A week ago I got off a 15-day cruise to Norway, and I didn't have a balcony. I stayed in an ocean-view cabin with a window. It was only my third ship with a window cabin out of the 14 cruises I've taken, and it had been two or three years since I'd sailed that way. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of the trip. Coming from someone who had a balcony on his very first cruise and has found it really hard to step down ever since, that says something.

In this post I'll walk you through the real difference between a balcony and a suite, when each one is worth paying for, when it isn't, and which cruise lines offer suites that change the whole trip.

First, an honest disclaimer: I've never slept in a suite. I've been inside several, belonging to friends, and I've talked to plenty of people who travel that way. So in that part, I'm telling you what I've seen and what I've been told, not what I've lived. When it comes to balconies, though, I'm speaking from experience.

The short answer: a balcony upgrades your cabin. A suite, on the right cruise line, upgrades your whole trip.

A balcony cabin is a standard cabin with a door that opens onto a small private outdoor space. You still use the same restaurants, pools and services as everyone else on board. What you gain is fresh air, light and a slice of ocean all to yourself.

A suite is something else. It's bigger, usually with separate sleeping and living areas, and it comes with extra perks: more touches in the cabin, a butler in many cases and, on some lines, access to private areas of the ship with their own restaurant and pool.

But here's the catch: not all suites are created equal. And that's the key to this whole post.

My first cruise was on the MSC Grandiosa, in the Mediterranean. A modern, excellent ship that was only two or three years old at the time. And my very first cabin had a balcony.

Everyone said the same thing: "Wow, you started at the top." Because almost everyone starts with an inside cabin.

They were right, just not for the reason they thought. The problem with starting at the top isn't what you pay on that first trip. It's how hard it is to step down afterward.

That first experience was so good that, ever since, I've struggled to book even a window cabin. And I've always refused to go inside.

Not because inside cabins are bad. They're not. Everyone I know who books inside is happy. In fact, lots of people who cruise all the time book inside cabins over and over: the cabin is for sleeping, the ship is for living. It makes total sense.

It was just hard for me to step down. Simple as that.

Until this last cruise. When I booked the Norway trip, only window and inside cabins were left. And the window cabin was perfect. With the cold we had, I wouldn't have stepped onto a balcony even once. And the cabin, on Deck 2, midship, was huge. Inside, it was as big as some of the best balcony cabins I've had.

So after all these cruises, I've learned something I should have known from the start: the best cabin isn't always the most expensive one. It's the one that fits the trip you're taking.

For me, on a warm-weather cruise, absolutely.

Let me explain with my favorite moment on any cruise. Waking up, opening the balcony door and stepping out, in pajamas or however you happen to be, to look at the sea. Having the ocean be the first thing you see in the morning, with the breeze on your face… For me, nothing beats it. Truly, it's wonderful. And in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, you can do it almost every day.

I've also had a couple of cruises with an aft balcony, at the back of the ship. Watching the wake from there, especially when leaving port, is something special. Although I'll admit I'm not obsessed with it: for sailaways I usually head up to a bar or café with an aft terrace, and I enjoy it just as much from there.

There's another practical reason people rarely mention: ventilation. Every cabin has its own air system, but it's not the same as opening a door. If three or four of you are sharing a cabin, I recommend a balcony. Once, four of us shared a window cabin, and the windows don't open. I won't lie: by the end it smelled a bit like a locker room.

When it's cold or windy. Simple as that.

It's often windier at sea than on land. Not always, but often. And some days you can't even open the balcony door because the wind is too strong.

I remember a five-day cruise where we could only use the balcony one day. The rest of the time it was so windy it wasn't worth it. At most, we'd step out for a moment in port. We paid for a balcony and used it one day. Still, since there were four of us, at least it kept the cabin well ventilated.

And then there's Norway. If I'd had the choice when booking, I would have picked a balcony out of habit. Now I'm glad there wasn't one. On a northern cruise, with the cold and the wind, a window cabin works perfectly.

My rule: if the destination is cold, or you're unsure about the weather, a window cabin is a great choice. If it's warm, the balcony pays for itself with the first sunrise.

I haven't slept in one, but I've been inside two that left me speechless.

It was on the Costa Diadema, in some friends' suites. They were at the front of the ship and they were spectacular. Each had a living area and a separate bedroom. Each had an open balcony on the side. And at the front there was a huge glassed-in terrace, enclosed so the headwind wouldn't blow in, with its own hot tub. It was like having an extra living room looking out over the sea. And they had butler service, bringing them drinks and whatever they needed.

That's when you understand why people who try a suite never want to go back.

It depends a lot on the cruise line, but some things come up again and again.

First, space: suites are larger and better laid out. Second, service: more attention and more little touches. It may sound trivial, but you notice it in the amenities, the gifts and things like a bottle of champagne on arrival. The minibar is usually included, and in some cases you can ask for it to be stocked only with the drinks you actually like.

And on the most upscale ships, there are services that completely change how you travel. I know butlers will unpack and pack your suitcases for you, and laundry is included. These are details that let you stop thinking about the little things and focus on what you really want to experience.

Everyone I know who has traveled in a suite tells me the same thing: it's not a better cabin, it's a different way of traveling.

The ones where a suite gives you access to more than just a cabin. And here, in my opinion, MSC does it better than Costa.

On MSC, the suites are part of the Yacht Club, and the Yacht Club is on another level. It's a ship within a ship: private areas with a pool, a restaurant and lounges just for its guests. On some ships, the Yacht Club also includes other cabin types besides suites. Everyone I know who has sailed in the Yacht Club says it's far better.

On Costa, from what I've seen, the private side is much more limited. The suites are spectacular inside, like the ones on the Diadema. But outside the cabin, the difference from the rest of the ship is smaller.

If I were to pay for a suite, I'd start with MSC's Yacht Club. It's one of the most affordable options in the world of suites, and it already changes the experience completely. Next would be Norwegian's The Haven, on their newer ships like the Prima or the Viva. I don't know anyone who has sailed in a suite on Virgin, so I can't tell you how much difference it makes there.

And then there's a whole other league: lines like Explora, where every cabin on the ship is a suite. At that point, we're not talking about a better cabin, but a completely different kind of cruise. I know people who've gone, and the prices are on another level.

If you've already taken a couple of cruises and never tried a suite, my advice is simple: try one. At least once.

But with one condition: choose a suite on a ship where it truly makes a difference. Make sure the perks that come with it help you travel better, not just sleep in a bigger cabin. Paying for a suite on a ship where everything outside your cabin is the same means paying for square footage, not for an experience.

It's like broccoli: you can't say whether you like it until you try it.

And me? For now, I'm not paying for one. It doesn't fit my budget, and I'd rather spend a little less and travel more. But it's definitely something I want to try. Everyone who has done it tells me the same thing: once you try luxury, you don't want to go back.

And coming from someone who took years to go from a balcony down to a window, I completely believe it.

In the meantime, I'll stick with what I know. In the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, I wouldn't trade opening my balcony door in the morning and seeing the sea first thing for anything. And in Norway, a window with a ledge where I could sit and work looking at the water made me just as happy.

So which are you: balcony, inside cabin, or have you already tried a suite and never looked back?

Subscribe and get every new post straight to your inbox.