Infinite Veranda

[zitsky]

11 hours ago, 39august said:

We liked it as it expands the room size. However, we did miss being able to go outside. I woudn't want to always cruise in one, but occasionally,  it would be OK. If you absolutely must have outside access, then of course, go with the sunset balcony cabin.

It expands the room size?  By how much?

[cangelmd]

1 hour ago, Marie51 said:

Thank you everyone for your comments. There are six of us in three IV cabins, we’re all going with a positive attitude.

True wisdom!

[Oville]

To the OP, there are threads above with reviews from people who actually cruised in IV cabins.  Check them out as there are many positive comments from people who have stayed in them.  
 

Have a wonderful cruise!

[Iamcruzin]

13 hours ago, irishayes said:

But it is open to the outside, isn’t it?

It's a window. It's like sitting in the back of a 1970's station wagon with the window rolled down on a long trip. You get the air but you are not outside. Actually I think the station wagon is better because if the other windows are rolled down you get cross ventilation. In the IV, the room gets hot and humid if sailing on a warm itinerary. It's probably better for cooler climates like Alaska. To me it's an upgraded ocean view at a veranda price. It's still better than in interior.

[canderson]

12 hours ago, Liao said:

Yes, it is a floor to celing window, with a small sitting area, 2 chairs and a low table.  The top half of the window lowers (weather permitting) to allow the sea air in.  IMO they are ideal on a TA or Alaska cruise.  Don't think I would ever even consider in the Caribbean or a warm weather Med, cruise.

Apart from the two WB TAs we've taken that terminated in NJ, we've always had good use of our TA balconies.  We've even held small parties on them.

[laslomas]

14 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

The next class of ship will have a market based mix of IVs and real balconies.  I would expect them to do research on the numbers.  I believe that Icon has 27% IVs.

 

 

 

 

If the next class of ship of ship will have a mix of IV and regular balconies, I wonder which will sell out first?? That will show which are the most popular.

 

But I believe many do not realise what they are actually booking as the IV is described as a veranda / balcony cabin. A friend of mine booked one, not realising the difference.

 

I also wonder if the IV creates further sunbed wars. So many who would normally spend hours on their balcony have to search elsewhere to find somewhere to relax in the open air.

[Ex-Airbalancer]

7 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

It's a window. It's like sitting in the back of a 1970's station wagon with the window rolled down on a long trip. You get the air but you are not outside. Actually I think the station wagon is better because if the other windows are rolled down you get cross ventilation. In the IV, the room gets hot and humid if sailing on a warm itinerary. It's probably better for cooler climates like Alaska. To me it's an upgraded ocean view at a veranda price. It's still better than in interior.

Open the back window and get all the exhaust suck back into the car 🤣

[OysterD]

17 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

If the IVs were better than a balcony,  they would have put them in the suites ...

 

 

 

 

Not necessarily. Suites are at minimum 50% wider than standard cabins. There is probably an engineering limit to how wide the electrically opening panes of glass can be (without getting stupidly expensive). 

 

I don't understand the whole 'it's not outside so it's not a veranda' argument. If you have been in an IV cabin and a traditional balcony cabin, or look at photos, both have sides from floor to ceiling (with an inch or two gap at top and bottom of dividers on a traditional balcony) and then both have glass half way up from the floor (again, an inch or two gap at bottom in a traditional balcony). There really isn't very much difference to be able to categorically state one is 'inside with a window' vs 'being outside'. In both, you have sides, an overhang and glass infront from floor to roughly half way up. It literally comes down to a couple of inches gap in the dividers at either side (which to me is a negative because you can hear your neighbours). 

 

One downside I agree on is that you can't open up a divider in an IV if you have friends or family next door. But that is countered by not being able to hear in great detail every conversation of your neighbours on their balcony (or as last time when I had a balcony, hear your neighbour constantly coughing up her guts while sat on her balcony). 

 

Maybe my IV cabin on Beyond was broken, but the ac didn't completely switch off when the window was opened up. Yes it wasn't as forceful as normal, but cold air was still blowing out of the vents and my cabin never got that hot (in the Med in Sept). 

 

I did like that an IV cabin feels so much bigger with having the bifold doors opened up. 

 

I agree if 2 people are sharing and one wakes up earlier, you can't really open the blind and sit in separate sections of cabin without waking other person, but that in theory could be 'fixed' if they had a blackout curtain that could draw across the bifold doors. But they don't.

 

There are pros and cons to both. I don't mind either and certainly wouldn't avoid going on an E class ship just because they lack a couple of inches of space around the dividers which some people have decided suddenly makes that 'outside'. 

 

Also, and I know everyone is different, but I pretty much just use the cabin to sleep, shower and get changed. There are a whole lot of other places on the ships to spend time which are much better than any cabin.

 

[OysterD]

Apparently, the definition of 'outside' is having a slight gap at the top and bottom of a side wall. Realistically, there isn't much else to differentiate between the two. 

 

 

 

[hcat]

one has open air at the railing....other has a half wall with an auto half window

 

we are happy with either..

[Miaminice]

18 minutes ago, hcat said:

we are happy with either..

 

So are we! We wouldn't book a ship just for an IV and we would not avoid a ship because of an IV.

Also we have sailed in colder areas like Iceland where we really appreciated the IV.

[zitsky]

It’s cute how you try so hard to convince people that being outside is undesirable.

 

Edit:  IVs make the room bigger?  Maybe.

 

• Edge Single Stateroom with Infinite Veranda: 42 sq ft veranda and 184 sq ft total living space 

 

• Edge sunset 89 total 228.

 

• AquaClass: 42 sq ft veranda and 243 sq ft total living space 

 

• Eclipse veranda is 54 total 192.

Edited August 26 by zitsky

[d9704011]

44 minutes ago, OysterD said:

Apparently, the definition of 'outside' is having a slight gap at the top and bottom of a side wall. Realistically, there isn't much else to differentiate between the two

Don't get me wrong, I like IVs OK.

 

The big difference is that sliding patio door that isolates the balcony from the cabin.  Now, that's being 'outside'.

[mulh2370]

We preferred this setup having three of us in a room as the IV provided for a seating area when the couch was in bed mode.

[Liao]

3 hours ago, laslomas said:

 

If the next class of ship of ship will have a mix of IV and regular balconies, I wonder which will sell out first?? That will show which are the most popular.

 

But I believe many do not realise what they are actually booking as the IV is described as a veranda / balcony cabin. A friend of mine booked one, not realising the difference.

 

I also wonder if the IV creates further sunbed wars. So many who would normally spend hours on their balcony have to search elsewhere to find somewhere to relax in the open air.

I don’t think it will because many people book on price.

[RichYak]

1 hour ago, OysterD said:

I don't understand the whole 'it's not outside so it's not a veranda' argument. If you have been in an IV cabin and a traditional balcony cabin, or look at photos, both have sides from floor to ceiling (with an inch or two gap at top and bottom of dividers on a traditional balcony) and then both have glass half way up from the floor (again, an inch or two gap at bottom in a traditional balcony). There really isn't very much difference to be able to categorically state one is 'inside with a window' vs 'being outside'. In both, you have sides, an overhang and glass infront from floor to roughly half way up. It literally comes down to a couple of inches gap in the dividers at either side

But only one has a door to actually go outside.

[NMTraveller]

11 minutes ago, RichYak said:

But only one has a door to actually go outside.

And the outside balcony temperatures are outside temperatures, while your cabin is in the AC.

[NMTraveller]

3 hours ago, laslomas said:

 

If the next class of ship of ship will have a mix of IV and regular balconies, I wonder which will sell out first?? That will show which are the most popular.

 

But I believe many do not realise what they are actually booking as the IV is described as a veranda / balcony cabin. A friend of mine booked one, not realising the difference.

 

I also wonder if the IV creates further sunbed wars. So many who would normally spend hours on their balcony have to search elsewhere to find somewhere to relax in the open air.

Icon has 27% IVs and I have not seen complaints about the IVs booking up first on the Royal board.  With the correct market based mix they would sell out at about the same time.

Edited August 26 by NMTraveller

[cruisestitch]

12 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Infinite Veranda cabins are absolutely fine. Disregard how people define them, "real balcony" versus "window that opens." It's a new variation on an old theme and therefore many folks find it difficult to adjust. That's okay. We enjoy them, and we do spend lots of time out there. There are no "air conditioning difficulties" as some folks profess. 

Oh but there are!!!

[Iamcruzin]

1 hour ago, Ex-Airbalancer said:

Open the back window and get all the exhaust suck back into the car 🤣

Those were the days. It was that or all the windows rolled up while your parents chain smoked.  It's amazing that we lived through them.

[Miaminice]

21 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Icon has 27% IVs and I have not seen complaints about the IVs booking up first on the Royal board.  With the correct market based mix they would sell out at about the same time.

 

You are neglecting a design factor. 
You can´t add regular balconies to E class design. So a new Celebrity ship with more regular verandas would have to be a completely new design again -- > higher cost -- > no go.

E class ships are fully booked the way they are. Regardless of the like or dislike of the IVs that creates no pressure toward a completely new design for Celebrity.

[OfTheSeasCruiser]

We had a group of 10 people across 5 infinite verandas on this Ascent this past May in Europe. All of us loved them.  However, we were in the Mediterranean and the weather was not humid, but instead more like spring in the northeast type weather. But I do understand the AC could be an issue on a Caribbean cruise in the summer, for example. 

 

I also loved how bright the entire cabin felt.  I feel like the curtains are always in the way in a regular balcony cabin.

 

But I do find the whole "feeling like you're outside" argument overblown.  When the infinite veranda was open, there was definitely a breeze.  The railing was about the same height as as a regular balcony railing.  You could lean your head out or reach out to take photos.  It was plenty "outside" for me.

Edited August 26 by OfTheSeasCruiser

[zitsky]

I tried finding an unbiased poll or survey about IVs.  I just found random internet posts and old Cruise Critic polls.  Does anyone have something recent?

[NMTraveller]

19 minutes ago, Miaminice said:

 

You are neglecting a design factor. 
You can´t add regular balconies to E class design. So a new Celebrity ship with more regular verandas would have to be a completely new design again -- > higher cost -- > no go.

E class ships are fully booked the way they are. Regardless of the like or dislike of the IVs that creates no pressure toward a completely new design for Celebrity.

They have already said that they are going to fix this on the new class of ships.  E class is what it is.

 

The fully booked argument does not address profitability as the prices drop after final payment.  Even the oldest and run down ships are fully booked ...

Edited August 26 by NMTraveller

[Miaminice]

1 minute ago, NMTraveller said:

They have already said that they are going to fix this on the new class of ships.  E class is what it is.

 

Yeah, without adding when they would create a new class 🙂
And that IMHO won't be anytime soon.