Would you give up Aqua Class for a Suite Guarantee?

[mickeysgal]

Toying heavily with Celebrity's newest promotion. Would you give up AQ for a suite guarantee for essentially the same price? Looking at the website...it looks like there is a fair amount of suites left at this point...regular and accessible too. Final payment is in June so we have a bit to go before the sail date. Do they assign the gty pretty quickly and keep it assigned, do they assign and reassign if necessary, or do they wait until the very end to assign? Not sure if I'd be pleased with an accessible and I realize that is the downside of a gty. What would you do?

[cle-guy]

Toying heavily with Celebrity's newest promotion. Would you give up AQ for a suite guarantee for essentially the same price? Looking at the website...it looks like there is a fair amount of suites left at this point...regular and accessible too. Final payment is in June so we have a bit to go before the sail date. Do they assign the gty pretty quickly and keep it assigned, do they assign and reassign if necessary, or do they wait until the very end to assign? Not sure if I'd be pleased with an accessible and I realize that is the downside of a gty. What would you do?

 

I would do a suit GTY over aqua any day. More Captains club points, Butler, ability to use BLU in most cases if space is available.

 

Cabin assignments for GTY are completely random, sometimes months in advance, sometimes not until you reach the pier. Sometimes you get assigned, then reassigned. Many report that once a cabin number is assigned, they have been successful in selecting a different cabin in that cabin type without issue. However if the possibility of getting an accessible room is an issue for you, there is no way to avoid that, You may be able to call and tell them you don't need the accessible cabin and they MAY relocate you, but that's hit and miss.

 

With a GUARANTEE cabin, there are simply no guarantees! :D

[ClaudiaB]

Absolutely! We're thinking of doing that in the future - if the price is right. You will have a larger cabin that you can actually walk around in, more storage, and Blu. As a suite guest we've never had one issue in 5 cruises (all over 10 nights) getting into Blu and we never felt we were crowding out AQ pax as there were always a few empty tables at any given time while we were there.

For the same price, I think your decision is a no-brainer!

[koolforkatz]

In a heartbeat.

[hulamoon]

I would. If the spa benefits, water and Blu are important to you, remember you will pay for those. But the extra room is great. Usually I am trying to decide how much I am willing to pay for the upgrade.

 

Also keep in mind other benefits maybe lost going to the guarantee.

 

I would do it.

[Pilot70D]

Toying heavily with Celebrity's newest promotion. Would you give up AQ for a suite guarantee for essentially the same price??

 

In a heartbeat - I would give up the AQ and go for the suite guarantee in a heartbeat.

 

First, you will have a bigger cabin and probably with a bigger balcony as well. As the OP said before you will have a butler and all of the suite amenities. Back when the AQ class of cabins was first implemented the food in Blu was much better IMHO than that in the MDR. Over the years that has changed. On our last cruise, the New Year's cruise on the Eclipse, we found the food in Blu to be pedestrian at best and certainly no better than that which was available in the MDR. Admittedly Blu is a quieter environment and the service is better but not enough that I would stay in an AQ cabin if I could get a suite at the same price.

 

We have done the suite guarantee a couple of times and ended up in a nice suite at a bargain price. However, suite guarantees can come and go also in a heartbeat. A couple of years ago we booked an AQ cabin on a Panama Canal cruise because all the suites were taken or on hold. Later a suite guarantee popped up and we took advantage of it immediately. This was a good thing to do because four hours later the suite guarantee had vanished. SO the bottom line is that I would make my decision quickly and go for the suite guarantee if that is your wish.

 

This is just my $0.02 worth of advice so enjoy your cruise regardless of which cabin type you ultimately choose.

:):):)

[A Sixth?]

Yes!!!!

 

if you don't do it, send it to me! :p

[ghstudio]

Of course if you have a rear facing A1/C1 cabin, you might consider where the suites are located. We've never really used the butler in a suite. If the new dining rooms were here, that might be a very good reason to upgrade....but you probably won't get into Michael's with a guarantee suite. Most likely you will be able to dine in blu for dinner as long as you avoid the rush times (which seem to vary on different cruises).

Edited May 13, 2014 by ghstudio

[BEAV]

If I had any Celebrity-sponsored perks with my AQ, I would first ask if they would be retained with the switch to a suite guarantee. If I'd lose the perks, I'd have to weigh the value of losing them vs. gaining a suite, etc.

 

Good luck with your decision!

[Leviathan2772]

Once you have the suite experience, it's hard to go back to anything less. I AQ on our last cruise, I really missed the suite experience and being spoiled by the staff. Our next cruise aboard Reflection we booked an AQ Suite. But I read in this forum that the AQ Suites are going away next year. No big deal, it sounds like the suite experience is going to be improved with more amenities.

[cle-guy]

Once you have the suite experience, it's hard to go back to anything less. I AQ on our last cruise, I really missed the suite experience and being spoiled by the staff. Our next cruise aboard Reflection we booked an AQ Suite. But I read in this forum that the AQ Suites are going away next year. No big deal, it sounds like the suite experience is going to be improved with more amenities.

 

AQ suites are becoming Sky Suites.

 

I'm curious to know if they will get a new category like S3, given their unique shower, or will they become the secret best S2 suites on that ship where some S2 have normal shower, and these have the special shower.

[mickeysgal]

If I had any Celebrity-sponsored perks with my AQ, I would first ask if they would be retained with the switch to a suite guarantee. If I'd lose the perks, I'd have to weigh the value of losing them vs. gaining a suite, etc.

 

Good luck with your decision!

 

Once you have the suite experience, it's hard to go back to anything less. I AQ on our last cruise, I really missed the suite experience and being spoiled by the staff. Our next cruise aboard Reflection we booked an AQ Suite. But I read in this forum that the AQ Suites are going away next year. No big deal, it sounds like the suite experience is going to be improved with more amenities.

 

We are carefully weighing the pros and cons as we would lose our drink package. We're not big drinkers and we honestly probably couldn't drink enough to make it pay anyway. I think I'd rather have a bigger room. We are thinking about booking Choice Air as their rate can't currently be beat with anything we've been able to find, so with their new promotion we could buy back the drink package if we wanted (or at least a wine package) and still come out a bit ahead. Weighing the pros/cons over Choice Air as well.

 

We've sailed in all types of rooms (mostly Royal) but most recently suites (NCL) and have gotten spoiled a bit. This is why this has gotten our attention. It is a nice way to travel and would be a great way to try Celebrity for the first time. It's our 30th anniversary.

 

Are there chaise lounges on the suite balconies?

[wrk2cruise]

AQ suites are becoming Sky Suites.

 

I'm curious to know if they will get a new category like S3, given their unique shower, or will they become the secret best S2 suites on that ship where some S2 have normal shower, and these have the special shower.

 

 

I have seen a deck plan on a TA web site which shows more than the 3 available rooms that Celebrity shows. That plan shows them the same color as the S1 cabins that were in that area before. We have stayed in 2132 multiple times and always wondered what made the room next door a S1??

[GeorgesGal]

How on earth can Celebrity call the cramped AQ's a suite?

[maggie.1008]

Remember you will most likely get a S2. Most of those rooms on the S Class ships are under the ocean view café. Can get a lot of noise from up above. Also they have a large overhang so not a lot of sun. I would still do a suite gty but know the issues.

[cle-guy]

How on earth can Celebrity call the cramped AQ's a suite?

 

Reflection is the only ship in the fleet with AquaSuites. These are the same foot print as the Skysuites on the ship. They are reclassifying them as Sky suites for the 2015-2016 season.

 

The OP was talking about normal AQ cabin, but a subsequent poster brought up the AQ Suites which was where my reply came from.

[cle-guy]

I have seen a deck plan on a TA web site which shows more than the 3 available rooms that Celebrity shows. That plan shows them the same color as the S1 cabins that were in that area before. We have stayed in 2132 multiple times and always wondered what made the room next door a S1??

 

I see the X website has a revised plan for 2015-2016 shown the converted AQ Suites as S1's now.

 

Before the only real difference between AQ Suite (assume that's what 2132 was...?) and S1 was the shower installed (AQ has body sprays, Sky Suites don't), and the perks and ammenities delivered to the cabin.

 

Closer observation shows the deck plans may be jumbled, as the current season shows no AQ Suites on the deck plan, it has a map key/color ode, but none actually shown. X website at its best...!

[mickeysgal]

Remember you will most likely get a S2. Most of those rooms on the S Class ships are under the ocean view café. Can get a lot of noise from up above. Also they have a large overhang so not a lot of sun. I would still do a suite gty but know the issues.

 

I'm good with the no sun and full overhang.

 

I know...I'm trying to weigh all the pros and cons because you get what you get.

[jenniebnyc]

In addition to what everyone mentions above, you will get one free specialty dinner on a 7 night cruise.

 

I would take the GTY in a heartbeat. We did last year, got a S2 located in a crappy area on Reflection and was able to move to one of the AFT S2s which we loved even more than the corner AFT S1. We booked the same S2 for January 2015. If you are on Reflection and get a suite ask for Gordon. He was fantastic. Best bulter we have ever had!

 

GL!

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I would take the suite guarantee for the same price in a heartbeat.

 

Please be aware that you cannot request a particular butler. They are assigned to particular cabins and can't be moved around at whim.

[lxure]

I'm missing something... What is the promotion Celebrity is running where you can upgrade from Aqua Class to a Suite? Is this just on certain ships/sailings? Booked our Oct 2014 sailing on Equinox back in January and definitely got a better price than what is being advertised right now. Please enlighten me....

 

 

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[BEAV]

I'm missing something... What is the promotion Celebrity is running where you can upgrade from Aqua Class to a Suite? Is this just on certain ships/sailings? Booked our Oct 2014 sailing on Equinox back in January and definitely got a better price than what is being advertised right now. Please enlighten me....

 

 

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You haven't missed anything. Each sailing is priced according to how well (or not well) it is selling. Most likely there are a fair amount of vacant suites on the OP's sailing and Celebrity is now offering an attractive suite guarantee category to liquidate them to get them sold.

 

As to your own Oct 2014 sailing, keep watching prices as you are now, and pay special attention shortly after your final payment date passes. It's after final payment date where we often see "deals" such as the OP has experienced. Good luck! ;)

[Cruise a holic]

Toying heavily with Celebrity's newest promotion. Would you give up AQ for a suite guarantee for essentially the same price? Looking at the website...it looks like there is a fair amount of suites left at this point...regular and accessible too. Final payment is in June so we have a bit to go before the sail date. Do they assign the gty pretty quickly and keep it assigned, do they assign and reassign if necessary, or do they wait until the very end to assign? Not sure if I'd be pleased with an accessible and I realize that is the downside of a gty. What would you do?

 

Go for it! For all the reasons mentioned! yes, i have been assigned a handicapped suite on a guarantee, it was fine. More room and storage. only downside was the bathroom which had no tub, but a huge roll in shower . Blu isn't great and you can still dine in it if you are a suite guest. I was also able to transfer all my perks to the suite.

Enjoy your cruise

Edited May 14, 2014 by Cruise a holic

[mickeysgal]

I'm missing something... What is the promotion Celebrity is running where you can upgrade from Aqua Class to a Suite? Is this just on certain ships/sailings? Booked our Oct 2014 sailing on Equinox back in January and definitely got a better price than what is being advertised right now. Please enlighten me....

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

There is no promo where you can upgrade from an Aqua to a suite guarantee. Celebrity is now offering a $1000 off the cost of a suite if you book a Gty. This promo has put the cost of the suite quite close to the cost of our original price we paid for the Aqua (plus all the perks). We'd now lose some of those perks but that may be ok with us. It has taken a spreadsheet to weigh the ins/outs - having to pay for drinks, the TA's requires a cancellation fee, etc.

[Cruise a holic]

There is no promo where you can upgrade from an Aqua to a suite guarantee. Celebrity is now offering a $1000 off the cost of a suite if you book a Gty. This promo has put the cost of the suite quite close to the cost of our original price we paid for the Aqua (plus all the perks). We'd now lose some of those perks but that may be ok with us. It has taken a spreadsheet to weigh the ins/outs - having to pay for drinks, the TA's requires a cancellation fee, etc.

 

Why would the TA charge you a cancellation fee? Mine never did- a lesson learned, sometimes best to book directly through Celebrity.