Junior Suite on the Sensation- not worth the money

[Cruisegirl6]

Its written that the junior suite in the Fascination has a refrigerator/mini suite i assume its just the same mini frig as the balcony rooms correct? Is it stocked with anything besides water and soda?

[MsChif]

Ours just had soda.

[Cruisegirl6]

Good so I can go to the buffet at night or the day and stock the refrigerator with goodies such as cheeses for late night snacks...sweet :)

[CWcruisers]

That's right, I had forgotten that there is a small vanity area, similiar to a balcony cabin on other ships, with the drawers. I was thinking of the separate vanity area that comes in a deluxe suite.

 

I've only stayed in a V deck cabin once so I don't remember if there is extra closet/drawer space.

[GrannyJ]

Yep, some of those balconies that look right directly out onto a deck or stairs are definitely less than "private". On my recent cruise, I was up early to see the dawn and as I was going down the stairs, there was a man standing in the window of a balcony cabin airing his....uh....."differences"...or maybe I should say "privates". I didn't need a cup of coffee after that...

[Cruisegirl6]

Hahaha I think I going to like this V1 cabin seeing people because I just make a joke out of things if they happen. I love to people watch and if I feel a comment is needed to somebody that is looking in my window I do it. I love to talk to people I think I may like this cabin. I not care whether anybody looking in my window because if I not dressed that curtain be closed if I have my nitey on I not care does't bother me. I wear less in a bikini lol I not have balcony for privacy I have it so I can see outside.

 

Thanks for letting me know that there is a little bit more space, vanity in the room, I think it be nice to have if I have one.

[MrPete]

I remember taking a look at those "cat 11"'s when we first sailed the Fantasy. What was startling the most to me were the tiny non private balconies, and hardly any additional rooms.

 

Such a stark difference to the Cat 12's on that ship.

 

But did make the leap to an 11 when we cruised the Spirit and Destiny class.

[Cruisegirl6]

Yes MrPete there is 5' less balcony in these staterooms, but we like to put our feet up on the railing or glass and we really hardly use the balcony maybe an hour the most in a full day. We just like to have the light and see the ocean through our room. I really not care about the baloncy being private or not thats not an issue to us so I think this category be good for us. What would be nice is having some more drawer/closet space I wonder if we get that? I also want a deck that has less cabins/people so that there is less chance of being woken up early am. Also to be just one deck down from the Lido I can get a cool drink or something to eat very quickly that is handy.

Edited January 28, 2013 by lyndamr

[allison0523]

I have booked a suite on a Fantasy class ship, but I knew exactly what I was paying for. The room is no bigger than a balcony room on any other class of ship, and the balcony is very tiny, but you are paying for a "suite."

 

IMHO, Carnival is being a little disingenuous by calling these cabins "suites". Unless the room is larger than a standard room, it should be referred to as a balcony cabin and priced as such.

 

Well said! That was the point I was trying to get across. And I also agree it's a personal thing as to your likes and dislikes and what you are willing to pay extra for. We got a good deal as I think we paid less than what the list/regular price for a balcony was. However, I feel carnival did misrepresent the room on their website. I was merely trying to give other people a heads up to what you are actually getting.

 

On a side note, I don't know about the Inspiration, but on the Sensation, there was a pretty remote balcony all the way forward that anyone could go to but we rarely saw anyone there. So, I don't know what the prices of the inside rooms on the verandah deck are. But I assume they are less and that might be a better option to just buy an inside room there and walk out the front door to that balcony area. Only bad thing is that there aren't any chairs out there. But, we really couldn't sit on the chairs on our balcony without turning them sideways, then they were in the way of the door.

 

Also, because of this, we upgraded to an extended balcony on our next cruise because we like to be able to sit comfortably on the balcony facing forward while being able to get into and out of the door. Not a huge deal, just something for people to know when they book these rooms.

[Cruisegirl6]

But we never sit with our feet on the ground they always up on the rail or my legs on his lap lol lol Honestly, we love balconies but if I get to use it even up to an hour each day thats alot for us if we even get to sit out there because we are known in the past to have balcony cabins and never used them more than 2 hours in a week long cruise.

[aidansaunt2004]

We had the "mini suite" on the Sensation in 2010. The balcony was ridiculously small. It had 2 chairs and a table. It was impossible to sit in the chair with it facing out toward the ocean. The chair itself was shoved up against the wall and the railing. In order to sit down, we had to turn the chair sideways which left no room for the table.

 

The mini suites also have obstructed views on the Sensation.

 

Overall, we learned that it wasn't worth the extra money and we know not to make that mistake again.

 

By "priority boarding", they meant that we were able to sit in chairs while we were were being checked in. We arrived pretty early and still weren't the first people onboard. We boarded at the same time as everyone else.

[Cruisegirl6]

Thank you all but the balcony size not a concern of ours as we may not even use it more than just half hour a day if that. Im sure I can sit facing the ocean with my legs up on the rail thats how we love to sit but I thank you for the heads up. If we were on worst case I put my feet up on my honey facing him its ok as we always get a balcony but really never make any use of it.

 

I can't change staterooms the only balconies available are either on Empress deck where I would want to be but I never have the mdr over me or the galley. From past experience hearing carts, plates fall and break, pots and pans fall down to footsteps I can't sleep with that over me I need total quiet. I not want to go any deck below the Empress so it really leaves me with no choice but for the verandah deck. Its only 300 more and I can have VIP boarding and disembarkation we always arrive early so disembarkation is what is important for us as we need to drive home to pick up our little epileptic beagle before the pet resort closes at noon time. I really have no other choice in rooms.

[lucky13elec]

Thank you all but the balcony size not a concern of ours as we may not even use it more than just half hour a day if that. Im sure I can sit facing the ocean with my legs up on the rail thats how we love to sit but I thank you for the heads up. If we were on worst case I put my feet up on my honey facing him its ok as we always get a balcony but really never make any use of it.

 

I can't change staterooms the only balconies available are either on Empress deck where I would want to be but I never have the mdr over me or the galley. From past experience hearing carts, plates fall and break, pots and pans fall down to footsteps I can't sleep with that over me I need total quiet. I not want to go any deck below the Empress so it really leaves me with no choice but for the verandah deck. Its only 300 more and I can have VIP boarding and disembarkation we always arrive early so disembarkation is what is important for us as we need to drive home to pick up our little epileptic beagle before the pet resort closes at noon time. I really have no other choice in rooms.

 

 

NO one is saying don't stay in these cabins. They are very very nice cabins. But if you've had a jr. suite on newer ships you MIGHT be disapointed. If I could easily afford a verandah on either of my 2 upcoming cruises in the Fantasy Class I would do it in a second. You will have a great time in your cabin.

 

[Cruisegirl6]

For everybody I thank you for your thoughts ideas and suggestions.

 

luckey13elct you made me feel confident and better and more at peace with it thank you.

[lucky13elec]

For everybody I thank you for your thoughts ideas and suggestions.

 

luckey13elct you made me feel confident and better and more at peace with it thank you.

 

 

You are welcome.

 

But remember you will be on the ship RIGHT before I get on her.

If you see anyone screwing her up give 'em hell!!:eek::eek:

I'm depending on you.:D:rolleyes:

[k2excursion]

OP, thanks for helping spread the word about this. These "junior suites" on Fantasy class ships are listed at 220 sq.ft indoors, while balcony rooms on newer ships are listed at 185 sq.ft indoors. But based on the pictures posted here, it looks to be the same size as the newer ships' balcony rooms (indoors). I think Fantasy class ships measure their rooms differently. The balcony part is 30 sq.ft. for the junior suites, and 35 sq.ft. for most of the newer ships. That 5 feet does seem to make quite a bit of difference.

[bobsfamily]

Personally I love the jr.suites, have had them 3 times and am considering one on the Actual Fantasy in the near future. Love the location and except for going in/out of port there is rarely anyone below.

[kmc500]

IMHO, Carnival is being a little disingenuous by calling these cabins "suites". Unless the room is larger than a standard room, it should be referred to as a balcony cabin and priced as such.

 

The room is relative to the other rooms on that ship, not to other rooms in the fleet. That is how they are marketed and how they are sold.

 

Originally, there were no balcony cabins on a Fantasy class ship. The only way to get a balcony was to book a (in those days) Verandah Suite, or a Penthouse suite. Ironically, the penthouse suites were on the Upper deck, five decks below the Verandah deck. Talk about a misnomer.

 

Even today, the Jr Suite is 225 sq ft, and the balcony cabins that have been added to the Sensation are 185 sq ft, so there certainly is a difference between the two.

 

As I have stated before, I like the junior suites on Fantasy class ships, but one should definitely know what they are getting before they board. Suite is a relative term. I once stayed in a suite in Las Vegas that was bigger than my house; I certainly never expected that on a cruise ship.

 

Kevin C

[dremn2004]

We were once offered an upgrade from aft balcony to junior suite on Sensation. I told the guy I would have to talk to DH and call him back. I immediately went on carnival and did a mock booking and it was the exact same amount to upgrade (adding what we had already paid) as it was to book it, so I declined. After reading these posts, I am glad I did!

[Kanebaby]

Ok. So I want to post this so other people don't spend the extra money for a "Suite" like we did and end up getting nothing different than a balcony with "priority" boarding, which by the way, didn't really matter anyways. We were booked on the Sensation earlier this month for a guaranteed inside stateroom for a little over $200 total per person. There were 2 adults and a child. Then, the upsell/upgrade fairy calls us trying to upgrade us to the Owner's suite or a Junior Suite. We had booked our flight pretty tight going home and I didn't realize MCO was 40 miles from the pier. So, now I am starting to get a little nervous that we might miss our flight and priority boarding/disembarking sounds pretty good. I am not platinum, so that means we need a suite. I compare the price of the "suite" with what they are going for on similar sailings and feel it is a good deal. Plus, how much would it cost us if we miss our flight? So, we book a junior suite. I look up some information online and now I am wondering if this was the right thing. But, hey, let's just roll with it. We board the ship fast, but seeing as there was no line anyways, the priority boarding didn't really matter. Oh well, our room is ready. We go to our room, which is conveniently located on the verandah deck. When we entered our room, I was disappointed about the size of the room, the size of the bathroom, the width of the balcony, the fact that the balcony overlooked a walkway and the fact that the couch needed to be replaced because the pleather (or whatever it was) was cracked and damaged. I did not think this room resembled a Suite in any way. We were in V6. Thankfully, we did not pay the $1000 more that I have seen them listed for. Still, why call this a suite? I am pretty sure this room was the same size or smaller than their regular balcony cabins. The only difference was the deck (ok, so charge a little more) and the priority boarding. Oh yeah, and some bathrooms that we didn't use anyways. You don't even have a private balcony in these rooms. There is a walkway below. People can stare up at you when you are out there. Besides, there is a open front deck out the exit door that you can go to. And as far as disembarking the ship, we weren't even given priority information or tags. We just packed our stuff up and when people starting exiting the boat, we told the lady we were supposed to be in this group (which we were) and left. We were out front by 0730 and made our flight no problem. We had a great time on this cruise, despite the disappointment in the room. I just don't think it's right that Carnival sells these as Suites when they are no different (or maybe worse) than a regular balcony room. Save your money for something like drinks or excursions.

 

Thank you for this review. I was debating on spending the extra money for a jr. suite on the Sensation. I think i will save my $400 and spend it elsewhere.

[MCC retired]

And why do people who don't research , not use a TA?

 

A TA would know about these tiny/non private balcony's on the 9 Fantasy Class ship Jr Suites as well as the 40 miles from MCO to PC.

 

Just saying ?

[Happy Teach]

I'm booked in V6 on Carnival Elation. This is my first cruise and want it to be as enjoyable as possible. With that being said, we want a balcony so that we can sit outside and drink coffee/wine without going to the main deck all the time, and we wanted a whirlpool bathtub because it's next to impossible to get in a hot tub on these cruises from what I've heard. I don't want to feel much motion from the ocean and I'm wondering if any of you have sailed in this exact cabin and can give me an honest opinion of what it was like?

[Happy Teach]

The privacy wasn't an issue for us. The deck below was far enough away that the few passengers/crew members we saw were no bother.

The public observation deck at the front of the ship may have been a little too close for privacy for some balconies further forward, but not ours.

If you had neighbours out on their balconies a lot, it might bother you, but we didn't experience that. Here's a pic.

 

 

What cabin number was this?

[mere08]

This is a fabulous review because it give a good description of the "suite". I was already to book our vacation on the Fascination in an oceanview room. A balcony wasn't important to me but I underestimated the importance to my husband. He wanted to upgrade to a Jr Suite on the Veranda deck for $$$ more. After reading reviews such as this and really looking at the layout and square footage, we realized it wasn't worth the extra money. For the extra $$$, we ended up booking an extended balcony on the Legend, which is a bigger room, bigger balcony, on a better ship (in our opinion), with a better itinerary. Trade-off is the higher airfare to Tampa. Anyway, OP, thanks for your review. This is why I read Cruise Critic.

[camper49]

We had an Obstructed view Jr. Suite on Sensation last month..we loved it..

We had originally booked an ocean view and then decided we wanted a balcony...when i checked the rates ..the jr. suite was $80 pp less than a balcony using the Military rate!!

We had cabin V34..and had a great view!!!