Does anyone like the Infinite Verandas on the Edge?

[d9704011]

We enjoyed the Edge.  We had an IV and I can’t say that I was entirely satisfied with it in comparison to our usual open veranda experience, so we won’t be booking again.  In addition to all the other things I’ve read here (some I agree with, some I don’t) we found the windows to be unusually ‘dirty’.  They cannot be cleaned by the stewards in the same way as the glass on a traditional veranda.

[UnorigionalName]

On 9/13/2020 at 8:56 AM, Space Coast Cruisers said:

Personally I think it was a huge mistake and Celebrity will never admit it. I know that I will never book one again. 

 

I think Celebrity would disagree, especially given the pandemic.  Everyone glosses over what I would guess is their primary purpose, fuel savings.  With the new efficient design, new paint, IV, and bigger ship overall, the profit margin on edge class is probably higher than anything else in their fleet. 

 

Think about it, they could charge the same amount for a room on the edge as they can the millenium, and they would make MORE money on the edge.

 

I bet their bean-counters and market analysis just showed that balcony wasn't too important to people.  They didn't need IV to be resounding success and loved feature, they just need it to not be hated TOO much.  And the fact that up until the pandemic, the edge prices remained so high showed that it worked.  People liked enough out of the other features that IV was either plus or not a big enough negative.  So they could charge a premium, on a product where their marginal cost is lower.

 

With pandemic, with any possibility of partial occupancy cruises going out before vaccine or something, the edge is probably their ship with the lowest needed occupancy for break-even and biggest hope for near future.

[homedepot124]

Thanks for all of the responses.  I appreciate everyone's input, both the pluses and minuses.   We decided to book one of the few traditional 1A balconies on the Edge. 

 

We have been on the Zenith, Horizon, Galaxy, Century, Summit, Constellation, Eclipse, and Equinox so we are looking forward to trying the Edge.  Hope Captain Kate is on as we have sailed with her on both Summit and Equinox. 

[Texed]

18 minutes ago, homedepot124 said:

   We decided to book one of the few traditional 1A balconies on the Edge. 

 

Which cruise?  We are booked on the April 18, 2021 transatlantic.  

[ipeeinthepool]

14 hours ago, UnorigionalName said:

 

I think Celebrity would disagree, especially given the pandemic.  Everyone glosses over what I would guess is their primary purpose, fuel savings.  With the new efficient design, new paint, IV, and bigger ship overall, the profit margin on edge class is probably higher than anything else in their fleet. 

 

Think about it, they could charge the same amount for a room on the edge as they can the millenium, and they would make MORE money on the edge.

 

I bet their bean-counters and market analysis just showed that balcony wasn't too important to people.  They didn't need IV to be resounding success and loved feature, they just need it to not be hated TOO much.  And the fact that up until the pandemic, the edge prices remained so high showed that it worked.  People liked enough out of the other features that IV was either plus or not a big enough negative.  So they could charge a premium, on a product where their marginal cost is lower.

 

With pandemic, with any possibility of partial occupancy cruises going out before vaccine or something, the edge is probably their ship with the lowest needed occupancy for break-even and biggest hope for near future.

 

Have you looked at the cost of oil lately?  Oil prices are about the same as they were 15- 20 years ago, I doubt that was part of the calculations when they decided to spend $1 billion for a new ship.  I'll bet the S-class ships make more profit at current oil prices.   The Edge has a number of fuel saving features, maybe they went a step too far with the IV balconies.

 

Really???

 

"I bet their bean-counters and market analysis just showed that balcony wasn't too important to people."

 

Unfortunately  I think you are correct,  this was there logic and it was a bad decision.

 

Again, Really???

 

"They didn't need IV to be resounding success and loved feature, they just need it to not be hated TOO much."

 

Is this the logic that a company should use when making new investments at $1 billion a piece?  If this was the logic used by the CEO and the Board, they all should be fired.  Any company that doesn't produce a product to meet the needs and desires of their customer will ultimately fail.  The customers will go to a company that produces a product that meets their needs.

 

Several other cruise lines have included improvements to the hull design, more efficient engines and better paint in their new ships, but no one has included anything like the IV balconies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ride-The-Waves]

3 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Have you looked at the cost of oil lately?  Oil prices are about the same as they were 15- 20 years ago, I doubt that was part of the calculations when they decided to spend $1 billion for a new ship.  I'll bet the S-class ships make more profit at current oil prices.   The Edge has a number of fuel saving features, maybe they went a step too far with the IV balconies.

 

Really???

 

"I bet their bean-counters and market analysis just showed that balcony wasn't too important to people."

 

Unfortunately  I think you are correct,  this was there logic and it was a bad decision.

 

Again, Really???

 

"They didn't need IV to be resounding success and loved feature, they just need it to not be hated TOO much."

 

Is this the logic that a company should use when making new investments at $1 billion a piece?  If this was the logic used by the CEO and the Board, they all should be fired.  Any company that doesn't produce a product to meet the needs and desires of their customer will ultimately fail.  The customers will go to a company that produces a product that meets their needs.

 

Several other cruise lines have included improvements to the hull design, more efficient engines and better paint in their new ships, but no one has included anything like the IV balconies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Really?  You are a naval architect?  The Edge is designed round an endoskeleton different from traditional ships with  exo-structures to maintain rigidity.  This permits moving cabin (passengers) closer to the sides and to the sea.  

 

It does meet the needs of their customers based on the ship's popularity and premium pricing.  

[carlmm]

39 minutes ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

It does meet the needs of their customers

 

Whow, just reading the entries here and so many reviews, I wonder how you can get that opinion.

Quite a lot of customers did report just a few posts above that their needs are not met. 

 

" based on the ship's popularity and premium pricing."  Popularity?

Unfortunately the rational lays apperantly more in all the advantages for Celebrity and "They didn't need IV to be resounding success and loved feature, they just need it to not be hated TOO much."

[ipeeinthepool]

1 hour ago, Ride-The-Waves said:

The Edge is designed round an endoskeleton different from traditional ships with  exo-structures to maintain rigidity.  This permits moving cabin (passengers) closer to the sides and to the sea.

 

I'll be honest I never really understood that claim you can move cabins closer to the side.  You have ocean view cabins in other ships and that's as far outboard as you can go.  Perhaps a better explanation is that an exo-skeleton structure was required to enable this IV balcony concept.  Even with the exo-skeleton, you could have allowed for a larger balcony area.  The real answer is that they made trade-offs with the space utilization and they downsized the balcony and miniaturized the furniture to a point where it is not longer functional.  

[dasmith21]

We loved it, would definitely book one again. We never closed the inner door all cruise and often slept without the blind down, just so we could wake and see the early sunrise.

[kelmac]

1 hour ago, dasmith21 said:

We loved it, would definitely book one again. We never closed the inner door all cruise and often slept without the blind down, just so we could wake and see the early sunrise.

Good point!  We loved the privacy aspect, as you can walk around in your underwear, and unless you are in port, no one can see into your cabin.  A/C kept the room cool, even with that glass wall.  

 

Enjoy!

Kel😁

[Oville]

On 9/14/2020 at 6:40 AM, ipeeinthepool said:

Many people find it too small and are disappointed in the lack of a reclining chair and a table large enough to use for a meal.  T

The same furniture will be found on Sky Suites and Sunset Verandas, not just IVs.  Celebrity is trying very hard to discourage in cabin dining.

[NMTraveller]

12 hours ago, carlmm said:

 

Whow, just reading the entries here and so many reviews, I wonder how you can get that opinion.

Quite a lot of customers did report just a few posts above that their needs are not met. 

 

" based on the ship's popularity and premium pricing."  Popularity?

Unfortunately the rational lays apperantly more in all the advantages for Celebrity and "They didn't need IV to be resounding success and loved feature, they just need it to not be hated TOO much."

 

Solstice has a review rating above 4.5.  Edge has a rating of 3.5 and this is for a shiny new ship.  The Edges reviews match that of the Carnival Triump.   A rather infamous ship.  I suppose that most cruisers that do not frequent this board will not notice what they are missing on E class unless they have sailed S class more than a couple of times.  

 

Most of the E class changes were based upon money savings and not cruiser improvements.

 

I have 3 or 4 large balconies at home.  Do I open the window (E class) or go out on the balcony (S class).  I always go out on the balcony.

Edited September 16, 2020 by NMTraveller

[Germancruiser]

I was supposed to be on board the brandnew Apex in June- which- of course was canceled- I was curious about the infinty balconies. I won´t rebook on any of X´s new ships- I stick with their older ships. I call those " Infinty Balcony´s " Oceanview cabins with a big window - which can be open- or not- whatever the bridge decides.

Cabins with regualr balcony´s are rare and in between on board the Edge Class ships. 

I accepted the the FCC - because I canceled for the did- last week the refunded the whole amount of my downpayment! I did not even ask for it- but even better i have my money back.

 

[ipeeinthepool]

8 hours ago, Oville said:

The same furniture will be found on Sky Suites and Sunset Verandas, not just IVs.  Celebrity is trying very hard to discourage in cabin dining.

 

I'm not sure if they are intentionally trying to discourage in cabin dining or not.  However if that is their intent, it is yet another example of how they do not understand the desires of many guests.  Perhaps this would be a god Power Up Survey.

 

The fact that the silly non-reclining low-back chairs can be found in suites doesn't make them and more comfortable or useful.  However, don't the suites have some other reclining chairs or loungers?

[D C]

I actually just came to the main forum to see if there was a list of NORMAL verandas.  I had no idea that I wasn't alone in hating them.

 

It's not a veranda. It's a window that opens, and is a PITA to open at that.  Close the divider, wait for the window to open, let the room get all humid and uncomfortable no matter what you do.  No thanks.   Edge is our least favourite ship, and the IVs are a big reason why.   We're considering giving the Apex a shot, but only if we can book a normal veranda. 

 

So... is there a list of normal verandas?   Is it just the handful fore & aft that are drawn a little differently on the deck plans?

 

 

[D C]

On 9/14/2020 at 3:09 PM, UnorigionalName said:

 

I think Celebrity would disagree, especially given the pandemic.  Everyone glosses over what I would guess is their primary purpose, fuel savings.  With the new efficient design, new paint, IV, and bigger ship overall, the profit margin on edge class is probably higher than anything else in their fleet. 

 

Think about it, they could charge the same amount for a room on the edge as they can the millenium, and they would make MORE money on the edge.

 

I bet their bean-counters and market analysis just showed that balcony wasn't too important to people.  They didn't need IV to be resounding success and loved feature, they just need it to not be hated TOO much.  And the fact that up until the pandemic, the edge prices remained so high showed that it worked.  People liked enough out of the other features that IV was either plus or not a big enough negative.  So they could charge a premium, on a product where their marginal cost is lower.

 

With pandemic, with any possibility of partial occupancy cruises going out before vaccine or something, the edge is probably their ship with the lowest needed occupancy for break-even and biggest hope for near future.

Huh?

 

The IV was an innovative, unique, and (they thought) appealing way to give people bigger rooms without giving them bigger rooms.   They certainly have booking data to show them how important each room type is, and the general increase in the % of balcony rooms over the years is a good indicator that people like balconies.   The IV was a cool concept that isn't so cool in execution. 

 

It's pretty clear that X was taking a "give them something new, unique, and awesome and we can charge them more" approach.   The ship is more efficient in other ways. If they could command an extra $100-500 per room over a normal balcony on a Solstice-class, they're doing great.   In fact, their initial pricing strategy showed exactly that.  Edge cruises were priced WAY above other ships and they were selling out.  

 

 

[Travelexpert35]

I cruised on the Edge on Feb 9th for a week in an Infinite Balcony. As I stated earlier on this thread, I would not book it again. When I booked the Edge in Nov, the pricing was lower for the Feb 9th sailing than the Equinox so that is why we decided to try the new ship. The Edge pricing was not always more expensive. 

[Caribbean Chris]

10 minutes ago, Travelexpert35 said:

I cruised on the Edge on Feb 9th for a week in an Infinite Balcony. As I stated earlier on this thread, I would not book it again. When I booked the Edge in Nov, the pricing was lower for the Feb 9th sailing than the Equinox so that is why we decided to try the new ship. The Edge pricing was not always more expensive. 

I agree, in the second half of 2019 when the Edge wasn’t even a year old, there were cheap deals available after final payment dates (except for suites which is typical).

 

I thought the Edge infinite verandas were the epitome of more marketing sizzle than steak. The animated videos made the concept look so cool! Internet influencers (yes, right here on Cruise Critic - who traveled for free) were hyping it for a couple of years. We reserved very far in advance when reservations became available and were so excited to finally board with friends in January 2019.
 

I found the ship to be high on gimmicks and trendy decor but low on basic comfort. If our IV room had been sold as a special, premium-priced outside room with a big window that lowered for fresh air, instead of a “veranda,” it would have been far more accurate and honest.

[fstuff1]

1 hour ago, Caribbean Chris said:

If our IV room had been sold as a special, premium-priced outside room with a big window that lowered for fresh air, instead of a “veranda,” it would have been far more accurate and honest.

 

yup.. should have been called 'deluxe oceanview' with top half of window that comes down.

 

but i guess the marketing worked.

since there were no other rooms called balconies except for the super expensive suites, people were willing to pay balcony pricing for fancy ov cabins.

 

i guess celebrity was smart that way... not having a mix of IV with regular balconies on the Edge/Apex.

[D C]

22 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

yup.. should have been called 'deluxe oceanview' with top half of window that comes down.

 

but i guess the marketing worked.

since there were no other rooms called balconies except for the super expensive suites, people were willing to pay balcony pricing for fancy ov cabins.

 

i guess celebrity was smart that way... not having a mix of IV with regular balconies on the Edge/Apex.

They do have a mix. There are a few REAL balconies, but not a lot. 

[Fouremco]

4 hours ago, D C said:

The IV was an innovative, unique, and (they thought) appealing way to give people bigger rooms without giving them bigger rooms.

Pretty much like Ford thought that the Edsel was an innovative, unique and appealing way to give people the car of the future. Ford quietly discontinued the Edsel within two years, something that Celebrity won't be able to do with the IV cabins. 

[fstuff1]

3 hours ago, D C said:

They do have a mix. There are a few REAL balconies, but not a lot. 

 

did not know the Edge has non-suite real balconies 

[D C]

32 minutes ago, fstuff1 said:

 

did not know the Edge has non-suite real balconies 

 

I know it has some, but I'm not sure how many.  I would like to know for sure. 

[Josie201]

The "real" balconies are not what I consider to be "real" balconies.  Here is a picture.  More of a steel-enclosed space with a large porthole.

 

[Oville]

All non-suite aft cabins have verandas that are on the large size, not as picture above.  I believe that is an 1A cabin and I’d take an IV over that any day.

Edited September 16, 2020 by Oville