Grand Suite or Aft Junior Suite 1694?

[colesc15]

Another predicament guys! What would you guys do? We're going to change our sail date now that RCL added more sailings to Adventure down to the Southern Caribbean.. I can get the same aft JS on this ship (Aft JS 1694) which as you know has the awesome balcony, or for around 500 more we can get a Grand Suite.. Which would you guys choose? Which room would be better? Better balcony? The JS on this new sailing is 1000 cheaper than our current booking, and the Grand SUite is 500 less than our current booking.. Help!

[Bonnie Voyager]

The Grand Suite has a larger cabin, but 1694 has a larger balcony! It's a win/win either way, for sure. The Grand Suite also has some perks that you won't get in 1694 (a Junior Suite). Lots to think about! ;)

[colesc15]

The Grand Suite has a larger cabin, but 1694 has a larger balcony! It's a win/win either way, for sure. The Grand Suite also has some perks that you won't get in 1694 (a Junior Suite). Lots to think about! ;)

 

Bonnie these things keep getting thrown at me! Lol. I was content til they released another sailing (which works better because of Spring Break time).. What would you do? There's the two of us, I'll be 25 and her 21. The Grand Suite would be ~500 total more than room 1694.

[colesc15]

Would Grand Suite 1324 have a larger balcony than the others since it's on the hump?

 

Also.. What drinks are included in the conc. lounge? I'm not a beer drinker and only liked mixed drinks

[topcruiser16]

We just sailed on a b2b in a grand suite on the Adventure. I was a little disappointed in the balcony because the outer steel structure of the ship made the balcony feel closed in. We were in a grand suite on the Mariner of the Seas (same class of ship) and the balcony was more open. I toured Jr. suite 1694 and really liked the balcony on it. I booked 1694 for next years 2014 b2b and cancelled the grand suite (1324) I had booked. We saved $600.00 each week. It was worth it to us. That being said, the concierge lounge is great. We had cocktails every night and met a lot of nice people. We also had reserved seating by the pool and in the shows. We now get drinks at night because of our crown and anchor status so the grand suite perks aren't' as important as they once were. No matter what, either room is great and the itinerary is excellent.

[colesc15]

We just sailed on a b2b in a grand suite on the Adventure. I was a little disappointed in the balcony because the outer steel structure of the ship made the balcony feel closed in. We were in a grand suite on the Mariner of the Seas (same class of ship) and the balcony was more open. I toured Jr. suite 1694 and really liked the balcony on it. I booked 1694 for next years 2014 b2b and cancelled the grand suite (1324) I had booked. We saved $600.00 each week. It was worth it to us. That being said, the concierge lounge is great. We had cocktails every night and met a lot of nice people. We also had reserved seating by the pool and in the shows. We now get drinks at night because of our crown and anchor status so the grand suite perks aren't' as important as they once were. No matter what, either room is great and the itinerary is excellent.

 

What kind of drinks are included? Neither of us are beer drinkers.

[colesc15]

And also, would the one Grand Suite on the hump, 1324, have a bigger balcony than the rest?

[ddy123]

There is wine, sparkling wine and basic mixed drinks so no foo foo frozen drinks. But you can order any basic mixed drink. I would get wine (not the greatest quality but ok) and my husband would get a martini.

 

If it were me, I would go with the grand suite for that amount of money. I have done both grand suites and junior suites on Voyager class. The grand suite is much more spacious inside and has a much more elegant upscale feel to it. The bathroom on the grand suite is sooooo much better than the JS.....no comparison. From a balcony perspective the JS aft balcony is much deeper than GS balcony but it is also significantly less wide. The JS balcony has the advantage of watching the wake of the ship which can be mesmerizing but I would not give up a GS for that.

 

Also, the perks with the Suite are very nice. You can order Room Service from the Full Dining Room menu in a GS. So if you wanted a nice romantic dinner out on your balcony one night you can do that. And the table set up in the GS would definitley accomoadate that. Not sure there is a large dining table on the JS balcony. On Voyager and Explorer there was not. The concierge can also help you with reservations etc. On our last cruise we actually got invited to dine at the Captains table one night....that would not have happened if we were in a JS.

 

OK, can you tell I think you should go with the GS? ;) Just be warned, you will forever be spoiled!

[colesc15]

There is wine, sparkling wine and basic mixed drinks so no foo foo frozen drinks. But you can order any basic mixed drink. I would get wine (not the greatest quality but ok) and my husband would get a martini.

 

If it were me, I would go with the grand suite for that amount of money. I have done both grand suites and junior suites on Voyager class. The grand suite is much more spacious inside and has a much more elegant upscale feel to it. The bathroom on the grand suite is sooooo much better than the JS.....no comparison. From a balcony perspective the JS aft balcony is much deeper than GS balcony but it is also significantly less wide. The JS balcony has the advantage of watching the wake of the ship which can be mesmerizing but I would not give up a GS for that.

 

Also, the perks with the Suite are very nice. You can order Room Service from the Full Dining Room menu in a GS. So if you wanted a nice romantic dinner out on your balcony one night you can do that. And the table set up in the GS would definitley accomoadate that. Not sure there is a large dining table on the JS balcony. On Voyager and Explorer there was not. The concierge can also help you with reservations etc. On our last cruise we actually got invited to dine at the Captains table one night....that would not have happened if we were in a JS.

 

OK, can you tell I think you should go with the GS? ;) Just be warned, you will forever be spoiled!

 

Lol I can tell! I'm leaning towards the GS I think.. me being 25 and her 21, we'll probably be the youngest ones in the C. lounge though!

[RCI Cruisers 004]

The GS. The extra perks are worth it !

[topcruiser16]

We had assorted beers, and mixed drinks such as rum and coke, martinis, bloody marys, rum punch, etc. It is a pretty good bar set up. They didn't have frozen drinks. 1324 was has a slightly larger balcony on the end closest to the hump. have pictures of both balconies but can't figure out how to attach the files. Sorry.

[Twibes]

I've never been in a GS, that being said, based on the information relayed so far in this thread: I'd take the GS personally over the JS. As much as I enjoyed the JS over a standard balcony room, and although the Aft balconies are larger, she's right in that the GS is so much larger with a very spacious bathroom.

 

I Vote GS!

 

I'm not that much older than you, but as far as being in the Concierge Lounge, having a mix of ages is already a good thing. I've made great friends myself just at a dinner table who were 30 years my senior. Great people all around.

[ddy123]

Here is a link to a youtube video of two connecting GS on Explorer. Not on the hump but your GS would be very similar.

 

[colesc15]

We had assorted beers, and mixed drinks such as rum and coke, martinis, bloody marys, rum punch, etc. It is a pretty good bar set up. They didn't have frozen drinks. 1324 was has a slightly larger balcony on the end closest to the hump. have pictures of both balconies but can't figure out how to attach the files. Sorry.

 

Would you be able to email any pictures to me? :)

[topcruiser16]

Would you be able to email any pictures to me? :)

 

Give me your email address and I will email the pictures of both rooms

[colesc15]

Give me your email address and I will email the pictures of both rooms

 

colesc15@live.com

[colesc15]

Give me your email address and I will email the pictures of both rooms

 

Thanks a ton! Which room would you choose? I have both on hold right now!

[topcruiser16]

colesc15@live.com

 

Let me know if you got the pictures. I am technologically challenged. haha

[colesc15]

Let me know if you got the pictures. I am technologically challenged. haha

I got them all! Thanks a ton! Which room would you choose? Mores can chime in too!:)

[topcruiser16]

It is hard to say which one I would chose. They are both great rooms. My husband and I usually sail in a Grand Suite but I was a little disappointed in the Grand Suite balcony on the adventure. I saw 1694 and loved the balcony on the aft jr suite. It had a more open feel to it. I loved the GS room but the Jr Suite room was a nice size also. As others have stated, the GS comes with some nice perks. (my husband doesn't want to give up). Once you sail in a Grand Suite it is hard to go back to a regular room.

[colesc15]

Keep them coming :)

[pkexton]

We just came back from the Explorer & had GS 1324 - the things I liked about the room is:

• The location of the room - right by the elevator/stairs - 1 deck below Windjammer - 1 deck about the Concierge Lounge
  
• Nice size bathroom w/shower inside tub (sides of tub are high so you had to hold onto something getting in & out
  
• Lots of storage space in the cabin & the bathroom
  
• Use of the Concierge Lounge - we saw young people there - honeymoon couples
  

I can't think of anything that we didn't like about the room.

 

 

We also had JS 1394 on the Explorer (same as 1694) and I liked it for:

• The balcony is huge - had 2 loungers & 2 chairs with a nice round table
  
• It had plenty of storage but the closet wasn't a true walk-in like the other JS's - it was cut off on an angle on one side
  

The only bad thing about the cabin is it is a far walk to the elevators/stairs and if you got to them & realized you forgot something it's a long walk back to your cabin :)

 

Pat

[colesc15]

We just came back from the Explorer & had GS 1324 - the things I liked about the room is:

• The location of the room - right by the elevator/stairs - 1 deck below Windjammer - 1 deck about the Concierge Lounge
  
• Nice size bathroom w/shower inside tub (sides of tub are high so you had to hold onto something getting in & out
  
• Lots of storage space in the cabin & the bathroom
  
• Use of the Concierge Lounge - we saw young people there - honeymoon couples
  

I can't think of anything that we didn't like about the room.

 

 

 

We also had JS 1394 on the Explorer (same as 1694) and I liked it for:

• The balcony is huge - had 2 loungers & 2 chairs with a nice round table
  
• It had plenty of storage but the closet wasn't a true walk-in like the other JS's - it was cut off on an angle on one side
  

The only bad thing about the cabin is it is a far walk to the elevators/stairs and if you got to them & realized you forgot something it's a long walk back to your cabin :)

 

Pat

 

Which one would you choose over the other? The GS is ~500 more than the JS

[pkexton]

Which one would you choose over the other? The GS is ~500 more than the JS

 

Personally I would pick the GS - this past cruise was the 2nd time we had cabin 1324 and we had that booked about 1 1/2 years prior to the cruise - the GS's go quick and none were available a couple of months after we booked - a couple of months prior to the cruise the JS's price was about $1000 more than what we paid for the GS.

 

Pat

[JimAOk1945]

If you can swing it, go for the Grand Suite. They are fantastic!

 

We had one on our first Mariner of the Seas cruise, and our Radiance of the Seas Alaska cruise.

 

My wife made a slideshows from the pictures she took and posted them on her website.

 

If you are interested in seeing them you can click on the links below. Each slideshow will play as soon as the page opens, but you can also go through the pictures by clicking on the thumbnails one at a time.

 

Mariner of the Seas Dec 2011 http://nancysoasis.com/aroundtheship/around.html

 

Radiance of the Seas Aug 2012 http://nancysoasis.com/radship/ship.html

 

Happy Sailing!