The Suite Life...how does one afford it?

[jamislandbaby]

Hey guys,

 

My boyfriend and I are planning on taking our 3rd RC cruise sometime in 2016 (my boyfriend thinks RC is the best and won't do anything else). We wanted to do Anthem of the Seas because we're in the NY/NJ area but those prices are way out of our price range so we're most likely going to do an older ship.

 

We've done a balcony room on the last 2 cruises but we've always wanted to do a suite. I saw youtube videos of the owner's suite on the Freedom & Liberty and I think I'm in love.(Personally, I don't think the JS is that much bigger to justify paying the extra cost over a balcony) Just went to the RC website and the price of the owner's suite on Freedom in April 2016 is about $4200. Not a lot of money for what you get but my boyfriend and I are regular everyday people. I have tons of student debt and my job requires me to live in NYC which is growing more expensive every day :(. I work very hard so when I go on vacation, which is rare, I want to have a good time.

 

For those CCers who have done a suite on RC, (1) do you think it was worth it, (2) how were you able to afford it and (3) are the prices cheaper during certain seasons/months?

[uncfes]

Ask yourself this. Are you taking a cruises/vacation to hold up in a room all day or are you going to enjoy the ship, the people, and more?

First I would always make sure I always make sure I have a balcony, that's a must. Second is how long the cruise is. For up to let's say 12 days how many cruise days are there and how many days do I want to be locked away.

That's just a few things to consider before you spend the money.

On the other hand you can book a regular room and watch for last minute upgrades and get killer deals.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[DonnaK]

I agree. For the cruises I've taken, a suite (even a JS) was always almost double the price of a regular balcony. For the amount of time we spend in the cabin, and the amount of time we use a balcony, I'd rather take 2 cruises in a smaller cabin than one cruise in a suite.

[blueblock]

I'm sailing in my first suite this summer, and it's only a Junior Suite, not a grand. I've done interior, exterior, and balcony. I got a great deal on a W guarantee and have been assigned to a junior suite.

 

So I can't answer question #1 yet, though I suspect the extra space will be very nice. The answer to Question #2 seems obvious to me - there are plenty of people that make more money than me, and who may not have the same student debt/high cost of living issues that you have. Question #3 - yes, there are always cruise deals to be found. They tend to be not on the biggest ships, not at the busiest times of year, and not out of the NYC ports. Often they are last-minute deals.

 

As for envying the suite life, I don't. I would rather take more cruises, in price ranges that I can afford, than skip cruises to save up for a suite (or feel envious of the people who can more easily afford the suite). I suppose it's nice to have a bathtub and a walk-in closet and the concierge lounge and the other suite amenities, but it wouldn't make or break my cruise to lack them.

[Lionesss]

Because of our work schedules and our DD in college ($$$$$)

 

We can only travel once a year.

 

We catch some Over time when we can.

 

All our change goes into a coin jar.

 

We charge everything on our credit card and pay it off in full every month.

 

Last cruise (2013) we cashed out three years of credits and got $2300:eek:

When we came home the money left was put towards this upcoming cruise.

 

I watch the "illegal" site and my husband daily does fake bookings to see if the price of the cabin came down. We have been doing this since last October...........we have already had a reduction for the three of us by over $1900. (Guess we booked when it was high)

 

We buy one excursion or soda package a month, so we can continue to pay our credit card off in full.

 

Santa brought us gift cards to our favorite stores and we use them to buy summer clothes.

 

We own 3 cars:

One is 14 years old (DD's aka the rust mobile)

 

One is 8 years old

 

One is 3 years old

 

All paid off.

 

We were able to pay off our 30 morgage in 18 years by putting an extra $200 down a month.

 

We have only been cruising for the last 7ish years, prior to that were beach vacations and the "mouse" events.

Now it is CRUISING

 

My DH and me are fortunate to be in good jobs.....

 

Job security is a thing of the past..........so we still save for any un-expected events.

 

So.........when we cruise we book a GS or Cl on the Allure, we owe it to all our hard work.

 

Now...........when we are able to cruise more often, Hmm JS or GS will be just fine.

 

 

Sea Ya

[CruisinNole]

I recommend booking a cabin at a rate that you feel comfortable with and then diligently checking the Cruise Critic Price Drop page. Three or four months ago, we booked a balcony cabin on a Freedom cruise in May and last week, noticed a price drop for suites. We upgraded to a Junior Suite for $200 total. Granted, you don't get to use the Concierge Lounge but we think that the extra space and larger balcony is worth it.

 

We've been cruising for 25 years and have never booked a suite other than a junior suite. Next year is our 40th wedding anniversary and we've booked a suite on Celebrity that is incredibly expensive but we're kind of glad that we've saved the suite for a special occasion.

Edited April 27, 2014 by CruisinNole

[gw2fll]

Sometimes its about being flexible to find the deals. Also, if you can book as early as possible - try to book when the itineraries come out, e.g., Spring 2016 now - you can then monitor for price reductions and make adjustments as needed.

 

We really enjoy the JS for the added storage space (the walk-in closet is really a good benefit). Like others have said for us a balcony is a must have. Also, the duration of the cruise can drive the size of the room decision. The number of sea days plays a part in the decision as well for us. The more sea days, we try to target a little larger room as we will be in the room more. A port intensive cruise we can do a smaller cabin since we will be onshore more often.

 

Our last cruise was a 10 day with 4 sea days and I ended up in the room a little more than I thought. Had to get a break from the sun (1) and just a moment to curl up with the book and relax in solitude (2). I'm glad we changed from a balcony room to a suite - it made a difference in the cruise experience.

 

All said, it becomes a personal decision of how you want to spend the money. Hope this helps...

[Kroozen]

Hello,

 

I know what a TON of student loan debt feels like...My partner and I are both 2nd year resident physicians, and we've accumulated about 500k in student loan/residency debt between the 2 of us. We can't afford a suite at this point in life, but we hope that we'll one day be able to. At this point, I'm happy that I can even set foot on a cruise ship. As you can see by my signature, I haven't cruised in about 3 1/2 years because between finishing medical school and starting my residency, I just couldn't afford it. Now that I'm making a little more money, I'm hoping to go on at least 1 cruise a year. Will I be in a suite right away? Nope.

[marci22]

For those CCers who have done a suite on RC, (1) do you think it was worth it, (2) how were you able to afford it and (3) are the prices cheaper during certain seasons/months?

 

A suite is nice, but I don't need one to cruise. I will book one if the price is within reason (to me). I think a JS is the best value if you want extra room. A GS is very nice, plus you get suite benefits. It's a better value than an OS.

 

I am too thrifty to pay more than 3k pp for any type of suite (my personal limit. Maybe when I get older and I want to burn through some of my money.)

 

I wouldn't have been able to afford it right after college. The prices are cheaper when the kids are in school, so try to avoid summers and holidays.

[marci22]

Hello,

 

I know what a TON of student loan debt feels like...My partner and I are both 2nd year resident physicians, and we've accumulated about 500k in student loan/residency debt between the 2 of us. We can't afford a suite at this point in life, but we hope that we'll one day be able to. At this point, I'm happy that I can even set foot on a cruise ship. As you can see by my signature, I haven't cruised in about 3 1/2 years because between finishing medical school and starting my residency, I just couldn't afford it. Now that I'm making a little more money, I'm hoping to go on at least 1 cruise a year. Will I be in a suite right away? Nope.

 

We remember what those years were like. Good luck to you~

[Jackamama]

It really depends on your personal circumstances. I love a suite, and the perks that go with it, but am happy to drop to a JS or a balcony stateroom if the price difference is too great. It also depends on the ship and time of year for us.

 

As others have said, you're unlikely to spend too much time in the suite anyway. The Concierge Lounge is a nice treat, but in terms of price we have never had enough drinks there to justify the cost. The full menu for room service is nice, but we like to dine with other people, so don't do it often. The extra space is a bonus, but not vital when there are only 2 of us. The reserved area at the pool is seldom in the best position, so not a perk we use much.

 

It's down to personal taste :)

[Kroozen]

We remember what those years were like. Good luck to you~

 

 

Thanks. And I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, because I'm certainly not. :-)

[kleo30]

We've been on 2 cruises, both times in a GS. We have a JS booked for our next 2.

 

The first time, we had to reschedule from April to November. We paid only $400 total more for 10 nights in a GS than we did for 9 nights in a balcony....that was a no brain decision. We got a killer deal. The second time we wanted the same room, although we did pay more.

 

My boys are all grown. I stayed home and home schooled them. So we were used to living on my husband's income. I have a part-time job with Weight Watchers, which I love, and we use for vacation and extra expenses.

 

The first 22 years of our marriage we tent camped because that is what we could afford and be able to have me stay home with our boys.

 

I would say it is absolutely worth it. We love the perks, the bigger room, the bathtub, and CL, the behind the scene tours, the extra things we were invited to, ordering from the MDR menu in the room and eating on the balcony, and the reserved seating at the pool. We go on 10 or 11 night trips, and I have health problems, and I do spend more time in the room than most people.

 

I'm looking forward to the JS on the aft in November on Grandeur and the JS aft next year on the Liberty for a short 5 night to Bermuda. Our son is getting married, so that is where my extra money will mostly go.

 

We are looking at a Panama Canal cruise on our 30th (5 years) and are planning and saving for a GS that trip. It's 5 years from now, so it's easier to make that happen.

[alfaeric]

We started with OV, then balconies, and a few OV's thrown in (Monarch and Majesty weekends).

 

Then a deal happened across our paths- where a balcony was a good deal, and the JS was barely more expensive. So we took it.

 

It was worth it- the extra space was really nice. Especially out on the balcony, since we also had 2 full loungers along with the 2 seats and tables- yes, it was an aft.

 

Later- we gifted my In-Laws with a cruise. And they needed an accessible cabin- by fate, they got a JS for the price of a balcony, since there were no other rooms available. To be next to them, we splurged on a GS, which I thought was a good price. Having full Thanksgiving dinner in our cabin with a view of the port really made that.

 

Both of those instances needed some shopping, and lots of looking to get what we thought was good deals.

 

Now in June, we go on the Oasis- we had a Boardwalk balcony for the nominal price- $1500pp or so. We checked, and found a JS available for a very short period for $1620pp (roughly). So we took it.

 

Basically, book the room you can afford, and then shop, shop, shop, and shop some more. Once you get past the final payment, you can not take advantage of a price drop of your cabin, but you CAN take advantage of the price drop of the higher cabins. And JS prices drop to balcony prices pretty darned often.

 

There is one downside- once you get a suite- you then start wanting them.:D

[coordinator23]

The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas, mid-January-mid-Feb. and May are usually cheaper times to cruise. Watch the web sites. We booked a Jr. Suite in June on Enchantment for less than a balcony (and still can't figure that one out) for a four day cruise. An aft balcony, if you can get one will give you more balcony space, so you will feel upgraded at the same price.

I have stayed in an owners suite once, thanks to the upgrade fairy. It was wonderful, but we really didn't need the space and the balcony felt small. We stayed with other family members in a Royal Family Suite on Freedom once, didn't feel like climbing to a totally sunny space located over the bar in the pool area for reserved seating by the pool, LOL. This was hardly a perk. It's nice to have reserved seating at the shows, but if you get there early, you can always get a good seat in any section you prefer to sit in. If you want concierge service, book a grand suite. If you want more space, book a Jr. Suite (and get double cruise points too). You will have a coffee maker/tea kettle in your room which I always enjoy. Look at the cheaper times to sail, find ports you want to visit, book a balcony and watch for price drops to upgrade, if possible, and you can't go wrong. Voyager/Freedom class ships are cheaper than Oasis and have a lot of the bells and whistles. I do like Vision and Radiance class ships which have a more intimate feel and usually are more port intensive. (I don't list past cruises, but I have sailed Royal quite a bit (D+) along with Princess and one NCL cruise) This is based on my experience over the past 10+ years. I'm dating myself, but, "Happy sails to you!"

[CVU]

• How to afford to cruise?.....be very frugal and save your money!
  

[kruzerci]

Hey guys,

 

My boyfriend and I are planning on taking our 3rd RC cruise sometime in 2016 (my boyfriend thinks RC is the best and won't do anything else). We wanted to do Anthem of the Seas because we're in the NY/NJ area but those prices are way out of our price range so we're most likely going to do an older ship.

 

We've done a balcony room on the last 2 cruises but we've always wanted to do a suite. I saw youtube videos of the owner's suite on the Freedom & Liberty and I think I'm in love.(Personally, I don't think the JS is that much bigger to justify paying the extra cost over a balcony) Just went to the RC website and the price of the owner's suite on Freedom in April 2016 is about $4200. Not a lot of money for what you get but my boyfriend and I are regular everyday people. I have tons of student debt and my job requires me to live in NYC which is growing more expensive every day :(. I work very hard so when I go on vacation, which is rare, I want to have a good time.

 

For those CCers who have done a suite on RC, (1) do you think it was worth it, (2) how were you able to afford it and (3) are the prices cheaper during certain seasons/months?

 

First off, I'm a CPA and financial advisor. Professionally speaking, you do not need to be booking a suite based on what you stated above. You have to be extremely responsible until you pay off your debt. Period! Extravagances like splurging for a suite truly need to wait until you are in a stable financial situation, which in this case means no student loans.

 

Now from a cruisers standpoint ;). We have cruised in every major category of Royal Caribbean rooms. When we had kids in the house and in college, we booked inside rooms and oceanview rooms. We occasionally booked a balcony if the price was very good.

 

Now we are 46 and both of the kids are finally out of college. Now we always book a balcony, sometimes a suite. We are a dual income couple with fairly lucrative jobs, very little debt, and live in a state where the cost of living very well is relatively low. We take two big vacations a year (one cruise and one resort) and one "budget friendly" cruise every winter.

 

For our "big cruise" each year, we book a balcony or JS. If the price drops below $2250 or so, I am comfortable upgrading to a full suite. As of yet, I have never paid over $2500 p/p for a suite and don't plan to.

 

My best advice is book the cabin your are comfortable with and check for price drops that allow you to upgrade for a price you are comfortable with.

[MrsPete]

At this point in my life, I can easily afford whatever cabin I want . . . but I don't see any point in splurging on a bigger, fancier room that'll be yours only for a week.

[jwcmmc]

Hey guys,

 

My boyfriend and I are planning on taking our 3rd RC cruise sometime in 2016 (my boyfriend thinks RC is the best and won't do anything else). We wanted to do Anthem of the Seas because we're in the NY/NJ area but those prices are way out of our price range so we're most likely going to do an older ship.

 

We've done a balcony room on the last 2 cruises but we've always wanted to do a suite. I saw youtube videos of the owner's suite on the Freedom & Liberty and I think I'm in love.(Personally, I don't think the JS is that much bigger to justify paying the extra cost over a balcony) Just went to the RC website and the price of the owner's suite on Freedom in April 2016 is about $4200. Not a lot of money for what you get but my boyfriend and I are regular everyday people. I have tons of student debt and my job requires me to live in NYC which is growing more expensive every day :(. I work very hard so when I go on vacation, which is rare, I want to have a good time.

 

For those CCers who have done a suite on RC, (1) do you think it was worth it, (2) how were you able to afford it and (3) are the prices cheaper during certain seasons/months?

 

We had a suite on an Alaskan cruise on Princess and would not pay that kind of money again.

[fendere]

My husband, 2 children, and I have cruised a lot. For us we'd rather take more cruises then have the more expensive rooms. We are all pretty active, and are very rarely in the cabin. We've done our share of interior rooms, mostly OV rooms, maybe 4 balconies, and one grand suite. The grand suite was on a 12 day Europe cruise in which we had originally booked the cheapest balcony cabin we could. One night we saw that a couple of grand suites had opened up and for kicks we clicked on it to see what the cost would be. For our family of 4, the TOTAL additional cost was only approx $350!!! That was a no-brainer. I called ASAP and we must have celebrated after that call for an hour! LOL

 

I will say this, since our family of 4 always stay in one cabin, having the grand suite and the extra space has completely ruined us. :) Unlike the earlier poster that said it wasn't a perk for them to have lounge chairs reserved, this was one of our FAVORITE perks! We are always hanging out by the pool on sea days and it was only maybe 10 stairs up from the pool deck to the top row of the reserved chairs. :) Having the concierge lounge for all drinks every night prior to dinner, not to mention coffees in the morning, was AWESOME! One night we took advantage of having our dinner in our room. That was also super cool.

 

So, although we've yet to come across an upgrade like this, if we ever do for such a slight difference in cost, we will gladly take it. Otherwise, we can be content in our interior rooms and get to cruise 2-4 times a year. :)

[akcruz]

I agree with the others here, save your money and wait on the suites until you are in a better position.

 

We have been cruising for a while now and have only stayed in a JS once because of the great deal we got. We used to sail in insides/oceanviews with the 4 of us all in one cabin. When the kids got a bit older we moved up to a balcony for us and an inside for the kids. Now my oldest is engaged and the youngest in college so starting to think about whether we move up in cabin type or not.

 

We do have a JS on our next cruise because there will be 3 of us and it was tight in the balcony last year when we did the 3. I am assuming this will be one of the last with my youngest along in our cabin but who knows ;), the older still wants to go along!!

 

Be happy you have been able to sail in balconies at the stage of your life that in your in. Save your pennies and pay off your debt. If you are looking at having kids in the future, you will need those extra $$. And, you also have something to look forward to as you get older. Save the suite for later on. Of course, this is all my opinion.

[fendere]

I agree with the others here, save your money and wait on the suites until you are in a better position.

 

We have been cruising for a while now and have only stayed in a JS once because of the great deal we got. We used to sail in insides/oceanviews with the 4 of us all in one cabin. When the kids got a bit older we moved up to a balcony for us and an inside for the kids. Now my oldest is engaged and the youngest in college so starting to think about whether we move up in cabin type or not.

 

We do have a JS on our next cruise because there will be 3 of us and it was tight in the balcony last year when we did the 3. I am assuming this will be one of the last with my youngest along in our cabin but who knows ;), the older still wants to go along!!

 

Be happy you have been able to sail in balconies at the stage of your life that in your in. Save your pennies and pay off your debt. If you are looking at having kids in the future, you will need those extra $$. And, you also have something to look forward to as you get older. Save the suite for later on. Of course, this is all my opinion.

 

akcruz- I laughed when I read your post. Both of our kids (now 7th and 9th grade) are already worried that once they are in college we will start cruising without them. We said they will ALWAYS be welcome to join us; they will just have to pay their own way. ;)

 

To the OP: Yes, consider yourself so lucky to be able to have gone on a few cruises already and in a balcony! My first was when I was a young teen, then for our 2nd wedding anniversary (in an interior), and then the next several were interiors, and an occasional OV, but once we already had children and in our early 30s. We had paid off all of our student loans prior to those. :) I do, however, get the allure of those special cabins!

Edited April 27, 2014 by fendere

[minnie00]

I would say look for a GS instead of OS first of all if you are set on a suite...its cheaper no matter what usually by at least 1k.

 

I also say the answer to your question depends on how comfortable you feel spending that amount of money on your trip and how it fits in your life...only you know that.

 

I have cruised in a reg balcony on Oasis just to be able to get on Oasis and we loved it. Never felt as if we were missing anything...its a beautiful ship and I would sail in a balcony on it instead of suite on any other ship...but...that is me.

 

I also always dreamed of going in a full suite...we did JS a few times...and finally last year we went GS...and WOW !! was worth every penny and I got a good deal imho.

 

but.....we are 47 and in a different place in life...when we were younger we wouldn't have been able to do the GS. we also like being able to travel more often so we tended to spend less on trips. We save all year towards the trips, we brown bag lunch, and we own our cars....all different than when we were younger and more debt ridden.

 

now work is so busy we are lucky to go on a big trip or two a year at most...so we go all out to make it a wonderful getaway and we splurge. but...we have done 15 yrs of budget friendly trips prior....

 

I say its worth it, I say $4200 is high...look for a better deal. and...a JS is worth a little extra if you find a deal too...the bigger balcony, bigger closet, bigger bathroom...and bigger room are treats :D

 

good luck deciding

[wolfcathorse]

book as far out as you can, in a GS (the perks are the same in a GS as in an OS), then you have time to pay it off. Save up $10 here and there and make payments on the cruise. I return my pop cans to save up for the gratuities, and if I have any grocery money left over from the weekly grocery allowance my DH gives me, that goes toward the cruise bill too.

[Ladysilver]

Our first cruise was an oceanview. A very small oceanview. We thought it was the best thing since sliced bread and have been hooked on cruising ever since. The next cruise we thought we'd splurge and get a balcony. It was heaven. We've had balcony rooms every time since then. Our next cruise we'll be in our first suite. Normally, I wouldn't even dream of booking a suite because we couldn't afford it, but we got lucky. VERY lucky. The owner's suite was discounted at a CRAZY CRAZY price, so we jumped on it, knowing it would probably be a once in a lifetime experience. After this, we'll go back to regular balconys and still be grateful we're able to go on a cruise! :D