What should I book for my cruise? Inside cabin or balcony cabin?

Booking an inside or balcony cabin is something many people consider when planning a cruise. My 5 statements why you shouldn't leave it to your travel budget alone.

Word has gotten around among our customers that we have been installing our CrazyChair hammocks on cruise ships for 12 years. We are often asked whether it is better to book a cheap inside cabin instead of an expensive balcony cabin. After all, you are only in it to shower and sleep and otherwise on the ship or on excursions.

We know each other.

In order to carry out the hammock installations on the balcony cabins, we entered each cabin several times and therefore had a perfect overview. We now know all the ships in the AIDA fleet, such as the AIDAbella, AIDAblu, AIDAdiva, AIDAluna, AIDAmar, AIDAprima, AIDAperla, AIDAsol, AIDAstella and the entire fleet of TUI Cruises, such as Mein Schiff 1, Mein Schiff 2, Mein Schiff 3, Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5, Mein Schiff 6, Mein Schiff Herz, the former Mein Schiff 1 = Marella Explorer, the new National Geographic Endurance, to name just the most important. 

Nothing like the other.

Every ship has its own peculiarities, especially when it comes to cabin concepts. For example, the Mein Schiff fleet has inside cabins as well as outside cabins (i.e. only with a window, no balcony), balcony and veranda cabins, suites, junior and premium suites and even the luxurious sky & sea suites. Ultimately, it is a budget decision, how much you are willing to spend and what you personally can and want to afford. Of course, if you book the cheap inside cabin, you can really enjoy your cruise. Many passengers often only discover and experience the added value of a balcony cabin, which can quickly add up to €500 to €1,000, during the cruise and then it is too late. Cruise pros swear by balcony cabins, preferably with a hammock and then, depending on the budget, on the variants with more space.

What is the added value? Here are my 5 experiences.

Situation 1:

Imagine what it's like to experience the sunrise in the fresh air on the balcony or enjoy your sundowner with your partner on the balcony without the hustle and bustle.

And now the same situation with inside cabin. No daylight, no fresh air, no motivation to get up earlier, no retreat with a view of the outside.

Situation 2:

You come from breakfast and want to settle down on the pool or sun deck. Suddenly you realize that most of the passengers had this idea, because there are no vacant beds available. All lie close together in the sun or in the shade. And if you actually see a free lounger, the second one is missing or there is no more space to place 2 next to each other where you want to be. Happy are those who can then retire to their balcony cabin with relish. And even better when a CrazyChair hammock hangs on the balcony cabin for perfect relaxation.

Believe me, if you've booked an inside cabin, you don't go there during the day, but continue to search desperately for a relaxation solution on deck - which doesn't put you in a good mood.

Situation 3:

You have been on an excursion for several hours or the whole day. Long bus rides, hot temperatures, walked a lot. Arrived on the ship, you look forward to a comfortable place, a drink, some time to relax. With a large group you have already spent many hours in the bus, some distance and rest would be appropriate now. The others think so too, especially those who have come back to the ship beforehand. You realize that the attractive places are all occupied or are kept free for acquaintances and friends. It's good that you can spend the day's experiences relaxing with a drink in your balcony cabin, your private retreat. You will then be fit and motivated again for the evening programme.

Situation 4:

After dinner, be sure to sit outside and enjoy the fresh Caribbean air. Unfortunately, everything at the outside bar is occupied, including the tables all around and the chairs that are still available have been occupied by other guests. Bad luck - because all the loungers have been cleared away by the crew, as is the case every evening. It's a shame, because now would be the perfect moment to observe the starry sky, to indulge in your day-to-day experiences, to simply experience the night in a relaxed manner. Visiting your inside cabin now would be a loss of holiday feeling.

Instead, imagine yourself sitting relaxed, without the other passengers, in a casual outfit, with your partner in the private balcony cabin. You'll probably toast each other and realize: We did everything right with the booking.

Situation 5:

My takeaway: The most chaotic moments on the pool/sundeck are after lunch. It's siesta time. It's hard to believe. Many passengers sleep or snore with their mouths open, others chat across several sun loungers as there is not enough space to lie next to each other. A few use the time and prepare for the evening with manicures and pedicures, regardless of other passengers. All unfortunately not uncommon.

Now you really look forward to your private balcony, your retreat and small wellness oasis. As you may have guessed, I then retire to my balcony cabin, grinning contentedly. 

Conclusion.

The trigger for writing this report was a customer who visited our CrazyChair stand at the Boot trade fair last year and torpedoed us with questions. He was just planning his first cruise (before the Corona situation). In September of this year he discovered us by chance at our exhibition stand at Lake Constance. The couple thanked us for our cruise tips and opted for a balcony cabin instead of an inside cabin. They felt we should definitely publish this to make others aware of this point of view. In order to remember the cruise even better, especially in times of Corona, they bought a CrazyChair LUNO stainless steel stand with a matching SLIMLINE hammock for the garden at home.