Is a balcony worth it?

[coley123]

My husband and I are planning our first cruise and hope to book on the NCL Pearl to the southern caribbean in Oct. An inside room is only 600/pp, while a balcony is 1100/pp. My husband is set on the balcony and thinks it would be best to have our own space. But I'm worried about the extra cost and think it might be wiser to put it toward excursions, etc.

 

Some advice from seasoned cruisers?

[flvol77]

My husband and I are planning our first cruise and hope to book on the NCL Pearl to the southern caribbean in Oct. An inside room is only 600/pp, while a balcony is 1100/pp. My husband is set on the balcony and thinks it would be best to have our own space. But I'm worried about the extra cost and think it might be wiser to put it toward excursions, etc.

 

Some advice from seasoned cruisers?

 

 

Balcony is so worth it...in the caribbean you just jump in a cab and have them take you around the islands, so the cost for excursions in the islands in my experience has been low (highest rates seem to be Jamaica) But other islands like Antigua , and St Thomas you can find a non cruise ship excursion (which imo are much better) for anywhere from $25 to $40 for half to a full day.

 

I am going on my 8th cruise and have never sailed without a balcony ...nothing like getting up in the morning and walking out on your own private balcony.

[Grandpaul]

I can't speak for your financial situation so that makes it hard to answer this question. They are great to have which is one reason they are more expensive. Since this will be your first cruise there will be enough things to make it memorable besides having a balcony.

[eh2zed]

My husband and I are planning our first cruise and hope to book on the NCL Pearl to the southern caribbean in Oct. An inside room is only 600/pp, while a balcony is 1100/pp. My husband is set on the balcony and thinks it would be best to have our own space. But I'm worried about the extra cost and think it might be wiser to put it toward excursions, etc.

 

Some advice from seasoned cruisers?

Its really a personal affordability issue. Balconies are cetainly nice but personally I wouldn't pay a $500 pp premium for one. We cruise 3-4X per year and one of the reasons is because we go Outside unless balcony is only a couple hundred more.

[Swissfred]

After 21 years of marriage (26 years together), my wife and I still have this discussion.

 

At 21 years old in 1984, my future wife and I sailed on Song of America in an outside cabin. I sailed on NCL's Skyward 3 months prior with my roomates in an inside cabin. I enjoy a cruise regardless of cabin type!

 

Last year we went on our 10th cruise...our 1st balcony. The balcony was great for port departures and arrivals, but the amount of time we spent out there was minimal compared to the total time on the ship. If specific amorous intentions are in order, get a balcony and give it your all! If cost is not a factor, by all means, get a balcony!

 

As your first cruise, if cost is an issue, don't spend the money on a balcony. If love is the driving factor, you will have the time of your life.

[hammybee]

As your first cruise, if cost is an issue, don't spend the money on a balcony.

 

I agree with you. The OP needs to get her sea legs and determine how much time they would actually spend on their balcony and this is unknown until they actually cruise. If cost is not an issue, why not go for it.

[rebeljohn]

A balcony is worth it..........IF you can afford the extra money for it.....

 

We choose to save the balcony money , and spend it on excursions.......and CIGARS...........

[melika091900]

we have had 3 balconies out of 5 cruises, but now since we cruise more, the insides are just fine,,

 

the only reason we booked the balcony room is because we are smokers.. so the fresh air is nice.. but now we stick to the cheapest ..

 

but like someone else said, if you can afford it , go for it ,,

 

but IMO 1000 more or even 500 more for a balcony isnt worth it to me,

but we are the type of cruisers who are hardly in our rooms anyway and when you sit on your balcony you see the same thing you would see from the deck..

just my opinion..

i would use the money for shore excursions or shopping , or the casino ;)

[cb at sea]

Always book the absolute LARGEST cabin you can afford--your vacation will be sooooo enhanced by having room to move. Ship's cabins are notoriously small--smaller than dorm rooms! (You wouldn't live in a dorm room, would you?)

And a balcony is just a lovely space to be while the other person is dressing, etc...

We won't sail without a balcony--if one is not available, we change our sail dates!

[Krazy Kruizers]

We could never sail without our verandah!!

[beaufortcruiser]

There are all kinds of deals out there. A $500 difference for a balcony seems a little excessive. Check around for discounts...over 55 or military. On the other hand, as you continue to cruise more discount options become available. Good luck and good hunting. :cool:

[Name game]

As someone who has had both inside cabins and balcony cabins, $1,000 total more for a balcony is not worth it. Your first cruise will be great no matter what. I always book the inside, then wait and see if the balconies come down in price. I did just that and an extended balcony came down in price (huge price drop) for one day. Have your cruise planner keep checking prices for you.

That being said, a balcony is nice for so many reasons, especially for a couple. You can order room service and have meals out there, have your coffee out there, have some quiet time together out there, etc. You can also use the balcony when one of you starts driving the other one crazy and you need a little space apart! ;)

[Tiffany1203]

I have had 1 balcony out of 6 cruises....it was nice to do at least once...but I never spent that much time in my cabin...Like someone said before...its nice for pulling in and out of ports....I would rather have the extra money for drinks/excursions/souveniers....but its a preference...:)

[gebo]

the first cruise I took was an inside cabin "you won't be in your room anyway" friends said. well, my elderly mother became disoriented because after napping she didn't have a space reference. we could have been anywhere in that small room. the next cruise (Alaska) was a balcony which I highly recommend... that fresh fresh air anytime you want. We have now moved up to a deluxe veranda suite and I warn you, once you go there it will be hard to go back. Money is a factor, so I save and factor an outside space in to get the true affect of sailing. no matter what you choose, have fun! :)

[Coolmama_1]

It is so worth it to us. I would rather cruise less or spend less on excursions etc than go without. In fact, we do not book anything less than a mini suite!

[AZaTaz]

We think it depends. We do insides if it is a short cruise, 7 days or less and do balcony for longer cruises. We also shop around and try and get it for around $100 p/p p/d. I wouldn't pay $150 p/p p/d but that is just us.

[blindrid]

I always check the price difference and if it's worth it to me, I do it. In saying that, I am quite happy with any cabin from in, out, balcony or mini suite. My wife on the other hand does not like inside as she does not like the constant darkeness. She would do the inside but out of respect (and maybe no guts) to her, I try to get the nicest room for the money.

 

In other word, only you can make the decision as pp's say gotta have a balcony and I disagree with that even though they are nice. For a $1,000, I know which way I would go. I have found a minimal difference for an ocean view though and those are nice. It's up to you.

[vmom]

I wouldn't spend $1000 for a balcony. I would rather go on a 2nd cruise for that much.

 

Its all up to personal preference and your personality. I like to be out and about the ship and do not spend time in my cabin, so I definately wouldn't spend the money. Others may feel different...on the other hand...boy $1000 can buy another cruise in an inside cabin when there's a special.

 

I would be more likely to spend the extra money on a balcony on a cruise in which there was alot of scenery to see as the ship cruised by such as on an Alaskan cruise. I would also be more likely to spend the extra money on a longer cruise such as a 10-14 day cruise. With these 7 day Caribbean cruises, there is just so much to do and see I just want to be out and checking everything out.

[flvol77]

We really only cruise Princess and started out on a mini suite - the thing that helps us is an hour and a half drive to port - so we don't have to worry about a plane ticket (which saves us a lot of money) Then my wife and I got braces this year :( and that was a 10k dollar investment that we wanted to pay off in a year, so we decided on just a balcony. We loved our balcony because it was half covered and half open (caribe balcony) and we actually spent more time on our balcony.

 

Remember the OP is taking about a 9 day cruise - which breaks down to $122 pp per day for a balcony which IMO is a good deal.

[madelinerose]

We book balconies, so yes, imo a balcony is worth it. ;)

[CC Help Michell]

I thought about chiming in to say how much we love balcony cabins. The more I've thought about it, the more I think that most OP's for this question have actually "answered" their question in their original post -- what ANYTHING is "worth" is entirely subjective, personal, dependent on your budget and priorities, etc. If I say how much we love balcony cabins, but the OP knows nothing about our ages, income levels, priorities for vacation -- that opinion isn't very helpful.

 

Since I'm not going to reveal all that info here, the best advice I can offer the OP is to book a cabin you can afford without pain (if the extra $1000 for the balcony is too high for you (seems high to me, too, not in terms of what one might or might not be able to "afford," but just comparing the differential on many sailings)) then book what you CAN afford, take your first cruise, check out the ship, peek into other classes of cabins as you pass by in the hall when possible. Do NOT enter them, even if the door is open! :) Stewards often leave doors open while cleaning. Just get a glimpse to see how they compare to what you have! You will be much better informed for your second cruise -- and there most likely will be one!

[suezyq50]

We have had inside, OV, and balcony. What is "worth it" to one is not to another. If you like spending time outside, having breakfast, sitting with a book, looking at the stars, etc., it would be worth it to you. If you are the person who gets up and get going, stays up late dancing, gambling, etc. maybe not. We celebrated our anniversary on last cruise, which was our first balcony. It was nice, but to me not worth the extra. DH thought otherwise. He really liked it.

[trish1c]

Having natural light in the cabin is a requirement for me. I doubt I could ever do another IV.

A balcony is a very nice luxury. If the price difference isn't huge, I'd go for it. At the price points you're talking, OV will be just fine for your 1st trip unless you are somebody who has to have private outside sapce. Then go for it b/c you might not be happy in a cramped cabin.

[Mary Ellen]

For us they are NOT worth the extra $$. Yes, we've had verandah cabins and suites. While the cabins were very nice, we really spent very little time on the verandah. Only if the price is extremely nice will we book another. We have 70+ days on deposit in the next 18 mos, not a verandah in sight.

 

Another thing to consider if you are non-smokers -on our Hawaii cruise last year, one of the couples travelling with us was unable to use their verandah at all because of the smokers on both sides. They even wondered if the balcony door was giving the smoke another way to enter their cabin, as it was very easy to smell inside.

[JHCALLAHAN]

I guess it depends on what you want to do on your cruise. If you want to spend your time in the casino, the disco, the shows, etc it may not be worth it. If you want to kick back and watch sunsets, watch the flying fish skim the waves, watch thunderstorms over the sea, get a balcony. We thought that was the best money we spent. I loved sitting on the balcony listening to my MP3 and spent a good deal of time doing just that during sea days. We've been to Vegas a dozen times and have seen better shows, gambled in better casinos, et. al. but we'd never watched the sun go down over the Caribbean drinking rum punch and listening to our favorite music. We only paid about $200-300 extra and it was worth every penny.

 

Have a great cruise whichever you choose!

 

JHC