Junior suite vs Balcony rooms

[ISLABONITA]

:confused: Hi, this is my first post... just joined. Still getting acquainted with the terms and looking through all the ship reviews. I have never cruised before and am looking at doing it right the first time. So by reading your comments looks like the cruise I am looking has 3 days at sea and stops at 3 ports would be best for hubby and me to get an ouside room.

So my question is ..... what is the difference between a Junior Suite and a room with a balcony... sorry if it's an obvious one to most here. Also is there a cruise ship that has both?

thanks for your replies.....

[SharleneinTexas]

here's the link to the staterooms on RCI.......gives you a pic, sq ft dimensions, and diagram of the staterooms for each ship........

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/cabinclass/home.do;jsessionid=0000SyeIsBX7J-9RV0eXTaT8oGw:v29bc4qk

 

I'm sure each cruise line has something like it

 

hope this helps some......:)

[Brucemcdou]

Hi, Islabonita: Welcome to cruising; I'm sure you and your husband will really enjoy your first cruise, particularly if you get a balcony. As Sharlene suggests, you should check out the cabin descriptions and deck plans for the particular ship you're considering. Not only are the terms different between cruise lines, they can be different between different ships of the same line! It may seem confusing, but you'll start to see patterns as you look carefully at the descriptions. And to answer your question, yes, many ships have both balcony cabins and something larger called a Junior suite or Mini suite before you get to the "real" suite categories.

 

You don't say which cruiseline you're considering, but balcony cabins on mainstream cruiselines (Princess, Royal Caribbean, NCL, Carnival, Holland America, Celebrity) can range from 150 square feet plus the balcony to around 200 square feet plus the balcony. The balcony on most cabins will be 40 - 50 square feet - just big enough for two chairs and a cocktail table. Anything called a "junior suite" is going to be larger than the same ship's balcony cabins, but it's not necessarily larger than another cruiseline's or ship's balcony cabins. On most lines they could be from 190 square feet to over 300 square feet. Also, don't presume that something called a "junior suite" or "mini suite" gets the perks that are given to "real" suites. You just have to read the descriptions carefully and make sure you get what's important to you.

 

Whether the extra cost is worth it is something only you can decide. After five years and ten cruises so far, I've found that the nicer the cabin, the more time you want to spend in it. And with three days at sea, as in the cruise you're considering with your husband, it would be nice to have a large, comfortable cabin to retreat to to read and relax.

[ISLABONITA]

;) Looking at Carnival Miracle, Western Caribbean cruise out of Tampa, Feb. 19th or 20th, I forget..

I have looked at deck plans online and in brochures but they don't say as much as your descriptions... thanks again... I will be reading more on it.

[SharleneinTexas]

;) Looking at Carnival Miracle, Western Caribbean cruise out of Tampa, Feb. 19th or 20th, I forget..

I have looked at deck plans online and in brochures but they don't say as much as your descriptions... thanks again... I will be reading more on it.

 

this web site has 360* views of the cabin categories for different ships - just click 'small' to the right of Carnival Miracle to see them

http://smillay.cruisesinc.com/travel/cruises/virtual_tours.jsp?pg=0

 

not sure if you found this on the carnival web site but here are the Miracle staterooms they have listed

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Staterooms/Miracle-Staterooms.aspx

[mamakaiz]

Not sure, but I've read that the suggested tip for a suite is more than the suggested tip for just a balcony stateroom....is this true???

[SharleneinTexas]

Not sure, but I've read that the suggested tip for a suite is more than the suggested tip for just a balcony stateroom....is this true???

 

I've heard different things on here.........I do know that on RCI the recommended tip for suites is higher than other staterooms. Some have said that jr suites do not qualify for some of the perks of other suites and that the tip would be the regular stateroom rate.........have seen others say that they were told it was the higher suite rate..........jr suites seem to be in a category all their own........:)

[Brucemcdou]

Hi - If your suite includes butler services (on Celebrity or NCL, for instance) the total recommended tips may be higher because there's one more person serving you. Also, you're probably going to want to tip each person more than the minimum recommended amount, since, at least in our experience, the higher the category of cabin the more experienced and polished the staff serving you.

[Joslynn]

We recently traveled on the Norwegian Sun and had a minisuite for the first time. The cabin was about 340 sq ft...most of that extra sq footage being in the bathroom. The remainder of the cabin was like most others with a small sitting area and bed ...but the sitting area had enough room for a "real" sofa and chair. Four of us were comfortable hanging out in the cabin for drinks. As for the tipping...it was no different than the rest of the cabins. Another perk was the free bottle of champagne apon embarking and the fresh fruit left daily. No difference to the balcony 45sq ft or so. The bathroom was beautifully decorated with granite and a very large tub and overall was larger than either bathroom in my home.