Today we will begin a fun "debate" between the pros and cons of booking a balcony stateroom versus something less expensive, like inside or ocean view staterooms.  We will begin with the argument for balcony staterooms and then tomorrow will post the rebuttal for booking interior staterooms.

The view!

Without a doubt, the best reason to book a balcony stateroom on a Royal Caribbean cruise is for the view you can have anytime you want.  Waking up to the ocean breeze is something that never gets old.

Plus being on a cruise ship, there's always something to see and enjoy, from other ships and islands passing by to the wildlife and even just the sea.  It's a spectacle that when you see it, you know how great a view it is.

Dinner with a breeze

A really fun way to spice up your meals is to eat on your balcony.  Royal Caribbean provides a table in addition to chairs to enjoy whatever food you bring back to the stateroom on the balcony.

In addition, you can order room service (free of charge) and have it set up on your balcony.  Forget breakfast in bed, breakfast on your balcony is where it's at!  

Alternatively you can bring back a cup of coffee, small snack or full meal enjoy with your feet propped up as you watch the ocean go by.

Balcony means more space inside too

As you move up the categories of Royal Caribbean staterooms, balcony staterooms come with more space compared to interior staterooms.  As anyone that has cruised before will tell you, every square foot matters!

When you book a balcony stateroom, you get more inside as well as the space from your balcony.  It all adds up to more room for everyone to manuever in and makes the entire experience less crowded.

Great spot for sail away

When it's time for your cruise to begin or for your Royal Caribbean ship to leave port, nothing beats being outside to see the ship leave.

Having your own balcony stateroom means you get to experience this anytime without worrying about finding a spot.  You will always have a reserved place to enjoy the ship coming in and out of port.\

Royal Caribbean balconies are more than the ocean

Of course ocean view balconies are what Royal Caribbean offers most of but did you know that you can also get a balcony that overlooks other places onboard your ship?

On the Oasis-class cruise ships, you can choose between Central Park View or Boardwalk View balcony staterooms.

These unique balcony staterooms offer the outdoor experience but with a completely different take on them. Perfect for people watching as well as enjoying the view of what's happening onboard the ship right now.

Are you convinced yet to book a balcony stateroom?  Share your thoughts about booking a balcony stateroom in the comments below.

Tomorrow we will post our reasons why you should book an interior stateroom instead!

So you're about to book a Royal Caribbean cruise and you get to the part where you need to decide which stateroom to book.  Suddenly, you have multiple options for each category of stateroom and you wonder, "what is the difference?".

Four basic categories

There are four basic stateroom categories on any Royal Caribbean cruise ship

• Inside staterooms
• Ocean View Staterooms
• Balcony Staterooms
• Suites

Sounds simple enough but within each of those basic categories are a number of sub-categories to further define what you are booking.  At its very basic level, not all staterooms in one these four basic categories are the same.

Stateroom differences

When you compare sub categories of staterooms, you will need to compare a few different aspects of the stateroom to see what is most important to you.

Square footage

Generally speaking, the most basic differential for any stateroom category to the next is how much square footage the room is.  Usually, the more space a stateroom has, the more expensive the stateroom is. 

When we are talking about square footage, we are also talking about balcony size.  For staterooms that have balconies (balcony and suite categories), the size of your balcony may be just as big a difference as how large the living space is.

Location

Just like real estate, where your stateroom is located can factor into a difference in category (and price).  

The general thought is everyone wants to be mid-ship and high up for the stability and view, respectively.  Being in the middle of the ship means everything is equidistant from you and it's easiest to get everywhere.

Of course, some staterooms may be right in the middle but have outside factors that make it less desirable.  This includes balconies with obstructed views or staterooms above or below restaurants or public areas (noise bleed). 

Capacity

How many people you want to put into one stateroom will also dictate a difference between the rooms.  

Family staterooms offer much more space and capacity than regular staterooms but at a higher total cost.  Suites offer even more space, at an even higher cost than family staterooms.

Amenities

What you get in your stateroom also factors into the different types of rooms to choose from.

Virtual balcony staterooms are a new category of inside staterooms, where you will get a virtual view of the ocean as opposed to other inside staterooms with no such add-on.

Suites differentiate themselves by offering more than one bathroom, Jacuzzi, separate rooms and more.

We have a brand new Royal Caribbean Blog Podcast to share with everyone, so get your downloads going!

Episode 24 is now available for downloading, where we are looking at the categories of Royal Caribbean staterooms.

This week, Matt discusses the categories of Royal Caribbean staterooms, including the differences between the stateroom categories, the good and bad about each, the importance of location, special categories and more.  We also have more listener comments to share with everyone.

Here’s the podcast page for Episode 24.  And don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Stitcher or on iTunes!

Take a listen and as always, let us know what you think! Please rate and review the podcast on iTunes and leave your comments below!