Is a Balcony Cabin Worth It on a Cruise? Why My Answer Changed

For almost ten years, I didn’t even look at interior cabins when planning a cruise.

I went straight to the balconies.

Once we experienced our first balcony cabin, we were convinced it was the only way we wanted to cruise.

But recently, our family went back.

And it completely changed my answer to the question: Is a balcony cabin really worth it?

Growing up, we cruised in interior and ocean-view cabins. I always loved cruising, and I don’t remember ever feeling like we were missing anything because we didn’t have a private balcony.

Interior cabins actually have one very memorable advantage.

They are dark.

Like, pitch black.

I remember taking the best naps and enjoying some amazing sleep-ins in those cabins. With no natural light coming through a window, you can sleep just as easily at noon as you can at midnight.

That can be just what is needed during certain seasons of life.

Maybe you stayed out late and have absolutely no intention of waking up with the sun. Maybe you have a baby or young child who naps best with blackout curtains. Or maybe your family simply needs a comfortable place to shower, sleep, and get ready before heading back out to enjoy the ship.

Interior cabins are also typically among the most affordable on a cruise.

Sometimes choosing one can make the trip possible or leave room in the budget for excursions, specialty dining, or something else your family values. Other times, you may be able to comfortably afford the balcony but decide that private outdoor space is not where you want to spend the extra money.

Ultimately, it comes down to what matters most to your family for that particular trip.

When my husband and I first cruised together, we booked an ocean-view cabin. We liked having the window, but at that point, neither of us had been turned on to the idea of a balcony yet.

That changed when we planned our first cruise with our then-toddler.

Something told me to consider a balcony.

As I researched, I kept seeing parents talk about how helpful a balcony could be during nap time and after an early bedtime. Once their child was asleep, they could sit outside and continue enjoying the cruise instead of whispering to each other in a dark cabin.

That made a lot of sense to me.

We would still be right there with our son, but we could talk, watch the water, and enjoy the ocean breeze without disturbing him. Bedtime would not have to mean that we were finished enjoying the day.

So we decided to give it a try, and we absolutely loved it!

Once our son was asleep, the balcony gave us somewhere to go without actually going anywhere. We could hang out outside, talk at a normal volume, enjoy the view, and continue experiencing the cruise while staying just a few feet away from him.

It almost felt like having a second room.

It also came in handy when one of us was getting dressed, resting, or wanted to spend a little more time outside.

We ordered room service and ate on the balcony. We listened to the water and felt the breeze without having to leave our room. In the mornings, we could step outside in our pajamas, check the temperature, and watch the ship pull into port before getting dressed.

It helped us feel like we were still part of the cruise, even when parenting required us to spend more time in the cabin.

After that, I was sold.

Whenever we planned another cruise, I only searched for balcony cabins. It wasn’t even much of a decision anymore. A balcony was simply part of cruising for us.

I recommended that my parents try a balcony too, and they also fell in love. They cruise fairly regularly and haven’t booked anything else since.

For a long time, I assumed we would always do the same.

Then our family grew.

Once we became a family of five, and eventually six, choosing a cabin became a much bigger part of the cruise-planning process. Many standard cabins don’t sleep six people, which often left us looking at two connecting rooms or much more expensive suites.

Two connecting balcony cabins gave us plenty of room, and the balconies provided somewhere for a few people to go while everyone else got dressed or spent time inside.

But two balcony cabins also cost considerably more than the rooms we had booked when our family was smaller.

Then, while researching our last cruise, I found an ultra-spacious interior cabin that could accommodate all six of us.

I was hesitant.

By that point, we had been cruising in balcony cabins for so long that I wasn’t sure how any of us would feel without one.

Would the cabin feel cramped or a little claustrophobic?

Would the kids miss being able to step outside?

Would we miss having the balcony as extra space while everyone got dressed?

What about the room-service meals, quiet mornings, and evenings listening to the ocean?

The balcony had become such a normal part of our cruises that choosing an interior cabin felt like giving up part of the experience.

Then I looked at the price.

The ultra-spacious interior cabin was so much less expensive for our family of six that it was almost impossible to justify paying for two balcony cabins simply because that was what we had always booked.

So, with some hesitation, we tried the interior.

And to our surprise, we actually enjoyed it.

My older kids didn’t miss the balcony nearly as much as I expected them to. They were much more interested in everything happening around the ship than in spending time outside our cabin anyway.

And, of course, staying in an interior cabin didn’t mean we stopped seeing the ocean.

We were still on a cruise ship!

There were plenty of places to watch the water, feel the breeze, and enjoy the view. We just had to leave our room to do it.

That seems incredibly obvious now, but after years of having a balcony, I had started to think of it as such an important part of the experience that I genuinely wondered whether we would feel disconnected from the ocean without one.

We didn’t.

We also realized that our family had entered a different season.

When our oldest was a toddler, naps often kept us in the room. A balcony gave my husband and me a way to continue enjoying the cruise while he slept.

Now we have four children of different ages, and when we travel, naps often happen on the go. We are usually out exploring the ship, eating, swimming, watching a show, or doing some other activity. We simply don’t spend as much time in the cabin as I imagined we would.

Earlier bedtimes and breaks still happen, but I have changed too.

Ten years ago, I wanted a way to keep the party going while our son slept. These days, after a full day on a cruise ship with four kids, I’m almost always ready for a break too!

Returning to a quiet, pitch-black cabin doesn’t sound nearly as limiting as it once did.

That one experience was enough to change the way I look at cabin options.

We still love balcony cabins. To me, they are absolutely an upgrade from an interior or ocean-view room.

There is something special about stepping outside and feeling the ocean breeze without leaving your cabin. I love watching the ship approach a new port, sitting outside while everyone else gets ready, and having a peaceful place to escape some of the activity inside the room.

A balcony can add something really special to a cruise.

But I no longer believe we need one to have a great trip.

In this season of life, the price difference is honestly one of the biggest factors for our family.

If the difference is small, choosing the balcony may be an easy decision. If the balcony costs significantly more, especially when we need enough space for six people, we are much more likely to choose the less expensive room.

That could change again one day.

Maybe there will be a future trip when we expect to spend more time in the cabin, want the balcony to be part of a special celebration, or simply decide that the upgrade is worth the splurge.

For now, we know that we can choose based primarily on price and still have a great cruise.

That doesn’t mean price should be the deciding factor for every family.

If you’re traveling with a baby or young child whose naps and bedtime will keep you in the room, or if members of your family are on different schedules, a balcony can provide valuable extra space without interrupting anyone’s rest.

If you’re celebrating a milestone, expect to spend more time in the cabin, or simply love the idea of beginning each morning with a private ocean view, the balcony may be worth paying more for.

For another family, choosing an interior cabin may be what makes the cruise possible. The savings might cover an excursion or specialty dining, or simply allow the vacation to fit more comfortably within the budget.

And sometimes, you may just prefer to save the money or spend the difference on something totally unrelated.

You don’t have to redirect it toward another vacation expense to make the less expensive cabin a worthwhile choice.

So, is a balcony cabin worth it?

My answer is yes.

And also, not always.

A balcony offers something that an interior or ocean-view cabin cannot. Whether that difference is worth paying for depends on your family, the price, and what you need from that particular trip.

What season of life are you in?

Will naps or early bedtimes keep someone in the cabin?

How much time do you realistically expect to spend there?

Is this a milestone trip that you’re comfortable splurging on?

How large is the price difference?

And, balcony or not, will the room comfortably meet your family’s needs?

The right answer may be different from one cruise to the next.

For years, the balcony made cruising with our family easier and more enjoyable. In that season, it was completely worth it.

Right now, being intentional about where we spend the extra money matters more to us than having private outdoor space. But even that may not be our final answer.

On our upcoming cruise, we’re trying an ocean-view cabin for the first time in more than ten years. It may end up being the perfect middle ground: natural light and an ocean view without the full cost of a balcony.

Or I may come home with a completely different opinion all over again.

That is really the point.

A balcony can make a cruise even better, but there is no cabin category that is automatically right for every family or every trip.

The best choice is the one that fits your family in the season you’re in right now.

Keep making memories,
Michaela