Honest feedback...how comfortable is the sofa bed?

[Leejnd4]

My upcoming cruise on Riviera is a "girls cruise"...we're leaving the hubbies home. :p There will be three of us ladies in a Veranda cabin. I'm doing the lion's share of the planning and pre-work, so I think I can call first dibs on which bed I want...and I was thinking, maybe I should pick the sofa bed?

 

Here's my logic - it appears that I would have more overall space to myself if I claim the salon area as mine. Plus I would have easy access to the balcony (we were lucky enough to nab one of the B3's with the huge extended balcony), and we'll be in the Caribbean so it will be warm enough for me to go hang out on the balcony if I'm feeling the need for some alone time. I also was thinking of bringing a DIY hanging curtain (an idea that I saw here on Cruise Critic!) that I can put up to separate the salon from the two twin beds, which would give me more privacy.

 

I'm a late-nighter, so if I want to stay up later than the others I can do that if I've got the salon to myself.

 

Buuuuttt...this all hinges on whether or not the sofa bed itself is comfortable enough to sleep on!

 

Thoughts? Experiences? I'm all ears!

[Flatbush Flyer]

My upcoming cruise on Riviera is a "girls cruise"...we're leaving the hubbies home. :p There will be three of us ladies in a Veranda cabin. I'm doing the lion's share of the planning and pre-work, so I think I can call first dibs on which bed I want...and I was thinking, maybe I should pick the sofa bed?

 

 

 

Here's my logic - it appears that I would have more overall space to myself if I claim the salon area as mine. Plus I would have easy access to the balcony (we were lucky enough to nab one of the B3's with the huge extended balcony), and we'll be in the Caribbean so it will be warm enough for me to go hang out on the balcony if I'm feeling the need for some alone time. I also was thinking of bringing a DIY hanging curtain (an idea that I saw here on Cruise Critic!) that I can put up to separate the salon from the two twin beds, which would give me more privacy.

 

 

 

I'm a late-nighter, so if I want to stay up later than the others I can do that if I've got the salon to myself.

 

 

 

Buuuuttt...this all hinges on whether or not the sofa bed itself is comfortable enough to sleep on!

 

 

 

Thoughts? Experiences? I'm all ears!

 

 

Wishful thinking. The only thing separating the "salon" from the king sized bed is a very small night stand at the headboard and even less space from the desk edge to the foot of the bed at the other end. A curtain would only make an already tight space tighter.

 

One of the best things about O are the beds. Extremely comfortable and as good as many of the best traditional (and expensive) beds you'd find at home. Likewise, the linens are first rate.

 

The sofa is really more of a "love seat" and a narrow one at that. Though we have never needed to use the sofa bed, the fact that it is a folding mattress reasonably suggests that it will in no way come close to the comfort of the regular bed. Of course, you could ask for the king bed to be disaggregated to two twins (I assume that's what is the base of the king). But that would challenge divider space even further.

 

As to the extended B3 veranda. It is not "huge." Rather it is extended (I.e., deeper) and its real benefit is the room allowance for two loungers laid flat.

 

We're small sloop sailors. So, to us, the size of a B3 is "generous" compared to the sleeping arrangements on a sailboat <40 ft.

Nonetheless, 3 adults in a B3 will challenge your logistic capabilities, particularly when it comes to storage.

[Paulchili]

Just a thought.

As the mattress on the sofa must be fairly thin (because it folds up), you might ask for and try a foam-type mattress top that can be stored (behind the sofa?) during the day.

[potterhill]

I can let you know after we embark Nov 3, depending whether or not we opt for the internet package. DD is travelling with us so we will have the sofa bed in use.

 

Mo

[Leejnd4]

Wishful thinking. The only thing separating the "salon" from the king sized bed is a very small night stand at the headboard and even less space from the desk edge to the foot of the bed at the other end. A curtain would only make an already tight space tighter.

 

One of the best things about O are the beds. Extremely comfortable and as good as many of the best traditional (and expensive) beds you'd find at home. Likewise, the linens are first rate.

 

The sofa is really more of a "love seat" and a narrow one at that. Though we have never needed to use the sofa bed, the fact that it is a folding mattress reasonably suggests that it will in no way come close to the comfort of the regular bed. Of course, you could ask for the king bed to be disaggregated to two twins (I assume that's what is the base of the king). But that would challenge divider space even further.

 

As to the extended B3 veranda. It is not "huge." Rather it is extended (I.e., deeper) and its real benefit is the room allowance for two loungers laid flat.

 

We're small sloop sailors. So, to us, the size of a B3 is "generous" compared to the sleeping arrangements on a sailboat <40 ft.

Nonetheless, 3 adults in a B3 will challenge your logistic capabilities, particularly when it comes to storage.

 

All good points. I don't want to miss out on the super-comfy bed, so I'm thinking I will go ahead and claim the bed closest to the head.

 

We definitely plan on separating the bed into twins. Much as I love these gals, I have no intention of sleeping in the same bed. :o

 

FYI, we're small sloop sailors too - ours is 44 ft (cutter rigged sloop) and we spend most weekends on it, and in three years we're planning on setting sail for a 5-year cruise around the Pacific. So I'm perfectly fine with small spaces. :)

 

But I do hear you that it's going to be challenging with three of us in that cabin, especially 3 women. That's why we're hoping we get the PH upsell. But we'll make do if we don't.

 

Regarding the veranda...'scuse my terminology. ;) It was used in a comparative sense. I do consider 100 sq ft (approx) vs 40 sq ft to be huge comparatively...but perhaps a different term would be more appropriate.

[sitraveler]

I've slept on the sofa, not a great experience. The PH is no better, you still have the 1 bathroom. Yes, the room is larger, the closet huge. Unless the 3 of you rotate the sleeping situation, 1 will not be happy for the length of the cruise.

[Paulchili]

I can let you know after we embark Nov 3, depending whether or not we opt for the internet package. DD is travelling with us so we will have the sofa bed in use.

 

Mo

 

Mo,

This cruise had a Your World promo (PPG, free internet and $400 OBC).

I know it's a bit late and after final payment but you can ask your TA if you could still get those - it can't hurt :)

[potterhill]

Mo,

 

This cruise had a Your World promo (PPG, free internet and $400 OBC).

 

I know it's a bit late and after final payment but you can ask your TA if you could still get those - it can't hurt :)

 

 

Ummm, in our case I think we have gotten all the freebies they're going to give us. ;-). We traded another cruise (at their invitation), and we're happy campers! Looking forward to seeing you onboard.

 

Mo

[potterhill]

Just back from our Marina cruise with our daughter. We had a fantastic time, and while the room was cozy, we managed quite well.

The sofa bed was a sofa bed. Nothing much you can say about that. I asked if they could put a duvet under the sheets the second night which they did, and it was much improved. The third night they brought in a second mattress on their own initiative which made a huge difference. This they then did every am and evening. Thank goodness we were near the storage room, however the mattress wasn't that big, our steward carried it in a roll in his arms.

 

We got them to store DD's 3 suitcases for us ( she was moving to a new job in Liberia straight from the ship), and we also got them to remove the coffee table. Then we kept the desk chair in front of the fridge where there was room to maneuver around it. This allowed us to access the balcony by folding up the bottom section of the sofa bed when it was made up. We requested and received a third chair for the balcony. We also discovered that the laundry baskets fit under the bed so we kept 2, one with shoes and one with some of her clothes. :-0!

 

Our cruise was 25 days, and I could have stayed longer but my husband was ready to come home. It was our daughters first cruise and she is a convert. The first day onboard she was blown away by the luxury of the ship. I was surprised by her reaction, but she has been working in Africa for 4 years now and is used adjusting to no running water, internet that goes in and out, power outages etc. We are so used to the ships that we often don't notice the beauty around us and it was interesting to see her reaction.

 

Would I put three in a room again? Absolutely, depending on the personalities involved. It was a really special opportunity for us to spend time with her and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

 

Mo

[Leejnd4]

Thanks for this feedback, Mo...especially about the extra mattress! I will be sure to ask for that right upfront. We have a Penthouse suite with a butler, so I expect this will not be a problem. :)