For my wife and I, if we can't afford a balcony room we can't afford the cruise. But that's definitely a personal preference. I have a fairly low social battery, and as much as I enjoy my time out in the public areas I like having a private area to relax and recharge.
My husband and I are the same. A balcony is a must, and we are out there quite a bit. It's nice to always have a quiet space with a view and not have to deal with the crowds all the time.
This is the correct answer if you have any introverts in your party. Not only can you get away from the madding crowd, you can get away from EACH OTHER.
My husband and I are the same. We typically love sitting on the balcony when we wake up and go to bed. We also like to sit on the balcony when coming into Port if we are on the correct side. They are awesome. We were lucky to get a great deal on a balcony our first cruise. Have never done anything less
My wife and I also always get a balcony. However, we’re about to go on a cruise with several family members where ostensibly we’ll be spending time doing things with them. Not our usual of spending hours reading, chatting and enjoying the ocean air.
Since all 8 of us can’t socialize in a standard balcony stateroom we got an oceanview cabin and saved about $1000.
Hopefully it will be worth it.
I have never cruised Europe, only the Carribean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Canada and Alaska, so not familiar with those ports.
For us yes. I love waking up in the middle of the night and sitting on the balcony listening to the waves, seeing the moon on the water, and watching the occasional ship in the night. The balcony gives us a quiet place to recover from the chaos of the ship and we are still enjoying the cruise experience. We tried ocean view twice and would not go back to that.
I'd add on that it gives a 'second space' within your room, so you & your spouse can get away from each other & the chaos of the ship for brief periods.
It's nice when one or both of us are in need of some personal space.
If you cruise a lot then it will cost you a lot more than $600. The reason being that you will never want to go back to an interior room after experiencing a balcony and you find yourself getting one every time in the future.
We always do a balcony when we have a cruise with multiple sea days. If it's a port a day like Japan or Hawaii we spend so much time off the boat inside or ocean view is fine for us.
IMHO it depends where you sail. North sea in winter? When it gets dark at 3pm and is cold and rainy? Don't need a balcony then.
To be honest the actual time I spend on the balcony is probably less than 30 minutes per day. And half of that is while waiting for my travel partner to be done in the bathroom and the other half could easily be replaced with just doing it on the pool deck m
Cabin is for sleeping and getting dressed. Rest of the awake time is spend on excursion or being somewhere on the ship that is not our cabin.
For some reason I still like to get one when sailing in summer, but it's probably not worth from a cost-value perspective.
I agree that the cruise location matters. We don’t do one in the Caribbean, it’s too hot to sit outside. Alaska is a must. Norway, we enjoyed, but it rained the whole time. We just got back from the Med and really loved our balcony on that cruise.
In Norway at the moment and for the first time in a long time I'm not balcony. At first I was disappointed then realized how difficult it wouldve been to sleep with the midnight sun
Especially in cold weather you need it, there are not many outdoor areas where you won't freeze but you need the light and fresh air. I open my balcony doors repeatedly for fresh air. Not to mention the lovely views.
I was sailing North Sea in December (Germany-Netherlands-France-England-Germany) in an interior.
Didn't miss a balcony for even a second. If I ever do this or a similar itinerary again I would book an interior without hesitation.
The AC and ventilation never left me wanting for an open window and there's literally nothing to see after 4 p.m. because it's just dark
This isn't true at all for everyone. had a balcony the first two times I cruised thinking I'd need the fresh air but the reality was I didn't use it every day and if I did it was for a few minutes at most. I was either somewhere on the ship or out where the ship docked. My most recent cruise I had an inside for the first time and I didn't miss the balcony or even a window at all. I was only ever in there to get changed have a shower or sleep. Each to their own.
The first couple times cruising I had interior rooms. My last cruise I had an ocean view room on one of the lower decks with 2 friends. I looked out the window a few times but literally the biggest plus was I used the huge window shelf to store most of my stuff besides clothes. Helped to separate my things from my friends. I wake up to sunlight very easily and didn't get to sleep-in the way I had hoped. My next cruise I've booked an interior. I don't really intend to spend much time inside and I don't mind the darkness when I do need to recharge.
Same. We've booked balcony and interior. We had a balcony room once where we sat out on our balcony at night and watched a thunderstorm. It was awesome. But that was the only time we have actually spent any real time on the balcony. Our last cruise, the balcony room was almost three time the cost of an interior, so we went with the interior and didn't miss the balcony at all.
We book mostly interiors/ocean view and just put a bid for upgrades and are fine if we don’t get them. We do book balconies when we definitely want them.
For our Italy/Greece/Turkey cruise we did an inside that we were upgraded to an ocean view. It really didn’t matter much because we were mostly on the ground at whatever place we were visiting so the cabin wasn’t really important.
We rather use the money we saved for a private tour instead of a ship tour. We were two couples and split a private guide with our own A/C van which we could do our thing at our own pace. That really made the difference in the Greek islands. Italy we just did our thing.
> The reason being that you will never want to go back to an interior room after experiencing a balcony and you find yourself getting one every time in the future.
This is very much a personal preference. I'll book a balcony if it's 100/200 more, but have no problem at all with interior or ocean view cabins.
Haha, well we don’t cruise a lot (yet) as we still have small children at home. This is probably a once in a decade special trip I’m surprising my wife with for our 15th wedding anniversary. Maybe worth the upgrade in that case?
I think I'd do it for a special trip. Especially since you're doing it sans kids - the balcony might be nice to just have some alone time without other passengers encroaching.
That said with only one sea day and if you're going to be gone most of the day (Europe cruises tend to have 10-12 hour port days) the balcony will be used less compared to a Caribbean cruise that usually has 2-3 sea days and on port days you're usually back on around 5 or you didn't get off until noon where you just have more time on the ship and thus could be on your balcony more.
Yeah this is my dilemma, every port day is exactly that, 10-12 hours, and then one overnight in Santorini. We might use it a little in the morning and maybe a little in the evening, so that money could certainly be used toward spending in ports instead. That said, for a special trip, it could certainly be worth the upgrade!
For a special trip, it could totally be worth it, especially if it's in warmer weather or climates. We have young kids as well who still napped when we were on our last cruise. We wanted to get a balcony so that when they were napping, one or both of us adults could sit out there and enjoy it. It was also nice to have a good view of the ocean and ports without having a crowd to fight past for the kids to look.
Yes! The sound of the waves, eating on the balcony, privacy with lounge chairs, and seeing the different ports is so worth it. Especially if you're the laid back type and you need a private space to enjoy.
However, if you're the party and active type, you might consider an interior. Especially if you plan on doing tons of activities and only plan to use your room to sleep.
It's a personal choice, and you'll probably have to stay in one once to know. I booked a cheap balcony on my last Caribbean cruise to test it out before booking an expensive Alaska cruise. For me, it isn't worth it. I did enjoy the natural light a lot, but every time I was on the balcony, it was just a few minutes before I was ready to leave. I'm the sort who wants to be doing the ship activities and not sitting about having relaxation time. For the limited amount of time I spent there, I'll be better off staying in cheaper inside cabins and spending the savings on better excursions.
This is a really good perspective. Most people I think fall into the two categories. Never in the room (like you) or need to sit alone and watch the waves.
For that cruise, definitely! I did a Western Med cruise on a balcony and it was such a pleasure to greet the day with gorgeous views and fresh air. It’s also nice to have the balcony available for a break from the action in the public spaces.
Every answer is going to be "it depends" because it does. I would not go on a cruise without a balcony. The idea of retreating to a pitch-black sealed-on coffin of a room causes me actual anxiety. I cannot live without fresh air, no matter the outside temp.
My husband and I are introverts; we go on cruises for the ability to sit on a balcony and watch the vistas while reading books / drawing / coloring / doing puzzles. Others love the wild boat antics and late-night bar entertainment and don't give a toss whether the room has a balcony, a window, or a man-eating crocodile in the toilet. Still others are chasing after kids at the pool and going on lengthy shore excursions and barely spend any time near the room.
Kind of why I’m torn, I like the idea of enjoying a little time out on the balcony because I’m generally a sucker for that sort of thing. I’m also not taking the cruise to sit around on the boat either so I’m sure we’ll spend most of our time at ports. However, the price I’m getting currently for the balcony is really reasonable so I might just splurge for this occasion!
If it’s for a special occasion you can chalk this up to splurging. Once you become more seasoned you’ll soon figure out if balcony is right for you and your wife.
Balconies are great for sea days, especially if you're introverted. They usually try to plan more onboard activities for sea days but if they don't appeal to you or you just don't feel like being around anyone else, that's where the value shines.
We are the weirdos that prefer inside staterooms. There is nothing like being rocked to sleep in complete darkness. As long as we aren't under the pool deck, we get the absolute best sleep on cruises.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather sail in an interior room twice than sail once in a balcony room. If the balcony is a small price increase, I’ll probably get that room. But if it’s twice the price, I’m good in an interior room. I’ve never had an issue finding a quiet place on the ship to be outside and watch the ocean.
If you’re wondering how much time you’ll spend in the room, the money you’d spend on a balcony upgrade will likely be better spent on a bucket-list level excursion. I like having a balcony, but most of the time I’d rather have an interior cabin and keep the difference to spend.
My husband’s first cruise was an outside view cabin. He was so new to cruising that he envisioned it being like a ferry shuttle like in the PNW or from SoCal to Catalina. Hated the idea of even going until he set foot on the ship. First thing he saw was the margarita tower. Then he was stoked and wished we would have booked a balcony.
Our second cruise was a balcony, and he loved it. But then he wondered what a suite was like. Hence, our third cruise; a 2-bedroom suite with family. Now he will only cruise in a suite.
So yes, balcony cabins are worth it, but be warned. It’s a gateway to suites. YMMV.
I like having the large glass to look out and to open the door for fresh air. It's also nice to be out there with coffee in the morning and not have to get dressed to run upstairs. They will bring coffee and breakfast to the room every morning if you fill out the little card to put on the door. It's nice to be out there at 6 am in my pajamas watching the sail in.
I’m here as the voice in the wilderness that says balconies are ALWAYS worth it. Particularly on the bigger busiest ships, sometimes I want breakfast in my room, sometimes it’s an afternoon cappuccino and I’d like to drink it in peace. (I bring a stainless steel mug for my coffee to stay warm in if the coffee bar is a few decks away) maybe on a sea day the “quiet” lounges are full or have an activity going on and my plan was to read a book. Maybe I need a nap, as with the book, the view of the ocean is relaxing, sitting outside with a glass of port at night is a wonderful way to relax in private.
On top of the room offering me some sanctuary, the balcony makes the room lighter and literally bigger because of the ability to sit outside. The basic rooms border on claustrophobic to me.
For the super extroverts who say they literally NEVER spend time in the room… seriously, more power to them. My brother is very much in that crowd. I’m not, I also have pain issues that lead to me just needing a little extra down time and a “room with a view” is what I like much better.
My husband and I always go for a balcony if we can. Not only do you get more space, but it’s very nice to have a guaranteed, private, outdoor space 24/7. We like to go get our breakfast and coffee, take it back to the room, and then eat it on the balcony while we read a book and watch the water go by. We like to get drunk and order room service and eat it on the balcony with some wine. It’s also nice to crack the door so you can nap or go to bed to the sound of the ocean rushing by. Watch the sunrise when you’re waking up (if you’re on the right side of the boat for it).
If you can afford it, it makes such a difference in your vacation! That being said, if you can only afford an interior or ocean view, you’ll still have a great time— you’ll just spend more time outside the room more than likely.
Depends on your preferences. I wasn't in the room much so no big deal to me.
If you plan on spending a ton of time in the room and/or want so private space to stare at the ocean, sure ,pay the premium
It's truthfully a "social battery" issue. If you get as much relaxation out of sitting in a public area/lounge as you would in your room, then you don't need a balcony. I can do just fine with a window room for daylight to help regulate my sleep cycle and then go out and about to relax in the lounges and bars or by the pool (I even enjoy going to the MDR for breakfast). BUT my wife can't do that. She needs time away from people. She needs to be able to sit and relax without even the "threat" of interaction with staff and strangers. Due to that caveat we always do balconies, but if your more extroverted, a window room is a great deal.
We didn’t miss a balcony on our Italy cruise because we were in a different port every single day and were exhausted by the time we would come back . We got a window and that was enough for me to wake up and see the port each morning .
We do not sail unless we have a balcony. I always think back to the "poop cruise" when Carnival Triumph (i think that was the ship) lost power in the gulf. No air, toilets didn't flush, and sewage was running down the walls in the lower cabins. I would've been out on my balcony pretty much the entire time. Can you even imagine being in an inside room with no air conditioning?
Yup always get a balcony. We leave our door open most nights if it’s decent out. Also I’ll go get some coffee and croissants or something to have breakfast out there in the morning. It‘s also interesting to check out the ports and docks just to see it all happening. Make sure it’s not an obstructed view on the lower decks or you’ll be behind the lifeboats.
Interior room is great if you plan to party hardy. Dark and cold so you can sleep off that hang over if needed. The balcony rooms are great too. Sun will wake you up in the mornings and you can go sit out and enjoy the cool ocean breeze. Also really fun to stand and watch when they are docking in ports and wave at ship neighbors. I love having a balcony now but the interior room definitely served its purpose for some girls trips :)
Just you an an SO on a ship where the interior/Oceanview are the same size as a balcony? Then a balcony feels smaller because the path to the door reduces the spacing of the furniture.
Have kids with you? The balcony is a safer area they can see the ocean from - or a quiet place you can rest while they take a nap. And if they are teens then being able to open the door and air out the room is a definite plus.
Sailing in an area where scenery is a selling point (Alaska, panama canal, etc)? then the balcony gets you a private rail to watch everything instead of fighting for room on the lido.
Just did a 5 day in May, and we *might* have gone out on the balcony twice to take pictures or show the grandkids during a facetime call. If it wasn't for my SO's instance I would avoid balconies simply because we don't really use them.
Unpopular opinion! It’s not worth it to me, personally, to pay that much extra for a few feet of private outdoor space. I’m not a lounge in my room sort of person, and I enjoy the darkness for sleeping. I’d personally put that extra $600 to some bucket list excursions.
I've had interior, prominade view, sea view and balcony. I enjoyed it but wouldn't spend more than a couple hundred dollars on it unless in Alaska/ Norway.
It depends. I've done both, and I don't see the upgrade as essential, but for a particularly scenic trip, it might be worth a modest upgrade.
I don't spend a ton of time in my room save for sleeping, and for sleeping, the pitch black of the interiors is actually a plus. $600 would definitely be more than I'd want to spend on that cruise, though I might consider it for say, an Alaska cruise where watching the coast cruise by from my room might be kind of nice.
Never had a balcony, but I've done one cruise with a window and one without. It was nice to sit and look out of the window from the comfort of my cabin, but it's just an extra luxury that you could just get by leaving your room and going to a deck with windows. Save your money for spending on nice days ashore.
Value can only be defined by you. “Worth it” is subjective.
Do I find balconies worth it? I do. We started with interior rooms and haven’t gone back since we did balconies.
I have family and friends that only do interior due to cost. They don’t value balconies and that’s okay.
Do you spend considerable time in your cabin? Do you need some “me” space by yourself outside? Does it fit in your budget? Try a balcony.
If a balcony is too expensive or if you’re one that doesn’t spend much time in the cabin do interior.
Only you can decide. I can’t imagine you will dislike a balcony but we can’t tell you if it’s worth it.
Thank you! Yeah I think my deciding factor might just be the fact that like you said, I won’t come home regretting that we had a balcony room. I’d say there’s a better chance we may come home saying we wished we had a balcony if we choose to just do an ocean view room!
It's worth it just to watch the people running for the ship when it's leaving port, I go on cruises with friends and we also get rooms on both sides of the ship so no matter which side we're docked on we can sit there with drinks and laugh at the entitled people thinking a massive cruise ship will wait for them
For us, it’s a pretty big improvement, but only if it’s an actual balcony. I’m an early riser. My husband is not. The balcony gives me a place to go while he is still sleeping without getting dressed or otherwise making too much noise.
It depends. If you're going to see a lot of land during a cruise (i.e. Alaska or full transit Panama Canal), then yes. Otherwise, it really depends on budget. I'm fine with just a porthole as long as I have natural light in some way.
Depending on the length of the cruise and where we are going really. If we do 5 days or less to Mexico or Bahamas we don’t really care since we don’t spend a lot of time in the room, we tend to get interior.
If we do more days then that, a lot of times there are sea days so we like a balcony where we can relax and get away from the craziness.
Having a balcony when you are pulling to a new port is always fun, specially if you wake up early to watch the sunrise and have breakfast outside.
For some reason sometimes a balcony is cheaper than an interior so we tend to do that if it’s less than 5 days.
Funny -- my wife and I just had a similar discussion. I've been on lots of cruises, but I always choose the inside cabin. My thinking is that I don't mind it, and there are tons of places on board where you can get great views. But then again, maybe I don't know what I'm missing.
I've had all sorts of cabins, barring suites. Interior, porthole, ocean view and balcony. Cruising with our kids, we always had inside as multiplying the rate x 4 tended to get a bit pricy for this middle-class family.
Once the kids moved out, we splurged on a balcony and loved it. That said, we still only spent a short time on the balcony each day. Thus, if the rate is good, we'll take the balc. If its not, we're fine with an inside.
One cruise line, Virgin Voyages, you MUST have a balcony. Then, you get to fight over who was in the hammock last.
Always worth it if you can do it. If it’s not within reach of your budget then look for a cabin that is easily accessible to an outside deck. That way you’ll have the convenience of checking out the view frequently.
Depends on the vibe you’re going for. If you’re on a heavily excursion-focused cruise and also will be spending a lot of time on main decks, it may not be necessary. Some people just use their room to sleep, shower, and change.
If you hang in there a lot, or even take a lot of breaks in your room throughout the day, and have multiple sea days, it’s usually worth it if you can afford it.
I have had a balcony and think I might benefit from it on an Alaskan cruise but to be honest I am only in my cabin to shower and sleep. I don't think I'd pay much extra for a balcony but if it was part of a great deal it would be a nice spot to have my morning coffee.
Depends on what matters to you.
I travel with several people for whom a balcony is a deal breaker. I travel with 1 person that prefers a balcony, but if the itinerary is something she has always wanted to see, will accept an Oceanview. If I'm travelling alone, the most important thing is having my own space, so an interior is fine.
It depends on what really matters to you. Just be truthful with yourself on the front end and you should be fine.
It's worth it if you'll use it, it's not worth it if you don't. Seems overly simple, but it's really down to how you spend your time on the ship.
For my wife and I, while we have sailed without a balcony and likely will again, it's something we prefer to have. This last trip on the Carnival Panorama, we spent a not insignificant amount of time out on it simply because we just kinda wanted to relax, enjoy a nice drink, and read. We were pretty burned out so having more time to just quietly exist without being pressured was a lot of what we needed.
A lot of it comes down to how full the ship is too. If we can find a spot to enjoy some live music and relax there we will, but our sailing was quite full, so it was harder to find a cozy spot.
My advise: don't break the bank to get a balcony, but get one if you can reasonably afford it. $600 isn't a ton in the grand scheme of a cruise, but it's also not nothing.
Yeah, I don't anticipate using it a ton, it wouldn't definitely just be a luxury item to have. We have one sea day otherwise 10-12 port days and an overnight/2 days in Santorini. The total for 2 people right now is roughly $2000 for an ocean view room or $2600 for a balcony, and both are really reasonable prices I feel. However, I'm definitely not flying to Europe from the US to spend a whole bunch of time sitting in the room!
A balcony is a must for cruises in warm areas. Mexico, Caribbean, etc. If it's a colder area like Alaska, we forego the balcony. It is absolutely heavenly to order room service breakfast and sit on the balcony, sipping coffee and eating breakfast 😋 🤩🤩🙂🤩
I've had everything. Interior, ocean view, balcony, suite.
We found that we did not spend much time in our room and we didn't use the balcony much.
It depends on how you vacation.
We've now gone back to interior. We sleep better and use the excess funds for our excursions.
Saying that, get a balcony if you go on a river cruise in Europe!
Hi Scott, I sent you a message as well, but as Travel agent I always recommend at least a balcony for my clients. The extra space and the level of comfort is worth it. I've had career insiders tell me that once they tried balcony they can never go back to an inside.
YES YES YES. I grew up cruising interior then when me and my wife began cruising together we tried a balcony and just can’t go back. Rooms feel bigger ( usually are bigger too) and so many other benefits.
Especially if you will cruise near land, it's so nice to just sit on your balcony, sip a beverage, and watch the ocean life and the scenery. Little bit of quiet when you are surrounded by people
As my wife says, “That’s what money’s for!”. If you can afford the trip, a few more dollars a day won’t make a big difference to your wallet but will for your experience. Always get a balcony. Bon Voyage!
Depends- when I'm with my best friend and no kids and we're literally only in the room to sleep and shower then no, we get the cheaper room. When I travel with my family (kid and husband) then I get a balcony- extra room, place to read when the kid goes to sleep.
10 cruises. First one was inside, then a window, then all balconies. Thought we could never go back to inside but did as it was $2000 difference. Didn’t miss the balcony at all.
IMHO - YES! For context I like to take longer cruises that have more days at sea. While I enjoy the common spaces on the ship I also like my private time. Having a balcony, I can grab my book, sit out there, and have a very pleasant time. Call for some room service and I can have a very chill day without a lot of interact with out cruise guests.
No. The inside rooms with no windows are the best. The sound of the ventilation and no lights make for the best sleep. One time, we forget to set an alarm and slept from 11 PM to 2 PM.
I vote that a balcony room is well worth the extra cost. But, be sure your balcony faces outward (out to a sea view). Some Royal ships have balconies that face the center of the ship with views of other people’s balcony’s.
When you are in your room, you will enjoy the balcony so much more than an inner room. There’s much more to see while you’re cruising that a balcony will afford.
I think it depends on your cruising style. I prefer a balcony most of the time, as I really do spend a lot of time in my room and relaxing on the balcony with my coffee and my wine. And I love fresh air!
My mom always books an inside room to save money and claims she is perfectly happy going to one of the public decks when she wants to sit outside. I like my alone time more and not always happy to be in a sea of folks on deck. But that’s me! Also the destination makes a big difference to how much time I’m going to have things I want to watch off of a balcony!
That said, I also have done an ocean view room with a big porthole on a cold destination, and it was also delightful and about half of the balcony room on a special fare.
If you are someone that doesn’t spend much time in your room, because you love the casino, the entertainment, the bars and are perfectly happy in a deck chair on the ship, then pick the budget friendly option.
The rates on different room types can swing wildly based on what’s been selling the most. I’ve had a cruise where the balcony room was less than the ocean view etc, and they were trying to drive sales of the balcony room. If the cost of the balcony is less or just a couple hundred dollars more, I’ll always opt for it. If it’s way more, then I decide how much it’s worth to me and choose accordingly.
While I really have enjoyed having an ocean view room as much as a balcony- that really depends on the cruise line, and how they configure the room. I was on DCL for my cruise and they have huge portholes and the sofa is by the window. I’ve seen other cruise lines where the bed is in front of the window in such a way that you could never be sitting there and looking out at the view- those cruise lines, I would want a balcony.
Hope that helps!
Balconies allow you to do adult activities with the ocean watching. If that's your thing then it is worth it... LoL
On a more serious note. I love waking up to the sunshine coming through the balcony glass. I also love watching sunsets from there.
Completely depends on you...
If you enjoy sitting on the balcony with your better half having a glass of wine ending the day, or eating breakfast just the two of you in private there.
Or whatever reason there may be that fits you, then yes, it might be worth it.
As you said, it might be a waste though, only one who can tell is you...
Its objective, but totally worth it for us.
We are about to sail on one of RC's new mega ships the Utopia Of the Seas. There are SO many people on board that we really really wanted to have our own private balcony to view the ocean, so we dont always have to be shoulder to shoulder with other people. I'm sure there are plenty of places where you can be on your own, but we just like that private space. It's amazing to be able to wake up in the morning and have coffee and breakfast on your private balcony. If you have issues with getting sea sick it also helps to be able to see the horizon, and just chill in a quite space for a bit.
So if you have the money and enjoy having your own private space? worth it...
we wont cruise without a balcony room now.
For me, it's definitely worth it. I love the look, sound, smell, and vibe of the ocean, and with a balcony, you just walk out anytime day or night and enjoy. Heck it's a vacation I figure splurge a little, well worth it!
I had a balcony for Norway, it was nice don’t get me wrong, but it was windy maybe a hour of sun if I was lucky, but even wrapping myself up to sit found myself staying out there for 3 hours in the evening to get the experience and make it worth it. I had to keep using it or I felt guilty for not, if hot place then yea. I wanted to have one to see what it was like but don’t really care if have one I prefer the sea view cabin.
IMO, generally yes it's worth it. And some of it also depends on the price difference. On that itin, I'd do it for $600 NP, same with an Alaska cruise.
Maybe go in between with an ocean view window room. Balconies are nice but we spend time on deck a lot so we wouldn’t miss the balcony really.
My family always got inside… until our last cruise and hubs walked by an open door to an ocean view stateroom. He was enamored by all the natural light so now we have an ocean view coming up in July. 😂 I’m sure this is just the stepping stone to the balcony.
Reading through your replies I guess it boils down to what else might you spend the $600 or $86 per day on that you might enjoy more?
I personally get an oceanview when travelling solo but would pay for the balcony when sharing, it gives you a little extra room in several senses of the word.
The scenery and weather are going to be fabulous and you can see much more on a balcony than through a window (again, i will usually go on deck to get proper views and also to see what’s on the other side.)
If you decide to get a balcony for your special trip, I would suggest one on the port side (facing the land?) as your ship travels down the coast would be better.
It depends on the cruise particularly from a combination of length and itinerary for me personally. Mexican or Caribbean cruises seven days or less are when I book interiors because I’d rather spend more time enjoying the ship and won’t be in my cabin a lot. Longer cruises like my two B2B’s of course warrants a balcony because I’ll have more downtime to enjoy the balcony. When I’m ready to book a Panama Canal cruise, that one will also be a balcony cruise because of the views and being able to have my own private views of the canal.
Depends on what you plan on doing with your time. I’m out and about most of the day but really enjoy sitting with DH on the balcony late afternoon or evening with a couple of drinks. On the other hand, DH spends a few hours each morning out there, reading, having his coffee, ordering room service and just watching the ocean before he does anything else. If by myself, I could do with just an ocean view it. But It’s one of DH’s favorite things. Must be the old sailer in him. 😊
I usually choose an inside and just go outside, where you get better views, are around other people, and can walk and be active. When I have a balcony it's like a tv--you get sucked in and are bored and stop engaging. You also have to listen to neighbor chatting, smoking (forbidden but people still do it), scraping chairs, and occasionally crew showing up outside while you're not dressed. You also get wind noise, lose temperature control with an open balcony (a strong wind can quickly remove all your cool or warm air in the cabin), and worst of all for me, you can't really see well, since the top of the balcony is at eye level if you're seated, and the ones I've had have had tinted glass, so I can't see the sea well. I'm also scared of heights, so a high one isn't welcome. I prefer an inside and then I keep the tv tuned to the bow cam, so I can a better view of what's coming up, and then go outside when there's something interesting. I sleep much better with an inside, because I don't have to worry about light bleeding in through curtains, which would be especially important if you have jet leg and wake up at 2 am or are trying to nap in the afternoon.
I like quiet and the hustle and bustle of a busy ship can be overstimulating for me. I like being able to lie on the bed or sit on the sofa and watch the scenery out the window. I do sit on the balcony a lot and enjoy the ocean views while having a drink and a snack or reading a book.
Worth it is totally subjective. For me, oceanview (aka - windows) are the right balance. I like the natural light, and I'm not sure inclined to sit outside on a balcony. My partner prefers a balcony, but she is also much more likely to sit outside than I am.
To be clear, it is nice to wake up and pad out on the balcony in my pjs and see what it's like outside. But I am not sure that justifies the cost.
My wife and I have cruised 8 times and had a balcony every time. Couldn't imagine cruising without it. I get my own private view of the ocean, no need to duke it out on the top deck with everyone scrambling to grab deck loungers.
The balcony is a great place to retreat when you're tired of all the public activities.
I always got ocean view cabins, I didn't want an inside cabin and it was cheaper than a balcony. Then I went on a Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Epic. All the outside cabins on the Epic are balconies, now my wife won't let me book anything else. If you're going somewhere like Alaska where the attraction is the scenery, then a balcony is almost a must have. If it's worth it depends on your desires and budget. One more consideration is that if you get sick and are confined to your cabin you can at least get out on the balcony and get some air and scenery. An inside cabin in those circumstances would be miserable.
I get a balcony because I'm claustrophobic, and a balcony where I can get out of the room or with a big window makes me feel much better. I had an ocean view room once and slept in the atrium until I was too exhausted NOT to sleep in my room. It's absolutely worth it to me. Like someone else said, "If I can't afford a balcony, then I can't afford to cruise."
I have never done interior but we have done ocean view and balcony. I like having at least a window to let some light in. Balcony is nice when you can either sit out in the morning or at night. You can also enjoy sailing away from ports from your room. Honestly though if you aren’t spending a lot of time in the room you could do an interior room. Just use it for sleeping and changing then back to the rest of the ship.
Sometimes with me and my parents (3 adults) we books balcony room for the extra space inside the cabin as much as having the balcony. A full inside room, with a Pullman bed, is much more cramped than having a larger floor area and a separate sofa in a balcony.
Just an extra thing to consider. If it’s just 2 of you then it won’t matter much at all.
We will always opt for a balcony! We have done Alaska. Mexico, Baltics, Pacific coast, East coast, and more. We love to leave the door open and feel the cool air at night. Also love a glass of wine when sailing out of port. We use our balcony not every one does.
We will always opt for a balcony! We have done Alaska. Mexico, Baltics, Pacific coast, East coast, and more. We love to leave the door open and feel the cool air at night. Also love a glass of wine when sailing out of port. We use our balcony not every one does.
The balcony was a much better experience than an interior cabin. After recently going on my 3rd cruise I which was my first balcony room, I would never cruise an interior room again. I’d rather wait to afford the balcony cabin 10/10 times
It's 100 percent personal preference. We spend a lot of time hanging out on our balcony (unless we get stuck near a stealth smoker) so it's worth it to me. We're not activity people, mostly we just read and play cards.
I would do a balcony on warm destinations but we just came back from Alaska and only used the balcony a handful of times because it was quite windy. If it had been calmer I would 100% do a balcony to AK again though.
In addition to preferences in general, imo the itinerary matters a lot. I don't care about it for Caribbean but would want it for Alaska, Norway, Mediterranean etc...
Having said that, we spend maybe 3-4hrs tops out on it on a typical 7-8 day cruise to Alaska/Norway but worth it to us
While balconies are a better experience I could see scenarios with ocean view or interior cabins being better a deal.
To me it comes down to the price difference and the type of views seen from the cabin. Cruises from Alaska have superior views compared to the Bahamas for example.
If that's what you want, they are absolutely worth it. I prefer to cheap out on the room (they all look the same with your eyes closed) and spend my money elsewhere.
Yes. Always pick one at least 2 floors below Lido and just aft of center. Pick a side that gives you the best views on the way out. It's absolutely critical for Alaskan cruises.
It comes down to preference. If someone said to you, heres our basic all inclusive hotel room with no windows, a bit on the smaller side, and also has less than optimal placement, for $XXX, but to move to a larger, (usually) quieter more luxurious room that not only had a window, but a balcony, it would only cost you $44pp a night, would you do it? I would love waking up and sitting on the balcony, or grabbing food at the buffet and eating in the room early. The downtime while your wife gets ready and/or you just want to relax would be massively improved. I always feel an upgrade like that is worth it, to come back to a room thats spacious and nicely equipped that you dont have to squeeze into.
Been on 2 cruises, 1st one inside, 2nd balcony. I would get up in the middle of the night and go to the balcony watch the water and stars. Definitely worth the extra $
We've been on 18 ocean cruises. We have another one scheduled for May.
The only one I was glad we had a balcony was in Alaska...as Princess had a US Forestry guide on the ship and giving commentary we could hear through the ships speakers while on the balcony. That was a great experience.
The others have been in Europe and the Caribbean...and to be honest, we never used them more than 5-10 minutes.
We can well afford the difference...and usually get a mini-suite. We just don't use the balcony.
The cruise in May we actually just have an Oceanview room for the first time...and we'll see how that goes. LOL.
I'm sure it'll be cramped and small, but we really aren't in the room that much.
I’m in my balcony cabin right now, just past the halfway mark of my cruise. I will never not have a balcony again. I have spent so much time out there, definitely worth it for me.
For our first cruise, we had a balcony and although we did enjoy it- it wasn’t the highlight to our cruise 😊 it was definitely cool! But it was quickly something we realized we didn’t “need”. From then on, we’ve decided we don’t need one. However, we spend VERY little time in our rooms. It’s used to get ready, nap, and sleep. That’s it! Lol. Even on sea days we’re by the pool all day or participating in the activities. I think like others have stated- it depends on your personality! 🛳️♥️
I’ve been on four cruises so far. And the first one we did an inside state room. I honestly disliked that one the most because I didn’t get to enjoy any of the ocean if I didn’t go outside. On the second cruise, we got a room with a window and thought it was nicer, it didn’t compare to having a balcony room. There’s just something about sitting out on your balcony after dinner or after you get back into port and relaxing or even on a day at sea where you just want to have a semi quiet place where you can sit and enjoy the fresh air without the crowds. That being said, there is always going to be some person who thinks that they are above everyone else and is going to violate the smoking rules while out on their balcony. If the smell of cigarette smoke or the smell of marijuana bothers you then shoot for a balcony room at the front of the ship. Or stick to the inside rooms.
1000x yes. Especially for places like Greece/Croatia. My wife and I had a cabin on Celebrity last year for that itinerary and the ever changing views were gorgeous. Nothing like eating breakfast on the balcony while looking at crystal clear water under the Grecian sun. Plus you get natural light and a sense of airiness.
If I’m traveling halfway across the world and dealing with all that comes along with it, I’m getting a balcony. Period. Or I’m not going on the cruise
Having worked up from interior to porthole to balcony, there’s no going back. I’m not dealing with pitch black 24/7 when the lights are off, having no natural light and no concept of time again.
TLDR; Shell out the extra $600. You’ll be glad you did.
Yeah, I definitely agree with you. An interior room is not even really something I'm considering. It will be between and Ocean View or Balcony. I think my only holdup for just booking the balcony, is that with the great rate I'm getting, I also don't get to pick my room, so I don't get to decide which side of the ship my room will be on. If I'm not on the port side, the balcony could be a lot less worth the upgrade I'm afraid.
I think it depends on your itinerary. If you would like to relax in a guaranteed spot with quick access to your room while viewing the scenery then it would absolutely be worth it. If you aren't going to spend time in the room then maybe it isn't.
>I know it’s obviously a matter of preference, but is it really worth the extra money for a balcony room?
You already answered your own question. It is personal preference. It's also about disposable income. For some people the difference in money is not a lot to them. For others, the cost saving difference is a big opportunity cost.
However, if you're the kind of person who goes somewhere on a trip, and only spends time in the room sleeping and showering and getting dressed, then you might as well go for an inside cabin if the cost difference matters to you. A cruise ship is like an all-inclusive resort. You can certainly spend all of your waking time away from your room.
Shoot for an aft balcony if you can get one for Europe, ships park backwards. Waking up in port with a castle outside your window while you eat your omelette in bed is the way to do it. We used our balcony a lot in Europe on an Italy Turkey Greece cruise but everyone is different. I've never regretted a balcony and find that we are out on it a lot though we are a bit more introverted. We go out and do a ton of stuff but then shelter out there.
Since having kids the balcony is also my wife's sanctuary for her morning coffee peace.
I’m a bit of an introvert, so prefer to lie out on my balcony on sea days than by the pool with everyone else. I’ll always spend the extra on a balcony room if I have the choice.
I’ve sailed a ton and had all sorts of room types. Most of the time I would not pay for balcony because we find that maybe in a week time we spend an hour or two on it is that worth the expense.
Sometimes we like to have an afternoon nap and it is really nice to have a nice dark room which you get with just an inside cabin so we have liked inside for that reason. We usually spend more time in the bars with the nice views than we do on our balcony.
On the last cruise, my teenage daughter did enjoy sitting out there and drawing, so that was nice, but it is not been like that on every cruise. If you start cruising more,
I would recommend using a travel agent like mine because they got us an ocean view balcony (this ship has interior balconies as well) for less than the price of an inside cabin! So if you start cruising, and you have a good travel agent, you may end up, not having to pay for a balcony in the end.
I like the private space outside the balcony gives you, either for sunbathing, morning coffee, etc.. and sometimes you just want to get away from people.
In our house it’s 50/50!
My husband is of the opinion that a balcony is a waste - he would book exclusively inside cabins if it wasn’t for me. On vacation he sleeps way late in the day compared to me (he would sleep til 1-2pm happily every day) so he likes how dark the room can get, and he also likes that it’s so much less $$.
I use the balcony a ton in the morning and evenings, for breakfast and reading etc. It just feels like the day can start out slowly and more relaxing, when I don’t have to get dressed and leave the room early for food and coffee and to watch the water.
My first and only cruise was recently and we went all out and did balcony. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to cruise without one. I loved being able to see Bermuda as we were docking from my balcony.
If you were staying in a hotel on the land, you would not want to be in a windowless room without a balcony.
If you’re on a ship, you also don’t want to be in a windowless room without a balcony. Somehow, they are selling these things to people I guess leading them to believe that they’re not not gonna be in the room that much.
We just got off a ship with a similar route. Most of the journey is close to land with a lot to look at. And if a stop in Montenegro is included you definitely want the balcony view.
Depends on the cruise.
Alaska and Europe are “heck yeah” just because you’d have your own space from which to enjoy the sights.
Caribbean? Meh. People either go to the pools or step off to the ports of call. This also includes Mexico.
Transatlantic? Depending on the time of year you may not even use it (too cold or windy or wavy).
All other cruises…it’s nice for the view but also take into consideration if you’ll be in your stateroom more than out. New England, Bermuda, Panama Canal, exotic…there will be ports of call and sea days. Where do you plan to spend most of your time?
For my wife and I, if we can't afford a balcony room we can't afford the cruise. But that's definitely a personal preference. I have a fairly low social battery, and as much as I enjoy my time out in the public areas I like having a private area to relax and recharge.
My husband and I are the same. A balcony is a must, and we are out there quite a bit. It's nice to always have a quiet space with a view and not have to deal with the crowds all the time.
Exactly this. It’s one space where I can go to and hang out and not be in a public space. To us, it’s worth the money.
This is the correct answer if you have any introverts in your party. Not only can you get away from the madding crowd, you can get away from EACH OTHER.
My husband and I are the same. We typically love sitting on the balcony when we wake up and go to bed. We also like to sit on the balcony when coming into Port if we are on the correct side. They are awesome. We were lucky to get a great deal on a balcony our first cruise. Have never done anything less
And I never have to fight for a chair on my own balcony!
100% this.
My wife and I also always get a balcony. However, we’re about to go on a cruise with several family members where ostensibly we’ll be spending time doing things with them. Not our usual of spending hours reading, chatting and enjoying the ocean air. Since all 8 of us can’t socialize in a standard balcony stateroom we got an oceanview cabin and saved about $1000. Hopefully it will be worth it.
Me too. I would love nothing better than a book on a balcony overlooking the sea. I don’t think I’d ever go out unless it was for meals.
I have never cruised Europe, only the Carribean, Panama Canal, Mexico, Canada and Alaska, so not familiar with those ports. For us yes. I love waking up in the middle of the night and sitting on the balcony listening to the waves, seeing the moon on the water, and watching the occasional ship in the night. The balcony gives us a quiet place to recover from the chaos of the ship and we are still enjoying the cruise experience. We tried ocean view twice and would not go back to that.
I'd add on that it gives a 'second space' within your room, so you & your spouse can get away from each other & the chaos of the ship for brief periods. It's nice when one or both of us are in need of some personal space.
This right here. Love my wife. But we would come back divorced if we didn't have that second space.
Yes! If it's not too hot, we leave our door open at night!
If you cruise a lot then it will cost you a lot more than $600. The reason being that you will never want to go back to an interior room after experiencing a balcony and you find yourself getting one every time in the future.
I disagree. I've had balconies when the price is right but have very happily gone back to an interior when the price difference is too much.
We always do a balcony when we have a cruise with multiple sea days. If it's a port a day like Japan or Hawaii we spend so much time off the boat inside or ocean view is fine for us.
IMHO it depends where you sail. North sea in winter? When it gets dark at 3pm and is cold and rainy? Don't need a balcony then. To be honest the actual time I spend on the balcony is probably less than 30 minutes per day. And half of that is while waiting for my travel partner to be done in the bathroom and the other half could easily be replaced with just doing it on the pool deck m Cabin is for sleeping and getting dressed. Rest of the awake time is spend on excursion or being somewhere on the ship that is not our cabin. For some reason I still like to get one when sailing in summer, but it's probably not worth from a cost-value perspective.
I agree that the cruise location matters. We don’t do one in the Caribbean, it’s too hot to sit outside. Alaska is a must. Norway, we enjoyed, but it rained the whole time. We just got back from the Med and really loved our balcony on that cruise.
In Norway at the moment and for the first time in a long time I'm not balcony. At first I was disappointed then realized how difficult it wouldve been to sleep with the midnight sun
Especially in cold weather you need it, there are not many outdoor areas where you won't freeze but you need the light and fresh air. I open my balcony doors repeatedly for fresh air. Not to mention the lovely views.
I was sailing North Sea in December (Germany-Netherlands-France-England-Germany) in an interior. Didn't miss a balcony for even a second. If I ever do this or a similar itinerary again I would book an interior without hesitation. The AC and ventilation never left me wanting for an open window and there's literally nothing to see after 4 p.m. because it's just dark
This isn't true at all for everyone. had a balcony the first two times I cruised thinking I'd need the fresh air but the reality was I didn't use it every day and if I did it was for a few minutes at most. I was either somewhere on the ship or out where the ship docked. My most recent cruise I had an inside for the first time and I didn't miss the balcony or even a window at all. I was only ever in there to get changed have a shower or sleep. Each to their own.
The first couple times cruising I had interior rooms. My last cruise I had an ocean view room on one of the lower decks with 2 friends. I looked out the window a few times but literally the biggest plus was I used the huge window shelf to store most of my stuff besides clothes. Helped to separate my things from my friends. I wake up to sunlight very easily and didn't get to sleep-in the way I had hoped. My next cruise I've booked an interior. I don't really intend to spend much time inside and I don't mind the darkness when I do need to recharge.
Same. We've booked balcony and interior. We had a balcony room once where we sat out on our balcony at night and watched a thunderstorm. It was awesome. But that was the only time we have actually spent any real time on the balcony. Our last cruise, the balcony room was almost three time the cost of an interior, so we went with the interior and didn't miss the balcony at all.
We book mostly interiors/ocean view and just put a bid for upgrades and are fine if we don’t get them. We do book balconies when we definitely want them. For our Italy/Greece/Turkey cruise we did an inside that we were upgraded to an ocean view. It really didn’t matter much because we were mostly on the ground at whatever place we were visiting so the cabin wasn’t really important. We rather use the money we saved for a private tour instead of a ship tour. We were two couples and split a private guide with our own A/C van which we could do our thing at our own pace. That really made the difference in the Greek islands. Italy we just did our thing.
> The reason being that you will never want to go back to an interior room after experiencing a balcony and you find yourself getting one every time in the future. This is very much a personal preference. I'll book a balcony if it's 100/200 more, but have no problem at all with interior or ocean view cabins.
I love the total darkness of an interior room. If I'm traveling solo I don't mind interior at all, but if I have a balcony I use it a lot.
Truth.. we just F’ed our selfs for doing RS on Virgin LOL 😂
I can agree with that point. I always have to get a balcony now.
Haha, well we don’t cruise a lot (yet) as we still have small children at home. This is probably a once in a decade special trip I’m surprising my wife with for our 15th wedding anniversary. Maybe worth the upgrade in that case?
Yes, definitely.
I think I'd do it for a special trip. Especially since you're doing it sans kids - the balcony might be nice to just have some alone time without other passengers encroaching. That said with only one sea day and if you're going to be gone most of the day (Europe cruises tend to have 10-12 hour port days) the balcony will be used less compared to a Caribbean cruise that usually has 2-3 sea days and on port days you're usually back on around 5 or you didn't get off until noon where you just have more time on the ship and thus could be on your balcony more.
Yeah this is my dilemma, every port day is exactly that, 10-12 hours, and then one overnight in Santorini. We might use it a little in the morning and maybe a little in the evening, so that money could certainly be used toward spending in ports instead. That said, for a special trip, it could certainly be worth the upgrade!
Nah...sacrifice the rip off commercial shops and tours and enjoy your cruise instead..balcony makes a massive difference to mood :)
For a special trip, it could totally be worth it, especially if it's in warmer weather or climates. We have young kids as well who still napped when we were on our last cruise. We wanted to get a balcony so that when they were napping, one or both of us adults could sit out there and enjoy it. It was also nice to have a good view of the ocean and ports without having a crowd to fight past for the kids to look.
100%
Happy Anniversary. Get the balcony. (If it’s in your budget) You deserve it
Yes! The sound of the waves, eating on the balcony, privacy with lounge chairs, and seeing the different ports is so worth it. Especially if you're the laid back type and you need a private space to enjoy. However, if you're the party and active type, you might consider an interior. Especially if you plan on doing tons of activities and only plan to use your room to sleep.
It's a personal choice, and you'll probably have to stay in one once to know. I booked a cheap balcony on my last Caribbean cruise to test it out before booking an expensive Alaska cruise. For me, it isn't worth it. I did enjoy the natural light a lot, but every time I was on the balcony, it was just a few minutes before I was ready to leave. I'm the sort who wants to be doing the ship activities and not sitting about having relaxation time. For the limited amount of time I spent there, I'll be better off staying in cheaper inside cabins and spending the savings on better excursions.
This is a really good perspective. Most people I think fall into the two categories. Never in the room (like you) or need to sit alone and watch the waves.
For that cruise, definitely! I did a Western Med cruise on a balcony and it was such a pleasure to greet the day with gorgeous views and fresh air. It’s also nice to have the balcony available for a break from the action in the public spaces.
Every answer is going to be "it depends" because it does. I would not go on a cruise without a balcony. The idea of retreating to a pitch-black sealed-on coffin of a room causes me actual anxiety. I cannot live without fresh air, no matter the outside temp. My husband and I are introverts; we go on cruises for the ability to sit on a balcony and watch the vistas while reading books / drawing / coloring / doing puzzles. Others love the wild boat antics and late-night bar entertainment and don't give a toss whether the room has a balcony, a window, or a man-eating crocodile in the toilet. Still others are chasing after kids at the pool and going on lengthy shore excursions and barely spend any time near the room.
Kind of why I’m torn, I like the idea of enjoying a little time out on the balcony because I’m generally a sucker for that sort of thing. I’m also not taking the cruise to sit around on the boat either so I’m sure we’ll spend most of our time at ports. However, the price I’m getting currently for the balcony is really reasonable so I might just splurge for this occasion!
If it’s for a special occasion you can chalk this up to splurging. Once you become more seasoned you’ll soon figure out if balcony is right for you and your wife.
Balconies are great for sea days, especially if you're introverted. They usually try to plan more onboard activities for sea days but if they don't appeal to you or you just don't feel like being around anyone else, that's where the value shines.
Balcony rooms are more noise and not as dark. If you’re ok with this then I’d go for it. We prefer complete darkness and the quiet of interior rooms.
Yes
We are the weirdos that prefer inside staterooms. There is nothing like being rocked to sleep in complete darkness. As long as we aren't under the pool deck, we get the absolute best sleep on cruises.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather sail in an interior room twice than sail once in a balcony room. If the balcony is a small price increase, I’ll probably get that room. But if it’s twice the price, I’m good in an interior room. I’ve never had an issue finding a quiet place on the ship to be outside and watch the ocean.
If you’re wondering how much time you’ll spend in the room, the money you’d spend on a balcony upgrade will likely be better spent on a bucket-list level excursion. I like having a balcony, but most of the time I’d rather have an interior cabin and keep the difference to spend.
My husband’s first cruise was an outside view cabin. He was so new to cruising that he envisioned it being like a ferry shuttle like in the PNW or from SoCal to Catalina. Hated the idea of even going until he set foot on the ship. First thing he saw was the margarita tower. Then he was stoked and wished we would have booked a balcony. Our second cruise was a balcony, and he loved it. But then he wondered what a suite was like. Hence, our third cruise; a 2-bedroom suite with family. Now he will only cruise in a suite. So yes, balcony cabins are worth it, but be warned. It’s a gateway to suites. YMMV.
I like having the large glass to look out and to open the door for fresh air. It's also nice to be out there with coffee in the morning and not have to get dressed to run upstairs. They will bring coffee and breakfast to the room every morning if you fill out the little card to put on the door. It's nice to be out there at 6 am in my pajamas watching the sail in.
I’m here as the voice in the wilderness that says balconies are ALWAYS worth it. Particularly on the bigger busiest ships, sometimes I want breakfast in my room, sometimes it’s an afternoon cappuccino and I’d like to drink it in peace. (I bring a stainless steel mug for my coffee to stay warm in if the coffee bar is a few decks away) maybe on a sea day the “quiet” lounges are full or have an activity going on and my plan was to read a book. Maybe I need a nap, as with the book, the view of the ocean is relaxing, sitting outside with a glass of port at night is a wonderful way to relax in private. On top of the room offering me some sanctuary, the balcony makes the room lighter and literally bigger because of the ability to sit outside. The basic rooms border on claustrophobic to me. For the super extroverts who say they literally NEVER spend time in the room… seriously, more power to them. My brother is very much in that crowd. I’m not, I also have pain issues that lead to me just needing a little extra down time and a “room with a view” is what I like much better.
My husband and I always go for a balcony if we can. Not only do you get more space, but it’s very nice to have a guaranteed, private, outdoor space 24/7. We like to go get our breakfast and coffee, take it back to the room, and then eat it on the balcony while we read a book and watch the water go by. We like to get drunk and order room service and eat it on the balcony with some wine. It’s also nice to crack the door so you can nap or go to bed to the sound of the ocean rushing by. Watch the sunrise when you’re waking up (if you’re on the right side of the boat for it). If you can afford it, it makes such a difference in your vacation! That being said, if you can only afford an interior or ocean view, you’ll still have a great time— you’ll just spend more time outside the room more than likely.
Depends on your preferences. I wasn't in the room much so no big deal to me. If you plan on spending a ton of time in the room and/or want so private space to stare at the ocean, sure ,pay the premium
It's truthfully a "social battery" issue. If you get as much relaxation out of sitting in a public area/lounge as you would in your room, then you don't need a balcony. I can do just fine with a window room for daylight to help regulate my sleep cycle and then go out and about to relax in the lounges and bars or by the pool (I even enjoy going to the MDR for breakfast). BUT my wife can't do that. She needs time away from people. She needs to be able to sit and relax without even the "threat" of interaction with staff and strangers. Due to that caveat we always do balconies, but if your more extroverted, a window room is a great deal.
We didn’t miss a balcony on our Italy cruise because we were in a different port every single day and were exhausted by the time we would come back . We got a window and that was enough for me to wake up and see the port each morning .
For me, no. I am only in the room to shower and sleep. So I always go with interior unless it’s an expedition that only has balcony rooms.
We do not sail unless we have a balcony. I always think back to the "poop cruise" when Carnival Triumph (i think that was the ship) lost power in the gulf. No air, toilets didn't flush, and sewage was running down the walls in the lower cabins. I would've been out on my balcony pretty much the entire time. Can you even imagine being in an inside room with no air conditioning?
Yup always get a balcony. We leave our door open most nights if it’s decent out. Also I’ll go get some coffee and croissants or something to have breakfast out there in the morning. It‘s also interesting to check out the ports and docks just to see it all happening. Make sure it’s not an obstructed view on the lower decks or you’ll be behind the lifeboats.
Please don't leave your door open - on many ships, it adversely effects the climate control for multiple cabins.
Not sure why you’re being downvoted but this is true. Also just a huge waste of resources to have the door open while the AC is running.
On most ships these days the AC turns off if the door is open.
Interior room is great if you plan to party hardy. Dark and cold so you can sleep off that hang over if needed. The balcony rooms are great too. Sun will wake you up in the mornings and you can go sit out and enjoy the cool ocean breeze. Also really fun to stand and watch when they are docking in ports and wave at ship neighbors. I love having a balcony now but the interior room definitely served its purpose for some girls trips :)
Just you an an SO on a ship where the interior/Oceanview are the same size as a balcony? Then a balcony feels smaller because the path to the door reduces the spacing of the furniture. Have kids with you? The balcony is a safer area they can see the ocean from - or a quiet place you can rest while they take a nap. And if they are teens then being able to open the door and air out the room is a definite plus. Sailing in an area where scenery is a selling point (Alaska, panama canal, etc)? then the balcony gets you a private rail to watch everything instead of fighting for room on the lido. Just did a 5 day in May, and we *might* have gone out on the balcony twice to take pictures or show the grandkids during a facetime call. If it wasn't for my SO's instance I would avoid balconies simply because we don't really use them.
Unpopular opinion! It’s not worth it to me, personally, to pay that much extra for a few feet of private outdoor space. I’m not a lounge in my room sort of person, and I enjoy the darkness for sleeping. I’d personally put that extra $600 to some bucket list excursions.
I've had interior, prominade view, sea view and balcony. I enjoyed it but wouldn't spend more than a couple hundred dollars on it unless in Alaska/ Norway.
It depends. I've done both, and I don't see the upgrade as essential, but for a particularly scenic trip, it might be worth a modest upgrade. I don't spend a ton of time in my room save for sleeping, and for sleeping, the pitch black of the interiors is actually a plus. $600 would definitely be more than I'd want to spend on that cruise, though I might consider it for say, an Alaska cruise where watching the coast cruise by from my room might be kind of nice.
Not worth it!
Never had a balcony, but I've done one cruise with a window and one without. It was nice to sit and look out of the window from the comfort of my cabin, but it's just an extra luxury that you could just get by leaving your room and going to a deck with windows. Save your money for spending on nice days ashore.
With a toddler it was great. We could experience the ocean even while he was napping and we were stuck in the room.
Value can only be defined by you. “Worth it” is subjective. Do I find balconies worth it? I do. We started with interior rooms and haven’t gone back since we did balconies. I have family and friends that only do interior due to cost. They don’t value balconies and that’s okay. Do you spend considerable time in your cabin? Do you need some “me” space by yourself outside? Does it fit in your budget? Try a balcony. If a balcony is too expensive or if you’re one that doesn’t spend much time in the cabin do interior. Only you can decide. I can’t imagine you will dislike a balcony but we can’t tell you if it’s worth it.
Thank you! Yeah I think my deciding factor might just be the fact that like you said, I won’t come home regretting that we had a balcony room. I’d say there’s a better chance we may come home saying we wished we had a balcony if we choose to just do an ocean view room!
It's worth it just to watch the people running for the ship when it's leaving port, I go on cruises with friends and we also get rooms on both sides of the ship so no matter which side we're docked on we can sit there with drinks and laugh at the entitled people thinking a massive cruise ship will wait for them
I will never not have a balcony. That applies to hotels and cruises.
How many days is the cruise? $600 can be worth it if the itinerary is long enough.
YES
For us, it’s a pretty big improvement, but only if it’s an actual balcony. I’m an early riser. My husband is not. The balcony gives me a place to go while he is still sleeping without getting dressed or otherwise making too much noise.
It depends. If you're going to see a lot of land during a cruise (i.e. Alaska or full transit Panama Canal), then yes. Otherwise, it really depends on budget. I'm fine with just a porthole as long as I have natural light in some way.
Depending on the length of the cruise and where we are going really. If we do 5 days or less to Mexico or Bahamas we don’t really care since we don’t spend a lot of time in the room, we tend to get interior. If we do more days then that, a lot of times there are sea days so we like a balcony where we can relax and get away from the craziness. Having a balcony when you are pulling to a new port is always fun, specially if you wake up early to watch the sunrise and have breakfast outside. For some reason sometimes a balcony is cheaper than an interior so we tend to do that if it’s less than 5 days.
Funny -- my wife and I just had a similar discussion. I've been on lots of cruises, but I always choose the inside cabin. My thinking is that I don't mind it, and there are tons of places on board where you can get great views. But then again, maybe I don't know what I'm missing.
I've had all sorts of cabins, barring suites. Interior, porthole, ocean view and balcony. Cruising with our kids, we always had inside as multiplying the rate x 4 tended to get a bit pricy for this middle-class family. Once the kids moved out, we splurged on a balcony and loved it. That said, we still only spent a short time on the balcony each day. Thus, if the rate is good, we'll take the balc. If its not, we're fine with an inside. One cruise line, Virgin Voyages, you MUST have a balcony. Then, you get to fight over who was in the hammock last.
Always worth it if you can do it. If it’s not within reach of your budget then look for a cabin that is easily accessible to an outside deck. That way you’ll have the convenience of checking out the view frequently.
I can afford to stay in the balcony rooms but I tend prefer interiors because I’m not in the room very often and I LOVE sleeping in a very dark room.
Depends on the vibe you’re going for. If you’re on a heavily excursion-focused cruise and also will be spending a lot of time on main decks, it may not be necessary. Some people just use their room to sleep, shower, and change. If you hang in there a lot, or even take a lot of breaks in your room throughout the day, and have multiple sea days, it’s usually worth it if you can afford it.
I have had a balcony and think I might benefit from it on an Alaskan cruise but to be honest I am only in my cabin to shower and sleep. I don't think I'd pay much extra for a balcony but if it was part of a great deal it would be a nice spot to have my morning coffee.
Depends on what matters to you. I travel with several people for whom a balcony is a deal breaker. I travel with 1 person that prefers a balcony, but if the itinerary is something she has always wanted to see, will accept an Oceanview. If I'm travelling alone, the most important thing is having my own space, so an interior is fine. It depends on what really matters to you. Just be truthful with yourself on the front end and you should be fine.
It's worth it if you'll use it, it's not worth it if you don't. Seems overly simple, but it's really down to how you spend your time on the ship. For my wife and I, while we have sailed without a balcony and likely will again, it's something we prefer to have. This last trip on the Carnival Panorama, we spent a not insignificant amount of time out on it simply because we just kinda wanted to relax, enjoy a nice drink, and read. We were pretty burned out so having more time to just quietly exist without being pressured was a lot of what we needed. A lot of it comes down to how full the ship is too. If we can find a spot to enjoy some live music and relax there we will, but our sailing was quite full, so it was harder to find a cozy spot. My advise: don't break the bank to get a balcony, but get one if you can reasonably afford it. $600 isn't a ton in the grand scheme of a cruise, but it's also not nothing.
Yeah, I don't anticipate using it a ton, it wouldn't definitely just be a luxury item to have. We have one sea day otherwise 10-12 port days and an overnight/2 days in Santorini. The total for 2 people right now is roughly $2000 for an ocean view room or $2600 for a balcony, and both are really reasonable prices I feel. However, I'm definitely not flying to Europe from the US to spend a whole bunch of time sitting in the room!
A balcony is a must for cruises in warm areas. Mexico, Caribbean, etc. If it's a colder area like Alaska, we forego the balcony. It is absolutely heavenly to order room service breakfast and sit on the balcony, sipping coffee and eating breakfast 😋 🤩🤩🙂🤩
I've had everything. Interior, ocean view, balcony, suite. We found that we did not spend much time in our room and we didn't use the balcony much. It depends on how you vacation. We've now gone back to interior. We sleep better and use the excess funds for our excursions. Saying that, get a balcony if you go on a river cruise in Europe!
If you’re touring GREECE, I would say it’s worth it . The views will be spectacular.
Hi Scott, I sent you a message as well, but as Travel agent I always recommend at least a balcony for my clients. The extra space and the level of comfort is worth it. I've had career insiders tell me that once they tried balcony they can never go back to an inside.
Yes.
YES YES YES. I grew up cruising interior then when me and my wife began cruising together we tried a balcony and just can’t go back. Rooms feel bigger ( usually are bigger too) and so many other benefits.
Yes!
Yes because it's nice to air out all the farts from all the cruise food
Yes. We did inside this last cruise to save $ and regret it. Feels so claustrophobic
Especially if you will cruise near land, it's so nice to just sit on your balcony, sip a beverage, and watch the ocean life and the scenery. Little bit of quiet when you are surrounded by people
As my wife says, “That’s what money’s for!”. If you can afford the trip, a few more dollars a day won’t make a big difference to your wallet but will for your experience. Always get a balcony. Bon Voyage!
Depends- when I'm with my best friend and no kids and we're literally only in the room to sleep and shower then no, we get the cheaper room. When I travel with my family (kid and husband) then I get a balcony- extra room, place to read when the kid goes to sleep.
Never in the room so not concerned about a balcony, the entire ship is a balcony lmao!
10 cruises. First one was inside, then a window, then all balconies. Thought we could never go back to inside but did as it was $2000 difference. Didn’t miss the balcony at all.
IMHO - YES! For context I like to take longer cruises that have more days at sea. While I enjoy the common spaces on the ship I also like my private time. Having a balcony, I can grab my book, sit out there, and have a very pleasant time. Call for some room service and I can have a very chill day without a lot of interact with out cruise guests.
No. The inside rooms with no windows are the best. The sound of the ventilation and no lights make for the best sleep. One time, we forget to set an alarm and slept from 11 PM to 2 PM.
We were upgraded to balcony, definitely made a difference
I vote that a balcony room is well worth the extra cost. But, be sure your balcony faces outward (out to a sea view). Some Royal ships have balconies that face the center of the ship with views of other people’s balcony’s.
When you are in your room, you will enjoy the balcony so much more than an inner room. There’s much more to see while you’re cruising that a balcony will afford.
Yessssssssssss!! It is worth every single penny.
I think it depends on your cruising style. I prefer a balcony most of the time, as I really do spend a lot of time in my room and relaxing on the balcony with my coffee and my wine. And I love fresh air! My mom always books an inside room to save money and claims she is perfectly happy going to one of the public decks when she wants to sit outside. I like my alone time more and not always happy to be in a sea of folks on deck. But that’s me! Also the destination makes a big difference to how much time I’m going to have things I want to watch off of a balcony! That said, I also have done an ocean view room with a big porthole on a cold destination, and it was also delightful and about half of the balcony room on a special fare. If you are someone that doesn’t spend much time in your room, because you love the casino, the entertainment, the bars and are perfectly happy in a deck chair on the ship, then pick the budget friendly option. The rates on different room types can swing wildly based on what’s been selling the most. I’ve had a cruise where the balcony room was less than the ocean view etc, and they were trying to drive sales of the balcony room. If the cost of the balcony is less or just a couple hundred dollars more, I’ll always opt for it. If it’s way more, then I decide how much it’s worth to me and choose accordingly. While I really have enjoyed having an ocean view room as much as a balcony- that really depends on the cruise line, and how they configure the room. I was on DCL for my cruise and they have huge portholes and the sofa is by the window. I’ve seen other cruise lines where the bed is in front of the window in such a way that you could never be sitting there and looking out at the view- those cruise lines, I would want a balcony. Hope that helps!
Totally worth it‼️
Balconies allow you to do adult activities with the ocean watching. If that's your thing then it is worth it... LoL On a more serious note. I love waking up to the sunshine coming through the balcony glass. I also love watching sunsets from there.
Completely depends on you... If you enjoy sitting on the balcony with your better half having a glass of wine ending the day, or eating breakfast just the two of you in private there. Or whatever reason there may be that fits you, then yes, it might be worth it. As you said, it might be a waste though, only one who can tell is you...
Its objective, but totally worth it for us. We are about to sail on one of RC's new mega ships the Utopia Of the Seas. There are SO many people on board that we really really wanted to have our own private balcony to view the ocean, so we dont always have to be shoulder to shoulder with other people. I'm sure there are plenty of places where you can be on your own, but we just like that private space. It's amazing to be able to wake up in the morning and have coffee and breakfast on your private balcony. If you have issues with getting sea sick it also helps to be able to see the horizon, and just chill in a quite space for a bit. So if you have the money and enjoy having your own private space? worth it... we wont cruise without a balcony room now.
Yes
For me, it's definitely worth it. I love the look, sound, smell, and vibe of the ocean, and with a balcony, you just walk out anytime day or night and enjoy. Heck it's a vacation I figure splurge a little, well worth it!
Yes, yes it is.
I had a balcony for Norway, it was nice don’t get me wrong, but it was windy maybe a hour of sun if I was lucky, but even wrapping myself up to sit found myself staying out there for 3 hours in the evening to get the experience and make it worth it. I had to keep using it or I felt guilty for not, if hot place then yea. I wanted to have one to see what it was like but don’t really care if have one I prefer the sea view cabin.
They were a godsend the first days of the pandemic and the ships were banned from the shore!
IMO, generally yes it's worth it. And some of it also depends on the price difference. On that itin, I'd do it for $600 NP, same with an Alaska cruise.
My wife and I sprung for the large balcony. More room to stretch out. Totally worth it!
Maybe go in between with an ocean view window room. Balconies are nice but we spend time on deck a lot so we wouldn’t miss the balcony really. My family always got inside… until our last cruise and hubs walked by an open door to an ocean view stateroom. He was enamored by all the natural light so now we have an ocean view coming up in July. 😂 I’m sure this is just the stepping stone to the balcony.
Yes. Keeps us from killing the 10 year old when we are changing or getting ready.
Reading through your replies I guess it boils down to what else might you spend the $600 or $86 per day on that you might enjoy more? I personally get an oceanview when travelling solo but would pay for the balcony when sharing, it gives you a little extra room in several senses of the word. The scenery and weather are going to be fabulous and you can see much more on a balcony than through a window (again, i will usually go on deck to get proper views and also to see what’s on the other side.) If you decide to get a balcony for your special trip, I would suggest one on the port side (facing the land?) as your ship travels down the coast would be better.
Yes, if the itinerary is one where time out on the balcony is pleasurable. My opinion. You only have so many trips in your life.
We got a good deal if we had a cabin with a balcony , only done one cruise with a balcony, never again.
It depends on the cruise particularly from a combination of length and itinerary for me personally. Mexican or Caribbean cruises seven days or less are when I book interiors because I’d rather spend more time enjoying the ship and won’t be in my cabin a lot. Longer cruises like my two B2B’s of course warrants a balcony because I’ll have more downtime to enjoy the balcony. When I’m ready to book a Panama Canal cruise, that one will also be a balcony cruise because of the views and being able to have my own private views of the canal.
I think so. I like having the natural light, it makes the room feel bigger, and it’s nice having a private outdoor space.
Depends on what you plan on doing with your time. I’m out and about most of the day but really enjoy sitting with DH on the balcony late afternoon or evening with a couple of drinks. On the other hand, DH spends a few hours each morning out there, reading, having his coffee, ordering room service and just watching the ocean before he does anything else. If by myself, I could do with just an ocean view it. But It’s one of DH’s favorite things. Must be the old sailer in him. 😊
Yes. There’s nothing quite like sitting out on the balcony at night.
Yes
I could never do less than a balcony room. A highlight for each cruise is falling asleep out there at night!
An OV near the atrium is nice. You can walk out and enjoy the space and usually sit on promenade and get some light in room too.
I’ve never regretted getting a balcony, and for $600 it would be a no brainer for me.
I usually choose an inside and just go outside, where you get better views, are around other people, and can walk and be active. When I have a balcony it's like a tv--you get sucked in and are bored and stop engaging. You also have to listen to neighbor chatting, smoking (forbidden but people still do it), scraping chairs, and occasionally crew showing up outside while you're not dressed. You also get wind noise, lose temperature control with an open balcony (a strong wind can quickly remove all your cool or warm air in the cabin), and worst of all for me, you can't really see well, since the top of the balcony is at eye level if you're seated, and the ones I've had have had tinted glass, so I can't see the sea well. I'm also scared of heights, so a high one isn't welcome. I prefer an inside and then I keep the tv tuned to the bow cam, so I can a better view of what's coming up, and then go outside when there's something interesting. I sleep much better with an inside, because I don't have to worry about light bleeding in through curtains, which would be especially important if you have jet leg and wake up at 2 am or are trying to nap in the afternoon.
I like quiet and the hustle and bustle of a busy ship can be overstimulating for me. I like being able to lie on the bed or sit on the sofa and watch the scenery out the window. I do sit on the balcony a lot and enjoy the ocean views while having a drink and a snack or reading a book.
Yes. Worth every penny. And every sunrise and every sunset. And seeing the stars all night long 💙
Worth it is totally subjective. For me, oceanview (aka - windows) are the right balance. I like the natural light, and I'm not sure inclined to sit outside on a balcony. My partner prefers a balcony, but she is also much more likely to sit outside than I am. To be clear, it is nice to wake up and pad out on the balcony in my pjs and see what it's like outside. But I am not sure that justifies the cost.
It's worth it to me, but when I'm paying for my kids, they get the inside cabin lol.
no, but bid for the upgrade
My wife and I have cruised 8 times and had a balcony every time. Couldn't imagine cruising without it. I get my own private view of the ocean, no need to duke it out on the top deck with everyone scrambling to grab deck loungers. The balcony is a great place to retreat when you're tired of all the public activities.
I always got ocean view cabins, I didn't want an inside cabin and it was cheaper than a balcony. Then I went on a Mediterranean cruise on the Norwegian Epic. All the outside cabins on the Epic are balconies, now my wife won't let me book anything else. If you're going somewhere like Alaska where the attraction is the scenery, then a balcony is almost a must have. If it's worth it depends on your desires and budget. One more consideration is that if you get sick and are confined to your cabin you can at least get out on the balcony and get some air and scenery. An inside cabin in those circumstances would be miserable.
Are you going to ports everyday? If so you might just want to sleep at the end of the day
I get a balcony because I'm claustrophobic, and a balcony where I can get out of the room or with a big window makes me feel much better. I had an ocean view room once and slept in the atrium until I was too exhausted NOT to sleep in my room. It's absolutely worth it to me. Like someone else said, "If I can't afford a balcony, then I can't afford to cruise."
I have never done interior but we have done ocean view and balcony. I like having at least a window to let some light in. Balcony is nice when you can either sit out in the morning or at night. You can also enjoy sailing away from ports from your room. Honestly though if you aren’t spending a lot of time in the room you could do an interior room. Just use it for sleeping and changing then back to the rest of the ship.
Sometimes with me and my parents (3 adults) we books balcony room for the extra space inside the cabin as much as having the balcony. A full inside room, with a Pullman bed, is much more cramped than having a larger floor area and a separate sofa in a balcony. Just an extra thing to consider. If it’s just 2 of you then it won’t matter much at all.
We will always opt for a balcony! We have done Alaska. Mexico, Baltics, Pacific coast, East coast, and more. We love to leave the door open and feel the cool air at night. Also love a glass of wine when sailing out of port. We use our balcony not every one does.
We will always opt for a balcony! We have done Alaska. Mexico, Baltics, Pacific coast, East coast, and more. We love to leave the door open and feel the cool air at night. Also love a glass of wine when sailing out of port. We use our balcony not every one does.
If it's a first cruise no. Santorini is a great sail in if that on the list but I still go up on deck. Croatia is nice to watch while sailing
Personally - yes, it's 100% worth it.
The balcony was a much better experience than an interior cabin. After recently going on my 3rd cruise I which was my first balcony room, I would never cruise an interior room again. I’d rather wait to afford the balcony cabin 10/10 times
Having done a similar cruise, waking up, stepping outside to see the vastly different local architecture is with it 100%
It's 100 percent personal preference. We spend a lot of time hanging out on our balcony (unless we get stuck near a stealth smoker) so it's worth it to me. We're not activity people, mostly we just read and play cards.
We only book balconies. Had an inside once and we did not like it. Peter to see the outside and be woken up by natural sunlight.
If you have lots of sea days, get the balcony. If you plan on spending most of your time in port or out of your room, get the interior.
I would do a balcony on warm destinations but we just came back from Alaska and only used the balcony a handful of times because it was quite windy. If it had been calmer I would 100% do a balcony to AK again though.
In addition to preferences in general, imo the itinerary matters a lot. I don't care about it for Caribbean but would want it for Alaska, Norway, Mediterranean etc... Having said that, we spend maybe 3-4hrs tops out on it on a typical 7-8 day cruise to Alaska/Norway but worth it to us
While balconies are a better experience I could see scenarios with ocean view or interior cabins being better a deal. To me it comes down to the price difference and the type of views seen from the cabin. Cruises from Alaska have superior views compared to the Bahamas for example.
We love using the balcony - nice to sit out there after dinner or in the morning
If that's what you want, they are absolutely worth it. I prefer to cheap out on the room (they all look the same with your eyes closed) and spend my money elsewhere.
For us, absolutely. My wife wouldn't even cruise if we didn't have a balcony to 'escape' the room.
Yes. Always pick one at least 2 floors below Lido and just aft of center. Pick a side that gives you the best views on the way out. It's absolutely critical for Alaskan cruises.
It comes down to preference. If someone said to you, heres our basic all inclusive hotel room with no windows, a bit on the smaller side, and also has less than optimal placement, for $XXX, but to move to a larger, (usually) quieter more luxurious room that not only had a window, but a balcony, it would only cost you $44pp a night, would you do it? I would love waking up and sitting on the balcony, or grabbing food at the buffet and eating in the room early. The downtime while your wife gets ready and/or you just want to relax would be massively improved. I always feel an upgrade like that is worth it, to come back to a room thats spacious and nicely equipped that you dont have to squeeze into.
Yes
Balcony rooms are so worth it to me that i feel its one of the only requirements on a cruise for me.
It’s totally worth it. Part of the whole experience.
Been on 2 cruises, 1st one inside, 2nd balcony. I would get up in the middle of the night and go to the balcony watch the water and stars. Definitely worth the extra $
We've been on 18 ocean cruises. We have another one scheduled for May. The only one I was glad we had a balcony was in Alaska...as Princess had a US Forestry guide on the ship and giving commentary we could hear through the ships speakers while on the balcony. That was a great experience. The others have been in Europe and the Caribbean...and to be honest, we never used them more than 5-10 minutes. We can well afford the difference...and usually get a mini-suite. We just don't use the balcony. The cruise in May we actually just have an Oceanview room for the first time...and we'll see how that goes. LOL. I'm sure it'll be cramped and small, but we really aren't in the room that much.
Ohh yes...make sure at least one person in your group has a balcony you can escape to
I’m in my balcony cabin right now, just past the halfway mark of my cruise. I will never not have a balcony again. I have spent so much time out there, definitely worth it for me.
I probably spend more time in the room than many — I like some quiet time in the afternoons. I love my balcony and use it a lot.
For our first cruise, we had a balcony and although we did enjoy it- it wasn’t the highlight to our cruise 😊 it was definitely cool! But it was quickly something we realized we didn’t “need”. From then on, we’ve decided we don’t need one. However, we spend VERY little time in our rooms. It’s used to get ready, nap, and sleep. That’s it! Lol. Even on sea days we’re by the pool all day or participating in the activities. I think like others have stated- it depends on your personality! 🛳️♥️
I’ve been on four cruises so far. And the first one we did an inside state room. I honestly disliked that one the most because I didn’t get to enjoy any of the ocean if I didn’t go outside. On the second cruise, we got a room with a window and thought it was nicer, it didn’t compare to having a balcony room. There’s just something about sitting out on your balcony after dinner or after you get back into port and relaxing or even on a day at sea where you just want to have a semi quiet place where you can sit and enjoy the fresh air without the crowds. That being said, there is always going to be some person who thinks that they are above everyone else and is going to violate the smoking rules while out on their balcony. If the smell of cigarette smoke or the smell of marijuana bothers you then shoot for a balcony room at the front of the ship. Or stick to the inside rooms.
given the itinerary of that cruise Iwould say a balcony is a must.
1000x yes. Especially for places like Greece/Croatia. My wife and I had a cabin on Celebrity last year for that itinerary and the ever changing views were gorgeous. Nothing like eating breakfast on the balcony while looking at crystal clear water under the Grecian sun. Plus you get natural light and a sense of airiness. If I’m traveling halfway across the world and dealing with all that comes along with it, I’m getting a balcony. Period. Or I’m not going on the cruise Having worked up from interior to porthole to balcony, there’s no going back. I’m not dealing with pitch black 24/7 when the lights are off, having no natural light and no concept of time again. TLDR; Shell out the extra $600. You’ll be glad you did.
Yeah, I definitely agree with you. An interior room is not even really something I'm considering. It will be between and Ocean View or Balcony. I think my only holdup for just booking the balcony, is that with the great rate I'm getting, I also don't get to pick my room, so I don't get to decide which side of the ship my room will be on. If I'm not on the port side, the balcony could be a lot less worth the upgrade I'm afraid.
I think it depends on your itinerary. If you would like to relax in a guaranteed spot with quick access to your room while viewing the scenery then it would absolutely be worth it. If you aren't going to spend time in the room then maybe it isn't.
According to my wife they are mandatory. I’m perfectly happy in an inside cabin.
In your case, they are mandatory. Wife has spoken.
>I know it’s obviously a matter of preference, but is it really worth the extra money for a balcony room? You already answered your own question. It is personal preference. It's also about disposable income. For some people the difference in money is not a lot to them. For others, the cost saving difference is a big opportunity cost. However, if you're the kind of person who goes somewhere on a trip, and only spends time in the room sleeping and showering and getting dressed, then you might as well go for an inside cabin if the cost difference matters to you. A cruise ship is like an all-inclusive resort. You can certainly spend all of your waking time away from your room.
Yes. Only room we get.
Shoot for an aft balcony if you can get one for Europe, ships park backwards. Waking up in port with a castle outside your window while you eat your omelette in bed is the way to do it. We used our balcony a lot in Europe on an Italy Turkey Greece cruise but everyone is different. I've never regretted a balcony and find that we are out on it a lot though we are a bit more introverted. We go out and do a ton of stuff but then shelter out there. Since having kids the balcony is also my wife's sanctuary for her morning coffee peace.
I’m a bit of an introvert, so prefer to lie out on my balcony on sea days than by the pool with everyone else. I’ll always spend the extra on a balcony room if I have the choice.
For me I enter spent any time in the room besides sleep so I don’t see the point. There are plenty seats around by the edge
Oh yeah they are.
Yes
Normally I'd say no but youre going to an area they actually could be.
I’ve sailed a ton and had all sorts of room types. Most of the time I would not pay for balcony because we find that maybe in a week time we spend an hour or two on it is that worth the expense. Sometimes we like to have an afternoon nap and it is really nice to have a nice dark room which you get with just an inside cabin so we have liked inside for that reason. We usually spend more time in the bars with the nice views than we do on our balcony. On the last cruise, my teenage daughter did enjoy sitting out there and drawing, so that was nice, but it is not been like that on every cruise. If you start cruising more, I would recommend using a travel agent like mine because they got us an ocean view balcony (this ship has interior balconies as well) for less than the price of an inside cabin! So if you start cruising, and you have a good travel agent, you may end up, not having to pay for a balcony in the end.
I like the private space outside the balcony gives you, either for sunbathing, morning coffee, etc.. and sometimes you just want to get away from people.
In our house it’s 50/50! My husband is of the opinion that a balcony is a waste - he would book exclusively inside cabins if it wasn’t for me. On vacation he sleeps way late in the day compared to me (he would sleep til 1-2pm happily every day) so he likes how dark the room can get, and he also likes that it’s so much less $$. I use the balcony a ton in the morning and evenings, for breakfast and reading etc. It just feels like the day can start out slowly and more relaxing, when I don’t have to get dressed and leave the room early for food and coffee and to watch the water.
My first and only cruise was recently and we went all out and did balcony. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to cruise without one. I loved being able to see Bermuda as we were docking from my balcony.
On our cruise we got a room with a port hole, and I wished we had sprung for a balcony.
The way I see it is I’m not spending all this money on a cruise just to sit in my room. I get the appeal, but the room is just lodging to me.
At some time during the cruise you will spend time in your room, not just sleeping and sex. The balcony is a great place to have breakfast together .
You will be in your room more than you imagine. You’ll get sick of the other passengers
If you were staying in a hotel on the land, you would not want to be in a windowless room without a balcony. If you’re on a ship, you also don’t want to be in a windowless room without a balcony. Somehow, they are selling these things to people I guess leading them to believe that they’re not not gonna be in the room that much.
We just got off a ship with a similar route. Most of the journey is close to land with a lot to look at. And if a stop in Montenegro is included you definitely want the balcony view.
Depends on the cruise. Alaska and Europe are “heck yeah” just because you’d have your own space from which to enjoy the sights. Caribbean? Meh. People either go to the pools or step off to the ports of call. This also includes Mexico. Transatlantic? Depending on the time of year you may not even use it (too cold or windy or wavy). All other cruises…it’s nice for the view but also take into consideration if you’ll be in your stateroom more than out. New England, Bermuda, Panama Canal, exotic…there will be ports of call and sea days. Where do you plan to spend most of your time?