My friend and I are in the midst of trying to decide which will give us more space..specifically we're thinking of the Sea Princess and looking at their cabins with balcony..our question is..how much space does the balcony take away from the actual "living" area in the cabin itself? I know that the balcony is considered part of the cabin size but does that result in sacrificing the inner space? Would we feel cramped in the actual cabin if we got a balcony? I love the idea of a balcony..but I'm afraid of bumping into my friend every time I turn around? The overall size of the cabin would be 178 sq. feet..but I"m having trouble visualizing that...help!<BR><BR>Thanks so much for any answers you might have..

Sometimes Paul has a good idea so I'll pass it along - in your living room, takes some pillows or something and mark off an area roughly 18 by 10 feet and that will be your cabin size. Now visualize about five feet of one end being your balcony door and see how that might interfere with getting around in your cabin space.

Everyone who has ever had a balcony on a cruise has always wanted to have on after that. Deos that give you a clue as to how nice it is? Another thing to consider is that the balcony makes your room see larger, because you have a floor to ceiling glass door instead of a window or a porthole. But the VERY BEST THINg is being able to just step outside any time you wish, without having to get dressed and get in an elevator or run up a couple of flights of stairs! What do you think about that!

Thank you for your responses. I'll start measuring right now!<BR><BR>Camelia

I just returned from my first cruise ever. It was on the Sea Princess to Alaska. We had an inside cabin on the Aloha deck and it was so much cheaper than an outside cabin with balcony, that we got a 2nd inside cabin that our 12 and 8 year old stayed in, next to ours (thus we had 2 bathrooms and a little privacy for mom and dad). The square footage between our room and the outside/ balcony room appeared similar. The big difference is the natural light from the balcony and the ability to sit outside. Not worth the difference in cost to me as I spent my time outside the cabin, on the decks, where I had a 360 degree view in the wonderful weather. This appears to be a case where people will choose the pricier option for appearances (perhaps to impress their friends or fellow cruisers) as opposed to value. Spend the saved money on shore excursions where you can experience and see more of the Alaska that you came to see. The inside cabins are great for sleep since they are completely dark, even during the day.

Reprinted from an earlier post with permission from - me.<BR><BR>I have always been fascinated by people that get an inside cabin, and try to tell EVERYBODY that nobody spends any time in a cabin. Why do they assume that everybody else is communal like they are. While I do enjoy meeting and socializing with other people while on a cruise, I do enjoy some down-time by myself. A balcony is just the ticket. It's like a little vacation on a vacation. So, please inside room lovers, understand that maybe if you had a balcony you would spend some time in your cabin, just the same if I had an inside I would in all probability not spend very much time there.<BR>

I have to agree with Just. For example; when I book a hotel room on the beach, it MUST have a balcony with an unobstructed view of the beach. Preferrably an upper floor. Just my preference, the scenery is everything to me.

Chris, I have been on 18 cruises having inside, outside, outside w/balcony and mini-suites. I disagree that people spend the extra money to impress their fellow cruisers; It all depends on what one wants to do on their cruise. If I like to sit on my balcony and watch the world go by, then I need a balcony.<BR>If I want to sit by the pool all day and read a book, then I don't need a balcony. If we are going through the canal, then I want a balcony. Most people who say they don't spend any time in their cabin are usually people who are on a first cruise, or have an inside and can't stand to spend time there. I believe that if you cruise very much and ever have a cabin with a balcony, you will change your mind.

I'd vote for the verandah also. We had our first one this past April on a western Caribbean cruise. We did not use it a whole lot but when we did, it was definitely increasing the pleasure of the cruise. If we were in the cabin, the verandah door was always open even if we didn't have time to go sit out there. Kind of reminded me when I lived in the North and spring finally arrived ... so nice to enjoy the outside world again. If your trip is to Alaska, I would think you'd definitely want your extra space in a verandah, not in the stateroom where space is sufficient already.

Here's another spin on this debate.<BR><BR>Its kind of like buying a new car. Who wouldn't want a Mercedes convertible? leather interior? in dash CD player? GPS system? We certainly would if only a Ford Escort with bench seats and an AM radio would cost the same. So we have to make the decision about what kind of car we get based on what we can afford. Suites cost more than balconies that cost more than outsides that cost more than insides. I, personally, will go up that chain as high as I can and still afford the cruise. Simple as that.

Agree with all who wrote to go with a balcony suite if you can afford it. My first two cruises were inside cabins and, indeed, I spent as little time in the cabin as possible -- mainly because it is not an atmosphere I enjoyed. Now I alsways cruise in a balcony suite and really do feel like my options and enjoyment increased tremendously since doing so.