Difference between Veranda Classes on Solstice class

[clojacks]

We haven't sailed a Solstice class ship in a while, and I don't recall there being so many different classes. I understand the differences between Standard veranda's, and the Concierge and Aqua veranda's (not the Veranda differences themselves, but the class). Is there any difference between the "2" class standard veranda cabins and the "1" class standard veranda cabins? In other words, what is the difference between, say, a 2B and 1B....strictly location? I'm just using the 2B and 1B as an example....I guess I'm curious about any distinction between any of the 1's and 2's....

[cruisestitch]

Aqua....maximum occupancy 2....your dining room would be Blu

 

Concierge...a few arrival day perks, otherwise probably not worth the premium price

 

verandah ... some obstructed views (Cateories 2C and 2D).  Otherwise the differences are strictly location.  They consider higher floors to be more desirable

 

sunset verandas....all the way aft

 

 

[kearney]

On the S class ships.... the 'lowest class' veranda cabin is 2D. These cabins are on Dec 6 and are considered partially obstructed. They have the lifeboats outside. Frankly not much of an issue to me, unless you are sitting on your veranda looking out... then the davit, which holds the lifeboat in place might be an issue. Next are 2C.. these are slightly more expensive and also considered partially obstructed. Next up is 2B. On deck 6 these are located on the hump and forward. 1A cabins are my favorite. They are on the side of the hump... verandas are larger and shadier than regular verandas.... Although 1A cabins on higher decks include the center of the hump as well as these side cabins. 2A cabins start to show up on deck 7. The next is 1B... they show up on deck 8. Beginning on Deck 9 are the concierge cabins.... C1,C2,C3. Concierge class is higher priced and includes some perks... like chocolate covered strawberries and other items. I am a frugal cruiser, so I stick with the basic 2D, 2C, and 1A cabins. I like being on Deck 6.. easy to get to 5. Now the other group of veranda cabins are the Aqua class... these include even more perks... separate dining room... access to spa... and tent to be located forward... so closer access to spa. This is my observations on the different categories. Personally... I prefer being lower on the ship and near the center. Sea sickness has only been a problem on a few cruises... but I would rather not chance it. DH uses a scooter... but in a pinch can do stairs... so I prefer being close to elevator/stairs and a deck away from key activities. I believe cabin sizes across veranda cabins of all classes is the same or close to the same. If you wonder about how bad an obstructed cabin is on S class... check out this link.360 views of obstructed cabins

[clojacks]

31 minutes ago, kearney said:

On the S class ships.... the 'lowest class' veranda cabin is 2D. These cabins are on Dec 6 and are considered partially obstructed. They have the lifeboats outside. Frankly not much of an issue to me, unless you are sitting on your veranda looking out... then the davit, which holds the lifeboat in place might be an issue. Next are 2C.. these are slightly more expensive and also considered partially obstructed. Next up is 2B. On deck 6 these are located on the hump and forward. 1A cabins are my favorite. They are on the side of the hump... verandas are larger and shadier than regular verandas.... Although 1A cabins on higher decks include the center of the hump as well as these side cabins. 2A cabins start to show up on deck 7. The next is 1B... they show up on deck 8. Beginning on Deck 9 are the concierge cabins.... C1,C2,C3. Concierge class is higher priced and includes some perks... like chocolate covered strawberries and other items. I am a frugal cruiser, so I stick with the basic 2D, 2C, and 1A cabins. I like being on Deck 6.. easy to get to 5. Now the other group of veranda cabins are the Aqua class... these include even more perks... separate dining room... access to spa... and tent to be located forward... so closer access to spa. This is my observations on the different categories. Personally... I prefer being lower on the ship and near the center. Sea sickness has only been a problem on a few cruises... but I would rather not chance it. DH uses a scooter... but in a pinch can do stairs... so I prefer being close to elevator/stairs and a deck away from key activities. I believe cabin sizes across veranda cabins of all classes is the same or close to the same. If you wonder about how bad an obstructed cabin is on S class... check out this link.360 views of obstructed cabins

Thanks for the link to the obstructed 360 views Kearney. We usually sail in Aqua...love Blu, but the past couple have been on either Edge or Millennium class, where it is pretty easy to know what the differences are. Our balcony is usually or refuge, as we aren't really poolside people, so sitting on our veranda, with a clear view, either in port, or on the ocean, is vital.

[NantahalaCruiser]

Just compared a 2D versus a 1A on a 7-night Eclipse Alaskan cruise in July of 2021.

 

The full fare of a 1A with 2 perks, including T&F, is 7.2% higher than that of a 2D

 

And if you include the standard auto gratuities, it is only 6.9% higher.  Throw in your cost of air and hotel and it may only be 3 or 4%.

 

Either way, the 1A IMHO is certainly worth the nominal increase if you can get one on the slant of the hump with balconies that are over twice as large as the standard cabin's balcony.  However, there are a very limited number of these cabins and thus they generally sell out quite early.

 

[snichols23]

We were on B2B cruises from LA to Buenos Aires November-December 2019. Someone was kind enough to arrange a cabin walk. People volunteered to let the curious visit their rooms. Cabins in different categories and locations were viewed, ranging from interior to suites. Basically all verandas were the same size. Just be aware of locations on ship, views, and potential noisemakers. I found that midship, vertically and horizontally was best.

 

i agree with Kearney about concierge cabins. I prefer 1A & 1B. Deck 7-8

Edited June 28, 2020 by snichols23
Addition

[snichols23]

It was a real eye opener 

[clojacks]

4 hours ago, NantahalaCruiser said:

Just compared a 2D versus a 1A on a 7-night Eclipse Alaskan cruise in July of 2021.

 

The full fare of a 1A with 2 perks, including T&F, is 7.2% higher than that of a 2D

 

And if you include the standard auto gratuities, it is only 6.9% higher.  Throw in your cost of air and hotel and it may only be 3 or 4%.

 

Either way, the 1A IMHO is certainly worth the nominal increase if you can get one on the slant of the hump with balconies that are over twice as large as the standard cabin's balcony.  However, there are a very limited number of these cabins and thus they generally sell out quite early.

 

I will probably be lifting and shifting a 14 day cruise in Japan in a 2C on a Millennium class to a 14 day cruise in Japan on a Solstice class and am hoping they will let me buy up to a 1A. The 2C on the Solstice class are obstructed view, and my Millennium 2C is not. I can't believe they wouldn't let me pay to move up. The difference would only be about $180 per person. For 14 days in a superior room, that 4% difference would be worth it to me. Particularly, as when I looked at cabin availability today, there are lots of slants available.

[clojacks]

1 hour ago, snichols23 said:

It was a real eye opener 

In what way??

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

20 minutes ago, clojacks said:

I will probably be lifting and shifting a 14 day cruise in Japan in a 2C on a Millennium class to a 14 day cruise in Japan on a Solstice class and am hoping they will let me buy up to a 1A. The 2C on the Solstice class are obstructed view, and my Millennium 2C is not. I can't believe they wouldn't let me pay to move up. The difference would only be about $180 per person. For 14 days in a superior room, that 4% difference would be worth it to me. Particularly, as when I looked at cabin availability today, there are lots of slants available.

Worst-case couldn’t you just L&S to the same category and then upgrade?

[clojacks]

12 minutes ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Worst-case couldn’t you just L&S to the same category and then upgrade?

Good question. Hopefully, I can get through to my TA tomorrow, and he can then get through to a Celebrity for some answers.

[snichols23]

53 minutes ago, clojacks said:

In what way??

All Veranda rooms were the same size. Concierge class makes a big deal about room serviced 2x per day as all other rooms are too. Priority boarding is nice. Price paid is not worth the $. Aqua has dedicated restaurant. Difference in class depends on location. That’s the big point. The pricier the room the more adjectives used. 

[Northern Aurora]

2 hours ago, snichols23 said:

We were on B2B cruises from LA to Buenos Aires November-December 2019. .......

 

Which Celebrity ship cruised from LA to BA in 2019?  My memory seems to be faulty.  

[snichols23]

Eclipse B2B LA to Buenos Aires 

[ipeeinthepool]

Be cautious about cabin location with the Aqua class cabins.  Blu is a great feature and I'm sure most would enjoy dining there but most of the Aqua class cabins are located in undesirable locations for me.  The Aqua class cabins tend to be located on the highest levels for cabins but many are located under the pool deck, other open deck areas, the buffet and the gym.  All of these locations would be a unacceptable for me.  The few Aqua class cabins that are in good locations usually get booked very quickly by veteran cruisers.  From my perspective, the Aqua class cabins are a great way for Celebrity to sell some of the worst cabin locations a premium price.

[Fouremco]

4 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

From my perspective, the Aqua class cabins are a great way for Celebrity to sell some of the worst cabin locations a premium price.

While there are exceptions, I agree that Celebrity has done a remarkable job in marketing some awfully located cabins.

[clojacks]

1 hour ago, Fouremco said:

While there are exceptions, I agree that Celebrity has done a remarkable job in marketing some awfully located cabins.

You couldn't pay me enough to take the A1's on the Millennium class....but, then I'm someone who isn't thrilled about sitting in 100% exposure sun.

[clojacks]

16 hours ago, WrittenOnYourHeart said:

Worst-case couldn’t you just L&S to the same category and then upgrade?

As I thought further about this, I believe I would lose my perks, and more likely than not, I would end up having to pay the prevailing fare, which is significantly more than my booked fare.

[WrittenOnYourHeart]

2 minutes ago, clojacks said:

As I thought further about this, I believe I would lose my perks, and more likely than not, I would end up having to pay the prevailing fare, which is significantly more than my booked fare.

Interesting. I have been able to change categories and staterooms without losing perks and only pay the difference. I’d double check on that belief...

[NantahalaCruiser]

On 6/28/2020 at 8:24 PM, snichols23 said:

All Veranda rooms were the same size. Concierge class makes a big deal about room serviced 2x per day as all other rooms are too. Priority boarding is nice. Price paid is not worth the $. Aqua has dedicated restaurant. Difference in class depends on location. That’s the big point. The pricier the room the more adjectives used. 

Then your visits to a variety of different cabins must not have included any of the cabins on the slant which, while having the same balcony width as regular balconies, are significantly deeper - regardless of whether they are 2C, 1A, C2 or A1 cabins.  Or perhaps you just meant that the cabins themselves are the same size - which I agree.

Edited July 14, 2020 by NantahalaCruiser

[snichols23]

We did see the slants but for 2 people the extra room was minuscule. Have to consider that the view is also “slanted”

[Fouremco]

40 minutes ago, snichols23 said:

We did see the slants but for 2 people the extra room was minuscule. Have to consider that the view is also “slanted”

I don't remember what the actual increase in square footage is, but it certainly isn't minuscule. One of the reasons we like the slant balconies is because of the considerably larger balconies.

 

As for your view, feel free to move your head. You don't need to keep it parallel to the railing! 😷

[dkjretired]

On 6/28/2020 at 8:24 PM, snichols23 said:

All Veranda rooms were the same size. Concierge class makes a big deal about room serviced 2x per day as all other rooms are too. Priority boarding is nice. Price paid is not worth the $. Aqua has dedicated restaurant. Difference in class depends on location. That’s the big point. The pricier the room the more adjectives used. 

 

Priority boarding is also available in Aqua cabins and is only a separate line.  Sometimes the lines for the regular cabins are shorter.    

[upwarduk]

18 hours ago, Fouremco said:

One of the reasons we like the slant balconies is because of the considerably larger balconies.

The first attached photo is 1A cabin 6214, on the slant of the hump.

The 2 nd ,3rd & 4 th ones are 2C 6243, which was partially obstructed. However, we only paid 2D price, as we were entitled to the Captain’s Club Elite upgrade. 

We did however have a brilliant view of the midnight sun (Baltic 2018).

Edited July 15, 2020 by upwarduk

[Fouremco]

2 minutes ago, upwarduk said:

The first attached photo is 1A cabin 6214, on the slant of the hump.

The 2 nd one is 2C 6243, which was partially obstructed. However, we only paid 2D price, as we were entitled to the Captain’s Club Elite upgrade. 

I've seen that photo before, I remember the drier. Or maybe it was the same drier but a different photo. 😷