Suite worth the money?

[Onthetweendeck]

Possibly if you have low expectations of being wowed by the experience. 

Some book a suite to treat themselves to the extra room, or out of necessity with extra people sharing the cabin. Others may be enticed by the double or triple points. After three full suites in three months our opinion is that those booking a suite for the experience only may be underwhelmed. All our recent suites were on Princess (Island, Caribbean & Royal). Have a full suite and a Jr. suite in the near future on Royal Caribbean, anxious to see if there is a difference in quality of the experience.

This is the Princess experience.

Two mini-bottles of Champagne were delivered and attendant was ready to serve them if we wanted.

Canapés were brought to our cabin first day, thereafter on request. (Last thing we value on a cruise is extra food.)

Fruit basket was delivered, midweek or room attendant had it replaced for fresh one. (same note as above)

Robes and slippers were in the room (robes 3 sizes too small and we are not big, had to make sure nothing showing when answering door.

Two bottles of still water (brought most days, had to call room service on others)

Advertise free rental movies (this was true on a couple ships, but Royal has free movies on demand for all so no benefit for suites)

Concierge and lounge on Royal/Regal not the older ships (concierge mostly for bookings, lounge coffee machine and canapés only)

Club Class dining (They put you in a corral in the corner of the main dining room. You will have the same traditional dining service as everyone else on board but there will be an extra food offering or two per night.)

The first day you will be like wow I love the extra room and we got this extra stuff. By day two shuffling in to the main dining room with everyone else and weighing what you got for what you spent and wondering if this is it, does it get better? (Yes and No in that order)

You will be treated like any other guest onboard in dealings with officers and crew other than waiter/attendant staff (these are always nice). Officers should be trained to interact differently with Suite guests as part of the experience, hotels do this and sometimes have us wear something that alerts the staff to pour on their best customer service skills.

Based on our experience we would not recommend a Suite on Princess for the experience alone. At the time we were banging out points to make the Elite level so it made some sense but don’t have a need or want to purchase a Suite cabin with them in the future.

 

[Andy C]

The full suite benefits are not exclusive.  Royal markets suite class as exclusive when it is not.  The elite tier of cruisers on Royal are called pinnacles.  Pinnacles have access to the suite lounge and coastal kitchen and any other suite area that is falsely marketed as exclusive.  Many pinnacles travel off season and not necessarily in suites. As you can imagine the "exclusive" suite areas only have a finite amount of space.  If there are a lot of pinnacles on your sailing you will find it difficult to find seating in the suite lounge or coastal kitchen.  The entire experience is therefore cheapened and diluted.  Watch out for low season sailings, transatlantics or the silly president's cruise - those are the ones non suite paying pinnacles swarm on and you will definitely have a very diluted experience.  

[Merion_Mom]

The "Suite Experience" on Royal Caribbean will vary with the class of the ship.

 

It is "special"  on Oasis and Quantum class ships (Oasis, Allure, Harmony, Symphony, Quantum, Anthem, Ovation); less so on other ships.

[lazydayz]

We enjoyed Sea class on the Oasis (junior suite, dinner at Coastal Kitchen every night we wanted), loved Sky Class on Allure (Crown Loft Suite, all day Coastal Kitchen and Concierge Lounge access, sailaway party from San Juan on the helipad, reserved seats at shows, concierge walk off the ship, etc.), and highly recommend a grand suite on the Adventure. After the CLS, we were not sure the Suite on the Adventure would be worth it. Happily, it was. Enjoyed the Concierge Lounge (it was much nicer than their Diamond Lounge), Concierge reserved our specialty dining, nice reserved seats at shows, numerous goodies delivered to our suite, lovely Suite luncheon at Giovanni’s, and concierge walked the suite guests off the ship. To us, the experience is much more personalized when sailing in a suite, and depending on the price, might be worth it. 

[cb at sea]

You will not get any "suite" perks for a JS...simply a more comfortable space.  If you're looking for major perks, NCL's suite perks are the best going for any of the mainstream lines.

[frank808]

6 hours ago, cb at sea said:

You will not get any "suite" perks for a JS...simply a more comfortable space.  If you're looking for major perks, NCL's suite perks are the best going for any of the mainstream lines.

Met a few people on MSC Seaside that had previously sailed NCL Haven class. They told me Yacht Club was much better has a better suite experience.  I think MSC Yacht Club and Royal Sky Class are great suite products.

[John&LaLa]

10 hours ago, Andy C said:

Watch out for low season sailings, transatlantics or the silly president's cruise - I'm told those are the ones non suite paying pinnacles swarm on and you will definitely have a very diluted experience.  

 

Fixed your quote. 😉

 

Love the new acronym NSPP

[John&LaLa]

Depending on your stage in life, you might consider avoiding sailings with a Kids Sail Free promotion as well. 😉

[Tapi]

3 hours ago, frank808 said:

Met a few people on MSC Seaside that had previously sailed NCL Haven class. They told me Yacht Club was much better has a better suite experience.  I think MSC Yacht Club and Royal Sky Class are great suite products.

MSC truly offers an exceptional product with their suite experience at considerably lower prices than comparable “ship within a ship” experiences. The Yacht Club consistently gets excellent reviews. Frequently, I read comments from people who’ve jumped ship from their preferred cruise line to MSC’s Yacht Club lured by the comptetitive pricing only to find that it offers a better experience than what they’re accustomed to. 

 

Even on their Aurea suites (which aren’t part of the Yacht Club), MSC offers a fantastic product at a fraction of what other cruise lines charge. For our last cruise, we booked an Aurea Duplex Suite aboard the MSC Meraviglia. This suite is comparable in size and layout to Royal’s Crown Loft Suite. We are not suite people, but when we realized that we could have one of these suites for (literally) 1/4th the price of a Crown Loft Suite, we gave it a try. Heck, we paid more for a standard balcony cabin on our previous cruise on another cruise line! 

 

In a nutshell, it was a fantastic suite and we are now spoiled for life! And even though we didn’t get to experience the Yacht Club, this Aurea suite did come with a generous list of perks. Priority embarkation, unlimited drink package, access to the Aurea Spa thermal area, 2 free massages, access to a private solarium for Aurea suite guests, a reserved area in the main dining room with open seating and our own jacuzzi tub in the balcony . The suite did lack some luxury touches (like toiletries which were limited to a wall mounted dispenser with shampoo and body wash), but once again, considering that we were paying a small fraction of what a Crown Loft Suite would’ve cost, we were more than willing to overlook that. 

 

For me, it’s a no brainer now. If looking for the suite experience, MSC currently offers the best bang for the money.

 

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Tapi

[Petroplex]

So to me, yes, the Royal Caribbean suite perks are worth it. We have sailed on the Liberty and the Navigator in a grand suite (the smallest in the class of full suites), and each was a very similar experience. There were two principal advantages: Very few lines and some better dining options. OK, a third- I loved having the quiet indoor and outdoor space of the suite lounge on the Liberty. That did not apply on the Navigator, and that was 2015 and it was a concierge lounge in a crowded indoor space.

 

As for lines, check in lines were short. We had to wait to board the ship, but that is because when I wake up on cruise morning it is usually obscenely early because I am excited. I have nothing else to do, so we get to the pier far too early. On board the concierge handles any questions we have so we never stand in a customer service line, we simply show up to the shows we want, etc. I completely respect other choices. I simply elect to not stand in line, and I pay for a suite to help make that happen.

 

The second benefit is food. On these classes of ships there is no Coastal Kitchen. However, there is a lovely continental breakfast in the suite/concierge lounge. One of the specialty restaurants is always open at breakfast and lunch so I have a quiet place to bring my buffet food. There is also a waiter right there for drinks and such, and they have a limited menu from which I can order directly. There were other perks, but those two-- combined with the fact that I want enough space for the four of us-- did it for me. I have booked the Villa Suite (with another family) on the Liberty this Summer.

 

On Liberty, the suite lounge is also an excellent indoor and outdoor space when you want a quiet place to be. I valued that. The link there will take you to a personal blog post which has a link to a Youtube video if you care to see it.

 

I sailed on the Norwegian Sky in an oceanview stateroom this Summer. There were no suite perks attached. Obviously, it is a different line where different rules applied. I was travelling by myself, and I found the experience to be fine. I missed having a suite lounge to go to, but when I was travelling by myself didn't find it hard to find a quiet place to be. It was also less of a hassle to stand in line and wait for stuff.

 

We had a couple which went with us on the Liberty last time in a balcony stateroom, and they are making the same choice this time. They have the disposable funds to pay for a suite, and they elected not to. Their line of reasoning is that there are only two of them, they can find a bar which will pour them drinks, and they want to spend the extra money on something else. I personally really enjoy the suite perks on Royal Caribbean, particularly if I am travelling with them. I will always want them, but for me and my travelling buddies they are less important if you are travelling in a smaller group.

[kernow]

Depending which ship you are on, I think you may be underwhelmed by the suite experience on RCL too. If you are in a Star class suite maybe not so much but otherwise I don't think suites on RCL will give you the experience you are looking for. A JS on anything but the big ships gets hardly any perks and certainly no 'special' treatment by anyone that every other passenger won't get as well.

 

We've often had a 'full' suite on the smaller ships (Freedom class down) and we tend to book them for the nice room rather than the extra perks, therefore we only book a suite if we think the price is reasonable. If you are not yet diamond on RCL the perks will be more valuable, once you are at least diamond the perks are not much greater than you would get anyway. I do think RCL makes a mistake by 'merging' the same perks for C&A (not just Pinnacle) and suites. I would rather they would have completely separate perks.

 

We've found the  experience does vary by ship depending on the concierge and hotel director on board. Some seem to favour suite guests, others C&A members, this is typical RCL though, consistently inconsistent.

 

Don't set your expectations too high and you will probably enjoy it, for the experience you want though you are probably better to try NCL Haven or MSC Yacht Club.

 

Julie

[Cruise a holic]

We were on the Harmony of the Seas in a Crown loft suite earlier this month.  Love the suite experience on the Royal Oasis class ships.  If you book a grand suite and above,  you have great perks.  A beautiful lounge and private restaurant, with excellent service. In the lounge, they have included nightly cocktail hours with free drinks and nice snacks. You have a concierge that will help you with priority reservations, special boarding and disembarkation.  The ships also have a nice private suite deck.  They have a private bar, hot tub, some cabanas available, first come availability and plenty of seating in shade and sun.  You also have access to barefoot beach on labadee which is wonderful and not crowded.  Had a suite on the Adventure and that experience wasn't worth additional money.  Nothing like the Oasis class ships.   IMO on Princess not worth it- On NCL we did enjoy the Haven, but seemed to be overpriced for a small suite.  Never sailed on NCL.  We really enjoyed the Suite experience on Celebrity, especially the Edge.

 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Cruise a holic

[Onthetweendeck]

We second John&LaLa’s post on the Kids Sail Free promotion, especially bad this Christmas. Seemed like people were bringing all their relatives kids and packing them in every corner of their cabin. Anyone understand this promotion. Is it any ship during the promotion booking window or only certain sailings. How would you know your sailing was affected if you book before or after the promotion ended. As your cruise was now doomed to the noise (inside your cabin as the vibration travels though the steel decks) of kids running everywhere/all the time, balcony tea parties with Grandma (there goes my reading on my balcony ) and rock concert decibel level screaming on the pool and sports deck.

[Tapi]

2 hours ago, Onthetweendeck said:

Anyone understand this promotion. Is it any ship during the promotion booking window or only certain sailings. How would you know your sailing was affected if you book before or after the promotion ended. 

Kids Sail Free Promotions are usually offered on “soft sailings”, meaning sailings that don’t have a max occupancy restriction, and where a large percentage of 3rd and 4th berths normally sail empty. 

 

High demand sailings will have a max occupancy restriction, and on those, a Kids Sail Free promotion won’t be offered because all staterooms will need to be sold at their max occupancy. 

 

If you saw a lot of rowdy kids over Christmas, it wasn’t because of a Kids Sail Free promotion. It was because it was a high season sailing where Royal Caribbean imposed a max occupancy restriction which meant all berths had to be filled with paying passengers. 

Edited January 27, 2019 by Tapi

[George C]

All our recent cruises have been suites mostly grand suites on rccl, really nice cabin , but perks are very different depending on ship , larger ships like oasis has a suite 

lounge and a suite restaurant. Most others have a suite lounge or a concierge lounge with free drinks for 3.5 hours a night . Some ships have reserved pool seating others do not. Really perfer suite perks on celebrity, all there ships have a very nice suite restaurant and a suite lounge that has free drinks from early morning to about midnight.also really looking forward to msc yacht club later this year. 

[Cruise a holic]

10 hours ago, Cruise a holic said:

We were on the Harmony of the Seas in a Crown loft suite earlier this month.  Love the suite experience on the Royal Oasis class ships.  If you book a grand suite and above,  you have great perks.  A beautiful lounge and private restaurant, with excellent service. In the lounge, they have included nightly cocktail hours with free drinks and nice snacks. You have a concierge that will help you with priority reservations, special boarding and disembarkation.  The ships also have a nice private suite deck.  They have a private bar, hot tub, some cabanas available, first come availability and plenty of seating in shade and sun.  You also have access to barefoot beach on labadee which is wonderful and not crowded.  Had a suite on the Adventure and that experience wasn't worth additional money.  Nothing like the Oasis class ships.   IMO on Princess not worth it- On NCL we did enjoy the Haven, but seemed to be overpriced for a small suite.  Never sailed on NCL.  We really enjoyed the Suite experience on Celebrity, especially the Edge.

 

Never sailed on MSC.  Have sailled on NCL.  Error.  

[SRF]

I have only sailed in full suites on Royal.  First time, near sailing a Royal Family suite became available, and was cheaper on sale that the JR Suite and Balcony we had booked (us and my parents).  So a no brainer.

 

Next cruise, I booked a GS just because, and since have booked GS.  All cruises in Grandeur.

 

We like the extra room.  The nice balcony to spend time on.  The free room service to enjoy breakfast on a sea day or two on the balcony.  The priority disembarkation at ports and upon return.

 

The concierge lounge is nice.  And Grandeur has a Suite/Pinnacle officer meet and greet, with food and free drinks.

 

We also get a plate of goodies every evening.  Sometimes sweet, sometimes savory.  Several times per cruise, it is chocolate covered strawberries.  And once per cruise, it is has been a mini cake, fully iced, with Grandeur of the Seas in script icing on it.

 

I don't understand the above comment about taking buffet food to the specialty restaurant.  On Grandeur, one of the specialty restaurants is open for breakfast, with full table service for suite guests.

 

We prefer to cruise less often, but in a suite, to cruising more often in a lower category cabin.

Edited January 28, 2019 by SRF

[Tulsacoker]

20 minutes ago, SRF said:

We prefer to cruise less often, but in a suite, to cruising more often in a lower category cabin.

 

Completely agree

[MadamG2U]

In November we stayed in the royal suite on the Oasis.  First time suite for us and it was worth every penny of it.  Hoping to snag another suite on the Anthem in September.

 

MadamG2U