Emerald Deck Balcony vs Dolphin for Mini's

[Murphey]

I would like your very capable opinions on this choice. I'm not sure whether we want completely covered and protected or out in the sunshine and weather?? This is for a Caribbean itinerary. Do the balconies on Emerald make the cabin dark? It's too bad none of the mini's have the half covered/half open like Caribe's. We like the sun, but also like some privicy.......Thanks for your advice??

[TwoWeebles]

I am also interested in the answers to this question. I have cruised three times before, but only with RCI. I am thinking of trying a cruise to Alaska with Princess next year.

[Pam in CA]

It's really your preference as to what you like, where you're cruising and how many sea/port days you have. If you have a lot of ports, you're not going to be spending a lot of time on your balcony other than perhaps late afternoons and evenings.

 

We've booked Emerald AD minis for our Baltic cruise next summer because we know we're going to be busy and if we're on our balcony, want to be out of the sun and perhaps rain.

 

No matter whether your balcony is covered or uncovered, there'll be some sun and some shade at least part of the day (as long as it's sunny) since almost always, the sun goes from one side of the ship to the other, even if it's obliquely.

[Ando]

Double post - sorry

[Ando]

We always take the Emerald minis - I don't think I'd actually sail in a Dolphin mini. As well as the protection from the sun & weather a major thing for us is the privacy. On Dolphin deck anyone from above (right up to those looking over the railings on Sun deck) can see what's going on on the Dolphin balconies.

 

The balcony has a glass front so I don't consider the cabin to be dark, however I guess it would be "darker" than the fully exposed minis on Dolphin. Plenty of cabin lighting though :)

 

There are possibly a few negatives - they are very aft so in rough weather you can feel more movement than say midship on Dolphin, and it is a long walk if going forward to Princess Theatre or the gym & spa (but I use the walk along the deck and then up 6 flights of stairs as my warm up) and sometimes you can hear a bit of bass noise from Club Fusion below - usually stops around midnight and not loud enough to cause us any concern. Some noise/vibration can be heard/felt when the ship is docking - but we use it as a wake up call that we have arrived at the port :)

 

Other positives are very convenient being only 1 deck above Promenade for all entertainment venues; also a good location for accessing International dining room, kids club & horizon court buffet; very little passing foot traffic in the corridor. And as a bonus they are actually the cheapest minis - so no matter what price we pay we feel like we're getting good value for money.

 

There may be many CC'ers who disagree with me but like everything it comes down to your personal preferences. The Emerald minis suit ours very well :D

[seaman54]

dolphin all the way, i love the sun&love it being open close to buffet in the morning,pool ect.. but to each his own. HAPPY CRUISIN SEEYA :cool:

[Benita]

We always go with the Dolphin deck and keep sailing Princess because of the open balconies on the Dolphin deck. We love to sit in the sun and hate crowds and noise. Add to that the airconditioned stateroom and our own bathroom and it is wonderful. Granted, people can look down over their balconies onto our exposed one, but if we were lying out by the pool, there would be even less privacy.

[Colo Cruiser]

I prefer the Emerald minis as well. :)

[Cruise Gopher]

I agree with Ando's comments above. We choose the Emerald Deck mini's mainly for privacy. I want to be able to walk out on the balcony in my underwear if I want and not have to worry about people above looking down on me.

[stoneharborlady]

Definitely agree with Ando and Colo Cruiser, loved the AD mini on Emerald Deck. If you are on the side of the ship opposite the stage in Club Fusion you wont have any noise issue from music. Privacy and some shade was nice, and also the proximity to Palm Dining room if you have Anytime Dining, the Horizon Court for a snack, and the Terrace Pool. Its also a nice quiet hallway on the ship, no passing traffic or noise. Loved it.

Karen

[otogocruisin]

We like the Dolphin deck. We prefer to be midship. the open balcony has not bothered us the 3 times we have been there. Love the mini suites.:)

[qsuzi]

IMHO when you can get a Dolphin deck mini-suite for slightly more than the price of a BB balcony then wooooooooo hooooooo! Weather is not an issue most times of the year, depending on itinerary.

[CruiseNut7]

I've booked mini-suites on both the Emerald and Dolphin Decks.

 

For our Caribbean cruises in particular, the Dolphin deck mini is great as we enjoy the openness for sunning and don't feel that our privacy is invaded at all. We also are able to book a cabin mid-ship which is a plus.

 

For sailings with itineraries that may have inclement weather (Alaska, British Isles), we booked a mini on the Emerald Deck. It is a longer walk to areas of the ship, but there is a lot of privacy in the aft of the ship and we've never experienced noise from the club at all .... at least not that I remember! And, if it is a rainy day, then we have a covered balcony is we wish to enjoy sitting outdoors.

 

I choose my mini based on this criteria. Best of luck - love those mini's! :)

[shawilson]

We had E729, AD mini on the Golden. Huge balcony, with a view of the wake. Loved this cabin. This cabin is over a lounge, but not on the side over the amplification. Never heard a thing from the lounge. Do a search for this cabin on this thread or the Cabin Selection thread for pictures.

[mexico5]

Loved AD minis. We had E723(very quiet)and we loved the location.

[ingeegirl]

I thought that I read somewhere that Dolphin on Emerald were covered. I'm so glad to read that they are not. We love having an open balcony. Can't imagine why anyone wants to look at me and if they do - no biggee, I'm on vacation and could care less.

[JRarey]

Something to think about is that if you are traveling in the winter months the sun sets about 6:30 pm. I want to look up and see the southern cross!

 

We like the Dolphins, I want to see the sun after being in Dayton Ohio for the winter!

 

I still go out on the balcony in my robe in the evenings and early morning, my bathing suit exposes more than my robe does :)

 

Best of cruising to you all!

 

Jan

[Roadpossum]

We've been in two Dolphin minis. One was to Alaska and the other was a repo from Vancouver to L.A. Unfortunately, we weren't able to use the balcony at all on any of the days it rained. It was also a little awkward when we had an overly friendly neighbor right above us that felt compelled to strike up a converstion with us every time we stepped outside. Just our luck. GRRR...

 

I'm sure the open balconies would be much better on cruises in warmer climates. For our next cruise to Mexico we've booked an Emerald mini and we'll see if we like that better.