Equinox Sky Suite. Worth the extra $$$?

[vissi877]

In the planning stage for a 13 night Mediterranean cruise on Equinox in September. I'm traveling with a friend, we're both male and in our mid 20s. I think I've ruled out Aqua class as it seems a little too coupley/romantic :rolleyes: and we aren't really the spa type.

 

Considering Concierge Class veranda for the perks but I really have my heart set on a Sky Suite so we're able to enjoy a little more personal space. However it's over $1000 each extra on top of a CC veranda cabin, and for us that's quite a bit money. I really do love the idea of a more spacious cabin but are they worth paying the extra?

Edited January 8, 2014 by vissi877

[jelayne]

At $1000 each on a port intensify cruise I wouldn't upgrade. We would be off the ship or asleep most of the time so wouldn't be worth it to us.

 

A transatlantic with 5-7 consecutive sea days would be a different story and I would seriously consider upgrading to a suite.

[CathyCruises]

Totally agree that on such a port intensive cruise it's not worth that much money. The sky suites are 50% larger than the standard cabins, FYI. And furthermore, re-review the CC perks--they really aren't worth very much at all.

 

There have been tons of discussions here about the value of each listed amenity, but the reality is that they are pretty minimal.

 

Lots of people like the 'idea' of 'priority boarding' but that's pretty meaningless. So many people get priority that the regular cabins just sail right in. PI.

 

You do get a footstool on the balcony, thicker bathrobes, hors d'oeuvres in the afternoon, although we much prefer running up to the buffet for sushi, and a bottle of sparkling wine that you can often trade in for a bottle of wine for a $28 credit.

 

Only you can decide if these perks are worth it but if the price is much above $100/pp more, it's probably not.

[vissi877]

Thanks jelayne and CathyCruises for your replies. I agree that for this cruise with so many ports that the money to upgrade isn't worth it. Probably better spent on shore excursions! I have also read elsewhere that CC isn't all that either, seems a bit of a gimmick to me. I think the best thing is to do is secure a good veranda cabin, and you never know, if I can get CC or AC for a decent (cheap!) price on top of it I may consider an upgrade. Thanks for the help :)

[sunshine nana]

We chose the Sky Suite for the extra room, both in the cabin and the bathroom. All our cruises are port intensive, but we are in the cabin or balcony each am and evening. We would pick a mini-suite like Princess has if Celebrity had such a category. We also enjoyed eating in Blu or a specialty rest. every night (2 free specialties) and also enjoyed breakfast in Blu many mornings. We take only one cruise per year and are at the point where the extras are worth it to us.

[CathyCruises]

Thanks jelayne and CathyCruises for your replies. I agree that for this cruise with so many ports that the money to upgrade isn't worth it. Probably better spent on shore excursions! I have also read elsewhere that CC isn't all that either, seems a bit of a gimmick to me. I think the best thing is to do is secure a good veranda cabin, and you never know, if I can get CC or AC for a decent (cheap!) price on top of it I may consider an upgrade. Thanks for the help :)

 

I can tell you that after being in every cabin category, we have realized that for us the best value is a 1B--on the flat part of the hump so you can see forward and aft, and at or very close to the midship elevators. We don't prefer the larger balconies due to the overhang making the cabin seem gloomy, and we didn't love AQ because we like having dinner at a large table with new friends.

 

For your ports of call, I highly recommend joining your roll call and teaming up to do private excursions--these will be way more personalized and fun and inexpensive than a ship's tour. Much better to sightsee with 8 folks than with 50 in a huge bus. Also on the ports of call boards, there are tons of suggestions on DIY in every port--that's our preferred method unless the destination is inaccessible by public transport. We keep to our budget AND have great experiences.

[Karynanne]

We enjoy Sky Suites for the additional closet and bathroom space. Everyone has their own individual needs, and if sailing in a smaller cabin works well for you...book that cabin. If you need more space...book the larger cabin.

[dinosaurdem]

Just sailed in an S1 on Equinox. It was a very pleasant experience. The decision boils down to whether you can afford it. The best things about it were the balcony, the butler breakfast, breakfast in Blu, ending up getting comped for four meals in the specialty restaurants. and the space.

[shoelover536]

Can't really help since we are booked in AQ. But friends of ours had a CC room and a sky suite on Equinox last summer - they loved the SS for the extra space.

 

A bit OT, but which cruise are you on? We are on the September 7 out of Venice.

Edited January 8, 2014 by shoelover536
typos

[bigbenboys]

We normally book AQ or CC cabins. We do like the cabin location one deck below the pool and food. Sometime the AQ cabins are less than CC. I will say that I'm not that fond of Blu, but that tables for 2 in Blu near the windows are so close together that it like a table of 4 or 6 depending where you sit. You just cant not talk to people so close. As you 2 are in your 20's I would spend the money saved on drink packages or/and excursions. It is a great part of the world. Have fun. Richard

[wednesday]

We had a deck 12 aft facing S2 on our Equinox med cruise and it made the trip so much nicer, especially when sailing into Kotor. I will say that we were in a C2 up until a couple of weeks before sailing when a suite Gty opened for only $125.00 pp more, so you might want to book a cheaper cabin you would be happy with and keep a check everyday on prices as your sailing gets close. I love suites but only book them when I can get a decent deal, Celebrity's sky suite prices are usually higher than I am willing to pay.

[güerejo]

We wondered the exact same thing while planning our trip this past November. You can check out me previous posts and all the feedback I got. In the end we took advantage of a suite guarantee and got an S1 on the aft corner. The suite was truly amazing! We too had a port intensive cruise but just being able to sit out on the huge balcony in the morning, when you get back at the end of a long day etc, was heavenly. The extra space was also fantastic on a longer cruise. Our butler was outstanding and brought us treats every afternoon from the buffet (sandwiches, pastries, fresh fruit etc). He even saw how exhausted we were by day 12 and helped us pack our suitcases! All in all it was a magnificent trip and I'm so happy we took the plunge and paid extra for the suite. It's up to you how much extra you are willing to pay for it.

 

PS. We ate in Blu every night without any trouble. They even gave us 50% off in the speciality restaurants on top of our 2 freebies for being in a suite!

Edited January 9, 2014 by güerejo

[vissi877]

Thanks for all your comments. Highly appreciated! Thoroughly confused now though! Haha. I like wednesday's idea of booking a lower category room that we would be happy with, and checking as the date gets closer so see if any suites become available for a better price. I will probably do that, as I think booking the suite and paying all the extra up front is a little too much. Smarter to use that money elsewhere IMO.

 

Shoelover536 yes this is the Sept 7 out of Venice :)

[shoelover536]

Thanks for all your comments. Highly appreciated! Thoroughly confused now though! Haha. I like wednesday's idea of booking a lower category room that we would be happy with, and checking as the date gets closer so see if any suites become available for a better price. I will probably do that, as I think booking the suite and paying all the extra up front is a little too much. Smarter to use that money elsewhere IMO.

 

Shoelover536 yes this is the Sept 7 out of Venice :)

 

 

Yay! :D Come join the roll call! Want to join any tours? I posted some I'm trying to find people to join in on. I'm organizing RIL tours for Rome, Florence/Tuscanny and Pompeii/Amalfi.

 

Email me at jacquegregory@gmail.com if you are interested and I'll give you the details. I'm 36 and my husband is 41, so we're a little older than you guys, but not by much.

 

Anyway, no worries if not and see you on board!!

 

Back to your topic now... ;)

 

Jacquelyn

[packyourpixiedust]

One thought on the excursions. My husband and I are in our 30's and did the med in 2012. We used podcasts and the rick Steve's books (which we got from the library) to do Europe on our own. Make sure to copy the maps of each city and bring them with you :)

[huskerc]

We did the 12 night Equinox cruise out of Barcelona this year. We were in simply a standard Veranda. A suite would have been an absolute waste for us. Most of our time in the cabin was spent sleeping. We ate several meals off the ship, so the value of in-suite dining is lower for this cruise as well. We love our balconies and typically use them a lot, but on this cruise were hard-pressed to get much use out of it.

 

Based on this cruise we have altered our booking strategy somewhat. The MDR food and service quality seem to decline with every cruise, so these days we are looking at either a standard balcony with the unlimited dining package, or else Aqua class depending on pricing. You might reconsider Aqua if you think there's anything romantic or "couple-y" about it. There really isn't.