Balcony or inside cabin for late October Mediterranean cruise?

[ycasey66]

We are planning a late October cruise to the Mediterranean, is a Balcony really worth the extra $1,000. -1,400. more?

 

My cruisemate makes a smaller salary and would prefer an inside cabin.

 

I make a slightly larger salary, but would like to splurge this one time on a balcony.

 

What are the pros and cons? Will it be too cold in late October for a balcony?

 

Thanks for all your replies.:)

[kathanderik]

Hi- my husband and I did the med 2 years ago in early Oct. We had a balcony cabin The weather is cooler, the cruise is port intensive and you are so busy during the day that you do not use it as much as you would on a different crusie. A couple of the docking areas were in really industral areas also. We said if we do it again, we would get an ocean view and we always book balcony cabins.

[sea-cruise]

Years ago, when we sailed onboard the old oceanliners, THIS was our balcony...:p and what a grand one it was!

I enjoy my tiny balconies only if they are reasonably priced, and if I'm sailing in warm weather. :)

[Hypo]

Depending on the price, we would probably go with the balcony. We always enjoy the view, quiet place to sit and watch the world go by. I even enjoy watching the ships in a port area when they are loading/unloading. I always take binoculars with me on a cruise, you can see some pretty interesting sights.

[MakinGold]

Well, if it's a disagreement between the two of you, I doubt you'll settle it with the responses here. You'll see some people say a balcony is worth it no matter what and others who will think it's not worth that much extra. I fall in the latter category. I like balcony cabins, but don't really spend that much time on the balcony. I'm always out and about doing something either in port or on the ship during the day. I might sit out on the balcony for a little while in the evening. But I wouldn't want to pay an extra $1000 - $1400 to be able to do so. I think I could put that money to better use. ;)

[rollie]

I have to agree with the last poster. If the price is right I will go for a balcony, but 1000 dollars would be too steep for me. The Med cruises are so port intensive that the use wouldn't justify the cost. IMHO A Carribbean cruise on the other hand is more relaxing and one would use the balcony more often.

 

Rollie

[willysgrandma]

How much extra is an oceanview? I don't think I'd go $1000 more for a balcony - everything else is so expensive in Europe, I'd rather take that $1000 and use it for excursions, food, etc. The difference in the dollar vs. the Euro is so great you might be a bit surprised to see how much those extras are going to run you.

 

But if I could afford an oceanview, I'd take that before I'd go for an inside.

[Lisichka]

I love balconies and usually book them, but for my European cruise I booked an inside. You are in port almost every day (and all day). I would rather spend that extra money on tours, souvenirs, etc. No time to enjoy that balcony anyway.

[STANCPA44]

I had a balcony on an October Meds cruise and I hated it. I guess I like the sun waking me up in the morning. Should have at least gone with an oceanview. I would check weekly on the prices, sometimes the price will drop far enough to put a balcony into your price range.

[Pacific Sandy]

We had a balcony on our November Med cruise. It was wonderful. I loved being out on the balcony as we sailed into beautiful places such as Dubrovnik, Mykonos, Santorini, Villefranche, and especially Venice. It is so amazing to watch the coastline as you get ready for dinner. We even slept with the door open a few nights.

 

You will love Europe in the fall.

 

IMHO, a balcony is definitely worth the extra money.

[sunandsalt]

We love our balcony cabins on Carribbean Cruises, but booked an inside on our Med cruise last year. We were glad we did, because we spent so much time in port and on tours, that it would have been a waste of money for us. By the time we got back on ship, it was time for dinner. After dinner, a show or trip to the casino and we were exhausted. Had to get up most days around 6:30 or 7:00 for breakfast before starting all over again the next day. We had only 3 sea days out of a 12 day cruise.

[Schplinky]

I would go for the inside on such an intensive itinerary if that's what your friends want and then spend the $1000 you were willing to put out on a truly incredible souvenir or a series of excursions.

[lovemylab]

I would go for the inside cabin. As others have said, with such a port intensive itinerary you probably won't be spending as much time enjoying the balcony anyways.

 

If the price difference was only a few hundred dollars than I'd go for the balcony but all the European cruises I have looked at the difference has been $1000 or more.

[hylasgirl]

Always a balcony... the coast is gorgeous!

[cruisetxboy]

We were on the med cruise from barcelona in oct 05 aboard the Brilliance of the Seas. This cruise is very much a active port cruise in my own personal opinion you would be wasting your money to book a balcony. Perhaps move up a couple of categories to a deck where you only have one flight of stairs and book in the middle of the ship so you can just fly up a flight and see more from both sides as you port and leave the port!:D

[sea-cruise]

We also thought that the coastlines in the Med were beautiful, especially the Greek Islands, but I felt that we wasted a lot of money on a balcony during that cruise.

Hawaii was a different story. We had a very large balcony during that cruise. We didn't use it at all during the trans-Pacific journey but we utilized it more while sailing the islands.

[yogimax]

We also thought that the coastlines in the Med were beautiful, especially the Greek Islands, but I felt that we wasted a lot of money on a balcony during that cruise.

Hawaii was a different story. We had a very large balcony during that cruise. We didn't use it at all during the trans-Pacific journey but we utilized it more while sailing the islands.

 

I was going to post a reply... but when I read your response, all I could do was say "well said!"

 

The extra cost for the balcony would be a total waste of money.

[arabrab]

I've had an inside on a Med cruise and found it just fine -- we'd leave the cabin every morning before breakfast, then go straight off the ship, come back late in the afternoon and take showers and a quick rest, off to dinner, and wander around the ship for a bit until bed -- and bed wasn't very late. I don't think that there's much I would have chosen to give up on shore in favor of sitting on a balcony.

 

If money was no object, then of course it would be lovely, but I'd much rather have the trip, have some spending money, and enjoy doing more on-shore than spend all that extra for a balcony in Europe.

 

YMMV.

[Bruin Steve]

I love balconies...

Had nice balconies on our last two cruises...

 

BUT, When we do the Baltic next July, I'm saving that $1000+ and going with an "inside"...

 

Balconies are great...You've got that extra room and the ability to go outside right from your cabin...

 

But, on a port-intensive European cruise, I find myself getting up early almost every day and doing "full-day" excursions in port...I get back to the cabin in time to change for dinner...then off to a show, then a lounge, bar, karaoke, whatever...By the time I'm back in my cabin, it's time to go to bed...and that view out the window or balcony is, well, black!

 

For the maybe two "at sea" days, I can "sleep in" with my dark inside cabin...then get up, shower, dress...and go out and about the ship--lunch, pool deck, whatever...Just learn not to need that balcony...and save lots of money doing it...enough, maybe, to pay for your shore excursions...or a few nights in a hotel pre- and post-cruise...

 

As to "Ocean View" cabins, after so many cruises, I find them completely worthless...Unlike balconies, there's no extra space associated with it, no ability to go outside...It's just a space on the wall with a black glass square or circle...

 

My rule is to price only insides and balconies...If the balcony is not an appreciable jump in price, go for the balcony...If it's a substantial amount, take the inside and pocket the savings...

 

All of the cabins go to the same ports, eat the same food and see the same shows...

[FreewayFortune]

We're struggling with whether or not to get a balcony. Money is not such an issue because we've been saving for a while. Can anyone tell me about the obstructed views on deck 7 of the Brilliance. We're going to have our TA call RCI too. We've been on the Brilliance before on deck 9. I can deal with looking through ladders or even having a lifeboat right above us. If I have no view then we'll probably go for something else.

[Schplinky]

We're struggling with whether or not to get a balcony. Money is not such an issue because we've been saving for a while. Can anyone tell me about the obstructed views on deck 7 of the Brilliance. We're going to have our TA call RCI too. We've been on the Brilliance before on deck 9. I can deal with looking through ladders or even having a lifeboat right above us. If I have no view then we'll probably go for something else.

 

 

The deck 7 ones are obstructed because the lifeboats are on deck six and stick out from the ship. They have a canopy over them but will be between you and the water.

[CulverCityCruisers]

For such a port intensive sailing take the inside or see what you can do about taking a cat I or H outside cabins for just a few hundred more and save the rest for tours tips etc.

 

Good luck and have a great time.

[FreewayFortune]

The deck 7 ones are obstructed because the lifeboats are on deck six and stick out from the ship. They have a canopy over them but will be between you and the water.

Thank you for the info. Do the life boats totally block your view of the water?

 

For such a port intensive sailing take the inside or see what you can do about taking a cat I or H outside cabins for just a few hundred more and save the rest for tours tips etc.

We were also thinking of the D1 which are $600 more. I know we should probably just go for the inside, but it's hard to give up the balcony.:) :)