Empress of the Seas Junior Suite---It's just not right!

We returned today from a very nice 7 night cruise on the Empress of the Seas. However, I just don't understand why Royal Caribbean markets those balcony staterooms as Junior Suites.

Compared to other ships, from the Sovereign class on up the line, a Junior Suite is usually of a certain size and has a large-ish bathroom with a bathtub. Not so on the little Empress. The room and balcony is very typical of either a Cat D or Cat E balcony; the bathroom is the usual tiny size---the shower and its stick-to-you curtain the smallest in the fleet.

Why do they do this? Why do they call this stateroom a Junior Suite. They could call it a Category D, be consistent with the rest of the fleet, and still charge whatever they need to. I am disappointed and shaking my head.

Leslie

No tub???? That's why I get a JS! I guess I won't be sailing on Empress!

Probably because they can charge more for a cat. JS than for a D1. At least you should get the extra cruise credit for sailing a cat. JS that you wouldn't get if they called it a D1.

No. No tub. Very small closet. The room and its balcony were the very same size as the Cat E we had two months ago on the Radiance. The Cat D we had on the Serenade was larger than this Junior Suite we just had on the Empress.

On the Empress we were in Stateroom 9154; I peeked into other JS on the way out this morning. All are the same small room as we had.

Leslie

Doug~~

Thank you for bringing up the point about the cruise credit. I feel better about it all in light of what you said.

Leslie

Doug~~

 

Thank you for bringing up the point about the cruise credit. I feel better about it all in light of what you said.

 

Leslie

As usual, Doug is correct :D The ONLY benefit of getting a JS on the smaller ships is the extra credit.

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I agree that it's a bit misleading to call it a JS, but the dimensions and layout of the cabin ARE on the website.

Oh good, now I can tell my wife that I AM good for something. :D

If I recall correctly they changed the category on those rooms a couple of years ago -- they weren't always sold as a junior suite.

Different ships, different layouts. That's why I am a brochure junkie. I am still dag gone irritated that RCI removed my lovely ships layouts from the brochures. I'm middle aged and while computer saavy, not ready to give up my wonderous paper!

In 2003, when the ship was still called Nordic Empress, we had the D1 cabin that is now being referred to as the Junior Suite. When they changed the ship's name, they changed the balcony cat. to JS. I have since been in JS on other ships and if you are expecting a regular JS cabin on Empress, you are out of luck.

So, other than that.....how was the cruise? We are in a "JS" on July 1st, but it is our fifth time on Empress, so no surprises here. We were tickled to get the JS. We just got a tremendous price drop and got $1720 back, so that really made us feel better.

Who is the CD now? Can you tell me what time muster is? Did you have an M&M?

Just off Empress a couple of weeks ago, and my review has already been posted online here at cruise critic. All of the staterooms on Empress are much smaller than what you would normally expect.

Our friends had an inside cabin that was so small, I could stand in the middle of the cabin, stretch out my arms and touch both walls!

We had a nice cruise on Empress, too, but we were expecting the small staterooms after doing research here on cruise critic.

I believe that experienced cruisers who have been on the rest of the RCCL fleet will enjoy Empress as long as their expectations are in check.

We were in the owners suite on deck 9 and it was okay- but the price was very high. The cabin attendant was very poor and we never even got the towel animals and had to bring it up at the past pass to the captain.

The food was not even up to Royal Caribbean style. It was as we all sat for dinner the last night and said it was cheap food to prepare. I looked at the EOS that was on a 5 night cruise and they actually had normal food. I think it was the chef....

No. No tub. Very small closet. The room and its balcony were the very same size as the Cat E we had two months ago on the Radiance. The Cat D we had on the Serenade was larger than this Junior Suite we just had on the Empress.

 

On the Empress we were in Stateroom 9154; I peeked into other JS on the way out this morning. All are the same small room as we had.

 

Leslie

Hi,

Other than your cabin, how did you like the cruise?

Just my opinion, but when I sailed the Empress a year and a half ago I had JS cabin 9644. I knew well in advance of the cruise what the cabin and size would be just by looking at the RCCL website. It has also been posted on the CC board many times by myself, and many others who post about the Empress, that their JS is the same as an E 1,2 or 3 on any other ship.

The Empress is a small ship. There are very few balcony cabins. I did not expect to find anything more than I got when I boarded her. I also found the closet to be the largest one I have ever had on a RCCL ship and got everything I owned in it. (We usually get E categories and I do pack a lot of clothes) That closet fact was given to me by many posters who had sailed her before me when I asked.

I am sailing her again in 2007 in the same cabin. The price I am paying for that cabin is a very good one for an 11 night sailing. My discount and hopefully a coupon by then makes it well worthwhile to us to get that balcony. I also get the 2 credits for sailing a JS.

Just off Empress a couple of weeks ago, and my review has already been posted online here at cruise critic. All of the staterooms on Empress are much smaller than what you would normally expect.

 

Our friends had an inside cabin that was so small, I could stand in the middle of the cabin, stretch out my arms and touch both walls!

 

We had a nice cruise on Empress, too, but we were expecting the small staterooms after doing research here on cruise critic.

 

I believe that experienced cruisers who have been on the rest of the RCCL fleet will enjoy Empress as long as their expectations are in check.

Joe

I agree with every word you wrote.;)

I agree that it's a bit misleading to call it a JS, but the dimensions and layout of the cabin ARE on the website.

Yes indeed, the layouts are on the website, and for the Empress Junior Suite, they show a room that has a bathroom with a bathtub!

The first of five times that I have sailed on the Empress was back in 1995; those first four cruises, we had Category Cs, as they were called, on the aft end of the ship. I foolishly thought that those staterooms, with their showers-only bathrooms, were the exception, because they were on the aft.

Looking at the 2003-2004 brochure one can see that the Category Ds of that year are staterooms that today are sold as SO superior ocean view staterooms. They don't have balconies.

As for the cruise, it was a good one. We hadn't sailed on her since 2002, and we were a bit surprised by some of the changes. There is now a Portofinos where the conference room used to be. The casino has been reduced in size and no longer occupies the space on Deck 5. That is where the photo gallery and Lattetudes and Ben and Jerry's is. The oddest change is that the upper level of the Viking Crown Lounge is now the fitness center, which was moved from the Spa area a deck below.

Keith Williams, of Sovereign Drydock fame, was the cruise director on this sailing, but he is leaving very soon to go to the Vision. "Lucky Leanne" Hastie was his assistant. Captain Frank Martinsen was commanding the vessel.

Our Cruise Compasses are still buried in the bottom of one of our suitcases, but I think I remember that muster drill was at 2:45 or 3PM. It had been scheduled for 2:30, but they pushed it back at least once to allow for getting all of the embarking passengers onto the ship. We embarked on a Saturday.

The Meet and Mingle was on Sunday at 1:30 PM in the Viking Crown Lounge; very many prizes were awarded. I believe we had a turnout of two dozen people. Leanne hosted the affair. Juice and iced tea, canapes were served.

Leslie

Sorry to hear that you were disappointed with your room. Hope you still had a good time though!

Thanks for the info, Leslie! We don't have anywhwere near enough for an M&M on our sailing, but we still have a few weeks left. We, too, liked all the changes made in the renovation....except for the exercise area in the top of the Viking Crown.

Just looked at the website. It definitely shows a bathtub in the JS on Empress. RCCL should correct this. Certainly former passengers who have had JS on other ships, looked at the layouts online, and booked a JS on Empress would expect a bathtub in the JS.

Hi,

Below pictures are from the information for the JS cabins on all the RCCL ships. I only posted two of them because of space.

Yes, the layout on the cabin shows a tub, but it does that on other ship layouts also even though there is no tub. By reading the JS category information on the RCCL website in advance, you will realize that the layout is wrong. Research well in advance to find the actual cabin information, or ask on the main boards and you will find out the true facts from previous cruisers..

Enlarge Image | 360° Tour Stateroom Details on the Brilliance Of The Seas Two twin beds (can convert into queen-size), private balcony, private bathroom with bathtub and a sitting area with sofa bed. (293 sq. ft., balcony 66 sq. ft.)

Please note: Staterooms 1098 & 1598 have obstructed views. Enlarge Image | 360° Tour Stateroom Details on the Empress Of The Seas Two twin beds (can convert into queen-size), private balcony, and a private bathroom. Junior Suites located on Deck 9 (except Room #9684) include a sitting area. (194 sq. ft., balcony 25 sq. ft.)

No mention of a tub, so I asked, before my cruise, on the main Boards. I was told then, no tub.

Hi,

Yes, the layout on the cabin shows a tub, but it does that on other ship layouts also even though there is no tub. By reading the JS category information on the RCCL website in advance, you will realize that the layout is wrong. Research well in advance to find the actual cabin information, or ask on the main boards and you will find out the true facts from previous cruisers..

 

No mention of a tub, so I asked, before my cruise, on the main Boards.

Yes, I understand that folks who live on CruiseCritic will probably figure this out. However, I think that people should be able to use CC boards to get extra information about their cruises, not to correct MISinformation that is on the RCCL website. Is it the end of the world not to have a bathtub? No. Should RCCL post images of cabins and suites that misrepresent the configuration of the cabins? No.

If RCCL's website did nothing to indicate the presence of a bathtub in the JS on Empress, I would agree with you 100%. But why post an incorrect image that will lead less-experienced cruisers (and even experienced cruisers who are less-obsessed that the average CC participant) to expect something they won't get? This leads to an unnecessary disappointment for the customer.

Just looked at the website. It definitely shows a bathtub in the JS on Empress. RCCL should correct this. Certainly former passengers who have had JS on other ships, look at the layouts online, and book a JS on Empress would expect a bathtub in the JS.

There is definately one in the drawing of the cabin layout, but "tub" is absent from the description. They really should change the category--without a tub, there is nothing that would make that tiny room a suite.

Yes, I understand that folks who live on CruiseCritic will probably figure this out. However, I think that people should be able to use CC boards to get extra information about their cruises, not to correct MISinformation that is on the RCCL website. Is it the end of the world not to have a bathtub? No. Should RCCL post images of cabins and suites that misrepresent the configuration of the cabins? No.

 

 

 

If RCCL's website did nothing to indicate the presence of a bathtub in the JS on Empress, I would agree with you 100%. But why post an incorrect image that will lead less-experienced cruisers (and even experienced cruisers who are less-obsessed that the average CC participant) to expect something they won't get? This leads to an unnecessary disappointment for the customer.

LOL I don't actually live on Cruise Critic. I only hang out here. ;) :)

Never said it was right in having the wrong pictures. I just read everything I can on the RCCL sites and then ask CC's if I see something that doesn't add up. They are a wealth of knowledge.

Sorry about your name, I hit the wrong button. ;)

Changed my mind about posting. :) ladies prerogative.