I upgraded to a balcony cabin on a Virgin Voyages cruise, and it's the only way I'll ever sail again

When I took my first cruise, I enjoyed having a window in my room — but a balcony would have been worth the upgrade.

I was onboard Royal Caribbean's Wonder of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world, and I couldn't help but think I was missing out on a better experience with a private patio to enjoy the view with the breeze on my face.

So when I booked my second cruise on Virgin Voyages' Valiant Lady ship, I scrolled past the "Sea View" window cabin and clicked on "Sea Terrace." I'm glad I did.

On cruises, a room with a balcony is typically more expensive than a room with a window.

On my cruise with Virgin Voyages, the cheapest room with a balcony was a second-tier cabin — one step above the Sea View room.

While Insider got a media rate for the trip, starting rates for a Sea View room on my 7-day Mediterranean voyage start at $4,644. A Sea Terrace room starts at $5,910, a representative from Virgin Voyages told Insider. Both averages reflect the price for two guests.

I wasn't expecting much more than a view to stand in front of for my first cruise with a balcony room. So I was pleasantly surprised to find a table and chairs and a large, netted hammock in the small, outdoor space.

I spent a lot of time on my balcony during the voyage and realized it enhanced the whole experience. From fresh air to sunset views, here's what made it worth the upgrade.

A private, outdoor space is everything to me.

At home, I'm used to spending a lot of time by myself, and my yard is my sanctuary. I live in the bustling city of New York, so having a way to get outside without seeing people helps me chill out.

I felt the same way about the balcony on my cruise. I loved stepping outside in my pajamas every morning without having to get in an elevator or say hello to anyone. It was a refreshing way to start my day, and I think it made me feel calmer throughout the voyage.

It was also nice to take breaks from exploring the ship in the evenings. After hours of hanging out on the top deck and socializing with other cruisers, nothing felt better than retreating to my balcony to restore my energy.

I rarely see the sun setting over the ocean, so it's always a special sight for me — and one of my favorite parts of cruising.

During my first cruise, I typically found myself taking a break in my stateroom around golden hour. And when I caught a glimpse of the sun setting out my window, I rushed up to the top deck to get a better view.

On my second cruise, leaving my room wasn't necessary.

Like the first cruise, I vegged out around sunset on my Virgin voyage. But this time, when I saw the sun setting, I simply hopped out of bed, opened the sliding door, and sprawled out in my hammock. It felt glorious.

During the cruise, my favorite morning view was the marble mountain range in Carrara, an Italian city in Tuscany. Since my excursion took me into the mountains that day, I thought having a faraway view from my room was the ideal way to start my adventure.

When I booked my balcony room, I dreamed about mornings like these when I'd open the curtains and see a wide view of the port I'd be visiting.

But there were more views from the balcony that surprised me. When we were at sea, I didn't even consider the views I'd have aside from the open ocean.

But from my terrace, I often got to see faraway islands and mountain ranges. Each time I caught one of these sights, it felt like a special moment. And all of these moments together made me feel more immersed in the environment.

My first cruise made me think that an ocean-view stateroom wasn't enough to enjoy my voyage to the fullest. And my second cruise made me realize I was right.

From mountain-view sunsets to a breezy hammock just for me, I'll never book a stateroom without a balcony again.