Why NOT to Choose an Infinite Balcony Cabin

When the Celebrity Edge debuted in 2018, the new infinite balconies seemed like they could be a game changer with a new balcony stateroom category. Fast forward a few years, and all Edge class ships have this category as the primary balcony stateroom, and a traditional balcony is not only an upgrade, but a scarce few of them on this class of ship even exist. Now, sister company Royal Caribbean is adding them at an alarming rate on their new ships, including the newly-released ship Icon of the Seas. Following are a few thoughts on why not to choose an infinite balcony stateroom and what cruisers need to consider before booking this stateroom category.

1. It's HOT

If your cabin is on the ship's exterior, the sun beats through the glass, making it very hot in the seating area, which makes the AC work overtime to keep the room cool. While you can put the shade down to cut out the afternoon heat, you now have no ocean view and are essentially in an interior no-view cabin while you’ve paid for a balcony. Now, the cruise lines could have put a nice UV film on the window to prevent the heat from radiating in, but so far, no one has thought to do that. To any cruise line executive reading this, please consider adding UV film to all the exterior glass. It will save the air conditioners and keep the infinite balconies from turning into a terrarium daily. 

2. You Lose All the AC or Heat

If you dare open the Juliette window on the infinite balcony stateroom, be prepared to lose all the nice cool AC from your room. Yes, that’s right, there is no way to keep the warm Caribbean breeze from penetrating your entire room if you lower the window. Conversely, in Alaska or other cold climates, be prepared to lose all the warmth from your room. While that may be ok for some, this is a pain in the rear end for most folks and something to consider.

3. You Can’t See Anything

Well, that may be a slight over-dramatization, but hear me out. The infinite balcony field of vision is straight out the window. You can no longer look down or side to side beyond the field of vision of the window without lowering the window and hanging out of it. Gone are the days of standing at your railing, talking to neighbors, or opening the balcony dividers to make a larger space when traveling with family/friends. So long as you are okay with just looking straight out the window, then maybe it’s not a big deal for some, but keep this in mind for those who enjoy a broader viewing angle.

Member jesse326 reviewed “Infinite balcony is not really a balcony; its a opening picture window similar to river ships.” during a sailing on Celebrity Edge.

4. No Sounds of the Ocean

If you are like me, sitting on your private balcony listening to the sweet sounds of the waves caressing the ship or calving in the distance is a welcome and soothing sound. With an infinite balcony, you have to lower the big window only to lose all AC or heat from the room (depending on your destination) to hear the sounds of the ocean below. Even if you have the window down, you have to practically hang your head out of the window to hear anything, as the alcove of your infinite balcony is sheltered on both sides with a solid wall. A traditional balcony lets you view the ship from side to side and enjoy the sounds of the ocean lapping against it and the wind coming down its side. 

5. The Window and Shade are LOUD!

Raising/lowering the shade and window is loud for early risers or night owls looking to enjoy the ocean views. There is a button you have to push and hold down to engage the motor for the blinds. Be prepared to wake up others even if you didn’t mean to. After the shade is raised, if you want to lower the window, be prepared for another loud motor to lower the glass pane. Good luck enjoying a quiet sunrise (or sunset) with an Infinite Balcony. On a traditional balcony, you simply slide open the door and tip-toe out. With an Infinite Balcony, you will wake everyone in the cabin and create a wind tunnel if you lower the glass window. Unless everyone has the same sleep schedule, you must get dressed and go up on deck to enjoy a morning sunrise, which defeats the purpose of having a balcony in the first place. 
 

6. No Privacy on Interior Balcony Locations

Suppose you’ve chosen an Infinite Balcony that overlooks an interior part of the ship like on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas. In that case, all the cabins across from you can see directly into your cabin and vice versa. You have to lower your window shade for privacy, so now you might as well be in an interior cabin. With the room shade lowered, there is no view and no daylight. A traditional balcony would at least have given a bit of privacy and drapes that could be partially opened/closed, while the outside balcony space would remain usable. 

Additional Thoughts

Now, I’m going to overshare here but bear with me. My husband loves to sit out on the balcony in his underwear, having a glass of wine while I’m getting ready for dinner. He also likes to do this when we return to the cabin for the evening while I’m getting ready for bed. With the infinite balcony, he can sit in the window like a doggie at a pet store, but gone are the days of having a private enclave of a balcony to seek solace, peace, and quiet. Additionally, if we had an interior Infinite Balcony, all the rooms across from us would be unwilling viewers of this display.

Are there any pros to the infinite balcony stateroom? To be fair, there are a few pros. One is that you have extra living space in your stateroom, which can be nice if you are entertaining or have third or fourth passengers sharing the same room. A little extra space can be valuable, but keep in mind the trades off and think long and hard about what is most important.

Member SheilaGerman said, “We loved the infinite balcony, makes the room seem so much bigger.” from her sailing on Celebrity Edge. 

Another pro to the Infinite Balcony is for older cruisers, and I lump my parents into this category as my Mother “just loves” the stateroom type. Of course, it should be noted that she and my Dad are at the age where they seem to be cold all the time. So, they welcome the terrarium effect in the cabin. My brother and I swear they are part cat, as they seem to love the warmth of direct sunlight. In the words of my Dad, “It warms my bones.” So there you go; depending on your age and sensitivity to heat/cool, the Infinite Balcony may be the perfect choice.

For more traditional balcony lovers, think long and hard about how much you use your balcony. If you plan to enjoy sweeping ocean views, privacy, and anytime use of a traditional balcony, don’t be lured to the Infinite Balcony, as you will likely be very disappointed. 

Recently, a large group of my family and friends sailed on the new Celebrity Ascent. I was cautiously optimistic about choosing the Infinite Balcony under my Mom's peer pressure and advice, so we tried it. While the extra interior space in our cabin was nice, my husband and I (and others in our group) were disappointed in the stateroom for all the above reasons. Further, we mutually agreed that a traditional balcony is our preferred stateroom type, but we were glad we tried the Infinite Balcony for one sailing. But NEVER again! 

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