Newbie cruiser cabin selection help

Hi All - First time cruisers here. We're booked on a Royal Caribbean cruise this August on Independence of the Seas. We currently have a deluxe ocean cabin w/ balcony. It's just my wife and 9-yr old son. We were wondering if upgrading to the jr suite makes much of a difference as far as comfort, room, etc. Cost is not much of an issue - just wondering if the general consensus would be 'don't bother' or 'yes, it's a big difference.' thanks for any direction..

On our very first RCCI cruise, there was a 'sale' on the Adventure of the Seas out of Puerto Rico, so we got the JS. Spoiled since then! That is what we always get now. It's a personal thing, but we really do like the extra room and if you can get on the hump, the balcony is usually bigger as well. Again, we like to spend time in our cabin, so really enjoy it. Some people don't spend a lot of time in their cabins and feel it's not worth it. It is to us. I would also think with three people instead of just the two, it might also be nice. Whatever you decide I'm sure you'll have a wonderful trip. We've not been on the Independence, but her sister ship, the Freedom and loved it. But then we also loved the Voyager Class Ships and the Oasis too! Happy Sailing! :)

Hi All - First time cruisers here. We're booked on a Royal Caribbean cruise this August on Independence of the Seas. We currently have a deluxe ocean cabin w/ balcony. It's just my wife and 9-yr old son. We were wondering if upgrading to the jr suite makes much of a difference as far as comfort, room, etc. Cost is not much of an issue - just wondering if the general consensus would be 'don't bother' or 'yes, it's a big difference.' thanks for any direction..

The JS is about 50% bigger than the standard balconies...also, a big point- the JS's have a walk-in closet..also has a bathtub, which the others don't have..very convenient for 3 on a 6-8 night cruise..and yes, the extra room space in the cabin really helps..just look at the dimensions:

JS - 297 SF & 94 SF balcony

D1-3- 199 SF & 65 SF balcony

E1-E3 - 184 SF & 66 SF balcony

HUGE difference..my wife & I love the JS's ( Grande Suites are even nicer-40% bigger than the JS!)

Best JS's are on Deck 9 on the "hump"..avoid deck 10, as they are right below the pool deck, and can be noisy in the early morning...

Big Al

The JS is about 50% bigger than the standard balconies...also, a big point- the JS's have a walk-in closet..also has a bathtub, which the others don't have..very convenient for 3 on a 6-8 night cruise..and yes, the extra room space in the cabin really helps..just look at the dimensions:

 

JS - 297 SF & 94 SF balcony

 

D1-3- 199 SF & 65 SF balcony

 

E1-E3 - 184 SF & 66 SF balcony

 

HUGE difference..my wife & I love the JS's ( Grande Suites are even nicer-40% bigger than the JS!)

 

Best JS's are on Deck 9 on the "hump"..avoid deck 10, as they are right below the pool deck, and can be noisy in the early morning...

 

Big Al

Totally agree Big Al! We've always been on decks 9 or 10 ... wait, think we were on 7 (but on the hump) on the Oasis. The two times on 10 we did hear a little noise a couple of times, but nothing that really bothered us. But, again a personal thing. We've done gty JSs a few times and always 'hoped' to get that upgrade to the Grande Suite, but alas, hasn't happened yet! LOL!! :) Might have to just take the plunge one day and pay for it! :)

WE (the 2 of us) prefer a JS over anything....just the right size (more like a hotel room), and comfy.

Since money isn't a consideration, yes...you should book the larger cabin!

WE (the 2 of us) prefer a JS over anything....just the right size (more like a hotel room), and comfy.

Since money isn't a consideration, yes...you should book the larger cabin!

I wish there was a 'like' button here ... then we wouldn't have to actually post all the time when we just 'agree'! :)

I wish there was a 'like' button here ... then we wouldn't have to actually post all the time when we just 'agree'! :)

Agree, like on Facebook....

Agree, like on Facebook....

:) Exactly!

I would much prefer the Jr Suite. But you will not get full suite perks.

I would much prefer the Jr Suite. But you will not get full suite perks.

True , but we don't require a lot. You do get priority boarding which is nice. There's no access to Concierge, but I'm not sure we'd use it anyway. We are Diamond now so the free nightly cocktails and Diamond lounge is nice too. But even before we reached Diamond it wasn't a huge deal either since we're not big drinkers. You do get the double points and the balcony discount, also nice. We just really enjoy the extra room more than anything. Again, it's subjective, but once we had one, we were spoiled and now that's what we always get. :) Happy sailing no matter what you choose!

I also would (and do) opt for the JS over the GS...hate that wasted bar area and limited narrow access to the closet.