Catagory one

[Carol D.]

Has anyone sailed in a cat 1 stateroom? Wondering if it is worth the price.

[Host Mick]

Has anyone sailed in a cat 1 stateroom? Wondering if it is worth the price.
Well, sorry about that. I'm calling a Mulligan. I'll elaborate in perhaps a more graceful manner.

The Cat 1 and 2 suites are very hard to get as they are booked soon after they are available and there are only two of each of them. They are 1029 and 945 square feet respectively which is larger than a lot of apartments, certainly larger than my first, but they sleep up to seven. They will sell for up to $10,000 & 9400 each the last that I checked (2 people, peak season, no discounts). If you fill the suite with seven adults, it hits $18,500.

However if you're looking to see if they are a value, they are or are not depending on what you consider to be worth it. You can get seven people on the ship for a lot less in a cat 2 or by booking adjoining suites down to eight people in 2 cat 12 suites for $6800.

Intreresting enough though, I did the math and I was surprised to find that the cat 1 suites are the least expensive on the ship in terms of square ft. per dollar. The cat 1 cost $9.72/sq.ft. and the cat 7 at $23/sq.ft. the most expensive. So, if "worth it" means the most space for your buck, then they are, assuming that the $18,500 isn't a problem.

The cat 1, 2 and 3 have automatic concierge service which includes private check-in, private waiting area, shore excursion priority, personalized stationary, a private party with the captain etc... which you have to factor into your "worth" calculus.

The target market for the cat 1 is folks who simply don't sweat how much things cost. Those who are able to afford the luxury of space and the perks of having the concierge services.

Nobody can answer your question about whether it's "worth it" except you because you define "worth" for yourself. I hope that this helps.

[JanetMarie]

We found this category to be appropriate for our family. There was never an issue of storage space or "meandering" room. ;)

[wdwlvr]

Intreresting enough though, I did the math and I was surprised to find that the cat 1 suites are the least expensive on the ship in terms of square ft. per dollar. The cat 1 cost $9.72/sq.ft. and the cat 7 at $23/sq.ft. the most expensive. So, if "worth it" means the most space for your buck, then they are, assuming that the $18,500 isn't a problem..

Well let me start by saying there is no way I could ever afford a Cat 1 so forgive me for hijacking the thread for a moment.

Mick - how can a cat 7 be the most expensive when it has the same square footage as a cat 6 & 5 which cost more? Or are you looking at the square footage and dividing it by the number of people it holds (since a cat 7 only can hold 3). Just curious as the cat 7 is our favorite.

[Carol D.]

For me it would only be (maybe) possible if we skipped our yearly vacations for 3-4 years, and then on the fourth year, made it really special and splurged for the cat. 1. It seems like traveling in a cat. 6 each year X 3 years = the same as traveling in a cat. 1 once, since a cat. 1 is 3x more expensive than a cat. 6. Just a thought, has anyone done this?

[Host Mick]

Well let me start by saying there is no way I could ever afford a Cat 1 so forgive me for hijacking the thread for a moment.

Mick - how can a cat 7 be the most expensive when it has the same square footage as a cat 6 & 5 which cost more? Or are you looking at the square footage and dividing it by the number of people it holds (since a cat 7 only can hold 3). Just curious as the cat 7 is our favorite.
To keep it simple, I was using the pricing for two adults only in each of the staterooms. There's a whole lot of combinations of adults, kids and babys that get different results.
According to the Passporter's Guide, the cat 5, cat 6 and are all the same size at 268 square ft. I must have picked up the wrong number for cat 7. The only difference between the three categories is that 7 is a navigator's verandah and the other's are full verandahs on different decks.

[JanetMarie]

I meant to add that everyone (the kids) enjoyed bringing their friends back to our suite. Plopped down and watched movies on the tv together - they really had fun.

[NJfamily]

I was lucky enough to stay in one of the Cat 1’s on the 10/30/04 Magic Cruise. We had 7 people, 5 adults and 2 kids. We booked it around 18 months in advance and did not pay anything close to $18,000. I am aware of someone who recently got a quote for 2006 for 2 Adults and 4 kids that was around $13,000.

We booked the room for the space and truly enjoyed the time we spent together in the cabin. On our first Disney Cruise we had booked a Cat 4 connecting to a Cat 3, for close to the same price we had paid for the 2 cabins, we booked the Cat 1. The Cat 1 had much more space and 3 separate sleeping areas. (The Library has a Murphy bed and the room can be closed off from the living room for privacy.)

[DVCDeb]

Have not stayed yet but will let you know. Got lucky enough to call day of cancellation for Roy Disney Suite. Price no where near what some are quoting. Looking forward to celebrating 50th birthday:)