Can someone explain the difference in verandah suites?

[akafurby]

Hi there. I'm researching Silversea and found an interesting offer online:

 

Upgrade to a Veranda Suite for an additional $1,255; or to a Mid-Ship Veranda Suite for an additional $1,499.

 

This would be an upgrade from a Vista suite and is priced for 2 passengers. Dollars aside, what is the difference between a Verandah and a "mid-ship" Verandah??

 

:confused:

 

Thank you.

[wripro]

Just what the name implies. Mid ship Verandahs are located in the center of the ship, supposedly making them a bit more stable. Depending on the itinerary it might not make any difference at all.

[Silver Pearl]

. . . Upgrade to a Veranda Suite for an additional $1,255; or to a Mid-Ship Veranda Suite for an additional $1,499.

 

This would be an upgrade from a Vista suite and is priced for 2 passengers. Dollars aside, what is the difference between a Verandah and a "mid-ship" Verandah?? . . .

 

I agree with the previous respondent that the difference may virtually be no real difference, depending on weather. Even then, our experience was that our non-midship verandah on deck 5 was nearly adjacent to a midship verandah. Even had it been more forward, it would have still not been that much forward (see deck plan).

 

Anyway, although you didn't ask, the upgrade from a Vista Suite to a Verandah Suite would be worthwhile, IMESHO. It's a good price, and the opportunity to sit on your own balcony and take in the sea is wonderful.

 

--Rich

[CanadianKate]

Rich, Interesting you thought the upgrade was worthwhile.

 

In our 16 day cruise we used the balcony twice while entering/leaving port, once in port and once to sit on for a short time on a sea day. Most of the time we were up on the observation deck or at the pool and for our cruise, our cabin always seemed to be on the 'wrong' side of the ship. Mind you, it was May and North Atlantic, so that might have something to do with our small amount of use of the balcony.

 

For our upcoming cruise, we'll try being in a Vista Suite and see how that works. I think I'll miss being on deck 5 but, for us it worked out to be over $200/day savings and because it is 28 days, that adds up and I couldn't justify it. This cruise is both hot (Panama) and cold (Alaska) and I can see not using the balcony because it is too hot or too cold outside. And worrying about bugs in Panama. I will miss being able to open the balcony to let in fresh air and listen to the waves at night, though.

[Silver Pearl]

Kate, I agree that a lot of factors go into making a decision on what suite will work. And, there's always the different-strokes-for-different folks factor. Anyway, my reference was to a briefer cruise in a warm clime. I don't know if I'd spring for the difference on a 28-day cruise.

 

We recently took a week cruise to Alaska. We enjoyed our verandah, but we had to bundle up in blankets to sit out there much of the time. Still, for me, the experience of relative privacy while overlooking the sea is worth a lot.

 

I do have an interesting analogy, though. We owned a new home, which we bought on the stipulation that the builder add a Jacuzzi to the master bath. Living in the home, we found that we rarely used the Jacuzzi, though it was the genuine article and very nice. Ah, well . . .

 

--Rich

[lord of the seas]

I find that eating a lot of beans will give the same effect as a Jacuzzi when in the bath :D

[DebbieH103]

The choice of vista vs. verandah is partly preference, budget and itinerary. It i worth it in the Caribbean but maybe not worth it to some in colder places. Regarding midship vs. regular verandah, if they are not sold out, I'd get the closest verandah to midship that is not in that category. You can often by right next to a midship cabin without paying the difference. That is what we did last cruise.

[cberge]

Just my two cents..we cruise SS and my first choice (rather ours) is always mid ship Vista Suite.Just our preference and on a rolling, windy sea sometimea a really nice place to be. Have never missed a balacony after having one one time,but again our choice and not worth the extra money IMHO..more to shop with or spend in the spa:D .

[CASHIPman]

I agree...it is absolutely a personal choice. For us, we prefer a balcony especially when we're on a cruise with many sea days and the climate permits. Nothing beats sitting out there with a good book and an endless sea.

 

Now, if we were ever to do a cruise that had us in port virtually every day then we'd probably forgo the balcony for a vista.

 

As for midship veranda vs. standard...well, we're not overly affected by the motion of the ocean so we don't worry 'bout midship or its associated cost.

[meow!]

Is it possible to make those deck 4 vista windows openable, or is too close to the water line that the window has to be water proof? An openable window will be much nicer, letting you smell the fresh sea air and listen to the soothing sound of the waves below!

[marycang]

We had a vista suite 2 years ago on the Whisper. Ther was no way to open the windows. At least they were better than the portholes we had on the Windstar. Loved both ships, just a different experience. Next cruise on SS is in a midship veranda.

[rl787]

We recently had a Vista Suite on Silver Shadow on an Atlantic crossing.( I have posted a review) We were also unsure about whether to have a Verandah. As it was our first cruise we chose to have a standard Vista Suite. We were also told that we could upgrade mid cruise to a balcony suite on a pro rata basis and I am sure you will be able to do this if they have availability. We ended up deciding on a standard Vista simply due to the fact that we have a house in Spain with a balcony off the bedroom and in the five years that we have been there we have never used it. In our case we did not miss the Verandah at all as we prefer to eat breakfast etc in the restaurants and we are not great sit in the sun people. One slight problem was that I found that I woke every morning at about 5 with a very dry mouth, the AC dried me out. You may not have a problem with AC but if you do leaving the balcony door open an inch or two will help.

We will be taking another Silversea Cruise in 2008 and we have decided that we will try the verandah next time if we feel the extra cost is reasonable as it seems to vary, but let me promise you that you will enjoy your Silversea experience whichever suite you choose.

[meow!]

The price ratio of vista : verandah is always 0.8 : 1.0, no variation of any significance regardless of voyage. From this coming January, the shared balcony ones are renamed terrace suites, with a price of roughly 0.88. The silver suites (2 x verandah suite size) are usually roughly 1.5 in price, but since these premium suites (along with medallion, royal, grand, owners) are often discounted less than the regular suites (vista, terrace, verandah) especially in the case of a reduced price "silver sailing", the silver suites can be up to 2.0 occasionally. They are no longer the first to be booked because of this new price differential policy. The above is compiled from various internet sources. Hope this helps.