A virtual balcony stateroom offers guests the chance to pay for an inside stateroom, but still get a balcony-level view.
This amazing innovation is exclusive to Royal Caribbean and combines impressive technology with breathtaking views.
Inside cabins are usually dreary and cramped, without any natural light.
But a virtual balcony stateroom provides an opportunity to brighten up the space without paying a steep cost.
For guests who want a balcony view without paying the full price for a balcony stateroom, staying in a virtual balcony cabin is a useful hack.
These cabins are located on the inside of the ship, without real windows or balconies.
Instead, a floor-to-ceiling HD screen displays a real-time video feed that mimics a balcony view.
The LED screen shows a look at the view outside the ship, the same as if you were staying in a balcony room.
If you are considering booking a Royal Caribbean cruise, here is everything you need to know about virtual balconies and how they work.
What is a virtual balcony?
Virtual balconies are inside staterooms on select Royal Caribbean ships equipped with 80-inch LED televisions. These TV screens provide live HD views from outside the cruise ship, right into your stateroom.
The screens are 4K ultra-high definition capable screens that stretch from floor to ceiling.
The video feed is received from cameras that are mounted at the stem and stern of the ship.
Essentially, guests could either view the front of the ship from the camera near the bridge, or the ship’s wake from the camera at the back.
The technical team decided to place these cameras at the front and back because there wasn’t room on the starboard and port sides of the ship.
Additionally, having the cameras display a feed at the front or back ensures that guests won’t experience any seasickness from the view.
Video plays 24/7 on the cruise, showing views like the ship coming into port in the mornings, or even black space at night.
Royal Caribbean created these rooms to mimic the feeling of having a balcony as closely as possible.
The screen has curtains in front of it, just like a real balcony would.
You can also turn the virtual balcony on and off at your own discretion, enjoying a view whenever you feel like it.
The cabins even have a computer-generated balcony overlay to give guests the perspective of a real balcony stateroom.
Natural sounds are also piped in to mimic the atmosphere that guests would have while staying in a real balcony stateroom.
But in a virtual balcony cabin, the volume can be adjusted or even turned off.
The ambiance also ensures that guests can enjoy natural views without sacrificing the climate control and cheaper prices of an inside cabin.
Why stay in a virtual balcony cabin?
A virtual balcony provides the benefit of solving the disadvantages of staying in an inside cabin while being available at a similar price.
You can pay the cheap price of an inside cabin, but not have the struggle of living without windows and natural light.
The screen brightens an otherwise gloomy style of stateroom.
A virtual balcony screen pipes in natural lighting and ambient noises. Guests can enjoy the views of the ocean without leaving the comfort of their stateroom.
You can even glance at the screen and see the weather before getting dressed in the morning.
You’ll also know right away if the ship has docked at a port, or started to leave.
Cruise cabins become your home for the length of the cruise, so it’s important to balance budget and comfort.
A virtual balcony stateroom appeals to both, available at the price of an inside cabin while providing comfort through technological advances.
Where can I find a virtual balcony?
This innovative stateroom category was first pioneered on Quantum of the Seas in 2014 and can be found on all Quantum-Class ships.
These staterooms have since been added to more ships, including some older vessels.
Virtual balcony staterooms are located on the following Royal Caribbean ships:
- Anthem of the Seas
- Explorer of the Seas
- Harmony of the Seas
- Navigator of the Seas
- Odyssey of the Seas
- Ovation of the Seas
- Quantum of the Seas
- Spectrum of the Seas
- Symphony of the Seas
- Utopia of the Seas
- Voyager of the Seas
- Wonder of the Seas
All ships with the virtual balcony category have at least ten available, ensuring that you should receive one if you book it ahead of time.
How does the virtual balcony work?
The tech behind the virtual balcony screens took a team of network and software engineers to develop.
Making the virtual balconies work was no easy task because of a variety of ship-specific needs that were not available when the project was first being developed.
Read more: An inside look behind the making of Royal Caribbean's virtual balcony
It took a lot behind the scenes to make the virtual balcony happen.
First, the team had to start by finding a camera that would run indefinitely.
They settled on using two RED Epic cinematic cameras, which are currently what Royal Caribbean uses to provide the view of the ocean.
These cameras have fantastic dynamic range and can support up to 240 frames per second.
The camera picks up just about what the human eye could see.
For example, on evenings when there is no moon, the human eye would see nothing but darkness on a real balcony—so the same is true for the view on a virtual balcony screen.
But if you would be able to look outside and see the moonlight reflecting on the waves, that would be reflected by the virtual balcony’s cameras.
The virtual balcony receives the feed and displays it on 80" 4K LED Sharp Aquos screens in each stateroom.
Do you want to stay in a virtual balcony stateroom on your next Royal Caribbean cruise? Tell us in the comments below!
