Why Cruise Ships Have More Balconies Than Ever Before

Cruise ship designs have certainly evolved over the decades.

In the 1990s, balconies were an unaffordable luxury for many. Only a tiny percentage of cabins had balconies, but now they are considered a standard feature on most ships.

Balconies Were A Luxury

In the 1990s, balconies were a luxury, not the norm. Hardly any cruise ships had balconies.

Example of a 1990s Ship – Carnival Fantasy

For example, below is a picture of the Carnival ship, Carnival Fantasy. She was built in 1990 and scrapped in 2020.

Carnival Fantasy had a passenger capacity of 2600.

There were virtually no balconies onboard. Most cabins were interior or ocean-view with portholes or windows.

Balconies were typically reserved for suites, making them an exclusive perk for high-paying guests.

Why Was This The Case?

Cruises mainly focused on indoor activities, with public areas providing any outdoor space.

The ships themselves were more like floating hotels, and less emphasis was given to providing guests with a private outdoor area.

The technology and shipbuilding techniques of the time limited how many balconies could be structurally supported.

Why Did Things Change?

• Passenger Demand
  • As cruising became more and more popular, it became apparent that guests would like more privacy and an outdoor space of their own.
  • Not everyone is happy to fight for deckchair space on the top deck!
• Changing Travel Trends
  • People began valuing their own personal space, views, and the ability to relax outside without leaving their cabin.
  • Things changed across the board, not just in cruising. Holiday camp type holidays where enforced fun with other guests became less popular, with many choosing instead to hire a villa to get away from others!
• Increased Revenue For The Cruise Lines
  • Cruise lines quickly realised they could charge more for balcony cabins, increasing revenue without adding more passengers.
• Ship Design Advances
  • Modern engineering allows for larger ships with tiered decks, making it easier to add balconies without affecting stability.
  • Existing cruise ships could now be retrofitted to add balconies.

Celebrity added 314 balconies to their ship, Celebrity Century, after she was built. Find out more about that here:

How This Ship Added 314 Extra Balcony Cabins 11 Years After Her Launch

Celebrity Century now sails as Marella Explorer 2 for the British cruise company Marella. Find out what I thought of the ship below:

To look at the ships Norwegian had in their fleet in the 1990s, have a look at this article next. It included fascinating brochures from back in the 1960s

Norwegian’s first ship, The Sunward, was originally built as a ferry to transport people and cars from the UK around the Bay of Biscay and on to Gibraltar!

Ferries don’t have balconies…

Norwegian Cruise Line History (Including Interesting Brochures from the 1960s)

Example of a 2020s Ship – Norwegian Prima

Norwegian Prima was launched in 2022 and has a passenger capacity of 3,200.

Over 80% of the staterooms onboard have balconies.

Some feature larger balconies, some with glass walls for unobstructed views, and cabins designed around maximizing outdoor space.

• Balconies Are Expected
  • Today, people expect to be able to book a balcony cabin if they want to.
  • Even budget-friendly cabins often have access to private outdoor space.
  • Suites and high-end cabins now focus on larger balconies with upgraded features like hot tubs and daybeds.
  • There are only 385 inside cabins on Prima, so the majority of passengers have their own piece of outside space.
• Financial Incentives for Cruise Lines
  • There is a higher Revenue Per Cabin.
  • Balcony cabins can be priced significantly higher than inside cabins, even though they don’t take up much more space.
  • Some ships even have balcony cabins that don’t have a sea view. They overlook the central area of the ship. This still gives the guest some outside space of their own, and the cruise line can maximise profits by offering even more balcony rooms.
• Passenger Satisfaction
  • Higher satisfaction rates lead to better reviews, repeat customers, and positive word-of-mouth marketing.
• Operational Efficiency
  • Modern ships are designed with balconies in mind, making construction and maintenance more cost-effective than retrofitting older ships.

I really think that Norwegian have perfected their balcony cabins. The standard balcony cabin I stayed in on Norwegian Prima was my favourite balcony cabin ever ( and I have stayed in quite a few!).

Find out what I loved about it here:

The Future of Balcony Cabins

Below are pictures of me in standard balcony cabins. Usually, there is a wooden rail with a glass panel below to give you uninterrupted views.

• The Future of Balcony Cabins
  • Some newer ships are experimenting with “infinite balconies,” where the traditional balcony railing is replaced with a floor-to-ceiling window that opens partially, blurring the line between indoor and outdoor space (e.g., Celebrity Edge).
  • Trend Toward Larger Balconies: Cruise lines are focusing on creating bigger, more functional balcony spaces, sometimes with outdoor dining areas or private plunge pools.

I had an Infinite Veranda balcony cabin on Celebrity Edge. I wasn’t very impressed. Although it gave the outside of the ship a lovely, streamlined profile, I felt that the “balcony” itself was a case of “style over substance.”

Some of the time, the Infinite verandas were all locked shut by the bridge anyway, so that you couldn’t open the windows. It seemed a shame to pay a premium for an outside space that you couldn’t always use.

See what you think in the video below:

Before You Go

Another balcony option available on some ships are “sheltered balcony” cabins. Find out how they differ from normal balcony cabins here:

Sheltered Balcony Cabin Pictures and Honest Review – Queen Mary 2

Find out why you should consider cruising on older, smaller ships here:

9 Reasons You Shouldn’t Avoid Cruising on Older, Smaller Cruise Ships