Aft on serenade: JS 1100 or bal 9256?

[SunsetsNSmiles]

Hi all!

first time post, so hopefully I am posting in the correct place. 
my question is to those who have sailed on Serenade and have had JS 1100 or the state room below it: 9256. 
I currently have balcony 9256 booked for a 5 night sail… for another 700 or so odd dollars I can get the suite above. 
I have read reviews about the windjammer noises early in the morning being a disturbance. 
Would you say that staying in the JS is worth it, even with the noises? We are on this cruise during our 20th anniversary and I want to get it right. I also know DH likes when I get a bargain, which I believe I did for the spacious aft balcony (about 1800, taxes and tips included) So I keep going back and forth on if 700 is worth it (or should I put that money towards the drink packages and be happy with the room I booked!)

We are also newbies, as we only cruised once when our children were very young… now that they are older we want to try again. 

Any thoughts would be so appreciated! Thanks!

[Kellie in Texas]

We were on Serenade last June (2022) and had the aft JS 1602, just a few doors down from 1100. LOVED IT! We also had four people in the cabin so the extra space inside and on the balcony was very nice. I can't tell from the deck plan for 9256 whether the balcony is out to the side? I guess it must be, so you'd have a side or maybe corner view? 

 

We loved JS 1602 and yes, we did have the occasional noise from the outdoor area of the Windjammer, but that balcony is so deep, you could scoot back towards the door and avoid some of the noise. The noise was mostly just people talking; I don't recall any loud noises like scraping chairs, etc. There were a couple of days when the balcony and all the furniture was wet, which made me wonder if they hose off the Windjammer floor in the middle of the night. Yes, we were in Alaska and yes, we had some rain, but the mornings when the balcony was all wet, it was a sunny morning. So I'm not sure if it was rain or cleaning during the night.

 

I can't say whether I think it's worth an extra $700. You didn't say where you are sailing; that might make a difference. We sailed from Vancouver so it was very cool to be on the back, see the other ships in port with us, and the Vancouver cruise terminal as we sailed away. 

[SunsetsNSmiles]

8 minutes ago, Kellie in Texas said:

I can't say whether I think it's worth an extra $700. You didn't say where you are sailing; that might make a difference.

thanks so much Kellie for the help 😊
we are sailing out of Tampa… heading down to Cozumel. 
I’m leaning towards the suite just to have a bigger shower area. Also, I don’t know how big of a deal embarkation time is during check in, but if that makes it a lot less time consuming to get on the ship - that can add to its worth too? 

[Kellie in Texas]

Yes, the JS early boarding and the larger bathroom are definite perks. Also a walk-in closet. We also had a single-serve coffee maker in the JS.  I haven't sailed from Tampa but I can say that Vancouver last summer was the worst boarding we've ever had. There appeared to be nobody in charge in the large waiting room where everybody was (mostly) seated and waiting to be called. That being said, even though it was really disorganized, once they started, we got on fairly quickly. Sounds to me like you are talking yourself into the JS.  🙂 

[Jimbo]

Are you holding cabin #1100 right now, because if you talk about it much longer it will be gone by another cruiser on your same sailing if you don't have it on hold.

 

Chances are it just got canceled by someone and others on your sailing are thinking about the switch right now also.

Edited May 7, 2023 by Jimbo

[SunsetsNSmiles]

20 minutes ago, Kellie in Texas said:

Sounds to me like you are talking yourself into the JS.  🙂 

I def am 😂 I just need that extra little push!! Thank you for your help! 

[SunsetsNSmiles]

The travel agency I used to book is closed right now 😬 

If I can grab it by the morning i will! 

[SunsetsNSmiles]

8 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Are you holding cabin #1100 right now, because if you talk about it much longer it will be gone by another cruiser on your same sailing if you don't have it on hold.

 

Chances are it just got canceled by someone and others on your sailing are thinking about the switch right now also.

The travel agency I used to book is closed right now 😬 

If I can grab it by the morning i will! 

[RFerrington]

@SunsetsNSmiles, I am having the exact same debate with myself !!

 

We are currently booked in 8168 and considering upgrading to 1100.  I'm not sure it's worth the extra money to upgrade for us since this is only a 4 night cruise.  8168 also has an extended balcony, although not nearly as big as 1100.  I really like that the bed is next to the slider in 8168.  I really love the extra space in the JS but I'm not sure it's worth it for us.

 

When are you sailing ?  We are on 7-6-23.

[SunsetsNSmiles]

@RFerrington

we are sailing October 24 for this particular cruise… so it is still very far out for us. I just love putting fun things in my planner!! 
 

I hear you about going back and forth… if we end up not being able to get 1100, I will probably deal with some FOMO, but I will get over it… since the room we have is a big aft balcony directly below it. 
 

The reasons I am talking myself into it: the size of the bathroom, embarkation ease, coffee maker and finally, double points… I have 4 cruises lined up with RCCL and although we are just getting back into cruising, I would love to make my way up in C&A 

 

how much extra is it for you? For us it is an extra $766 for 5 nights 

 

 

[RFerrington]

4 minutes ago, SunsetsNSmiles said:

How much extra is it for you? For us it is an extra $766 for 5 nights 

I'm not entirely sure as I have not yet called.  This is a casino comp for us so you never really know how much those are going to cost to upgrade. Just going strictly by the online pricing (which is never exactly accurate for casino pricing) it would be $789 PP...but I'm guessing slightly less than that with the casino magic pricing.  That's really kind of a lot more for 4 nights.

 

Frankly, I'm surprised that this stateroom is still available.  It is one of the most sough-after rooms on the ship !  It's been showing available for almost 2 weeks now.  I keep hoping that someone will snatch it up and take the decision out of my hands !!  LOL

 

You reasoning is sound though....priority check-in, bigger room, bigger bathroom, double points...all worthy of consideration.  The only negative is the longer walk aft, but I already have that one to deal with so it's a wash.  If this were a 5-nighter I would probably do it.  ...just wavering still for a 4-nighter.

[Jimbo]

24 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

@SunsetsNSmiles, I am having the exact same debate with myself !!

 

We are currently booked in 8168 and considering upgrading to 1100.  I'm not sure it's worth the extra money to upgrade for us since this is only a 4 night cruise.  8168 also has an extended balcony, although not nearly as big as 1100.  I really like that the bed is next to the slider in 8168.  I really love the extra space in the JS but I'm not sure it's worth it for us.

 

When are you sailing ?  We are on 7-6-23.

 

18 minutes ago, SunsetsNSmiles said:

@RFerrington

we are sailing October 24 for this particular cruise… so it is still very far out for us. I just love putting fun things in my planner!! 
 

I hear you about going back and forth… if we end up not being able to get 1100, I will probably deal with some FOMO, but I will get over it… since the room we have is a big aft balcony directly below it. 
 

The reasons I am talking myself into it: the size of the bathroom, embarkation ease, coffee maker and finally, double points… I have 4 cruises lined up with RCCL and although we are just getting back into cruising, I would love to make my way up in C&A 

 

how much extra is it for you? For us it is an extra $766 for 5 nights 

 

 

Mistake, never mention the sailing dates.

[RFerrington]

LOL  Not a mistake for me.  I'm hoping someone DOES go and snatch it up so I won't have to worry about it anymore !

[SunsetsNSmiles]

@Jimbo I guess I  should have posted this question when my travel agent was open.. rookie mistake on my part 😂 

[Ashland]

The #1100 has it's own fan base..it's definitely a favorite !!! We usually sail in GS and above but will book the 1100 when it's available. I have it booked for the British Isles on Jewel for this July.

[swoopy2110]

1100 is great! Go for it right now.

[Miss Vickie]

We booked one of the aft balconies in deck 10 of multiple radiance class ships, including Serenade, multiple times (we’ve been in 1104 or 1604 at least 12 times). We finally moved down to the deck 9 aft balconies because of the early morning noise from the Windjammer, and occasionally the music the late night cleaning crew would play.

Edited May 7, 2023 by Miss Vickie

[SunsetsNSmiles]

42 minutes ago, swoopy2110 said:

 

1100 is great! Go for it right now.

 

I called RCCL but they can’t change it since I booked with a TA… I need to wait until the morning now 🙃😬

[SunsetsNSmiles]

3 minutes ago, Miss Vickie said:

We finally moved down to the deck 9 aft balconies because of the early morning noise from the Windjammer, and occasionally the music the late night cleaning crew would play.

 That’s what I’m afraid of… the perks of the suite are so enticing though! Ugh!! 

[CruiserMickey]

We are in JS 1100 on Brilliance right now and we LOVE IT! I would not hesitate to book it again. 

[WorkingForOBC]

9 minutes ago, CruiserMickey said:

We are in JS 1100 on Brilliance right now and we LOVE IT! I would not hesitate to book it again. 

We booked 1100 for an Alaska cruise on the Brilliance for 2024.

We are so excited! Would love to hear if you have any recs/tips after your cruise.

[CruiserMickey]

16 minutes ago, WorkingForOBC said:

We booked 1100 for an Alaska cruise on the Brilliance for 2024.

We are so excited! Would love to hear if you have any recs/tips after your cruise.

I think you will love this stateroom. We have done Alaska cruises many times (we just live 1 hour from Vancouver), so are planning on taking advantage of the balcony as much as we can.

 

Ask any questions and I am happy to answer!

[WorkingForOBC]

54 minutes ago, CruiserMickey said:

I think you will love this stateroom. We have done Alaska cruises many times (we just live 1 hour from Vancouver), so are planning on taking advantage of the balcony as much as we can.

 

Ask any questions and I am happy to answer!

Don't want to threadjack, but there are a couple questions that pop into mind.

 

Do you know if the stewards will provide extra blankets to use while sitting out on the balcony, or if you'd recommend bringing our own?

 

Along with Inside Passage cruising to and from Vancouver, our itinerary should include Hubbard glacier, and Tracey Arm Fjord. Ideally we'll have great sightseeing opportunities from the balcony. However, are there times you think we should try to stake out a spot on the foreward part of the ship?

 

This will be my family's first trip to Alaska (me, DW, and DS (age 8)) but it hopefully won't be our last.

 

 Also, to the OP, @SunsetsNSmiles, good luck snagging 1100 tomorrow!

[CruiserMickey]

2 hours ago, WorkingForOBC said:

Don't want to threadjack, but there are a couple questions that pop into mind.

 

Do you know if the stewards will provide extra blankets to use while sitting out on the balcony, or if you'd recommend bringing our own?

 

Along with Inside Passage cruising to and from Vancouver, our itinerary should include Hubbard glacier, and Tracey Arm Fjord. Ideally we'll have great sightseeing opportunities from the balcony. However, are there times you think we should try to stake out a spot on the foreward part of the ship?

 

This will be my family's first trip to Alaska (me, DW, and DS (age 8)) but it hopefully won't be our last.

 

 Also, to the OP, @SunsetsNSmiles, good luck snagging 1100 tomorrow!

We got our blankets from the towel station on the pool deck, so we didn’t ask our room steward.

 

Honestly, I prefer a private balcony for glacier viewing. Bundle up, enjoy your balcony and you have your own bathroom if you need it. Definitely do find a forward viewpoint for the panoramic splendour, though. We live an hour from the port on a mountain, so the views for us are not new. If this is your first time in Alaska, I hope you are awestruck by the beauty. Bring binoculars so you can search for wildlife!

[JTBCruiser]

We recently had JS 1100 on our Western Caribbean sailing.  DW's sister and BIL had an interior cabin so we had plenty of space for them to join us on the aft balcony.  2 lounge chairs, 2 chairs and 2 tables.  Absolutely loved it.  Minimal noise from the WJ above and very peaceful to enjoy drinks as we enjoyed the view.