RCL suite vs balcony on a more premium line

[zekekelso]

Note - my intention is for this to be a fun thread. Hopefully I’m not insulting any suite people.

 

/seinfeldvoice

 

Whats the deal with people who sail in suites on RCL (or CARNIVAL)? Your money is better spent taking a balcony room on a more upscale line, no?

 

Can someone explain this to a simple steerage passenger like me?  

[George C]

23 minutes ago, zekekelso said:

Note - my intention is for this to be a fun thread. Hopefully I’m not insulting any suite people.

 

/seinfeldvoice

 

Whats the deal with people who sail in suites on RCL (or CARNIVAL)? Your money is better spent taking a balcony room on a more upscale line, no?

 

Can someone explain this to a simple steerage passenger like me?  

Suites give you a very comfortable cabin, much bigger bathroom and balcony . Rccl perks largely depend on ship that you are sailing but normally you get a nice breakfast, concierge, priority boarding and also bypass lines disembarking. I prefer perks on Celebrity suites and MSc yacht club, but rccl offers the best entertainment.

[MikeBayAreaCa]

We get a suite for the size of the room. We enjoy the perks, but we feel confined on smaller rooms. 

[Tapi]

Some people may not care for the product that luxury cruise lines offer. I’ve spoken to several people who simply have no use for upgraded linens, upscale toiletry products, a concierge, more refined service, or cuisine that they can’t even pronounce. For them, it makes more sense to spend their money on a Royal Caribbean suite than on a standard stateroom on Regent. 
 

But even among mass market cruise lines, there’s a huge difference in suite products and perks. For example, Carnival’s suites are nothing more than a larger room with priority boarding as one of the very few perks offered. Others are much more generous but they also cost more. So it does pay to compare, not only the accommodations, but also what perks come with them before making a decision. 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Tapi

[forgotmyCCname]

Right now a suite on Brilliance and Symphony is more expensive than the comparable suite on X. We are staying on Royal because they are more fun with better entertainment. Celebrity is more posh but a little too stiff.

 

We have always cruised in suites for the space, and the perks which vary line to line and by class of ship. 

We aren't casino cruisers who may have a comp of some sort nor do we have the opportunity or time to cruise more than twice a year . So we shall stay with the suites and avoid the lines getting off the ship!
 

 

Edited June 6, 2021 by forgotmyCCname

[George C]

6 minutes ago, forgotmyCCname said:

Right now a suite on Brilliance and Symphony is more expensive than the comparable suite on X. We are staying on Royal because they are more fun with better entertainment. Celebrity is more posh but a little too stiff.

 

We have always cruised in suites for the space, and the perks which vary line to line and by class of ship. 

We aren't casino cruisers who may have a comp of some sort nor do we have the opportunity or time to cruise more than twice a year . So we shall stay with the suites and avoid the lines getting off the ship!
 

 

We have our 4th music charter on Celebrity in February, entertainment is totally amazing, live music all day and night , some of the musicians like Micheal McDonald and Todd Rundgren are in the rock and roll hall of fame, of course I paying a premium price for these cruises. Other than these charters I agree rccl has best entertainment.

[Cigar King]

1 hour ago, zekekelso said:

Whats the deal with people who sail in suites on RCL (or CARNIVAL)? Your money is better spent taking a balcony room on a more upscale line, no?

<seinfeldvoice>

What's the deal with people taking a vacation in a closet sized room with a bathroom the size of an outhouse? I wouldn't wish that on Neuman.

</seinfeldvoice>

[RFerrington]

<All of this "information" applied pre-COVID.  No one knows what the situation will be once cruising resumes>

 

Many of the Suites amenities are ship-class dependent.  With Quantum and Oasis class ships your suite entitles you to complimentary Voom Surf and Stream for every passenger in the suite.  On Oasis class ships, the Suites Lounge/Coastal Kitchen (formerly the Crown Viking Room) provides complimentary 3 meals per day, an "open" bar (soda, water, beer, wine) from 11AM - 11PM and a complimentary coffee machine which will provide upgraded coffee products like cappuccino, lattes, espresso, etc.  Of course, there is the afternoon Happy Hour which will add liquor to the list of complimentary beverages.

 

On Labadee, there is an area of the port that is exclusively for suite guests.  It has complimentary lounge chair seating and an "upgraded" lunch buffet.  I have never found the upgraded lunch to be "all that" but it is what it is.  Suite guests have a special shuttle that will take them from the gate at Labadee to Barefoot Beach and back to the gate when you're ready to go back to the ship. Unfortunately, you still have to walk that LONG pier from the ship to the gate but at least there's a "ride" once you get to land.  OH how I wish they would allow that shuttle to pick us up at the ship !!

 

On all ships, full suites have an exclusive reserved area in the entertainment venues (main theater, ice skating theater, Aquatheater, 270, etc.) depending upon what venues your ship has.  These areas generally open up for public use 5-10 minutes before the beginning of performances.

 

The Suites Concierge can handle any "issue" that you would normally have to stand in line at Guest Services to transact with the possible exception of money exchange.  Any problem with your suite or with your onboard account can be handled by the Suites Concierge without having to wait at GS...a huge advantage at times.

 

Of course, the larger cabin with [normally] a larger balcony is probably the biggest advantage of a suite over other cabin categories.  The Owner's Suites all have a dining table and chairs for in-suite dining, which is a huge upgrade if you like dining in.  Full suites do not have to pay extra for room service.  The expedited boarding and disembarkation can be a big advantage depending upon the ship and port.  Ships sailing out of the new terminal in Miami allow Suites to utilize the new Suites waiting area which is very, very nice. Some of the ports have meager Suites waiting areas (Bayonne comes to mind)....but all of the NA ports that I have left from have some sort of Suites priority waiting area.

 

Whether these upgrades are worth the money is always debatable.  One thing....for most of us, once you go "full suite" you will never be able to go back to a standard cabin. The comfort, convenience and amenities really spoil you.  ...and for goodness sake, don't EVER try Star Class.  Word to the wise....

[Colorado Babe]

We love the suites.  We love the large staterooms, walk in closets, upgraded amenities and access to the suite lounge.  We also love to use Coastal Kitchen on the larger ships.  My husband is still working so when he cruises he wants to feel like he is on vacation and prefers to treat himself. We really don't care about the private beach access as we have found the other beaches on Labadee are much nicer.  We usually just access the private beach for the lunch upgrade but that is about it.  

[CanadaRob]

To the OP, I will look at Some of the Ultra lines like Oceania based on where they go(like St Barts) and yes as a Royal loyalist have not pulled the trigger yet, COVID has given me a good excuse to wait.

[DandDM]

We usually book a grand suite on Royal; took one trip with Azamara specifically for a Cuba intensive itinerary.  With Azamara we had an aft balcony and paid more for it per day than we usually pay for a full suite on Royal.

 

While we enjoyed a lot about Azamara, the ship was small, the entertainment limited, and the guests were generally older. And the perks, while nice, were not as good as suite benefits on Royal.  So while we would do Azamara again for a specific location, we are not going to 'jump ship' and we continue to look at Royal cruises first.  

 

Cheers,

[Sailing12Away]

We've mostly sailed with NCL, have an upcoming trip with RCC this October though in an OS on the Jewel of the Seas. If the itinerary goes where we want to go and the price is something we're comfortable with, we will always book a suite for the extra space and small perks that come with it.

 

Comparing a mainline cruise to one of the luxury ones isn't fair as they're not the same at all and cater to different crowds completely. Since we enjoy the Haven with NCL, we did look into Crystal, Viking, Windstar, etc - but I don't think we're the right demographic for those lines. We're late 30's early 40's, t-shirt and shorts type of folks who enjoy a good burger and wings with a nice craft beer to wash it down equally to our porterhouse for 2 with a fine temperanillo. 

 

Until I graduate from preferring chicken nuggets and mac & cheese to fancy foods I have to google just to know what type of meat it is... and until I can go to dinner in a clean tank top and shorts, we'll stick with the mainlines for now. Some prefer to pay for that fancy experience - I prefer to be left alone to do my own thing.