Could someone give me a little insight as to how much better a balcony is, I would like a visual from a cruisers perspective. I am a first time cruiser.
Well I like the balcony so you can sit outside and relax or if you are in your room you can leave the door open and get a nice little breeze instead of having just a window and sometimes in my opinion the room can get stuffy and the balcony rooms are a little bigger, but not much I believe. So that is why I prefer a balcony.
Posts: 110 | Location: Modesto, Ca. | Registered: June 01, 2006
If the balcony will not strain your budget, go for the balcony. It is great to sit outside of your room with a morning cup of coffee watching the sunrise. It is great to sit outside of your room in the evening with a drink of choice watching the sunset. Watching the sail-aways or docking in the ports of call is wonderful. When you're going to sleep at night, it is wonderful to have the door open to listen to the waves hitting the side of the ship as she glides through the water. There's a little extra room in the cabin as well. Just my opinion, however. Have a wonderful cruise!!
If you would like to out outside with out having to leave you own cabin you need one. How much better is a balcony? It's worth a few hundred dollars for me to have one.
I think balcony is a unanimous choice....If it is in the budget that is the only way to go and it makes extra-curricular activities a little more exciting!!!
Posts: 110 | Location: Modesto, Ca. | Registered: June 01, 2006
Good Morning Everyone. My first cruise is in January 2007 and we chose a balcony as well, I'm so glad we did. Actually there is 3 of us so we chose to go with a Jr. Suite which has a little bigger balcony. I am soooo excited, I have never been on a cruise before, so it feels like a looooong time until we go, but I'm sure it will be worth the wait. Have a great day everyone.
The balcony way amazing and worth every dollar we paid. Having coffee in the morning and drinks in the evening on our "own" private space was well worth it. I would however stay away from deck 6 on Adventure. You are constrained from looking down as it is obstructed but otherwise it was well worth it. Enjoy!
we had outside cabins twice and for our Panama cruise we chose balcony (& got upgraded to a minisuite) will never go back! our agent warned us that would happen .. well worth the extra cost
In just about all upgrades, you do not get a larger cabin. You get moved to a higher deck in the same sized cabin. In some cases people get a "real" upgrade and get moved to a larger cabin. It doesn't happen often. In any case, if the cruise line does the upgrading you don't have to pay anything more than what you already did.
it was with Princess - we booked early and our agent kept watching for specials that they were offering - every time one came out, if we were eligible she would have us take advantage of it. So we went from an balcony to a minisuite plus she found us a resident special. We try to book early now (and stay with an agent that keeps an eye on the promotions)
good choice! That's what we decided too for our first cruise, I can't wait. 
.. well worth the extra cost
