Is the price of a suite worth it?

[General Max]

To us it was. We made extensive use out of the balcony and Neptune lounge. As this was our first cruise, I have no regrets. The free laundry and dry cleaning was also nice as the cruise followed our week land tour in Alaska. Also enjoyed the three cocktail parties and the Captain's lunch.

General Max

[Krazy Kruizers]

OH - we definitely think the price we pay for a suite is worth it.

We love the extra room - the big verandahs - the Neptune Lounge - everything!!!

That's the only way we cruise - the suite life.

[cactuslady]

Depends on how much more it is. The extra cost of a suite varies widely from cruise to cruise. While the extras are wonderful, when it gets up to several thousand dollars (as it was for our Med. cruise), I have to think twice about paying so much for them. When there is only a few hundred dollar difference, I am extra happy about enjoying the bargain.

If I am ever so lucky as to be more than drooling at the brochures for a world cruise (how likely is that?), I would have to think REALLY hard about the difference between $30,000 and $100,000.

[Orcrone]

I think, like many luxuries, that it all depends upon how much disposable income you have and what your priorities are. For us, with one child heading off to college next year a suite is not a priority, at least not at the premium it costs for our two booked cruises. But for people with more disposable income, or just different priorities, it is easily justifiable.

Let me clarify. When I say "different priorities" I am not making any judgement of other people's priorities. We all have priorities of where we spend our disposable income. For me, purchasing a relatively high end surround sound system last year was a priority. For others, it's spending more on vacations. No right or wrong, just different.

[WindyCity]

Definitely the price of a suite is worth it. Love the extra space and all the perks!!:D

[cruzbums]

Love the extra room. King size bed. The great treats in the Neptune Lounge. The service from the staff in the Neptune Lounge. The free laundry. In our opinion it is worth the extra price.

[Tatka]

For 3 of us it would probably mean 1 cruise/vacation a year instead of 2. We are cruising mostly when our son is out of school and prices are higher. We are also paying airfare for 3.

[jhannah]

The free laundry and dry cleaning was also nice...I know what you're thought is ... but that stuff's in no way free. You can get most everything that comes as a suite perk for a lot less than the cost of a suite. While the extra space is wonderful, inside and veranda, my willingness to pay stops at an SS cabin. The jump from there to S is significant ... at least to me.

[RevNeal]

I would really love to book and cruise in suites; the extra space and the extra-large verandah would be wonderful. But I cannot afford it ... not for the longer cruises that I prefer to take. Our Panama Canal Cruise would have cost us somewhat more than TWICE what we paid for it had we tried to go in a Suite; it was difficult enough for me to manage 1 fare, but to double it would have made the cruise impossible for me.

In other words, I appreciate the joy of being able to cruise, and am thankful I'm aboard in my inside j-category cabin. Would I LIKE to be in an S? Yes. But that would mean cruising every-other-year, and on shorter cruises than I would like (7 days as opposed to 2 or more weeks) and I'm not willing to do that just for the luxury of a larger cabin and a huge verandah. For those who can afford it, I think it's GREAT ... perhaps, one day, the Bishop will appoint me to a church that pays enough money to enable me to afford such accommodations. But, for now, I'm tickled pink to be boarding a HAL ship just one week from Saturday!!!!! :)

Oh, by the way ... I'm told by my sources that the Zaandam is not sold out, and that they will be offering upgrades at the pier to outsides and to A/B verandah cabins. IF the upgrade price is no more than about $500 pp to get an A/B verandah cabin, Chris has said he'll pay for it ... so ... pray. PRAY HARD. Thanks! ;)

[ianturner]

In a word YES YES YES, well maybe thats three words.

[WindyCity]

PRAYING for the Rev!!!

[BCEagle78]

The suites are great, if money is no object.

I just married of my oldest daughter and have 2 in college. Booking an inside cabin (guarenteed) is what I can do now. Maybe we can do differently further down the road.

So for me, the Suite is something to strive for but not a high priority at this time. :)

[ekerr19]

I agree with several other posters - it would limit the number of cruises we take per year, we usually cruise with our two children, try to get reasonably priced accomodations.

We had a Suite on the Zui - it was very nice, but not necessary, for us.

If I could afford it and still cruise as often as I wanted? Sure, I'd take it! :D

[Sailure]

I would really love to book and cruise in suites; the extra space and the extra-large verandah would be wonderful. But I cannot afford it ... Rev. Neal

Well Rev Neal, you could always make a deal with the line and do a little "reverending" or counseling or some of the Lord's work, take up a little collection for this and apply it toward a suite!

I was on a cruise once where we had a priest onboard, Father Jack, who did a lot of digital photography on all the islands we visited. He had a printer in his cabin and he would set up his "artwork" in one of the meeting rooms and sell lots of his pictures and make CDs of the cruise and sell them. He said he gave the proceeds to some brothers, but I don't think that donation would have to go TOTALLY to charity and you could keep some of the profits for yourself!:D

Free enterprise is a good thing...so our president says. ;)

[Quendryth]

We have gone back to mini suites because the cost of a full suite is just too much of a difference. On the cruise to the Carribean on the Veendam in Nov. 2005 the cost of a full suite is more than $1,200 pp than a mini! That sure is a lot of laundry & dry cleaning to make it add up to that much $$$. The suite is lovely because of the size, but KK I have to disagree with you. I believe the verandah on the S class ships are exactly the same size for a full Suite or a mini.

Besides HAL keeps taking away perks not adding to them! Remember the full dinner with the Captain and officers? More than one cocktail party in a lounge - not the Neptune Lounge where everyone is on top of one another!

I would wager that very soon the "free" laundry & dry cleaning will be a thing of the past too.

So we will just go to the front desk to leave our cc # and go to the Lido for our coffee in the morning!

This year we will be on the Infinity to Hawaii & we will have a butler to do all that for us. I think I will miss that perk on HAL next year!But now we can cruise 2 times a year because we "downgraded" to a mini! Yipee!

Q

[sail7seas]

We have gone back to mini suites because the cost of a full suite is just too much of a difference. On the cruise to the Carribean on the Veendam in Nov. 2005 the cost of a full suite is more than $1,200 pp than a mini! That sure is a lot of laundry & dry cleaning to make it add up to that much $$$. The suite is lovely because of the size, but KK I have to disagree with you. I believe the verandah on the S class ships are exactly the same size for a full Suite or a mini.


The verandas in the "S" suites on Statendam Class ships are exactly DOUBLE the size of the category "A" and " B"
cabins.

[iluvcruzin]

For some it's more than worth it. For me it's not. Could I afford a suite? sure.. Is it worth it to me for what it provides? Not really.

[RevNeal]

Well Rev Neal, you could always make a deal with the line and do a little "reverending" or counseling or some of the Lord's work, take up a little collection for this and apply it toward a suite!

:)
I already serve the Line as a protestant chaplain about once a year. They don't let us stay in suites, but they do let us go and enjoy the cruise and take full advantage of the ship! :D I've enjoyed it each time I've done it thus far.

[jhannah]

Father Jack ... would set up his "artwork" in one of the meeting rooms and sell lots of his pictures and make CDs of the cruise and sell them.Wow! And the ship's photogs allowed this? I'm amazed!

[Spot]

We loved our suite on the Maasdam and have one for our upcoming on the Z but I'm thinking (after hearing so much on these boards) to try an SS. I'm blindly trusting on this one mind you :).

[Quendryth]

I am sorry! I meant to say that SS & PH verandahs were the same size. I did not mean to say the SS & minis were the same size! Excuse me.

Please don't flame me! It was an honest mistake!

Q

[dakrewser]

I am sorry! I meant to say that SS & PH verandahs were the same size. I did not mean to say the SS & minis were the same size! Excuse me.

Please don't flame me! It was an honest mistake!
Q

Umm, you weren't flamed. Corrected, yes. Flamed, no. After all, it was an honest mistake, something we all do from time to time. Well, most of us. That is, everyone except me, of course. And sometimes you, certainly.

Now I hope I've made that perfectly clear!

:) -dave

[Vic The Parrot]

**bowing to dave**


O great dave-meister, sorry for the error.
Please, no more wet noodles!!

[Quendryth]

Thanks Dave!

I am certain those who have read my posts over the past 4 years would concur! It just pays to be alert, & I wasn't this time! I don't post very often anymore because of this. Hate to be called a "know it all."

Q

[Sailure]

Originally Posted by Sailure
Father Jack ... would set up his "artwork" in one of the meeting rooms and sell lots of his pictures and make CDs of the cruise and sell them.

Wow! And the ship's photogs allowed this? I'm amazed!

I don't see how they could stop him. He didn't take pix of people in the dining room or around the ship and never once stood in front of or next to a ship's photog to horn in on their job.

He also gave lots of talks about digital photography and tips and tricks. The pax really loved it and learned alot.

He's the one that got me started on using treated artist canvas in my inkjet printer and printing my pix that look as though they've been oil painted on real canvas.

Rev. Neal said he'd love a suite but can't afford it, I think doing something like this would be able to pay for a suite once in awhile. I imagine he's probably a great photographer!;)

[tooalto]

One other Suite perk which was, this year, the biggest of them all. We were able to get a great price on a Suite on the Zuiderdam. However, our cruise was the "Hurricane Frances" cruise. We didn't try to change our flight onboard since we had made our own arrangements and didn't have to be home any particular time. Since we had a Suite, we were among the first to disembark and the line at the airport was quite short. We were not able to confirm a flight home until Wednesday Sep. 8 but were put standby on a flight leaving that (Monday) afternoon. We made it on the flight and were home by 10:30 Monday evening! A gal just two people in line behind us didn't make the flight. So, our suite saved us to extra days in Florida!

[Nasmas]

I think the suite is worth it. But a word of advice. If you've never done an S, don't. You'll be forever hooked and will not want to settle for less. But, I can say that last year, we booked a last minute on the Volendam and they S rooms were gone so we took a guaranteed SS and it was very nice. We were booked on the 09/04 but had to cancel and the S suites were not very much higher than the SS, so given that, it was well worth. The first time we had an S, my husband booked it as a gift to me and it was a lot more. I personally wouldn't have paid that much, but we were so pleased and amazed when we walked in that room. It was huge. HOOKED. That's all I can say.

[Vicar]

I too agree that although I would love a suite , rightnow it is just a litttle tough on the budget, and would cutail the frequency of my vacations.

Now if I ever hit the Lotto and the Rev becomes pastor of a nice congregation in Beverly Hills. That would be some party *LOL*

:) :) :)

[RevNeal]

Rev. Neal said he'd love a suite but can't afford it, I think doing something like this would be able to pay for a suite once in awhile. I imagine he's probably a great photographer!

Thanks. In fact, I'm an amateur photographer. I photograph what I like without thinking too much about such matters as lighting and composition. This means that, sometimes, I get some good shots.

[Vicar]

Thanks. In fact, I'm an amateur photographer. I photograph what I like without thinking too much about such matters as lighting and composition. This means that, sometimes, I get some good shots.


Some of the best shots are the spur of the moment, just point and shoot pictures. :)

[dakrewser]

[QUOTE=Vic The Parrot
O great dave-meister, sorry for the error.
Please, no more wet noodles!![/QUOTE]
Hey wet noodles can be tasty, like in a Beef Stroganoff!

:) -dave

[RaffinOrganGrinders]

We are hoping to be hooked on our S-suite trip in Feb. 05.

Missed the chance for an affordable step up on our trip to Hawaii last Feb. 04. By the time we made up our minds the S-suite was no longer available. Later when we saw a cancellation, the price had doubled, we said "no thanks."

This time the early booking made it very reasonable. :rolleyes:

[npeters]

I had booked an S suite on my last Zui cruise to the West Caribbean in August. It was a great price but the HAL reservationist booked the wrong date and by the time it was fixed, the S's were gone. Instead, we got an SS for about $200 less pp. Although I was initially sad not to get the S, the SS was fantastic! Thinking back, the only thing I think I missed was the free laundry, but since I overpack anyway, and it was only my hubby and I, and I brought along woolite to do handwashings, laundry turned out to be a non-issue. Embarkation was easy and fast even without priority. The food in the Lido was fine, plus room service was excellent. We had fresh fruit every day in our cabin. The room steward was excellent, we saw him all the time in the halls so if we ever needed anything, it was done. We always got our tender tickets even when we had early shore tours. We had a late afternoon flight so priority debarkation was a non-issue, but you fill out a questionnaire and let HAL know when your flight leaves and they prioritize debarkation times as such. The SS was extra large with plenty of room. I saw a regular balcony too and while smaller, still good sized.