What Is French Balcony On Viking River Cruise?

Viking River Cruises Longships offer 22 French Balcony Staterooms, each with a stateroom size of 135 sq ft. These cabins feature floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and an outdoor seating area. The benefits of a French balcony include fresh air, a Queen-size Viking Explorer Bed, and 61 balcony cabins divided into two categories: 205-square-foot Veranda Staterooms and 135-square.

The majority of Viking river ships have 61 balcony cabins, divided into two categories: 205-square-foot Veranda Staterooms and 135-square. French balconies provide a comfortable and private space to enjoy views without being disturbed by wind or rain. However, they are typically located at the edge of the ship, with the full balcony window having the balcony beyond.

Traditional balconies consist of a barriered floor jutting out from an apartment or hotel room, while French balconies are typically on the top two decks of a rivership. French balconies open up to railings but cannot be stepped outside. While verandas offer more outdoor space and immersion in the surroundings, French balconies provide a balance of indoor comfort and scenic views.

In summary, Viking River Cruises offers a variety of French balcony cabins, including river-view staterooms with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and outdoor seating areas. These cabins offer a unique and comfortable way to enjoy river cruises without being disturbed by wind or rain.

Which balcony is best on a cruise?

Know This: Location can matter! One of the best spots for a balconied cabin (or suite) is on a ship’s aft deck, facing backward over the wake. It’s an incredibly soothing sight,and often these verandas (even with a standard-category cabin) are deeper and roomier than usual. By contrast, forward-facing balconies are more subject to winds, movement, and sea spray. You also will want to avoid any forward-facing balcony cabin that’s directly under the bridge (the key navigational area of the ship): At night you may be limited in their use, as the light can hamper operations.

A forward-facing balcony on Windstar Cruises’ Star Breeze in Tahiti. Photo: Wendy Perrin.

My Take: The bigger the ship, the more crowded the public spaces can be, so it’s nice to have a private slice of the outdoors to relax in from time to time. Breakfast on your veranda is a perfect vacation indulgence (and room service is typically free). At sea, the ocean view is lovely and even in most ports, ships don’t dock too close to each other, so you have nice vistas there too.

What part of the ship is best for a balcony?

If you’re after views, the best room on a cruise ship will be a balcony cabin at the ship’s rear end. Aft balcony accommodations at the ship’s corners are also the largest and often give more outside area than conventional balcony cabins, allowing you to enjoy both the beautiful views and the extra space.

Those seeking a good night’s rest should avoid cabins near the pool deck. Additionally, if you’re anywhere near elevators, casinos, theaters or nightclubs, your chances of sleeping will sink faster than the Heart of the Ocean at the end of “Titanic.”

We also recommend avoiding the lower decks at the front of the ship, where you’ll likely hear the anchor chain moving up and down at every port of call. Instead, pick a cabin surrounded by other cabins for more insulation.

Why is it called a French balcony?

The French balcony is a popular architectural feature in France and catching on fast in England, for very good reasons. A French balcony is also known as a balconette or Juliet (or Juliette) balcony after the classic balcony scene in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This is a simple balustrade that allows an upper-level window to open to the floor safely. It is a balustrade that goes in front of a window but without the deck or “floor” of a balcony. Ours are made of toughened glass.

Where the addition of a full balcony is not feasible for practical for financial reasons, a French balcony yet provides almost all of a balcony’s most desirable features.

• It allows you to have inward-opening French doors or patio doors on upper floors. This means more light, better views and a greater feel of spaciousness in bedrooms and apartments, from the smallest and most confined to the most expansive.
• A French balcony can provide the advantages of space and light relatively simply and economically. It can be fixed to the building with few, if any, structural complications and at comparatively low cost.

Is a balcony worth it on a river cruise?

I prefer a balcony cabin so that I can relax and enjoy the view and some fresh air. However, I do have clients who decide that they will spend most of their time outside of their room in the shared spaces and would like to make their holiday budget stretch further. They’ll opt for a lower deck cabin with a fixed window. It’s down to personal preference and budget. If finances allow, I highly recommend a balcony option.

It is worth noting that one morning, you could have an incredible view over the river, but the next day, the view could be of a dock wall and your balcony becomes less important. In busy ports, river ships may need to dock next to each other and on one occasion I opened my curtains, and my view was straight into the cabin of a passenger on the adjacent ship. The view from the deck can’t be obscured by another ship as they are all the same height.

When I travelled on Uniworld Joie de Vivre, I had a stateroom with a French balcony – the top half of the floor to ceiling window glides down to the halfway point allowing an uninterrupted view and plenty of fresh air to circulate.

Cabin, room, stateroom or suite?. The terminology can vary between river cruise lines. For example, AmaWaterways and Uniworld have Staterooms and Suites. On Scenic river ships, each room is known as a Suite with larger options named Junior Suites or the opulent Royal Suite. Riviera refer to their “wonderfully spacious and luxuriously appointed cabins”.

Which side of river cruise ship is best?

The truth, though, is this: There’s no “better” side of the ship. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, or what river you’re sailing on, or even what ship you’re sailing aboard. Both sides of the ship are created equal.

The trouble with trying to pick a side of the ship based on something you’d like to see is this. Assume, for example, you’re booking a sailing from Budapest to Nuremberg, and you’d really like to see Durnstein from you stateroom. Because you’re sailing up-river, Durnstein will be on your starboard, or right-hand-side, when you pass.

But two problems will immediately present themselves. First, you have no control over what time the ship will pass Durnstein. Secondly, you have no control over where you might be in that given moment. So, unless you intend to spend your entire voyage cooped up in your room, there’s little point to trying to play the “which-side-is-better” game. Plus, you only need walk up to the top deck for a great view of Durnstein.

What is the best position of balcony?

• Balconies and terraces should be constructed in the north, east or north-east directions. One must avoid a house with a balcony in the south-west or south direction. • Having a water fountain in the north-east side of the terrace can increase positivity in the house. • If the sitting area is to be made on the terrace then south-west side should be used to keep furniture. Always use wooden furniture instead of wrought iron. • East and northern sides of the terrace can be adorned with shrubs and short plants whereas tall and thick plants should be kept in the southern and western side. • The terrace should always be raised from south-west and have a slope towards north-east so that water always flows from south to east or west to north.

Balconies and terrace should be constructed in north, east or north-east directions. Photo by niklas_hamann on Unsplash.

How big is a French balcony?

Another operator who is launching more and more suite ships is Avalon. Most staterooms are now over 200 sq ft, with an extra wide, 11ft French balcony. The flat glass which covers the entire wall is fantastic for making you feel like you are part of your surroundings. It feels like you are outside even in the cooler months when you are less likely to have the window open.

One of the best inventions of the last few years has been the completely disappearing French balcony glass. So, although the Riviera ships, the William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, which do various itineraries on the Rhine and Danube, do have four deluxe suites with outside space – and you have to be booking a year in advance to get one any time during May-September – everyone else on the middle and upper deck gets a glass wall that opens to the world and saves themselves a few quid in the bargain.

Which brings us to AmaWaterways. Berlitz rated them again in 2022 as having the best fleet on the European rivers and their new Concerto class ships really are stunning. These ships have middle deck French balcony cabins at 170 sq ft, with disappearing, sliding glass doors opening the whole cabin up to the river. All categories above this feature the AmaWaterways Twin Balcony concept with both a French balcony and a veranda.

Is it better to take a river cruise upstream or downstream?

Downstream the ship does not sail at night so there is no rocking motion during nigh which may affect passengers’ sleep. All famous points of interest along Yangtze River can be seen during the day so passengers do not miss anything during the hours of darkness.

Passengers who take Yangtze cruise as their last stop on a China trips are able to fly from Yichang to Shanghai or Beijing.

Disadvantages. 1. Shorter time through the best attractions. For example, the cruise will pass through Qutang gorge which is eight kilometers in only a few minutes. Check out Yangtze Cruise Routes for details.

Is it better in front or back on a river cruise?

The truth, though, is this: There’s no “better” side of the ship. It doesn’t matter where you’re going, or what river you’re sailing on, or even what ship you’re sailing aboard. Both sides of the ship are created equal.

The trouble with trying to pick a side of the ship based on something you’d like to see is this. Assume, for example, you’re booking a sailing from Budapest to Nuremberg, and you’d really like to see Durnstein from you stateroom. Because you’re sailing up-river, Durnstein will be on your starboard, or right-hand-side, when you pass.

But two problems will immediately present themselves. First, you have no control over what time the ship will pass Durnstein. Secondly, you have no control over where you might be in that given moment. So, unless you intend to spend your entire voyage cooped up in your room, there’s little point to trying to play the “which-side-is-better” game. Plus, you only need walk up to the top deck for a great view of Durnstein.

What is the difference between a French balcony and a veranda on Viking cruises?

While Veranda staterooms are the most plentiful on Viking Longships (39 out of 95 are Veranda), also popular are French Balcony Staterooms which appear in several categories.All of deck two has Category D French Balconies on the port (left) side across the hall from Veranda B staterooms. Move up to deck three on the port side an and we see a few category C French balconies aft. On the same side, French Balconies are part of category AA Veranda Suites which have balconies as well. The other side of deck three are category A Verandah staterooms.

Basic difference between a Verandah Stateroom and a French Balcony: the sliding glass door is still there but there is not balcony. Also the interior space is less. French Balconies are 135 square feet while Veranda staterooms are 205 square feet.

Considerations on either deck when selecting a stateroom:

Deck three is right under the top deck. On a big ship cruise, considering what is just above staterooms there is important. Right under a public dining venue or fitness center can be noisy. That’s far less of a concern on a Viking Longship. Above is a walking track, shuffleboard, mini golf, herb garden and solar panels. At the point where there are tables and chairs most apt to be moved around above, below is the observation lounge and Aquavit Terrace. Walking forward on deck three goes through the atrium, right past the 2 hour coffee stations, into the observation lounge and ends in the Aquavit Terrace.

Can you sit on a French balcony?

Do French balconies have any disadvantages?. Although French balconies do come with a host of benefits, there are downsides too. They don’t give you space for activities like sitting, BBQing, or gardening. If a French balcony is not insulated well, the large glass areas can cause thermal inefficiencies. You may also have privacy issues due to how the balconies deliver clear views into rooms when they are open. It’s important to think about the drawbacks as well as the positives before you go ahead and have these balconies installed.

As with any architectural choice, weighing the benefits against the drawbacks based on individual preferences and needs is essential.

French balcony vs veranda. The key difference between a French balcony and a veranda on a river cruise ship is that you can only lean out of French balconies but also step out onto verandas. Verandas tend to have small tables with a couple of chairs. Nonetheless, many balcony cabins have tables and chairs by the balconies, which gives you something close to the feeling of sitting outside, with the views being just as pleasant.

What is the difference between a balcony and a French balcony?

Whereas traditional balconies consist of a barriered floor jutting out from an apartment or hotel room, a French balcony is actually just a long window or glass door, which can be slid open to let in more ventilation and light.

Usually barriered off in line with the wall, this allows you to lean on the railings or fence, and look out at the scenery on the cruise, while still remaining safely within your room.

The benefits of this are obvious: more ventilation, a better view of the sights from the cruise ship, and the feel of more room within your suite.