Hello everyone -

I have a strange question, but it is bugging me: why, in the brochure and on the RSSC website deck plans, do some balconies show as the brown (assuming teak) color...and the others (particularly on deck 7) are colored white with dots? Does that mean the staterooms with brown balconies are teak, and the others are not finished with teak? Or what kind of surface do they have? I assume they are all teak...so why make some of them white in the brochure?

And when you click on the stateroom category detail, the white turns into light blue. For instance, it looks like the Grand Suite has only a partial teak balcony and the rest (the wraparound part) is not teak.

Sorry for the strange question, but it drives me nuts!

Kristin, Not sure I understand your ?? but I do know on the Voyager that the Suites Category C and above (large suites) have teak balconies and chairs. We have never been in one so we've always had the "white" balconies with the white plastic chairs insetad of the teak.....it was no big deal to us. Not sure about the really large suites.

We were next door to a Penthouse suite for almost 4 months (teak) and the lady NEVER came out on her balcony! We had the same stewardess who reported that she was alive...thank goodness!

Kristin, I was wondering the same thing. Since in the brochure some balconies are colored brown and the others aren't, I surmised that the ones that aren't brown are just whatever the body of the ship is made of. I do find that odd, though, why finish only part of your balconies in teak, why not all of them??? Basically, from the look of the brochure, category B and the Grand Suite are the only staterooms to have teak?!

I will find out, but I have to wait until my June 2006 sailing, and that's a long wait! So if anyone could chime in who has stayed in the other categories (C, A, and Owners) - what are those balconies made of?

I believe the balconies are not teak...they are carpeted. But don't quote me. I had a B and an A cabin on the PG. They were not the same material or configuration as the C balconies.

Kristin,
I hated to see you go nuts so I did a little investigative work and this is what I found.
The only categories with a wooden balcony are Category B and a portion of the Grand Suite. All other balconies are made of a synthetic material that I assume handles the weather better than wood. That is why they are blue on the cabin diagrams.

Thanks, Susan! I get confused when I see differences like that in a brochure - it didn't make sense to me. I know, most people wouldn't care, but I am one of those anal types! It looks like the rest of RSSC's ships have teak balconies throughout.

The balconies on the PG are much smaller than the average balconies on the other ships.....even the B category balcony. The A balcony is great.

Sedona, I am thinking that the category B balconies are about the same size as what we had on the Silver Wind - we had a verandah suite. It seemed adequate/large enough, but the door to the balcony was a swing-open style, and I think a slider would give you much better use of the space. Are the PG balcony doors the sliding kind?

You mentioned the other ships - I am just starting to research the others, and OH MY! Yes, the balconies definitely look larger on, say, the Voyager than the PG.

Kristin. I have only been on the PG once, and it was on a lower category for a balcony. It was smaller than those on the other ships, but still nice. I realy need a balcony when I cruise!

I am pretty sure the balconies on the PG have sliding doors. They are really quite nice, even the category C balconies, and we thought they were a great addition for that cruise.

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Eugene

jhp, I need a balcony when I cruise, too! It adds so much to the overall experience, especially when sailing in & out of ports. I even got up in the wee hours just to walk out on the balcony when arriving in ports (and ask my husband, I am NOT NOT NOT a morning person!).

Eugene, thanks! - sliding doors really are so much better. Besides making more sense space-wise, I find them much easier to open - those cruise ship doors can be so dang heavy!

The balconies are almost a necessity on the PG in my opinion. The rooms, while nicely configured, are smaller than we RSSCers are used to on the other ships. The balconies provide shade (which the ship deck does not) and you can dry your clothes out there. You seem to live in a bathing suit and water shoes, so this is a nice feature to have. If you have rafts, this is where you can leave them. Also, the PG is a floating hotel, and it is nice to sit on your balcony.

My only complaint with the rooms on the PG is that there is no curtain to separate the living and bedroom areas. We like that feature on the other ships as one of us is an early riser and the other is a late nighter.