CaribSailor

Agreed!:D

What about cologne and perfume? You should do your research on those if you think ecigs are harmful. TONS of toxins and harmful chemicals. Like you don't want to smell ecigs? I don't want to smell the cologne or perfume you decided to bathe in. I would rather be around someone with an ecig then someone who showered themselves in "fragrance" 😷 any day of the week. And no, I don't smoke or use ecigs.

To the OP - on our last 4 cruises people were using them on balconies and in smoking areas. Saw one person using one in the comedy club

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Americanbear, thanks for the price comparison. I tend to agree with Debde, espically when it comes to a ship class comparison. We have only sailed the Oasis class as of late mainly in the sky loft suite but have been in an owners suite, crown loft suite, royal and royal loft suite.

 

 

 

Suite perks from what I read on NCL with the Haven kick butt, even compared to deck 17 on the Oasis class of ship. Now that RC have taken away the free drinks from 12-11pm in the suite lounge they have stepped backwards in suite perks after 6 weeks of offering it. Yes, RC gives double points to which they charge a sufficient premium.

 

 

 

In 7.5 weeks I will be Diamond Plus, and at 43 even at our suite sailing rate, I won't become Pinnacle for 15 years. RC has been changing plans so who knows if it will still exsist, or will I need a million points. ;)

 

 

 

So, yes I have been loyal to Royal, but we have also been loyal to ourselves. We book the class of ship and room that we love. We have 7 sailings booked until March of next year and will enjoy them. However, when booking going forward we will choose iteneraries and suite perks over line loyalty. If that ship has a Flowrider then they have a slight bell curve. ;)

 

 

 

We discovered Royal when we branched out from Princess, so who knows what we will find if we branch out again. We have enjoyed every cruise point we earned, but it never hurts to look at the options. After reading about a great experience that a CC friend had on NCL it makes me think that is the next line to try.

I agree with you on this. We are early 40s and late 30s and will be diamond+ in 6 more cruises. Honestly I can care less about any loyalty program benefits. We cruise in suites for the perks that we receive today, not 5,10 or 20 cruises from now. We started with Princess as well. At this point we have a few cruises booked over the next year with RC and am only loyal for the kids program/flowrider. I am only loyal to a brand as they are to me and my $$$. It's all about value for us and we are more than willing to pay for the experience. We are very interested in NCL at this point and will give it a shot even though it will most likely be the bland eastern route.

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The worst seas we have ever had were in November, December and February. On enchantment we had 12-14' and on Oasis we had 14-16'. We prefer to cruise in the summer months. Have missed a few ports but never had an entire cruise cancelled.

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When disembarking Oasis, are there luggage carts (such as those at an airport) or other way to get assistance getting luggage to my car which will be at the cruise port lot? My husband needs to get a taxi to the airport as soon as we disembark so I will have the majority of the luggage to get to the car. Even though it's all wheeled, it will be hard to manage it alone. Advice, please.

Not that I have ever seen.

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Cabin 14730 just became available for our cruise. We are currently booked in a regular GS. 3 People.

 

 

 

Do you think it's even worth considering a switch?

 

 

 

Did I read that the shower is too small for a 6'2" person?

 

 

 

How big are the balconies in 14730? Smaller than those of a regular GS? I'm having a hard time telling from the photos. What kind of furniture on the balconies? Does the coach have to be turned in order to be pulled out or is that just the 11th floor rooms?

 

 

 

Sorry for all the questions. I've never sailed in a suite, so have no background info!!

The suites on 14 are the smallest. As I mentioned in your other post if I were a party of 3 I would only consider the suites on 11. Yes the couch on 14 needs to be turned to be opened. The balcony facing the AQ is virtually non existent and overall MUCH smaller than a regular GS. I am just over 6' and had to bend over or sit down to use the shower in the suites on deck 11. Put it this way... If we could have switched to a regular GS during the cruise I would have been willing to pay to do so. If you have a regular GS I would keep it.

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Would you switch to it?

 

 

 

We currently have GS 8524 booked on the Oasis, but 14730 just became available. There will be 3 of us in the cabin. For those of you have stayed in any of the new GS's, would you switch or stick with a regular GS? I haven't been following any threads about the new suites, so am totally unfamiliar with what's been going on with these cabins.

 

 

 

Any opinions/advice/pictures/videos are welcome! Thanks in advance!

I would not switch, you will be disappointed. We had 11330 on 11/29. You can not fit 3 comfortably in the suites on 12 and 14, 11 would be tight.

Good: Innovative ships (sometimes a little too innovative)

Bad: Internal communication and IT services

I get it when an organization prioritizes (ships) but RC has dropped the ball big time (IT, communications). I recently heard less than 5% of booking occur online so that might explain why RC might have possibly stopped investing in IT (web dev) as it largely acts as a marketing site.

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We love to cruise but I agree with most of posts here. We usually cruise 2-3 times a year and are now considering more land based vacations. We will still cruise but the value isn't what it was. Maybe 1 a year or every other. There are great deals around for many resorts in the Caribbean and flights are reasonable.

Just got the Ritz in St. Thomas in an ocean suite for 1.5k less than our last 7 day cruise including flights for 10 days. So I have to pay for food?? Not a big deal.

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Take a look at this image and what it says. This is the room plaque from 12330, clearly it says "Aqua Suite". We were in 11330 on 11/29 and I can tell you for sure these are not GS. They are shown online as a GS for pricing purposes only. They are in fact Aqua Suites.

 

 

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If you think these cabins are anything like a traditional GS you are only fooling yourself.

Sorry forgot the image.

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Not really!

 

 

 

The rooms get smaller each time you go up a deck. They are rooms above the ATS.

Take a look at this image and what it says. This is the room plaque from 12330, clearly it says "Aqua Suite". We were in 11330 on 11/29 and I can tell you for sure these are not GS. They are shown online as a GS for pricing purposes only. They are in fact Aqua Suites.

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Coastal Kitchen is fantastic

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Granted, we have a LONG time before we sail in February 2016; however, it would be nice to see pictures of 11330 if anyone has them :)

 

Enjoyed the pictures and video from the deck 14 GS but, as others have pointed out, the room and balcony are smaller.

 

Thanks in advance. :D

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Your review, pictures and video have been very helpful Topcruiser16! I think I am going to have to release this room. I had high hopes for it but my wife and I really use and enjoy our room when we cruise and this one just seems to be too tight. The thought of us having to sit on the couch when we are relaxing in the room rather than having chairs is just not going to work for us. I was really wanting to enjoy the views that this room has to offer. The view from the windows in the bedroom looks amazing but just wouldn't get to enjoy it that much with no seating there either. I think RCCL has done all they can do with these rooms because of the odd shape of the space. I agree that they should probably label them Aqua Suites rather than Grand Suites just because they look more like the Aqua Suites. Oh well...Oasis is a marvel and I so looking forward to cruising with her again in August!

They actually are Aqua Suites. They are priced as a GS but on the ship are classified as aqua suites.

I do not doubt you since you have been there and I have not but can you tell me why they can not? Not enough room in the cabin? Or with the layout of the room and the bed? The nightstands do not move? Just curious more than anything, since SIL & I will be sharing a bed or one of us will be on the couch. LOL :p

There are two reasons.

1. The night stands are attached to the wall.

2. The bed frame is a solid queen.

Although I have not been in the room it was confirmed to me by someone who had traveled in 11300 that the beds in there can not be separated. I would assume that means that all of the aft GS cabins are the same.

Yes, I can confirm the beds can not be separated.

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Possible, but that would be different than all other Concierge and Diamond lounges.

I can't imagine it not being open. Being that we had the opportunity on 11/29 to experience the suite lounge and coastal kitchen, the two play hand in hand. It is simply too busy for the servers to order from some other bar.

You will enjoy both.

We have been looking everywhere for you "topcruiser16"!!!:)

 

 

 

Can you email them? I will give you my email address if that is better.

 

 

 

I have some questions though.

 

 

 

1. Can you access bathroom from only bedroom or both bedroom and living room?

 

2. Are the floor to ceiling windows on the edge of the ship located in the bedroom or living room?

 

3. Is the balcony that overlooks the ocean (not aqua theater) accessed from the bedroom or living room?

 

4. Are there chairs in the living room or only a sofa?

I can answer these as we walked through the suites on 14.

1. You can ONLY access the bathroom from the bedroom, this goes for all the new suites

2. The windows you are inquiring about are in the bedroom

3. This balcony is accessed from the bedroom

4. There is only a small pullout couch, 2 small foot rests that can be used at seating

If you have more than 2 people staying in any of these suites I would first recommend the suites on 11. If you are dying to book any of these rooms and and 11 is sold out and if 12 is still available I would choose that second but mind you it will be tight. The view are not all that different as on 14 you are only about 15+' above the suites on 11. The other point I will ad is you CAN'T fit any sort of lounger on the balcony for the suites on 14.

Hello Caribsailor...IF, someone takes 5-10 cruises that you mentioned and gets a suite all those times, I agree with you 100%. However, we both know that there are some people that will cruise once or twice as a trip of a lifetime, and, those are the people I'm talking about.

 

 

 

A person that cruises once or twice and gets a suite, then acts like the king of the hill, to me anyway, has no business acting that way, or, thinking they deserve higher treatment, because they are not spending a fraction of what a 25 cruise person has spent.

Point well taken. Unfortunately those individuals you speak of most likely act like that everyday of their lives.

That's insulting for him/her to say that to anyone.

We'll there were some interesting characters in the lounge every day who were extremely demanding, chair hogging and making loud comments about others in the lounge and staff. Clearly the concierge said it out of frustration. One lady kept going up to them to "make sure" everyone who was in there belonged. I saw her husband take a tall glass and fill it with booze each night while the servers were busy or not around, giggle and say to all they were sitting with "I'm not paying for a single drink on this cruise" and "you should see the bar I have collected in my cabin". Some people are just lame. The funny thing about all this is the exact people who are complaining about the changes and their CA status, you would think that they were discussing their grand children. We ALL buy our way into the lounge, Some quicker than others.

Hello Everyone...I haven't had the time to read every single post, so, my comments may have already been mentioned.

 

We are currently Diamond status, and have two cruises planned this coming April. After the first April cruise, we will become Diamond+ members.

 

We've been cruising since 1997, and feel very fortunate to be able to cruise. When in the Diamond Lounge on some ships, and, in previous years, in the Concierge Lounge, we've always kept a low profile, met some great people, and went about our business.

 

I guess I would like other thoughts on the following too:

 

We have seen Diamond, Diamond+ and Suite guests, very polite and respectful, and some, very rude with an attitude that the world owes them a favor.

 

For a Suite person that has access to the Concierge lounge, BUT, acts rude, and, doesn't respect a Diamond or Diamond+ member, is that the right attitude? I've always had this question: If a person pays for a Suite, and, cruises often, again, in a Suite, I suppose they might get get out of character on occasion. HOWEVER, if that same person is just an occasional cruiser, or even less than that, should they feel any superiority over a Diamond or Diamond+ member? Why? Because the Diamond or Diamond+ member had to invest a lot more money total on their cruises to get the privilege to be Diamond or Diamond+.

 

So, even if a couple booked an inside cabin for a 7-day cruise at $1000, total, and gets 7-points for the cruise, they would have to invest $25,000 or, do 25 cruises. If a person gets a suite, and they are only going to cruise once or twice, they won't have to invest nearly as much as the Diamond/Diamond+ couple had to do to just get into the Concierge Lounge. So, I think that's why some Diamond/Diamond+ members get upset, when a suite person gets Concierge access.

 

Anyway, as someone else mentioned, the voucher system seems like a nice alternative to being cooped up in the C-Lounge when it is full of people.

 

Thanks for everyone's time.

Dave

What took you 25 cruises to achieve only takes a suite guest 5-10. And when you pay 5-15k for a suite once or twice a year vs 1k for 1 or 2 cruises a year I think it is easy to assume which buyer is more attractive to RC. At the end of the day RC wants their money sooner than later. Also on our last cruise the concierge mentioned how Diamond/+ members tend not to tip. We travel in suites because that is the cabin and experience that suits us best. We are respectful and polite in the CL but most definitely have experienced some interesting upper CL members. However I will say that all of the pinnacle members we have met over the years have been welcoming and extremely polite.

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Indeed, the suite life is great. One of the reasons we decided to try was because we managed to snag a suite at what we thought to be a very attractive rate.

 

 

 

Now that we tried NCL suite life, I don't know if I am willing to try NCL non-suite. LoL.

That is how it was for us.. We cruise 2-3 times a year and had our first suite 12 years ago, would be very hard to go back to anything less. Have been on Royal, Princess, Carnival, Regent and Crystal.

Now with a 3 year old Royal is a decent fit but am really interested in NCL.

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Nice! We have been considering NCL as well. We have a number of friends who have moved over to NCL and love it. Have heard fantastic reports of the suite life on NCL.

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I read those reviews and pictures you posted which you had different opinions of the room. That's why I am asking again.

Yes we had issues when we first boarded and the room was not finished. The cabin is great for 2 people. Storage lacks and there is not a bar area. The balcony is huge, probably too big but all the same it was nice to have aft views, side views and Aqua theatre views. The bathroom is tiny with 1 sink minimal storage. The ceilings are low in the cabin and bathroom. I am just over 6' and my head hit the ceiling while in the shower and had to duck to enter the bathroom in its self. The cabin is 2 separate rooms, living area and bedroom. The bathroom is located in the bedroom. The cabin decor was ok but expecting it to be like a traditional GS we were disappointed as we booked the room as a GS only to find out it is a Aqua suite.

Overall it is not a bad room, great views from the balcony and as I mentioned the cabin is perfect for 2 people. We had 3 (me, wife and 3 yr old son) in it and it was tight. Hopefully they are fully furnished and have the appropriate balcony furniture by now. We would not book this room again as I have said as it just was not a good fit for us. We will stick with OS or GS in the future. The best part about being in a suite on oasis is coastal kitchen and the suite lounge.

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Any info on Grand Suite 11730 ?

 

Seen some contradictory reviews on other aft suites on the Oasis but looking for this suite.

It is identical to 11330 which there are posts on. We had 11330 2 weeks ago. I can answer any questions you may have.

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They allowed this on a very limited basis on my November 15th cruise, but I think that's because they had just opened and weren't busy. I think as more people discover how good the restaurant and start switching reservations from the MDR to CK they'll stop allowing it.

 

 

 

I know RCI isn't known for their consistency, but I really don't see how they can allow extra passengers to eat in Coastal Kitchen. The restaurant just isn't big enough to accommodate all the suites & Pinnacles plus their travelling companions. If they make exceptions they'll have a mess on their hands.

On our sailing (11/29-12/6) there were 2 separate instances where a suite guest and pinnacle member tried to bring guests to coastal kitchen and were turned down. Once for breakfast and once for dinner. The hostess and Rami said this will not be allowed and there are no exceptions. Simply if you let one party do it you have to let everyone.

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