River Cruise Windows and Balconies Defined River cruising can be a confusing business. There are so many new ships coming online and so many destinations to choose from that future travelers can find themselves bogged down with questions. Recently, we received one question that is likely on the minds of many who have yet to take their first trip along the waterways of Europe: How is a French balcony different from a verandah? A French balcony aboard Viking River Cruises’ Viking Odin. Note the railing just beyond the open glass door. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders French Balconies French Balconies look and act like a regular balcony, with the only exception being that there is a railing placed directly behind the glass, meaning you cannot actually step out onto a separate space. Normally, most cruise lines place a small sitting area in front of the French Balcony, allowing it to perform the same function as a full, step-out balcony. How Suite It Is: Avalon’s suite ships turn the room into an Open-Air Balcony. Photo courtesy of Avalon Waterways Some river cruise lines are gradually tweaking the French Balcony concept and, in doing so, are coming up with an increasingly diverse myriad of brand names for them. Avalon Waterways touts their Open-Air Balconies that are essentially French Balconies on a grand scale, with windows that open almost the entire width of the room. Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection calls them Full Open Air Balconies. Newly-launched river cruise line Emerald Waterways has some staterooms called Panorama Balconies that feature floor-to-ceiling windows where the upper partition drops down to let fresh air into the room. While not a French balcony by purest definition, we’d consider this to be one simply because you cannot step out onto it. Full Balconies – also called Step Out Balconies – offer an external area in which to sit. This is separate from the main stateroom area, and is similar to balconies found aboard a standard cruise ship. Photo © 2012 Aaron Saunders Balconies Balconies – sometimes referred to as Full Balconies or Step-out Balconies – are defined by the fact that you can physically step out on to them, much like you would aboard a traditional oceangoing cruise ship. They typically have two chairs and a small table, and – with a few exceptions – tend to be quite narrow due to the fact that river cruise ships are severely restricted in terms of their physical dimensions because of narrow locks and height requirements on the waterways of Europe. Suites – the Best of Both Worlds Among Suites, nearly all river cruise lines tend to offer two balconies – either a French and a full balcony, or two full balconies – in their top-of-the-line accommodations. Viking River Cruises is deserving of notable mention here for the wraparound balconies in their Explorer Suites that enclose the sterns of their Viking Longships. Category BA Staterooms aboard AmaWaterways’ AmaSonata feature both French and full step-out balconies. Photo courtesy of AmaWaterways. River View Staterooms At the entry-level of the accommodation spectrum are River View Staterooms, also known as Standard Staterooms. These offer small, fixed windows that usually occupy the top quarter of the stateroom, and which typically cannot be opened. Due to the location of these staterooms – usually on the lowest deck – windows are positioned high in the room due to the level of the waterline. The notable exception here can be found on Tauck’s new ms Inspire and ms Savor, which feature eight Loft Staterooms apiece that come with a 1.5-story tall wall of glass with a middle partition that can open to let fresh air in. These innovative staterooms are a hybrid between a river view and a French balcony. A Riverview Stateroom aboard Viking Hemming. Note the smaller windows near the top of the wall. Photo © 2014 Aaron Saunders Tauck’s new ms Inspire features eight Loft Staterooms measuring 225 square feet each. They’re technically riverview rooms – but their oversized windows open. Photo courtesy of Tauck It always pays to do your research before booking any river cruise stateroom. Read the brochure, visit the company’s website and – of course – ask away. We’re here to help. The post River Cruise Windows and Balconies Defined appeared first on River Cruise Advisor.
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 15:21:46 +0000
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