Have ???? about mini suites on Coral

[IamVick]

Thinking of booking the Coral for a Panama Canal this coming spring. I see that the mini suites are described as having varying sizes in the brochure and website. They also have varying prices. I'm assuming that the price difference correlates with the cabin size. Bigger square footage, bigger price. Is that correct? Are the cabin sizes the same and the size difference come into play because of varying balcony sizes? Or, do the cabin sizes differ?

 

I apologize in advance if this has been addressed on the boards, but I did flip a few pages back and didn't find anything specific. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Colo Cruiser]

We have sailed on the Coral 3 times.

Mini suites on the Coral as far as I know are all the same size and setup with the exception of the AF cat which has no balcony but incorporates the balcony dimensions into the room and just has a window. The brochure states floor to ceiling windows for the AF but I have yet to see that configuration anywhere.

 

Someone correct me if I am wrong. I also believe that the balconies are the same with the exception of some being partially covered and some that are on the corners of the bumpouts having a more rounded railing.

 

Price difference reflects location on ship.

[Cruiseteach]

I can't answer your question about size, BUT.... If you are "thinking" about booking a mini for next spring, better think fast. My friend and I decided last Monday (Aug. 8) to book for the Panama Canal next March, and were surprised by how few choices we had. We told out TA we were available anytime from mid-Jan. to late April. We ended up with Mar. 4. We really wanted a covered cabin, but no luck unless we wanted to pay substantially more. We found out from both our TA and this board that it is not unusual for people to book up to 2 years ahead! On top of that, according to our TA, Panama Canal is the most popular cruise destination.

[whale-watcher]

Someone correct me if I am wrong. I also believe that the balconies are the same with the exception of some being partially covered and some that are on the corners of the bumpouts having a more rounded railing.

 

Price difference reflects location on ship.

There are differences in balcony size as well -- minisuites on the corners of the central bumpout on aloha, baja, and caribe (AD and AE) have smaller balconies than other categories (rounded corners, and not nearly as deep as others)-- but these cabins also have fantastic views. We had A416 in Alaska, and it was a wonderful cabin, in spite of the smaller balcony.

[Mike2131]

Our December Panama Canal cruise was a 10-night partial transit sailing and was excellent. It had just the right blend of ports and sea days.

 

For that cruise, our TA suggested an AE mini-suite guarantee and we ended up with an AB (C217). The balcony was covered and it was an excellent cabin. The only change I would have made would to be a little more mid-ship. We had some rough seas for a few days and the forward position of the stateroom allowed for more movement than most people would like.

The Coral is a beautiful ship and I can highly recommend both it and the cruise.

[mringenoldus]

I have mini suites A416 and A429 reserved for my daughters on the San Francisco to Vancouver 4-day cruise. There will only be two people in each cabin so I am trading the balcony space for the excellent location.

 

These minis look a lot like the ones I had on the Sapphire. If so, they are very comfortable. Even better, Princess has now added a few suite perks to minis. My daughters have never had a balcony - so they are very excited about this cruise!

[taxatty]

We just had the C718 minisuite on the Coral--identical to those on the newer Princess ships--large 1/2 covered balcony big enough for 4 chairs and a table--very nice cabin. As stated above, the balconies vary--those farthest aft appered uncovered.

 

Les

[Iamthesea]

taxatty - We have D716 below your cabin. Do you think that the C - Deck balconies were larger than those below you? Did you have a large table and were there already four chairs or just large enough if you asked for two more?

[taxatty]

taxatty - We have D716 below your cabin. Do you think that the C - Deck balconies were larger than those below you? Did you have a large table and were there already four chairs or just large enough if you asked for two more?

I don't know if the Caribe balcony was larger than the one below on Dolphin deck, but our balcony completely covered it. We had a large table and two chairs--asked our steward for two more (so our kids, who had an inside cabin, could join us) and got them within an hour.

Les

[tgusti]

Les

 

We have C715 on Coral for Oct sailing. Honeymoon cruise so want to make sure everything works smoothly (or at least minimize the wrinkles). Can I assume that the balcony is the same size and setup as yours? Also, did you have reclining lounge chairs, and if so, did you need to request them from steward?

 

Anything else of interest worth noting from your cruise, esp. shore excursions?

Thanks in advance.

 

Ted

[Iamthesea]

Welcome to Cruise Critic, tgusti. ;) Which October cruise are you on?

 

I think I can answer for taxatty in that the balcony chairs do not include lounges. I have heard of passengers asking for one, but don't believe there is room for two. However, I may try to ask for one myself instead of two more chairs.

 

taxatty, do you think there would be room?

 

And yes, your stateroom will be the same size, on the opposite side of the ship.

[jamie1]

has anyone been on Coral in C627?

can u tell me about it

Going from Whitter to Van august 29

thanks

[taxatty]

Les

 

We have C715 on Coral for Oct sailing. Honeymoon cruise so want to make sure everything works smoothly (or at least minimize the wrinkles). Can I assume that the balcony is the same size and setup as yours? Also, did you have reclining lounge chairs, and if so, did you need to request them from steward?

 

Anything else of interest worth noting from your cruise, esp. shore excursions?

Thanks in advance.

 

Ted

No reclining lounge chairs. I believe that the balcony on C715 should be the same as ours (our friends were in C719, and it was the same).

 

Les

[MaryPoppinz]

We had C627 on Island when we late-booked a trip last year. It's an accessible cabin, so the bathroom is larger and has no lip at the door or in the shower. The cabinets are not in the usual location adjacent to the bathroom, but are on the wall opposite the head of the bed. The cabin width is larger than usual by 2-3 feet and that increases the side of the balcony width by the same amount. The balcony depth is the usual Caribe double-depth.

 

A drawback to this cabin is that there is some obstruction to the aft sightline.

[passant]

We want to take my 70 year old Mom on the Coral for her 70th birthday.

Just 3 of us.

What options for cabins do you all suggest?

 

1. Three of us in a mini suite

2. Three of us in a standard balcony

3. One balcony and my Mom solo in an inside

 

Thanks.

[legalslave]

I'd suggest 1 balcony and 1 solo for Mom. She would probably enjoy her privacy. I would check with her and see what she would like. What about 2 balcony cabins?

 

Diane