I am looking to book a cruise on princess however the cabins that I want to book are the suite cabins on the dolphin deck. Unfortunately I have read countless reviews saying that the balconies on this deck are not private and people on the decks above can look down into the balcony. Is this true?

Yes, it is true that the mini-suite balconies on Dolphin Deck are open and can be seen from above; but I have booked these cabins many times and I can tell you from experience that the passengers above have always been very respectful of the privacy of those below. Those above have to go to their railing and look down to see into your balcony; and this just does not happen on a regular basis.

However, if this is a concern to you, the mini-suites on Emerald Deck (one deck below Dolphin) are exactly the same, but their balconies are covered by the balconies on Dolphin deck; and they are less expensive. The trade-off is that the cabins are not as light and airy as the cabins on Dolphin Deck.

Another alternative would be Caribe Deck. The Caribe Deck cabins are not as large as the mini-suites; but the balconies are about the same size, and they are partially covered by the balconies above on Baja Deck.

Privacy on the balconies on Dolphin deck are really only an issue if you want to stand or recline nude. My travel companion would sometimes walk outside partially dressed and so Dolphin was out of the question.

thank you for your comments..... i was on my first cruise two weeks ago and had a balcony which was very private. Unfortunately on the last day of the cruise i got an eyeful. I was on the aft side of the boat and wanted to watch the sunrise on the last day of the cruise so i leaned over the railing to get a better look of the sunrise and found that my nieghbor had gone on the balcony naked. So i guess if you do lean over you may see more than you want... lesson learned!

Any other comments

thank you for your comments. I learned a lesson two weeks ago on my first cruise about the privacy of balconies. I had a suite on the aft side of the boat and wanted to watch the sunrise on the last day of the cruise. I leaned over the balcony to get a better look at the sunrise and found that my neighbor was watching the sunrise as well..... naked! I guess I learned a lesson about the privacy of balconies!

will look into the other decks as well... thank you!