Problem with Infinite Veranda, on the New Edge

[Cruise Junky]

1 minute ago, lola2013 said:

Reading these comments about infinite balcony makes me very glad that we switched to a SV...I'll take a balcony door over the fancy window any day.

Susan

Those SV's are about to get very pricey and very popular given the reviews of the IV.  Glad you got one.

[gordylad]

yup always sv for us and sticking with them cant see us sailing on the edge too pricey and so far not impressed with what I know

[waggie]

2 hours ago, GilbyJoe said:

I stayed in the retro-fitted infinite veranda on the Constellation. We ended up with a bird in our room one day. 

We are booked in that cabin in 2 weeks and I have been asking for feedback on it. 

Besides the bird incident would you be willing to share more information? Did you feel the benefit of the extra space it gave you?

 

I am happy to share my email address if you prefer to contact me direct.

Waggie

[bajathree]

I'm not really buying into the IV concept. These are awesome oceanview cabins with floor to ceiling glass...but they are just that....oceanview cabins  with a glass panel that opens. We did not find it at all to be the feel of a true balcony cabin that one is used to like on S class. This would be great for cold climate sailings like Alaska cause you have beautiful wall of glass to look out....but this ship isn't designed for cold climate with all it's outdoor spaces. The lack of a curtain inside the folding doors was an issue for us as I wake up very early and like to go out on the balcony and let my girlfriend sleep in the dark....this was impossible with this cabin. IMHO I think they should have forgot about trying to create a faux balcony space and just extended the cabin and furnishing right to the window.

Edited December 4, 2018 by bajathree

[PTC DAWG]

Folks are terrified of a bird?  I learned something today.  

 

As far as someone peeking into my balcony, while I may or may not be dressed..let'em have at it.  

 

I can see the issue for a sleeper vs someone who wanted to go out on the balcony for a view/cup of coffee etc...these rooms do sound like an ocean view with a very nice window.  

 

That said, I don't close the blinds when I'm in a balcony...suns up, I'm up.  Or will be soon.  

Edited December 4, 2018 by PTC DAWG

[Turtles06]

11 hours ago, abbydancer said:

We were in an Infinite Veranda Cabin, and it did strike us as an Ocean View with a really, really nice window.  

 

About the only advantage was we decided we didn't mind the natural light in the am, so we put the window down a bit to get some fresh air while we slept.  It was better then a partway open balcony door.

 

Actually, this to me was probably a very nice french balcony.

If I want a French balcony, I'll take a river cruise.  

[bigbenboys]

For some reason I thought Celebrity would use smart glass. So we can darken the glass ourselves. no curtains needed.

[cricketgirl]

1 hour ago, bigbenboys said:

For some reason I thought Celebrity would use smart glass. So we can darken the glass ourselves. no curtains needed.

 

This glass darkening would certainly make sense on the french doors to the infinite veranda (IV), as it would allow one person to use the IV and the other to stay asleep in a darkened room.

 

As far as the IV itself, it's a perfect option for me since I always want shade.  Oftentimes I can't use my balcony because it's too sunny and I don't want to burn - the IV will allow me to move my chair back out of the sun.  The IV also provides extra space in the room, as the "balcony" area is part of the room, regardless of whether the window is open.  I think I will much prefer the larger room.  Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

I also LOVE the added privacy of the IV, in that individuals in the rooms on either side of you cannot lean over and peek into your veranda/room.  Quite excited about this aspect of the IVs. 

Edited December 4, 2018 by cricketgirl

[Plum Happy]

I don't understand the outcry.  If you don't like the infinite balcony room, then book the regular veranda balcony room.  They didn't do away with them, they are still on the ship.

[Cruise Junky]

4 minutes ago, Plum Happy said:

I don't understand the outcry.  If you don't like the infinite balcony room, then book the regular veranda balcony room.  They didn't do away with them, they are still on the ship.

But..... you either book an SV which is more expensive or you book a 1A that that has an inhull porthole opening for your deck.  90% of "Verandas" are now these hideous window openings.

 

And if people aren't vocal about it, how will Celebrity ever know there's an issue with them?

Edited December 4, 2018 by Cruise Junky

[bEwAbG]

6 minutes ago, Plum Happy said:

I don't understand the outcry.  If you don't like the infinite balcony room, then book the regular veranda balcony room.  They didn't do away with them, they are still on the ship.

 

This is a new concept that people are just trying for the first time & reacting to accordingly.  X's marketing hype is what is driving the disappointment.  It's a needless confusion they've introduced to their customer base.

[bajathree]

37 minutes ago, cricketgirl said:

 

This glass darkening would certainly make sense on the french doors to the infinite veranda (IV), as it would allow one person to use the IV and the other to stay asleep in a darkened room.

 

As far as the IV itself, it's a perfect option for me since I always want shade.  Oftentimes I can't use my balcony because it's too sunny and I don't want to burn - the IV will allow me to move my chair back out of the sun.  The IV also provides extra space in the room, as the "balcony" area is part of the room, regardless of whether the window is open.  I think I will much prefer the larger room.  Different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

I also LOVE the added privacy of the IV, in that individuals in the rooms on either side of you cannot lean over and peek into your veranda/room.  Quite excited about this aspect of the IVs. 

It may be part of the cabin....but I don't see how it provides more cabin space. The "balcony" portion is so cluttered with deck furniture you can barely move around in it without constantly moving the furniture around. If they didn't create the faux balcony and truly extended the cabin...carpet and cabin furnishing's right to the window area...then it would truly have been added interior space.

[Plum Happy]

22 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

But..... you either book an SV which is more expensive or you book a 1A that that has an inhull porthole opening for your deck.  90% of "Verandas" are now these hideous window openings.

 

And if people aren't vocal about it, how will Celebrity ever know there's an issue with them?

Either sail on the ship or stick with the S ships.  It's unnecessary complaining.  

 

Nothing will ever stay the same, car designs change,  house designs change,  otherwise there we all would be living in the same house/same car around the world.

[Cruise Junky]

Just now, Plum Happy said:

Either sail on the ship or stick with the S ships.  It's unnecessary complaining.  

 

Nothing will ever stay the same, car designs change,  house designs change,  otherwise there we all would be living in the same house/same car around the world.

I disagree.  They'll just keep pumping them out if they think everyone is happy with them.  This isn't a one off ship.  There's at least 4 scheduled.  Any design issues can be nipped in the bud at this point or possibly stop them making a colossal mistake when revolutionizing the whole fleet.

[Orator]

3 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

I disagree.  They'll just keep pumping them out if they think everyone is happy with them.  This isn't a one off ship.  There's at least 4 scheduled.  Any design issues can be nipped in the bud at this point or possibly stop them making a colossal mistake when revolutionizing the whole fleet.

Absolutely agree! Just look at the changes in S Class from Solstice to Reflection.  Not all were positive in my opinion, but reactions (and increasing the bottom line) led to change.

[cricketgirl]

1 hour ago, bajathree said:

It may be part of the cabin....but I don't see how it provides more cabin space. The "balcony" portion is so cluttered with deck furniture you can barely move around in it without constantly moving the furniture around. If they didn't create the faux balcony and truly extended the cabin...carpet and cabin furnishing's right to the window area...then it would truly have been added interior space.

 

I completely get what you're saying about the space being cluttered with the furniture, but one simply needs to turn the chairs around facing the cabin and the living area is instantly larger - seating for an extra 2 people.  I am having a hard time understanding why since it doesn't have carpet it doesn't extend the cabin. 

 

Again, I much prefer the added privacy of an IV and the added room in the cabin (an extra 45 sq. ft. per the Celebrity website).  But that's just me, and I may be in the minority.  I'm hoping that's the case because maybe prices will go down for IVs and I can reap the benefits and experience them even more often!

[hcat]

9 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

Those SV's are about to get very pricey and very popular given the reviews of the IV.  Glad you got one.

 

We have an AQ enclosed Veranda in Jan,  but a later cruise is booked in a Sunset Veranda deck 7, middle with large balc..we are excited...BUT......

 

We are concerned about loud music  from the EDEN show underneath us  that runs til midnight.. Heard there is an outside loud speaker and music could be heard inside the SV..  Not sure if a higher deck would be  better but we are kind of stuck with 7..right over EDEN

 

. Hope this is remedied as we turn in early...and get up very early..

[ldyluck]

We are back, fresh off the Edge for the first paying cruise. 

We loved the Edge!

That being said, while the Infinite Veranda is absolutely beautiful, we preferred the "regular" balconies on ships like Reflection. 

Here's why:

1. The window on the Infinite Veranda (EDGE) aren't great if you are sitting in the chairs and would like a good view outside whilst sitting in the chairs on the balcony. The window slides down, so there are two (2) panes of glass to look through as you're sitting on the balcony. It's a little more difficult to see through, especially with water spots on both windows.
2. The upper window falls down, but the lower window is still fairly high. I'm 5'1' and I couldn't see over the ledge. I had to look through the double windows (see above). 
3. It doesn't feel open. I felt like I was in a glass box. The lower window is still so high that it's hard to get a good circulating breeze. 
4. The window shade is great -- it keeps all the light out. However, you can't "peek out" the window. You have to raise the whole thing which, if your roommate wakes easily, will be a troublesome feature, as it's really hard to "sneak out" to have your coffee on the veranda because you can't raise the shade just a little. 
5. We were in an Aqua Class and I stubbed my toe quite badly (lost skin, ouch!) because of the sharp sofa leg. Be careful! It's a real owie!

We will keep our transatlantic next November on the Edge, but we'll stay Aqua Class (instead of moving up to Suite) because we love Persian Garden (now Thermal Suites) and it costs extra if you're in anything except Aqua Class. 

 

Anyway, we took a TON of pictures, I will post them soon!

[scandinavianvoyager]

11 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

If I remember correctly, one of the benefits of the Edge design is that it was designed by people with little or no experience with cruise ships.  Sounds like a miss to me.

Maybe a missunderstanding here. The designer Kelly Hoppen has nothing to do with the idea or construction of the IV. This has been engineered by the yard in cooperation with the RCI newbuilding team. They have all a huge experience with ship building.

 

If one likes the idea of the IV is another subject.

[actuarian]

12 hours ago, bajathree said:

I'm not really buying into the IV concept. These are awesome oceanview cabins with floor to ceiling glass...but they are just that....oceanview cabins  with a glass panel that opens. We did not find it at all to be the feel of a true balcony cabin that one is used to like on S class. This would be great for cold climate sailings like Alaska cause you have beautiful wall of glass to look out....but this ship isn't designed for cold climate with all it's outdoor spaces. The lack of a curtain inside the folding doors was an issue for us as I wake up very early and like to go out on the balcony and let my girlfriend sleep in the dark....this was impossible with this cabin. IMHO I think they should have forgot about trying to create a faux balcony space and just extended the cabin and furnishing right to the window.

If they just extended the cabin and furnishing right to the window, wouldn't that just be a Panoramic Oceanview Cabin?  If that is what you prefer, those are also on the Edge, although there are only 28 of them so they may book up quickly.

[ipeeinthepool]

3 hours ago, scandinavianvoyager said:

Maybe a missunderstanding here. The designer Kelly Hoppen has nothing to do with the idea or construction of the IV. This has been engineered by the yard in cooperation with the RCI newbuilding team. They have all a huge experience with ship building.

 

If one likes the idea of the IV is another subject.

I'll disagree.

 

The engineering people in the yard execute the plan they've been given.  The designer had the responsibility to determine if the concept works and if the space is large enough.  Kelly Hoppen is responsible for no curtain on the interior doors, the chairs and tables on the balcony,  location of the television, functionality of the one-arm couch, the lack of a real table on the balcony to eat breakfast/lunch, lack of tall hanging space in the closet, and overall size of the cabin.  No matter what any engineering or accountant might have decided about the size of the cabin, it was her job to confirm the concept was large enough to work.  To me it's obvious Kelly Hoppen fumbled the ball. 

[chengkp75]

16 hours ago, Cruise Junky said:

I disagree.  They'll just keep pumping them out if they think everyone is happy with them.  This isn't a one off ship.  There's at least 4 scheduled.  Any design issues can be nipped in the bud at this point or possibly stop them making a colossal mistake when revolutionizing the whole fleet.

While I agree that complaints about the functionality should be made to management, it's not as simple as you say to "nip this in the bud".  Going back to traditional balconies would involve a massive structural change to the design of the ship, resulting in tens of millions in change orders for any ship under construction, and delays due to new plans and new bids being required for the redesigned ships.  Even things like lowering the glass partition to a more normal balcony railing height (though this may not be feasible, as the lowered height needs to be 1/2 of the total height), or using smart glass, would lead to serious delays if a ship is already under construction, given the sheer amount of new materials needed, and the cost of the cancelled orders for the old materials.

11 hours ago, scandinavianvoyager said:

Maybe a missunderstanding here. The designer Kelly Hoppen has nothing to do with the idea or construction of the IV. This has been engineered by the yard in cooperation with the RCI newbuilding team. They have all a huge experience with ship building.

 

If one likes the idea of the IV is another subject.

 

8 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

I'll disagree.

 

The engineering people in the yard execute the plan they've been given.  The designer had the responsibility to determine if the concept works and if the space is large enough.  Kelly Hoppen is responsible for no curtain on the interior doors, the chairs and tables on the balcony,  location of the television, functionality of the one-arm couch, the lack of a real table on the balcony to eat breakfast/lunch, lack of tall hanging space in the closet, and overall size of the cabin.  No matter what any engineering or accountant might have decided about the size of the cabin, it was her job to confirm the concept was large enough to work.  To me it's obvious Kelly Hoppen fumbled the ball. 

This last post is correct.  The construction of the ship, whether traditional or infinite balconies, is done by the plan that is made from the designer's plans.  This is true of both the shipyard and the RCI newbuild team.  The ship planner is a naval architect, who acts just like an architect designing your new home, who makes the plan that shows the shape and function of the home, and the owner (RCI newbuild team) okays the design, and the general contractor (shipyard) develops detailed construction plans from the architect's plan.  While RCI may have initiated the concept of the infinite balcony, it was up to the designer to create it for RCI's approval, so the actual final design is as always with a project like this, a collaboration between the architect (designer) and the customer.

 

It seems to me that outside of the aspects of a small, crowded balcony, when used as a "traditional" balcony, that a lot of this could be remedied by installing curtains inside the folding doors.

[bajathree]

8 hours ago, actuarian said:

If they just extended the cabin and furnishing right to the window, wouldn't that just be a Panoramic Oceanview Cabin?  If that is what you prefer, those are also on the Edge, although there are only 28 of them so they may book up quickly.

I guess that's my point.....IMO these are just oceanview cabins with a window that opens (neat concept)...the faux balcony space was created so they could market them as "balcony" cabins.

[chengkp75]

1 hour ago, bajathree said:

I guess that's my point.....IMO these are just oceanview cabins with a window that opens (neat concept)...the faux balcony space was created so they could market them as "balcony" cabins.

Well, closing the folding doors and lowering the window creates a somewhat enclosed balcony.

[wckdtrix]

I really don't understand what makes these rooms a balcony/veranda.   Its literally a window that opens, what I am I missing that makes it a balcony?    Does my house have multiple "balconies" because I can open the windows?    I am just very confused on how these rooms can be considered anything more than an ocean view with an operable window.    Maybe I am missing something???