Is a suite necessary or just a sweettreat?

[efoote01]

I am about to book on the Gem out of NY for Spring Break so super crowded 9 day to the Caribbean.

 

I was wondering if a suite was a must or just something that would be really nice to have.

 

Some background on our needs...we are 2 adults & 1 child 9 yo old.

 

I need a balcony, queen size, & a pull out sofa.

 

Sit down breakfast & lunch are not necessary b/c my daughter is much too busy trying to get to the kids club or pool to tolerate either. She will & does love to sit down to the traditional cruise dinner (I think we have had really great waiters).

 

Shows are fun for her only if they are kid appropriate...no show tunes or stroll down memory lane of songs.

 

What would be good for us?

 

Thanks for listening/reading!!

[Jenjer]

We are a family of 4 (kids 10 and 8). We have never had a suite and never had a problem. But if you can afford it I would say go for it.

 

 

We prefer to take 2 balcony stateroom cruises instead of just 1 in a suite. I do think having the Haven area makes it more worth it on NCL than any other cruise line. Tried to talk DH into it on our Epic trip but was litteraly double the price.

[valleyvillage]

For me, sailing in a suite is a lot like flying first class. As nice as first class is, it is a lot of money for a few hours of better seating and a few drinks.

However, you are in your suite for 9 days!

If you can afford the suite it is most definitely worth it. NCL has the best suite perks in the biz and you really feel it, from the moment you arrive and are taken to the VIP embarkation area to your priority disembarkation and everything in between!

[CaribJoey]

I will be sailing out of NY next year on the gem,the first 1 that I did was in a suite and will never go beneath that ,I have been to st martin for a week and it cost far more that the price of a suite next year I booked the DOS in the gem which also gives you acess to the haven suite unlimited soda and bottled water complimentry Moet , Three bottles of liquor of your choice @5000 for 2 thats a small price to pay for vacation Only 3 weeks a year so I intend to spoil my wife and myself have a great trip :) its all about preference check out the youtube video "gem 15500 suite" you will see what I mean

 

Joe

[mpk218]

Yes its necessary :D I cant go back .

[LadyShiva]

Because you mention "Spring Break" in your post, OP, I have to say, yes, you need that Haven for the 3 of you. My 2 cents, of course, and it is definitely NOT my pocketbook paying!

 

Have you thought of ordering breakfast for kiddo and letting her ditch you for the kids' club? You don't HAVE to go to Cagney's or the buffet each morning, if you're in a suite. I know my kid gives us 10 minutes to feed her before she is eager to go back to "her" vacation and her little friends. ;) Then DH and I are at loose ends to fill our time until we're summoned again.

[LegallyBlonder]

I decided on our last cruise that priority embarkation and debarkation (particularly debarkation) are worth the price of a suite on their own! Granted, our children are much younger than yours, so it was while chasing my toddlers around a hallway while waiting for our "tags" to be called to debark that I said to myself, "never again!" Of course there are many other perks, but that one did it for me!

[Cruise_More_Often]

If you can afford it, by all means do it. It will be one of the best cruising experiences you can get. I would rather cruise once a year in a suite (or even less often) than cruise twice in some other cabin.

 

:D I chose my screen name before we cruised in a suite. :D

[A1SusieQ]

I am on the Gem for Spring Break for the 9 day cruise. We are a family of 4 and we always get a Haven 2 Bedroom. It makes a HUGE difference to us. We sail every spring break out of New York.

 

It is very cold in New York in March, but my family can take advantage of the Haven pool and Hot tub for the 4 sea days while the regular pools are way to cold to even sit near.

 

We also don't have to wait on line to check in, we get priority disembarkation, reserved seating in the theatre, better room service, etc.

 

The only thing that bothers me is that 2 weeks later the same cabin with the same itinerary costs 1/2 the price. (In 10 years, I will be able to take advantage of that.)

[Laszlo]

If you want to save money check out a Mini Suite. For our first cruise on the Gem we had an Aft Suite which was very nice. On our second cruise on the Gem we decided to save $1000.00 and we booked a Mini Suite on deck 11? The room was a little smaller and we did not have a butler etc... which we could care less about. However it turns out the bathroom was the same size and the Aft and Forward Suites, it was the exact same size and layout. You have to think about how much time you going to spend in your cabin, for us it was to sleep, shower and change. The bonus of the larger bathroom was great in the Mini

[iluvdoxies]

For me, sailing in a suite is a lot like flying first class. As nice as first class is, it is a lot of money for a few hours of better seating and a few drinks.

However, you are in your suite for 9 days!

If you can afford the suite it is most definitely worth it. NCL has the best suite perks in the biz and you really feel it, from the moment you arrive and are taken to the VIP embarkation area to your priority disembarkation and everything in between!

 

Yes you are treated like kings and queens !

[Sea Monster 2]

Oh, yes, do it if you can! To be fair, we've been in an Epic DOS twice and not yet in regular cabins or on the other ships. Our first cruise on her wasn't too full, but the second one was PACKED, and it was a relief to have a less-crowded area to go to. We sailed both times with DS-- he was 7 and 8-- and he LOVES the suite life-- I'm not sure HE could go back! :rolleyes: The nice thing about the service is that they can adapt to your kid's needs-- serving you quickly, getting a meal outside of normal hours, making sure your kid gets what they-- or you-- want to eat, etc. He also loved the whole butler concept, although really the extent of the butler's impact on his life was keeping chocolate milk in the fridge and leaving a nightly piece of cheesecake for him (which he considers to be the ultimate luxury). Everyone in my family loves the suite life!! :D:D:D

[Brighton Line]

To be the FIRST, premier, erste, πρώτα, prima, первый, primero on Great Stirrup Cay can't be beat.

[hawaiilvr]

For those of us who aren't Thurston and Lovey and have to cruise in steerage, it isn't a necessity. :D

 

I'm just kidding! If you can afford it great, but for those of us who can't, the ship doesn't go to different ports than it does for those in suites.

[sdmike]

To directly answer your question... no, it's not necessary. I sailed in a suite on RCI a few years back but only because it was less expensive than 2 rooms for the 5 of us. We considered a suite on our Epic and Jewel trips, but we couldn't see paying the extra for the perks we got.

 

Suite perks are great, but to me they're more "sprinkles" on the cake...while the cake itself is awesome by itself.

[Sizzlechest]

The family suite is better than most hotel rooms so your decision should be primarily based on that. We had a full bathroom with a tub! The perks aren't anything special, IMHO. Unless you intend on staying in your room a lot, save your money and spend it on stuff that counts.

[DMH15]

For me it is. Once you have seen Paris it is hard to go back to the farm. I have been spoiled for life. I would rather go one one cruise in a year or two in a suite (on NCL) than several not in one.

[dexddd]

For those of us who aren't Thurston and Lovey and have to cruise in steerage, it isn't a necessity. :D

 

I'm just kidding! If you can afford it great, but for those of us who can't, the ship doesn't go to different ports than it does for those in suites.

 

Valley Village has a Thurston and Lovey or two - maybe he will post again for us.

[valleyvillage]

For those of us who aren't Thurston and Lovey and have to cruise in steerage, it isn't a necessity. :D

 

I'm just kidding! If you can afford it great, but for those of us who can't, the ship doesn't go to different ports than it does for those in suites.

 

 

Thurston, aren't those the Hawaiilvr people from steerage?

[sverigecruiser]

 

Suite perks are great, but to me they're more "sprinkles" on the cake...while the cake itself is awesome by itself.

 

I agree with this but after eating one cake with sprinkles, I'm not interested in a cake without it anymore!

[hawaiilvr]

 

Thurston, aren't those the Hawaiilvr people from steerage?

 

Leave it to a guy from my own home town! Awesome! :D

[palmyrafan]

 

Thurston, aren't those the Hawaiilvr people from steerage?

 

Absolutely love this :D:) Nice to see them again!

 

As for the OP, I agree with some of the others. We have cruised inside stateroom, balcony and suite and we prefer the suite life. DH says he works extremely hard and would rather take one cruise a year in a suite than several any other way. Depending on what level of suite you sail at, the perks can be awesome!

[rusky123]

I love the 'suite life' with NCL, I have sailed lots of other companies and reckon NCL suite perks are the best. Just come back off Epic for our 40th and loved the Haven so much going again on the Jade next week with 2 of our kiddies and their 2 kiddies. Booked 2 2 bedroomed villas, really looking forward to it. LOL put the 6 of them in one villa, me and DH in 1 to ourselves :). I have had suites on a few other cruise companies but not 1 of them matches NCL. OK I get a better room with most, a bottle of alcohol, but the service with NCL is superb, and in MHO a touch above the rest. I just love the extra room and the big bath, and the quiet sun deck.

[GORDONCHICK]

Of course, suites aren't necessary. We've only cruised in insides and been perfectly fine. We've been cruising since our DS was 3.5 and he's now 11. I gave up an oceanview cabin to do a more expensive excursion in Alaska and was fine with that.

 

One word of warning - if you do cruise in a suite, you may find you never want to cruise not being in a suite. At least that's what I've heard.

[DMH15]

Of course, suites aren't necessary. We've only cruised in insides and been perfectly fine. We've been cruising since our DS was 3.5 and he's now 11. I gave up an oceanview cabin to do a more expensive excursion in Alaska and was fine with that.

 

One word of warning - if you do cruise in a suite, you may find you never want to cruise not being in a suite. At least that's what I've heard.

 

Gordonchick: i can confirm your last statement.

 

People cruise in suites for many reasons.

 

1. Separate quarters (I cruise with my mom, and she is a night owl and I am an early bird).

2. Cagney's breakfast.

3. Better ensuite dining. Specialty restaurants/breakfast to order. Relax while dining in room.

4. Someone taking care of details for me. I used to be my mother's butler and concierge. Now I have one too. I also take care of others' needs all day at work. I want to RELAX on vacay.

5. VIP embarkation. Our Jewel embarkation in Miami was brutal. Hot, crowded and long. Two hours standing in line was difficult on mom.

6. Afternoon snacks and fruit bowl. My mom Loved this. She nibbles and sometimes skips dinner. So easy for her.

7. VIP cocktail party. Not very crowded and can actually meet and mingle. We enjoy seeing the officers in their uniforms and letting them know what a great job they do.

8. Bigger bathroom. Love the jetted tub.

9. Reserved seating in shows. Sometimes we just pop in and out. From a showbiz family so I have seen many productions. Not a show snob. Enjoy all performers who are living their dream.

10. In Choc buffet early. And out too. With a fave cookie I hope they have next March. Most looks better than it tastes but the little choc pecan bar is heaven.

 

What about the rest of you suite folks? What is it that has you coming back for more???