Infinite Veranda question

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

1 minute ago, Trevor Fountain said:

Back in the day the P&O and Cunard were not part of Carnival Corp., and prior to balconies being the norm, there were two choice of cabin (stateroom). Inside or Outside. Outside basically was the same as Oceanview, being they had portholes.

 

Ah. Well before my time cruising. (And given those are UK-based lines would explain the confusion with the OP. US-based lines don't use that term, so it's understandable we'd be confused.)

[debgreg]

6 minutes ago, Trevor Fountain said:

Back in the day the P&O and Cunard were not part of Carnival Corp., and prior to balconies being the norm, there were two choice of cabin (stateroom). Inside or Outside. Outside basically was the same as Oceanview, being they had portholes.

Thank you 😊 sorry I asked 😂

[TMLAalum]

Confession Time!

Gave up our Deluxe Porthole Veranda for an IV cabin. For a $660 savings I can live with the aspects of that type of "veranda". Being that it's a Norwegian Fjords cruise, I think we'll do ok. I just need to move to an IV with bed by bath, our preferred cabin configuration. In my haste to take advantage of the cost differential, I chose a cabin that not only has bed by "veranda" but also a partially obstructed view due to the jut out adjacent to it forward.

[fshagan]

On 6/7/2024 at 1:57 PM, Bxc53 said:

Follow up question: How fast does the AC cool after the window is closed?

 

On our Apex cruise in the Caribbean we found the AC to be pretty robust and the room would cool down to comfortable in about 10 minutes after we spent our time with the window down. I'm sure that varies by how hot you let it get in the room as others have said, but the AC is good and works really well.

 

We won't sail in an IV again unless there's no other option, but the AC isn't really a factor for us.

 

 

[kwokpot]

1 hour ago, TMLAalum said:

Confession Time!

Gave up our Deluxe Porthole Veranda for an IV cabin. For a $660 savings I can live with the aspects of that type of "veranda". Being that it's a Norwegian Fjords cruise, I think we'll do ok. I just need to move to an IV with bed by bath, our preferred cabin configuration. In my haste to take advantage of the cost differential, I chose a cabin that not only has bed by "veranda" but also a partially obstructed view due to the jut out adjacent to it forward.

You can call to change your cabin to the bed configuration you want as long as it's the same category. You should call and have it changed!

[zitsky]

2 hours ago, debgreg said:

Thank you 😊 sorry I asked 😂

You’re not the only one.  

 

If you want to know about specific cabins, are they quiet are they noisy in THIS forum are cabin reviews.  Look at the top of the page in the Celebrity forum.

 

Edited Sunday at 12:44 AM by zitsky

[TMLAalum]

54 minutes ago, kwokpot said:

You can call to change your cabin to the bed configuration you want as long as it's the same category. You should call and have it changed!

Thanks. I was on hold while the BBTA was waiting to be connected to Celebrity and periodically that TA would quickly interrupt the hold to tell me she was still holding for Celebrity. I tried unsuccessfully to get her attention to tell her I had a different cabin in mind. When the hold was over, lo and behold, she'd worked out the switch and repricing already. 

Gearing up for a call marathon tomorrow or Monday. I have 2 cabins currently open in mind.

[zitsky]

I googled “outside cabin” and it’s not OUTSIDE.  It’s a cabin with a porthole or picture window.  There is nothing OUTSIDE about it.

 

An infinite veranda (gag) is a cabin with a window that opens.

 

https://www.paramountcruises.com/blog/cruise-cabins-explained/

 

Outside Cabin

 

Outside Cabins, or oceanview cabins as they can also be known, are cabins with a window. This window will either be a porthole or picture window. Outside Cabins tend to be located on lower decks, as a result the windows do not open, but whilst they don’t provide you with any fresh air they do provide natural light. This can be particularly helpful if you prefer waking up naturally or you simply want to check what the weather is like before heading up to breakfast.

[vjmatty]

21 hours ago, kwokpot said:

I agree the marketing is deceptive. The bifold doors are nothing more than room dividers,to create the illusion of a separate space. They aren't airtight or waterproof,and they were never meant to be like traditional balcony sliding doors. Again, an IV cabin is an overview cabin except the window opens. You are never outside. For people  who wonder what's it like next time you're in a traditional balcony cabin leave the balcony door open and SIT INSIDE in your cabin next to the open balcony door. That's about how it is in an IV cabin.

Why would they need to be waterproof?

[d9704011]

1 hour ago, vjmatty said:

Why would they need to be waterproof?

It's a bit of a stretch but if the IV window is left down a sweeping wind and rain event could blow water into the cabin.  Of course, by then, all the windows ought to have been raised by the bridge officer to make sure that doesn't happen.

[zitsky]

33 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

It's a bit of a stretch but if the IV window is left down a sweeping wind and rain event could blow water into the cabin.  Of course, by then, all the windows ought to have been raised by the bridge officer to make sure that doesn't happen.

I forgot about that feature.   I can see the marketing brochure.  “A window that you MIGHT be able to open when you want to.”

[Ergates The Ant]

On 6/22/2024 at 2:01 PM, kwokpot said:

For people  who wonder what's it like next time you're in a traditional balcony cabin leave the balcony door open and SIT INSIDE in your cabin next to the open balcony door. That's about how it is in an IV cabin.

Wrong! Sitting inside the open balcony door means you won’t be able to see down to the sea, and your view from side to side, and your view of the sky will be obstructed by the roof and sides of the balcony. And your table and chairs will be in the way.

 

Perhaps a better analogy would be to imagine sitting by the edge of your balcony, but without getting chilled to the bone in a cold weather cruise, or presumably on a hot weather cruise, getting hot and humid if you are on the sunny side of the ship. And having a solid wall between you and the cabins on both sides, so lots more privacy.

 

From the negative comments I’ve read, I’d assumed that the IV cabin while ideally suited to cool weather, scenic cruises, wouldnt be so good for hot weather. However, I’ve since realised that if we did ever do a Caribbean type cruise, we’d probably want the air con on all the time ( we don’t enjoy hot and humid) in which case, the balcony could be pretty unusable during the daytime, and would just block the view! 

Look at the pictures and read the various reviews, and decide what most meets your individual requirements. 
 

picture taken in a Norwegian Fjord at 3am, and I didn’t have to put a coat on over my nightwear!
 

[zitsky]

22 minutes ago, Ergates The Ant said:

Wrong! Sitting inside the open balcony door means you won’t be able to see down to the sea, and your view from side to side, and your view of the sky will be obstructed by the roof and sides of the balcony. And your table and chairs will be in the way.

 

Perhaps a better analogy would be to imagine sitting by the edge of your balcony, but without getting chilled to the bone in a cold weather cruise, or presumably on a hot weather cruise, getting hot and humid if you are on the sunny side of the ship. And having a solid wall between you and the cabins on both sides, so lots more privacy.

 

From the negative comments I’ve read, I’d assumed that the IV cabin while ideally suited to cool weather, scenic cruises, wouldnt be so good for hot weather. However, I’ve since realised that if we did ever do a Caribbean type cruise, we’d probably want the air con on all the time ( we don’t enjoy hot and humid) in which case, the balcony could be pretty unusable during the daytime, and would just block the view! 

Look at the pictures and read the various reviews, and decide what most meets your individual requirements. 
 

picture taken in a Norwegian Fjord at 3am, and I didn’t have to put a coat on over my nightwear!
 

😂 

 

I have been on several warm weather cruises.  I never had a problem with opening the sliding door and stepping outside.  A moving ship has a breeze and at port I may be off the ship anyway.  Even if it’s hot there is often an overhang.  

I can see the view just fine from the inside of my balcony door.  The point is I have a choice to be inside or outside.  Not everyone wants to be stuck inside with air conditioning 24/7.  The reason I cruise is to BE outdoors.
 

When you are at home do you ever go outside or do you have your food delivered through a window, sorry, I meant Infinite Veranda?

 

 

[TMLAalum]

14 hours ago, kwokpot said:

You can call to change your cabin to the bed configuration you want as long as it's the same category. You should call and have it changed!

Just did! Surprised that the BBTA was able to make the change herself! 5 minutes total phone time.

[Ergates The Ant]

It does sound as if a possible problem with the infinite veranda cabins is the name! I don’t know what might suit better. A conservatory cabin? A French balcony like river cruises?  Are passengers booking these cabins without researching what exactly they are getting, and suffering disappointment?

In all our years of cruising, we have only booked balcony cabins with the occasional balcony suite. One criticism of the older ships is that we have been unable to leave our balcony doors open to enjoy the fresh air at night, because that disrupted the air con for nearby cabins.

We booked the IV cabin at the last minute, as that was all that was left for a cruise to Norway, and we decided to give it a go. 
We loved it for all the reasons I’ve given here ( and I’d forgotten about being able to leave the ‘window’ open because of the independent air con - that was a big plus for us)

As I said, we have a cruise later in the year with a regular balcony, and I’ll be interested to see how it compares ( our last balcony cruise was before lockdown, so not fresh in my memory)

Hopefully some of you will find my observations useful in deciding whether to risk booking an IV cabin, or whether it sounds as if it wouldn’t work for you. I’ve tried to be as factual as possible, and I’ll just ignore the silly remarks!

 

[zitsky]

49 minutes ago, Ergates The Ant said:

It does sound as if a possible problem with the infinite veranda cabins is the name! I don’t know what might suit better. A conservatory cabin? A French balcony like river cruises?  Are passengers booking these cabins without researching what exactly they are getting, and suffering disappointment?

In all our years of cruising, we have only booked balcony cabins with the occasional balcony suite. One criticism of the older ships is that we have been unable to leave our balcony doors open to enjoy the fresh air at night, because that disrupted the air con for nearby cabins.

We booked the IV cabin at the last minute, as that was all that was left for a cruise to Norway, and we decided to give it a go. 
We loved it for all the reasons I’ve given here ( and I’d forgotten about being able to leave the ‘window’ open because of the independent air con - that was a big plus for us)

As I said, we have a cruise later in the year with a regular balcony, and I’ll be interested to see how it compares ( our last balcony cruise was before lockdown, so not fresh in my memory)

Hopefully some of you will find my observations useful in deciding whether to risk booking an IV cabin, or whether it sounds as if it wouldn’t work for you. I’ve tried to be as factual as possible, and I’ll just ignore the silly remarks!

 

Hey I have a great idea.  But it’s pretty radical.  How about we call it “CABIN WITH A WINDOW”?  On second thought, that will never work.  It might confuse people.

 

What you call silly remarks I call marketing speak.  Some of us don’t believe in BS.

 

My favorite class in business school was marketing.  One because I learned how useful and important it is to communicate with customers.  Two because I learned how you can mislead people and misrepresent your product by calling it what it is not.

[kwokpot]

2 hours ago, Ergates The Ant said:

It does sound as if a possible problem with the infinite veranda cabins is the name! I don’t know what might suit better. A conservatory cabin? A French balcony like river cruises?  Are passengers booking these cabins without researching what exactly they are getting, and suffering disappointment?

MSC calls it an Infinite Oceanview.

https://youtu.be/wILbkyc9Ams?si=lwH-ilIqKOrvDA6a

[cruisetonowhere10]

These threads drive me crazy….:) Right up there with the “suites is the only way to go or your trip will just be terrible”, the “Luminae is the best, MDR way too pedestrian” and the “must fly first class” and all the other “look at me, how much money I have to upgrade to all of the better stuff.” Don’t get me wrong, I’ve booked balconies, stayed in high end hotels, flown first class due to an upgrade (lol) and (gasp) have an IV booked for an Alaskan cruise in July, but I’d like to hope I’ve never gone out of my way to make ppl feel badly about their choices, budgets, etc.  I’m all for ensuring people understand what their investment entails but these always go beyond factual and get personal.  

[zitsky]

5 minutes ago, cruisetonowhere10 said:

These threads drive me crazy….:) Right up there with the “suites is the only way to go or your trip will just be terrible”, the “Luminae is the best, MDR way too pedestrian” and the “must fly first class” and all the other “look at me, how much money I have to upgrade to all of the better stuff.” Don’t get me wrong, I’ve booked balconies, stayed in high end hotels, flown first class due to an upgrade (lol) and (gasp) have an IV booked for an Alaskan cruise in July, but I’d like to hope I’ve never gone out of my way to make ppl feel badly about their choices, budgets, etc.  I’m all for ensuring people understand what their investment entails but these always go beyond factual and get personal.  

So my saying I booked a Sky Suite twice and commenting about the ridiculous marketing for a room with a window has sent you to your therapist?  I’m really sorry about that.  Send me the bill.

 

I haven’t seen ANYONE in this thread say “you are an idiot if you book an infinite veranda”.  Just the opposite.  It’s the fans of Celebrity marketing gimmicks that keep insisting that a window in a cabin is something special and the rest of us are too stupid to understand that.

[kwokpot]

46 minutes ago, zitsky said:

So my saying I booked a Sky Suite twice and commenting about the ridiculous marketing for a room with a window has sent you to your therapist?  I’m really sorry about that.  Send me the bill.

 

I haven’t seen ANYONE in this thread say “you are an idiot if you book an infinite veranda”.  Just the opposite.  It’s the fans of Celebrity marketing gimmicks that keep insisting that a window in a cabin is something special and the rest of us are too stupid to understand that.

100% agree. For the record I LOVE the IV cabin, for what it really is. The point of these continuous threads about this subject is to educate people about the realities of what the IV cabin is and isn't. 

I have no problems whether people like or dislike this type of cabin. My pet peeves are twofold;those that pass on erroneous information about these cabins, and those that seem to want to convince themselves of the marketing verbiage that an IV is somehow a BETTER version of a real veranda/balcony cabin;they are nothing alike and in no way shape or form similar. I laugh when people say IV cabins have less noise than traditional verandas;OBVIOUSLY since your always inside your room while on a real balcony/veranda you're standing outside on a platform that attached to the outside of the ship and literally can be interconnected by opening all the partitions. 

Edited Sunday at 07:55 PM by kwokpot

[d9704011]

43 minutes ago, zitsky said:

It’s the fans of Celebrity marketing gimmicks that keep insisting that a window in a cabin is something special

Huh... I haven't seen anybody on this thread pushing that message.

[kwokpot]

3 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Huh... I haven't seen anybody on this thread pushing that message.

Maybe not on this thread but there are countless other threads where people think it's a better version of a verandah cabin rather than a better version of an OCEANVIEW cabin. 

[zitsky]

8 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Huh... I haven't seen anybody on this thread pushing that message.

Uh the presence of this thread should educate you.  Look, the sooner people accept that they’re paying for a room with a WINDOW the sooner we can end this thread.  
 

In other news, my husband and I have decided to get rid of our screened in porch.  Because sitting inside with the AC on is so much better.  Plus we have many infinite verandas in our house.

Edited Sunday at 08:04 PM by zitsky

[vjmatty]

1 hour ago, zitsky said:

So my saying I booked a Sky Suite twice and commenting about the ridiculous marketing for a room with a window has sent you to your therapist?  I’m really sorry about that.  Send me the bill.

 

I haven’t seen ANYONE in this thread say “you are an idiot if you book an infinite veranda”.  Just the opposite.  It’s the fans of Celebrity marketing gimmicks that keep insisting that a window in a cabin is something special and the rest of us are too stupid to understand that.

I don’t think you need to assume the comment was directed at you. Why volunteer to take on offense?

[TGfromTX]

4 hours ago, Ergates The Ant said:

A French balcony like river cruises?

I have never considered how similar these are - great observation.  Although I doubt they'll push the bed up next to the glass - I wonder if they'll move the bed back if I moved it myself. 

Honestly, these are so often priced so close to the cost of an oceanview cabin, it makes little sense not to upgrade just for the extra space.  My upgrade from oceanview to solo IV cost me a whopping $0.  For 2 people, it was going to cost $28 each (total for 7 days) to upgrade.

Note, these are the best rates the TA provided for late summer bookings since we were very flexible on dates, but often these are below $200 difference and I think the expanded window & floor space is reason enough.  Being able to open the window is just gravy on my potatoes.

Plus - I can't judge whether I'd like or dislike these until I actually cruise in one - but on my roll call, each and every response I've received from past cruisers on E-class states they like the IV rooms & had no issues waiting 10 minutes for the AC to cool the room back down. 

That said, I do think I'm going to have issues with the chairs included.  That is likely going to be the main reason I wouldn't pay too much extra for one of these in the future.  But when it's a choice between $1600 or $1800 I think the extra space is going to be worth it.