Marc Van Niekerk Posted December 31, 2018 Report Posted December 31, 2018 Thanks for the pictures @twangster we have 9690 on Mariner for a B2B in October and that should be the same balcony setup as 9390 just reversed! Can't wait to enjoy our balcony! twangster 1 Quote
rjweber3 Posted December 31, 2018 Report Posted December 31, 2018 Our first cruise was on Explorer in 2000. Through no great forethought ended up with an aft facing balcony on Deck 10. We were hooked. We have tried to get them for our subsequent cruises. But they have been hard to get. We love the extra lounger space and the privacy. Once we could smell the diesel exhaust faintly. And, it is a longer walk to and from. But we prefer aft facing cabins if they are not all booked up. BTW, there is a Grand Suite on all the Radiance ships on the aft Starboard side of Deck 10. I think it is 1600. We have tried to book it for years. Big cabin with and acre of balcony looking both aft and starboard. I think there must be TAs with a permanent reservation for clients like us. WannaCruise 1 Quote
WannaCruise Posted January 1, 2019 Author Report Posted January 1, 2019 Wow twangster, thanks for the photos. The balcony pictures look amazing! Quote
HeWhoWaits Posted January 2, 2019 Report Posted January 2, 2019 Simple answer - Aft Balconies are the way to go. WannaCruise 1 Quote
VolFanInGa Posted January 6, 2019 Report Posted January 6, 2019 Thanks for the great pics @WhiteSoxFan. We're going to be next door to that cabin in April. Do you recall any noise with WJ directly above you? Quote
jticarruthers Posted January 6, 2019 Report Posted January 6, 2019 We have done a couple of corner afts right under the windjammer, no noticeable noise for us. WannaCruise and VolFanInGa 2 Quote
Vacation Crazy Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 On 12/30/2018 at 11:51 PM, lauraodonnell86 said: We have cabin 9404 booked on Freedom in 3 weeks! I will try to take some photos and come back to report Hope you had a great trip! How did you like your aft balcony? We are in a deep freeze here. I'm dreaming of our Southern Caribbean cruise!! Quote
melmar02 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 I love seeing all the photos. We have an aft balcony on Liberty in September, deck 9. So excited! Quote
lauraodonnell86 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 1 hour ago, Vacation Crazy said: Hope you had a great trip! How did you like your aft balcony? We are in a deep freeze here. I'm dreaming of our Southern Caribbean cruise!! We did have a wonderful trip, thank you! I have attached some pictures of stateroom 9404 on Freedom of the Seas. Honestly, we probably wouldn't book it again. I've heard great things about aft cabins and I wouldn't hesitate to book another aft, but not this corner aft on deck 9. I have read that corner aft balconies below deck 9 get bigger as you do further down and we could see that to be true by looking at the ship from port. The cabin category is 6D which I believe is the cheapest (smallest) balcony category and it definitely felt small. We had less storage than previous balconies and it had the smaller couch rather than full size. As you can see, there was a large beam on the balcony that caused some issues with the chair arrangement. There were 2 lounge chairs, 2 regular chairs and a table but there wasn't enough room to use all of them so the loungers stayed stacked together and were used as a foot rest The views were great though and we have no complaints there! We knew the people next to us in cabin 9406 and so we got to see their balcony and it was HUGE! We are booked in that cabin next year and I'm excited to try that out for ourselves! I believe the room is still a bit smaller but at least the balcony is a little more functional. After a day or so, we were fine with the size of our room. Hope this helps everyone! Vacation Crazy, Matt and JLMoran 2 1 Quote
Vacation Crazy Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 @lauraodonnell86 Thank you so much for the feedback and pics. We have 9406 booked. I looked into the aft balconies on a lower deck and they were triple occupancy. A couple of questions. I have read aft balconies can be very sunny. It looks like deck 9 has very little overhang for shade?? Also, did you feel a lack of privacy with the upper decks looking down on you? Thanks again! Jane Quote
twangster Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 4 minutes ago, Vacation Crazy said: @lauraodonnell86 Thank you so much for the feedback and pics. We have 9406 booked. I looked into the aft balconies on a lower deck and they were triple occupancy. A couple of questions. I have read aft balconies can be very sunny. It looks like deck 9 has very little overhang for shade?? Also, did you feel a lack of privacy with the upper decks looking down on you? Thanks again! Jane Aft balconies on deck 9 are not fully private. When standing at the railing people above you will see you, just as you can see people on the decks below you standing at their railings. Sun is relative to ship heading and time of day. Some days may be more sunny, some less. Vacation Crazy 1 Quote
Matt Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 Thanks for the photos @lauraodonnell86 lauraodonnell86 1 Quote
jce2 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 I managed to snag the corner aft balcony on Radiance (deck 8 ) for our alaska cruise in 2020 and couldn't be more excited. A bit pricey but this is my 31 bucket list trip so I want to maximize it. Funny thin is my son and his wife are traveling with us and are literally staying on the opposite end of the ship as they have the most forward portal room on the same deck! Figure we can burn off dinner simply walking between the two cabins Quote
lauraodonnell86 Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 @Vacation Crazy, @twangster answered the questions exactly as I would have. They aren't private but we didn't feel like people were looking at us all of the time or anything. The sun just depends. A few times, it was very sunny but I like it that way! I think 9406 will be a bit more shaded due to the side walls. 9404 only has the wall on 1 side so the sun really came onto the balcony if it was positioned right. We had full sun mostly all day coming back from the ABCs on the final sea day. Vacation Crazy 1 Quote
APM Posted January 30, 2019 Report Posted January 30, 2019 8166 aft 2br grand suite on Enchantment this weekend for the Suoer Bowl. Same room last year. Quote
markinct Posted February 3, 2019 Report Posted February 3, 2019 We're considering an Alaska cruise on Radiance - would an aft balcony be a good choice for the views, or a mid ship cabin? Quote
twangster Posted February 3, 2019 Report Posted February 3, 2019 48 minutes ago, markinct said: We're considering an Alaska cruise on Radiance - would an aft balcony be a good choice for the views, or a mid ship cabin? Aft views are nice regardless of destination. The views leaving Hubbard Glacier from an aft balcony on Radiance can be spectacular. markinct, SpeedNoodles and Matt 1 2 Quote
markinct Posted February 4, 2019 Report Posted February 4, 2019 @twangster - that is an awesome picture! We're working with @michelle from MEI ... my wife and I had almost decided on a midship cabin, but now.... Matt 1 Quote
twangster Posted February 4, 2019 Report Posted February 4, 2019 3 hours ago, markinct said: @twangster - that is an awesome picture! We're working with @michelle from MEI ... my wife and I had almost decided on a midship cabin, but now.... Keep in mind... I sailed in an inside cabin on Radiance last year in Alaska. This photo was taken from the Windjammer outdoor seating area on deck 11 aft. Consider your overall cruise budget. Alaska excursions tend to be more expensive compared to many destinations. I chose to put money towards excursions and sailed inside cabin but made a point of not being in my cabin very much. By taking advantage of public decks I enjoyed that cruise very much. markinct 1 Quote
MICHELLE Posted February 10, 2019 Report Posted February 10, 2019 On 2/3/2019 at 2:22 PM, twangster said: Aft views are nice regardless of destination. The views leaving Hubbard Glacier from an aft balcony on Radiance can be spectacular. love this picture - and i love aft balconies - I think they are some of the best cabins! thanks for sharing markinct and twangster 1 1 Quote
ItsyBitsy71 Posted March 15, 2019 Report Posted March 15, 2019 We had 1688 in October 2018, and it was a great cabin. Very similar to Independence’s 1700. I had a scooter, so it was wonderful having space for it. As for the huge balcony, no complaints except, yes, I did hit my head on the beam outside. LOL Hope these pics help. We did not have any loungers on our balcony, but didn’t ask about getting them. We were good with the table and chairs. WannaCruise 1 Quote
jce2 Posted March 15, 2019 Report Posted March 15, 2019 I have yet to be in an aft but logically cant reconcile the concept that aft rooms have a more "limited" view! quite the opposite should be true. My balcony on Liberty is on one side of the ship. I can only see what is out that side of the ship. True, I can look a bit left and right but it is still the same basic view. same holds true for the other side right?...so now let's talk aft....at the very worst it is like the sides, all I can see if out from my balcony and a bit left and right BUT I CAN see what is to both the right and left of the ship as well as straight behind it when leaving port. seems like aft is ideal! Hope I am right as I have the aft corner on Radiance in Alaska in 2020. SpeedNoodles 1 Quote
Chantella Posted March 27, 2019 Report Posted March 27, 2019 We are looking to book an aft facing balcony on adventure of the seas on deck 10. 1692/1392. I know it’s been asked a million times, and i have spent all day researching answers and opinions... do you hear any noise from windjammer/island grill? It seems those rooms are directly underneath the carpeted eating area at the back of the buffet. We are travelling with a toddler, so night sleep and some naps are important for us. We have cruised aft facing in the past, and love it.. but have been sandwiched between stateroom floors. We were also considering 7390, but it may not work if the description of just a 3rd pullman bed, and no pull out couch is in there. Any help is greatly appreciated! Quote
Hagar Posted March 28, 2019 Report Posted March 28, 2019 I love deck ten aft on Voyager class ships like Adventure because of the carpeted Windjammer. On Radiance class I drop down to deck 9 since the fantail noise from the wood deck (scraping chairs and washdowns at zero-dark thirty) can be a pain in the ( Y ) Quote
JennyB Posted March 28, 2019 Report Posted March 28, 2019 On 12/30/2018 at 2:45 PM, WhiteSoxFan said: Deck 7 corner aft on Voyager and Freedom class are also outstanding cabins. The room is standard size but the balcony is about as large as the room. Great view out the side. that balcony tho! even EYE would enjoy THAT one! more relaxing. since I'm afraid of heights AND water, this seems like I could actually relax while on the balcony. LOL Quote
SpeedNoodles Posted March 28, 2019 Report Posted March 28, 2019 I have an aft corner snagged on Navigator and on Rhapsody. I'm so excited! WAAAYTOOO and FManke 1 1 Quote
KathyC Posted March 30, 2019 Report Posted March 30, 2019 We have an aft on Grandeur next month - our first! Can't wait!! SpeedNoodles and FManke 1 1 Quote
FManke Posted May 26, 2019 Report Posted May 26, 2019 Aft facing JR corner suite 8596 on Rhapsody in Oct 2020 to Greece. Can't wait! Only 496 days to go! SpeedNoodles and markinct 2 Quote
kmillman22 Posted May 29, 2019 Report Posted May 29, 2019 Anyone ever stay on an AFT facing on the Allure of the Seas? Crown Loft room 1726 is what we booked....Was hesitant due to the sports court and mini golf and the noise that comes with those. I am thinking with the hours that both are open any noise should have a minimal impact. Never cruised before so I don't have much to compare an Aft facing vs others. So excited! Quote
WAAAYTOOO Posted May 29, 2019 Report Posted May 29, 2019 I've been in a number of aft facing suites on the O class. Some don't care for the sports court view but I find it to be just fine. The CLS is a beautiful stateroom. Enjoy the SWEET life ! Quote
redgrapes2 Posted June 2, 2019 Report Posted June 2, 2019 We had 9694 on Mariner back in Feb2019. No noise from the Windjammer, but washing from above left our balcony useless for 2 mornings when we wanted to eat breakfast out there and the soot was a real issue. A beautiful view, but we won't book it again. Quote
Scatmanjack Posted March 15 Report Posted March 15 Here is deck 7 Corner Aft Balcony video I took on Wednesday... We added a hammock this sailing after having similar room on 3+ prior voyages... bobroo 1 Quote
bobroo Posted March 15 Report Posted March 15 Even the hammocks smaller cousin, the $25 Hanging Chair From Cozumel, maximizes value out of a balcony. Virgin Voyages has it exactly right!!! WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote
Sealegs Posted March 15 Report Posted March 15 Great thread, thanks Kat for resurrecting it. We tend to stick with balconies midship or so, and honestly cabin selection for that is safe with not much more than guesswork. I like the idea of an aft cabin but the knowledge level is something else again in order to get one that is not without the problems like overhead ironwork I see in this thread. Definitely something we would like to try though. PS - I feel secondhand pain for all the posters in this thread who were eagerly awaiting their March/April 2020 cruises. WAAAYTOOO 1 Quote
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