Ruby Princess mini suite: worth it?

[Raycruise2010]

My wife and I are on the Ruby Nov. 4 for a short 7-day jaunt. We generally get balconies. While the description of a mini suite looks inviting --- more space --- the videos I've seen have left me fairly unimpressed. But a video doesn't tell the whole story. So I wonder: is a mini-suite worth the extra $200 pp?

[cruiserdru]

A lot depends on how you use your cabin - if it is mostly a place to sleep then you may not want to spend the extra $$.

 

We always choose a mini over a balcony on Princess. We like the tub over the small shower stall, we like the extra space for stashing all our stuff (the closet is bigger, there is more storage space in the room itself), and I like that there is some place for me to hang out in the room (the couch) when I get up early and know my DH will sleep another couple of hours.

 

Unfortunately, once we did a mini and found these little advantages, we have never gone back to a balcony on Princess.

 

That said, most of our Princess trips are 12-14 days (and one was 27) and the extra space makes life easier over the long run. When we do TAs (7 days) on QM2, we are quite happy in a sheltered balcony and I can live with the smaller space and the tiny shower.

 

Have a great time no matter what you pick. :D

[Pam in CA]

For $200/pp, I think a mini-suite is well worth it. You have a real sitting area with a couch, more storage, a 2nd TV, larger bathroom with tub/shower and a good-sized balcony with two half-recliners, two footstools and a good-sized table.

 

 

 

[Dena]

We like them too. That and the promenad deck are making very hard for us to leave Princess for Celebrity.

[pris993]

We have been on the Ruby twice. Just got off last week, we booked a mini, we enjoyed it so much, we upgrade to a mini on the Star Princess we have booked in September. We do mini suites or balcony cabins as a rule, depends what we feel we can afford depending on the length of the cruise.

 

We do spend a lot of time in our cabin. We like to do both breakfast and lunch there, and enjoy quiet time in the afternoon on the balcony.

 

The storage space, tub, 2 tvs, and sofa make the cabin feel more like home.

[lovevacadays]

Worth it to me if I have it in my budget. I love the extra room and bigger bathroom. Also, love the larger balcony. I guess it really depends on what $200 pp means to you.

[highheel girl]

For $400! No! Put the money towards some tours/drinks/specialty rest. :D

[sonnenschein]

For $400! No! Put the money towards some tours/drinks/specialty rest. :D

You don't need to many drinks to fall asleep in a mini suite since they have better mattresses and bedding:p

[Pam in CA]

You don't need to many drinks to fall asleep in a mini suite since they have better mattresses and bedding:p

Just FYI, I had a wonderful pillowtop mattress with good support in my Caribe balcony cabin on the Star. Much better than I've ever had on HAL or had on Celebrity.

[Princess Patches]

Yes, $400 is worth it to me for the extra space. I love having the sitting room so you can watch tv, read or talk without having to lie in the beds. I also like the extra bathroom space. The worst thing about the standard balconies is the tiniest shower at sea. It is so much more comfortable to shower in the tub/shower combo.

 

When we started booking minis years ago my standard was I would pay up to $200 per person per week to upgrade from a BB/BA Caribe balcony to an AD mini. If you can get it for that, then it is worth it.

[1 HappyCruiser]

Other that the larger bathroom the mini's don't offer that much more for my money. The balcony isn't any larger than a Caribe balcony, the sitting area is nice but how 2 TV's add to any extra enjoyment is beyond me. The larger closet space might be OK for some but we never fill the regular size closets.

If they want for upgrade me to a mini then fine I'll take it but for $400 extra I'll spent it a little more wisely. ;)

[desiro]

I really think that the bathroom makes it worth it - having the larger shower/tub is great!

[suzyed]

I also think the length of your cruise is a factor...at least for us.

On a two week or more sailing, that extra space is much more comfortable and somehow more homey!

[newtocruising63]

After my first cruise with a small shower stall, I have never considered booking a room without a bathtub/shower combo. It is well worth the money.

[5326jan]

I also think the length of your cruise is a factor...at least for us.

On a two week or more sailing, that extra space is much more comfortable and somehow more homey!

 

This is exactly how we feel too. One week in a balcony is fine, more than 7 days and it becomes claustrophobic. In a balcony cabin I always felt like the tub chair was in the way, and you couldn't really use the little side table with it or the door to the balcony was completely blocked. DH likes to work a little while on vacation, so having a sofa with a coffee table gives him space while still allowing access to the door out to the balcony. I also find the fridge and bar area awkward to use in a balcony cabin. I do love the size of the Caribe balcony though. Two tv's are not at all important, but a larger bathroom sure is nice. :)

[suzyed]

This is exactly how we feel too. One week in a balcony is fine, more than 7 days and it becomes claustrophobic. In a balcony cabin I always felt like the tub chair was in the way, and you couldn't really use the little side table with it or the door to the balcony was completely blocked. DH likes to work a little while on vacation, so having a sofa with a coffee table gives him space while still allowing access to the door out to the balcony. I also find the fridge and bar area awkward to use in a balcony cabin. I do love the size of the Caribe balcony though. Two tv's are not at all important, but a larger bathroom sure is nice. :)

 

Agree, agree!