How to make an IV feel like a regular balcony

[Cruise till you drop]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

We understand what it is and that X was not candid.. They should have called it a "winter garden" or something other than balcony..(not sure where the  "infinite"  part came from?)

 

We managed fine with it.. The biggest neg is that it feels narrow and smaller..  Did not measure but it seems like a  real balc cabin would have  about the  same space inside PLUS the balc  space outside..not sure??

Great point about the name.
 

Officially, a balcony is 

“a platform enclosed by a wall or balustrade on the outside of a building, with access from an upper-floor window or door.”

Officially, a verandah is 

“a roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor.”

Officially, infinite is defined as

“limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.”

 

I guess because the floor of different (platform) and if you close off the IV from the cabin, you could loosely call it a balcony.  It’s definitely not a verandah by definition and it’s definitely not infinite by definition.

 

I would rather have them call it a Hybrid balcony or something like that 

 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Cruise till you drop

[hcat]

many apts call a similar space a "winter garden balcony"..this one  actually opens to a balc but many have just the window or no window

Edited August 28, 2023 by hcat

[gfkcruiser]

We did Sunset Veranda on the Apex TA in April.  As was stated, it was the same length as as an IV and the true balcony was added onto that.  This was great as we had a lot of bad weather and they moved the chairs and table inside.  Same furniture as IV.  Was now laid out just like the IV.  Did not take up any of the actual used floor space in the room.  
One aspect of the veranda I found interesting was the function of the sliding veranda door.  The door only locks/unlocks from the inside and a warning on the inside says AC is not operational when door is unlocked.   This is not unusual for this but no way to lock the door from the outside and you better hope your roommate doesn’t lock you out.  I mentioned this to the room attendant and she said she always checks that no one is outside before locking the door.  
We will be on the Beyond in an IV as no SV available and will decide if we will do it again or cancel upcoming sailings in IV.  

[odyssyus]

22 hours ago, Cruise till you drop said:

We booked an IV for Jan 2025 on Beyond and will be our first IV.

 

My feeling is that it will seem more like an room with a big window as opposed to a regular balcony.

 

We like being outside on a balcony, feeling the breeze and listening to the waves, having almost a separate area to hang out other than the room, and seeing the endless sea and horizon

 

Question - any advice on how to make an IV feel like a regular balcony so we can better enjoy what we like about outside balconies

 

PS - all the SV’s on our cruise are booked, otherwise that’s what we would have selected.

That feeling you have, is because it IS a room with a big window.  It is no veranda in any sense of the definition.  My 2 eyes and common sense confirmed this.

[kwokpot]

38 minutes ago, Cruise till you drop said:

Great point about the name.
 

Officially, a balcony is 

“a platform enclosed by a wall or balustrade on the outside of a building, with access from an upper-floor window or door.”

Officially, a verandah is 

“a roofed platform along the outside of a house, level with the ground floor.”

Officially, infinite is defined as

“limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate.”

 

I guess because the floor of different (platform) and if you close off the IV from the cabin, you could loosely call it a balcony.  It’s definitely not a verandah by definition and it’s definitely not infinite by definition.

 

I would rather have them call it a Hybrid balcony or something like that 

 

I think the key is what people want from a cruiseship balcony cabin, and that is you step OUTSIDE of your cabin into another area that is exposed to the elements. That is a feature of a balcony (a Juliet balcony is something entirely different, and while those do exist on a cruiseship and especially on riverboats I don't think a Juliet balcony is what comes to mind when people think of a balcony cabin on a cruiseship, regardless of the naming of that type of cabin). Some of but not all of the benefits of a balcony is exposure to fresh air and sunlight. While the IV cabin allows for those 2 benefits, you cannot, by design, step out of your cabin into an area that's exposed to the elements. 

[Cruise till you drop]

36 minutes ago, hcat said:

many apts call a similar space a "winter garden balcony"..this one  actually opens to a balc but many have just the window or no window

Great comparison however I’m sure Cruise lines sailing in the Caribbean don’t want to use the word “Winter” to describe anything 😂 

[vwlmember]

Let's not forget that unlike a true vernadah/balcony cabin, the bridge can close your IV window and lock it in the closed position whenever they want or need. In that case, you technically have an oceanview cabin.

[hcat]

1 hour ago, Cruise till you drop said:

Great comparison however I’m sure Cruise lines sailing in the Caribbean don’t want to use the word “Winter” to describe anything 😂 

very true.. how abt " 4 season "

cruisers that go to Iceland etc might  enjoy this cabin.. 

 

we have an IV booked next for a Carib cruise,  followed by the SV..  After that..maybe  just wait it out on our front or rear lanais in Fl??

Edited August 28, 2023 by hcat

[terrydtx]

On 8/27/2023 at 10:20 AM, hcat said:

we  make it work..trade off for AQ Class if we cannot get the S: with real balcony

 

get the bed by  the bathrm.. keep bi folds open..turn chairs to face inward  most of time.  This give a  nice open  area. (these cabins are long and narrow,)

 

we enjoy the open window  for views/ phots when we  go in and out of ports or want to see the sea or sky..

 

you have more privacy and quiet with walls on the sides..

 

trying it is the only way to know

tried it, hated it and will never do it again.  On a hot Caribbean cruise and when the window was open the AC was off and the room became our personal sauna. As I have said before, if the IV concept was such a great idea, why haven't other cruise lines copied it?

Edited August 28, 2023 by terrydtx

[vwlmember]

25 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

tried it, hated it and will never do it again.  On a hot Caribbean cruise and when the window was open the AC was off and the room became our personal sauna. As I have said before, if the IV concept was such a great idea, why haven't other cruise lines copied it?

Interestingly, the RCL Icon of the Seas is using a blend of traditional balconies and the Infinite Verandah rooms. Same parent company, but providing more options to customers.

[Cap_D]

In case anyone is interested, here's some background on ship building at Royal and Celebrity. There's a lot more.  Haven't tried the IV myself. 

 

https://www.royalcaribbeangroup.com/bio/harri-kulovaara/

 

Probably has had a hand in most everything over most ships in the fleet from how it reads. And, do like that at least someone is thinking about that layout of the ships in a cohesive way, how it makes one feel, people flow, and so on.  Might not always agree with it.  Not sure we see consistent thought across fleets of every cruise line.  Of course, soft items like furniture choice, and other decisions start elsewhere. 

 

And, ship design when combined with management that understood how to use the design to add to the overall product and create a symbiosis it can be magical, immersive and so on.  The IV isn't that, but considering cutbacks and such, it's unclear to me Celebrity is thinking about overall passenger experiences except in ways to annoy or repel. 

Edited August 28, 2023 by Cap_D

[mitz18]

On 8/27/2023 at 8:42 AM, Cruise till you drop said:

 

 

Question - any advice on how to make an IV feel like a regular balcony so we can better enjoy what we like about outside balconies

 

 

Maybe this will help with the visual.  I am leaning out the window of my IV on the Beyond, taking a picture of the other IV's on the same deck, including the one right next door. No balcony...... 
 

 

 

 

 

[mitz18]

balcony vs IV

 

[terrydtx]

We usually cruise with family or friends in adjoining cabins with connected balconies where we can open the dividers between them so we get one big balcony, Can't do this with the IV sunrooms.

Edited August 28, 2023 by terrydtx

[wineoclock]

32 minutes ago, mitz18 said:

balcony vs IV

 

Night and day. Night and day. No comparison. 

[dadofjessie]

On 8/27/2023 at 9:56 AM, kwokpot said:

You answered your own question. IV cabins are indeed an oceanview cabin but the window opens. It includes a few interior design elements, change in flooring, the bifold doors, to simulate an outdoor space. But make no mistake, it's no different than sitting next to an open window inside your house since that's exactly what you're doing in an IV cabin.

And when the window dioesnt go done, what is it? almost an inside cabin!