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The Interior Cabin with Virtual Balcony on Anthem of the Seas (Photo: Cruise Critic)
Virtual balconies, like this one on Anthem of the Seas, have become a standard on Royal Caribbean ships. (Photo: Cruise Critic)

Virtual Balconies on Royal Caribbean

The Interior Cabin with Virtual Balcony on Anthem of the Seas (Photo: Cruise Critic)
Virtual balconies, like this one on Anthem of the Seas, have become a standard on Royal Caribbean ships. (Photo: Cruise Critic)
Contributor
Erica Silverstein

Last updated
Jan 17, 2020

Read time
2 min read

Cruise ship inside cabins are generally the least desirable accommodations -- they might be cheap, but they are often cramped and always lack natural light. Royal Caribbean found a way to brighten up inside cabins when the line introduced the concept of "virtual balconies" in inside cabins.

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What Are Virtual Balconies on Royal Caribbean?

The Interior Cabin with Virtual Balcony on Anthem of the Seas. (Photo: Cruise Critic)
The Interior Cabin with Virtual Balcony on Anthem of the Seas. (Photo: Cruise Critic)

Royal Caribbean's virtual balcony inside cabins feature floor-to-ceiling HD display screens that give passengers real-time views of the sights and sounds outside. Your actual "view" depends on which wall the 80-inch HD screen is affixed. If your screen faces the front of the ship, you will get the view from a high-quality digital camera mounted on the bridge. Facing back, you get the view of the ship's wake from the camera mounted on the rear of the ship. Curtains can be drawn to conceal the HD screen.

The "balcony" includes a virtual railing and natural sounds associated with the views are piped in. (Passengers can control the volume and even turn them off completely.) The HD screen is meant to function solely as a de facto window; it won't stream life-size movies or sports, just camera views.

The virtual balcony is more than just a novelty to get passengers to book inside cabins; it truly enhances the interior cabin experience by giving cruisers a taste of the outdoors without the true balcony price tag. For example, you can check if it's raining or sunny outside without having to go up on deck and might even be surprised by a school of dolphins swimming past.

The ambient sounds thrumming in from the ocean can help drown out loud neighbors, early-rising crew or other intruding sounds that can make sleeping on a cruise ship difficult -- yet you remain in a climate-controlled room. (In a real balcony cabin, you'd have to prop the door open to benefit from ocean sounds.)

How Much Are Virtual Balconies on Royal Caribbean?

The Virtual Balcony Cabin on Anthem of the Seas
The Virtual Balcony Cabin on Anthem of the Seas (Photo: Cruise Critic)

Which Royal Caribbean Ships Are Virtual Balcony Cabins Available On?

Virtual balconies are available in select interior cabins on Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas, Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, Quantum of the Seas, Navigator of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas.

See photos of virtual balcony cabins on Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the Seas.

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Publish date June 15, 2023
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