Gourmet Flyer You’ve probably seen these staterooms before whenever a cruise ship is in sight. They appear to be very special, and rare. There are only maybe 30 to 40 of those facing the aft of a ship, versus several hundred to over a thousand of sideway facing balconies on either the port or starboard side. You check out the price tag and find that they are a lot more expensive than the standard balconies. So, you begin to wonder: What’s so special about these rooms? Are they worth the extra money? What are the pros and cons of these cabins?
And guess what? I’ve been asking the exact same questions for years. As far as I am concerned, the only way to truly understand and appreciate the experience is to actually pay for the cruise and stay there for a week. So, on my recent Alaska cruise, I decided to splurge a little and booked B739 on the Royal Princess. Now that I know what an aft facing balcony is like, I am ready and happy to share my experience with you, as well as to discuss some of its pros and cons.
While this review is specifically on B739 on the Royal Princess (hence all the pictures are from that particular location), it can be applied to the same four stateroom numbered B736 through 739, as they are almost identical with little or no differences. In fact, you can apply the contents of this article across all of Princess Cruises’ Royal class ships, which include Regal, Majestic, Sky, Enchanted, and Discovery.
Table of Contents
Premium Deluxe
Before we start the full review, let’s first decipher the term “premium deluxe”. On Princess Royal class ships, premium means a larger balcony that can hold two full-length lie-flat lounge chairs. Deluxe cabins have a larger space inside the room and include a couch which can also be used as a sofa bed. Premium deluxe simply means both of the above.
Location
The picture above clearly shows the locations of B739 and its neighboring staterooms. Note that the numbering systems on each deck is different, but the interior of the cabins are mostly the same. However, the sizes of the balconies could vary a bit.
B739 is located on deck 11 – this is important as it is only one of two decks on the Princess Royal class ships that have an overhang above its aft facing balconies. I will talk more about this later.
The large corner rooms B734 and B735 with a wrap-around are full suites. For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on the four staterooms in the middle section, which are very similar. One exception is that the two middle cabins, B738 and B739, have neighbors on only one side. In between them is a fire closet that is a non-public area. The steward can open the divider there if requested, giving you access to an even larger space.
Overhang
I took the above picture at an angle to give you a better view that only Deck 9 (Dolphin) and 11 (Baja) have an overhang which provides a shade to the harsh sun as well as rain. It also gives you a bit more privacy. On our recent Alaska cruise, the shade came in handy on the few rainy days. We pulled the chairs under the overhang and managed to stay dry while enjoying the stunning scenery.
Notice that decks 14 and 15 are directly below the railings of the Horizon Terrace on the Lido deck where plenty of people gather around. On scenic cruising days of an Alaska cruise, that area is packed with people. So, noise and privacy could be issues on those two uncovered decks below public spaces.
The Stateroom
It is slightly longer than a standard room and has a sofa bed the size of a love seat which is big enough to comfortably seat two people. Other features like a desk and a chair, mini refrigerator, TV, etc. are identical to the set-up of a regular cabin. The bathroom and its amenities are also the same.
Here is a closer look of the seating area. The fixture between the desk and the sliding glass door is the mini refrigerator.
The Balcony
As mentioned above, these large balconies can hold two lounge chairs that are fully extended and paired with footrests.
Here is another picture taken right where the sliding glass door is to give you a better perspective of its depth and width.
Most cruisers book these aft facing balconies to enjoy the wake views as well as the ability to look both left and right. These are indeed the perfect location for scenic cruises. My wife and I thoroughly enjoyed it during our recent Alaska cruise, especially during the day at Glacier Bay National Park. Instead of fighting the crowd to get a glimpse of the glaciers, we got the best panoramic view right at our own private space.
Pros and Cons
The most obvious and universal advantage is certainly a much larger and deeper balcony – deeper than any ones that you can find on the sides. However, it is ironic that many of the features of these aft-facing cabins could be either a pro or a con, depending on the person experiencing it as well as the itinerary. For example, most people’s complaint is that it is a long walk to most places on the ship. However, my wife and I see this as a great opportunity to increase our daily exercises, especially after several rounds of buffets and multiple desserts.
As far as the itinerary is concerned, behind the back wall of the ship, you are shielded from wind and is perfect for cruises in cold weather such as Alaska or Northern Europe. However, the lack of wind could make the space too warm and stuffy in a Caribbean cruise in summer.
The aft-facing view is indeed mesmerizing when leaving Glacier Bay National Park. However, you do not get a complete and head-on view of the Margerie Glacier as a side balcony would. Since the captain turns the ship around while at the glacier, the aft-facing location does not have an advantage there. On the other hand, nowhere else on the ship can you experience this stunning “sail away” where the glaciers slowly fade away into the distant waters, and in the privacy of your own balcony.
However, some will argue that at the back you are the last person to see everything passing by, while the forward-facing balconies give you the same perspective as the captain, having a complete view of the navigation, catching new sceneries as the ship approaches them.
While some features could arguably be either pros or cons, some of the definite cons are more movements, especially in rough seas, and it is not recommended for cruisers prone to motion sickness. Since you are right above the propellers, you will most likely experience more vibrations than other locations. Lastly, since the wind blows the smoke backwards, soot deposits is a quite common occurrence.
