Dilemma! Inside or Balcony? 35 nights Solo

[Sheila127]

Hi thinking of going on a 35 night cruise from Southampton to Caribbean! My gut tells me it has to be a balcony at £5438 as its a lengthy cruise but it is £2000 more than an inside cabin, considerable difference! The sensible head tells me inside! Would appreciate some thoughts on this!

[jeanlyon]

I would choose an inside, because I am used to inside cabins.  I spend most of my time out and about on the ship.  I wouldn't use a balcony.  For that difference, think of what you could spend the £2K on!

[Fionboard]

Balcony every time, especially in the Caribbean. Well worth it if you can. Never done inside. Or maybe ocean view would be better than an inside on your own. 

[indiana123]

Out of the two definitely balcony, especially in the Caribbean.  For me it would be well worth the extra. 

[Fionboard]

Nothing beats being on your balcony as you sail into a Caribbean port (with a cup of  coffee) or as you sail out (with a glass of wine)!

[sandancer]

32 minutes ago, Sheila127 said:

Hi thinking of going on a 35 night cruise from Southampton to Caribbean! My gut tells me it has to be a balcony at £5438 as its a lengthy cruise but it is £2000 more than an inside cabin, considerable difference! The sensible head tells me inside! Would appreciate some thoughts on this!

Which cruise is this? We were looking at a 35 night cruise in January on Ventura and only inside cabins were available. We always book balcony, aft if possible, so had to pass. 

[Angel57]

@Sheila127 which ship?

I ask this because it can depend on sunbed/chair availability on deck if you like being outside. 
As a solo traveller too, I have done on inside & always sleep incredibly well at any time of the day! 

Outside cabin without a balcony is a good compromise.

But if you can afford it, a balcony would always be my choice.

 

[Megabear2]

If it's the Iona one in January 2025 have you considered the outside cabin?  These rooms are quite a bit bigger than the insides on that ship and a lot have the benefit of a window seat.

 

I often travel solo on long voyages and use outsides for natural light but at a reduced cost for the cruise over a balcony.

 

Whichever cruise you are looking at a fair amount of time will be spent crossing the Atlantic and depending on time of year the weather may be inclement rendering your balcony pretty redundant on those sea days.

 

Once you reach the hotter climates you will most likely be on deck a lot and the ports come up pretty swiftly while in the actual Caribbean so assumedly you will be ashore a lot.

 

As Jean said £2,000 is a lot of spending money, it would probably cover a large amount of excursions on your trip.  However if you feel you will spend a lot of time alone in your cabin then you may want the balcony just because of that.  It's hard to say what would be more beneficial to you without knowing if you like to join in lots of onboard activities or mix with other guests a lot.  If you are a solo who likes to keep yourself to yourself you may feel the balcony is best, however if you like to mix it up but are worried about natural daylight the half way option of an outside may be beneficial if its available.

[Josy1953]

Definitely a balcony for a cruise with a lot of sea days, there is nothing like sitting on the balcony for reading in a quiet space.  I always find that it is hard to find somewhere quiet on sea days.  It is personal choice but I would rather have fewer cruises than have non-balcony cabins even for short cruises.

[bobstheboy]

If you can afford a balcony, go for it. We have done so several crossings from Tenerife and the weather hss been warm/hot during the crossing.  

[Megabear2]

Having checked the two fares you mention I see that this is indeed the Iona 11 January 2025 cruise.  I notice that these are the lead figures for an early saver fare and that a select fare balcony is £6609 with £315 obc. 

 

If you take an early saver you need to be aware there are a lot of less desirable balcony cabins on deck 5, deck 8 and deck 9 which may be a disappointment.  Deck 5 balconies for instance will be closed to you in rough seas, deck 8 balconies are actually on the promenade deck and you may lack privacy and deck 9 rear cabins may be affected by late night noise.  If when you weigh these options up again you might want to read reviews and observations on these types of cabin to see if you would be happy with such an allocation.

[Sheila127]

1 hour ago, sandancer said:

Which cruise is this? We were looking at a 35 night cruise in January on Ventura and only inside cabins were available. We always book balcony, aft if possible, so had to pass. 

It is the 35 night cruise on Iona in January 2025.

[Sheila127]

53 minutes ago, Angel57 said:

@Sheila127 which ship?

I ask this because it can depend on sunbed/chair availability on deck if you like being outside. 
As a solo traveller too, I have done on inside & always sleep incredibly well at any time of the day! 

Outside cabin without a balcony is a good compromise.

But if you can afford it, a balcony would always be my choice.

 

Iona! I have done inside numerous times, no problem, but last one outside which I loved especially with the picture window!

[Sheila127]

51 minutes ago, Megabear2 said:

If it's the Iona one in January 2025 have you considered the outside cabin?  These rooms are quite a bit bigger than the insides on that ship and a lot have the benefit of a window seat.

 

I often travel solo on long voyages and use outsides for natural light but at a reduced cost for the cruise over a balcony.

 

Whichever cruise you are looking at a fair amount of time will be spent crossing the Atlantic and depending on time of year the weather may be inclement rendering your balcony pretty redundant on those sea days.

 

Once you reach the hotter climates you will most likely be on deck a lot and the ports come up pretty swiftly while in the actual Caribbean so assumedly you will be ashore a lot.

 

As Jean said £2,000 is a lot of spending money, it would probably cover a large amount of excursions on your trip.  However if you feel you will spend a lot of time alone in your cabin then you may want the balcony just because of that.  It's hard to say what would be more beneficial to you without knowing if you like to join in lots of onboard activities or mix with other guests a lot.  If you are a solo who likes to keep yourself to yourself you may feel the balcony is best, however if you like to mix it up but are worried about natural daylight the half way option of an outside may be beneficial if its available.

Hi, yes it is the Iona in January 2025.  I like my own space and would enjoy a balcony but also am sociable! The question is whether it is worth paying  an extra £2000 for it and of course, only I can make this decision but I really appreciate your thoughts on this!

[Megabear2]

20 minutes ago, Sheila127 said:

Iona! I have done inside numerous times, no problem, but last one outside which I loved especially with the picture window!

Iona has those windows together with a window seat in a lot of cases.  They are very popular and sell to families as they are considerably bigger than the insides - I doubt the families will be on your cruise in vast numbers though.

[Britboys]

Only you can really decide on this. I've often had inside cabins on cruises of up to 18 nights, which have been fine. For a cruise of 35 nights however, I think I would want some natural light. Balconies don't bother me in the least. When sailing solo I don't really want to spend ages alone on a balcony. For me an outside would be the ideal balance - if they are available...

[Winifred 22]

As a solo for  that long I would go for the balcony. I don’t mix or join solo events so to me it it’s worth having a guaranteed open space. I recently did an inside 7 nights on QM2 as it was a good deal. I decided that 7 nights was the max for me for an inside. Obstructed balconys  are a good shout to save money. I’ve done well with them in the past. I also would not mind a deck 8 balcony on Iona . I have had one before. 

[Sonyar]

We did a 14 night cruise in an inside cabin and I hated not having natural light. Never again, our preference is a balcony.

If you've not had an inside cabin before I wouldn't try it on a 35 night cruise 

 

 

[9265359]

Inside cabins are absolutely fine for port intensive cruises - and you sleep well because they are pitch black when the lights go off!

 

Outside cabins in my experience are an utter waste of time and money - not nice enough you want to sit in them, so you are paying for a window.

 

Balcony cabins are nice (current watching Britannia make its way down the Elbe with a drink in my hand waiting for dinner) but at £60 per day… That buys an awful lot of nice meals and drinks onboard or onshore, or at £2k even another cruse or two.

[Cloudyrain]

It’s £60 per day (roughly) and for me that’s worth it, but then I don’t spend much on excursions or drink etc. Plus I love a balcony: reading on there, leaving the curtains open at night to wake up to the view. Plus you have a lot of sea days where outside areas might be a bit busy!

 

If you don’t think you can justify the cost maybe consider an outside cabin, or an inside + a retreat pass (depending on cost).

[Sheila127]

Thank you everyone for your comments! They have been varied and interesting to read! It is a personal decision and will always be a dilemma, particularly for solos where the extra costs are significant! I still haven't made my decision but really appreciate your opinions and advice! Thank you, once again!

[No pager thank you]

Depending on if you are booking direct with P&O, and particularly if you don't feel strongly either way (including position of the cabin), then it may make sense to book an inside cabin and then consider upgrading at a later stage, where the cost might be cheaper- that's a risk.

 

However, I am not sure if you are getting a quote for a single cabin, where numbers are smaller, or a price for single occupancy of a two berth cabin.  Upgrades are easier for two berth cabins as there is considerably more supply.

 

One of the reasons for saying this is that the normal price may also adjust downwards.  If it does, then you are less "exposed" at the higher price point before the balance becomes payable.  Personally, you get very little for the 2k extra - not really worth it.

 

[AndyLovesCruises]

35 days with no window / balcony IMO would be a big no and terrible for you mental health ! 

 

if you can afford the extra for me it would be a no brainer.  On a 35 day cruise there would be times when you just want some privacy outside to chill and the balcony in your own space.  It will be worth every penny.  

 

Just my opinion though! 

[DamianG]

My suggestion would be to partially compromise and choose an oceanview cabin:

 

 

Also, given that this is a 35 night cruise on a big ship my educated guess is that there may be plenty of availability nearer to the sailing date and a good chance of some better deals compared to those currently on offer.

 

For example, I looked at these cabins 2 weeks back for the (school holidays) cruise on Arvia departing 6th August. I was really surprised to see that there were still 58 cabins available in LB grade on deck 4 despite being less than a month to the departure date. Obviously that does not mean that it will be the same for your cruise but 35 nights is a big commitment so I do wonder how P&O will get on with filling all the available berths.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by DamianG

[yorkshirephil]

42 minutes ago, DamianG said:

My suggestion would be to partially compromise and choose an oceanview cabin:

 

 

Also, given that this is a 35 night cruise on a big ship my educated guess is that there may be plenty of availability nearer to the sailing date and a good chance of some better deals compared to those currently on offer.

 

For example, I looked at these cabins 2 weeks back for the (school holidays) cruise on Arvia departing 6th August. I was really surprised to see that there were still 58 cabins available in LB grade on deck 4 despite being less than a month to the departure date. Obviously that does not mean that it will be the same for your cruise but 35 nights is a big commitment so I do wonder how P&O will get on with filling all the available berths.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

 

We booked this cruise while aboard Arcadia in December, we have an inside as that is our usual default and works for us as we go for quantity rather than quality. We were surprised how well booked this cruise was as was the future cruise manager, as P&O are still running the two 35 night cruises to the Caribbean in 2025 on Ventura. We booked select as the OBC outweighed the difference between saver. This cruise is currently selling inside saver at £2099 pp which is a cracking price, the select fare is £2559 which is a bit less than what we paid but with much less OBC.

I also think there will likely be availability nearer the date as lots have booked £50 deposit and will find something better. We booked this so we could try a different ship as we have done this cruise several times as it is our go to cruise for our dose of winter sun plus it cruises to the Canary islands on both crossings thus getting us to typically better weather sooner than going via the Azores.