Balcony Vs Inside Staterooms – Cruise Vacation Tips for Picking Your Stateroom Category

Picking which cruiseline to sail with and which itinerary suites your needs is hard enough without the added stress of having to pick the best stateroom category.  This decision can make even veteran cruisers sweat. My husband and I argue about this every time we cruise! Factors such as budget, size and location can help aid in this tough decision. To help new cruisers pick the best category, we’ve put together a list of pros and cons for each, as well as a comparison of sizes of NCL’s inside and balcony rooms. Hopefully these cruise vacations tips will help you pick the best stateroom category.

Before reading, I suggest taking a look at our tips for picking the perfect cruise staterooms. We talk more about stateroom categories, budget, views and more.

Balcony Vs Inside Stateroom Pro’s and Con’s – Cruise Vacations Tips:

So what are the pro’s and con’s of having an inside stateroom versus a balcony stateroom?  We put this list together on our latest cruise after setting sail in our first ever inside stateroom.

I admit, I was on the verge of panic when we had to book an interior stateroom on our recent cruise. I’ve always had a balcony, and I wasn’t sure how I would feel about an inside room. I’m still not convinced and may be a little biased towards balcony rooms, but it’s always a topic of discussion before booking a cruise. The price is the biggest factor for my family. Typically, I could book two one-week cruises in an inside stateroom versus a one week long cruise in a balcony room.

Balcony Stateroom:

Pros –

• On average, more space than an inside stateroom
• Additional sq ft of space on the balcony.
• Natural light from the sliding glass doors.
• Fresh air and air movement when opening the balcony door.
• Can watch the ship pull into port from your own balcony (depending on which side of ship you’re located on).
• Romantic ambiance of a glass of wine in a private space.
• Watch horizon from private balcony when feeling seasick.

Cons –

• Cost of balcony is significantly more than an inside stateroom.
• Light peeking in around curtains in the morning.
• Balcony may not be available at all times such as during cleanings on port days.
• Clothes can blow off if left on the balcony.
• Will you be in your room long enough to make use of the balcony?
• Potential for balcony access to be obstructed when all beds are down for the night.

Inside Stateroom:

Pros –

• On average, significantly cheaper than balcony room.
• No sunlight to wake you up in the morning or during nap time.

Cons –

• Smaller, on average, than an inside stateroom.
• No outside space.
• No fresh air in room.
• Lack of natural light.

In addition to going through some of the pros and cons of balcony and inside rooms, I wanted to do a room comparison.  Since I haven’t sailed with an inside and a balcony room on the same ship, I decided to compare on the same cruise line, NCL.

Our Norwegian Spirit mid-ship inside stateroom #10565 was approximately 149 sq ft.  If I went for a balcony on the Spirit, there was going to be a problem.  There are no 4 person balcony rooms on the Spirit as it is the oldest ship in the fleet. My next best comparison was a room for 3 people. Across from our stateroom was balcony room #10566 that could accommodate 3 guests. It is approximately 201 sq ft plus a 40 sq ft balcony. That balcony room is already 50 sq ft larger, not including the extra balcony space.

*Please note that family inside rooms are larger and can range from 153 – 281 sq ft.

On the Norwegian Jade we had a mid-ship balcony stateroom #9082 that was approximately 200 – 205 sq ft plus a 38 sq ft balcony. The inside stateroom directly across that could accommodate 4 people was #9081 and ranged from 138  – 143 sq ft.  Again, the balcony room has approximately 50 sq ft more of space plus the additional space on the balcony.

*Unlike on the Spirit, a family balcony and a family inside room are the same size as the standard balcony and inside staterooms.

Ship Name	Stateroom Category	Stateroom Size
Norwegian Spirit	Inside	149 sq ft
Norwegian Spirit	Balcony	201 sq ft + 40 st ft balcony
Norwegian Jade	Inside	138  – 143 sq ft
Norwegian Jade	Balcony	200 – 205 sq ft + 38 sq ft balcony

Making a decision to sail with a balcony or an inside stateroom is never an easy choice. Both room categories have positive and negative qualities.  Hopefully our comparison will help you pick the best stateroom category for your next cruise.

Looking for more tips?  Take a look at Tips From The Cruise Addict’s Wife for more cruising advice.

What other pros and cons or other cruise vacations tips can you share?  Leave a comment.