Among all the choices of which stateroom to book on the world's largest ship, a balcony is the most common room you'll find.
Decades ago, a balcony was a luxury. Now, they're the most popular cabin and Royal Caribbean has the most inventory of them on its ships, including the brand new Legend of the Seas.
While there's so much to do around this 5,610-guest ship, it's really nice to come back to your room and have your own private area outside to enjoy.
I've been on over 100 cruises, so I've stayed in every single stateroom category. Balcony rooms are undeniably the Goldilocks choice because of their space, size, and amenities.
Royal Caribbean assigned me a mid-ship balcony cabin for the new vessel's complimentary four-night non-revenue test cruise in late June.
Full disclosure: Royal Caribbean invited me to sail on Legend of the Seas and I did not pay for this cruise.
Balcony cabins can be $600 more expensive (per person) than the cheapest inside cabins.
At the time of writing, the least-expensive inside cabins for Legend of the Seas' 2026 itineraries start at about $1,138 per person for a six night cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Falmouth, Jamaica and Labadee, Haiti (the company's private beach destination).
On the same itinerary, a balcony cabin starts at $1,799 per person, or about $300 per person, per day.
Both types of rooms include the same core options. The difference is in the size, layout, and views you get with a balcony.
Having a balcony means having a quiet space on a ship that is known for being busy
Most standard balcony rooms have a square footage of around 40-50 square feet, which is just enough space for two chairs and a small table.
It's not spacious, but there is plenty of room for two people to enjoy being outdoors.
It's great having your own view, anytime you want it, especially for sailaway or when you want to admire the view outside.
It's also calming to have a balcony room because it's your own space that doesn't have party music, other conversations, or people to contend with. It's nice being able to pop outside anytime you like to read, watch the ocean pass by, or just enjoy some solitude.
Some people will leave their balcony door open and lay in their bed to allow the sea breeze and ocean sounds to filter in.
Luckily my bed was near the balcony door, so I had the perfect view each morning.
I was assigned room 7276, and the king size bed was positioned near the balcony door.
Royal Caribbean alternates its cabin layout with the bed or the couch near the balcony door.
Since the couch often gets filled up with clutter, I was happy to have the bed near the window instead.
Better yet, there are USB and power outlets on either side of the bed. I love having my phone charged overnight and then wake up to be able to conveniently check it as I flip between apps and the outside view.
The couch offers more seating, but I'm bad about keeping it clutter-free.
Our room had a rather large couch, which is nice for having somewhere else to sit during the day.
The sofa is firm, and probably could be good for a nap.
My bad cruising habit that I can't stop doing is using my couch as a collection point for clothes, papers, souvenirs, and anything else I bring back to the room.
There is a vanity and sitting area across from the sofa.
I probably spend more time at the vanity than the sofa, which acts as both my office desk and a prep area for my wife.
As a remote worker, I appreciate how many power and USB outlets there are here. In fact, I don't think you need to bring a USB power extender on an Icon Class ship because of how many outlets Royal Caribbean has in these rooms.
You'll also find additional drawers here, along with a hidden mini-refrigerator.
The wire baskets are still the worst thing about this cabin.
A closet and shelves offer additional storage, including closet doors that open up to have vertical space for hanging clothes.
There are shelves with wire baskets below, but I cannot believe Royal Caribbean continues to use these in the third Icon Class ship.
The wire baskets make an incredibly loud and obnoxious screeching sound when they slide in or out, and it's been my top complaint about staterooms since Icon of the Seas first debuted.
Despite lots of complaints, these baskets are still in use. Some passengers collect the baskets and toss them to the side, but then I run into the issue of clothes (particularly socks) sliding too far back into the cubby area.
The bathroom has the best standard shower at sea.
If the baskets are the worst feature about the room, the shower is the best innovation Royal Caribbean added to these ships.
Royal Caribbean has showers on Legend of the Seas that are quite large, with a sliding open door and a seat inside the shower.
Most cruise ships have narrow tube shaped showers that feel cramped and awkward to use. But this shower feels far less cramped, and has an adjustable shower head that can go up or down.
Be sure to bring your own toiletries.
Royal Caribbean provides a basic 2-in-1 shampoo and body wash, but I think most people will prefer something more specialized.
There's no separate conditioner or body wash, so I'd recommend packing your own to bring onboard.
Since I always fly to my cruise ship at least one day early, I'll buy those toiletries once I arrive to avoid having to fly (and potentially explode) with those kinds of liquids.
Overall, a balcony room is enough for most people's needs
Is a balcony worth spending hundreds of dollars more to enjoy? If having easy access to a private, open-air space with ocean views is important, then yes.
The debate of an inside vs balcony room often boils down to cost versus amenity. You can argue how much you'd actually use the balcony, but there's no denying it's lovely to have it.
Admittedly, I spent very little time on my balcony on this cruise, but that had a lot to do with the fact it was summer and hot. Plus, I was busy exploring the new ship.
I think this balcony room is comparable in size to other cruise ship balconies, but I appreciated how many outlets there were and the shower configuration.
