Is a suite necessary or just a sweettreat?

[groo]

The wife and I had this discussion last night. She was looking at pictures of the larger rooms and said it sure would be nice to try a larger room. We always book inside cabins.

 

I said what if you had the choice of larger room or more days? No hesitation....more days...

[LadyShiva]

The wife and I had this discussion last night. She was looking at pictures of the larger rooms and said it sure would be nice to try a larger room. We always book inside cabins.

 

I said what if you had the choice of larger room or more days? No hesitation....more days...

 

The OP is constrained to cruising during Spring Break. Would you do more days during Spring Break, or a Haven away from the crowds during Spring Break?

[palmyrafan]

Gordonchick: i can confirm your last statement.

 

People cruise in suites for many reasons.

 

1. Separate quarters (I cruise with my mom, and she is a night owl and I am an early bird).

2. Cagney's breakfast.

3. Better ensuite dining. Specialty restaurants/breakfast to order. Relax while dining in room.

4. Someone taking care of details for me. I used to be my mother's butler and concierge. Now I have one too. I also take care of others' needs all day at work. I want to RELAX on vacay.

5. VIP embarkation. Our Jewel embarkation in Miami was brutal. Hot, crowded and long. Two hours standing in line was difficult on mom.

6. Afternoon snacks and fruit bowl. My mom Loved this. She nibbles and sometimes skips dinner. So easy for her.

7. VIP cocktail party. Not very crowded and can actually meet and mingle. We enjoy seeing the officers in their uniforms and letting them know what a great job they do.

8. Bigger bathroom. Love the jetted tub.

9. Reserved seating in shows. Sometimes we just pop in and out. From a showbiz family so I have seen many productions. Not a show snob. Enjoy all performers who are living their dream.

10. In Choc buffet early. And out too. With a fave cookie I hope they have next March. Most looks better than it tastes but the little choc pecan bar is heaven.

 

What about the rest of you suite folks? What is it that has you coming back for more???

 

DH and I like:

 

1. Separation of bedroom from main living area for night owl husband

2. Separate shower and tub

3. Dual vanities with plenty of storage in the bathroom

4. Private deck (15) on Jewel-class ships

5. The Haven (need I say more?)

6. The Concierge (can many times get you into an upcharge restaurant if you have been a dufus and forgotten to make reservations.

7. Reserved seating for shows

8. Breakfast and lunch at Cagneys

9. Ability to tell Butler what we want for dinner, even if it is on 3 different menus or not on a menu at all

10. Priority debarkation when cruise is over

 

And many more.....

[sdmike]

I agree with this but after eating one cake with sprinkles, I'm not interested in a cake without it anymore!

 

Ha! Those are darned expensive sprinkles though! Hey, not everyone can or want to afford them, but more power to you if you can. :)

[peg013]

The OP is constrained to cruising during Spring Break. Would you do more days during Spring Break, or a Haven away from the crowds during Spring Break?

 

It's also a 9 day cruise - can that many spring breakers afford a longer cruise? Won't it be more familes with college aged kids? I'd rather a suite but not sure I'd want to PAY for the haven during spring break.

[whenisthemidnightbuffet?]

A cruise is necessary a suite just a sweet treat! Honestly, loved suites and all the perks the first few times, but the magic does wear off a bit. Found on cruise last month went to Cagneys for meals a 1/4 of the time. Had way less requests, practically none, for our butler and same for concierge.

 

Have noticed that the prices for suites have also seemed significantly higher lately as well. Not for last minute bookings but even when I priced them way out.

 

If you are going to hang out in your cabin all the time go for it, you will probably get your money's worth.

[GORDONCHICK]

Spring break is precisely when you'd want to book the Haven if you have the resources to do so. Even if there are some college-aged kids with Haven access, it's a very closely monitored & controlled area.

[sverigecruiser]

Ha! Those are darned expensive sprinkles though! Hey, not everyone can or want to afford them, but more power to you if you can. :)

 

For me it's worth it but that doesn't mean that I have lots of money. We have no car, we rent a small apartment, we never eat out or go to a bar (at least almost never), we have no children etc. We prefer to spend more money on our vacations.

 

I agree that it's expensive sprinkles but they also taste very good!!!

[GrandmaHofmann]

If a suite were "necessary," there would be suites-only ships. One person's necessity is another's mindless extravagance and another's occasional treat.

[Sizzlechest]

We prefer to spend more money on our vacations.

 

I agree that it's expensive sprinkles but they also taste very good!!!

 

Yes, but the assumption is that you don't have unlimited funds. The money you're spending for a suite and its perks could be spent on other things. Does food getting sent to your room everyday (whether you wanted it or not) matter much when you're on a cruise ship that offers food 24/7 including room service? I'd rather get a cheaper room and pay the $10-$25 per person every night for specialty dining. Are you planning on staying in your room and watching DVDs? I don't, but that's me.

 

Whether you realize it or not, every vacation has a budget. Maybe it's not an explicit and premeditated accounting of every detail, but if you can afford to spend hundreds or thousands more for a suite, perhaps that money might be spent more wisely. Maybe when you get to your cruise destination, you'll be able to buy things you can now afford due to the savings you made on your room. If you want to make it a romantic trip, there's lots of ways to splurge. A suite is nice, but diamonds are forever.

[LoraJ]

Yes, but the assumption is that you don't have unlimited funds. The money you're spending for a suite and its perks could be spent on other things. Does food getting sent to your room everyday (whether you wanted it or not) matter much when you're on a cruise ship that offers food 24/7 including room service? I'd rather get a cheaper room and pay the $10-$25 per person every night for specialty dining. Are you planning on staying in your room and watching DVDs? I don't, but that's me.

 

Whether you realize it or not, every vacation has a budget. Maybe it's not an explicit and premeditated accounting of every detail, but if you can afford to spend hundreds or thousands more for a suite, perhaps that money might be spent more wisely. Maybe when you get to your cruise destination, you'll be able to buy things you can now afford due to the savings you made on your room. If you want to make it a romantic trip, there's lots of ways to splurge. A suite is nice, but diamonds are forever.

 

 

 

Why do you care how someone decides to spend their money? Maybe some of us would rather have a nice vacation in a suite than a diamond. Fond memories last a long time too. :)

[Sizzlechest]

Why do you care how someone decides to spend their money? Maybe some of us would rather have a nice vacation in a suite than a diamond. Fond memories last a long time too. :)

 

I don't care how foolishly you spend your money. Put cash in a pile and burn it. The warmth from the fire will give you fond memories for the rest of your life.

[LoraJ]

I don't care how foolishly you spend your money. Put cash in a pile and burn it. The warmth from the fire will give you fond memories for the rest of your life.

 

Not even comparable.

 

 

To the OP, if forking over the extra cash for the suite isn't an issue, I would go for it, especially on a 9 day during Spring break. I find the extra perks worth the extra cost.

 

I have sailed in insides, outsides, balconies and suites. I like to do the suites for special occasions. I have no problem going back to a balcony again though.

[sverigecruiser]

Yes, but the assumption is that you don't have unlimited funds. The money you're spending for a suite and its perks could be spent on other things. Does food getting sent to your room everyday (whether you wanted it or not) matter much when you're on a cruise ship that offers food 24/7 including room service? I'd rather get a cheaper room and pay the $10-$25 per person every night for specialty dining. Are you planning on staying in your room and watching DVDs? I don't, but that's me.

 

Whether you realize it or not, every vacation has a budget. Maybe it's not an explicit and premeditated accounting of every detail, but if you can afford to spend hundreds or thousands more for a suite, perhaps that money might be spent more wisely. Maybe when you get to your cruise destination, you'll be able to buy things you can now afford due to the savings you made on your room. If you want to make it a romantic trip, there's lots of ways to splurge. A suite is nice, but diamonds are forever.

 

Most perks I don't care about and a bigger room is not important for me. The Cagney's/Epic Club perk is enough for me.

 

I don't need to buy any things in the ports, I rather pay more for my cabin. If I ask my girlfriend if she prefer a $10000 diamond or a $10000 cruise she will prefer the cruise.

 

My funds are far from unlimited but I don't mind to spend the funds I have on a NCL-suite.

[sverigecruiser]

Sizzlechest, I looked through the threads you have started and as I understand it you use the casino on your cruises. Who is wasting money, you or me?

 

I don't care how you spend your money but if you think that paying for a suite is wasting money, what shall we call what most people do in the casino? (Some win but most people don't!)

[Hopes4]

Most perks I don't care about and a bigger room is not important for me. The Cagney's/Epic Club perk is enough for me.

 

I don't need to buy any things in the ports, I rather pay more for my cabin. If I ask my girlfriend if she prefer a $10000 diamond or a $10000 cruise she will prefer the cruise.

 

My funds are far from unlimited but I don't mind to spend the funds I have on a NCL-suite.

 

I'd pick a $5,000 cruise wearing my new $5,000 diamond :D

 

Dang, you weren't asking me. :o

 

Neither is hubby. *sigh* LOL

[sverigecruiser]

I'd pick a $5,000 cruise wearing my new $5,000 diamond :D

 

Dang, you weren't asking me. :o

 

Neither is hubby. *sigh* LOL

 

When we started to plan our wedding I told my girlfriend that two things are important for me, a nice trip and a nice ring for her (and of course the love thing!).

 

We will cruise and she will wear a nice diamondring!

[Sizzlechest]

Most perks I don't care about and a bigger room is not important for me. The Cagney's/Epic Club perk is enough for me.

 

I don't need to buy any things in the ports, I rather pay more for my cabin. If I ask my girlfriend if she prefer a $10000 diamond or a $10000 cruise she will prefer the cruise.

 

My funds are far from unlimited but I don't mind to spend the funds I have on a NCL-suite.

 

It's not a question of a $10,000 diamond vs. a $10,000 cruise. It's a $10,000 cruise with a big room vs. a $3,000 cruise with a regular room plus $7,000 to spend on anything else you want. If you think that money is well spent with the suite, then go for it. You said that you don't care about the room size, but you like the perks? You can take the savings from your room choice and enhance your cruise in ways beyond the perks from a suite. You should always consider the bang for the buck of any choice you make.

 

Sizzlechest, I looked through the threads you have started and as I understand it you use the casino on your cruises. Who is wasting money, you or me?

 

I don't care how you spend your money but if you think that paying for a suite is wasting money, what shall we call what most people do in the casino? (Some win but most people don't!)

 

What if NCL decided to raise the price of a suite a few hundred dollars, but gave you $500 casino credit? If you don't like to gamble, that would be horrible. It's a perk you don't want or need. I might rave about the "awesome deal" I'm getting because I value it. Other people would argue it's not worth it, and rightly so. Do you like sushi? It got delivered to my suite one day. I didn't ask for it or want it. (I like sushi, but I'd rather have it made in front of me and get something I want...when I'm hungry.) I paid for that unwanted sushi, just like I paid for the coffee machine I didn't use, and DVDs I didn't watch.

 

There are lots of perks built into the cost for a suite. If you like some of them, you can pay for them. It will cost a lot less than the whole suite package. (BTW, I do know of a person who tipped their way into Cagney's for breakfast every day. It only cost them a single $100 tip for the whole trip. I wouldn't have done it, but apparently it can be done.)

[groo]

The OP is constrained to cruising during Spring Break. Would you do more days during Spring Break, or a Haven away from the crowds during Spring Break?

 

I don't really like crowds but would still prefer more days than more space. I know it may not be a popular preference, but it's mine....:)

 

 

To answer the OP's question, they would probably prefer the suite to have some extra comfy space to escape to during downtime.

[Karysa]

I like the suite idea. I don't think that I would ever want to sail in one but I am glad that they are available. Some people enjoy themselves more when they have a quiet place to go and the perks that go along with suites and I am all for people having choices.

[rpb718]

Wow, didn't expect this thread to get snippy.

 

Let me qualify this by saying DW and I have only been on 2 cruises. The first in a mid-ship balcony on the Spirit, which we liked fine. On our 2nd cruise, which was on the Dawn, we received the upsell for a penthouse suite that we couldn't turn down.

 

While Cagney's for breakfast is a great perk, I found the lunch menu a bit limited. After 4 days you've gone through all the items, and with the possible exception of 1 or 2 there was nothing that I really needed to revisit.

 

We did have a full breakfast served by our butler one day, but found we'd rather not have a mess of dishes in our room and opted to always go out to eat. I have to admit I did not think of having Blue Lagoon wings delivered to our room or else I might have tried this. However, on the Dawn the location of the Blue Lagoon is a great place to catch a show or see everything going on in the atrium.

 

As for the food delivered to our room each day, the chocolate items were great, the sandwiches hit-or-miss (great tuna, ham and cheese quite bland) and the hors d'oeuvre forgetible. And, truth be told, we really didn't use the butler as much as we could.

 

The room was very nice, especially the dressing area, bathroom, closet and the many little storage areas.

 

Long story short, we've booked our 3rd cruise in another balcony. DW is hoping for another upsell (highly unlikely) but I'll be just as happy in the balcony.

[dlynn0366]

Is it just me :confused: there have been a couple of threads over the past few days where I have just said to myself "you have to pick your battles" and walked away from the computer. If we choose a suite this is our business and while I don't normally crave a chocolate bar I think next cruise I will sit in my DOS eating chocolate bars :D

[sverigecruiser]

It's not a question of a $10,000 diamond vs. a $10,000 cruise. It's a $10,000 cruise with a big room vs. a $3,000 cruise with a regular room plus $7,000 to spend on anything else you want. If you think that money is well spent with the suite, then go for it. You said that you don't care about the room size, but you like the perks? You can take the savings from your room choice and enhance your cruise in ways beyond the perks from a suite. You should always consider the bang for the buck of any choice you make.

 

I really can't see how it's possible to enhance my cruise in a standard cabin so that it matches the cruise in a suite. I like Champagne and buy that anyway and I like the specialty restaurants and I pay for that anyway. What else can I pay for to get the suiteexperience without booking a suite?

[sverigecruiser]

What if NCL decided to raise the price of a suite a few hundred dollars, but gave you $500 casino credit? If you don't like to gamble, that would be horrible. It's a perk you don't want or need. I might rave about the "awesome deal" I'm getting because I value it. Other people would argue it's not worth it, and rightly so. Do you like sushi? It got delivered to my suite one day. I didn't ask for it or want it. (I like sushi, but I'd rather have it made in front of me and get something I want...when I'm hungry.) I paid for that unwanted sushi, just like I paid for the coffee machine I didn't use, and DVDs I didn't watch.

 

There are lots of perks built into the cost for a suite. If you like some of them, you can pay for them. It will cost a lot less than the whole suite package. (BTW, I do know of a person who tipped their way into Cagney's for breakfast every day. It only cost them a single $100 tip for the whole trip. I wouldn't have done it, but apparently it can be done.)

 

The only way to cruise without paying for things you don't use is to cruise with Easycruise. I pay for the teenclub but I don't use it, I pay for the Garden Café but I don't use it etc. I don't mind to pay for some things I don't use because I don't want to pay extra for everything I use and I can't expect NCL to include everything I want and exclude everything I don't want! I probably use most of the suiteperks I pay extra for when booking a suite but the Cagney's/Epic Club perk is the most important.

[Sizzlechest]

I really can't see how it's possible to enhance my cruise in a standard cabin so that it matches the cruise in a suite. I like Champagne and buy that anyway and I like the specialty restaurants and I pay for that anyway. What else can I pay for to get the suiteexperience without booking a suite?

 

Suites come with champagne included. Nothing is stopping you from buying champagne on your own. Someone brings food to your suite everyday (whether you want it or not). Every room comes with room service. Food is a phone call away for everyone. Sure, if you want to borrow old DVDs and play them in your room, that's something you need a suite for. It's up to you whether it's a perk that's worth it.