Enchanted Princess Cabins to Avoid (and the Balconies Worth Paying For)

Enchanted Princess has a few cabins that look great until you notice what is below, above, or outside the balcony.

The ones I would check twice are aft Emerald rooms over the Vista Lounge, Marina cabins under busy parts of Lido, obstructed BW and DW balconies, and any room you are choosing mainly for extra outdoor space.

Emerald Deck above entertainment

Emerald is Deck 8, directly above the Promenade entertainment band, with Princess Theater forward and Vista Lounge aft.

Princess Live! sits between the Piazza and the aft lounge on Deck 7, so several different evening venues lie below the residential deck.

A cabin overlapping an evening venue is a less conservative choice for an early sleeper. The deck plan shows the relationship, but cannot predict the volume inside a particular room.

E711 and E712 are aft Category ME Mini-Suites above the Vista Lounge area, each sleeping up to four. Both carry a balcony-door warning when the sofa bed or upper berth is in use.

The entertainment schedule and venue use can vary. Choose another location if quiet before the entertainment finishes is essential.

What to book instead: The same suitable layout on a residential middle deck when the price difference is modest. For a late-night guest who values the fare and family arrangement, an Emerald mini-suite can still be a sensible compromise.

For forward Emerald rooms, line up the bed area with the theater footprint before deciding. One room’s overlap does not condemn the whole deck.

E711 and E712: privacy, smoke and bedtime

E711 has an uncovered balcony overlooked from above, and E712 offers the corresponding port-side layout. Neither is a guaranteed quiet alternative to the other because both remain near Vista Lounge.

I would treat both E711 and E712 as “book only if the location works for you” rooms rather than trying to crown one the quiet winner. They are still near the Vista Lounge, and the uncovered balcony setup adds another privacy consideration.

Who should skip them: Early sleepers, anyone who wants a tucked-away balcony, and anyone who knows nearby smoke would bother them. I would move to a comparable mini-suite on a residential middle deck rather than spend the cruise wondering whether tonight will be the noisy night.

Smoking and vaping are prohibited in staterooms and on private balconies, while designated public areas exist elsewhere. A room above a residential deck is the simpler answer when entertainment adjacency is the concern.

Marina: pool convenience versus overhead activity

Marina Deck 15 sits below Lido Deck 16. Lido carries the Sky Pools and surrounding outdoor seating around midship, World Fresh Marketplace farther aft, and the Wake View Pool at the stern.

A Marina room beneath a public area can pick up chairs, footsteps, cleaning, or early setup above. It will not happen in every cabin every night, but light sleepers have enough reason to check the exact ceiling instead of treating the whole deck the same.

What to book instead: A comparable room on Aloha, Baja or Caribe with bedrooms overhead. Riviera 14 can also work where the corresponding Marina area above is residential, but inspect the exact footprint rather than treating every higher deck alike.

Marina is not automatically poor value for someone who wants a short trip to the buffet and pool. The deciding question is whether saving a few minutes of travel matters more than avoiding a public ceiling when you sleep late or turn in early.

Lido cabins occupy the forward accommodation block rather than the whole deck. Rooms near its transition toward the pools are convenient, but doorway traffic and outdoor activity still deserve a check even when no pool lies directly overhead.

Some standard balconies feel smaller than you expect

Enchanted has many compact side balconies, and a traveler expecting a deep terrace should examine the exact layout before paying for one. It is too broad to say every standard or Deluxe Balcony has exactly the same outdoor area or that two people cannot use any of them comfortably.

The hull changes shape around midship, and selected balconies have more useful depth or an angled outline. The balcony geometry is fixed, while comfort with both occupants sitting outside is personal.

What to book instead: Compare Dolphin Deck balconies D420, D421, D424, D425, D428 and D429, which have extended angled balconies. Request a photograph of the exact balcony, including its railing and neighboring sightlines.

Do not jump straight to a mini-suite solely to buy more outdoor floor. Its main advantage can be the interior arrangement, while a less expensive balcony at a different position may better match the way you plan to use the terrace.

For someone who wants fresh air at breakfast and spends most days ashore, a compact balcony can be enough. For two people who want extended lounging, price the actual outdoor shape and furniture rather than the category name alone.

Obstructed balconies need a room-specific view

The sailing’s deck map distinguishes BW obstructed Balcony and DW obstructed Deluxe Balcony categories. Emerald carries many of these rooms, while forward obstructed Deluxe Balcony positions also appear on higher decks.

Do not assume every obstruction only removes the view straight down. Lifeboats, equipment, the hull and railing design affect different positions differently, and some nautical hardware can sit outside the coded-obstruction definition.

What to book instead: An explicitly unobstructed balcony if the open view is the main reason for upgrading. An obstructed room can offer good savings when a room-specific photograph shows a compromise you actually accept.

The forward Emerald balcony group is another reason to distinguish floor area from view. A deep balcony with solid metal in the sightline can suit someone standing at the rail and disappoint someone who wants to watch the sea while seated.

Before paying, request both a seated-height view and a standing view from the room you are considering. A photograph taken over the railing can make a restricted balcony look much more open than it feels from the chair.

Shade and privacy on larger balconies

Lido structures, neighboring balconies and the central SeaWalk and SeaView Bar geometry can affect the space below. Inspect that relationship especially carefully when choosing a central Marina balcony or a projecting balcony farther down.

Do not translate an overhang into a promise of permanent shade. Direction of travel, sun angle, season and the part of the balcony you use all affect the experience.

Likewise, overhead cover and privacy are not interchangeable. A balcony can have shelter while retaining side sightlines, or have a spacious uncovered area visible from higher decks.

What to book instead: A room whose photographs show the combination you want. Shade can be useful for a warm itinerary, while someone chasing direct sunlight should avoid paying extra for a location chosen specifically for its cover.

Deluxe Balcony, Mini-Suite or Reserve Collection?

A Deluxe Balcony adds interior space and a sofa bed compared with the regular Balcony product, in Enchanted Princess’s accommodation descriptions. You do not have to buy a mini-suite just to get a sofa.

A Mini-Suite adds a more substantial sitting arrangement and a bathroom with a bathtub. That can matter for a family or a couple spending long evenings inside, even when its balcony is not unusually large.

Reserve Collection adds the associated dining experience and preferred category locations. Do not buy it on the assumption that the room must have a much larger balcony or that restaurant seating can never involve a wait.

For three or four occupants, compare the actual extra-berth symbols and sleeping layout. A sofa or upper berth in use changes the available floor area, and some plan symbols identify rooms where an upper berth affects balcony-door access.

Two connecting rooms can be worth pricing when separate bathrooms and sleep schedules matter more than one larger sitting area. Confirm the actual connecting pair; adjacent room numbers alone do not establish an internal door.

High forward cabins and Sky Suites

The Sun Deck 17 accommodation band is high and forward, including window and balcony options. Its location can appeal for views and upper-deck access, while being a poor first choice for someone who strongly feels the ship pitching.

The Sanctuary is forward on Sky Deck 18, and the two Sky Suites, S309 and S310, sit farther back on that same deck. The deck also contains Movies Under the Stars and outdoor recreation farther aft, so a top suite is not isolated from every public feature.

Choose those suites for their bedrooms, bathrooms and substantial private outdoor space when the group will use them. Paying more does not remove the need to check motion, wind, nearby public areas and the particular terrace view.

How I would choose between the tricky options

E711 and E712 can suit a family that values an aft mini-suite layout and stays up late. Choose a similar room away from the lounge footprint if early sleep matters more than the short trip to aft dining and youth areas.

Before choosing either four-person mini-suite, picture the room at bedtime: the additional beds can obstruct the balcony door. An appealing daytime layout is not the whole decision.

A BW Balcony buys outdoor access with an obstructed-view label. It can be a sensible saving for fresh air, but choose a clear-view room if the horizon is the main reason for the upgrade.

Look at seated-height photographs before comparing fares; a photo taken over the railing can hide the compromise you will notice from a chair.

A DW Deluxe Balcony adds interior space and a sofa without removing its obstructed-view designation. Compare it with an unobstructed Deluxe Balcony on a residential deck when both lounging space and the view matter.

For larger groups, compare the total price and sleeping arrangements of two connecting rooms as well as a single mini-suite. Verify the actual internal connecting door and occupancy before booking.

On Enchanted Princess, I would rather book a cheaper cabin with a quirk I genuinely do not care about than pay more for a room whose one drawback will annoy me every day. A lower category in the right spot can easily feel like the better upgrade.

The best starting point for your cabin search

For two light sleepers, start with a central Caribe, Baja or Aloha room with accommodation above and below. Then choose a standard Balcony for fresh air, Deluxe for the sofa, or Mini-Suite for the larger living and bathroom arrangement.

Exact cabin checks

On Emerald Deck, map the cabin against Princess Theater, Princess Live! and Vista Lounge below.

E711 and E712 illustrate why lounge proximity, balcony privacy and nighttime bedding need separate checks.

Categories BW and DW provide a real balcony but carry an obstructed-view label. Ask for a room-specific image at seated height because a railing-level photograph can hide the part of the obstruction that matters from a chair.

Marina Deck sits beneath Lido activity, including pools, outdoor seating, and buffet operations in different zones. Do not reject the whole deck, but map the exact ceiling before choosing convenience over a quieter residential deck.

A compact side balcony can be perfectly adequate for fresh air and breakfast. Travelers planning long periods outside should compare balcony depth, exposure, shade, and neighboring sightlines rather than upgrading by category name alone.

Sky Suites S309 and S310 offer unusually large outdoor space, but their high location does not guarantee isolation from wind, motion, or public areas. Price them for the bedrooms, bathrooms, terrace, and group utility instead of treating the suite label as automatic perfection.

Continue planning with the pros and cons, dining guide, things to do.