JS vs. GS - need upgrade advice

[CruisinQueen2013]

ok, so we are currently booked in a aft JS on Enchantment and the price on a GS dropped and would now be a total of $327 more. Traveling with my husband and one year old daughter and trying to decide if it's worth the extra money. Anyone know how a GS balcony compares with a aft JS? We are platinum members so currently don't have access to any lounges - not sure if that's a big deal though.

 

Thoughts? Would you upgrade?

[Lionesss]

For that much money, and the benefits of the CL reserved seating, we would do it.

We enjoy suites:D

Safe travels.

Sea Ya

[Clarea]

ok, so we are currently booked in a aft JS on Enchantment and the price on a GS dropped and would now be a total of $327 more. Traveling with my husband and one year old daughter and trying to decide if it's worth the extra money. Anyone know how a GS balcony compares with a aft JS? We are platinum members so currently don't have access to any lounges - not sure if that's a big deal though.

 

Thoughts? Would you upgrade?

The price is not bad for a 3 person upgrade, however the aft JS balconies are very large, larger than a side facing GS balcony. It depends which you will enjoy most, the access to the CL and larger room or the large balcony.

[Snooksi]

I think for that amount of money it would certainly be worth being treated like a queen/king for a week. You would have access to the CL, priority show seating and if you have My Time Dining, you don't even have to wait in line or make reservations. If you are going to Labadee or Coco Cay, you also have the exclusive beach and buffet lunch.

 

I would splurge just to be pampered a little extra all week. How often will this opportunity come up again? Maybe a lot or maybe a little/never. You never know.

 

Have a great cruise no matter what you decide!!

[Miamia65]

I agree with other posters .... DO IT !!!!

 

It is worth it, we had a royal family suite last year ... the perks are awesome. You can jump the queue when disembarking at ports, you can access the concierge lounge 24/7 and ask the concierge to do all your bookings etc etc for you. The happy hour every day with nibbles is great. You get priority seating in the reserved section in the theatre, special treatment by the room attendant and not to mention heaps more room in a GS than a JS and are more luxurious bathroom with marble! Are you convinced yet?

[teddie]

I would absolutely, positively, do it!

 

Teddie

[DonnaK]

I am usually a budget traveler who would normally say that the extra money is better put towards other expenses. But, in this case, I feel that it is definitely worth it to upgrade, especially because you have a 1 year old. You'll appreciate the significantly larger cabin and the suite perks! $327 is a relatively small price to pay for so much benefit.

[Ourusualbeach]

If that's the total price to upgrade then yes, otherwise no. Remember this is only a 3 or 4 day cruise. How much benefits will you actually get from the full suite perks.

[CruisinQueen2013]

yes, it is $327 total for the upgrade. I was torn because it is just a 4 night cruise and was wondering how much of the added perks we would use. I appreciate everyone's thoughts - please keep them coming! :)

[CruisinQueen2013]

Should mention it's a corner aft JS - we were excited about the larger balcony as compared with a regular JS but not sure how much bigger it is than a GS.

 

For those of you that have done a "true" suite - what's your favorite perk?

[cruisegirl1]

I think for that amount of money it would certainly be worth being treated like a queen/king for a week. You would have access to the CL, priority show seating and if you have My Time Dining, you don't even have to wait in line or make reservations. If you are going to Labadee or Coco Cay, you also have the exclusive beach and buffet lunch.

 

I would splurge just to be pampered a little extra all week. How often will this opportunity come up again? Maybe a lot or maybe a little/never. You never know.

 

Have a great cruise no matter what you decide!!

 

More likely just 3 or 4 days as the OP is sailing the Enchantment.

 

The exclusive beach applies to Labadee (the Enchantment does not go there). I don’t believe there is any suite exclusive beach on Coco Cay.

 

If I had to pay – I would not make the change for 3 or 4 days. I am probably in the minority and find a balcony to be large enough for 2. We just sailed the Enchantment is a JS (Had booked a balcony and RCCL gave us a complimentary upgrade to the JS the day prior to sailing) and had more room than we needed. Drawers went empty. I know the OP has a young child, but suggest that a JS has sufficient space. I doubt with a one year old that the OP will have much time to enjoy the concierge lounge (although the baby is welcome in the CL) .

 

We have access to the theater reserved seating, but rarely need or use it as we find many open seats, in a better location in the theater. Further, I don’t recall that the Enchantment has any suite seating by the pool

 

OP – if you need extra space, then make the change. Only you can decide if the other suite perks, specifically on the Enchantment, are worth the cost for 3 (or 4) days.

 

enjoy

M

[ARCruisinNana]

In a GS you can order room service from the full MDR menu during operating hours. We really enjoyed this a few times when the kids just really were tired and didn't want to sit thru a dinner. This is one of favorite perks:)

[Clarea]

Should mention it's a corner aft JS - we were excited about the larger balcony as compared with a regular JS but not sure how much bigger it is than a GS.

 

For those of you that have done a "true" suite - what's your favorite perk?

Ordering room service from the MDR menu.

[FLACRUISER99]

More likely just 3 or 4 days as the OP is sailing the Enchantment.

 

The exclusive beach applies to Labadee (the Enchantment does not go there). I don’t believe there is any suite exclusive beach on Coco Cay.

 

If I had to pay – I would not make the change for 3 or 4 days. I am probably in the minority and find a balcony to be large enough for 2. We just sailed the Enchantment is a JS (Had booked a balcony and RCCL gave us a complimentary upgrade to the JS the day prior to sailing) and had more room than we needed. Drawers went empty. I know the OP has a young child, but suggest that a JS has sufficient space. I doubt with a one year old that the OP will have much time to enjoy the concierge lounge (although the baby is welcome in the CL) .

 

We have access to the theater reserved seating, but rarely need or use it as we find many open seats, in a better location in the theater. Further, I don’t recall that the Enchantment has any suite seating by the pool

 

OP – if you need extra space, then make the change. Only you can decide if the other suite perks, specifically on the Enchantment, are worth the cost for 3 (or 4) days.

 

enjoy

M

I'm with you, not worth it to UG on a short cruise.

[hawlcruiser]

Go for it!! You will be spoiled though. We book GS and last cruise none were available. Booked a JS and really noticed the difference. It does make a bunch of difference.

[ggo85]

My favorite GS perk is the CL. I'm not a huge drinker but I enjoy the fact that on the longer cruises we usually take, the bartender gets to know what I like (wine) and I don't get the sense the amount poured is being measured to the millimeter as I do when I pay for a glass at a bar.

 

My husband's favorite GS perk (he doesn't drink) is priority seating at the shows.

 

If the cost is $325 for the cabin, I'd go for it, even on a short cruise. If it's PP and you're cruising less than 5 days, it's really a question of how important money is to you, etc.

[AussieVisi2r]

Would you upgrade?

 

In a heartbeat!!!!

[coordinator23]

My daughter moved the pack n play out onto the aft balcony, and my granddaughter took her naps out there. The balcony was actually a patio because of its size. It's a short cruise, so I don't know how much benefit it would be to have the CL. Also, because it is aft - you will not have the "noise" of people moving down the hall (talking and laughing) to wake the baby up, so you will all sleep better.

My daughter and sil also took advantage of room service, and the room 0f the balcony, to eat breakfast "outside" and let the baby play around with toys while they ate (instead of the windjammer or mdr)

Right now you're on the quiet end of the boat and have a patio for the baby to play on (and for you to relax). Your cabin interior size is decent. Stay put.

[gerif]

While the GS perks are great, with the baby I'd stick with the large aft balcony. You don't know if the baby will even be quiet enough so you can both enjoy cocktails or the reserved seating at shows. For a short trip, I'd keep the great location you have.

[PattyG12]

For a 4 night cruise I'd save the $$ and keep the bigger balcony. You won't be able to drink a lot with the little one there so the CL perks are really not an issue.

[novicetraveller]

ok, so we are currently booked in a aft JS on Enchantment and the price on a GS dropped and would now be a total of $327 more. Traveling with my husband and one year old daughter and trying to decide if it's worth the extra money. Anyone know how a GS balcony compares with a aft JS? We are platinum members so currently don't have access to any lounges - not sure if that's a big deal though.

 

Thoughts? Would you upgrade?

 

On my upcoming cruise, I went from D4 Balcony to JS to GS. It cost me a small fortune, especially as I am a Solo Cruiser. I decided I wanted the extra room over a larger / wider balcony, plus the experience of accessing the Concierge Lounge, plus some of the other perks that comes with the room. (Also I wanted to get Platinum before the end of the cruise, otherwise I would be 1 point off from Platinum for when I will do my Oasis European cruise, and that would have caused me to go into OCD mode). JS and above will get Double points, so I could have easily stayed in the JS and enjoyed the larger balcony. For me a larger room is better. Also, GS and above get priority booking and a dedicated embarkation check in. I have been told about some other perks, such as a cheese plate on the Formal Nights, and Free press of your formal wear, as well as fruit being delivered to the room.

 

Also with a GS, you can order food from the MDR menu. I might be doing this whilst the ship is in Jamaica, as I have opted for the early sitting in the MDR, and may take my time coming back (The cruise departs at 7pm and I aim to get back on the ship by no later than 6:30pm).

 

I will be travelling as a Gold member, but will be Platinum at the end of the cruise.

[cruisegirl1]

OP – do your research. Many of the responses are correct BUT refer to benefits of a 7 night cruise, benefits specific to a particular port or for a ship that offers a few more suite perks than the Enchantment.

 

Whatever you decide – have a good cruise.

m

[gerif]

On my upcoming cruise, I went from D4 Balcony to JS to GS. It cost me a small fortune, especially as I am a Solo Cruiser. I decided I wanted the extra room over a larger / wider balcony, plus the experience of accessing the Concierge Lounge, plus some of the other perks that comes with the room. (Also I wanted to get Platinum before the end of the cruise, otherwise I would be 1 point off from Platinum for when I will do my Oasis European cruise, and that would have caused me to go into OCD mode). JS and above will get Double points, so I could have easily stayed in the JS and enjoyed the larger balcony. For me a larger room is better. Also, GS and above get priority booking and a dedicated embarkation check in. I have been told about some other perks, such as a cheese plate on the Formal Nights, and Free press of your formal wear, as well as fruit being delivered to the room.

 

Also with a GS, you can order food from the MDR menu. I might be doing this whilst the ship is in Jamaica, as I have opted for the early sitting in the MDR, and may take my time coming back (The cruise departs at 7pm and I aim to get back on the ship by no later than 6:30pm).

 

I will be travelling as a Gold member, but will be Platinum at the end of the cruise.

 

It's great that you are able to do this and there are great perks that come with a GS that you will no doubt enjoy, but for the OP, I don't see the big improvement. A JS gets the same double points and the same check in as a GS. Yes, they will deliver a cheese plate and a fruit plate but you can easily pick up the phone and order the same items from room service for free. As a single, dinner from the MDR menu is good but for two with a baby might be awkward since everything is delivered at once and there is no dining table like in an OS. I just think in their circumstance they are better off with the big aft balcony.

[novicetraveller]

OP – do your research. Many of the responses are correct BUT refer to benefits of a 7 night cruise, benefits specific to a particular port or for a ship that offers a few more suite perks than the Enchantment.

 

Whatever you decide – have a good cruise.

m

 

I agree with cruisegirl1. If in doubt, ask RCCL what perks are available for the GS on the Enchantment.

[critterchick]

Some of the GS are directly below the pool deck, so can be quite noisy. If you are thinking of frequent naps (for yourself or your child), you might be happier all the way aft. Yes, there will be noise from the wake and sometimes the engines, but it's a constant noise (mostly) so easier to get used to.

 

I'd probably stay put for that reason. As I enter my second childhood years, naps are important!:)