There is an saying in the cruise business that once you cruise in a balcony cabin, you won’t go back to anything less.
There are times and destinations when you should pay the extra to book a balcony cabin and times when you might want to save that money.
Here are some things to consider.
How long is your cruise? 7 nights of more means you probably have some time to sit out there and enjoy the cruise and scenery. A short 3 night to Nassau and it might not be worth the extra $$.
What is the price difference between the oceanview and the balcony cabin? At the same time see what the price difference is between the balcony cabin and a mini-suite. It might not be that much more to upgrade to a suite and all of the amenities a suite might offer you.
Where are you going? Some destinations are more prone to offer more of an incentive to get a balcony. Cruises to Alaska, Canada/New England, Caribbean, Bermuda, Hawaii, Mexico, Panama Canal, the Med, Norwegian Fjords are all good choices along with Trans-Atlantic and other repositioning cruises.
Some destinations where the weather will be hot and humid like Southeast Asia, it might be uncomfortable to sit on the balcony. Some like Scandinavia, might be too cool to enjoy sitting outside.
How large is the balcony? Some cruise ships have what we call “french” balconies. These are so small sometimes there is enough room for you to stand on the “balcony”, most of the time not. Consider the location of the balcony as many times the cabins at the front or back of the ship offer much large balconies than cabins on the side of the ship. However even cabins on the side of the ship can have different sizes of balconies depending on where they are located. Corner cabins also tend to have larger than normal balconies.
How much privacy will you have on your balcony? Do the balconies on the decks above your cabin overlook your balcony? Is it set in such a way that others in balconies on your deck can even see into your balcony? Also how close to the open public areas by the pool deck is your cabin? The music and sounds from the pool area can overflow into your balcony space making it seem as if you are up on the pool deck when you want to serenity time.
Is the view from your balcony going to be unobstructed? No fun getting to your cabin and finding your balcony has a life boat next to it or right above it. Some cruise ships have balconies where more than 50% of the view is obstructed by parts of the ship. Good to know if you are going to be paying extra to know what you are getting in the way of a view from your balcony.
Is there a chance you book an oceanview cabin and can upgrade when you check-in to a balcony or that the cruise line will call you and upgrade you or offer you a low price to upgrade? Well as you know in the travel business anything is possible. Likely? No. Always book the minimum cabin you will be happy with and if you get an upgrade or can later buy an upgrade to a balcony for just a few dollars grab it. But don’t ever book an oceanview thinking you will get a balcony cabin when you get to the ship. You will end up disappointed much more often than not.
Interested in booking a balcony cabin on a cruise at an interline rate? Contact InterlineTravel.com at 800 766-2911 and you won’t have to pay the booking fees many other interline agencies add on to the price.
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