Is a Deluxe Suite Worth It for a Port Intensive Cruise?

[Typhoon1]

"Worth it" is only a question you can answer. The rest of us have no idea what your financial picture is like.

 

Whatever you decide to do, I'm sure you'll have an enjoyable cruise.

[bvocruise]

Wow, I appreciate all of the responses. I did not realize up sell offers are pretty routine now. I thought most people paid full rate for them. Now I might feel like a schmuck if we book a SC now. Maybe we will just book a balcony and hope for a decent upgrade opportunity.

 

We really do like the lounge quite a bit.

[donaldsc]

Totally depends upon what you consider important. As far as I am concerned, I would not think that a suite much less a deluxe suite is worth it on any cruise. In fact, I do not think that a balcony is worth it for many cruises. I would prefer to do more trips than spend a lot of money on a single trip.

 

However, it is obviously just my opinion and I am probably in the minority based on the cabin choices on most ships.

 

DON

[maxie99]

WOuldn't bother…with that itinerary, you're going to be on the go all the time…not much time to enjoy the perks. (IMO) I'd rather do another cruise…now, if money is no object and you can take as many cruises as you'd like, then go for it…HAL will love it…and you'll enjoy the cabin. But…if it means not taking more cruises, then I'd opt for just a regular balcony…or even an Ocean View…being up front in the Crows Nest or on an outside deck to watch entering and leaving ports is wonderful. If you're on your own balcony you don't get half the view. It's a lovely cruise! Enjoy!

 

-your right, I couldn't figure out why I didn't like verandas, it's the fact you can't see both sides, now don't get me wrong I would never give up a chance to be in a veranda , but it makes perfect sense ,, thks

[Northern Bear]

And the free laundry and dry cleaning makes packing much easier.

 

I knew about the free laundry but not free dry cleaning. Is this accurate?

Edited September 26, 2014 by Northern Bear

[fm6175]

Yes unlimited free laundry and dry cleaning

 

 

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[Randyk47]

Have to admit that we got pretty spoiled booking deluxe/Neptune Suite cabins going back to before there was a Neptune Lounge. We did try lower level verandah suites but we missed the extra room and the amenities that have been added over the years. Even when we decided to try a different line for our first Med cruise in 2012 we picked a cabin that was about the same size. Come our 2014 Med which was our first back-to-back and longest cruise and a problem arose. The issue was that our preferred "Neptune Suite like" was available on one leg but not on the other. Mrs. K was really opposed to switching cabins mid stream, especially since mid stream was Venice and would have taken time away from our time on shore. Even the line's assurance that they'd move us didn't convince us so we had to book a lower category cabin that was available for both legs. It was very similar in layout and size to a HAL VA/VB and I have to admit we were concerned we'd really miss the space. So we go on the cruise and maybe a bit to our surprise we did just fine. With only one seaday out of 18 days it wasn't like we were in the cabin that much. Of course it helps that there are virtually no or at least not significant differences in amenities. Long story short is that we booked the same category for next year's cruise with only one seaday out of 16. :)

Edited September 26, 2014 by Randyk47

[igraf]

I agree. We normally book a verandah/vista, but we booked an ocean view for the 7-day New England route (Montreal to Boston) because all but one day were port days. We just didn't spend much time in our cabin other than sleeping. The truth is that I would have preferred a second sea day on that trip as we were somewhat tired towards the end.

 

igraf

 

 

 

Personally - no, I don't think it is worth it for a port-intensive cruise. I fact, for such a cruise we usually book and oceanview. ...

Edited September 26, 2014 by igraf

[Hlitner]

To Suite or not to Suite....that is the question! DW and I have been cruising for a very long time and have debated this issue all too much. In the end, we never book suites! And here is why. When we are asleep it does not matter if we are in a huge suite or a tiny inside cabin as we are just in bed. When we are awake, we generally spend less then 3 waking hours in our cabin since we like to be out and about. So, from our point of view, if we have a suite we get to enjoy it for about 3 hours a day. So take the cost differential of a suite versus a normal cabin and figure the cost per hour. That figure can be quite eye opening. Yes, we could afford the suite but we prefer to spend (or invest) our money in places where we get better return for our money.

 

We also consider that we average more then 70 days a year at sea. Now I will put some real numbers here. I just chose the Dec 22 fourteen day Amsterdam Cruise. An outside cabin would cost me $4992 (total cost for 2 including taxes). A Deluxe Neptune suite on that same cruise would cost us $16,172. This is approximately $800 a day more for the suite which means we would be paying $267 per hour extra..for the suite. Guess we have not reached a point where we think its worth that kind of money. On the other hand, if we had a few hundred million in the bank we would book the suite in a heartbeat.

 

Or if we consider cruising 70 days a year we would save about $56,000 by not booking a suite. That ain't hay :) One also needs to consider that the person in the lowest cost cabin will get the same food, amenities, and public rooms (with the exception of the Neptune Lounge) as the person in the most expensive suite. I guess this is why we concluded a few years ago that if we want to pay the big bucks for a cruise, we should do it on an ultra premium line like Regent, Seabourn, Sea Dream, or perhaps Crystal where, for our money, we are getting a lot more then just a nice cabin.

 

Hank

Edited September 26, 2014 by Hlitner

[rockdoctor]

When we were younger, we had your concern about suites and port intensive cruises. As we've gotten older, by alternating full day and half day excursions, our strength holds up better and we have more time to enjoy the suite. It's great to have such problems!

[April29]

I would book a regular balcony & wait for the upsell.

 

Let your TA know your plans so they will pass along the upsell to you.

 

It's worth it for the Neptune Suite which you can use to pop in for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack .