Epic min suite or balcony???

[Larrydano]

Sharon and I are close to booking our 22nd cruise. We are looking at the Norwegian Epic and would like some input in regards to mini suite/balcony stateroom selection. It appears that MA and MC staterooms have the bed near the balcony and the MB and MD's have the bed next to the sink and cabin entry door. What experiences have you had with these minisuites or should we book a regular balcony stateroom. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

[Pokeraddict]

Best bet for moving around is to have bed located near balcony door.

 

As for balcony or mini personally I wouldn't waste the money on a mini because there are no perks.

[jdvmd]

I really liked our mini on the Epic. I like having a bathtub.

[mafig]

How much bigger is the cabin in the mini? (assuming it is bigger).

 

What about the balcony?

 

:)

[Liztoybiz]

Larry, I just got off the Epic and we had a spa mini-suite. I visited some of the balcony rooms and to be completely honest, you couldn't tell much difference. My daughter did like having the curtain as she is extremely modest. We would book this again in a heartbeat because we used the spa facilities daily but I don't know if it would be worth it.

BTW, our beds were near the bathroom and we did NOT have a tub. I was surprised, thought all the spa minis had a tub. Not an issue, just surprised...

 

She is great, lovely crew and great fun!

 

Happy cruising,

Liz

[housepeepers]

we liked the bed near the balcony door in the "regular" balcony. great ship, great staff, great fun! enjoy :)

[sdmike]

The mini-suites are about 6-8 feet longer than a balcony cabin, and some have a tub in addition to the giant shower. Same width. Same sized balcony. See if you can get a room with the bed by the balcony just because the room looks bigger and you have easier access into the room

[AnitaVacation]

I booked a balcony on EPIC for December....as I was researching the cabins, I noticed that the mini's were only about 30sf more than the regular balcony....so, if the cabins are approx 10' wide, that's only about 3'....and that extra space seems to be taken up by the larger shower/tub....so, I just booked a large balcony....

 

I did book a cabin with the bed closer to the bathroom....this is how the mini suite on the Jewel is set up which gave us more of a living space near the balcony, which we really liked....I hope I didnt make a mistake....

 

This bathroom layout looks really funky.....your entry way is actually part of your bathroom? Weird...... and having the sink right in your room?? Really Weird.....this is okay for a cruise with the hubby....not sure if I would welcome this layout for our annual girls cruise......just seems inconvenient....

[willysgrandma]

Book the mini-suite - the regular balcony rooms are awfully small. And get the bed near the balcony, not near the bathroom. You will feel the toilet flush in the middle of the night if one of you goes, and the water from the sink can actually splash on the bed.

 

You can't compare the bathrooms on the EPic to anything else you've been on. Whoever designed those bathrooms should be out of a job - they are the most awful bathrooms ever. No privacy AT ALL.

[Riverdome]

I would opt for a large balcony class B6. The room I just booked (11075) has a 97sq ft balcony, I was happy to take that over the more expensive mini-suite class. For us the actual cabin size isn't important, it's just a place to sleep. But a nice sized balcony with room for two lounge chairs will be a very nice perk.

[sdmike]

 

You can't compare the bathrooms on the EPic to anything else you've been on. Whoever designed those bathrooms should be out of a job - they are the most awful bathrooms ever. No privacy AT ALL.

 

Yep, that toilet is right out there in the middle of the room, and the shower is on the balcony in full view of everyone. No privacy at all. :rolleyes:

 

Our group of 11 actually liked the bathrooms. We thought it was a very efficient design and not bothered by the frosted glass doors in the least.

[AnitaVacation]

I would opt for a large balcony class B6. The room I just booked (11075) has a 97sq ft balcony, I was happy to take that over the more expensive mini-suite class. For us the actual cabin size isn't important, it's just a place to sleep. But a nice sized balcony with room for two lounge chairs will be a very nice perk.

 

This is what I booked, but ours is on deck 10....I'll take the extra footage on the balcony over the room....;)

[sdmike]

AnitaVacation -

I had not seen the square footage of the mini before. you're right. At 8 - 10 feet wide, that would only give you 3-4 feet of extra length. Not really worth hundreds, in my opinion.

[wjwolf]

I would opt for a large balcony class B6. The room I just booked (11075) has a 97sq ft balcony, I was happy to take that over the more expensive mini-suite class. For us the actual cabin size isn't important, it's just a place to sleep. But a nice sized balcony with room for two lounge chairs will be a very nice perk.

Hi Riverdome, We just booked that room on the Epic - 11075 for an Oct. 2012 cruise

If you have a chance, I would like to know what you thought:

Good location? Is it a good location, or is it really noisy because it's near the stairs and elevator?

Balcony bigger than most?

Is the bed closer to the balcony (seems like it on the map, but want to make sure).

Please email me at wendyjwolf@yahoo.com. Thanks!!!!! Hope you had a great time. :)

[HokiePoq]

Larry, I just got off the Epic and we had a spa mini-suite. I visited some of the balcony rooms and to be completely honest, you couldn't tell much difference. My daughter did like having the curtain as she is extremely modest. We would book this again in a heartbeat because we used the spa facilities daily but I don't know if it would be worth it.

BTW, our beds were near the bathroom and we did NOT have a tub. I was surprised, thought all the spa minis had a tub. Not an issue, just surprised...

 

She is great, lovely crew and great fun!

 

Happy cruising,

Liz

 

 

I didn't know they linked minisuites to the spa on the Epic. They did a cabin crawl for us on last year's crusie and the spa suites had separate whirlpool tubs in addition to the shower. Sounds like they are linking additional rooms to the spa package. I loved the spa and would book it again...would consider the minisuite that comes with the spa. Balcony rooms are very narrow...don't know the difference in width from the minis but that would be something to consider.

Had a minisuite on the Jade and liked that, just a bit more $$ on the cruise we took last December but no spa privilege with that one.

[alrobs]

How was the room 11075? Was the balcony still pretty private?

[Kylie]

We have a mini-suite booked on deck 10 - how do we know where the bed will be?

[wheatengirl]

Where Did you find the information for the balcony size in cabin 11075? We have 11096 booked and although I know it has a bigger balcony, I would like to find the actual square footage. Thanks to anyone who can help!

[wjwolf]

I was in 11075 last year, great location and great layout. I highly recommend that room. Balcony is definitely larger and the location is out of traffic so it's very quiet. Close to stairs but no one walks by unless they have a room down that hall.

[wjwolf]

Yes, balcony is private and the location is great. I highly recommend room 11075.