Would you rather cruise for one week in a suite or two weeks in normal cabin?

[Mary229]

Two weeks, hands down.  I cruise for where the ship goes, not where I sleep. My criteria are quiet sleeping quarters, cleanliness, healthful food and get me to the port in a timely fashion 

[Ashland]

I'm a bathtub person...End of story as to why at a minimum I will only book a JS and above.

[Lois R]

22 minutes ago, Ashland said:

I'm a bathtub person...End of story as to why at a minimum I will only book a JS and above.

Some lines have tubs in every cabin........but I am guessing you are referring to Royal Caribbean. 

[getting older slowly]

Two weeks or one week ?...... minimum 2 weeks...

 

Suite ??    simply yes..   we like the space and use it,,, as somewhere to relax

 

The perks ??    it is because of the room / location.... perks are nice though..

 

so far have only cruised in suite... and that is where we would like to stay...

 

But that is us.....

[Ashland]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Some lines have tubs in every cabin........but I am guessing you are referring to Royal Caribbean. 

Yes...mainly and Celebrity also.

[2wheelin]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

I am SO "on the same page" with this. I actively avoid lines that have gone in the opposite direction.

I would prefer to cruise where everyone is treated the same and detest this return to “class” sailing but thought it was pretty much universal. What are some of the lines you have found desirable? I don’t cruise enough to keep up on all the nuances.

[cruisemom42]

1 minute ago, 2wheelin said:

I would prefer to cruise where everyone is treated the same and detest this return to “class” sailing but thought it was pretty much universal. What are some of the lines you have found desirable? I don’t cruise enough to keep up on all the nuances.

 

One could nitpick and say that all lines give suites a few benefits, and that's fine. What I personally don't appreciate are the lines that have a separate "ship within a ship" type of set-up. On a sliding scale I think MSC has gone about the farthest on the spectrum toward this. Of the mass market lines, Holland America is a line that probably has the fewest "separate" suite perks. 

 

As the other poster said, some of the more deluxe/upscale lines -- like Viking -- seem to focus on the suite accommodations being primarily about more space not about perks or about "separating" suite passengers from other classes....  

 

It's my feeling that the larger the ships in a particular line, the more they feel a need to separate the suite passengers from the others in order to extract a premium price. That just happens to be far from my preference. I like small ships where everyone is sharing the experience together.  

 

 

[navybankerteacher]

Assuming everything else is equal, two weeks would be preferable -- the imposition of "class" perks is one of the sadder developments in cruising - along with the degradation of what used to be an across-the-board quality experience.. As lines started cutting quality of food, service, and entertainment so they could hold down fares to attract more passengers, they decided it was necessary to offer a "superior" experience to those more interested in quality than low cost;   THEY SIMPLY TRASHED WHAT USED TO BE A PRETTY GOOD EGALITARIAN EXPERIENCE.

 

Of Course all else is rarely equal -- so I should specify that I  would prefer a week in  an inside on a small ship on a truly fine itinerary to a month in a grand suite in a Royal Caribbean Heffalump of the Seas or an NCL Circus Wagon on some blah Mexican coast cruise or a run of the mill Caribbean ho-hummer.

Edited July 26, 2021 by navybankerteacher

[springfire]

We always prefer the longer cruises, we rarely do suites anymore unless the price is right. 

[zekekelso]

I think there’s a fine line when it comes to classes within the ship. I’ve never begrudged the suite or status passengers having a special lounge. And even having a small ship-within-a-ship section is fine. As long as it feels like it’s mostly a ship for everybody, with a bit carved out. But some lines and ships have taken it too far. I’ll call out celebrity edge - saw a promotion for the ship and it totally felt like a ship first and foremost for those in special sections, and us steerage passengers merely tolerated. 

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, Ashland said:

Yes...mainly and Celebrity also.

Or if you step up to a luxury line. I sail with Silversea and every cabin has a full tub and shower.

[Ashland]

26 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Or if you step up to a luxury line. I sail with Silversea and every cabin has a full tub and shower.

Thanks, but after all these years we'll stick to what's familiar to us. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

22 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Or if you step up to a luxury line. I sail with Silversea and every cabin has a full tub and shower.

Interestingly, the concept of “stepping up” scares the hell out of some folks who may only look at the cabin price comparison with mass market lines without considering the often included premium/lux lines’ items like airfare, beverages, booze, specialty restaurants, tours, internet, etc.

Even the mass market lines themselves have admitted they fall short of a stellar experience by introducing “ship within a ship.” And ironically, the bottom line cost of this “wannabe” cruise can often be more than the cost of the “real” thing.

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 minutes ago, Ashland said:

Thanks, but after all these years we'll stick to what's familiar to us. 

Next booking, please do the “bottom line” math AND the quality quotient review. You may be VERY pleasantly surprised when you look at some of the premium/luxury lines. 

[George C]

6 hours ago, cbr663 said:

We've booked suites and weren't that impressed.  Glad we tried it as now we know that for us, a suite isn't a big deal.  We'd take it as a free upgrade but we aren't interested in paying extra for it.

Suite and suite perks are way better on some lines than others , Celebrity and MSC yacht club have there ship within a ship on certain ships which we really enjoyed, yacht club has so much space in suite lounge and pool nothing was ever crowded.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Just now, George C said:

Suite and suite perks are way better on some lines than others , Celebrity and MSC yacht club have there ship within a ship on certain ships which we really enjoyed, yacht club has so much space in suite lounge and pool nothing was ever crowded.

Do you realize that, on premium/luxury lines, the entire ship is that way?

[George C]

1 minute ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Do you realize that, on premium/luxury lines, the entire ship is that way?

What about entertainment? Yacht club has good music and you have access to all the entertainment on the ship. 

[Heidi13]

8 minutes ago, George C said:

Suite and suite perks are way better on some lines than others , Celebrity and MSC yacht club have there ship within a ship on certain ships which we really enjoyed, yacht club has so much space in suite lounge and pool nothing was ever crowded.

 

On mega ships, once you leave the special area, you are crowded, just like all the others. If staying within your special area, you only have a tiny ship.

 

If you enjoy the Suite perks that mega ships offer, I suggest checking out any of the premium/luxury lines. The regular cabins may be smaller than some mega ship top suites, but you have the entire ship to enjoy. The entire premium/luxury ships are probably as spacious, if not more, than the suite areas.

 

What you consider suite perks, we consider normal service that is available to all pax. Might be worth checking out the options.

[Flatbush Flyer]

10 minutes ago, George C said:

What about entertainment? Yacht club has good music and you have access to all the entertainment on the ship. 

Some of the premium/lux lines are in consortia with mass market lines. For example, NCL Holding comprises NCL, Oceania and Regent. They all use the same talent agency. 
Of course, big production shows won’t work on  the smaller premium/lux ships. But the associated cost of sharing large ship space with thousands of other people is a steep price to pay.

Want a Broadway show? Why not go to the real thing by taking a cruise that starts/ends in NYC and add a land component to your trip.

[cruisemom42]

It seems to me that some cruisers want a cruise experience that is more like a Las Vegas stay -- lots of music, entertainment, glitz, conspicuous consumption, etc. Being around the pool on one of these ships is a lot like being at the pool in Vegas.

 

Others want a cruise experience that is more about a connection to the sea: to both the places visited AND the way in which one gets there. Onboard entertainment, luxury with a capital "L", special areas and perks -- all of those are more secondary to the actual cruise experience itself.

 

In my experience, the very large ships tend toward the former and are often very "inward" looking. And the smaller ships I've been on tend toward the latter.

 

There's no real right or wrong. Lately, however, I am feeling that those who like the second type of cruise have fewer and fewer choices without blowing the budget.  

[Heidi13]

37 minutes ago, George C said:

What about entertainment? Yacht club has good music and you have access to all the entertainment on the ship. 

 

On our preferred premium/luxury line, we had shows in the Theatre every evening, a classical duo playing in the Atrium, a resident pianist in a lounge, a resident guitarist playing in a lounge and the ship's band in the nightclub after the show.

 

The Cruise Director and staff also produced individual shows, which were held in the Theatre and on a number of afternoons they performed in the Atrium.

 

Yes, we have access to all the entertainment and none of the venues are crowded. Most importantly - zero kids, as all pax are 18+.

 

On MSC, I assume when attending the evening show you must depart your special area, joining the sea of humanity.

 

By day, we have excellent lectures that focus on the history and culture of the area we are cruising. Prior to each port, we also have a port lecture that actually provides information on the port and not the cruise lines shopping partners.

 

 

Edited July 26, 2021 by Heidi13

[lissie]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

One could nitpick and say that all lines give suites a few benefits, and that's fine. What I personally don't appreciate are the lines that have a separate "ship within a ship" type of set-up. On a sliding scale I think MSC has gone about the farthest on the spectrum toward this. Of the mass market lines, Holland America is a line that probably has the fewest "separate" suite perks. 

Surprisingly I think Cunard doesn't have many separate suite perks either - they have a separate restaurant for the Grills (suite) passengers and they have small deck area and a I think a bar of their own - all at the top of the ship - so not my ideal location at all.  No other pool or even spa. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

3 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

It seems to me that some cruisers want a cruise experience that is more like a Las Vegas stay -- lots of music, entertainment, glitz, conspicuous consumption, etc. Being around the pool on one of these ships is a lot like being at the pool in Vegas.

 

Others want a cruise experience that is more about a connection to the sea: to both the places visited AND the way in which one gets there. Onboard entertainment, luxury with a capital "L", special areas and perks -- all of those are more secondary to the actual cruise experience itself.

 

In my experience, the very large ships tend toward the former and are often very "inward" looking. And the smaller ships I've been on tend toward the latter.

 

There's no real right or wrong. Lately, however, I am feeling that those who like the second type of cruise have fewer and fewer choices without blowing the budget.  

“Blowing the budget” does not have to be an inescapable thing.

 

FWIW: we use a formula I refer to as “net daily rate” to calculate the total DAILY cost of any significant trip away from home on a “door to door” basis. So, it includes everything from ground transfer to intercontinental airfare to cruise fare and options as well as added pre/post cruise travel.

The two elements of the whole “big trip” deal that often make it doable are the inclusive fares of premium/lux cruise lines and the best/most interesting different intercontinental start/end cruise ports that get the most out of bizclass airfare.

In essence, “bundling” multiple trips into the right single longer experience can make even “luxury” travel affordable.

[lissie]

2 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

In essence, “bundling” multiple trips into the right single longer experience can make even “luxury” travel affordable.

Maybe because I live at the bottom of the world - but it never occurred to me to do anything else. We HOPE to do 2 cruises next year SF-Bcn and Bcn-Singapore with 6 weeks in between. I need to book Hawaii, SF, and 6 weeks in Eastern Europe and a return ex Singapore nearer the time - but surely unless you are under huge time pressure this is a  a normal thing to do. 

 

In answer to the earlier question -  I would only do a local cruise for 7 days - and both cruises mentioned above are an inside cabin 

[Tapi]

I can rarely cruise for more than a week at a time, so I’d do the suite simply because unfortunately, two weeks isn’t a choice for me. 
 

The best suite we’ve ever done was aboard MSC Meraviglia in the Mediterranean. We had an Aurea Duplex Suite, now reclassified as Yacht Club Duplex Suites (double decker, loft style, separate bedroom upstairs, 2 bathrooms, dressing room, dining table, living room, and a forward facing balcony with our own jacuzzi tub). We sailed for one week, and I would’ve not given up those accommodations in exchange for a two week cruise in a standard stateroom.