Arcadia - suites and mini-suites

[NauticalMiss]

Hi, is anyone able to provide recommendations for booking a suite/mini-suite on Arcadia, sailing from Southampton? We have a special occasion looming and we would like to treat ourselves :D

 

TIA

[daiB]

Hi, is anyone able to provide recommendations for booking a suite/mini-suite on Arcadia, sailing from Southampton? We have a special occasion looming and we would like to treat ourselves :D

 

 

 

TIA

 

 

Very nice, large balcony, massive at the stern. If you are pushing the boat out then you will see that the difference between mini and full on Arcadia is quite small no where near as much as on the other ships.

[the english lady]

Hi, is anyone able to provide recommendations for booking a suite/mini-suite on Arcadia, sailing from Southampton? We have a special occasion looming and we would like to treat ourselves :D

 

TIA

 

I am totally and utterly biased but we booked S2 once (the mini suite on the sun deck) It only has a shower (no bath), the balcony is longish ,nothing overhead. Also nothing underneath, so if you have no head for heights ,not a good one. Cabin is HUGE and I mean HUGE. We loved it and would book it again in a heartbeat.

Not had a suite on Arcadia, but minis and full suites are basically one big room.

I have no idea of aft cabins...I would always worry about the noise from the wake...walking round the prom deck it is loud at the back.

[PopsiB]

If booking select book an aft suite, the balconies are very large and stunning views over the wake. Side suites still have large balconies. imagine two balcony cabins together, one with lounge area and one with bedroom.

 

Good luck and enjoy.

[Florry]

I've been in the C deck corner suite on the port side C192 I think and also midship suites. My preference is for the corner suites at the back, we have booked B165 next year. The Midship suites are much of a muchness. What differentiates the corner suites (known as aft-wraps) is the fact that you have balcony to two sides so you can see where you have been and where you are going [emoji4], the inside of the cabin itself is more or less the same as other suites. Things to be aware of - I think the C deck aft-wraps have slightly smaller cabins, the D deck aft-wrap is completely covered, E deck had a huge balcony, with the exception of D deck they are all slightly overlooked at the edge. The aft-wraps seem to book up more quickly, I would say there is slightly more noise but not to the extent it is a bother. Hope this helps.

Edited November 11, 2015 by Florry

[Mysticalmother]

I have been in a mini- suite (B39) on Arcadia and loved the considerable extra space over that in a balcony cabin. Whilst on the same cruise I went and had a look at a midships (full) suite, thanks to a kind couple who I got talking to earlier.

 

The suites are definately bigger than the mini suites, but I am not sure i would bother. If you want a butler, yes, and some of the other rather minor perks, but the suite itself was simply a larger version of the mini suite amd , IMHO , not worth the extra. The bathroom was identical. The balcony in the S2 mini suite that the english lady refers to is not as deep as the other mini suites, although is nice and long.

 

If the balcony size is important and you dont mind not being midships then be guided by others who have had aft suites.

[Mysticalmother]

Another pic of mini suite on arcadia

[Florry]

this is B53

[annieuk]

We've been both in an aft suite and a midships mini suite on Arcadia - both are lovely. The aft suite balconies are huge - lovely in the Caribbean. The interior of the mini suites is lovely and very large. I think it all comes down to money, whether you want to spend the extra for a suite. I don't think I'd bother to pay the extra for a midship suite, only for an aft one.

[Florry]

We've been both in an aft suite and a midships mini suite on Arcadia - both are lovely. The aft suite balconies are huge - lovely in the Caribbean. The interior of the mini suites is lovely and very large. I think it all comes down to money, whether you want to spend the extra for a suite. I don't think I'd bother to pay the extra for a midship suite, only for an aft one.

 

 

Which are cheaper than the midship suite :) not much though it's eye watering - we are doing it next year for 25th anniversary but the other suites we have had have been upgraded or on special offer (which doesn't happen often).

[the english lady]

Which are cheaper than the midship suite :) not much though it's eye watering - we are doing it next year for 25th anniversary but the other suites we have had have been upgraded or on special offer (which doesn't happen often).

Fore and aft will always be cheaper than midships.

Furthest forward we have been is by forward staircase

We have never picked anything towards the aft.

We always feel vibration the further back we walk and as earlier I would always worry in an aft cabin about noise.

I know others who have stayed in them have said you will not hear anything, but just does not appeal to me.

[NauticalMiss]

Thank you everyone, especially Florry, Mysticalmother and annieuk; the photos and comments are very useful. We love the aft of a ship and thought we might like the wraparound balcony, so think we'll go with one of those. Only problem will be getting a 'taste' for it and having to downgrade again in the future, when our cruises are not commemorating special occasions :(

[PopsiB]

We booked a saver suite a couple of years ago hoping for the aft and were upgraded to the midship suites. Next time on Arcadia I would say no to upgrades if making a similar booking. We just love the aft, only noise is wake if low down or vibration when manoeuvring in and out of berths.

 

 

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[Jammy Bun]

We had suite E185 on the aft corner and found the vibration at night was enough to disturb our sleep - so if you have a choice, I would avoid E deck! We did a cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam in a suite on the equivalent of C deck - also on the aft corner, which was MUCH better.

There are some cabin reviews (including mine about E185) on the yourcruisecabin.com website, which may also help you.

[Florry]

Interestingly when I was upgraded from a balcony they gave me a midship, I asked if I could have the cheaper aft and they said no - because they can sell those at full price but struggle to sell the others (this was a short cruise). I booked next years 24 night which sails in Sept 2016 back in March as soon as the lines opened, there were only 2 or 3 aft-wraps left to choose from but all the other suites were available. Since then all of the suites and mini suites have sold out, this stands to reason as there are something like 14 sea days so I guess people are prepared to stretch to it. I have to say that by booking early with an agent we got quite a lot of OBS and discount so in actual fact it wasn't that much more than a top-end balcony at current P&O prices, that could all change of course and there will no doubt to be saver deals to be had - but you pay your money and make your choice.

[Florry]

We had suite E185 on the aft corner and found the vibration at night was enough to disturb our sleep - so if you have a choice, I would avoid E deck! We did a cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam in a suite on the equivalent of C deck - also on the aft corner, which was MUCH better.

 

There are some cabin reviews (including mine about E185) on the yourcruisecabin.com website, which may also help you.

 

 

I think you can hear the anchor in the mornings but that may have been my imagination - on C deck we slept with the door open all night and had no problem. Now you come to mention it I think I've read that people found E deck noisy - massive balcony though!

[crompton21]

I think you can hear the anchor in the mornings but that may have been my imagination - on C deck we slept with the door open all night and had no problem. Now you come to mention it I think I've read that people found E deck noisy - massive balcony though!

 

We had the "pleasure" of E185, lucliky only for 7 nights. The only time I have not enjoyed a cruise due to the constant vibration and noise making it all but impossible to sleep.

[Florry]

We had the "pleasure" of E185, lucliky only for 7 nights. The only time I have not enjoyed a cruise due to the constant vibration and noise making it all but impossible to sleep.

 

 

Oh dear [emoji53]

[daiB]

Interestingly when I was upgraded from a balcony they gave me a midship, I asked if I could have the cheaper aft and they said no - because they can sell those at full price but struggle to sell the others (this was a short cruise). I booked next years 24 night which sails in Sept 2016 back in March as soon as the lines opened, there were only 2 or 3 aft-wraps left to choose from but all the other suites were available. Since then all of the suites and mini suites have sold out, this stands to reason as there are something like 14 sea days so I guess people are prepared to stretch to it. I have to say that by booking early with an agent we got quite a lot of OBS and discount so in actual fact it wasn't that much more than a top-end balcony at current P&O prices, that could all change of course and there will no doubt to be saver deals to be had - but you pay your money and make your choice.

 

 

Suites and mini suites do not go to saver fares. It's either full fare or they are used for upgrades.

[Florry]

Suites and mini suites do not go to saver fares. It's either full fare or they are used for upgrades.

 

 

I have been in a suite on a Saver fare, it was a short cruise and I booked late. This was a few years ago, I haven't seen saver fares in recent times and agree that the current strategy appears to be use for upgrades.

[Adammara]

We had a mini suite on the maiden cruise of Arcadia, it was un-useable for 2 days due to sewerage problems. On our next normal balcony cabin cruise they upgraded us to a full suite as comp, and it does spoil you! We have had a Owners Suite on Independence of he Seas, and its huge compared to Arcadia suites.

 

We found the butler useful, but frankly prefer to be without. Its nice to have had suites from time to time, just hard when you are back in a normal cabin!

 

Its amazing how many excuses you can find to book a suite, big birthdays and anniversaries seem to come round very rapidly! Its just affording them......

[daiB]

I have been in a suite on a Saver fare, it was a short cruise and I booked late. This was a few years ago, I haven't seen saver fares in recent times and agree that the current strategy appears to be use for upgrades.

 

 

Yes Florry, they used to but when select fares came in it went out the window.

[PopsiB]

We booked a suite on a saver fare 2 years ago, this is when we were upgraded to the Midship suites but we would have preferred one on the aft. Any cruise is fine by me though.[emoji4]

 

 

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[Florry]

Suites and mini suites do not go to saver fares. It's either full fare or they are used for upgrades.

 

 

Interestingly just looking at short cruises and happened upon Suites on Britannia with an Early Saver offer.

[daiB]

Interestingly just looking at short cruises and happened upon Suites on Britannia with an Early Saver offer.[ATTACH]369242[/ATTACH]

 

 

Yes I have just had a look but the only ones I could find on Britannia the discount was not great and I would not want to pay £800 for a cabin for two for 2 nights. And no OBC or car parking or even extra OBC