For our recent Alaska cruise on Virgin Voyages’ newest ship, Brilliant Lady, we booked a Sea Terrace, Virgin’s version of a balcony cabin. A private balcony is an easy sell in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, but Alaska is a different question. With the cold and often rainy weather, is a Brilliant Lady balcony worth paying up for, or are you better off saving the money for shore excursions and other extras? We put ours to the test during a week in Alaska and share our honest answer in this Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace cabin review.

Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin Quick Facts

• Cabin Number: 12294A
• Category: Sea Terrace (balcony)
• Size: 185 square feet + 40 sq ft. balcony
• Location: Deck 12, forward portside
• Sleeps: Up to 2 guests
• Price: We paid $4700 (Premium Voyage Fare) for a 7-day Alaska cruise
• Best For: Alaska cruisers who want constant access to stunning scenery
• Our Verdict: The cabin itself is short on storage, but the balcony and hammock earned their spot even in cold, wet Alaska weather

Why We Chose a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin

Since a balcony room is our preferred way to cruise, especially on an Alaska itinerary, we booked a Sea Terrace cabin for this Brilliant Lady sailing. With Virgin Voyages, you can’t pick your exact room; much like a hotel, the cruise line auto-assigns a stateroom from your chosen category at booking. We were assigned cabin 12294A, a portside Sea Terrace located forward of the forward elevators.

A quick note on Virgin’s naming convention: the line forgoes the traditional port and starboard labels for a simple letter. The letter A designates the port side of the ship, and the letter Z designates starboard side.

According to Virgin Voyages’ website, a Sea Terrace is roughly 185 square feet with a 40 sq ft. balcony. Other balcony room options include the XL Sea Terrace slightly larger at 225 square feet, the Central Sea Terrace at 185 square feet, and the Slightly Smaller Balcony Sea Terrace at 184 square feet. The XL Sea Terrace offers nearly 30% more space and a roomier bathroom. The Central Sea Terrace is located midship, while the standard Sea Terrace cabins are located forward and aft. The Slightly Smaller Balcony rooms have just that, smaller balconies due to the position of the lifeboats, along with limited views, but the interior is exactly the same; some have two outdoor hammocks.

All rooms include rainfall showers, mood lighting, a large flatscreen HDTV, several power and USB outlets, and a safe. Most Sea Terrace cabins also feature the signature terrace hammock and the transformational Seabed, though the default is now to leave it in the bed configuration. In Alaska, all cabins also have blankets to use during the sailing.

Being on Deck 12, this cabin put us close to the top-deck areas and a quick elevator ride or walk down to the dining and entertainment venues on Decks 5, 6, and 7. Our location was pretty far forward, but we never had any issues with noise or motion during the sailing.

Layout of a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin

Walking into our Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace room, the tiny bathroom was immediately to our left, with the closet opposite.

The bed sat on the aft wall, facing forward. Across from the bed was the television mounted on the wall. Since the stateroom attendants no longer reconfigure the Seabed during the day, the floor-level square table beside the bed ended up doubling as storage space, but that meant there was no sofa in the cabin.

Beyond the bed, there was a small chair and a multi-purpose table near the balcony, along with the desk and the nearby mini-fridge on the opposite wall.

Finally, there was the balcony. It was just the right size, with two chairs, a small table, and Virgin’s signature red hammock.

Brilliant Lady’s cabins carry the same minimalist, tech-forward style as the rest of the fleet, with a few wooden accents and pops of Virgin red. Still, the staterooms are one of the ship’s weaker points, as they don’t have the same trendy, boutique hotel vibes as the other public spaces.

Inside Our Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin

Bathroom

Quite frankly, the stateroom bathrooms on Virgin Voyages are the smallest in the industry. Upon stepping into the bathroom, you can basically reach the sink, toilet, and shower with one step in either direction. That said, we remain fans of the rainfall shower, which includes a glass door along with Red Flower shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel dispensers. There’s also a liquid hand soap dispenser near the sink.

The vanity area is compact, with little counter space and no above-vanity shelving for personal care items. As always, we brought a hanging pocket organizer to store our toiletries and free up what little counter room there was.

Closet

The closet in this Sea Terrace cabin is fairly standard in size for a cruise ship, yet the space itself isn’t well-optimized. It includes a clothes bar with hangers and a shoe rack, hidden behind a curtain and reminiscent of a dorm room. Adjacent, there’s a narrow run of three shelves, the safe, and three very shallow drawers that are basically useless.

Also, the light switches and the “do not disturb” light are awkwardly positioned on the wall inside the closet.

For an Alaska cruise, especially, the storage space comes up short. With more outerwear and bulkier clothing, it took some strategic unpacking to stow all our gear. Even then, we had to stack several packing cubes and rely on magnetic hooks and our hanging pocket organizer to stash the small stuff like gloves and hats and hang things like bags and coats to dry.

Main Cabin Area

The main cabin area is minimalistic but serves its purpose. The Seabed is a bit firmer than some cruise ship beds, but we had no trouble falling asleep after our long days ashore and late nights on the ship. With the bed left in its default configuration, we were able to slide our suitcases underneath to maximize space in the room.

The desk is small with minimal storage. What it does have going for it, though, is power and tech. There are plenty of outlets and a tablet that controls the mood lights, curtains, temperature, and TV, and can even be used to request room service like fresh towels or water. We also appreciated the additional 120-volt outlets and USB-A and USB-C connections spread throughout the stateroom, which gave us ample power to charge all our devices all week.

Because the desk offered so little storage, the floor-level square table beside the bed became our catch-all for laptops and electronics. It did also have one large drawer where we stored bulkier outerwear that we weren’t currently using.

Adjacent to the desk is the mini-fridge with carafes of water and glasses on top. Virgin Voyages has no single use plastics, so you’ll have to rely on this water and refill stations around the ship. Be sure to bring a refillable water bottle with you.

Nearby the balcony door is one not-so-comfortable chair, but it’s the only seating option beyond the stool at the desk/vanity area.

Balcony

The balcony is where this cabin wins us back. While not extremely spacious either, it features two upright metal chairs, a small table, and Virgin’s signature red hammock. The hammock is the standout, and it’s easily our favorite spot for lounging and taking in the scenery. If you’re on a lower deck, keep in mind your view may be partially obstructed by the lifeboats on Deck 7.

Even with the cool Alaska weather, the balcony was a great perch for scenic cruising through the fjords and scouting for wildlife. We actually used the balcony far more than we expected to on this cool and rainy sailing. Given there aren’t many covered outdoor areas on this ship, our balcony was the perfect private retreat. We could still take in the views with an overhead cover so we didn’t get drenched.

Is a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Worth It in Alaska?

So, let’s get back to our original question now—Is it worth upgrading to a balcony cabin? For us, it’s an absolute yes! While we typically opt for balcony staterooms anyway, we find the upgrade to be even more beneficial in Alaska.

You’re not booking a balcony for the sun and ocean breezes, but we’d argue a crisp morning of scenic sailing with a coffee in hand makes it even more worth it. In a region where the scenery is the whole point, having a private terrace and that hammock to enjoy it from earned its cost for us.

While not on the same level as staterooms from other premium cruise lines like Celebrity or Princess when it comes to decor or amenities, this Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace cabin does get a few things right beyond the view (and the hammock!). We appreciated the 21st-century tech, the rainfall shower, and the sheer number of outlets.

Yes, a Sea Terrace cabin will cost more than an interior room (Insider) or oceanview cabin (Sea View). The difference in price to upgrade from an Insider to a Sea Terrace cabin can range anywhere between $500 to upwards of $1000+ more per sailor.

With the cruise line’s new VoyageFair Choices, guests can also customize what’s included in their fare. Base fare is the cheapest option but has less inclusions and is non-refundable. Essential fare is mid-tier, and Premium fare is the most expensive but includes premium WiFi, Bar Tab, and more generous cancellation policies.

For us, we’d book a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace cabin in Alaska again in a heartbeat, unless of course we were splurging on a RockStar suite, which offers a lot more space and a much larger bathroom. However, if your budget only allows for an Insider or Sea View room, don’t hesitate; you will still have a wonderful Alaska cruise. There are plenty of outdoor public areas for sightseeing as well.

Brilliant Lady Cabin Tour

Pros of a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin

• Signature terrace hammock, the best feature of the cabin
• Rainfall shower & bath products
• Abundant power outlets throughout room
• Control tablet for lights, curtains, temperature, & room requests

Cons of a Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin

• Limited closet space, felt more on an Alaska cruise
• Smallest bathrooms in the industry for a standard cabin
• Lacks the premium feel when compared to other cruise lines
• No sofa, just a single chair for seating options

Comments

Have you sailed in a Virgin Voyages Sea Terrace cabin? What is your preferred cabin category when you cruise? Drop us an anchor below with your Brilliant Lady reviews.

The post Brilliant Lady Sea Terrace Cabin Review: Is the Balcony Worth It in Alaska? appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.

If we could go back and book our very first cruise again, knowing everything we know now, we’d change how we plan the whole thing from the very start. Because after more than 100 cruises, we’ve learned what actually makes a cruise better, and what just isn’t worth your money or your time.

We’ve spent more than 20 years cruising just about every way there is to cruise. Over that time we’ve made all the cruise planning mistakes so you don’t have to. These are the 15 things we’d do differently if we were booking today. This list is about the choices that shape the vacation long before you step up the gangway, because those are the ones that make or break the trip.

1. We’d Decide What Kind of Vacation We Actually Wanted First

When most people picture their first cruise, they’re probably thinking about somewhere warm. A week sailing around the Caribbean or a quick Bahamas getaway. Beaches, pools, tropical drinks, and a few days relaxing in the sun.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, that’s how a lot of people get introduced to cruising. But if we were booking our first cruise today, we wouldn’t automatically start there.

Because one of the biggest things we’ve learned is that a cruise isn’t really one type of vacation. An Alaska cruise is almost the opposite of a Caribbean cruise. You’re booking it for the scenery, the wildlife, the glaciers, and the ports. A Mediterranean or Northern Europe cruise can be even more destination-focused, where you wake up in a different city almost every morning and spend eight or ten hours ashore before coming back to the ship. And then there are cruises where the ship itself is the destination, with water parks, dozens of restaurants and bars, and enough to do that you could barely get off the ship and still have a great vacation.

So if we were starting over, our first question wouldn’t be, “Which cruise line should we book?” It would be, “What kind of vacation do we want?” Do we want to relax, explore, see wildlife, visit several cities without packing and unpacking, or spend the week at a huge resort at sea? Figure that out first, and every choice after it gets easier.

2. We’d Match the Destination and Season to That Vacation

Once we knew the kind of vacation we wanted, we’d make sure the destination and the time of year actually delivered it. You can book the right style of cruise and still end up disappointed because the where and the when didn’t fit.

Book the Caribbean during hurricane season and you’re accepting a real chance of itinerary changes and rough weather. Book a port-intensive European sailing during the middle of summer and you might spend your vacation exhausted and frustrated from the heat and the crowds. Or, plan to cruise to Alaska during shoulder season and you may miss the very thing you came for — wildlife.

If you’d prefer to relax by the pool or on the beach, a Caribbean or Bahamas cruise probably suits you better than the Mediterranean. If you want to be outdoors and active the entire trip, Alaska or maybe even a destination like the Galapagos is the right choice.

So we’d be sure to line the destination up against the vacation we pictured from the start. You don’t sort out what to do in a destination after picking a cruise. It’s part of choosing the right cruise in the first place.

3. We’d Research the Ship, Not Just the Cruise Line

Once we figured out the type of vacation we wanted and where we wanted to take it, we’d spend a lot more time researching the actual ship. Because when you’re new to cruising, it’s easy to think you’re booking the same Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian, or Princess experience regardless of which ship you choose.

After cruising for more than 20 years, we’ve learned that two ships from the same cruise line can deliver completely different vacations. Take Royal Caribbean. You could book one of its newest mega-ships with multiple pools, dozens of restaurants and bars, waterparks, huge entertainment venues, and enough activities to keep you busy for a week. Or you could sail on one of the line’s older, smaller ships with a fraction of those amenities. They’re both Royal Caribbean cruises, but they’re certainly not the same vacation.

You’ll find those differences across most of the major lines. Newer Carnival ships have features and dining venues you won’t find on many of the older ships. Norwegian‘s newest ships can feel very different from the smaller ones that have been in the fleet for years as well.

That doesn’t mean newer and bigger is always better. A smaller ship might have fewer attractions, but it could be easier to navigate, feel less crowded, and get into ports the biggest ships can’t visit. On a destination-focused cruise like Alaska or Europe, those things might matter more to you than another waterslide.

So today, we wouldn’t just watch a video about the “best cruise line.” We’d look at the exact ship. How old is it? When was it last updated? Which restaurants are actually onboard? What entertainment does it have? Does it have an adults-only area? Choosing the right cruise line gets you in the ballpark. Choosing the right ship is what gets you the vacation you actually wanted.

4. We’d Look for Value, Not Just the Lowest Price

Once we found a few ships we liked, price would obviously come into play. But if we were booking today, we wouldn’t automatically book the one with the lowest advertised fare.

Cruise pricing has gotten a lot more complicated. Depending on the line, you might have a basic cruise-only fare or a bundled fare that includes drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining, gratuities, or onboard credit. And sometimes paying more upfront actually saves you money.

If we know we’re going to buy Wi-Fi, have a few drinks every day, and eat at some specialty restaurants, we’d compare what those cost separately against the line’s packages or bundled fares. To be honest, these packages, like NCL’s Free at Sea, Princess Plus, or Holland America’s Have It All, didn’t exist when we started cruising.

But the opposite is true too. If we barely drank, didn’t care about Wi-Fi, and were perfectly happy eating at the included restaurants, we wouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars more just because a package sounds like a better deal.

After all these years, we’ve learned that getting a good value doesn’t necessarily mean spending less. It means not paying for things you don’t want, and getting the best price for the things you do.

5. We’d Choose Our Cabin More Strategically

On your first cruise, it’s easy to assume a balcony is the cabin you’re supposed to get. And don’t get us wrong, we love balcony cabins. But if we were booking today, we wouldn’t automatically pay for one. We’d think about the cruise first.

If we were sailing somewhere like Alaska, where there’s scenery outside practically every day, we’d probably be willing to spend more for that balcony. But on a Caribbean cruise where we plan to spend our days at the pool or ashore and our evenings around the ship, we might save hundreds of dollars with an inside or oceanview cabin. In fact, we did sail exclusively in interior and oceanview rooms for years before we decided to upgrade to a balcony on our first Alaska cruise.

Additionally, we’d pay just as much attention to where that cabin is located. We’d check what’s above us, below us, and nearby. We’d avoid being directly under the pool deck or above a nightclub, since both can be noisy. And if we were worried about motion sickness, we’d look for something lower and closer to the middle of the ship, where you feel the movement least.

So we’d spend money on the cabin when it actually improved the vacation, not just because someone told us a balcony is the only way to cruise.

6. We’d Budget for the Whole Trip, Not Just the Cruise

This one is easy to underestimate when you’re looking at cruise prices online. The cruise fare isn’t what the vacation is going to cost you.

You might still need flights, a hotel before the cruise, transportation to the port, gratuities, drinks, Wi-Fi, specialty dining, excursions, and whatever else you decide to do onboard. Suddenly that $1,500 cruise becomes a $3,000 or $4,000 vacation.

So if we were starting over, we’d set a budget for the entire trip before booking anything. Maybe that means taking the less expensive cabin so we could afford the excursions we really want. Or choosing a cruise from a port we could drive to instead of spending another thousand dollars on airfare. We’d rather book a cruise that comfortably fits our total budget than not be able to enjoy the full onboard and ashore experience because we already spent everything just getting there.

7. We’d Know Everything That’s Onboard

Once you’ve picked the right ship, the next mistake is not knowing everything that’s available onboard. It would be terrible to find something you would have loved on the last night, or to discover the restaurant you were most excited about needs a reservation and is completely sold out.

So today, after we booked the trip, we’d spend time researching and learning what that specific ship actually offers. We’d pull up the deck plans, download the cruise line’s app, and look at sample daily planners to see what a day onboard really looks like. We’d note which venues and activities are included and which cost extra, which ones need a reservation, and what’s top on our to-do list.

This is different from picking the right ship in the first place. This is about knowing the ship you chose inside and out, so you walk on already knowing what you want to experience. Which leads straight into the next one.

8. We’d Lock In Our Must-Dos Before the Trip

We wouldn’t plan every hour of every day. But if there were things we’d be disappointed to miss, we’d reserve those as soon as we could.

Maybe it’s a popular specialty restaurant. Perhaps it’s a show that requires reservations. Maybe it’s the thermal suite on a sea day, or an excursion that only takes a small number of guests. A lot of these open for booking before you board, and the most popular times disappear fast.

The same goes for the basics that are easy to put off: downloading the app, completing online check-in, and booking your dining and shows ahead of time. Our pre-cruise planning timeline walks through when each of these windows tends to open.

So we’d identify our must-dos, lock those in, and leave the rest of the schedule open. Because one thing we’ve learned is that you need some structure to get the most out of a cruise. You just don’t need so much structure that your vacation starts feeling like work.

9. We’d Pack for This Specific Cruise

We definitely wouldn’t bring as much as we did on our early cruises. There are packing lists online that make it sound like you’re preparing to live at sea for six months. You don’t need most of it.

But the bigger mistake isn’t packing too much, it’s packing incorrectly for your particular cruise. We’d check the cruise line’s dress code and theme nights. We’d look at what our excursions actually require, whether that’s hiking shoes, water gear, or something to cover up in a religious site. And we’d make sure anything we’re bringing is actually allowed onboard, because every line has a list of prohibited items that surprises people every week. Admittedly, our bags have gotten flagged in the past too.

Most importantly, we’d pack our carry-on knowing we might not see our checked luggage until later that afternoon. So medications, travel documents, valuables, chargers, sunscreen, and a change of clothes would stay with us.

10. We’d Arrive at Least a Day Early

If we had to book our very first cruise again, there’s no chance we’d fly in the morning of embarkation. We actually did that on our first cruise. In January from the northeastern US. With a connecting flight. And somehow, we made it.

Today, we know how easily that could have gone the other way. One delayed flight, cancellation, mechanical problem, or missed connection, and the ship leaves without you. It does not wait just because you haven’t arrived yet.

So now we’d arrive at least one day early. For an international cruise, or if winter weather could cause problems, we might even arrive two days early. Yes, it means paying for a hotel. But it also means the vacation still happens if something goes wrong on the way there, and that peace of mind is worth far more than the price of a room.

11. We’d Book Earlier and Get Help Doing It

Honestly, if this really were our first cruise again, we wouldn’t try to figure all of this out ourselves. There are dozens of cruise lines, hundreds of ships, and countless cabin categories, fare types, packages, promotions, and itineraries. We know how to sort through all of that now. But when you’ve never cruised before, you don’t even know which questions you’re supposed to ask.

We’d also book earlier than feels necessary. Booking well ahead usually gets you a better fare and a far better choice of cabins, and it gives you more time to pay the cruise off before the final payment date. While we were at it, we’d read the fine print on that final payment, along with refund and cancellation policies.

That’s where a good travel advisor really helps. They can match you with the right cruise line and ship, explain the different fares and cabin options, and sometimes have access to group rates, onboard credit, or other perks. And best of all, you aren’t paying extra to use them. Even after 100+ cruises, we book our cruises with MEI-Travel. So whether this is your first cruise or you’re just trying something different for your next one, you can request a free, no-obligation quote from their team.

12. We’d Check Document and Entry Requirements Early

This is the mistake that doesn’t seem urgent until it’s too late to fix. It’s not about forgetting your documents. It’s about not checking, months ahead, what you actually need.

For most cruises, the safe bet is you need a passport, and most want it valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates. There are certain closed-loop cruises where you can sail with a birth certificate and government ID, but we still wouldn’t recommend it. And passport renewals can take weeks or months, especially in busy seasons. If you wait until a few weeks before the sailing to look into it, you can find yourself paying for expedited processing, or worse, unable to sail at all. Beyond passports, some countries have additional entry requirements.

So the moment we booked, we’d confirm the document and entry requirements for our specific itinerary, check that every passport in our party has enough validity left, and start any renewals right away.

13. We’d Splurge on One or Two Great Port Experiences

If we were booking our first Caribbean or Bahamas cruise again, we wouldn’t feel like we needed an expensive excursion in every single port. Instead, we’d pick one or two experiences we’re really excited about and spend our money there. Maybe that’s zip-lining through the jungle, an adventure park in Mexico, swimming with stingrays, or a great snorkeling or catamaran tour. Something we’ll remember long after the cruise is over.

If we were cruising to Alaska, the Mediterranean, or another bucket list destination, maybe we’d splurge on a few additional tours. But we’d still balance the experience so we weren’t running ourselves ragged with full-day tours every single day or breaking the bank with a $500 shore excursion in every port.

Then we’d make the other port days different. At one stop, maybe we’d just explore on our own, walk around, try some local food, and experience the place without following a numbered paddle all day. And depending on the itinerary, we might even stay onboard in one port. That’s something we never would have considered on our first few cruises. Back then, if the ship stopped somewhere, we felt like we had to get off. Now we know that staying onboard while most passengers are ashore can give you an almost completely different ship, quiet pools and short lines included.

When booking excursions, we would also consider all available options. Back in the day, we booked all our tours through the cruise line because we didn’t know any better. We overpaid for something we could have gotten cheaper through a local provider or third-party vendor like Shore Excursions Group.

14. We Wouldn’t Try to Do Everything

Modern cruise ships can have dozens of restaurants and bars, multiple entertainment options, trivia, game shows, pools, waterslides, live music, parties, fitness classes, and activities running from early morning until well after midnight. You could turn your entire vacation into a checklist. We know, because we’ve done it. The FOMO is real!

The mistake starts in the planning, when you look at everything a ship offers and quickly decide you’re going to fit all of it in, somehow. If we were starting over, we’d go into that first cruise knowing we’re going to miss things, and we’d be okay with it. We’d pick the experiences we care about most, leave room to try a few things we’ve never done, and then deliberately leave time to do absolutely nothing. Downtime isn’t wasted time on a cruise. It’s part of why you booked one.

15. We Wouldn’t Write Off Cruising After One Cruise

If we took our first cruise today and didn’t love it (which clearly didn’t happen!), we wouldn’t immediately decide that cruising wasn’t for us. We’d ask why. Because after sailing on so many different ships and cruise lines, we’ve learned there’s no single “cruise experience.” When we hear people say that cruising isn’t for them, we immediately want to jump in and say “you just haven’t found the right one yet.”

Maybe you booked a huge mega-ship but you’d be happier on something smaller and quieter. Perhaps you booked an older ship for the price when what you really wanted were the attractions on the newer ships. Maybe you didn’t love the Caribbean, but you’d be blown away by Alaska. Or maybe you spent every day sightseeing in Europe but what you really wanted was a week by the pool to just relax.

Cruise lines are different. Ships are different. Destinations are different. And sometimes the cruise you thought you’d love isn’t the cruise that’s right for you. So if we could go back more than 20 years and give ourselves one last piece of advice before that first cruise, it would be this: don’t stress too much about finding the perfect cruise. Find the cruise that seems right for you, enjoy it for what it is, and pay attention to what you liked and what you didn’t. That’s how you make the next one even better.

Comments

Have you made any of these common cruise planning mistakes? Do you have any other words of wisdom to share with first-time cruisers? Drop us an anchor below with your top cruise planning tips and advice.

The post Cruise Planning Mistakes: The 15 Things We’d Do Differently After 100+ Cruises appeared first on EatSleepCruise.com.