From my own experience of river cruising, I do not think it is worth upgrading to a cabin with a balcony when booking a European river cruise. Here is what I discovered on my cruise on the River Danube with Emerald Waterways.
River Cruise Cabin Types
Although my post is based on my cruise with Emerald Waterways other operators offer comparable cabin types. These are:-
Staterooms
A stateroom is the cheapest option when booking a river cruise. A standard stateroom is located in the lower deck of the ship near to the waterline. Unlike the cheapest option on a cruise ship (Interior cabins) a Stateroom on a river cruise ship does have a window but this is located at the top of the cabin. This allows natural daylight into your cabin but unless you are very tall or travel with step ladders you won't have an outside view.
Panorama Balcony
cabins with a panorama balcony have a floor to ceiling window which can drop down from the ceiling to a safe height. cabins are usually a little larger that a standard stateroom and positioned higher up the ship. There are usually a few "grades" to select from which a differentiated by size and facilities, such as coffee makers etc.
Suites
Suites also feature a panorama type balcony but are larger than both the above cabin types. Some cabins also feature windows on two sides and will have a separate bedroom/s. They can be variously be described as "grand" or "owners" cabins.
The Cost of a Balcony Cabin
From my research you can expect to pay a premium of around 30% for upgrading to a Panorama Balcony from a standard stateroom. I have spoken to some people who just have to have a view of the outside world from their cabin and for them a standard stateroom just isn't an option. However from a cost/benefit perspective I do not feel it is worth paying the premium.
Why a balcony Might Disappoint on a River Cruise
The key difference between a River and ocean cruise is that on a river cruise there are no inside cabins. River cruise ships are relatively narrow so they can navigate through locks. This means that the ship is the width of two cabins separated by a corridor. All the cabins are on the outside of the ship and have some form of window an natural light. For me balcony cabins are not as desirable on a river cruise for the following reasons.
2. Port Days
On every day of my river cruise the ship was moored up at some beautiful historic town or other and I was off the ship exploring. Guided walks around the various towns are usually included in the price of the cruise and afterwards I spent time wandering around on my own photographing the sites. I spent very little time in my cabin.
Secondly I was surprised how common it was for several cruise ships to dock two or three deep. On port days the only view to be had from a balcony was likely to be a cabin, restaurant or bar on the ship next to yours.
2. Limited Views
One aspect of river cruising I really enjoyed was passing through the wonderful countryside of Germany and Austria etc. There really are some wonderful vistas and photo opportunities. However a cabin balcony is not the best way to enjoy them.
My fellow passengers and I usually headed up to the observation deck to enjoy panoramic view of the scenery and move about the deck to take photographs. The public spaces on the deck below are also a good option as they are still high enough to give a good view whilst enjoying a glass of wine or dinner. On my cruise ship the cabins were lower down giving a restricted view of only one side of the river.
3. River Cruises are Social
Passenger numbers on a river cruise are tiny compared with ocean cruise ships. On my river cruise the ship had about 120 guests and we got to know each other very quickly. After a day in port I usually grabbed a beer, got ready for the evening and then joined my fellow passengers in the bar for the pre dinner lecture on the next days stop and excursions.
With a busy itinerary and a more social environment there really wasn't much opportunity for cabin lounging - my Kindle remained unread.
I'm currently planning my next rover cruise for later this year and for the reasons above I will be in a standard stateroom. You can read more about mt Danube cruise with Emerald Waterways here.
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