Are the suites worth it? About This Page:

[TKH]

Travelling with 2 young (active!) boys...would a suite be worth it? Are they much larger/advantageous when compared to the usual staterooms?

[Belle*]

Have you considered connecting staterooms? This give you the advantage of additional space as well as two bathrooms.

[gzmtlock]

Well, depends on your idea of "worth it." We're booked in connecting cat 10s for an Eastern Caribbean in Aug 09; cost is less than $6000 (for both). Curious, I asked our TA to find out the cost for a cat 3, same cruise. Was more than $14000! Well, that fantasy died a quick death!

[emtpej]

Hi and welcome!

The staterooms are larger than on most other cruise lines, as I understand it. Our Cat. 4 stateroom was comfortable, if a little cramped with the 5 of us in the evening.
But, we did not stay in the room very much! There are a lot of activities to tire everyone out!

[HeatherD]

Are you considering the Family Suite or an actual Bedroom Suite? Because the Family Suite, IMO, isn't that much different from a verandah stateroom - just a bit longer. We planned our next trip originally to go alone (just the 4 of us) and were going to be in one room. With young kids, I don't know that I'd pay for 2 staterooms, just for extra room to run around - that's what Oceaneer's Club is for!

I'd say that a deciding factor could be in price comparing - the price you pay vs. the extra room you get. I'd love to stay in a one-bedroom suite, but the cost is prohibitive for us. And I'm not willing to pay extra for a family suite, just for the extra room to put a cot. The verandah extends our room quite nicely!

[TKH]

Thanks for the advice. We are looking at a category 3...seems like it might be quite large and also include a few 'extras'. Our youngest boy (they are 2 and 4 yrs) doesn't separate well from me, so I imagine dropping him off at Flounder's Reef would leave the staff less than thrilled! He can (and will!) cry for hours straight if I leave him, so he and I may need extra space in a stateroom as we may spend a bit more time there than the average cruiser would! Thanks again.

[gzmtlock]

I had a child like that - leaving her anywhere as an infant/toddler was more trouble than it was worth. Today, at 11, she is extremely independent and comfortable "in her own skin." Adults are surprised by her self-confidence. So hang in there!!

Back to the suite question - if you can afford a cat 3, I'd go for it! The concierge service would be quite nice. But if that's out of your price range, I think you could get connecting staterooms to meet your need for extra space. It would be fairly easy to make the 'living room' portion of one of the staterooms into a playroom that would not necessarily need picking up when all four of you are in your rooms.

Good luck!

[cmhand30]

IMO, Yes!
But we did it a little different. We booked a cat 6, and would have been very happy with that. But really wanted a cat 3, just for the experience. I had been spending a lot of time reading on disboards and other sights about it and was wondering. So we got to the port at about 10:30 and I asked if there were any suites/upgrades for purchase. Yes, there were. We got a cat 3, handicap suite for about $860 for 4 people at the port!!!!!! Would have been more than $3,500 extra if booked when I made ressies. What a deal. But doesn't happen everyday.

The room was huge, balcony was great, attention from staff wonderful. Can order room service from all restuarants, special treats in room every afternoon. Fridge stocked with soda & water at all times. They scheduled Palo & excursions for us. 2 bathrooms! The bed linens were heavenly.

Well, I'm not working right now due to moving and a bad economy, so our next cruise is a cat 12. But we are still cruising!!!!

[colleymouse]

Although the square footage doesn't seem to add up to much, I have always been surprised how roomy the staterooms are. Even with little ones, I don't think you will be spending as much time inside as you think. There are too many great places to hang out on the ship!