Apex Verandas

[Buckybee]

Planning an Arctic circle  cruise on Apex for July 25. I’m booking 6 E-2 verandas. My questions. 
* Are these truly unobstructed verandas?

* Does port vs starboard matter. Does the magic carpet make a difference. 
* It seems like the cabins I’m looking at are indented a bit. How does this affect the view ti the front and back?

I’m planning for 6 couples so I want to be the Hero and not the Zero so I need to get it right. 
Thanks in advance.

[doghog]

9 minutes ago, Buckybee said:

Planning an Arctic circle  cruise on Apex for July 25. I’m booking 6 E-2 verandas. My questions. 
* Are these truly unobstructed verandas?

* Does port vs starboard matter. Does the magic carpet make a difference. 
* It seems like the cabins I’m looking at are indented a bit. How does this affect the view ti the front and back?

I’m planning for 6 couples so I want to be the Hero and not the Zero so I need to get it right. 
Thanks in advance.

What deck?

[hcat]

Maybe  using a TA would be helpful and give you a discount or perks.

  TA can work on linking dining, specialty rest and excursion res too.

 

We book our own stuff but with so many in your group, prof help might be best!

[tscoffey]

1 hour ago, Buckybee said:

Planning an Arctic circle  cruise on Apex for July 25. I’m booking 6 E-2 verandas. My questions. 
* Are these truly unobstructed verandas?

* Does port vs starboard matter. Does the magic carpet make a difference. 
* It seems like the cabins I’m looking at are indented a bit. How does this affect the view ti the front and back?

I’m planning for 6 couples so I want to be the Hero and not the Zero so I need to get it right. 
Thanks in advance.

Use cruisedeckplans.com to get an idea of what kind of view your rooms have.

Here is the obstructed cabin list:

https://www.cruisedeckplans.com/ships/ov.php?ship=Celebrity-Apex&cabins=Edge

 

E2 cabins are only available on decks 6,7,and 8.

 

Generally, only cabins on deck 6 are going to possibly have an obstruction (most do not) - which in almost every case will be a lifeboat on deck 5 (just below your room) that blocks your direct view of the water. 

 

The indentation does not matter. All the E2 IVs are about the same size.

 

Edited April 26 by tscoffey

[Buckybee]

1 hour ago, doghog said:

What deck?

Dealing directly with Celebrity planner because all agents are the same price, higher or tell me no unobstructed verandas are available. Initial talks have been E-2 on deck 6 starboard.

I need to do more research before ai commit to anything.
knowledge is power.

[hrhdhd]

2 hours ago, Buckybee said:

Planning an Arctic circle  cruise on Apex for July 25. I’m booking 6 E-2 verandas. My questions. 
* Are these truly unobstructed verandas?

They're not truly verandas; they are infinite verandas, which is to say, they have a window that opens. 

[Buckybee]

1 hour ago, hcat said:

Maybe  using a TA would be helpful and give you a discount or perks.

  TA can work on linking dining, specialty rest and excursion res too.

 

We book our own stuff but with so many in your group, prof help might be best!

TAs have been less than helpful so far. I believe because the cruise is 14 months away there are no real perks yet. My group has traveled the world together and we have learned with 12 people it’s cheaper to book our own private tours. Early stages of planning. Early dinning with one or two tables for us. Specialty restaurants are not our thing.  

[Buckybee]

7 minutes ago, hrhdhd said:

They're not truly verandas; they are infinite verandas, which is to say, they have a window that opens. 

So no sliding glass door to a balcony with a railing. I’m not familiar with this class of ship. I like to look over the railing and see to goings on when docked. More research needed on my part. Will look at cruisedeckplans and youtube.

[cruisestitch]

The infinite verandahs are not balcony staterooms.  Instead of verandas you will have a window that opens.  And when open, the room A/C shuts off.  Bottom picture is a standard verandah like you find on S class ship.  Top is an IV.  With an IV you are never “outside”

 

Edited April 26 by cruisestitch

[tscoffey]

@cruisestitch They're going to the Arctic circle, according to the OP.

They'll be fine, even if not truly "outside" (whatever that even means on a billion-dollar floating hotel)

Edited April 26 by tscoffey

[doghog]

12 hours ago, Buckybee said:

So no sliding glass door to a balcony with a railing. I’m not familiar with this class of ship. I like to look over the railing and see to goings on when docked. More research needed on my part. Will look at cruisedeckplans and youtube.

Correct. So if you want a traditional style balcony on any E class ship, you will need to book a SV (Sunset Veranda) or a DPV (Deluxe Porthole Veranda) cabin. These type of traditional balcony cabins are limited on the E class ships. 

Edited April 26 by doghog

[Buckybee]

I watched some youtube videos and have a better picture of the cabin. It looks like it’s more of a glorified Ocean View with big window that may or may not open. More about the itinerary for us and not many alternative ships.

[hrhdhd]

47 minutes ago, Buckybee said:

It looks like it’s more of a glorified Ocean View with big window that may or may not open.

Celebrity's marketing dept. decided against calling them "Glorified Oceanview," but that's what they are. 😄

[tscoffey]

2 hours ago, Buckybee said:

I watched some youtube videos and have a better picture of the cabin. It looks like it’s more of a glorified Ocean View with big window that may or may not open. More about the itinerary for us and not many alternative ships.

Unless sitting on a (potentially quite chilly) balcony in northern Norway is a must, you'll find that the IV staterooms are quite good for viewing all the wonderful views of the fjords, etc., while also being in a warm stateroom. 

 

Also, the Edge class ships, of which Apex is the 2nd one built, have a refreshingly unique calming ambiance and decor. Eden restaurant for dinner is an especially good, upscale meal.

 

[cruisestitch]

But no sky lounge, so no forward facing viewing lounge.

 

it’s the difference between “we’re coming up on a lovely waterfall so get your cameras ready” and “ we just passed the waterfall, hope you got to see it”

[TMLAalum]

@Buckybee

We too are a group of 12! My friend who sailed the Constellation in February booked our next year's Apex fjord cruise for us all the day she boarded. If you or one of your group have a Celebrity or Royal cruise coming up, I suggest booking aboard for everyone because of the reduced deposit of $200 per cabin and the OBC of $200 per cabin. The total deposit for all cabins will go on that cruiser's credit card, so they will need to be reimbursed. Each couple has the option to move their reservation to a TA within 30 days of booking.

 

My friend had a bit of a challenge because 5 couples wanted bed by bath IV cabins and we wanted porthole veranda #7123 because of the ease of quickly stepping outside when a perfect photo op occurred. She and the Future Cruise Consultant did great for us all!

 

If no cruise is in the near future, find websites that will show all available cabins. Look carefully at the deck plans for jut outs/ magic carpet tracks, etc. that will affect forward and aft views. Have some cabins port and others starboard so that if there is a something exciting on one side of the ship vs. the other you won't miss it. Know your choices when you call Celebrity or your preferred TA.

 

Edited April 26 by TMLAalum

[Bru92]

On 4/26/2024 at 11:51 AM, Buckybee said:

I watched some youtube videos and have a better picture of the cabin. It looks like it’s more of a glorified Ocean View with big window that may or may not open. More about the itinerary for us and not many alternative ships.

The upper half of the glass retracts however the powers that be can lock your glass closed if they have bad weather, want to wash windows, or for what ever reason.  We like the IV concept as it gives the illusion of a balcony when you want that and the illusion of more room space when you want that.

[SkiPro62]

IVs are not balconies but they provide an extension to your living space. With bed-by-bath, and with the desk top slid in and the desk chair flipped around, five people can sit facing each other with no one sitting on the bed. Where else can you do that in a non suite cabin?

[cricketgirl]

People seem to either love or hate the infinite verandas.  We MUCH prefer the infinite verandahs to a traditional balcony.  If hot or rainy, simply close the IV and you can still sit in the balcony chairs and use the extra space in your room, and also look through the floor-to-ceiling view of the ocean.  With a traditional balcony if hot or rainy you just don't go out there (i.e. less room in your cabin) and have to look through sliding doors, the balcony area with (unused) chairs, and also the balcony glass rail to see the ocean.  There may be times in inclement weather when the IV is locked and cannot be opened, but these are times when the weather is bad and we certainly don't want to be standing outside on a balcony in those conditions anyway.  Sometimes they are locked when crew is cleaning the glass, but only for an hour or so and this is typically while you are in port anyway - at least from our experience.  The IVs also provide privacy where a traditional balcony does not - no one can peek around and see you with an IV.  If not extremely hot or cold, you can sleep with the balcony down and hear the ocean and feel the ocean breeze all night - we loved being able to do this! 

 

Don't let others scare you off because we are all different, just know that positives for some are negatives for others.  Be sure to google infinite verandas and watch a couple videos to decide if these are right for you.  They are certainly not right for everyone, but we LOVE them! 

Edited Monday at 06:56 PM by cricketgirl

[TheHawk1]

1 hour ago, cricketgirl said:

People seem to either love or hate the infinite verandas.  We MUCH prefer the infinite verandahs to a traditional balcony.  If hot or rainy, simply close the IV and you can still sit in the balcony chairs and use the extra space in your room, and also look through the floor-to-ceiling view of the ocean.  With a traditional balcony if hot or rainy you just don't go out there (i.e. less room in your cabin) and have to look through sliding doors, the balcony area with (unused) chairs, and also the balcony glass rail to see the ocean.  There may be times in inclement weather when the IV is locked and cannot be opened, but these are times when the weather is bad and we certainly don't want to be standing outside on a balcony in those conditions anyway.  Sometimes they are locked when crew is cleaning the glass, but only for an hour or so and this is typically while you are in port anyway - at least from our experience.  The IVs also provide privacy where a traditional balcony does not - no one can peek around and see you with an IV.  If not extremely hot or cold, you can sleep with the balcony down and hear the ocean and feel the ocean breeze all night - we loved being able to do this! 

 

Don't let others scare you off because we are all different, just know that positives for some are negatives for others.  Be sure to google infinite verandas and watch a couple videos to decide if these are right for you.  They are certainly not right for everyone, but we LOVE them! 

Yes,  you're allowed to love the IV, just like some people inexplicably like escargot.  But we can all agree they're not for everyone (on both counts).

 

What is confusing is why Celebrity decided to build a class of ships that had so many IV's and left people with so few alternatives. If you want a traditional balcony on E class, you either pay sky-high suite prices or you be the first to reserve one of only 36 Sunset Veranda cabins when sailing dates are released. Hopefully they will re-think this design with their next class of ship.

[cricketgirl]

1 hour ago, TheHawk1 said:

Yes,  you're allowed to love the IV...

 

Thanks for your permission 🙂

[Oville]

1 hour ago, cricketgirl said:

 

Thanks for your permission 🙂

As some of us who actually sailed in one do love them

[Buckybee]

Thanks for your input. We just got back from 4 days at the Grand Canyon and was not able to respond to your posts.

Personally I love traditional balconies. Weather does not bother me. I did Alaska and it was great to just sit and watch all the wildlife without trudging up to the top decks. I have never had a problem with privacy. I’ve had good conversations with my balcony neighbors. I really like to sit on the balcony and watch when we come into port and dock. From what I’ve seen online the lower section of the ship blocks the view of anything close to the ship. 
I’m just trying to figure out if an Infinite Balcony is worth the money to me. Everyone has different wants and needs. The wife and I like a set dinning. Early seating, the biggest table they have and the same wait staff every night. Others want anytime dining and a table for two. Some want the biggest ship at sea. 2500 passenger ships are for me. We pay a lot of money and invest valuable vacation time we should get what we want.