Ask Tink: Do I Need a Balcony on a Disney Cruise?

" When I book my Disney Cruise, do I need to pay the extra for a balcony, or would I be ok without one?"

     Thanks so much to the Tinker that sent that question in! Pretty much every Guest who has ever booked a Disney Cruise had wondered this. Unfortunately, there isn't a cut and dry yes or no for this one, either. The biggest factor in this decision is your own personal preferences and needs. 

     A balcony, or veranda, works out well for Guests that will find themselves in the stateroom during the day for children's naps, or just a break in the day, since it provides you with an opportunity to still enjoy the spectacular views and gorgeous ocean air, while having some quiet time. A veranda is always enjoyable if you're someone who likes to read and spend time on your own. Most Guests love having the opportunity to step right out of their room and be out in the fresh air. (A word of caution, though, do NOT get a veranda because you smoke. Smoking is not allowed on verandas, only in designated smoking areas on the outer decks.)

     You may also want to take into consideration the itinerary that you'll be sailing on. The most scenic cruises, like Alaska and the Mediterranean, may have more of a call for a veranda than some of the other Caribbean itineraries, or a Trans-Atlantic, where sailing time is without a view of anything other than the ocean. (Not that the ocean is a bad view, but if you're sailing a coastline looking a fjords, glaciers or villages a balcony makes more sense.) When I did the Panama Canal crossing a couple of years ago, we wished we had a balcony, simple for a place to stand that wasn't crowded!

     Now, can you enjoy a stateroom without a balcony? Absolutely! In fact, The Hubs and I pretty much always go with an inside stateroom, without a window. We are only in the room to sleep and shower, so we will gladly save some money! We can always see what the outside weather looks like by tuning into the channel on the tv that shows the bow cameras, and it's never a long walk to get somewhere where we can step outside. If you're lucky enough to be in an inside cabin on the Dream or the Fantasy, you'll have a super cool virtual porthole that projects a view of what is passing by on your side of the ship, and even has cameo appearances by some of your favorite characters! You might see Carl from "Up" floating by your window, or Peach the starfish, from "Finding Nemo" might come stick around. The virtual portholes are really fun and perhaps even more enjoyable than a regular window!

     If the idea of being in a room with no window doesn't exactly thrill you, you can also choose a room with a large or small porthole, depending on the price point you want to pay, and where you want to be in the ship. Personally, I feel like the regular windows are a waste. I either want to save money, and will go with an inside cabin, or I want to be able to get outside, and I want a veranda. Not everyone feels the same though, obviously, since there are plenty of window-only rooms. 

     So it really all comes down to your budget and preferences. I think a smart way to look at it is to start with looking at the lowest priced cabin that you would be ok with staying in, and then look at how much it is to upgrade to the next step from there. So let's say you know that you don't want an inside cabin, but aren't sure if you want to spend the extra money for a balcony. Price out the least expensive window cabin, and then look at what the upgrade would be to a cabin with a large window. Then look at what it would cost to upgrade to the least expensive veranda cabin. You will likely find that upgrade costs are not as high as you would expect. 

     No matter what stateroom category you select, you will be in heaven on any Disney ship! I have often said that I don't even need a stateroom on the ship. I'd sleep in a lounge chair and shower in the spa if it meant that I could be on a Disney Cruise! (And I bet you would too!)

     Have a Disney question? E-mail me at tinkinaboutdisney@gmail.com!