Verendah go for it or pass?

[DISNEY FANTASY]

If your budget will allow it, go for it! Unfortunately for us, we found the price difference between a verandah and non verandah to be absurd. It was so ridiculous as to be completely impossible for our family. I just couldn't justify the extra $3,000 for a verandah. Lets say for the sake of argument that if we spent 40 hours out there on our trip, that's $75/hour extra for the verandah. I asked myself, A) Am I going to actually spend 40 hours out there? and B) Even if I did, am I going to get $75 worth of enjoyment out of each hour?

The answer was an easy "No" to both of those questions. We decided that the extra $3000 was better spent on excursions as well as spending two days before and one day after in Vancouver. We compromised and got an Oceanview instead and we're very happy with our decision. (We haven't cruised yet so take this with a grain of salt.)

Again, this depends on your preference and your budget. If you have a bunch of expendable income, that's awesome and you should go for it (I would have if I could have) but honestly, I think Disney has WAY overpriced verandahs compared to the other rooms.

Either way, enjoy your cruise!

An " advert" to why anyone should try to book on release day, to get the best price possible. Prices for verandahs do shoot up for Alaska, and the reason is clear.

 

[anricat]

An " advert" to why anyone should try to book on release day, to get the best price possible. Prices for verandahs do shoot up for Alaska, and the reason is clear.

Agreed! We booked opening day and even then, this entire vacation is stretching the limits of our budget. Booking anything but opening day would have been impossible for our family. It's been a long long wait, but it's worth it for the savings.

 

[The Sasquatch]

For Alaska it has to be a verandah, isnt the scenery one of the main reasons to cruise Alaska?

 

[scgustafson]

And of course, it is much harder to join the verandah club without a verandah.

 

[DnA2010]

Prepare for opinions both ways..! Personally, we did not NEED a verandah and were glad to use the money on the spendier excursions IN Alaska than sitting watching it. Many people are going to say it is a must. In the end, it will come down to what your finances will afford and how much use you think your family will get out of it rather than running around the ship! I know you will have a lovely cruise either way!

This is us. We'd rather have another cheap trip somewhere or some sweet excursions for the price of the veranda (although our only DCL cruise was a verandah but that was a VGT rate). We honestly didn't use it that much. That was on the Fantasy though, not Alaska.

 

[mamaburrito]

Thanks all. Right now I'm leaning towards the verendah. Right now I have a hold on 6610. Just got to do it now.

 

[tnshsms]

We just got back from Alaska and did a Navigator's veranda and loved it. It shielded us from the wind and rain but gave us the viewing option as well. I highly recommend it if you can get it. And they are a bit cheaper. We were in 7126. Here are some pictures...

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Agreed! We booked opening day and even then, this entire vacation is stretching the limits of our budget. Booking anything but opening day would have been impossible for our family. It's been a long long wait, but it's worth it for the savings.

Always an advert to book- day one.

 

[DISGRL13]

For Alaska get the verandah!! You will not regret it! We sat outside and watched the scenery go by in the early mornings and evenings. It was wonderful. And bring binoculars!!!

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

For Alaska get the verandah!! You will not regret it! We sat outside and watched the scenery go by in the early mornings and evenings. It was wonderful. And bring binoculars!!!

Yes, I want to go back! We watched from 6am to 11 pm, wonderful.

 

[Ofinn]

Booking on opening day isn't going to make the cost difference between and inside room and a verandah any less. It's still going to be 3k. I would never book DCL to Alaska. The itinerary is poor, and I could cruise in a suite on another cruise line for the price of an inside room on DCL.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Booking on opening day isn't going to make the cost difference between and inside room and a verandah any less. It's still going to be 3k. I would never book DCL to Alaska. The itinerary is poor, and I could cruise in a suite on another cruise line for the price of an inside room on DCL.

We'll have to disagree, the prices of verandahs go up fast on -Alaska cruises, book first day, you will get a verandah at best price, if say you book an inside room a couple of months before the cruise, it could have cost more than a verandah in the first day of release,

 

[Ofinn]

We'll have to disagree, the prices of verandahs go up fast on -Alaska cruises, book first day, you will get a verandah at best price, if say you book an inside room a couple of months before the cruise, it could have cost more than a verandah in the first day of release,

Whatever, it's several thousand more on opening day.

 

[Steve Dexter]

We have been on multiple cruises with veranda's, windows, and straight-up inside rooms. I gotta say the veranda just isn't worth it. I'm not afraid to spend money, it's just not worth it.

 

[Ofinn]

We have been on multiple cruises with veranda's, windows, and straight-up inside rooms. I gotta say the veranda just isn't worth it. I'm not afraid to spend money, it's just not worth it.

I tend to agree with you. I would rather cruise more often.

 

[Anisum]

I'm a fan of ocean view. I think it's a good compromise because verandas are crazy expensive. I don't spend enough time out there (when I'm on the ship I spend a lot of time doing activities and such so I usually see more of the ocean from the public areas) and so being able to see the view when I'm in my room without having to actually be outside is good enough for me and like many others I would rather spend that money on excursions. If I really need to be out there I can go up on deck.

 

[BigredNole]

I have always been tight with money. My dad always said I should sit on a bag of charcoal to make diamonds. I asked the community a similar question based on our habits. For me, if it was just a few $100 more, I would do it, but in most cases I have seen it is over $1,000 more for a week. I can do ALOT with a $1,000. I can look out over the water and ports from one of the decks and that is perfectly fine for me. The only way I think I would pay for it is after reading about the Veranda Club.

 

[AquaDame]

I have always been tight with money. My dad always said I should sit on a bag of charcoal to make diamonds. I asked the community a similar question based on our habits. For me, if it was just a few $100 more, I would do it, but in most cases I have seen it is over $1,000 more for a week. I can do ALOT with a $1,000. I can look out over the water and ports from one of the decks and that is perfectly fine for me. The only way I think I would pay for it is after reading about the Veranda Club.

Of those who say a verandah is a must, I wonder if they have ever done Alaska without..? I know we were up in Outlook Cafe with the binoculars chatting with the naturist from the early morning hours and in the evenings as well, and running around deck 4 & the upper decks most of the day otherwise and we saw plenty of everything, thank you. I have zero regrets.

This July we are on RCCL with two staterooms - we are in a verandah and my MIL and SIL will be across the hall in an inside (we can afford one, they cannot) and they'll of course be welcome to come over any time to use it. When we booked it, we thought my severely disabled FIL would also be along so a place away from everyone where he could be comfortable would have been necessary but he passed after we booked the cruise. I've kept the room anyway and will hopefully be able to respond to the question better afterwards having seen it from both sides.

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Of those who say a verandah is a must, I wonder if they have ever done Alaska without..? I know we were up in Outlook Cafe with the binoculars chatting with the naturist from the early morning hours and in the evenings as well, and running around deck 4 & the upper decks most of the day otherwise and we saw plenty of everything, thank you. I have zero regrets.

This July we are on RCCL with two staterooms - we are in a verandah and my MIL and SIL will be across the hall in an inside (we can afford one, they cannot) and they'll of course be welcome to come over any time to use it. When we booked it, we thought my severely disabled FIL would also be along so a place away from everyone where he could be comfortable would have been necessary but he passed after we booked the cruise. I've kept the room anyway and will hopefully be able to respond to the question better afterwards having seen it from both sides.

I think you miss the point, would you be in the outlook cafe from 6 am to 11 pm? If not, then you do miss out.

We found that the open decks and outlook cafe were " reserved" by cruisers from early in the day. If you got a place then you had to try to keep it all day restricting you.

 

[anricat]

I think you miss the point, would you be in the outlook cafe from 6 am to 11 pm? If not, then you do miss out.

We found that the open decks and outlook cafe were " reserved" by cruisers from early in the day. If you got a place then you had to try to keep it all day restricting you.

But honestly, if we're cruising Disney, are we wanting to be looking at scenery from 6 AM to 11 PM EVERY DAY? Nope. We want to do other things. Part of the Disney experience is a lot of the other activities they have to offer. I don't need a verandah to enjoy a movie, attend activities in the adult areas, eat amazing food in the MDR, dance with my daughter and the characters in the atrium, get autographs and photos with characters.

I would sail another line, where I could more easily afford a verandah. Am I going to miss some things? Sure. But I can't do it all and for us, while the scenery is amazing, there's more to the experience than watching the world go by on the verandah. Everyone has different things that they want out of a vacation, which is fantastic. And why, insisting that EVERYONE MUST HAVE A VERANDAH OR YOUR VACATION WILL BE SUB PAR is absurd.