They Say You Can’t Go Back After the Suite Life – We Did It and Survived!

[bbeltmom]

Thanks for this! We have been spoiled in suites for the last few of years. Our next is in AQ because we are taking our grown children and spouses and we didn't want to be in a suite without them. We have 4 in a row ad plan to open up the balconies.

 

You have put my mind at ease!

[vtcruising]

Thanks for this! We have been spoiled in suites for the last few of years. Our next is in AQ because we are taking our grown children and spouses and we didn't want to be in a suite without them. We have 4 in a row ad plan to open up the balconies.

 

You have put my mind at ease!

That sounds like so much fun! I think you will still feel pampered - have a wonderful time!

[tanzania2015]

Your review is an example of what CC threads should be. Facts and no drama. I really enjoyed the plus and minus comparisons. We have been mostly Aqua Class except for Suite to Antartica and Alaska. Our next three bookings are Suite. We will be booking the South Pacific from Australia to Hawaii cruise next week on our Caribbean cruise. The suites are prohibitively expensive on the South Pacific cruse. We are considering a SV cabin which we enjoyed on one previous cruise. I like your perspective on what Suite perks are nice but not necessary.

 

 

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[riclop]

If you can't afford then you adopt.

[Shadow9612]

Thank you vtcruising for such a wonderfully written review with various perspectives. I really appreciate how much time that must have taken you, but at times I felt like I was on the cruise with you!

Your review is an example of what CC threads should be. Facts and no drama. I really enjoyed the plus and minus comparisons.... I like your perspective on what Suite perks are nice but not necessary.

I couldn't agree more with you. I was thinking exactly the same thing as I was being immersed in such a positive experience of reading such a wonderful review!

 

thank you again to the OP.

 

Uhm, and now I want to go on a Mediterranean cruise ;)

[easyboy]

Great review and nice photos!

It's clear that cruising is not just about the cabin type you're in.

[Ma Bell]

What a pleasure to read your review and enjoy your beautiful photos. Well, done!

[cruisefan123]

Fabulous review!

 

 

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[chemmo]

Speaking of budgets, another advantage of saving money on not having a suite was being able to use the money for private tours that I feel really enhanced our experience for our first trips to most of these ports. We don't do well with large tour groups and we seem to flail when touring on our own unless we have already been to a place.

 

Great, well balanced review. It reminded us of our younger cruising days when it was the off ship time which was always the priority. We would be up as we arrived in port and do day after day of long tours. We loved it! Seeing so many places in such a short space of time was incredible! We happily cruised in family sized rooms, dined in the MDR. Ship time was invariably poolside!

 

Now we do enjoy the suites because our cruises are more and more about time spent on the ship with short walks or excursions lasting just a few hours.

 

You did exactly what all good holiday planners should do. You had specific priorities of what was important to you on that particular vacation experience and really made the most of it.

 

Really look forward to following your further cruise adventures....you have a great narrative style that makes for great reading!

[alaird]

Hi Marilyn hope you are well? I have to agree that the tour in Sicily was fabulous and I will never forget that moment when we were visiting the cathedral in Savoca when Ave Maria started playing... it was just so breathtaking and magical... one of my absolute favourite memories xxx

 

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[hvbaskey]

Thank you for this post! our last 5 cruises have been in Suite class, but our next one is in Aqua (there was a $10K difference between AQ and SS2 - which we felt was too expensive for the Suite “perks” and we do have a budget!!!). We were wondering how we would cope (for all the reasons you have brilliantly reviewed). We felt we would be “just fine" and now 100% believe, we will be very happy and have a brilliant time. I know we can “go back” and we might just stay there!

 

I have never ever thought about requesting a tea kettle - that is brilliant!!! I never knew they had tea kettles to request - sincerely appreciate that tip.

 

With sincere appreciation of this post,

 

Heather

[mrsgoggins]

I loved your report and almost didn't bother reading it because suites are of no interest to me (we are happy with Aqua or sometimes a regular balcony) and I would have missed a treat. You certainly planned well - the excursions you did, and your pre-cruise stay in Rome, sounded wonderful. We have sailed on the Reflection and didn't realise that it might be possible to have a kettle. Like many Brits, I miss my favourite tea when I'm away so I could take my own. Thank you.

[Lastdance]

I also loved your review. We did the same ports 6 years ago and we are doing them again at the end of April and in an S1 corner aft. The cost was 7,400 for both of us. IMHO the price is great for this cruise. Timing is one factor we consider when booking. We have done suites before, along with C’2’s on the angle and regular balconies. Since I am still working, my DH and I enjoy splurging when prices are good.

 

Your review was full of great information, especially about suite life and traveling with family. Our last Greece and Italy cruise was with our cousins and we had an excellent cruise with them in Concierge class. So many factors drive our cabin class of choice, but this time it is price and pampering, as I have always been a saver with a travel account. Taking care of parents is another reason for pampering. My DH and I feel fortunate to travel to Europe again and again, deciding what best fits our needs/wants at the time.

 

Again, thank you for an excellent review with photos and important details!

 

 

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Edited September 30, 2017 by Lastdance

[miched]

Give me the drink pack and a balcony.

 

Usually sail in AQ and try to get one with the larger balconies. Love sitting on the balcony while having a drink and watching the sea or stars at night and the lights off in the distance from the islands and passing ships.

 

When at the bar, in the theater, at the pool and etc no one gives a hoot about where I sleep or eat.

 

Our last cruise was in a balcony with the same large balcony. Can’t say that I missed Blu as the MDR was great and we also had breakfast there most days.

 

Would I want to be in a suite? Yes and why not? I have one booked and am looking forward to it. Don’t know if I will get hooked but I have found thru life that we all up our standards and often no longer consider what we use be happy or satisfied with. I think it all goes with what we can afford or are comfortable spending our money on.

 

Sometimes those little extras turn a great cruise into a fantastic cruise and you will never know unless you try it.

 

Thanks for your review.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌞

[H2OH!]

Thank you for the excellent and thorough review. We are doing this itinerary next year so will be bookmarking this thread for future reference! Excellent job.

 

You also answered the very question my husband and I were discussing last night...could we sail without a suite? We can to the conclusion we did not want too as we want to avoid the MDR; however we forgot about AQ and Blu so that may tempt us to sail without a suite...I will have to revisit this conversation tonight...lol.

 

Happy Sailing!

[vtcruising]

Thank you vtcruising for such a wonderfully written review with various perspectives. I really appreciate how much time that must have taken you, but at times I felt like I was on the cruise with you!

 

I couldn't agree more with you. I was thinking exactly the same thing as I was being immersed in such a positive experience of reading such a wonderful review!

 

thank you again to the OP.

 

Uhm, and now I want to go on a Mediterranean cruise ;)

 

Thanks! It was fun to write and relive everything. I had some formatting issues going from a Word document to CC, hence a lot of spaces missing, but I guess it is still readable. :)

 

I had no idea how much we would enjoy this cruise. We are already saying "when we go back to Malta (or Rhodes or Santorini or ....)."

[vtcruising]

Your review is an example of what CC threads should be. Facts and no drama. I really enjoyed the plus and minus comparisons. We have been mostly Aqua Class except for Suite to Antartica and Alaska. Our next three bookings are Suite. We will be booking the South Pacific from Australia to Hawaii cruise next week on our Caribbean cruise. The suites are prohibitively expensive on the South Pacific cruse. We are considering a SV cabin which we enjoyed on one previous cruise. I like your perspective on what Suite perks are nice but not necessary.

 

 

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The Australia to Hawaii cruise is on my bucket list - I did price a suite on that cruise last year since some friends were doing that cruise and it was very expensive. If we go, I think it will be in AQ or Concierge. Maybe some day!

[vtcruising]

What a pleasure to read your review and enjoy your beautiful photos. Well, done!

Thank you!

[bigbenboys]

After 4 cruises in The Suite Life, we are booked in Aqua for our next cruise. Yes we will survive. You never know we might do Aqua again. But after our November cruise in Aqua we have 6 cruises booked in suites.

[Luckynana]

I enjoyed following your wonderful review and stunning pictures! It brought back great memories of our past Mediterranean cruises. Thank you for sharing!☺

 

 

 

 

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[vtcruising]

Great, well balanced review. It reminded us of our younger cruising days when it was the off ship time which was always the priority. We would be up as we arrived in port and do day after day of long tours. We loved it! Seeing so many places in such a short space of time was incredible! We happily cruised in family sized rooms, dined in the MDR. Ship time was invariably poolside!

 

Now we do enjoy the suites because our cruises are more and more about time spent on the ship with short walks or excursions lasting just a few hours.

 

You did exactly what all good holiday planners should do. You had specific priorities of what was important to you on that particular vacation experience and really made the most of it.

 

Really look forward to following your further cruise adventures....you have a great narrative style that makes for great reading!

 

Thanks, I enjoy reading your reviews and vicariously living the upper level suite life! :D Hope you get rid of your boot soon!

[vtcruising]

Hi Marilyn hope you are well? I have to agree that the tour in Sicily was fabulous and I will never forget that moment when we were visiting the cathedral in Savoca when Ave Maria started playing... it was just so breathtaking and magical... one of my absolute favourite memories xxx

 

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Hi Angela! That was a wonderful day. Glad you could share it with us!

[vtcruising]

Thank you for this post! our last 5 cruises have been in Suite class, but our next one is in Aqua (there was a $10K difference between AQ and SS2 - which we felt was too expensive for the Suite “perks” and we do have a budget!!!). We were wondering how we would cope (for all the reasons you have brilliantly reviewed). We felt we would be “just fine" and now 100% believe, we will be very happy and have a brilliant time. I know we can “go back” and we might just stay there!

 

I have never ever thought about requesting a tea kettle - that is brilliant!!! I never knew they had tea kettles to request - sincerely appreciate that tip.

 

With sincere appreciation of this post,

 

Heather

 

Wow - a $10,000 difference - that could be a couple of extra cruises! Smart choice.

 

We were lucky to get a kettle - we asked as soon as we boarded. My guess is that if a ship has them, it is a limited number and first come, first served.

[vtcruising]

I loved your report and almost didn't bother reading it because suites are of no interest to me (we are happy with Aqua or sometimes a regular balcony) and I would have missed a treat. You certainly planned well - the excursions you did, and your pre-cruise stay in Rome, sounded wonderful. We have sailed on the Reflection and didn't realise that it might be possible to have a kettle. Like many Brits, I miss my favourite tea when I'm away so I could take my own. Thank you.

Planning a cruise is almost as much fun as going on the cruise for me - my husband tells everyone that he "just shows up with a bag at the appointed time." :D

[vtcruising]

I also loved your review. We did the same ports 6 years ago and we are doing them again at the end of April and in an S1 corner aft. The cost was 7,400 for both of us. IMHO the price is great for this cruise. Timing is one factor we consider when booking. We have done suites before, along with C’2’s on the angle and regular balconies. Since I am still working, my DH and I enjoy splurging when prices are good.

 

Your review was full of great information, especially about suite life and traveling with family. Our last Greece and Italy cruise was with our cousins and we had an excellent cruise with them in Concierge class. So many factors drive our cabin class of choice, but this time it is price and pampering, as I have always been a saver with a travel account. Taking care of parents is another reason for pampering. My DH and I feel fortunate to travel to Europe again and again, deciding what best fits our needs/wants at the time.

 

Again, thank you for an excellent review with photos and important details!

 

 

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It sounds like you deserve and need some pampering - glad you were able to get a good deal! Enjoy!