Good advice above.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, on virtually all of the larger cruise ships built in the past 15 years or so, most of the cabins are virtually the same size, from the cheapest inside cabin to the relatively expensive balcony cabins. (The suites, of course, are larger, with the most luxurious as much as six or eight times as large as standard cabins.) The standard cabins (inside or outside) and most balcony cabins generally have around 180 square feet, which most people find sufficient.

I've taken perhaps 15 cruises in the past 24 years. On several of the earliest cruises, we booked inside cabins (due to price) and were perfectly satisfied; the idea of being able to take a cruise at all far outweighed the lack of a porthole or window. We used the cabin for sleeping; when we wanted to see the ocean or feel the breeze, we went up on the deck.

In recent years, the price differential among inside cabins, outside (window) cabins, and balcony cabins has diminished dramatically on many of the newer ships so that you're not paying such a premium for a window or balcony.

For people new to cruising, I would recommend giving more attention to the itinerary and the quality of the ship overall, rather than putting undue weight on having a balcony. Two years ago, when we took a 12-night cruise in the Mediterranean on the then brand-new Emerald Princess, I noticed on a number of occasions that almost no one actually stood or sat out on their balcony while the ship was moving. The only time any significant number of balconies were occupied was as the ship entered or left a port.

In summary, balcony cabins are nice, but there are other factors, like the itinerary and the overall quality of the ship, that are far more important, especially if there is a significant price differential.