What exactly is an "Infinite" room on Icon

[sgmn]

On 11/10/2022 at 2:28 PM, monorail81 said:

Look up Celebrity Infinite Verandah. You can find some videos which will help you. I’ve never sailed in one, but it doesn’t seem like it would be good…I would think it would make the whole cabin hot…and eventually moldy…

We actually enjoyed our infinity Celebrity veranda. It makes the room much bigger and usable. 

The cruise was in the Med and though the weather was hot, our room was cool 

[boscobeans]

On 8/5/2023 at 2:15 PM, kwokpot said:

You are correct in saying that for those that lie to really be outdoors laying on a lounger on your balcony an IV cabin isn't the right fit for you. But that's definitely not the majority of people who book balcony cabins. 

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So the MAJORITY of passengers book a cruise with a traditional veranda to do what?

The IV is just a stateroom with a very large rectangular PORTHOLE, 

Edited August 14, 2023 by boscobeans

[kwokpot]

51 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

So the MAJORITY of passengers book a cruise with a traditional veranda to do what?

The IV is just a stateroom with a very large rectangular PORTHOLE, 

I'm not understanding what you are asking. My point was the majority of the people that book balcony cabins don't spend a lot of time sitting outside on the cabin balcony for extended periods of time. Do you think over 50% of the people who have a balcony cabin spend more than 1 hour each day of their cruise sitting outside on their balcony? I'm not saying no one does that, obviously lots of people do, but not over 50% of those that have a balcony cabin. I would venture many people would go out and sit maybe 20-30 minutes enjoying the fresh air and views. And many people would spend even less time than that. For those people that just want a few minutes, and by that I mean 5-10 minutes of fresh air and views from their cabin balcony, a IV cabin could be an alternative since you have that panoramic window and can open it for all the fresh air you want. As you can see in my posts I have NO illusions that an IV cabin is comparable to a real balcony/veranda cabin. I'm one of those that strongly describe the IV cabin as an oceanview cabin with a window that opens and I ALWAYS say that one is never outside, you are always inside with an open window. And for the record with 105 cruises under my belt I have stayed in all types of cabins, most recently in an IV Veranda on the Apex in July directly followed by a large balcony cabin on the Odyssey of the Seas, so I have recent, real experiences when I make my comments. For me, on both cruises that were Port intensive (Iceland & Northern Europe on the Apex, Greece and the Mediterranean on the Odyssey) there wasn't alot of time to spend on a private balcony. In my case I actually spent probably less than 5 minutes sitting/standing on my balcony on the Odyssey (it was during the Southern Europe heatwave last month) while I was able to have the window down on the Apex in some of our ports of call and while in Iceland it was prefect to sit INSIDE with the window closed but right next to the panoramic window and enjoy sailing through the fjords. 

[goldfish65]

Curious if the whole room gets damp from condensation if you keep that window open. Not a problem with a normal balcony because you keep the sliding door closed. Also, what about the wind tunnel effect, do have to wait for the electric window to raise before you open your door to the hallway? 

Edited August 14, 2023 by goldfish65

[kwokpot]

45 minutes ago, goldfish65 said:

Curious if the whole room gets damp from condensation if you keep that window open. Not a problem with a normal balcony because you keep the sliding door closed. Also, what about the wind tunnel effect, do have to wait for the electric window to raise before you open your door to the hallway? 

Yes and yes. In humid areas the room will get too humid and muggy, and eventually you'll need to close the window for the HVAC to turn on and cool/dehumidify the cabin. Some people thought that closing the bifold doors keeps the HVAC on when the window is open. it. The bifold doors have no effect on whether the HVAC is on or off; however, closing the bifold doors will slow down a little bit the hot or cold outside air from reaching the rest of the cabin, which may be the reason some people think that the doors control the hvac. It 100% doesn't. The curtains in the IV cabins on the Icon may be an improvement over the blackout accordion shades on Celebrity since unlike the bifold doors the curtains will allow someone to sit by the open/closed window and with the curtains drawn the rest of the cabin will be dark. No so on Celebrity since the bifold doors are translucent. 

 

The wind tunnel effect does indeed happen with the window down. Having said that whether IV or traditional balcony if either the window or door is open we still struggle to open the cabin door and have the daily planners that are neatly stacked on the desk flutter all around the cabin. We try to manage the cabin door closing gently rather than slamming from the pressure. 

Edited August 14, 2023 by kwokpot

[boscobeans]

3 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I'm not understanding what you are asking. My point was the majority of the people that book balcony cabins don't spend a lot of time sitting outside on the cabin balcony for extended periods of time. Do you think over 50% of the people who have a balcony cabin spend more than 1 hour each day of their cruise sitting outside on their balcony? I'm not saying no one does that, obviously lots of people do, but not over 50% of those that have a balcony cabin. I would venture many people would go out and sit maybe 20-30 minutes enjoying the fresh air and views. And many people would spend even less time than that. For those people that just want a few minutes, and by that I mean 5-10 minutes of fresh air and views from their cabin balcony, a IV cabin could be an alternative since you have that panoramic window and can open it for all the fresh air you want. As you can see in my posts I have NO illusions that an IV cabin is comparable to a real balcony/veranda cabin. I'm one of those that strongly describe the IV cabin as an oceanview cabin with a window that opens and I ALWAYS say that one is never outside, you are always inside with an open window. And for the record with 105 cruises under my belt I have stayed in all types of cabins, most recently in an IV Veranda on the Apex in July directly followed by a large balcony cabin on the Odyssey of the Seas, so I have recent, real experiences when I make my comments. For me, on both cruises that were Port intensive (Iceland & Northern Europe on the Apex, Greece and the Mediterranean on the Odyssey) there wasn't alot of time to spend on a private balcony. In my case I actually spent probably less than 5 minutes sitting/standing on my balcony on the Odyssey (it was during the Southern Europe heatwave last month) while I was able to have the window down on the Apex in some of our ports of call and while in Iceland it was prefect to sit INSIDE with the window closed but right next to the panoramic window and enjoy sailing through the fjords. 

Why do you feel that the figure is 50% ?

 

I spend at least an hour or two at various times of the day relaxing, reading, napping, sunning or just plain looking at the waves roll by on a reclining chair or lounger, not possible with an IV,

 

What possible advantage to the "MAJORITY" does the IV have over a plain old traditional open air veranda, where YOU can spend YOUR 5 MINUTES standing just as well as you can looking out the open window in your stateroom.

 

Imagine a warm day in the Caribbean, docked while a frequently occurring rain is falling. YOUR window most likely be closed automatically when it is raining, BUT you could very easily be relaxing on your traditional veranda enjoying a drink or just chilling, PROTECTED by the overhang.

 

My wife and I have actually had a visit from a bird who decided to land on our veranda railing while docked in Barbados. Glad we had the stateroom door closed or he might have decided to check out our stateroom.

 

I have no idea if or if not opening the IV affects the HVAC system with or without  curtains or frosted doors, but I do know that in the warmer climes any lessening of cooling ability is something I would avoid.

 

I just don't see the need to change over to the IV and don't understand what makes them more attractive than a conventional veranda. JUST AN OPINION and this is just mine.

 

 

[kwokpot]

4 minutes ago, boscobeans said:

I just don't see the need to change over to the IV and don't understand what makes them more attractive than a conventional veranda. JUST AN OPINION and this is just mine.

I agree with you 100%. You're confusing my advocacy for the IV cabin to mean that I  believe it should replace the traditional balcony cabin. I think nothing of the sort. As I have previously said I think MSC has named and marketed this type of cruiseship cabin for what it really is, a deluxe Oceanview cabin. I have never waviered from that position and if you go back to the introduction of the Celebrity Edge back in December 2018 you'll see my posting about this cabin since I was on one of the inaugural cruises for this ship. Royal Caribbean Corp had to continue marketing this type of cabin as a balcony since it couldn't do an about face on the Icon and call it an Oceanview when 5 ships on their other cruiseline call it a balcony. 

[boscobeans]

20 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

I agree with you 100%. You're confusing my advocacy for the IV cabin to mean that I  believe it should replace the traditional balcony cabin. I think nothing of the sort. As I have previously said I think MSC has named and marketed this type of cruiseship cabin for what it really is, a deluxe Oceanview cabin. I have never waviered from that position and if you go back to the introduction of the Celebrity Edge back in December 2018 you'll see my posting about this cabin since I was on one of the inaugural cruises for this ship. Royal Caribbean Corp had to continue marketing this type of cabin as a balcony since it couldn't do an about face on the Icon and call it an Oceanview when 5 ships on their other cruiseline call it a balcony. 

I would like to see how many mechanical electrically operated windows that have been exposed 24 / 7 to the salty spray and atmosphere that is unavoidable on ocean going vessels. Thousands of switches, solenoids, motors and sensors all ostensibly sealed from what is truly corrosive and TRULY UNAVOIDABLE as most boaters know.

 

I am sure with all your sailings you have seen the effects of salt on the older ships. I have been on 20+ year old rust buckets and there is no way these IV mechanisms will not need major repairs a lot sooner than a handle on a veranda door.

 

HAPPY SAILING

 

 

Edited August 14, 2023 by boscobeans

[goldfish65]

My guess is that IV saves construction costs…the prefab cabins are installed and no balcony structure needs to be built. 

[basenji56]

What is the price difference between a sun room and a real balcony on Icon?  

[basenji56]

On 8/14/2023 at 4:35 PM, goldfish65 said:

My guess is that IV saves construction costs…the prefab cabins are installed and no balcony structure needs to be built. 

It also saves fuel because of less drag. 

[cruisegirl1]

1 hour ago, basenji56 said:

What is the price difference between a sun room and a real balcony on Icon?  

I booked an infinite  balcony on Icon (deck 9) for March 2025   and  it was slightly higher than most standard balcony cabins on the same deck. 
 

M

[basenji56]

13 minutes ago, cruisegirl1 said:

I booked an infinite  balcony on Icon (deck 9) for March 2025   and  it was slightly higher than most standard balcony cabins on the same deck. 
 

M

Thanks for sharing this information 

 

I guess I am wrong that people prefer real verandas. 

[cruisegirl1]

1 hour ago, basenji56 said:

Thanks for sharing this information 

 

I guess I am wrong that people prefer real verandas. 

I’ll let you know next year. 😄.
We wanted to give it a try. 

m

[bajathree]

The infinite veranda is a love or hate.  I have sailed on Celebrity in an infinite veranda and wasn't  a fan. When you open the window on a Caribbean sailing it immediately made the cabin very hot. The idea of closing the bifold door and opening the window to create a "balcony" also did not work as once the window is open the AC turns off. Also the space was cluttered with furniture that had to be moved on Celebrity in order to open and close the bifold doors. It looks like Icon is using a curtain instead...don't know that makes anything better. I also found that with that large window if you were sailing in the direction that your window was in full sun it really heated the cabin even with the window closed if you didn't close the shades. If you were sailing in like say Alaska or a cold climate sailing I would say the infinite veranda would be a good concept....but in my opinion on a warm weather/Carribean it's terrible. The window was also overridden in bad weather from the bridge that you weren't able to open it at times. For me the whole idea was nothing more than selling you a glorified Oceanview cabin. I am very surprised to see the infinite veranda move over to Royal and new builds. I have avoided booking an infinite veranda sailings as it isn't a true balcony experience at all.

Edited February 18 by bajathree

[PhillyFan33579]

8 hours ago, basenji56 said:

Thanks for sharing this information 

 

I guess I am wrong that people prefer real verandas. 

Out of the dozen or so people I regularly cruise with (not all at the same time), exactly zero prefer the infinite balcony over a real balcony. Personally I like the infinite balcony and have stayed in several on Celebrity ships and last week on Icon, but overall I still prefer a real balcony. On the other hand, most of my friends don’t like the infinite balcony cabins. 

[basenji56]

8 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Out of the dozen or so people I regularly cruise with (not all at the same time), exactly zero prefer the infinite balcony over a real balcony. Personally I like the infinite balcony and have stayed in several on Celebrity ships and last week on Icon, but overall I still prefer a real balcony. On the other hand, most of my friends don’t like the infinite balcony cabins. 

I am not a fan either. This ship should be a test. On Celebrity, almost all of the verandas are infinite (except for suites and sunset verandas). On Icon class, you can choose. 

[Mum2Mercury]

Looks pretty cool to me. 

[qkd0314]

So many mixed reviews, but I am giving it a try for myself this weekend. My thought is, I will never know if I don't personally try it. I even thought about doing a RoyalUp bid for a traditional balcony, but I am sticking with it.  I am on deck 11 currently, and didn't want to risk going much lower. I will report back an honest review when I return. 

[time4u2go]

On 8/14/2023 at 3:42 AM, sgmn said:

We actually enjoyed our infinity Celebrity veranda. It makes the room much bigger and usable. 

The cruise was in the Med and though the weather was hot, our room was cool 

Same here. It does provide quite a bit of extra room and it brings a lot of light into the room.

[mishapsandmissy]

We cruised as a family of 4 with two tweens in an IV last week on Icon. We are close to outgrowing one stateroom but with the IV, we had plenty of extra space to make it work. We pulled the wire bins from the closet shelves for the kids clothing and hung small magnetic hooks for wet bathing suits since Icon does not have a clothesline in the shower.

 

I enjoyed putting the window down when getting ready in the evening or looking at the port view and it never got too warm nor did we notice any condensation above and beyond the norm. 

Icon has so, so many beautiful spots to grab a chair and enjoy the open ocean that we didn't miss the traditional balcony at all. I know it's not for everyone but we thought the pros far outweighed the cons and would book another!

[NanaPam00]

On 2/18/2024 at 11:16 AM, basenji56 said:

I am not a fan either. This ship should be a test. On Celebrity, almost all of the verandas are infinite (except for suites and sunset verandas). On Icon class, you can choose. 

Just noting for accuracy that this is true only on Edge class ships - Celebrity's Millennium and Solstice class ships do not have infinite verandas.