Suites?

[SissasMomE]

I think that if we were retired, I would definitely prefer to travel more frequently. I believe I would feel as you do. Look for deals and stay happy in my balcony. :) I am new to cruising and I'm already hooked. :)

 

Don't forget to take pictures!!!!

[1witchydiva]

Price out the Dawn, Sun, or any of the older ones. They are way cheaper than what we are paying for the Breakaway. As my daughter said "you picked a brand new ship to try a suite??" LOL I don't care .... I am so glad I booked it.

 

Thanks. I looked at the Gem, as hubby wants to do an Eastern Caribbean. When I saw the garden villa prices, I almost needed to call 911. Lol. All of the prices I saw were not something I could afford anytime soon. Not after the breakaway. :). Maybe in a few years. :)

[SissasMomE]

Thanks. I looked at the Gem, as hubby wants to do an Eastern Caribbean. When I saw the garden villa prices, I almost needed to call 911. Lol. All of the prices I saw were not something I could afford anytime soon. Not after the breakaway. :). Maybe in a few years. :)

 

Agreed about the garden villa. It's beautiful, but that is just insane.

[1witchydiva]

Don't forget to take pictures!!!!

 

Pictures, and more pictures. I promise. I am also packing my tape measure for the balcony. Lol. :)

[SissasMomE]

Pictures, and more pictures. I promise. I am also packing my tape measure for the balcony. Lol. :)

 

Too funny LOL

[1witchydiva]

Too funny LOL

 

It is the least I can do. Bear spent so much time on that spreadsheet for all of us. I have to get him numbers for that deck. :)

[alrichards4003]

Last year I wanted to book a pacific coast cruise and found a 7 day I liked on Princess, but it only had one sea day. The balcony was over $1200, and they I noticed Princess has now outlawed smoking on balconies. I don't smoke but DH has a few a day. I looked at NCL and got a 2 bedroom suite for $1250, plus got $300 OBC for booking 9 months early. It is only 6 days, but it has 2 sea days which I really look forward to.

 

It seems like a lot of the ones I look at, not the newer ships, there is a $500 difference between balcony and suite and that seems to be the price difference on Carnival, but with very few amenities.

 

I did tell my husband to not get used to a suite, because even if we have a suite again, it will definitely not be for every cruise.

[SuiteCruiser]

Agreed about the garden villa. It's beautiful, but that is just insane.

 

I picked a "cheaper" sailing (Transatlantic), booked through CAS and have 3 cabins full of paying people. It's a 12 day cruise and not all that much more than being in a regular suite / per person.

 

I think that's the only way I got into one. I'm very excited though!

[mom23guys]

Okay, I'm new here but what is CAS?

[valleyvillage]

Casinos At Sea. If you gamble A LOT you get discounts and Comps!

[samiam0403]

Okay, I'm new here but what is CAS?

 

Casinos At Sea. AKA the only reason I'm sailing in another suite this year. :D Booked a suite for my first NCL cruise (hey, you only turn 40 once!), and just for giggles, I called CAS when I got back, hoping for a discount on my next cruise. I was pleasantly surprised when they offered me a comped OV, which I quickly upgraded to an SJ suite on the Dawn. Less than 2 weeks after we booked, the price doubled. :eek: So timing is apparently key as well. If I'd have waited, no way we could have swung it.

[English101]

This will be my 4th cruise. The first for our kids. And by the time we actually go, it will be 10 years since our last cruise!! We booked 19 months in advance in order to pay a little each month so as not to be a financial burden. We got $300 OBC for booking a suite.

 

Now, I'm still shocked we're booked in a suite...when I first started researching our cruise for 2014, I was thinking of our 10 year anniversary in April. I priced out a balcony and told my husband the price. He asked me to check October, for our shared birthday. I was bummed because I really wanted to spend our anniversary on the cruise. BUT, when I researched the same category in October, it was $2000 LESS than April. BONUS, the cruise was leaving on our birthday!! THEN I REALIZED IT WASN'T JUST ANY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! It's my husband's 40th!!!!! He started asking about upgrades. We are now staying in an Aft-facing Penthouse for only $200 more than the balcony room in April!! Crazy, right!?

 

We live on the jersey shore and are at the boardwalk every weekend. So we like to travel less often on a nicer (usually more expensive) vacation.

 

Now look at my countdown!! Are we below 450 yet!?!? Started at 470+, I THINK.

[Honeybearhollow]

My first suite coming up. I have traveled Aqua Spa several times on Celebrity and I do like the service and the pampering. I understand suites on NCL are even better. Suites on other ships seem to be higher priced and have a concierge, but seldom a butler. But the main reason I chose a suite was that my TA warned me that the food and service on NCL would not be as good as Celebrity or Holland America or what I have been used to, so a suite would take care of those issues.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Honeybearhollow

[digitaldan1]

We've done everything from lowest level inside to Owner's suites. Generally when we book a suite it's because we've found a good value. As others have noted, off season (when kids are in school), book as early as possible, and choose a less popular itinerary (transatlantic, repositioning). Since we like sea days, a transatlantic sounds good to us. Repositioning cruises are a bit of a challenge since you have to arrange flights from different destinations. Going with an older ship is often cheaper too.

 

When you put all of these things together, the values get pretty impressive. We booked a 14-day TA from Copenhagen to Miami in a deluxe owner's suite on the Star for what a spa suite in a 7-day Mediterranean cruise on a newer ship would cost. Airfare isn't going to be any worse for the repo cruise than round trip air to the Mediterranean would be.

 

Of course we could have cruised for a lot less by just booking a balcony or ocean view cabin, but we like to be spoiled every now and then. We don't get the Spa or Haven experience, but we get a huge, relatively new (the DOS's on the Star were only built in 2012) and all the high end suite perks. Since it's our first real vacation in three years and our 20th wedding anniversary, it makes a lot of sense.

 

Having said all that, we had fantastic vacations in the cheapest cabins too. When all is said and done, it's still a cruise, and it's still a great vacation.:)

[SuiteCruiser]

We've done everything from lowest level inside to Owner's suites. Generally when we book a suite it's because we've found a good value. As others have noted, off season (when kids are in school), book as early as possible, and choose a less popular itinerary (transatlantic, repositioning). Since we like sea days, a transatlantic sounds good to us. Repositioning cruises are a bit of a challenge since you have to arrange flights from different destinations. Going with an older ship is often cheaper too.

 

When you put all of these things together, the values get pretty impressive. We booked a 14-day TA from Copenhagen to Miami in a deluxe owner's suite on the Star for what a spa suite in a 7-day Mediterranean cruise on a newer ship would cost. Airfare isn't going to be any worse for the repo cruise than round trip air to the Mediterranean would be.

 

Of course we could have cruised for a lot less by just booking a balcony or ocean view cabin, but we like to be spoiled every now and then. We don't get the Spa or Haven experience, but we get a huge, relatively new (the DOS's on the Star were only built in 2012) and all the high end suite perks. Since it's our first real vacation in three years and our 20th wedding anniversary, it makes a lot of sense.

 

Having said all that, we had fantastic vacations in the cheapest cabins too. When all is said and done, it's still a cruise, and it's still a great vacation.:)

 

I'll let you know how this year's TA goes on the Star :) Super excited and also looking forward to seeing Copenhagen. I love the idea of 11 days out of 12 being sea days. So awesome!

[digitaldan1]

Can't wait to hear how your TA goes. Hope you have a great cruise!

[sverigecruiser]

There seems to be quite a lot of people on this board who are discussing suites, perks for suites, which suite to book. Is there a discount for suites for returning cruisers? Special discounts somewhere? What am I missing?

For my first NCL cruise on the Pride the difference between a balcony and a suite is $2700 per couple. That's another cruise for us. Are regular balconies that bad that so many upgrade to suites or are most NCL cruises on this board just wealthy;). Inquiring minds just want to know the secret.

 

We are not wealthy and most people in the cheaper cabins probably have a much higher salary than us.

 

We never get any OBC and we always have to pay full price if we shall use a TA.

 

We can afford a suite because we don't cruise very often and we don't spend very much money at home.

[havoc315]

The price difference isn't always so dramatic.

For example, on our upcoming cruise on the Dawn --- You can step up from a mini-suite to a Family Suite for $40 price difference. (just $20 per adult difference in price). Granted, the Family Suites aren't super popular due to lack of a balcony, but you get a ton of extra space and perk benefits, for just $40.

We are sailing in a Deluxe Owner's Suite -- For about $1400 more than a mini-suite. Not a miniscule difference, but in proportional terms, four our family of 4, it's about 25% more than a mini-suite. And 25% is worth it for us, for a much bigger 2-bedroom luxurious cabin with suite perks.

 

Depends how much of a premium you put on the extra space and perks. We did our last family cruise on the Gem. We booked a mini-suite, but got an upsell cheaply to a 2-bedroom Haven suite. The extra space and VIP treatment spoiled us, it's hard to imagine going back to a regular cabin. Which is why we booked suites for this upcoming cruise.

[skyfire53]

My DD and I started out with inside for the first 2 cruises....then last year, they called 3 days before we sailed and asked if we wanted to do an upsell to a JS from our balcony cabin for just $300 total more...Im soooooo spoiled

..this year we are going on the Epic, and suites are out of our reach, but we are already planning our next one and hope to get a suite again...;)

[DaisyGoldberg]

Going to be sailing in my first suite this fall -- we booked last summer, and will have two weeks in the SJ suite on the Dawn for less than a thousand more than we spent on the POA last year for one week in a balcony. If you count $450 in onboard credit and leaving from our local port so no airfare (especially compared to Hawaii) - it's a lot cheaper vacation. The pain was spread out by paying through the year. Now it's all paid for except the excursions, so I'll take care of them over the next two months and step on board without expectation of spending much at all.

 

Need to buckle down and do some house stuff for the next few years, so cruising may be put on hold, but I hope to try the Tampa to Boston reposition in a suite for my return. Of course that's assuming I LIKE the suite life ;)

[jaja]

going to be sailing in my first suite this fall -- we booked last summer, and will have two weeks in the sj suite on the dawn for less than a thousand more than we spent on the poa last year for one week in a balcony. If you count $450 in onboard credit and leaving from our local port so no airfare (especially compared to hawaii) - it's a lot cheaper vacation. The pain was spread out by paying through the year. Now it's all paid for except the excursions, so i'll take care of them over the next two months and step on board without expectation of spending much at all.

 

Need to buckle down and do some house stuff for the next few years, so cruising may be put on hold, but i hope to try the tampa to boston reposition in a suite for my return. Of course that's assuming i like the suite life ;)

 

 

oh>>>you will like (love) the suite life...be prepared...;)

[retired rascal]

Our first cruise (Pearl) was in mini suite. We were next to a full suite + watched the butler come and go and saw the concierge too. We never saw the passengers; but we peaked in the door while the steward was there. It looked like a whole different experience so for our next cruise (Star Panama Canal), we booked a suite. We LOVED the perks, especially priority embark etc. and Cagney's and the space and the bathrooms. We feel you get what you pay for....and for us, what we get is more than worth the price. We have 11 day in

Sun suite coming up and next year we'll be on 23 day Baltics etc. in a family suite. We wanted a big cabin so we don't get cabin fever with that long a cruise. Like buying a home or a car or any other purchase, it is really a personal choice. Not sure why you'd question it.

[CactusFlower527]

There are 4 of us going to Hawaii this next May (2014) - since we are all independent adults, each paying our own way - a Suite that holds 5/6 people was cheaper than booking 2 balcony rooms. But we booked clear back in October 2012 (yes it will take us this long to save). .. we also get a $450 OBC. One of the most common misconceptions is that people staying in Suites are 'rich'.. quite the contrary. A lot of us are people that don't travel all that often and save up for a long, long time and we are opting (for various reasons) for quality vs. quantity of cruises. We really don't know when our next cruise will be, or to where? Most of all, we just want it to be special.

Edited July 12, 2013 by CactusFlower527

[English101]

This will be my 4th cruise. The first for our kids. And by the time we actually go, it will be 10 years since our last cruise!! We booked 19 months in advance in order to pay a little each month so as not to be a financial burden. We got $300 OBC for booking a suite.

 

Now, I'm still shocked we're booked in a suite...when I first started researching our cruise for 2014, I was thinking of our 10 year anniversary in April. I priced out a balcony and told my husband the price. He asked me to check October, for our shared birthday. I was bummed because I really wanted to spend our anniversary on the cruise. BUT, when I researched the same category in October, it was $2000 LESS than April. BONUS, the cruise was leaving on our birthday!! THEN I REALIZED IT WASN'T JUST ANY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! It's my husband's 40th!!!!! He started asking about upgrades. We are now staying in an Aft-facing Penthouse for only $200 more than the balcony room in April!! Crazy, right!?

 

We live on the jersey shore and are at the boardwalk every weekend. So we like to travel less often on a nicer (usually more expensive) vacation.

 

Now look at my countdown!! Are we below 450 yet!?!? Started at 470+, I THINK.

 

OOPS!! Meant to say started at 570!!! Lol

[eyegolf]

Here has been my family's experience regarding this topic... In past 2 years our family of 4 has cruised on Princess, RCCL and Carnival in balcony staterooms. While we enjoy the cruising, we did not enjoy the difficulty in trying to get a lounger in the morning,(because of the race to throw a towel and a magazine on the chaise at 7 a.m.) the over crowded pools and hot tubs and the difficulty with specialty restaurant reservations and crowds at many of the dining facilities.

Then we cruised on NCL in a suite in the Haven.... For us, the higher price is well worth the value that it has added to our vacation.

Priority embarkation & disembarkation, priority show seating, private dining and lounge areas, private pool area and shaded cushioned cabana chaises, private sun deck and 24/7 butler service. Now there is no going back for us. Unfortunately our kids are in high school and we need to cruise during peak weeks of Christmas and Easter breaks which is extremely expensive. But again, totally worth it to us.