Full suite vs. Reserve collection junior suite

[tampadee]

Trying to decide which to book.  Since a suite restaurant is not included with the price of a full suite normally, is it worth paying so much since they both eat dinners in "reserve" area of dining room? 

[reedprincess]

1 minute ago, tampadee said:

Trying to decide which to book.  Since a suite restaurant is not included with the price of a full suite normally, is it worth paying so much since they both eat dinners in "reserve" area of dining room? 

Lots of other perks for a suite as opposed to a Reserve mini-suite.  

Mini-bar, suite breakfast, ordering from MDR for room service, priority embarkation and tender, shoe shine, laundry, etc.  Plus, of course, space . 

And the new Sphere class ships, ie Sun and Star, do have a suite restaurant, and a Reserve restaurant. 

Worth is in the eye of the beholder.

Only you know what you value.. 

 

Personally, suite - yes. Reserve (or any mini) nope, not worth it to me. YMMV. 

[memoak]

3 minutes ago, tampadee said:

Trying to decide which to book.  Since a suite restaurant is not included with the price of a full suite normally, is it worth paying so much since they both eat dinners in "reserve" area of dining room? 

We like the full suites for several reasons. Size of cabin and balcony, suite breakfast, free specialty dinner on embarkation, extra mini bar if you are elite and laundry service if you are not elite. Also the walk in shower is preferably to a tub when you have knee and hip issues. Also we prefer aft to midship locations 

[waltd]

You get more living space in a suite and of course the perks listed above.  

[tampadee]

Can any category suite (not junior suite) take advantage of a suite restaurant on Sun Princess?

[reedprincess]

5 minutes ago, tampadee said:

Can any category suite (not junior suite) take advantage of a suite restaurant on Sun Princess?

That is the understanding.  All suites are "Signature Suites" and have the Signature Lounge and Signature Restaurant for their enjoyment, along with a section of the Sanctuary. 

Princess doesn't have Junior Suites as a category BTW.

Suite 

Mini-suites

Deluxe Balcony

Balcony

Oceanview

Interior

(Sun Princess doesn't have standard Balcony, only Deluxe Balcony).. 

Edited February 15 by reedprincess

[CDNCruiser55]

2 hours ago, reedprincess said:

That is the understanding.  All suites are "Signature Suites" and have the Signature Lounge and Signature Restaurant for their enjoyment, along with a section of the Sanctuary. 

Princess doesn't have Junior Suites as a category BTW.

Suite 

Mini-suites

Deluxe Balcony

Balcony

Oceanview

Interior

(Sun Princess doesn't have standard Balcony, only Deluxe Balcony).. 

 

I was looking at some Sun Princess cruises today and their base Signature Suite is a mini-suite with Signature benefits. See cabins 14622-14639 (S9 category) on the Sun Princess deck plan as an example. They seem to be quite a bit more expensive than a regular mini-suite however are quite a bit cheaper than the larger Penthouse Suite so if you want the Signature benefits but don't necessarily need the extra space they could be a good fit.

[Triptkr]

We think a full suite is worth it depending on the ship.  The newer ships are not created equal with the older class ships in our opinion.  Older ships balconies are larger for full suites, newer ships balconies are not guaranteed to be large.  It takes a lot more detective work to know what you're getting balcony-wise on the new ships.  

Obviously to us, the balcony is very important.   

[cr8tiv1]

Disclaimer:  I know nothing about the Sun Class ships.  

 

What I do know:  

Full suites will get all the perks

 

Reserve Mini-suite/Mini-suite are glorified balcony cabins with no real perks.  Reserve class will have a separatED MDR but that's about it.  

 

I have been campaigning for Princess to rename "mini-SUITES" since it is so misleading.

 

I "understand" that the Sun Class ship will have some new areas that will be accessible by certain passengers.  Still waiting for first hand experiences (deep cut:  "whenever" the Sun begins to cruise)

[capriccio]

5 hours ago, CDNCruiser55 said:

 

I was looking at some Sun Princess cruises today and their base Signature Suite is a mini-suite with Signature benefits. See cabins 14622-14639 (S9 category) on the Sun Princess deck plan as an example. They seem to be quite a bit more expensive than a regular mini-suite however are quite a bit cheaper than the larger Penthouse Suite so if you want the Signature benefits but don't necessarily need the extra space they could be a good fit.

We chose an S9 signature suite for that very reason for our January 2025 Sun Princess cruise.  We normally reserve mini-suites (although when we were both working we frequently booked full suites) so we are accustomed to the size and we're interested in experiencing the perks and see how they compare to MSC's Yacht Club which we book for a price comparable to the S9 suite on Princess when we want to be spoiled.

Edited February 16 by capriccio

[nwnittany]

Another full suite benefit on some of the ships is the concierge lounge, which we've found very helpful and enjoyable.  24-hour snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, happy hours with all kinds of beverages, and never having to visit guest services (the concierge has been able handle everything for us). 

 

We also had the concierge arrange for a bridge tour and other small events. 

[mahasamatman]

5 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Reserve Mini-suite/Mini-suite are glorified balcony cabins with no real perks.

 

We generally get mini-suites unless there's a huge sail on full suites. The size difference between a mini-suite and a balcony is greater than the difference between a suite and a mini-suite. I like the extra space of a suite, but as an Elite, I don't find the full suite benefits to be worth the extra money since a lot of them are duplicated by status benefits anyway.

 

8 hours ago, memoak said:

extra mini bar if you are elite

 

You get the minibar regardless of status.

[memoak]

1 hour ago, nwnittany said:

Another full suite benefit on some of the ships is the concierge lounge, which we've found very helpful and enjoyable.  24-hour snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, happy hours with all kinds of beverages, and never having to visit guest services (the concierge has been able handle everything for us). 

 

We also had the concierge arrange for a bridge tour and other small events. 

That would only be on Royal class ships not Grsnd class

[memoak]

1 hour ago, mahasamatman said:

 

We generally get mini-suites unless there's a huge sail on full suites. The size difference between a mini-suite and a balcony is greater than the difference between a suite and a mini-suite. I like the extra space of a suite, but as an Elite, I don't find the full suite benefits to be worth the extra money since a lot of them are duplicated by status benefits anyway.

 

 

You get the minibar regardless of status.

You get an extra if unto gate elite per leg   On a 7 day b2b I get 4

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

Mini-suites are not suites and shouldn't have the word "suite" in the name IMO. They are big balcony cabins with a couple of extras but not the full suite package.

 

We love them and with Reserved Dining if we can get it at a good price but to suggest they might be suites with that name is silly IMO.

[tulok]

Per the Princess website: the Reserve Collection does include some extras if you are willing to pay the price. Wasn’t enough to entice us for 1000. more. We were able to get a mid aft balcony on deck 10 (Emerald Princess). We would much rather have the bigger balcony than stateroom and didn’t care for the Dolphin deck.

[cr8tiv1]

Thanks for posting the images.  As far as I can see, the offerings are the same as before.  It is now just window dressing.  I did not see anything that promoted additional perks than what was previously offered with "Club Class"/"Reserve mini". Another name change to Reserve Collection Junior Suite....SUITE should not be included in the description.  There absolutely no SUITE perks except for the MDR.

 

Why does Princess continue to do this?  I have to be schooled by my sister who is an HAL officiate....Their Vista Suite is not a suite either.  

[SouKnoMe]

22 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

Disclaimer:  I know nothing about the Sun Class ships.  

 

What I do know:  

Full suites will get all the perks

 

Reserve Mini-suite/Mini-suite are glorified balcony cabins with no real perks.  Reserve class will have a separatED MDR but that's about it.  

 

I have been campaigning for Princess to rename "mini-SUITES" since it is so misleading.

 

I "understand" that the Sun Class ship will have some new areas that will be accessible by certain passengers.  Still waiting for first hand experiences (deep cut:  "whenever" the Sun begins to cruise)

😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😂

[FritzG]

On 2/15/2024 at 2:51 PM, memoak said:

We like the full suites for several reasons. Size of cabin and balcony, suite breakfast, free specialty dinner on embarkation, extra mini bar if you are elite and laundry service if you are not elite. Also the walk in shower is preferably to a tub when you have knee and hip issues. Also we prefer aft to midship locations 

We also love the conveniences of the large bathroom with 2 separate vanities and the large glass door shower and separate tub.  As you say, great for guests with knee and hip issues. 

[NavyVeteran]

On 2/15/2024 at 1:51 PM, memoak said:

Also the walk in shower is preferably to a tub when you have knee and hip issues.

 

28 minutes ago, FritzG said:

We also love the conveniences of the large bathroom with 2 separate vanities and the large glass door shower and separate tub.  As you say, great for guests with knee and hip issues. 

We never book a mini-suite on Princess. If we don't book a full suite, we book a balcony or outside cabin (marked no upgrade) - never a mini-suite. DW has mobility issues, and a shower in tub is not an option. She doesn't need an accessible cabin, but the only mini-suite we could possibly book would be an accessible one. The large shower in the full suite is definitely a big improvement over the small showers in the standard cabins.

[FritzG]

21 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

 

We never book a mini-suite on Princess. If we don't book a full suite, we book a balcony or outside cabin (marked no upgrade) - never a mini-suite. DW has mobility issues, and a shower in tub is not an option. She doesn't need an accessible cabin, but the only mini-suite we could possibly book would be an accessible one. The large shower in the full suite is definitely a big improvement over the small showers in the standard cabins.

The tub/shower combination is the reason we no longer get a full suite on Queen Mary2.  The tub/shower is very deep, and neither DH nor I can get in or out without great difficulty.

[rbtan]

On 2/15/2024 at 2:45 PM, tampadee said:

Trying to decide which to book.  Since a suite restaurant is not included with the price of a full suite normally, is it worth paying so much since they both eat dinners in "reserve" area of dining room? 

I'll address this on the new Sun Princess. The Suites & Reserve class get their own "private" restaurants. Obviously, the food will be the best in the suite level.(pay more,get more) We cruise both Princess & Oceania. Being in the food industry, Oceania is among the best when it comes to food. Princess has been really criticized when it comes to food quality.Doing the "Ultimate Balcony Dinner" shows what Princess is capable of providing(especially in Reserve & suites)

  If you have preference to entertainment & shore excursions, Princess is better. We've booked a Cabana Reserve mini on the Sun next Feb. We also have a trip planned in Feb. on the Oceania vista as well(just did that ship less than a month ago) Food was outstanding, but really got annoyed when 2 ports got cancelled because weather was not just right. Late this summer will come our decision which one to take.A lot of Pax on Oceania as of late are Celebrity & Princess refugees. The Sun will not be able to get into a lot of the ports that Oceania can get into, due to the size. A tough decision awaits.

Edited February 17 by rbtan
additions

[cruzsnooze]

Just a correction regarding suite perks. Dec we sailed in a full suite 28 nights. You do not get MDR menu's to order from anymore AND even full suites pay $5 room service fees for everything except the morning menu for a continental breakfast. The room service fee is included in the highest priced alcohol package. 

[Guest Snaxmuppet]

13 minutes ago, cruzsnooze said:

Just a correction regarding suite perks. Dec we sailed in a full suite 28 nights. You do not get MDR menu's to order from anymore AND even full suites pay $5 room service fees for everything except the morning menu for a continental breakfast. The room service fee is included in the highest priced alcohol package. 

The room service fee is included in both the Plus and Premier packages 🙂 

[memoak]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

Just a correction regarding suite perks. Dec we sailed in a full suite 28 nights. You do not get MDR menu's to order from anymore AND even full suites pay $5 room service fees for everything except the morning menu for a continental breakfast. The room service fee is included in the highest priced alcohol package. 

The MDR menus are in the app every morning. No problem ordering. Why would I order room service breakfast when I can go to a suite breakfast with incredible service. We also sail with the plus package which covers room service charge