Age old question... verandah or no verandah?

[Kimmielee]

I booked a Cat 5 room recently because I've only been on one cruise and I LOVED being able to sit out on the verandah... read a book, have breakfast, watch the sunrise, sunset, dolphins, etc... (I booked a 5 because of location of the room...)

However, at Easter time it's almost $2K more for the luxury of having that lovely verandah. My DS will be 6.... Can I knock it down to an ocean view and not miss the fresh air?

 

[fireplug]

Well my suggestion would be to save a little and get a navigators balcony Less $$$ and still fresh air!

Squid

 

[Kimmielee]

I thought about that... but they are all at the front or back of the ship... isn't motion worse there vs. midship?

 

[mott]

We cruised cat 6 four years ago and loved the verandah. Is it worth 2K more? Not so sure. It's up to you if you really want the verandah, then you should go for it. My guess (baised on a NCL curise years back) would be that without at least a navigators verandah, you won't have fresh air and might be dissapointed. Too bad you have to go that week and not at a cheaper time.

 

[salbythec]

We always sail aft and never a problem. In April we had a verandah deck 7 aft. I love this location!!!!

 

[Kimmielee]

We cruised cat 6 four years ago and loved the verandah. Is it worth 2K more? Not so sure. It's up to you if you really want the verandah, then you should go for it. My guess (baised on a NCL curise years back) would be that without at least a navigators verandah, you won't have fresh air and might be dissapointed. Too bad you have to go that week and not at a cheaper time.

I know.. the Easter cruise is way more expensive... but I have three nieces that are teachers and even though it's "just kindergarten".... they highly suggest I save his missed days for sickness...

So, the choices were Presidents week (same thing with the price hikes)...Easter or late June when school is out... Presidents week is earlier than I sailed on Carnival this year and didn't find the weather to be all that great ... and June... by then it's warm here in Michigan!! So, I'm kinda stuck!

 

[MelissaE1]

Hmmm... I have sailed both with and without a verandah/balcony. For me it depends on who I have traveling with me. When my family goes, we pay the extra, because my husband LOVES having a verandah... we had one on our honeymoon and he was hooked. Also he is a smoker (I've seen complaints about verandah smokers, but he is extremely considerate and would never blow smoke into someone else's verandah if they were present) and with a family of four it definitely adds to your space, besides the obvious pleasure of sitting there with a book or a snack or just watching the water go by.

However, I have also cruised with my best friend, and with my grandmother, and had only a porthole/window those times. It was still wonderful. I spend plenty of time on deck anyway and can sit there with my book, etc. if I like. There is usually a quiet spot. Even if I was taking just my kids, I would save the money and get the porthole vs. the verandah.

I polled my dh about what he would do... would he spend the extra money? He said yes. Even if it was $2,000? He grinned and said we'd be taking a different sailing. lol. So I guess it depends on HOW imporant that slider is to each one of us.

I don't envy you the decision though as we had to make a similar one recently... change our sailing to Sept. and save $1100 on resident rates or keep the preferred October sailing. We stayed with October for a number of reasons.

You'll have a great time whatever you decide!

 

[scrapperjill]

Haven't had a verhanda (yet)...but did have a oceanview cabin very far forward on deck 7....and LOVED it. Didn't notice any more movement there than anywhere else on the ship. Also didn't feel the "need" for fresh air..other than what we got when we were out on the open decks....which we didn't plan on spending alot of time in our stateroom in the first place...so the oceanview worked perfect for our family...we could see outside....and when we wanted to "go" out side we'd just leave the room and go on up.

Anyway...Just wanted to say our room far forward didn't have any more "movement" issues than anywhere else on the ship.

 

[pclaire]

My dd7 and I recently went on the west coast to mexico. I loved the verandah and would pay for it again. With only 2 of us, we didn't need the extra space, but sittling out there with a glass of wine and a book was a great part of the trip. Also, we were in the cabin a lot more than I expected because my daughter napped every day. She hasn't had a nap in years, but there was so much going on, and we stayed up so much later than usual, she was exhausted every afternoon. being able tio sit outside while she was napping was great, because I didn't feel like I was cooped up in the room instead of enjoying the fresh air. I wouldn't book again w/o the verandah!!

 

[fireplug]

We have had a navigators ver. twice and love them Not much movement and still lots of air check the price diff and see how much it is. It may save some cash for you!

Squid

 

[TheWog]

I would say yes. Check out Cat. 6 if it is available. Save you a little money. I just cruised in January in a stateroom that was very foreward. WE didn't notice that much of a difference from our midship Disney cabin - in terms of motion.

 

[nzdisneymom]

Also, we were in the cabin a lot more than I expected because my daughter napped every day. She hasn't had a nap in years, but there was so much going on, and we stayed up so much later than usual, she was exhausted every afternoon. being able tio sit outside while she was napping was great, because I didn't feel like I was cooped up in the room instead of enjoying the fresh air. I wouldn't book again w/o the verandah!!

We're a family of four going on our first cruise; we have a verandah cabin booked because of the children ~ we figure that when they are asleep we'll want a place to go where we won't disturb them but can still enjoy reading or talking or whatever. Or if someone is an early riser, they can have a place to go without waking the rest of us.

We're looking at NCL's Hawaiian cruise for Dec. 2006 but w/o a balcony because they are all booked up.

 

[webray]

I couldn't, but that is just me. Our first cruise we had verandah and I told hubby I am spoiled now..I will always have to have a verandah. It is just so nice to be able to get up and look at the ocean, even in middle of the night with moonlight shining above.

 

[yazee1]

I couldn't, but that is just me. Our first cruise we had verandah and I told hubby I am spoiled now..I will always have to have a verandah. It is just so nice to be able to get up and look at the ocean, even in middle of the night with moonlight shining above.

Ditto. Early morning, docked in Key West, the middle of the night, relaxing with a book while my daughter took an afternoon nap....access to the veranda was well worth the money we would have spent if we had paid for the veranda rooms (they were an upgrade). We rebooked for 2007. The compromise, because the cost of booking two verandas is more than we want to spend, is the older boys will have an inside room across the hall to sleep in and the rest of us will have a veranda room.

 

[MBFergie]

After 2 years in a Cat 4 we switched last year to a Cat 9 because we didn't book until late. I can't say we didn't miss the verandah or extra room in the Cat 4, but we did book our 2006 trip in Cat 9. I would rather save the extra $$ for excursions and "stuff". I think because my children are older now we just weren't in the room much. If your child still naps every afternoon I would say yes don't give it up, if not save the $$ on the room and go crazy shopping!!

Just my humble opinion....

 

[logan1_2000]

We did Cat 8's twice, then a Cat 5, then back to a Cat. 8 and didnt miss a thing. The first two cruises DS was 6, then he was 8 and 9 on the last two cruises. Just the three of us in the stateroom.

When you mention going to oceanview and then raise the issue of front of the ship, all 8's are in the front, so the only way to be oceanview and not be in the front is a cat 9 on deck 1 or 2. Lots of fans of cat. 9's on the boards, but the difference of perhaps 5 decks means, in my opinion, that you should at least consider that aspect, too. motion hasnt been a problem for us, except one rough night aft in the cat 5.

 

[WDWLVR]

We have had a navigators ver. twice and love them Not much movement and still lots of air check the price diff and see how much it is. It may save some cash for you!

Squid

Steve - it is our favorite too! We've had them 3 times on our 6 cruises and have ones booked for our next two as well.

 

[castlegazer]

as someone who has had Verandahs and then not had them - I won't cruise again without it. BUt that being said, I WOULD NOT pay $2K more for the luxury of it. No way no how. I would not be sailing if that were my choice. Nosiree Bob.

 

[jgalecpa]

I think there is a so-called "tipping-point" for verandahs.

That is, at some point it is worth it and some point not.

The point varies per person.

At $2,000 for a week, the difference works out to $285.71 extra, per day.

That better add one heck of a lot to your experience.

If it were $300, that works out to only $42.86/day.

Someone recently had a post where for the price difference between a verandah room and a GTY cat 12, they gave DD a choice: Two Cruises in the GTY 12, or one cruise in the verandah.

They chose two cruises.

If money is no object. Go for it.

If this is a once-in-a-lifetime cruise, go for it.

Otherwise, calculate the cost per day, see if that is worth it.

Personally, we book two adjoining rooms, one for DW & myself, and an adjoing for my two DD's.

When DD's are gone to college , you very well may see us waving from the Verandah.

Since no on can make the decision for you, just thought I'd give you some ways to help you answer it

Jim

PS, On our first trip to WDW, which we thought would be a "once-in-a-lifetime" trip, we decided to go for it and stayed at the Absoutley beautiful (but pricey) Grand Floridian.

However, two things happened. We were hooked on WDW and I can't get my girls to stay anywhere but the GF!

I should have started at the more value priced hotels and gone up a level each time.

It would have saved me thousands and every time would be newly special.

Same Idea for verandah. If you start with a porthole, you can move up later, but if you start with verandah, would you move down?

 

[castlegazer]

Same Idea for verandah. If you start with a porthole, you can move up later, but if you start with verandah, would you move down?

I've got a big problem that you describe perfectly. I can't go down. My first cruise we had a butler too - man, that has been a hard thing to leave behind too.

But the OP has done a Verandah once before. I think she's in trouble too, but $2 GRAND is a TON of money. Total tipping point for me. (good management terminology there jgalecpa - are you a CPA?).