We got an upgrade from a cat. 8 to a cat. 5, and I was so excited, then noticed the solid wall location of 7132, and so we enjoyed the ability to be outside on our favorite deck 7 (all four cruises incl. the next one) but we decided it was nice to sample the verandah for free and our conclusion was that we would not have chosen to pay for a solid wall verandah. So your 5's, with plexiglass, should be great, and enjoy, and your concern was valid. Some of the solid walls have larger verandahs because of the location and curve toward the stern, which might compensate in some ways, but ours was standard size.