My money was wasted on a balcony!

[mainer208]

Interesting post and good conversation. We too, are balcony snobs...wouldn't sail without one! We truly spend a lot of time in our cabin and balcony. Room service coffee in the early morning is the best as is in the evening. Also, leaving the door open on the balcony at night is a must! On 7-day cruises that have only 3 stops, I couldn't imagine only having the public decks to enjoy the outside. Yes, there are quite spots but just love the peace of our own room and balcony which is why we cruise...relaxation and quiet. Guess we are getting old (not really) all of the lido deck activties after an hour or so are not of interest plus we are not big drinkers. Yes, there are many spots that we have found on deck that are not crowded but again, for us, the balcony is the ultimate!

 

I know a person who cruises often and she doesn't mind inside cabins and knows it will save a ton of $. To me, I would rather go less often and have the balcony. It's probably not that uncommon. I do think that people who have never had a balcony assuredly don't know what they are missing but as the original poster has stated, thought it was a waste of $.

 

We even had a partially obstructed cabin on the Fascination and it wasn't that bad. Even though we had to pay the suite price and the balcony was narrower than the newer ships, it was worth it.

[Jacky4]

We've stayed in a balacony, ocean view and our last cruise to save money we got an inside cabin. I was very disappointed when we went to sit out on the balacony and couldn't see anything because of the railing (I think it was a solid railing??). I loved to go out at night in the fresh air but not enough to pay for. I will just go up on deck for free. We have decided to always go for inside and save our money for other things. With the extra money my husband, myself and two children have swam with the dolphins, did snuba and are going to try parasailing and ziplining next. I guess we are the minority.:)

[L2J]

Am I the only one to feel this way?

 

Probably not, but I suspect you're in the minority.

 

Balconies are great...coffee and a smoke in the morning, pulling into port (even though it may be dark it still nice to see the lights) watching the sunrise, having a private place to get that all over tan, watching the sunset, a nightcap, balcony olympics...the list goes on and on.

[SheriNtexas]

For me, those miles and miles of water are exactly what I'm looking for. Peace and quiet is at a premium in my life.

 

 

 

Well put! I've cruised 5 times and had a balcony each time! I spend a lot of time out on that balcony, just relaxing and watching the water, watching beautiful sunsets or sunrises, rain clouds, etc. I absolutely LOVE sitting out on the balcony with a DOD in hand, listening to my Ipod!

 

To the OP, if you don't spend much time in the room or on the balcony, then it probably IS a waste of money. I have never noticed, or cared about, how the plexiglass looks or how dirty it is, etc. My sights, and thoughts, are beyond that balcony! One person's "wasted money" is another person's "money well spent"!:) I am cruising solo on the Miracle in October, and I can't WAIT to relax on my very first wraparound balcony! Ahhhh.......:)

[woodey]

I have to say for me it depends on the cruise...normaly a balcony is not Important to me but i would never go to Alaska without one i saw about 100 dolphins and a few dozen whales of my balcony it was beautiful views to wake up too....and i am glad i spent the extra money for it when i went...If it was a Mexican riviera cruise ....who cares ...but i can see how a Hawaii cruise it would be nice to have one around the Islands....I enjoy sitting out on the balcany eating breakfast and sipping on my coffee watching the world go by...but normaly it would take more then that to justify the extra expence of it.

[vacationhappy]

Interesting conversation and I can honestly say that over the years we have been on both sides of the fence.

 

We are a family of four with two teenage girls. Alot of folks would say, spring for two rooms but at this point in time, we are still booking quads. Call us crazy but cruises are small cities, with all of the safety issues that go with that, and we still feel the need to keep a close eye on them. We feel that we only have a few more family vacation years and that will pass by quickly. Having said that -

 

When our children were younger, insde rooms really worked for us because it was dark and quiet. The kids would readily fall asleep day or night. Now, having a balcony just gives us more space and a place to hang as we all share the bathroom...especially for my husband who is surrounded by women!

 

Sometime during the next couple of years we will graduate to two rooms - and we will probably move back to the inside...and then when we aren't bound to traveling on kid's vacation weeks, we will move back to a balcony ...and hopefully cruise more!

[mprucha]

It's one of those personal preference things.

 

For some, like me, the sea days are my favorite so I love going out on the balcony in the morning for coffee or through the day where it's quiet. Plus, I love watching the water so it's mesmerizing to me. Also, we sit out there really late. You can't see anything then but you can hear the water and it's nice and cool usually and my DH and I talk about the day and stuff.

[Socref124]

Am I the only one to feel this way? We spent very little time out there. There really wasn't much to see, only miles and miles of water. It was dark when we pulled into port and all signs of land were gone within minutes of leaving each port. We usually prefer to hang out where the action is, up on the public decks.

 

I understand what you are saying and that is certainly one way to look at the balcony. We enjoy sitting on the balcony in the morning drinking a cup of coffee in the fresh air (privately) before we start our day:) . We also enjoy sitting on the balcony drinking a glass of wine at the end of the day before we go to bed;) . I enjoy watching us come into port each morning as my DW gets ready for our shore excusion. The peace and tranquility of being alone on our "porch" make make it worth the extra $$$ for us:D .

[ruskatab]

The bigger the balcony the better for us. My favorite thing on a cruise is to order room service really early and to drink my coffee while we come into the ports. We also spend alot of time on the balcony before we go to bed. We always get the corner aft balcony now and love it.

[Carnival Game]

How much extra money are we talking about between an inside and a balcony, per person?

[Big Mama1973]

At least you know now for your next cruise, I had my first balcony on the Miracle last year. Now I'm afraid I'm a balcony snob....lol. I love looking out at the water, waves, sky, etc, in fact I purposely booked our next cruise during a full moon hoping to see the moon shining on the water.....how cool would that be....

[MamaParrotHead]

that's why we do OV. ;)

[Gecko7]

How much extra money are we talking about between an inside and a balcony, per person?

 

That depends on the cruise, but it can be substantial.:eek: DW and I can enjoy w/o a balcony and I'm afraid if we did get one we would never stop getting one.:D

 

Gecko7:)

[Carnival Game]

I know, that's why I don't want to start. I'd rather sail once a year in an inside cabin than have balconies and only be able to go every few years.

[Gecko7]

I know, that's why I don't want to start. I'd rather sail once a year in an inside cabin than have balconies and only be able to go every few years.

 

AMEN to that!

Gecko7:D

[toledo]

On this particluar cruise, a balcony was actually twice as much as an oceanview, as the oceanviews were reduced two weeks prior to sailing. This made the oceanviews about the same price as the insides. Usually, I believe they're about 30% more than the oceanviews.

 

As the OP, I guess I really am in the minority here. I really booked the balcony based on most of the opinions I've read here in the past. I know most people love them.

[akfan]

Well we booked our first balcony for May on the Legend. It was about $600 more than an inside for both of us. My DW is really looking forward to it. I do not think it will be worth the extra money, BUT we will see.

[cruisecastle]

Am I the only one to feel this way? We spent very little time out there. There really wasn't much to see, only miles and miles of water. It was dark when we pulled into port and all signs of land were gone within minutes of leaving each port. Even when looking out, the top of the railing (wooden part) is at eye level so it blocks the view. Under the 5 inch wooden top was about an inch of smeared brown glue. The rest of the plexiglass railing was all water-marked, so not real easy to see through. Every night I would hear clicking noised coming from the balcony. I finally figured out it was one of the dividers blowing in the wind. I was able to push some of the patio furniture up against the partition to stop the noise. I guess what people are really buying when they get a balcony is a place in the sun that is usually quiet. We usually prefer to hang out where the action is, up on the public decks.

 

different strokes for different folks. I balcony is the only way to go for me. I loved it last week on the Spirit.

[thomasale]

God I love it both ways!

[goofycruiser]

My husband and I just booked our 14th cruise (all with Carnival). We got a window because we got an upgrade. Usually we book an inside guaranty. We have had balconies before but didn't feel they were worth the extra money. They are not very big and you don't get a lounge chair. I would rather be up on deck. Also since we have cruised so many times, we get really good prices. This means that we can afford to cruise twice a year but in an inside cabin. We sometimes get upgrades but not always. Any day in any cabin on a cruise ship beats a day at work!!

[Theresa522]

We are going to be in our first balcony this upcoming cruise - and I'm hoping I don't get hooked on the balcony. ;) We generally cruise in inside cabins. Last cruise we were on we were upgraded to an outside cabin, and I know that I wouldn't spend the money for that.

 

lets see how it goes - but I have a feeling that I'll be happy in an inside cabin if it means I can cruise more often :)

 

 

Oh for sure you will be HOOKED.. Have a wonderful time:D

[Theresa522]

Well we booked our first balcony for May on the Legend. It was about $600 more than an inside for both of us. My DW is really looking forward to it. I do not think it will be worth the extra money, BUT we will see.

 

 

Oh it will be worth every penny!! You are going to start and end your day out there. Have a great cruise.

[TanIslandGirl]

Am I the only one to feel this way? We spent very little time out there. There really wasn't much to see, only miles and miles of water. It was dark when we pulled into port and all signs of land were gone within minutes of leaving each port. Even when looking out, the top of the railing (wooden part) is at eye level so it blocks the view. Under the 5 inch wooden top was about an inch of smeared brown glue. The rest of the plexiglass railing was all water-marked, so not real easy to see through. Every night I would hear clicking noised coming from the balcony. I finally figured out it was one of the dividers blowing in the wind. I was able to push some of the patio furniture up against the partition to stop the noise. I guess what people are really buying when they get a balcony is a place in the sun that is usually quiet. We usually prefer to hang out where the action is, up on the public decks.

You tried it and it's not for you... For myself a balcony room is my first choice. To be able to have that piece and look out onto the beautiful ocean water is priceless. We have seen dolphins and always enjoy watching those flying fish which look like birds but are actually fish jumping out of the water. Our group is always part of the deck party action but it is always nice to come back to our own private place and gaze out there. :)

[Yvonne]

Balcony cabins aren't for everyone. Since you had one and didn't care for it, now you know not to book one again and you'll save money for other things.

 

Myself, I love having our own balcony, especially on a 7-night cruise. We did have an inside room for our 4-night Fantasy cruise and that was fine, since it was a short cruise. But a longer one I prefer a balcony. DH and I both love having "room service breakfast" out on our balcony first thing every morning. And I get tired of crowds so having my own balcony is wonderful for finding a little peace and quiet yet still in the sun, to just relax, read a book, or nap. We enjoy watching the water go by (I know, it doesn't take much to amuse us), and when a storm is approaching it's neat to sit on our balcony and watch the sky change. At night we enjoy being out there watching the stars, smooching...and....well, let's just say we're members of the "balcony club". Ha ha!! And we enjoy keeping the balcony door open at night so we're lulled to sleep by the sounds of the ocean.

[Cigar Dude]

We love the balcony! We won't ever (well, hopefully) go back to a cruise without one! :D

 

We're out there every morning and every evening, usually right after the excursion and before bed. ;)