TheInnocentAge Posted January 30, 2015 #1 Share Posted January 30, 2015 (edited) This is intended as an informational heads-up for those that may be considering booking one of these new cabins. If you’re not, just an FYI, you may be bored with the rest of this post… These cabins, which were added as part of the refit of the Oasis, have been discussed to varying degrees in a few other threads since they debuted in November. A thank you to those who have posted! The reviews of these new cabins have been mixed, at best. The main purpose of this post is not to review or rehash those threads again, but rather to offer a “buyer beware” for those that are thinking of booking them based primarily on the advertised (but mostly inaccurate) square footage, especially that of the balconies. The cabin and balcony sizes of these six Grand Suites vary greatly depending on what you read and where you read it. And I’m not talking about the conflicting views in some of the CC posts, I’m referring to the actual cabin statistics posted on Royal Caribbean’s website. I know, conflicting info from the cruise line is nothing new. I just thought I’d call this out to help keep people from booking what they expect to be a giant balcony, only to realize on the day of the cruise that even a small chair will barely fit on it. When you’re doing a mock booking for the Oasis and you get to the part where you select “Show Options”, you see a description of each of the available suite types. For Grand Suite you see this: Grand Suite with Balcony. Two twin beds that convert to a Royal King. Private bathroom with tub and two sinks, marble entry, large closet, sitting area with table and sofa. (371 sq. ft., balcony 114 sq. ft.). Suites: 11330, 11730, 12330, 14330, and 14730 are 466 sq. ft, balcony 470 sq. ft. That last part is inaccurate. Even if you go to the deck plan pages for Oasis, decks 11, 12, and 14, and look for Grand Suite with Balcony, you see the same thing. Same measurements, same inaccuracies. To get the actual square footages, which vary quite a bit from deck 11 to deck 12 to deck 14, you have to be on the specific Deck Plan page, then click on the link titled “Printable version of this deck”. Only then do you get the specific measurements of the “Newly enhanced” cabins, as they refer to them. Here is what you’ll see for deck 14: Grand Suite with Balcony. Traditional Grand Suites feature a bedroom with two twin beds that convert to Royal King, living area with double sofa bed and lounge seating and a private bathroom with tub and two sinks. (371 sq. ft., balcony 114 sq. ft.). Newly enhanced Grand Suites (14330 and 14730) have one bathroom sink, additional square footage in both stateroom and balcony and balcony lounge seating. (421 sq. ft., balcony 136 sq. ft.). Not a big difference in cabin size from the other specs listed earlier, but the balcony is three or four times smaller here than what they’re telling you on the other pages. Here is what you’ll see for deck 12 if you click the “Printable version of this deck” link: Grand Suite with Balcony. Traditional Grand Suites feature a bedroom with two twin beds that convert to Royal King, living area with double sofa bed and lounge seating and a private bathroom with tub and two sinks. (371 sq. ft., balcony 114 sq. ft.). Newly enhanced Grand Suites (12330 and 12730) have one bathroom sink, additional square footage in both stateroom and balcony and balcony lounge seating (433 sq. ft., balcony 362 sq. ft.). So size-wise, deck 12 is better than deck 14, but still not what they tell you in other parts of their site, including the booking phase. The new Deck 11 GS’s seem to match up to their advertised size, so no issues there. Like the AquaTheater Suites on decks 8-10, the new suites and balconies get smaller the higher up you go. All have the great views of the AquaTheater shows, wake, etc., but grab 11330 or 11730 if size really matters. Looking back at this post, I see it may be detail-overkill, but maybe someone will find it useful. Happy cruising! Edited January 30, 2015 by TheInnocentAge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Shippy Posted January 30, 2015 #2 Share Posted January 30, 2015 ...or for that matter, other info...as accurate as the information as you get on cruisecritic from the members who have actually sailed in those cabins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSuitesailing Posted January 31, 2015 #3 Share Posted January 31, 2015 I think it's great that you posted such a detailed description and comparison of the normal GS & the new aft GS. As a person who has one of the new aft GS booked, I enjoyed reading and getting more clarification of the cabin. I think this information is especially good for new or infrequent cruisers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheInnocentAge Posted February 5, 2015 Author #4 Share Posted February 5, 2015 When you’re doing a mock booking for the Oasis and you get to the part where you select “Show Options”, you see a description of each of the available suite types. For Grand Suite you see this:[/font][/color] Grand Suite with Balcony. Two twin beds that convert to a Royal King. Private bathroom with tub and two sinks, marble entry, large closet, sitting area with table and sofa. (371 sq. ft., balcony 114 sq. ft.). Suites: 11330, 11730, 12330, 14330, and 14730 are 466 sq. ft, balcony 470 sq. ft. Just wanted to note here that those deck plans I referenced earlier have been updated. In the week or so since I first posted this, Royal has corrected their web pages to show the correct size / area of the new suites. It should now be less confusing online to be able to see the differences between these newly added suites and the older GS's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charger2008 Posted February 5, 2015 #5 Share Posted February 5, 2015 I am glad we snagged 11330 for next February :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyariadne Posted February 8, 2015 #6 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I know that there was someone who posts on CC who was in one of the Deck 11 aft GSs who sailed last week and promised pictures. Come out come out wherever you are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSuitesailing Posted February 8, 2015 #7 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I know that there was someone who posts on CC who was in one of the Deck 11 aft GSs who sailed last week and promised pictures. Come out come out wherever you are. I have been waiting for their photos and a possible video too! Fingers crossed they will post soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danno1026 Posted February 8, 2015 #8 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I just got off of the Oasis yesterday and was in 11730. I am catching up on laundry, bills, tax stuff, getting prepped to go back to work tomorrow, etc., but will try to post some pics today on this thread! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSuitesailing Posted February 8, 2015 #9 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I just got off of the Oasis yesterday and was in 11730. I am catching up on laundry, bills, tax stuff, getting prepped to go back to work tomorrow, etc., but will try to post some pics today on this thread! Thank you for offering to try and post some pics with all you have to do after your trip. When you can, would you share your thoughts on the cabin? Did you like it? Hope you had a great cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suzyluvs2cruise Posted February 8, 2015 #10 Share Posted February 8, 2015 (edited) I just got off of the Oasis yesterday and was in 11730. I am catching up on laundry, bills, tax stuff, getting prepped to go back to work tomorrow, etc., but will try to post some pics today on this thread! Looking forward to seeing the pics and hearing your impressions of the cabin and the Suite perks on Oasis. Edited February 8, 2015 by suzyluvs2cruise Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Lionesss Posted February 8, 2015 #11 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I just got off of the Oasis yesterday and was in 11730. I am catching up on laundry, bills, tax stuff, getting prepped to go back to work tomorrow, etc., but will try to post some pics today on this thread! Okay, you need to take a break. Post some pics :D Thanks Safe travels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torpeedo Posted February 8, 2015 #12 Share Posted February 8, 2015 I just got off of the Oasis yesterday and was in 11730. I am catching up on laundry, bills, tax stuff, getting prepped to go back to work tomorrow, etc., but will try to post some pics today on this thread! Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daljettjockie Posted February 8, 2015 #13 Share Posted February 8, 2015 We have 11730 booked in the fall. Looking forward to seeing the pictures. Would you book the cabin again now that you have stayed in it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ladyariadne Posted February 9, 2015 #14 Share Posted February 9, 2015 I just got off of the Oasis yesterday and was in 11730. I am catching up on laundry, bills, tax stuff, getting prepped to go back to work tomorrow, etc., but will try to post some pics today on this thread! Thanks. I will wait patiently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danno1026 Posted February 9, 2015 #15 Share Posted February 9, 2015 My wife and I cruised on the Oasis of the Seas, 01/31/15 – 02/07/15, Western Caribbean. We were in Stateroom 11730, a Grand Suite. I wanted to post some information and pictures on this thread since there is good information about these new Oasis aft suites on this thread. The room is different than your typical Grand Suite. It has two separate rooms, with the bathroom off of the bedroom. There was plenty of closet space. The room smelled great, brand new. I loved the colors and décor. There is a door to the balcony off of the bedroom and the living room, and a separate window viewing the aqua theater area. There are flat screen TVs in both rooms. The room was quiet. Our Stateroom Attendant, Komang, was fantastic. The beds will separate in this suite. They would be close together because the nightstands are permanent, but they will separate. I don’t know if this is true for the 12th and 14th deck suite, though. The couch in the living room will fold out into another bed. We never had it out but I don’t see a problem with space in this suite. The bathroom was very nice and elegant, but not as big as a regular Grand Suite. It had a tub with a shower and one sink. Not a problem as I spend minimal time in the bathroom. They had to raise the bathroom and tub I think to run the plumbing out of there properly so the ceiling was low. I am almost 6’ and didn’t have a problem showering. I think for a person over 6’2” it could be uncomfortable. The balcony was incredible! You get a 270-degree view, and a great view of the aqua theater area. We watched the aqua show, belly flop, practices, aqua comedy show, rock climbing, and the Super Bowl from the balcony. The balcony is huge and wraps all around the suite. We in fact probably didn’t use 20’ of it on one side and 30’ on the other the whole time. For furniture there were 2 chairs and a table, 2 lounge chairs with cushions, and 2 chairs for aqua theater viewing. We had two days at sea where we had virtual headwinds of about 50 knots so the upper deck and concierge / suite decks were closed the whole day. We were able to use our balcony on those days as it was out of the wind and in the sun, cranked some tunes on the ipod speaker, and had some cocktails. I have seen posts about soot on the aft balconies. I did not notice that, but we did get a lot of salt spray on the extremely windy days, but this is true of all balconies and the entire ship. The balconies and windows were cleaned adequately during the cruise. There is more than adequate room for 2 people in this suite. I think it would be great for a family of 4 with young kids (pre teens). We were in an Owner’s Suite on Liberty with our daughter and Grand Suite on Navigator with our son within the last year. They are recent drinking age eligible and like to hit the clubs and go to sleep later than us, so that could have been a problem in this suite with the bathroom off of the bedroom versus right inside of the entrance. The privacy of the suite is great, but we were on deck 17 a lot with the concierge lounge and the Coastal Kitchen being there. The ship is big and you need to plan before you venture out or you end up making trips back. I am new to cruisecritic.com so will try to successfully post this and some pics. Please feel free to contact me with any questions about this itinerary, embarkation, debarkation, etc. Bon Voyage - - - Danno1026 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyalFan2011 Posted February 9, 2015 #16 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Thanks for the information. We have this room booked for January 2016. Sent from my iPad using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Promisekeeper Posted February 9, 2015 #17 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Great description of this new stateroom and thanks for the pictures. We have it booked for August and December and I think it is going to be my favorite cabin. We spent many an hour on the "secret balcony" on deck 11 before they turned it into a Grand/Aqua Suite. I hope they will do the same on Allure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dcbiker97 Posted February 9, 2015 #18 Share Posted February 9, 2015 (edited) Thank you for the pictures and description. We will be in that room in a few weeks and was wondering about the noise inside the cabin. You indicated that it was quiet but was that also during the shows? How late do that have events at the Aqua Theater? Edited February 9, 2015 by dcbiker97 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danno1026 Posted February 9, 2015 #19 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Most of the Aqua Theater events were during the day, and were not that loud. The rock walls are open during the day off and on, too. They did have a few movies at night but it was early evening, and not many people attended. The Super Bowl night was of course loud until the game was over. I did not notice noise at night from down there. It is neat because they leave the two big screens on at all times and will show sunset scenes on them and the moon, etc., whatever is appropriate for that time of day. During the day they show trivia questions a lot of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSuitesailing Posted February 9, 2015 #20 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Thank you Danno1026 for your description, photos and information on this new aft GS. It looks great. Glad you seemed to enjoy it so much. I appreciate that you took the time to share everything with so many of us anxious people that were waiting for any bit of news on these new aft cabins! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rclibertygirl5 Posted February 9, 2015 #21 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Thank you for the information and pictures of this new grand suite!! It sounds like you really enjoyed it. Did you happen to take a video? Do you have any additional pictures of the balcony with the loungers and table? Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daljettjockie Posted February 9, 2015 #22 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Thanks for the photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfganghowell Posted February 9, 2015 #23 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Great to have info. Like many here, we jumped on 12330 when it became available. I based it on the additional square footage, both inside and out. Once reviews and pictures came out, I realized quickly it was a mistake for US. Mr Wolf is 6'5 and apparently the bathroom ceiling in these suites is noticeably lower. So tall people - beware. We also didn't like that the layout was 2 rooms instead of 1. I was willing to give up a sink but those 2 other issues were going to be a problem. Happily, a regular GS became available and we switched back. We are happy and I'm sure the folks who snagged our "old" suite within 24 hours will be happy too. I do feel that Royal should make some notation on their website how different the floorplan really is for these rooms and note the lower ceiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
critterchick Posted February 9, 2015 #24 Share Posted February 9, 2015 Danno, thanks for your pictures. Did you find that there was any shade on the balcony? The photo of the side looks like full sun (or rain) all the time, but did the area overlooking the Aquatheater have any shade? And did you have the suite furniture out there (upgraded chairs & loungers plus a dining height table)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GSuitesailing Posted February 10, 2015 #25 Share Posted February 10, 2015 And did you have the suite furniture out there (upgraded chairs & loungers plus a dining height table)? I wanted to know the same thing about the outside furniture. From the photos, we could see what looked like a regular pool deck dining height table & pool deck chairs. Definitely not what is normally in the GS & up. They have been sailing like this for 2.5 months now. They may never upgrade with the expected outdoor suite furniture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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