride. Legend: Deck 4 Lots of shade. Did a B2B in it. LOVED it! No soot Pride: Deck 7. No soot. More sun. 14 day cruise. Never an issue. It was fun in some ports people watching. The only downside: LONG walk to just about everything. If you have difficulty walking, spend a little more and get a regular suite on deck 6. Karen 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riffatsea Posted August 7, 2021 #9 Share Posted August 7, 2021 Hi We are on the same cruise We just don't like traveling backwards facing aft We prefer midship even if the balcony is smaller It's just a personal opinion 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klfrodo Posted August 7, 2021 #10 Share Posted August 7, 2021 Vibrations when docking and the scrapping of lounge chairs as the crew puts them out at 5 O'Clock in the morning. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare EngIceDave Posted August 7, 2021 Author #11 Share Posted August 7, 2021 2 minutes ago, klfrodo said: Vibrations when docking and the scrapping of lounge chairs as the crew puts them out at 5 O'Clock in the morning. We're not late nighters...so we're usually sort of early risers, and that's the adult serenity deck above us, maybe not too bad? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&RCurt Posted August 7, 2021 #12 Share Posted August 7, 2021 We had a similar cabin on the Legend back in Feb 2020 and we loved it. Never was bothered by vibrations, the DW is a sun worshiper so she appreciated the lack of shade and I found there was sufficient shade on most days to be OK on the balcony close to the door. The wake view was great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCTribeFan Posted August 7, 2021 #13 Share Posted August 7, 2021 I've told my Pride aft balcony cabin story several times on these boards, but I'll do it once again. First aft balcony was on Miracle. Cabin 4230 next to the aft wrap. Great cabin. Yes, hot out there despite Deck 4 having more overhang. Could hear MDR servers singing while we were getting ready for late dinner, which was fine. Could smell bacon in the morning, which I didn't need since I already overeat when I cruise! Had 4232 on Pride out of B'more. She was having azipod issues at the time. Noticed some slight vibration at all times. It was the last night, sailing very slowly as we returned to port that was really bad. The shaking was so bad that it was as though someone grabbed me by the shoulder to shake me awake. Over and over and over all night. I had a 6+ hour drive home in the morning and I was petrified that despite plenty of caffeine, I'd fall asleep at the wheel on I-85. It was not fun. I rarely book balcony cabins and that experience made me think I'll never book an aft again, even though I enjoyed most of the actual time out there on both trips. But, honestly, I just don't spend enough time in the cabin to justify the added expense (as a solo). I'm on Pride B2B2B, with the leg your on in the middle. I'll be in an inside and I'll be perfectly happy and sleeping like a log in that nice, dark cabin. I don't know that heat will be a problem in October in the Med. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare EngIceDave Posted August 7, 2021 Author #14 Share Posted August 7, 2021 I tried to talk my wife into the TA cruise to Tampa since we live near Port Canaveral, she said she can't do a month on a ship or away from home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
80sGal Posted August 8, 2021 #15 Share Posted August 8, 2021 2 hours ago, NCTribeFan said: I've told my Pride aft balcony cabin story several times on these boards, but I'll do it once again. First aft balcony was on Miracle. Cabin 4230 next to the aft wrap. Great cabin. Yes, hot out there despite Deck 4 having more overhang. Could hear MDR servers singing while we were getting ready for late dinner, which was fine. Could smell bacon in the morning, which I didn't need since I already overeat when I cruise! Had 4232 on Pride out of B'more. She was having azipod issues at the time. Noticed some slight vibration at all times. It was the last night, sailing very slowly as we returned to port that was really bad. The shaking was so bad that it was as though someone grabbed me by the shoulder to shake me awake. Over and over and over all night. I had a 6+ hour drive home in the morning and I was petrified that despite plenty of caffeine, I'd fall asleep at the wheel on I-85. It was not fun. I rarely book balcony cabins and that experience made me think I'll never book an aft again, even though I enjoyed most of the actual time out there on both trips. But, honestly, I just don't spend enough time in the cabin to justify the added expense (as a solo). I'm on Pride B2B2B, with the leg your on in the middle. I'll be in an inside and I'll be perfectly happy and sleeping like a log in that nice, dark cabin. I don't know that heat will be a problem in October in the Med. What is an azipod issue? I just posted my own thread freshly home from Horizon 8/1 sailing. First two nights in aft area were almost un-sleepable ( is that a word??) due to vibrations. Then it stopped for two days but started up again on Day 5. It was our first cruise near the back, we always have midship cabins so we were really surprised by all the shaking. I would have described it like one of those 25 cent vibrating beds from a bad 70s movie. LOL But in all seriousness, I will not ever book an aft or end of ship port or starboard cabin again if this is a regular issue. Any ideas? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VaTech8912 Posted August 8, 2021 #16 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Pride aft cabins vibrate a lot....more than any other ship I have been on unless they fixed it during a dry dock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare mexicobob Posted August 8, 2021 #17 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Had an aft-wrap on The Legend. Balcony of all balcony's. We had no soot and loved the large cabin. Only problem was the heat did not seem to flow to the back of the ship. (We were in Alaska). Froze to death most of the cruise.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csm5986142 Posted August 8, 2021 #18 Share Posted August 8, 2021 (edited) After 12 years of cruising (usually in standard balcony rooms) we were so excited to try an aft balcony on the Breeze recently (deck 7). Never again. We did not experience vibrations most of the time, but when we did, it was almost unbearable. One night at about 3:30 in the morning, the vibrations were so bad, it woke me and my daughter up. It gave me such a headache, I thought I was going to have the leave the room (but wasn't sure where I was going to go...). I also didn't care for the reduced privacy and constant sun exposure. In addition, the way the cabins are stacked at an angle on the back of the ship, when your neighbors above you drag their deck chairs around at 5 am, it's right above your bed, not above your balcony like it would be on the side of the ship. I still can't believe those rooms are considered an upgrade. Edited August 8, 2021 by csm5986142 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerseygirl1416 Posted August 8, 2021 #19 Share Posted August 8, 2021 10 hours ago, VaTech8912 said: Pride aft cabins vibrate a lot....more than any other ship I have been on unless they fixed it during a dry dock. Completely agree. Vibration on this ship is awful and it’s not just when docking. It seems to effect people differently. Some say it doesn’t bother them but to me it was unbearable. We had so much vibration we couldn’t leave anything on the countertops without it ending up on the floor. We weren’t in an aft facing cabin on this ship but just an aft balcony. I could never spend good money to sail on this ship again with so many options out there. We did have an aft facing balcony on the Breakaway and it does get very hot because you don’t get a breeze. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCTribeFan Posted August 8, 2021 #20 Share Posted August 8, 2021 Especially on a port-intensive itinerary, I just can't see paying extra. In fact, I'd prefer a side balcony since I like to watch the dock workers when arriving and leaving port. On the Spirit-class ships, I wouldn't even opt for the extended side balcony (which I had once on Miracle) because your view straight down is blocked by the lifeboats. I'd go for the slightly-smaller side balcony where I could see straight down. But that's me. I'd get the view I want at a lower price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fair-winds39 Posted August 8, 2021 #21 Share Posted August 8, 2021 On 8/7/2021 at 11:44 AM, EngIceDave said: Odd question I guess, but we got another great offer too good to pass up, a 9 day Med tour Start - Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Naples (Capri/Pompeii), Italy Messina (Sicily), Italy Valletta, Malta Fun Day At Sea Fun Day At Sea Malaga, Spain Gibraltar Portimao (Algarve), Portugal Lisbon, Portugal Here's the question, I was able to secure an aft balcony cabin, #8275 Never had an aft balcony, but heard some love it, but I wonder how cut off do you feel? Do you see less of the world passing by or more? I can switch, likely be able to switch to any possible balcony, the cruise is in a year. Just want to know the negatives. I do realize if the seas are heavy, that could suck We’ve done 7 crises on the Pride, main deck (4), same standard balcony cabin with 2 exceptions; a cabin 2 cabins down on Main deck, and the extended balcony cabin deck 5 once. All AFT. Maybe we have our “sea legs,” or we’re just oblivious to vibration, but the most movement or vibration DH or me have ever felt is once or twice while pulling into a port. We are booked in early 2022 on the Legend (same class as Pride), and we have been on Legend before and we have the same standard balcony booked for that trip...Main deck AFT. We love it back there...easy elevators without crowds, and close to MDR and fun. I’m just keeping fingers crossed that things continue to stay somewhat stable and our cruise won’t be canceled. Enjoy your vacation!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shay6380 Posted August 18, 2021 #22 Share Posted August 18, 2021 (edited) I would always take an aft cabin if I could. The view is always amazing, even in port. Usually they have the largest balconies. I mean 2x's the size of a regular. Also, there is no wind, so you can use it all the time. I've had balconies that were so windy it could only be used in port. The takeaway? It's a long walk to anywhere. But you kind of expect that on a cruise anyway. Most of the aft cabins I've been in are at least half covered so there's shade and sun. I've had some vibration on ships before, but I don't think it is due to being aft. Avoid cabins without passengers both above and below you. One more thing. The ride is better on newer ships. Edited August 18, 2021 by Shay6380 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaniceB Posted August 18, 2021 #23 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Totally agree with you SHay6380. I love the aft area of the ship for my balcony cabin. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asalligo Posted August 18, 2021 #24 Share Posted August 18, 2021 Hate it never, but I did have two issues with the aft balcony on the Pride that would keep me from paying more than a regular balcony for it. Very sunny and people could see me on the balcony from above unless I was right up against the wall as they are slanted. The vibration on the Pride at the very rear if that still exists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jperry2011 Posted August 18, 2021 #25 Share Posted August 18, 2021 On 8/7/2021 at 11:44 AM, EngIceDave said: Odd question I guess, but we got another great offer too good to pass up, a 9 day Med tour Start - Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy Naples (Capri/Pompeii), Italy Messina (Sicily), Italy Valletta, Malta Fun Day At Sea Fun Day At Sea Malaga, Spain Gibraltar Portimao (Algarve), Portugal Lisbon, Portugal Here's the question, I was able to secure an aft balcony cabin, #8275 Never had an aft balcony, but heard some love it, but I wonder how cut off do you feel? Do you see less of the world passing by or more? I can switch, likely be able to switch to any possible balcony, the cruise is in a year. Just want to know the negatives. I do realize if the seas are heavy, that could suck We had a deck 8 aft balcony 1 time and won't ever get one again. Constant vibration when the ship is moving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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