Star C603 balcony or Dolphin mini guarantee?

[patches05]

DH and I are currently booked on the Star for April '07. We have a BA balcony room, C603. For $50 less pp we could get an AE category mini-suite on the Dolphin deck. It would be a guaranteed cabin.

 

Has anyone ever made this type of voluntary move? If we book a guaranteed cabin, the lowest category we could get is the AE, is that correct? Since the only option being offered is a guarantee, does that increase our chances of being placed in a more expensive cabin? We've only had balcony cabins before so I am not sure if this is a good switch.

 

I'd appreciate the advice of any experienced cruisers out there - thanks! :)

[sun&sea]

For $50 less you get a mini? Do it! Seems like a no-brainer to me. There are not many AE cat minis. You will probably end up with an AC.

 

Janet

[patches05]

Thanks for the advice! Besides a larger room, what other "perks" come with a mini-suite?

[sun&sea]

Mostly just a bigger cabin, but you also get a bigger bathroom with a tub, nicer towels and bed linens, and a new softer mattress. Your balcony with a mini will be smaller than the Caribe deck balcony, but the cabin is much roomier.

 

Janet

[ssbeagle]

Mostly just a bigger cabin, but you also get a bigger bathroom with a tub, nicer towels and bed linens, and a new softer mattress. Your balcony with a mini will be smaller than the Caribe deck balcony, but the cabin is much roomier.

 

Janet

 

Unless they give you a mini on Emerald deck. They have the covered balconies. It's just the Dolphin deck ones that are open.

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

We always book Caribe and would turn down an upgrade to a Mini-suite. But it's all in what you like. Yes, the minis have a bigger shower (the shower on Caribe is TINY!!!) and another little sitting area but we prefer the bigger balcony. It is twice the size of the mini's and is half covered to get out of the sun and half open to get in it! :p

 

But it's a matter of personal choice. Bigger cabin or bigger balcony.

[SPI_Rick]

Well, as Sox Fan Cruiser says, it is a matter of taste.....but I've had Baja deck balcony cabins and Dolphin deck mini-suites and for me the mini-suite is far better. With that said, you will be happy with either cabin type on the Star.

 

Consider some of the following items:

 

How long is your cruise?: The longer the cruise, the better a mini-suite looks.

 

How many people will be using your balcony and how much privacy do they require?: If you have a lot of people using the balcony, you may want the larger balcony. If you can't stand the thought that someone might be able to see you as you lounge outside your room then you may want a fully covered balcony.

 

Do you want a larger bathroom/shower?: If so, take the mini-suite.

 

 

For most people, the main reason that they book a standard cabin instead of a mini-suite is cost.....you seem to have found a way to lower your cost and still get the larger room. Enjoy your good fortune.

[patches05]

Thank you all for the tips and advice! We decided to go for the cheaper mini-suite. While a balcony would have been fine for DH and I, we figured we might as well try the mini-suite. Now I am sure we will be spoiled! :)

 

For those of you who have booked guaranteed cabins in the past, when are you given a specific cabin number? Our cruise isn't until early April.