Aqua Theater Suite or Owners Suite on Harmony?

[avatar133]

Hi everyone. We're planning on going on a cruise in the fall and we're trying to decide between an Aquatheater Suite or an Owners suite. We stayed in our very first suite last year also on Harmony which was the Crown Loft Suite! We absolutely LOVED IT! (#TeamDeck17 am I right?) We're thinking of doing a different suite this time. We wont rule out staying in the CLS again, but wanted something different! What are the pros and cons of each room? Which would you recommend staying in? Thanks!

[TheInnocentAge]

If you're a fan of big balconies, my choice would be the AquaTheater Suite, but only if it's one of the lower decks (preferably deck 8). That's because those ATS cabins and balconies get a bit smaller as you go up higher, with deck 8 being the largest (800+ sq. ft. of cabin, plus almost another 800 of balcony). Great views of the shows, and with the horseshoe shaped balcony there is also a private side that faces the ocean. Plus the ones on Deck 8 are Star Class, so you get the unlimited specialty dining, deluxe drink package, Genie, and all the other Star perks. The rest of the ATS (decks 9 and above) are Sky Class I believe.

 

One downside to the ATS would be that its a longer walk to the Coastal Kitchen, which was one of the great things about being in a Crown Loft and just steps away from CK.

 

Having stayed in all three cabin types you mentioned, I would choose the ATS #1 if you can get deck 8. If not, then I would go with the Crown Loft. For me the Owners Suite would be #3.

[George C]

We have done owners class on oasis , huge living room, dining table , balcony was about 200 sq Ft. Great bathroom with jacuzzi tub , separate shower and double sinks .

[sammyg425]

ATS on deck 8, 9, and 10 are Star Class and have 2 bedrooms, which can be a great configuration. The higher ones are one bedroom and are Sky Class. It is a trek to CK, but we didn’t mind. The balcony is amazing. I have it booked again for Harmony. The ocean views and aqua show views are just so great. 

[LisaLisa87]

How many people will be in the room? DH and I travel with our DD, and we've stayed in both a CLS and 1-bedroom ATS, but not an owner's suite. I'm guessing you're looking at a 1BR ATS since a 2BR would be star class and likely much more expensive than the other two suites you're considering. We had an ATS on deck 11 on Allure. They do get smaller as you go up on both Allure and Harmony, so the largest 1BRs are on deck 11.

 

We loved the ATS and spent a lot of time on the balcony, which was amazing. We liked that there was a door to the bedroom so it could be completely closed off from the living area. We didn't like that the one bathroom could only be accessed via the bedroom, but it wasn't a deal breaker. Note that the bathroom wasn't anything special. I've seen lots of comments about the low ceiling height, but my DH is 6'4" and had no issues.

 

All things considered, we liked the CLS better than the 1BR ATS, but not by a lot. They both score high on the "wow factor" scale, but we really appreciated the second bathroom in the CLS. We would definitely not pay more for a 1BR ATS than we would for a CLS. Being on the same deck as CK and the SL was a huge plus for the CLS. We ended up using them much more than we did when we were in the ATS.

 

If you're looking to try something really different, the ATS could fit the bill. The owner's suites look great on paper and I know they have a lot of fans, but I personally would rather book a GS and use the money I saved to splurge on other things.

 

Edited April 16 by LisaLisa87

[HBCcruiser]

We LOVED our 2bd ATS on the Harmony last week. We were in 8330 with a HUGE balcony and great views of the Aquashow. Being on Deck 8 was great because it put us close to the specialty restaurants in Central Park. We only visited Ck for breakfast and one dinner. It is an elevator ride up to 17. Easy. Remember, Star Class has the Unlimited Dining Package which allows you to eat or get deliveries from any specialty restaurant.  The suite deck was forward, but we only visited there once. Our balcony was often a better place to catch some sun. I do not think the Owners Suite is Star Class - there is NOTHING better than Star Class IMO! 

 

 

 

Edited April 16 by HBCcruiser

[Ashland]

If it's just the two of you I would opt for the OS. It's our favorite suite regardless of which RCI we're on.

[avatar133]

1 hour ago, HBCcruiser said:

We LOVED our 2bd ATS on the Harmony last week. We were in 8330 with a HUGE balcony and great views of the Aquashow. Being on Deck 8 was great because it put us close to the specialty restaurants in Central Park. We only visited Ck for breakfast and one dinner. It is an elevator ride up to 17. Easy. Remember, Star Class has the Unlimited Dining Package which allows you to eat or get deliveries from any specialty restaurant.  The suite deck was forward, but we only visited there once. Our balcony was often a better place to catch some sun. I do not think the Owners Suite is Star Class - there is NOTHING better than Star Class IMO! 

 

 

 

Yeah unfortunately the 2BR ATS is out of our price range. We have 3 people so its just my parents and myself, so 3 or 3.5k would be my personal budget. The 1 BR ATS just hits that limit.  

[Dawn and Steve]

We are currently in an owners suite on Harmony and love it. Massive room, bathroom and balcony.

Edited April 16 by Dawn and Steve
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[amygutman]

We are boarding the Allure on Friday for my son's 15th birthday (whooo!!!). I know it's not the Harmony but as a similar Oasis class ship we chose the 2 bedroom Aqua Theater Suite 10th floor Star class both for the Genie and view of the Aqua shows. 

 

Honestly, I love a good balcony no matter where I am on the ship, but the opportunity to have one view of the ocean and one view of a cool show is a huge bonus to us. Plus, my family can cheer me on when I climb the rock wall right next to the balcony!

 

It's been almost years since we were last on Royal on the Anthem and cannot wait to try out this class of ship (and have kiddo spoiled for his birthday). 

 

Warmest Amy

[Cruise a holic]

My DH and I are hooked on the Crown loft suites.  Not sure if the Aqua theatre suite has two bathrooms- that is great for us as we can get dressed and ready at the same time.  Also as previously stated the location is the best.

 

Definately not the owners suite.  

[orville99]

We prefer the OS. We found the Aqua Theatre suite balconies to be too noisy with everything going on on the Boardwalk. We also loved the side facing CLS on that class of ship, but would never book one of the aft facing CLS.