Question about a full suite on a TA

[whatcruiseisnext]

We are contemplating booking a suite on a TA for 2016. We've never booked a full suite before. We had been planning on booking a mini-suite but the subject came up tonight of possibly booking a suite. We are Elite so already get those benefits. This will be on the Royal TA leaving on April 22, 2016. The question I have is...Would it be worth it? I know the perks that come with a full suite but just wondering if those of you who have been in suites think it is worth the additional cost.

Edited February 27, 2015 by whatcruiseisnext

[IECalCruiser]

We have sailed in full suites as Elite but never for full price. We have paid full price for Window suites but the price was the same or less than mini-suites. The other two were a $299/person upsell from a cat ME mini-suite and one of the "free" cruises last year where we got the full cost back as FCC. In our opinion, you are paying twice the cost of a mini and basically what you get is breakfast at Sabatini's, the ability to order Room Service from the MDR menu and another mini-bar set-up. We love Sabatini's for breakfast, have been very disappointed with the MDR food in our room and have traded the second mini-bar for coffee cards. We haven't been in a full suite on the Royal or Regal so I don't know how useful the Concierge Lounge is. If you don't have one of the Riviera deck cat S4 suites it could be a bit of a hike to get there and less useful. Those cat S4 suites and the cat S5 suites all the way forward have the same 4' wide balconies as most other balconies which doesn't allow you to have the lounge chairs side by side. The 5' wide balconies on the Riviera deck cat 4's on the Emerald were too narrow for us but two loungers could be side by side if you didn't want to be able to open one of the two balcony doors. Having them only 4' wide on the Royal and Regal is a crime :( For us, breakfast at Sabatini's and two coffee cards is not worth paying double the cost of a mini but that is just MHO.

[dorisis]

If you are Elite it is only Sabatini'a and the extra space. Is that worth the difference in price???

[-Lew-]

 

If you are Elite it is only Sabatini'a and the extra space. Is that worth the difference in price???

Plus the additional bar setup, free specialty restaurant meal, room service from MDR menus and access to concierge lounge on Regal/Royal to name a few... :)

 

Lew

[Roses2]

We have booked full suites on our TAs and have one booked for the March Island Princess TA. Generally, if booked at the right time, the per day rate of a TA is significantly less than even a balcony during a high season cruise. TAs have many sea days and the suite certainly is a comfortable place on those days.

 

We have a full suite booked on a 20 day Caribbean cruise this year at the same price as the 10 day portion in a mini.

 

We are long time Elite and for us the comfort plus additional perks such as being able to order off the regular menu and eat in the suite (we almost always have lunch from the menu in our cabin), full room service breakfast on the last day, Sabatini's, inviting others to share the "high tea" in the cabin, etc. always is worth booking a full suite -- especially when we can find one where the per day price is at or near the price of a lower category cabin.

 

Go for it and enjoy. Monitor the price on the Princess site because it changes and pick your time to book with a good travel agent.

 

 

.

[Colo Cruiser]

If you are Elite it is only Sabatini'a and the extra space. Is that worth the difference in price???

 

 

It sure helps if you get a great deal. ;)

[RSF Cruiser]

We stay in suites primarily for the extra cabin and balcony space. The perks are nice, and we love Sabatini's for breakfast, but "worth it" is hard to define and may vary for different people. It's worth it to us because of the curtain between the sleeping area and sofa area. My husband is awake often during the night, so if we stayed in anything other than a suite I, too, would be up during the night :-)

[Bimmer09]

We stay in suites primarily for the extra cabin and balcony space. The perks are nice, and we love Sabatini's for breakfast, but "worth it" is hard to define and may vary for different people. It's worth it to us because of the curtain between the sleeping area and sofa area. My husband is awake often during the night, so if we stayed in anything other than a suite I, too, would be up during the night :-)

 

I'm with you on the extra space in the cabin and on the balcony-particularly if it's an aft balcony, which on the Grand Class I'd estimate to be 18ft x 9ft. The full size round teak table for 4 on the balcony with matching chairs is a boon when having afternoon tea or an Ultimate Balcony Dinner served. Two thickly padded teak loungers you can turn in any direction are also handy.

 

The bathroom with a separate glass shower stall and a separate toilet with sink and it's own entrance from the living room (and bathroom) is great and saves waiting to use the restroom when someone is soaking in the tub.

 

The curtain separating bedroom from living room means you can dress early in the morning with the lights on without waking your partner in the bedroom next door.

 

Adding all the other perks helps justify the expense. You earn two cruise credits for the booking too, for each passenger, which is why we are two cruises away from Elite with only 7 past cruises.

 

If your suite is on one of the little ships the suite and the balcony will be about 50% bigger than the Grand Class with more luxurious furnishings.

 

If sailing the Royal Class many of the aft suites have NO SHADE on their balconies and a possible soot issue. There are a couple of decks that do offer some shade and privacy from above.

 

Just my 2 cents

 

Norris