Celebrity Cruises Infinite Veranda Review: Is This Controversial Cabin Worth It?
Since the launch of the Celebrity Edge in 2018, one type of cabin has always divided cruisers: the Infinite Veranda balcony. We have sailed in this unique cabin type multiple times across different Celebrity Edge-class ships, and we have some strong thoughts on whether this room is actually good, the pros and cons, and whether you should book one for your next cruise.
We most recently spent seven nights sailing the Norwegian Fjords in an Infinite Veranda Cabin on Celebrity Apex. We detailed the whole experience—including our honest opinions—in our latest video here.
What is an Infinite Veranda?
If you didn't know, the Infinite Veranda replaces a traditional step-out cruise balcony with a massive floor-to-ceiling panoramic window that rolls down halfway at the touch of a button. Essentially, it turns your entire room into a balcony. We like to call it a "sun room," and it comes with a couple of chairs and a small table right by the glass.
The room is divided by frosted room dividers to separate the space. These are not a fully door like a standard balcony but does define the space more.
These are on all the Edge Class ships including the new Celebrity Xcel.
Inside the Cabin: Space, Storage, and Tech
First impressions of these rooms are always positive. The decor is bright, modern, and incredibly spacious. It feels much more premium than standard cabins on other cruise lines, and when you first open the blackout blinds, that huge window floods the room with natural light.
As you enter, you have a much larger-than-normal bathroom. We were genuinely surprised by the space! It features a large double-sized sink, fantastic shelf storage, and a massive shower with a proper glass door—no clingy shower curtains here.
Within the main cabin space, you have a closet with plenty of hanging space (top tip: ask your steward for extra hangers on day one!), a small safe, and some hidden shelving that is very easy to miss. This is also where you'll find a complimentary umbrella to use on your cruise.
Around the vanity area is a large chest of deep drawers—perfect for bulky jumpers on colder sailings—and plenty of space on top. Because we departed from the UK, our room even came with a kettle and Tetley tea. The desk area features a "Pandora's box" that hides the power outlets. It includes European, Universal, and USB outlets, though we did struggle to fit larger, chunky charger blocks in it. Instead of a standard fixed desk mirror, these cabins feature a brilliant full-length mirror with a sliding table that you can push out of the way to check your outfit.
The room features a large, comfortable sofa and a plush bed that can be set up as a king or twins. One quirk: only one side of the bed has plug outlets.
Our hack? Plug a long USB-C cable into the phone on the powered side and run it under the bed to the other side!
The tech in this room is fantastic. The TV supports direct Chromecast streaming from your personal devices, and everything from the pitch-black blackout blinds to the lighting and air conditioning can be controlled via a touchscreen wall panel or the Celebrity smartphone app.
It's worth noting that the cabin is serviced twice daily—a morning clean and an evening turndown service with chocolates on your pillow. This is a premium touch that many other cruise lines have completely eliminated for standard rooms.
Pros & Cons of the Infinite Balcony
If you are debating between an Infinite Veranda vs. a regular balcony, here is what you need to know.
PROS:
23% More Interior Space: By absorbing the traditional outdoor balcony into the room, the cabin feels exceptionally large and open.
Incredible Light & Views: The floor-to-ceiling glass makes the cabin incredibly bright. It’s the ultimate panoramic viewing room—you can literally lay in bed and watch the spectacular scenery sail past. (Despite complaints online about the middle window bar obstructing the view, at 6'2", it barely reached my chest and didn't bother us at all).
Total Darkness: The motorized blackout blinds are amazing. When they are down, the room is pitch black, ensuring a great night's sleep.
Quiet Operation: Despite rumors about the mechanical noise of neighbors operating their motorized blinds and windows, we found the cabin to be completely quiet.
CONS:
No True Outdoor Space: If you love an outdoor sunbathing space or prefer a completely separate, weather-sealed outdoor balcony, this cabin is not for you.
Climate Control Quirks: The air conditioning automatically turns off the second you lower the window. In hotter climates, the room heats up and becomes humid very quickly.
Lack of Privacy/Division: The folding frosted doors that divide the "sun room" from the bed are mainly for show. They don't seal the space like a regular heavy balcony door. If one person wants the window open and the other doesn't, you can't compromise—the whole room will lose AC. Likewise, if one person is an early riser, opening the blinds will flood the entire cabin with light.
Window Lockouts: The captain occasionally locks the windows centrally for exterior ship cleaning or safety during high winds. (Though, on the plus side, passengers do get a child-lock feature to secure it from the inside).
Final Verdict: Should You Book It?
For us, the Infinite Veranda worked absolutely perfectly on this Norwegian Fjords itinerary. Because it wasn't too hot outside and the sailing was incredibly scenic, being able to sit in our warm "sun room," open the window slightly to hear the waves, and take in the panoramic views was magical. We would book this cabin again in a heartbeat for Alaska or Norway.
However, for hot weather cruises in the Caribbean or Mediterranean? We will always prefer to book a traditional step-out balcony, which Celebrity's Edge-class ships also offer like the Magic Carpet suite.
FAQs
Is it a "real" balcony?
Well, not exactly! We actually like to call it the "sun room" because it sounds a bit fancier. Instead of a traditional step-out balcony, you have this massive panoramic window that rolls down halfway to let the fresh air in. You do get these lovely opaque folding doors that act as a room divider, but they aren't proper doors in the sense that they'll keep the hot air in or out. The huge bonus, though, is that you get about 23% more actual space in your cabin!
Does the air conditioning shut off when the window is open? Yes, it does. If you lower that huge window, the air con turns off automatically. Because those interior folding room dividers are more for show and don't actually completely seal off the space like a regular balcony door, you can't just leave the window open and keep the rest of the room perfectly chilled. If you're on a hot or humid cruise, the whole cabin will heat up and get humid quite quickly!
Is the motorized window loud? We get asked this one a lot! We've seen complaints online from people saying the windows and blinds are noisy and wake them up, but honestly? We just haven't experienced that on any of our cruises. To us, it’s no louder than any other cabin we've stayed in. Although, a top tip from us: we always bring a little travel fan with us anyway to drown out any background noise, just in case!
Does the horizontal bar block the view? This is a really funny one that we see online. Some people say the bar in the middle of the window blocks the view, especially for smaller people. But it's actually very low, guys! I'm 6'2" and it only comes up to my chest. The window is so spectacularly large that you definitely get way more of a view than you don't. Lying in bed and watching the absolute spectacular scenery go by in widescreen format is just wonderful.
Can the window be locked by the crew? Yep, they certainly can be! The captain will sometimes lock the windows from the bridge, particularly when they are being cleaned. Because you're at sea, the outside of the ship gets very salty and needs constant washing every couple of days. So you might find it locked now and again for that. But you also have a child-lock button to secure the window yourself from the inside, which is a fantastic safety feature.
Are they better for warm or cold weather? Without a doubt, these cabins are absolutely brilliant for a colder cruise. For scenic sailings like the Norwegian Fjords or Alaska, they are perfect. Just having that huge window slightly open, listening to the sound of the waves while staying nice and warm inside, is spectacular. But if we were heading somewhere super hot like the Caribbean? We would definitely go for a traditional, regular balcony cabin instead.
