Suite vs balcony

[heatherandfred]

I've dreamed of having a real suite with a Butler. If you have a choice, which would you choose a suite or a regular balcony, especially cruising with little ones?

 

 

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[cb at sea]

I will ALWAYS take the largest cabin I can afford... but I like to be as comfortable on vacation as at home....some folks would rather save the money from the cabin to use on excursions or trinkets....everyone is different!

 

Not ALL cruise lines have butlers, tho..so if that's your aim, do your research!!

[heatherandfred]

I found that out when we booked our honeymoon and got an aft suite and was a little bummed. But can't complain, it was a nice b2b...not same cabin tho...

 

I had no clue that all ships don't have butlers. I think it's something I'd like to try once.

 

 

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[RSLeesburg]

We are with CB, we book the largest cabins we can afford, which so far have been suites on RCI. No butlers, but nice perks.

 

 

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[Kerry's Girls]

As a last minute (paid, but heavily discounted) upgrade, we had an amazing suite with butler and tremendous perks on NCL when we cruised Europe. The butler was especially nice when we came back exhausted at the end of the day and he'd serve us a great dinner from one of the dining rooms (rather than the small room service menu). The suites on NCL are fun because the shower overlooks the ocean (floor to ceiling glass!) and the bathtub has a tv, etc.

 

But our next cruise to Mexico we got an inside and were completely fine. For me, I'd rather have more money to spend on the next vacation. We really have the same amount of fun no matter what the room.

 

I wouldn't pay much more for a suite, but if perks are included (on NCL, ordering in from dining rooms, private upscale breakfast and lunch restaurant, VIP assistance off the ship, etc.), it can be worth it to me to enhance a vacation.

 

Best,

Mia

[cb at sea]

NCL has some of the best "suite' perks going... Carnival is at the bottom of the "suite perk" list.

[cadien]

Our upcoming cruise is going to be in an NCL suite (a very generous gift) and we had the choice between one with a balcony and one without. We have a toddler so ended up choosing the suite without the balcony for general peace of mind. It's our first ever cruise, so we won't know what we're missing without the balcony.

[jac1976]

I think it would depend on the age of the little ones and the perks you get with the suite. We just sailed on the Queen Victoria with our 6yo and 9 yo. We sailed in a penthouse suite in the Queens Grill with a butler. Having a butler was nice, but we didn't use him more than we used our regular room steward on previous cruises. What we did use was the concierge just for Grills guests, and we really enjoyed the smaller dining room with flexible seating.

 

The balcony was nice as we were traveling with my father and my father-in-law. 3 rooms in all, right in a row. Our butler opened up the wall that separated the balconies so we had one giant balcony and access to all 3 rooms. That was wonderful for the kids as they could go back and forth to their grandfathers' rooms without having to go into the hallway. It also made things easier for us in the mornings as my 9yo was staying my father-in-law. When he woke up, he would just go out on the balcony and come into our suite instead of waking up grandpa.

[Trend]

What about a child just shy of 3 yrs is a balcony safe?

[Akitkat118]

i had my 20 month old in a balcony room. on RCI there is no where for him to get to - it's a full plexiglass panel. he loved being out there.

[OzCanuck]

What about a child just shy of 3 yrs is a balcony safe?

 

Our now 37 month old has cruised six times, each time in a Balcony (suite on NCL). I have never had a concern for his safety. There is one rule. He is not allowed on the balcony by himself.

 

There is no way he could climb over without the aid of a chair and a LOT of hard work. The chairs are never close enough to the rail to help out - he would have to move them himself, which would be easily enough time to alert us. Realistically we have the door closed and (child-latched) most of the time unless we are on the balcony as well, but sometimes it is open for the breeze.

 

I will note that our cruise last week was the first time he was able to actually open the balcony door himself (hence we started using the child latch).

 

I am far more concerned about him walking out of the cabin and down the hall that vaulting over the railing..

[drenee73]

Balcony on Carnival - no problem with our DD. She's about to do her 6th cruise at age 4. Aside from one cruise my parents paid for and on the Fantasy that has few balconies, we've always had at least a standard one.

 

We did a aft wrap suite last cruise and LOVED it - as did she.

 

If we could afford a suite every time, we def would do it - the extra room is nice. A balcony is almost a requirement at this point.

 

Where else do you drink your first cup of coffee? :)

[Pitzel]

We love the suites on NCL. We cruised earlier this year with our 4 year old and our Butler treated him like a little prince. We would get back from excursions and she would greet us with pb&j sandwiches, apple sauce and my son's favorite fruits. Awesome! Our suite happened to not have a balcony, but we didn't really miss it. The extra room and the extra perks were absolutely worth it!

[cadien]

I'm happy to hear about healthier snacks being brought. So many reviewers mention endless cookies and bowls of gummy bears and M&Ms.

 

 

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[Pitzel]

I'm happy to hear about healthier snacks being brought. So many reviewers mention endless cookies and bowls of gummy bears and M&Ms.

 

You can make specific requests about what you do/don't want for your afternoon snacks. We usually got a cheese and cracker tray for us and some fruit and sandwiches for our son. We did get cookies and chocolates from time to time, but you ask to keep these at a minimum if you want (or, perhaps get 1-2 cookies rather than a whole plate full!)

[rjm11]

another vote for the "suite life" on NCL- it's ideal for young kids because you can put them to bed (often in a separate room of the suite!) and have the butler bring you dinner from any restaurant on the ship (specialty dining, main dining room, whatever) and enjoy a nice dinner for 2. I also had the butler keep milk and fruit stocked in the fridge for us, which really helped. Just having the extra space was well worth it, but the butler made it a no-brainer. You won't regret it.

[heatherandfred]

another vote for the "suite life" on NCL- it's ideal for young kids because you can put them to bed (often in a separate room of the suite!) and have the butler bring you dinner from any restaurant on the ship (specialty dining, main dining room, whatever) and enjoy a nice dinner for 2. I also had the butler keep milk and fruit stocked in the fridge for us, which really helped. Just having the extra space was well worth it, but the butler made it a no-brainer. You won't regret it.

 

 

Now THAT sounds like a fabulous idea!!

 

 

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