Solid Wall Verandah

[MomsPeanut]

I need some advice, please. We were recently assigned #7134 for our 7-day Western Caribbean cruise. We booked a category 5 cabin because we like to travel with a verandah- especially on the longer cruises. When I looked up where our cabin was on the ship deck plan, I saw for the first time that some category 5's have solid white wall verandahs. Of course, this is what we were assigned. So, I guess my questions are as follows:

Has anyone ever stayed in one of these rooms? If so, what were your likes/dislikes? Pros/ cons? Anything?

I know that a lot of this is going to be personal preference. That's okay! Please respond anyway, so that I can (hopefully) decide what to do. I want to know how everyone feels about paying for a category 5 and getting an obstructed view like this. I know that it may not be possible to switch...but I want to know if it's at least worth a shot.

Thank you SO much!!!

 

[icartjetta]

I'm just back today and had a solid walled verandah room#7634, I was not happy at all when I found out it was a solid wall but after going it wasn't so bad. The only thing that made up for the solid wall was that our balcony because it was on the curve of the ship, was bigger than the normal balcony. The room next to us had the solid wall and their balcony was normal size so we did get the better room. I do think the rooms are a little smaller than normal they don't have the cut out for the steamer trunk.
I just looked up your room and it's the exact opposite of what we had so your balcony will be slightly bigger than most. Hope this helps. let me know if you need anything else.

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

I've never stayed in one of these rooms, but have often stayed in the category 7 rooms nearby, which have similar obstructions. I really don't feel it's that big of a deal.
I can see over the railing while sitting down and don't feel that it's much different than a standard category 5. In fact, I now go with category 7 on deck 7 whenever I book, because I feel it's just as good a room as the category 5 rooms on the same deck.

The one plus of 7134 would seem to be that the verandah is somewhat bigger than the regular category 5 rooms, due to the curve of the ship that far aft.

Again, this wouldn't be a big deal for me, but since it worries you, even a little bit, you should check and see if anything further forward with the standard verandah is available, or waitlist yourself for it.

 

[inkkognito]

My favorite stateroom is one of the solid wall verandahs (5650). It is at the butt end of deck 5, so it is larger than the norm (not huge, but you could fit a lounge chair out there). Not all of them are quite as large as that. But it's very cozy, and the solid walls are all located aft, which I think is a great location. Not a lot of foot traffic, convenient to the secret back stairs, and also to the (not so) secret deck 7 aft verandah. It's definitely a matter of personal preference, but I like those rooms.
Barb

 

[cntkg1]

Just saw this thread after posting mine. Sorry. Can anyone tell me about the veranda for stateroom 7562? I don't know what a solid wall means and opposed to what????....a railing wall?

Thanks tons,
Nancy

 

[inkkognito]

The solid verandahs are the ones aft of the naviagtors verandahs. The others are plexiglass, so you can see through them when sitting down.
Barb

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

Just saw this thread after posting mine. Sorry. Can anyone tell me about the veranda for stateroom 7562? I don't know what a solid wall means and opposed to what????....a railing wall?

Thanks tons,
Nancy

7562 is midship, and will have the standard balcony with a plexiglass railing.

 

[cntkg1]

Thanks for clearing this up for me.

N ancy

 

[logan1_2000]

Seeing over the railing when sitting is only part of the story--what can be seen is the other. Just had 7132 on the Wonder last month, I am six feet tall, and when seated yes, I can look over the top of the railing and see the hills of the island, the tops of buildings, etc., but cannot see the nearby, foreground sights that are blocked from the wall. Cannot see the water, for example. It is a partial view when seated.

7134 does have a bigger verandah size, that can be seen from the deck plan. What can also be seen, but we hadn't realized until we got into 7132, is that these two stateroom have no steamer trunk storage--look at the walls in the deck plan--whereas most walls between staterooms that do not have the bed up against them show a "notch" in the wall, where the steamer trunk is stationed, the walls for 7132 and 7134 are both straight--no notch meant no steamer trunk for us, thus less storage. On a 4 day wonder, it wasn't that big a deal. Also colder weather, we weren't sweating up our clothes and changing as much, so we packed lighter. On a warm weather 7 night cruise, the absence of the trunk storage might have made a difference.

Now--the good--close to the "secret" deck at the far aft of deck 7, not terribly far from the aft stairs to just quickly go up two decks to the buffet restaurant, drink station, and scoops all nearby w/o walking the length of the ship as we otherwise do from our usual cat. 8's. (Not that I can't use the exercise and I enjoy the walk, but closer to a diet coke fountain is always a plus for me...).

 

[mmouse37]

We have stayed in both types.....we have older teens so the plexi ones are not important to us....

Here are some links to what they look like....the first is my hubby on our solid wall veranda aft on deck five (the lower row of balconies shown)

http://community.webshots.com/photo/118565870/118570827VsYoOK

The next is a shot from inside our cabin...

http://community.webshots.com/photo/118565870/118570907CHKQri

I don't have a pic of the plexi ones...but I am sure someone will!!!

We found the solid verandahs near the aft of the ship to be deeper and wider than the verandas in the center of the ship....we enjoyed them!!!

MJ

 

[pixiedust519]

We also recently had the rooms 7132 and 7134 in January. We loved them!!! At first we were slightly disappointed that we didn't have the plexiglass verandah, but we soon changed our minds! The verandah in 7134 is HUGE. It is significantly larger than the normal ones such as 7132. You can really tell the difference. We loved it and would definitely cruise in those rooms again. Like another poster said, you are just a few feet away from the secret deck 7 and it is a pretty convenient location overall. Have fun!!!

Alyssa

 

[aprilgail2]

I personally would choose a smaller plexi one over the solid one. I hated the solid one. Especially having kids it is tough because they either need to be held to see over or stand on something. When you sit in the chair you are staring at a solid white wall.....I like sitting on the verandah and looking out the plexiglass, not at a solid wall. I made sure the second cruise I knew what I was doing and booked a plexi one.

 

[becobscot]

The plexiglass verandahs are all smudged with seaspray anyway!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

7134 does have a bigger verandah size, that can be seen from the deck plan. What can also be seen, but we hadn't realized until we got into 7132, is that these two stateroom have no steamer trunk storage--look at the walls in the deck plan--whereas most walls between staterooms that do not have the bed up against them show a "notch" in the wall, where the steamer trunk is stationed, the walls for 7132 and 7134 are both straight--no notch meant no steamer trunk for us, thus less storage.

I've wondered what the notched walls in the deck plans were.

What exactly is the not so secret 7th deck verandah?

T&B

 

[inkkognito]

It's a large public verandah at the butt end of deck 7 that many people don't even know is there. You have to go out a door that says "aft overlook" to get there. It's especially nice for people who have an interior stateroom.
Barb

 

[SeaSpray]

The plexiglass verandahs are all smudged with seaspray anyway!

The plexiglass on our verandah was crystal clear as you can see in these pics I took:

We thoroughly enjoyed our verandah and personally I feel that if our view had been partially blocked due to a solid-wall verandah it would've not been the same experience for us. We're not very tall and we saw a LOT of fish and dolphin while seated on the verandah which we probably would've missed if it hadn't been clear plexi. Of course once we saw the fish and dolphin we stood up and grabbed the cameras! But we might've missed them altogether had we not seen them first while sitting and relaxing out there.

I know that different people have different likes and dislikes, I just feel that everyone should know exactly what the difference is, before they cruise.

P.S. I just realized something! My DS13 in the picture above is TALLER than I am, he was about 5'7" while on the cruise (he's taller now). And as you can see, while he is sitting down, if that wall had been solid, he wouldn't have been able to see very much. Maybe just things way off in the distance.

 

[goofygal1975]

Thanks for sharing those pictures!! We are in a cat 5 -7070 on our upcoming cruise (91 days till we're on the Wonder!!) and are happy to hear we will have the plexi glass verandah.

 

[aprilgail2]

The plexiglass verandahs are all smudged with seaspray anyway!

Ours wasn't...we saw just fine sitting out there looking through the plexi.

 

[becobscot]

SeaSpray and Aprilgail2
I apologize! Gee, that is the most sparkling plexiglass balcony I've ever seen!