I know the 8A cabins on deck 5 of the Dream and Fantasy only sleep 3 (queen bed & sofa,) but I'm not sure about the ones on 6. That could be where the confusion is.
I would rather have the square footage in the room instead of on the verandah if I was choosing but to have the option of opening the doors and sitting out in the fresh air in the morning is nice too.
I know the 8A cabins on deck 5 of the Dream and Fantasy only sleep 3 (queen bed & sofa,) but I'm not sure about the ones on 6. That could be where the confusion is.
Some of the 8A's sleep 3 and some sleep 4; I do not believe any sleep 5 though other category 8 rooms (B-D) sleep 5, but those are regular layout. Here's thread that gives details of the category 8A staterooms on the Dream/Fantasy: http://www.disboards.com/threads/dream-fantasy-8a-cabins.2696288/
Personally, I've never felt the veranda was worth the cost. We spent a total of maybe an hour out there the last time we had one, and that was mostly us feeling obligated to use it. There's really nothing you can do on a balcony that you can't do up on the main deck (except joining the balcony club), with more space and readily accessible drinks.
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