First time on Royal Caribbean - is suite worth it?

[ribs914]

Hi Everyone,

 

We will be going on the Oasis of the Seas in July 2013 and have never sailed Royal Caribbean before.

 

We are debating between a Royal Family Suite and 2 balconies. Does anyone think the suites are worth it on RCL?

 

We have sailed with other cruise lines and on some we feel suites are worth it, while others not so much.

 

I am concerned with the size of the ship and show and dining reservations.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Renee

[ksuds]

Definitely the Royal Family Suite.

 

There are many suite benefits. Priority check in, concierge, CL lounge with free drinks from 5-8:30, 24 CL lounge that you can get coffee, espresso, tea, etc., continental breakfast, plus much much more.

 

I feel like an commercial.lol

[ARCruisinNana]

Royal Family Suite!! We had one for spring break and it was fantastic. We enjoyed the huge balcony and it was so nice to have a living room with couches and chairs to sit in. It also had a large tv. We also really enjoyed being able to order room service from the full MDR menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner (when the MDR was open), The CL on Oasis is fantastic. P.S. Welcome to Cruise Critic!

[pennys mum]

Hi Everyone,

 

We will be going on the Oasis of the Seas in July 2013 and have never sailed Royal Caribbean before.

 

We are debating between a Royal Family Suite and 2 balconies. Does anyone think the suites are worth it on RCL?

 

We have sailed with other cruise lines and on some we feel suites are worth it, while others not so much.

 

I am concerned with the size of the ship and show and dining reservations.

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

 

Renee

 

concierge will book everything for you, you will never need Guest services.

Seats at all shows reserved for Suite guests, special area at pools reserved. Look at concierge benefits on web site. Some, if you are in RFS ,will give you private tour of ship on arrival

[denamo]

:)

Definitely the Royal Family Suite.

 

There are many suite benefits. Priority check in, concierge, CL lounge with free drinks from 5-8:30, 24 CL lounge that you can get coffee, espresso, tea, etc., continental breakfast, plus much much more.

 

I feel like an commercial.lol

 

This should have read: 24 hour lounge. The Concierge Lounge on the Oasis class ships for suites is a nice perk.

 

We just got off of the Allure yesterday. I'm not sure where the family suites are located on the Oasis class. Thought I would share this from a cruiser we visited with on board.

 

This gentleman and family (wife, kids, grandma) were in a suite on deck 17. His disappointment was that his suite was overlooking the sports deck basketball court. He could only see a glimpse of the ocean from the balcony. He and his wife are smokers, and I got the impression he couldn't smoke there. Not totally clear on that point. Also being able to go out in pajamas of a morning and enjoy the balcony wasn't something he could do. Also mentioned that if he and his wife wanted to enjoy a glass of wine of an evening on the balcony, there was really no privacy due to overlooking the sports deck.

 

His other comment was that it did take some time to get an elevator from deck 17. Since everything else is down from there, I would probably just take the stairs!

 

Hope this information is helpful for picking the location of your suite.

[ARCruisinNana]

RFSs on Oasis class are on decks 9 and 10 and are in a great location. No problems like the Crown Loft suites on deck 17 facing the rear of the ship.

[irishgal432]

We had a suite on the Oasis and with this class of ship with that many people, the suite is worth it!. You have access to the private beach on labedee and a special golf cart to drive you to shops excursions and such and not have to wait for the trolley, as well as an upgraded lunch menu with out a long line. You have a private comfortable departure lounge on the terminal, priority tenders to and from the ship. You go to the head of the line, with MTD, you go directly to the matrie d without having to wait in any lines. I found that the customer service was top notch for suite guests.

 

 

 

The concierge lounge provided coffee /espresso breakfast lunch and dinner that kept you out of the crowds.

 

With that many people on board, the suite was definitely worth the cost and allowed us to truly enjoy our vacation .

[ribs914]

Thanks everyone for your input. I was questioning it becuase the cost was double the cost for 2 balconies.

 

But it sounds like the perks may make the vacation much more pleasant. On NCL we always get a suite and love it. I love someone making my reservations for me and taking care of the little things. And with such a large ship, I think it may just be worth the extra money.

 

Thanks again for all your quick responses.

 

We plan on doing 1 or 2 specialty restuarants. Anyone have any favorites?

[skandls]

150 Park and the Chef's Table are both really good. Both have prefixed menus so make sure you are OK with the selections.

[Familygoboston]

I'm going to weigh in with another opinion. Is it really "worth" twice what two balconies are? If you are wanting a unique experience of a large cabin with a large balcony, if you enjoy having a gold card and your family is easily annoyed at beng lumped in with the masses (suites have reserved show searing, priority boardign etc) then you could say it is " worth" it.

 

But strictly from an economic point of view; will you really drink that extra amount of money in the CL? Will you need the concierge on a cruise where you can easily book everything yourself online? Do you end

up with a substantially different experience than those who have paid fractions of what you paid?

 

I have never been able to answer "yes" to these questions and therefore could never justify the cost of the suites on the mass market cruise lines, even though I've gladly and regularly paid twice what a suite goes for other unique destinations or experiences. I've never seen the value; you are still on the same ship going to the same place with thousands of people.

 

I wish you luck and hope you enjoy your cruise, whatever you decide.

[tchrmom]

I'm going to weigh in with another opinion. Is it really "worth" twice what two balconies are? If you are wanting a unique experience of a large cabin with a large balcony, if you enjoy having a gold card and your family is easily annoyed at beng lumped in with the masses (suites have reserved show searing, priority boardign etc) then you could say it is " worth" it.

 

But strictly from an economic point of view; will you really drink that extra amount of money in the CL? Will you need the concierge on a cruise where you can easily book everything yourself online? Do you end

up with a substantially different experience than those who have paid fractions of what you paid?

 

I have never been able to answer "yes" to these questions and therefore could never justify the cost of the suites on the mass market cruise lines, even though I've gladly and regularly paid twice what a suite goes for other unique destinations or experiences. I've never seen the value; you are still on the same ship going to the same place with thousands of people.

 

I wish you luck and hope you enjoy your cruise, whatever you decide.

 

WELL SAID!!!!!

We are probably one of the few families that books 2 interior rooms......no balcony or window at ALL! (Of course, my children are old enough, 17 & 20 to have a room by themselves) When we consider how little time we spend in our room.......it makes sense for us to get "the cheap seats" and enjoy all the the ship has to offer. when my kids were younger, we would get 2 adjoining rooms. Now, we just get them "close". We just sailed in the summer..........4 people, 2 rooms, 7 days on Oasis, for about $6,000.(that is with our trip insurance, pre-paid tips, and taxes for all 4) If we could take our daughter out of school.......and go say in.......Sept/October............it we be even cheaper. But, we can't do that.....so we have to go at the "premium" time.

Now.................should I WIN a suite............I would NEVER turn it down!

[ribs914]

Thanks for posting.

 

I guess I should have added a few points to my original posting.

 

We are traveling with out 13 year twin girls and my 80 year old mother who has mobility issues.

 

One of the appealing this about a suite is she can order meals in from the MDR. She will not be getting off the ship, so the days we are in port, she can order DVDs to watch and she can eat in the room.

 

Again, I am also not certain it is worth the extra cost. We keep going back and forth.

 

On NCL we have had the Garden Villa which range from 4000 to 6700 in square feet and it is only a few thousand more than the Royal Family Suite. I just feel for the same price we are not getting that much room and wonder about the amenities. On NCL we have a Butler and a Concierge who will do anything you ask. The service is amazing. They also give you 6 bottles of liqour so we never buy drinks, just make them and take them. And you can eat breakfast and lunch in the steakhouse. The food is amazing. And they will send a wheelchair if my mom needs for any help whatsoever. That is a huge piece of mind when I get off the boat and leave her on.

 

My husband and I need to discuss all of this and make a decision before we can't get rooms next to each other.

 

Thank you all for your input. I really appreciate you taking your time and posting. Looking forward to cruising RCL.

[Paulxyz2004]

As someone who doesn´t really like NCL and has bee called an RCI cheerleader before I have to risk being grilled here.:eek:

 

If you have enjoyed the suites on NCL, don´t expect anything like that experience on RCI. There is no butler on RCI ships and while the Concierge will help with lots of stuff it´s no comparison to a butler.

 

There will be no booze in your room and nobody will send a wheelchair to help your Mom. Your Mom can get DVD´s from the Concierge, but I doubt they will be delivered and yes she can order from MDR menu, but it´s just regular room service. There´s no butler serving her.

 

While I enjoy suites on RCI, from what you described as to what you are looking for I think the suite at double the price might not be worth it to you.

[Seatravelers]

Suites are well worth it to us and eveb more so in the Oasis. Gold cards have special perks which just seem to add the icing on the cake, imho

[Debde]

My husband and I need to discuss all of this and make a decision before we can't get rooms next to each other.

 

You've hit the nail on the head with this statement. Suites, and now the RFS seems to work for us. We love the space and do want to be together, re-connecting and sharing the days together. In todays busy, hurry hurry world, vacationing is the time for our family to really sit back, relax and spend quality time together.

It's all about what your vaction is about. Only you truly know the answer to that.

 

sidenote-I have been investigating suites on NCL and seems that Royal does not hold a candle to what they offer. I do want to try them just to get an experienced opinion but right now, what I read-NCL looks like something my family and I will be trying in the near future.:)

[Familygoboston]

I have to agree with Pauly...I got shot down for mentioning this once before, but if I had a nickel for every new RCL cruiser who took a suite and was disappointed about paying such big bucks and getting too little personal service, I could go on a cruise!;)

 

I'm not saying its not worth it, I haven't traveled in a suite, so I can't dismiss what I don't know, maybe opening that door to that suite is just so wonderful that all concerns of what it cost go right out the window! But I can tell you that the cabin is nowhere near the Sq footage you've had on NCL, and again others used to suite cruising and concierge level accommodations on other lines and other resorts complain bitterly here that expectations are not met.

 

One of the reasons my DH and I always have a great time on RCL cruises is that we feel we get such a tremendous value for the money...We come home saying it was great fun, even if its a little rough around the edges food and services-wise...but heck it was cheap;) I hope you are not disappointed.

[AF-1]

Ok, so here goes. In my opinion the suites were worth the extra money. I have stayed in Grand and Owners suites. My wife and I enjoyed the concierge making all our show reservations; taking care of changing shore excursions; when we had a problem getting our formal clothes back from the laundry, our concierge made a call and within ten minutes we had our clothes. Ordering room service; being invited to a lot of events; large balcony, priority seating in theater, ice shows, pool area, and portifinos for breakfast/lunch. The suites have plenty of space and lots of storage; the concierge will take care of everything; and when staff members see your key card; they know exactly who you are and that you have spent a lot for your trip. I can go on; but I defintely beleive they are worth it; I will book another suite next cruise. The concierge lounge on the ship is big and nice; it overlooks the boardwalk

[Beachdude]

I'm not saying its not worth it, I haven't traveled in a suite, .

 

And that's kind of where it goes. Its all about what you are wlling to pay for your vacation investment. I would have laughed at the idea of a suite five years ago, but then we got a good deal on one and I realy really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it enough that I might skip a cruise to save up for the next suite

 

But some folks on here laught at balconies because they just can't imagine paying the extra cost when the whole upper deck is inviting for enjoying the outdoors.

 

My adivce is try a suite at least once if you can afford it. Then you will know.

 

Burt

[ARCruisinNana]

I haven't been on NCL but from the way you describe it, RCI Royal Family Suite can't begin to compare. We had a RFS on Mariner and also had 5 people. There is a master bedroom with a queen/twin beds. The bathroom is ensuite with a tub. The other bedroom is an inside room with twin beds (can be made into a queen but makes it difficult with pullmans down) and 2 pullmans. There is a bath across the hall with a shower. The living room has a sofa bed. You said your mother wouldn't get off the ship at ports and would order room service. Be aware that the MDR is not open for lunch on port days, so there would just be the regular room service menu available on those days. We thought the price was very reasonable for what we got, but it may not be what you want. Have you considered a GS connected to a balcony stateroom?

[Gordo]

We sailed in a Royal Family Suite on the Adventure of the Seas to celebrate Mom's 70th birthday. There were five adults sailing and we were very pleased with our experience.

 

We loved having all the private space to hang out with the family, whether we were in the living space or very large balcony. The suite perks were very nice and mom felt spoiled.

 

Based on what has been shared about NCL, it sounds like this suite experience is not at the same level - but in our opinion still worth it.

 

Have a fabulous vacation.

[NeuroQueen]

I've traveled in all types of rooms on a variety of ships for many years and the money we spent on a GS on the Oasis was definitely worth it and then some!!!

 

We were on the Oasis the year before in a JS with no perks and had a fabulous time, but when three of us would be returning I thought a GS would be the ticket. I was not wrong. Yes, the level of service is not even close to the Haven on NCL, but it was heaven for our group.

 

On a ship this size the little suite perks add up. Your mom can order from a special menu and enjoy it in the suite. She will not be served by a butler but it is the best this ship can do. The concierge lounge was outstanding. The cooked to order breakfast every morning with bloody Mary's or mimosas was so much better than the WJ. No searching for a seat, the food was hot and fresh, and the service, excellent. Also nice and quiet with a great view.

 

The happy hour in the CL was equally wonderful with such great appetizers that we didn't make it to dinner a couple of nights (not due to alcohol, we were stuffed)

 

The concierge could not do enough for us and even put a sticker on our sail and sign card so we could go into shows without a reservation (even tho we had made reservations, but a few times did not work out). The main showroom had reserved seats for gold cards but you still had to go a bit early before they filled up. No, you are not escorted by the concierge like NCL for their shows.

 

The best, for me, was Labadee where I finally secured a cabana for the day. The private beach was calm and beautiful. The cabana attendant was great and we enjoyed the best day of the cruise! The private beach limo took us the Barefoot Beach and you could be taken wherever you needed to go.

 

The next best was the suite sun deck on 17 right above the Solarium. The loungers were plush with a phenomenal view! There is a bar but no pool and one must climb a flight of stairs as there is no elevator.

 

I can see why they upgrade people to the suite life as I am now spoiled for life. I think if there was a ship to do a suite on it would be the Oasis. While the crowds are well controlled with so many venues there are still 6000 people on board and having an escape was priceless.

 

I hope this helped in some way. Sorry to have gotten carried away but it was such a great time and it really did make a difference from the year before! Have a great cruise!

[janetz]

We would not spend the extra money on a suite on the Oais or the Allure. On the Oasis or the Allure I doubt you will spend much time in your suite or whatever cabin you choose. There is just so much to see and do. That may be a consideration in your choice. :)

For the best in suite life, on a mass market line, NCL :D