If you like Infinite balconies, why?

[the penguins]

2 hours ago, jaywoods678 said:

Well one thing that Celebrity does good is marketing. They are marketing geniuses, especially with LLP there. They are also now marketing themselves as Luxury. They are not Luxury. They are a mainstream/premium line. We all know what the true luxury lines are and even the upper premium/luxury lite cruises like Oceania and Azamara. But if one doesn't know better, because of the marketing, they will think they are going to sail on a "luxury" line with a real "balcony" cabin.

Marketing geniuses? Judging by their thankfully shortlived attempt to make "all included" compolsary that's one thing they are most definitely not.

[KKB]

On 4/26/2023 at 3:57 PM, AliceS said:

I am so underwhelmed by this design, I will try not to ever settle for one again.   I will go to an ocean view, or upgrade…..no more infinite balcony.   I was solo…double cost.   The window made so much noise up and down… grrrrrrrrr, grrrrrrrrr……why?   I don’t get it.    It’s an ocean view cabin with a window that opens.

Forget it!

I was sitting on my balcony on Ruby Princess in March.

I thought...a ceiling...walls almost to the ceiling...a railing with a clear bottom.

Honestly, to me the only difference is IV opens to my room & regular balconies are closed to my room.

 

I don't love IVs...but don't love balconies either. They are nice, but I'd rather sail more frequently in an interior.

 

[NMTraveller]

5 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

Once again, you and I disagree. Not unusual. Certainly, if the OP is good with turning this thread in to another IV pros vs cons, that is just dandy, and I will yield to AliceS. In the meantime, in some cases, we remain off-script.    

Can you send me the script?  I did not get the memo 🙂 🙂🙂 

[AliceS]

I wanted for someone to change my mind and share positive impressions of the Infinite Veranda.

That’s it.   Nothing to do with where you live.   I love Celebrity and thought this might be just me.  I can give you many reasons why I don’t like this cabin design.   I want to hear why you love them.

What am I missing?  Have an upcoming cruise on Equinox and Silhouette…..in a REAL balcony.

No Eden or production shows that are amazing, no 4 venues for dinner, BUT,   I have a real balcony.   I will be very happy.   What am I missing?   

Edited April 30, 2023 by AliceS

[NMTraveller]

4 minutes ago, AliceS said:

What am I missing?   

Not much.  People that don't spend time on the balcony might like the extended cabin space.  IMHO it is a nice window cabin but priced at a higher Balcony+ rate.

[evandbob]

We have benefitted with casino blue chip offers of free infinite balconies on at least 8 or 10 cruises.  We guess that demand for IV isn't that great, so unsold cabins are gifted to regular casino participants.

 

For just taxes, port charges and grats, an IV is a bargain !!!!!

[NMTraveller]

2 hours ago, evandbob said:

We have benefitted with casino blue chip offers of free infinite balconies on at least 8 or 10 cruises.  We guess that demand for IV isn't that great, so unsold cabins are gifted to regular casino participants.

 

For just taxes, port charges and grats, an IV is a bargain !!!!!

Hmmm.  That is nice to know.  They sell them at a high price and then gift them out...

[NMTraveller]

Again WHY????

[NMTraveller]

@Spif Barwunkel why???? Is that in the script?

[the penguins]

6 hours ago, AliceS said:

I wanted for someone to change my mind and share positive impressions of the Infinite Veranda.

That’s it.   Nothing to do with where you live.   I love Celebrity and thought this might be just me.  I can give you many reasons why I don’t like this cabin design.   I want to hear why you love them.

What am I missing?  Have an upcoming cruise on Equinox and Silhouette…..in a REAL balcony.

No Eden or production shows that are amazing, no 4 venues for dinner, BUT,   I have a real balcony.   I will be very happy.   What am I missing?   

Why did you "want someone to change your mind"?

What are you missing? A real balcony.

I think your first instinct was correct.

Enjoy your real balcony on Equinox and Silhouette.

 4 restaurant ? we have never cruised on E class but from what I have read don't the 4 restaurants have basically the same menus? 

So all you really get is a change of decor - i.e. similar to Royal's "Dynamic Dining" that sank without trace after being firmly rejected by passengers.

[momofmab]

11 hours ago, AliceS said:

I wanted for someone to change my mind and share positive impressions of the Infinite Veranda.

That’s it.   Nothing to do with where you live.   I love Celebrity and thought this might be just me.  I can give you many reasons why I don’t like this cabin design.   I want to hear why you love them.

What am I missing?  Have an upcoming cruise on Equinox and Silhouette…..in a REAL balcony.

No Eden or production shows that are amazing, no 4 venues for dinner, BUT,   I have a real balcony.   I will be very happy.   What am I missing?   

If you love a REAL balcony, then you're missing nothing - book away!

 

I loved the IV for the following reasons:

-extended the interior space of the cabin

-climate-controlled and clean (no wet, rusty and dirty balcony space)

-expansive views

 

The only con for me was the chairs - wishing they had something more comfortable there.  We've sailed many balconies across several lines.  Loved them for the view but have never wanted to sleep with the balcony door open or spend hours out there in the humidity.  Mostly, we'd pop out there when in port.  In an IV, we'd open the window when in port.  Every cruiser is different - you do you. 

 

Not sure why there are so many of the same threads discussing this and why they all initiate such hostility.  Book and IV if you think you'd like it, or if you're curious.  If not, there are plenty of balcony-heavy ships.

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by momofmab

[cw2go]

1 hour ago, momofmab said:

If you love a REAL balcony, then you're missing nothing - book away!

 

I loved the IV for the following reasons:

-extended the interior space of the cabin

-climate-controlled and clean (no wet, rusty and dirty balcony space)

-expansive views

 

The only con for me was the chairs - wishing they had something more comfortable there.  We've sailed many balconies across several lines.  Loved them for the view but have never wanted to sleep with the balcony door open or spend hours out there in the humidity.  Mostly, we'd pop out there when in port.  In an IV, we'd open the window when in port.  Every cruiser is different - you do you. 

 

Not sure why there are so many of the same threads discussing this and why they all initiate such hostility.  Book and IV if you think you'd like it, or if you're curious.  If not, there are plenty of balcony-heavy ships.

 

@AliceS agree with the above, I'll also add that I loved all the light that the room had. It was easy for me to see the ocean at all times no matter where I was in the room. I used it exactly the same as I did a regular balcony. I stood at the rail in Cozumel and watch the pier runners. I had coffee in the morning. My DH sat there scanning his phone while I dressed for the day/night. I don't have a "LOVE" for either an IV or Real Balcony. I use the stateroom layout & amenities to the best of my ability, none of them are perfect. Small boxes that meet our needs for the week or two. I chose the bed by IV option and for me it was perfect. We treated the first space as a dressing room off the bathroom, had plenty of room to open the closet doors and use the vanity without going around the bed constantly. The other end of the room beyond the bed was treated as a very small sitting area to have drinks and watched the world go by. There is no one size fits all to this topic, we enjoyed it and no I wasn't fooled or suckered by Celebrity, there is plenty of information on this feature that I knew exactly what I'd be getting. I did meet others on my sailing that agreed and enjoyed the room. I had no problems with noise, I loved that I didn't hear all of my neighbors conversations or smell their smoke, of all varieties. Many here rave about the SV and that's their prerogative but for me it was a one and done, so hot and loud, I'll never sail one again. I read regularly that you must have a balcony for Alaska sailings and I couldn't disagree more! IMO for Alaska sailings you must get out of port and do as many activities as physically possible and bundle up to be top deck for hours at a time. I've sailed Alaska with a balcony once and have gone back many times interior so that I could put the funds towards amazing tours but that is what's best for me.

 

So to my point, there will always be better for you scenarios, no one is right or wrong! 

 

I'll second YOU DO YOU!

Patty 

Edited May 1, 2023 by cw2go

[Spif Barwunkel]

15 hours ago, AliceS said:

I wanted for someone to change my mind and share positive impressions of the Infinite Veranda.

That’s it.   Nothing to do with where you live.   I love Celebrity and thought this might be just me.  I can give you many reasons why I don’t like this cabin design.   I want to hear why you love them.

What am I missing?  Have an upcoming cruise on Equinox and Silhouette…..in a REAL balcony.

No Eden or production shows that are amazing, no 4 venues for dinner, BUT,   I have a real balcony.   I will be very happy.   What am I missing?   

Excellent positive responses in posts 86 & 87, just as you requested. Adding to those, I would say that the introduction of IV's on Edge Class ships piqued my curiosity and prompted me to book an IV on an early Edge sailing. We have two more booked this year on Beyond and Ascent. The point here is, the Infinite Veranda gave me the opportunity to see for myself what it is all about, thus making up my own mind and fulfilling my inquisitiveness. Had I not been a fan, no harm done, the cruise would still have been an enjoyable one.

 

Enjoy the IV and Edge Class because they are giving you the opportunity to do so. I do not want to be the one who changes your mind. If you can comfortably book an IV cabin despite all the negativity on this thread, that you did not request, do so of your own accord and based on how your curiosity needs to be fulfilled, if at all.

 

 

 

[shavdog]

My wife does not spend any time on these boards but I had her sit down and read this post and some of the responses....she is a big fan of a balcony...we have been on around 40 cruises mostly on Celebrity....funny last December while on Equinox we booked a December 2023 cruise on Beyond...we have not been on this new style ship and were uncertain about the layout....we asked the fellow in future cruises about the balcony arrangement  but in the end were just alittle unsure about it...anyway about a month after we got home I got cold feet, called Celebrity, cancelled that cruise and booked a btb on Equinox 11/30-12/19/23....no  regrets...now we are thinking about a repositioning cruise  in November of 2023 or 2024 and after my darling wife read this post here she indicated the new ships are out and look for an S? ship or another cruiseline for that cruise....we both really enjoy the traditional balcony and it is a big deal to us.....I guess to eaches own....

[davekathy]

11 hours ago, the penguins said:

4 restaurant ? we have never cruised on E class but from what I have read don't the 4 restaurants have basically the same menus? 

Not exactly but similar. Tuscan restaurant offers Italian. Cosmopolitan restaurant offers American. Normandie restaurant offers French.  Cyprus restaurant offers Mediterranean/Greek.

[PTC DAWG]

8 hours ago, momofmab said:

If you love a REAL balcony, then you're missing nothing - book away!

 

I loved the IV for the following reasons:

-extended the interior space of the cabin

-climate-controlled and clean (no wet, rusty and dirty balcony space)

-expansive views

 

The only con for me was the chairs - wishing they had something more comfortable there.  We've sailed many balconies across several lines.  Loved them for the view but have never wanted to sleep with the balcony door open or spend hours out there in the humidity.  Mostly, we'd pop out there when in port.  In an IV, we'd open the window when in port.  Every cruiser is different - you do you. 

 

Not sure why there are so many of the same threads discussing this and why they all initiate such hostility.  Book and IV if you think you'd like it, or if you're curious.  If not, there are plenty of balcony-heavy ships.

 

Agree with all of this, especially the last paragraph. 

[the penguins]

48 minutes ago, davekathy said:

Not exactly but similar. Tuscan restaurant offers Italian. Cosmopolitan restaurant offers American. Normandie restaurant offers French.  Cyprus restaurant offers Mediterranean/Greek.

Thanks. Not sure how this works with prebooking a table for everynight. 

[cw2go]

17 minutes ago, the penguins said:

Thanks. Not sure how this works with prebooking a table for everynight. 

E-Class is all MTD~ Show up to any MDR at any time.

 

Patty 

[the penguins]

7 minutes ago, cw2go said:

E-Class is all MTD~ Show up to any MDR at any time.

 

Patty 

As I understand it you can prebook a table or just turn up. From other posts just turning up can result in long waits at popular times. We always prebook for 6.30 which works well for the 9.0pm theatre.

 

[cw2go]

2 minutes ago, the penguins said:

As I understand it you can prebook a table or just turn up. From other posts just turning up can result in long waits at popular times. We always prebook for 6.30 which works well for the 9.0pm theatre.

 

On my Feb Beyond sailing Cel was no longer using pre-booking reservations for any of the 4 MDR, changed last year. 

 

I had them reserved just as extra assurance (In the cruise planner I selected the dining room of choice and time for each night) but once on board, they did not matter. The hostess confirmed there is no longer anything other than MTD on E-class ships. 

 

Patty

[the penguins]

5 minutes ago, cw2go said:

On my Feb Beyond sailing Cel was no longer using pre-booking reservations for any of the 4 MDR, changed last year. 

 

I had them reserved just as extra assurance (In the cruise planner I selected the dining room of choice and time for each night) but once on board, they did not matter. The hostess confirmed there is no longer anything other than MTD on E-class ships. 

 

Patty

Thanks. As my wife has health and mobility issues being able to prebook is essential. Just one more reason why we won't be booking E class.

[shipshape sam]

We did an IV on Beyond in January.  Yes the room seemed bigger.  For us too, we did like the lower portion of the railing being glass as we sat out there.  

 

 

But...it was a pain to go up and down every time we wanted to have a balcony vs. extra room.  Even more irritating IMHO was at night.  I get up during the night and with a traditional balcony, quietly pull back the curtain and can get a sense of how the ocean is and if there are any land  or other ship lights.  With IV a loud noise is made if you try to raise the curtain.  Since it is horizontal (floor to sealing) vs hanging (left to right), you have to basically wait around 15 seconds of loud noise (my guess now after the fact) to have access to your balcony.  

 

Needless to say, for me, I did not open balcony curtains. I did not want to wake my DW.

 

IF I have a choice, I will not take IV again.  The problem is Celebrity is committed to IV's  I looked at starboard side at one or our ports of call and I would guess that 9 out of 10 standard balconies is an IV style.

 

With  the 4th Edge class coming out this year, it too will be heavily biased towards IV's.  Not sure there is a 5th ship planned.

 

I  wish Celebrity would go on HAL's Rotterdam VII and see the music area and doing something like that.  We sailed on Rotterdam March of this year.  (Nothing to do with cabins, but for sure was a great way to have constant musical entertainment.)  It was always packed and always rocking with people singing along and having a great time.  Also the age demographic, I believe, is the same as Celebrities.

 

Lots of positives on Celebrity vs HAL but musical entertainment is high up on my list of choices. Loved Al Bacio, liked the 4 themed dining rooms, 

Edited May 1, 2023 by shipshape sam

[shipshape sam]

On 4/27/2023 at 2:53 AM, the penguins said:

Now choice would be good say a 50/50 split between standard and Infinite. 

The reality is no standard cabins have a "true" balcony - it's Infinite Verandah or pay a large upgrade fee.

That is a bummer.  And not many of the balcony style cabins.

[nikel]

I bet the people on the TA's now, with the huge storms they are experiencing are happy to be in an IV.  

No balcony or pools can be used and your outdoor furniture is either tied up or in your cabin.

[voyager1964]

I guess you get a lot of privacy with these balconies. Not only you are protected from prying eyes from above, but also from both sides 😉 Or you are not?