Is a balcony worth it?

[Bakincakes]

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.

 

The smokers were out there 24 hours a day???:eek:

[psychboss]

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?

 

I don't know, do you have a yard at your house? or a porch or deck?

 

If you have no desire to sit outside when you are in one of the most beautiful places in the world, with perfect temperatures, beautiful sunrises, sunsets (with the green flash, if you are really lucky) and fabulous stars at night than you probably do not need a balcony.

 

Now we like to sleep late so we have never seen the sunrises, but we always have a set order for coffee at 8AM which we love to have on the balcony. We both love to sit on the balcony at different times during the day with a frosty glass of iced tea while we read. And our favorite time is at night, after all of our evening activities are over, to sit and watch the stars and sea with a lovely glass of wine.

 

We have talked of saving some money and not getting a balcony - but in the end we have never been willing to give it up.

[megnsamsgracie]

This is something I am going through right now. We just took our first cruise less than a month ago and for $ sake, I went with an inside cabin. Hey, it was just hubby and I and our first.. wasnt sure how much time we would be in our cabin. So for our second cruise, since I had 3 of 4 kids going for port charges of $71. I went with an OV. I got my dad to come and I know he would enjoy a balcony. He will sit and read out there or listen to music. As for my husband and I, we spent 2-2 1/2 hrs on deck EVERY SINGLE night just watching the water relaxing. Now, since we will have the kids, they wont be up until 12 or 1 am on deck with us. And they are just a bit too young to let stay in the room alone. So I want to book a balcony because after being on one cruise, I know it is something we would use. We would probably do room service each morning and sit out there and eat. Right now, it would be a $900 upgrade for EVERYONE (2 cabins, 7ppl) and thats too much for me. If it drops to less than $700, I will absolutely 100% upgrade! But, I would personally try one cruise and see how much you like it and if you think you would use your balcony, enough to justify $1000 more!

[psychboss]

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?

 

You are not only talking about whether to have a balcony or not, you are talking about having a LOT more room in your stateroom.

 

To make a real comparison.

 

You can get the inside category which right now would be a JJ (and as an example #9505) stateroom, forward on deck 9 for a total cost of $1,336.56 for both of you.

 

OR

 

You can get a balcony category which right now would be a BA (and as an example #10114) stateroom, mid-ship on deck 10 for a total cost of $2,136.00 for both of you. PLUS you would get a $100.00 on board credit.

 

That is an actual cost difference of $799. or if you count the OBC as reducing your total cost the cost difference is $699. That is a difference of $77.67/per day or $38.84/per person/per day. So that would be the cost of having a balcony.

 

NOW that you have accurate information - NOW you can make an informed decision as to what you want to do when booking this cruise.

 

This is a great cruise line, a wonderful ship and a fabulous itinerary whatever you decide I think that you will have a wonderful time.

 

Bon Voyage!

[Kathie44]

vmom--I'm with you! We have sailed on 7 cruises and have the 8th coming up in Jan. We just haven't been able to justify the extra expense. We compromise and get an OV on a lower deck. We aren't in the room much, anyway. However, I know if we ever got a free upgrade to a balcony we would be doomed.

I will say to the OP that if DH ever decided to go for it, I wouldn't talk him out of it. :eek:

Our son and his wife did a 5-night Carnival cruise (their first) a year ago and got upgraded from the cheapest room to a SUITE!!! Instead of twin beds and a porthole, they had a huge room with king size bed, balcony and jacuzzi. Needless to say, they ARE doomed! LOL.

I can't imagine that EVER happening on X or RCCL.

 

1/02 Explorer E. Carib.

1/03 Explorer W. Carib.

8/03 Summit Alaska cruise/tour

2/04 Adventure S. Carib.

2/05 Galaxy Panama Canal

6/06 Jewel Brit. Isles/Nor. Fjords + 3 nights in London.

1/07 Mercury Mexican Riviera

1/08 Mercury Aust/NZ

[clearwaters]

Think of the weather. If you're sailing to a place that's hot and humid, you're not gonna be on that balcony much anyway. Or a place that's cold as heck, same thing. I wish I had been up on deck when the ship sailed out on our last cruise. I was on our balcony. Missed all the fun! Further more, I am in the minority on this, but I am convinced a person call fall off of there if the seas are choppy. I did not let my kids-who were 21, 19 & 18 go out there after dark and lean on the rail. Just IMHO.

[psychboss]

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! ;)

 

 

It is NOT a $1,000 more - I had a post on here but the ****'s removed it!

 

YES I AM A TA - BUT I DID NOT PUT ANY INFORMATION IN THE MESSAGE ON A WAY FOR ANYONE TO CONTACT ME! I DID NOT SAY I WOULD SELL HER OR ANYONE ELSE A CRUISE! I WAS NOT ADVERTISING!

 

I WAS MERELY STATING PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT ANYONE CAN FIND ON THE WEB IF THEY LOOK.

There would only be a 699.00 price difference between a JJ and a BA on the cruise she is talking about. It would work out to $38.84/per person/per day.

THIS IS PUBLIC INFORMATION, THIS IS NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT OR A SOLICITATION!

 

All I am doing is trying to provide some factual information to this lady so she can make an educated decision. She does not know who I am from Adam - she is not buying anything from me.

[lovemylab]

We booked a balcony on our first cruise and also have a balcony cabin on our upcoming cruise as well. In both situations, a balcony was only $250 more a person when we booked. If it had costed more than that, we probably wouldn't have booked one.

[crzfrnds]

I'm with you. I'd rather put the money towards excursions. $500pp per cabin is a huge hunk of change just for someplace to sleep. The only place I'll consider a balcony is when I do the mediterranean or Alaska, a long time off....but I will say that I'm cruising with the girls again and I'm springing for the balcony because by May, we'll probably have three in the cabin and that's affordable...

[michmike]

As others have said, we all make decisions about spending our money bsed on very different criteria. We have certainly enjoyed the balcony cabins we have had. At the same time, we've never felt like 2nd class citizens or failed to enjoy our cruise because we had an outside on Deck 1.

 

For us the cost IS a big deal. If I can get a balcony for $200 or less more per person, then we get it. If not, we do an outside. Not sure I could get an inside by my DW.

 

As for the assertion that a difference of $699 for the two of you is inconsequential.. well that's a choice you will have to make. All I know is that $700 will generally cover my onboard expenses for the week. (We do excursions independently).

 

Or it will cover the better part of a nice getaway weekend in Chicago a few months after the cruise.

 

And while it isn't EXACTLY the same, you can still bring a travel mug, get your coffee in the lido and carry it and a danish out to a deck chair on the Promenade and still get the general feeling that you have on the balcony. And you can repeat the experience later in the day with a good book and an umbrella drink.

 

I know plenty of folks who can't afford to cruise, so I always feel very fortunate to simply be on the ship. I respect the feelings of those who will tell you that they simply couldn't go unless they had a balcony or a suite. I'm just not one of them.

[CaptData]

I have insides and OV. I am geeting my first balconey in Jan (JS). Is it worth it, maybe. For a first cruise I would perfer that you get an inside because you will not spend much time in the cabin (unless you are ill). You could go a day early and have a nice hotel and dinner prior to the cruise (with the money you saved). When you book your next cruise then book a balconey (but if you did not like the cruise you do not lse as much).

[Name game]

It is NOT a $1,000 more - I had a post on here but the ****'s removed it!

 

YES I AM A TA - BUT I DID NOT PUT ANY INFORMATION IN THE MESSAGE ON A WAY FOR ANYONE TO CONTACT ME! I DID NOT SAY I WOULD SELL HER OR ANYONE ELSE A CRUISE! I WAS NOT ADVERTISING!

 

I WAS MERELY STATING PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT ANYONE CAN FIND ON THE WEB IF THEY LOOK.

 

There would only be a 699.00 price difference between a JJ and a BA on the cruise she is talking about. It would work out to $38.84/per person/per day.

THIS IS PUBLIC INFORMATION, THIS IS NOT AN ADVERTISEMENT OR A SOLICITATION!

 

All I am doing is trying to provide some factual information to this lady so she can make an educated decision. She does not know who I am from Adam - she is not buying anything from me.

 

According to the OP it was a $1,000 difference. A $700 difference is still quite a lot of money. Worth is a relative term depending on the person. Is a balcony worth a significant amount more money? It depends on who you ask.

That being said, have a dollar amount in your head that you think the balcony is worth. Have your TA keep checking prices and if the price goes down to your dollar amount, then yes it is worth it. Would your cruise be horrible if you have an inside cabin? Absolutely not! There are pros and cons to both.

[RetireeWannabee]

Just me, but my basic requirement is to be on the ship. I will always book cheapest available and be happy with it - we will never cruise much because it's expensive - we could afford it, but the cruise itself is a splurge for us.

 

Received a delightful last-minute surprise on my Alaskan cruise with Mom last Sept - upgrade to balcony! It was AWESOME for such a scenery-intensive itinerary. BUT, I would have been satisfied to leave the cabin to see the wonders. I don't require total privacy and really have not ever had a bad experience being out on deck with the other cruisers. Were that to ever be an issue, geez, it's a big ship - I can find a spot I'm happy with.

 

If DH is set on having a balcony, well, sounds like HE thinks it's worth it. Have a discussion about how you plan to spend your days - the right answer for you will be clear once you've done that. I, personally, think it's important to get each person's expectations out in the open as cruising means different things to different people. Even with my spouse, sometimes how I think he wants to spend our vacation is not how he actually wants to spend his vacation.

 

If you want dining room meals and he's thinking romantic room service every night, that's significant to know!

 

Good luck and keep in mind that you will enjoy your cruise no matter the cabin selection.

[jkloni]

We have had mostly balconies on cruise ships that offer balcony cabins. On the older ones, we book OV because I don't need a suite. The balconies normally cost us $300 more per person (ex. $650 for IS, $800 OV & $950 for a balcony on our Feb cruise). I want to see outside. I need to see if it's day or night, raining, sun-shining....you get the picture. My DH could care less. Give him a broom closet because the longest time he spends in the room is to sleep. But he knows that I like it - even though I really don't use it that much. I have coffee in the mornings and watch coming into port. I also like it because my DH smokes (I don't) and he does not smoke in the stateroom. So the balcony allows him to smoke a cigarette or two in the morning as well a couple in the evening while I'm dressing for dinner without having to leave the cabin and go on deck. Just for that, the balcony is worth it to me. Still not worth it to him.

 

One time I changed our balcony to an IS on the Explorer of the Seas because the price difference paid for our airfare and gratuities. I hated it. Haven't done it again. My sister wouldn't pay for anything more than an inside even though she could afford any cabin on the ship. It's a changing room for her.

 

Get the inside. You won't know the difference in what you could be missing. If you want natural light, get an oceanview (with a window). If you smoke, consider the balcony.

[mauiedin87]

For our 12th cruise last March to Hawaii and back we chose a balcony cabin for the very first time. We went "all out" because it was our anniversary cruise. Before that we had always booked "outside" and that was fine. On the longer cruises and in rougher waters we found that there is far less motion on the lower decks where most of the "outside" ones are, than on the upper decks where most of the balconies are situated, so that may be something to think about!

 

On the Hawaii cruise we only used our balcony while in port and to watch the fascinating maneuvers to get into the ports. We were lucky not to have any smokers above us or on either side. On the way across the Pacific going and coming back, it was so cool and windy (wind speed + ship's speed), we were not using the balcony at all. That said, it does give the small cabins more of a spacious feeling. Is that worth $1000? We don't really think so.:)

[satchiesmom]

We have had inside cabins and balconies, and are hooked on balconies. We love having breakfast in our robes out on the verandah, and watching the stars at night from our own private perch. It's also great for coming into and leaving port. We decided to upgrade on our next cruise from an inside guarantee to an aft balcony for $330 per person. That huge aft balcony is worth it to us. We'll also be on a balcony when we go to Alaska simply because of all of the beautiful scenery. That being said, on our first cruise we had a inside cabin and never felt that we were missing a thing. We were so thrilled just to be on a ship that we could have cared less where we slept!

Whatever you decide, have a wonderful cruise!

[Happy ks]

Value can be such a subjective thing. Some people are happy with a hamburger while the next person wouldn't settle for anything less than a steak, never mind the cost.

 

We will book a balcony for certain cruises and not for others, mainly because of the price. If the cost is $1000 for a 7 night cruise, that's a little too rich for us and we'll do the less expensive cabin. But, if it's less than say $600, we'll go for it.

 

It does depend on what you use the balcony for. We use it for fresh air, coffee in the morning, a glass of wine before going to dinner and we always go out there in the evening. We've had balcony cabins where we don't even see anyone else in our area using them at all. Referring to other activities, I cannot imagine how uncomfortable that would be, the lack of privacy and quite frankly not enough space to really enjoy it.

 

For a regular cabin, it's a lot for a small piece of real estate, but you can enjoy a cruise a whole lot more with that added bit of space.

 

We recently went on a weekend cruise with no balcony and we have another planned for November, we're not crazy for the lack of fresh air, but it's not as bad on a 3 or 4 day cruise as it would be for 7 days.

[flvol77]

Think of the weather. If you're sailing to a place that's hot and humid, you're not gonna be on that balcony much anyway. Or a place that's cold as heck, same thing. I wish I had been up on deck when the ship sailed out on our last cruise. I was on our balcony. Missed all the fun! Further more, I am in the minority on this, but I am convinced a person call fall off of there if the seas are choppy. I did not let my kids-who were 21, 19 & 18 go out there after dark and lean on the rail. Just IMHO.

 

why wouldn't you want a balcony if its hot and humid? On the Pearl the balconies are fully covered so you will have a breeze and you will be in the shade. Also why wouldn't you want a balcony if it was going to be cold (such as Alaska? ) I can't imagine cruising Alaska with out a balcony.

 

They would have to more than choppy seas - I have been in 25ft seas on my balcony and there was never a threat of falling off.

[flvol77]

According to the OP it was a $1,000 difference. A $700 difference is still quite a lot of money. Worth is a relative term depending on the person. Is a balcony worth a significant amount more money? It depends on who you ask.

 

I guess $700 is a lot of money - but how many times is the OP going to take a 9 day cruise? It breaks down to 38 pp per day... which is nothing. I wish I could book this cruise. 2,200 plus some shipboard credit for 9 days on a balcony is a good deal. Plus its a new ship.

[notentirelynormal]

For me, the money is worth it. I usually get my kids an inside cabin and they are just too small for me. No room to stretch, the bed is basically the only place to sit. Yes, you don't spend much time in your room. Why would you, its small, dark and depressing. At least to me. My first 2 cruises I had insides and their is no comparison to the experience.

 

With the balcony you have the natural light (and curtains to block it out when you don't want it), more space in the cabin so one person doesn't have to sit while you get dressed, the smell and sound of the waves all night, just watching the waves for hours, catching the school of porpoises swimming with the ship for an hour, sitting relaxing in your bathrobe. We spend a lot of time in our cabin because it is enjoyable to be there. We still are on deck, all over the ship and active, but in the mornings my DH sits there while I sleep, we watch the ever changing weather and have an evening cocktail before dinner. If the deck is too crowded at lunch, we grab a burger and head for our own special deck.

 

I have to save and save for our cruises but the way I look at it, I may never be back to that part of the world again and while I'm there I want to see as much of it as I can.

 

We rarely see others on their balconies, have never been bothered by smoke or music so for me I can't imagine cruising any other way.

[lcyccruiser]

We normally book an inside room just for the fact that you are not in the room very much during the day. However, now that we live in Florida, and can drive to the port, we did research and booked an aft cabin with a larger balcony, which should be great. We spent about $400.00 xtra, but we don't need the airfare any longer. Also, we always spent the evening on an upper deck on the aft to catch the sunset and meet with friends. Now we can sit on our very own balcony and toast the sunset each evening. So, imo, if you can get an aft cabin, it would definitely be worth a little xtra money!

 

Chris in Florida

 

Caribbean Princess in January 2008

[agabbymama]

I definitely feel a balcony cabin is worth WHATEVER the extra charge is. If I can't afford the balcony cabin, I'd delay the trip until I had saved enough to have one.

 

My first two cruises, I didn't even know there was such a thing. On Carnival Tropicale and HAL Noordam we had Ocean View. Wasn't too bad, but had to walk a lot on those cruises to enjoy the outside.

 

Then I found a special for a 5 night Pacific Northwest from Los Angeles to Vancouver for a mini-suite on NCL Dawn for $489 pp. Once we boarded and sat on that balcony with a glass of champagne and watched the sunset, I've never looked back. I would have nothing without a balcony now.

 

For New England/Canada last year (12 day cruise) I was going to pay $2000 for a balcony cabin, then while talking to the TA, she said "OH wait, 6143 is Concierge Class and it's available for $600 more per person." We loved it. It was tucked in amongst the suites so you felt like you were in a suite too. The teak wood balcony was triple the size of an ordinary balcony. It was chilly and rainy, but I still sat out on the balcony even if I had to bundle up in a blanket. I love the fresh air and watching the ocean.

 

As others have warned, be careful because you will never go back. There is nothing better than breakfast with mimosa on your own private balcony. Or sitting and reading a good book in solitude on your own balcony. Taking photos of whales right under your balcony like they are preforming for only you. No crowds, no noise, so peaceful watching the waves and feeling the wind in your hair. It lets you know you are really sailing.

 

Good luck and have a great cruise, whatever you decide.

[clearwaters]

why wouldn't you want a balcony if its hot and humid? On the Pearl the balconies are fully covered so you will have a breeze and you will be in the shade. Also why wouldn't you want a balcony if it was going to be cold (such as Alaska? ) I can't imagine cruising Alaska with out a balcony.

 

They would have to more than choppy seas - I have been in 25ft seas on my balcony and there was never a threat of falling off.

 

Okay, calm down. Just MHO and experiences. The answers to the weather questions seem obvious. As far as falling off is concerned---as I said, I am sure I'm in the minority on that subject. To be more specific, the balcony railings are just not high enough for me...especially at night. There is no way I would be on a balcony in 25 foot seas, day or night---I can't swim. :D

[coley123]

Thanks to everyone that responded. We ended up switching to the five day cruise leaving on Oct 14 and the only rooms available were balconies...so we've decided to invest the dough and now can't wait to enjoy our splurge!

[clearwaters]

Whew!!