Is a Sky Suite worth the premium over AquaClass?

[hvbaskey]

Wow! Those suites must be high, as AQ for our next European cruise is just 1,000 less than a suite.

I think you made a very wide decision!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

IF the difference was $2,000 or less for the cabin - we would have upgraded. However, this one was more than double the price of what we paid for an Aqua Class cabin (all regular perks (4) being equal). Absolutely no way, we were going to pay that difference ($8,000) for an SS2 cabin. Saying that, the cruise did sell out - so people paid the price - just “not us”.

 

Heather :o

[hvbaskey]

Just to clear something up for me that I'm not sure about since I've never sailed in a suite and don't feel like searching for such common terms:

 

Is there still, or was there once, something about certain lower end suites not getting all the suite perks? I seem to remember that from a few years ago, or my memory could be faulty.

 

Do all suites on all classes of ships all receive the same benefits?

 

ALL suites have Luminae as their dining venue, access to Michael’s club, a Butler, priority boarding/disembarkation, etc.

 

Upper Suites - “Royal and Penthouse" have additional perks such as unlimited specialty dining, unlimited WIFI and premium drink package (useful if you are on a repo cruise or have a resident’s rate); shoreside concierge that will set up your in room bar preferences and 2 bottles of complimentary liquor of your choosing; and a few other special touches.

 

Heather

[MEcruzr]

We will be cruising Celebrity for first time in January, we've been with Royal up until now. I had originally booked Aqua but the price on the Sky Suite guarantee dropped so much I couldn't pass on the upgrade. Only ended up being a $300 difference. Our last cruise on Royal was in a Grand Suite so we were a little spoiled with the extra room and the concierge lounge, so looking forward to experiencing Michael's Club.

 

It's one of my favorite places on the ship when I'm lucky enough to have access to it!! See you there next month. :)

[Cruise a holic]

It's one of my favorite places on the ship when I'm lucky enough to have access to it!! See you there next month. :)

 

We love Michael's club. Typically the hostesses, especially on the Summit are excellent!! Enjoy your cruise. We will be on the Eclipse next month and are looking forward to spending time in Michael's club.

[MEcruzr]

We were disappointed in the MC concierge on Silhouette last January. Crossing our fingers this one is a vast improvement!

[Want2Cruise 701]

What is everyone's opinion as to $483/day additional for 3ppl in a SS2. This would be an upgrade from a C2/C3 pricing on a 12 night southern holiday cruise. For a comparison to the OP's pricing, the suite is $248/day over aqua and the aqua is only for 2ppl not 3 like the suite.

 

We are torn. It's an awful lot of money, but we do get alot more cabin space and especially since we have a teenager with us for a 12 night cruise. I love Luminae. The small quaint atmosphere is perfect. Our butler was great. We didn't utilize Michaels Club very much. I know some may differ. That would probably be the least utilized benefit of a Suite for us.

[Cruise a holic]

Bottom line- do what works for you. If you feel a larger cabin or suite works- go for it- but you must do what works for your budget. Just being on a cruise IMO is wonderful. If you can afford an inside cabin and that works- go for it- If you can afford the Penthouse- why not?

[George C]

ALL suites have Luminae as their dining venue, access to Michael’s club, a Butler, priority boarding/disembarkation, etc.

 

Upper Suites - “Royal and Penthouse" have additional perks such as unlimited specialty dining, unlimited WIFI and premium drink package (useful if you are on a repo cruise or have a resident’s rate); shoreside concierge that will set up your in room bar preferences and 2 bottles of complimentary liquor of your choosing; and a few other special touches.

 

Heather

 

This is only true with Oasis and newer ships , most of there fleet do not have Unlimited specialty dinning unless you pay extra.

[hvbaskey]

This is only true with Oasis and newer ships , most of there fleet do not have Unlimited specialty dinning unless you pay extra.

 

Is Oasis RCCL? - I am referring to Celebrity ships.

 

Kind regards, Heather

[chamima]

What is everyone's opinion as to $483/day additional for 3ppl in a SS2. This would be an upgrade from a C2/C3 pricing on a 12 night southern holiday cruise. For a comparison to the OP's pricing, the suite is $248/day over aqua and the aqua is only for 2ppl not 3 like the suite.

 

We are torn. It's an awful lot of money, but we do get alot more cabin space and especially since we have a teenager with us for a 12 night cruise. I love Luminae. The small quaint atmosphere is perfect. Our butler was great. We didn't utilize Michaels Club very much. I know some may differ. That would probably be the least utilized benefit of a Suite for us.

 

 

Only you can answer if it's worth it for you.

$483 x 12 = almost $5800

To me that's another whole cruise so, no, it wouldn't be worth it but , as I said, only you can answer what works for you.

[Cruise a holic]

Sounds like it is worth it to you. Why ask others who might not care for Luminae or Michael ‘s club. Go for it if it will work for you. Only you can answer this question

[George C]

Is Oasis RCCL? - I am referring to Celebrity ships.

 

Kind regards, Heather

 

sorry my mistake, same names on RCCL suites, what I like on Celebrity is it seems like all there ships have dedicated suite restaurants , which RCCL does not have.

[cachouonacruise]

Thank-you very much everyone for this thread, which I have found very interesting. In comparison to most of you, we are junior cruiser, having only had the chance to do 5; one of which with Celebrity.

 

We have never experienced Blue, Luminae or Michael’s Club. This said we have two upcoming cruises booked, for which I would consider upgrading, if I am sold on value added for money.

 

The suite larger rooms seem interesting as well as other priority perks. This said, my wife and I do not like massages, so Persians Gardens are not that appealing to us. Being used to handle things on our own, I am not sure if we would find the butter experience valuable.

 

This brings me to Blue and Luminae. They indeed look like nice restaurants, but what specifically makes a difference between these restaurants and the main dining room or specialty restaurants? I am a bit concerned, for example, that Blue may be a bit too “granola” for us: for example, I am really not a fan of food deemed healthy such as tofu and alfalfa. Is the service different? wine selection? food quality?

 

I would also be curious as to what differentiate Michael’s Club to other bars on the ship. Its location does not seem to be the best, so what is it that makes it so unique?

 

Thank you very much to take the time to answer these questions. It will help decide if we should upgrade or not?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Cruise a holic]

We enjoy the suite life on Celebrity- Blu no longer appealing to us- same old -same old. We do however enjoy Michael's club and Luminae. In our opinion worth the upgrade. Enjoy the extra space also. Love the special attention at Michael's. The staff really pampers the guests. We really like luminous. If we cannot do a suite- we book a balcony cabin and have dinner options at specialty restaurants. Enjoy that.

[varoo]

What is everyone's opinion as to $483/day additional for 3ppl in a SS2. This would be an upgrade from a C2/C3 pricing on a 12 night southern holiday cruise. For a comparison to the OP's pricing, the suite is $248/day over aqua and the aqua is only for 2ppl not 3 like the suite.

 

We are torn. It's an awful lot of money, but we do get alot more cabin space and especially since we have a teenager with us for a 12 night cruise. I love Luminae. The small quaint atmosphere is perfect. Our butler was great. We didn't utilize Michaels Club very much. I know some may differ. That would probably be the least utilized benefit of a Suite for us.

 

Since you asked for our opinions, there is no way that I would choose to crowd 3 people into a SS2, and I certainly would not willingly pay an extra $483 a day to do so.

(The exception would be if I had a very young child or a special needs teenager who really needed to be in the same cabin with us.)

 

Although the SS2 gets suite benefits, it is not really a suite, but only one room with one bathroom. The room is just larger than a regular cabin.

If it were my choice, I would book a separate inside cabin for the teenager.

Having the 2nd bathroom and TV, as well as the additional space and storage and privacy would be a higher priority for me than access to Luminae, especially for a 12 night cruise.

An inside cabin should cost a lot less than $483/day additional, and with the savings, you could eat in specialty restaurants.

 

As much as I enjoy Luminae, getting a second cabin for the teenager would trump Luminae for me, as we can get along very nicely without a butler.

But we all have different preferences and priorities.

What matters here is to determine what will be best for you and your family.

[emmas gran]

Hi--Just seen this thread and will tell you about suite pricing. We have just done Eclipse T/A and Caribbean some friends were in an S2. They went to future cruises to book for next year same cruise on SIL, the price had more than doubled to £19000.00, there is no way I would contemplate paying that for an S2 and they would have to change cabins for Caribbeano

Liz

[bEwAbG]

The suite larger rooms seem interesting as well as other priority perks. This said, my wife and I do not like massages, so Persians Gardens are not that appealing to us. Being used to handle things on our own, I am not sure if we would find the butter experience valuable.

 

This brings me to Blue and Luminae. They indeed look like nice restaurants, but what specifically makes a difference between these restaurants and the main dining room or specialty restaurants? I am a bit concerned, for example, that Blue may be a bit too “granola” for us: for example, I am really not a fan of food deemed healthy such as tofu and alfalfa. Is the service different? wine selection? food quality?

 

I would also be curious as to what differentiate Michael’s Club to other bars on the ship. Its location does not seem to be the best, so what is it that makes it so unique?

 

The Persian Garden area does not include massages. You would have to pay for those (and any spa services) separately. There is a hot room, a cold room, aromatherapy room, heated tile loungers, etc. on the S-class ships, and there are ocean views. The M-class ships have an interior space that is dark and it's not as well-appointed as the S-class. If you are looking to book on a specific ship, find the ship photos on Cruise Critic and take a look at the differences. Both are meant to be relaxation areas.

 

You just have to read the menus for Blu and Luminae to see the differences in cuisine. There are plenty to be found on Cruise Critic. Blu is not really a "granola" experience. It's "spa-inspired" cuisine but that doesn't mean it's healthier than anything else onboard. The food & service is generally a step up from the MDR and comparable to most specialty restaurants experiences.

 

Michael's Club is rarely crowded throughout the day, so you can often get more personalized attention. And any drinks you get there are free, which makes a difference if you don't have a drink package. Those are the main differences. If you are more of a social drinker, it's better to hang out at a busier bar. MC gets more people in it during afternoon tea time and right before dinner. Sometimes there will be special entertainment in MC depending on the concierge and sailing.

[cachouonacruise]

The Persian Garden area does not include massages. You would have to pay for those (and any spa services) separately. There is a hot room, a cold room, aromatherapy room, heated tile loungers, etc. on the S-class ships, and there are ocean views. The M-class ships have an interior space that is dark and it's not as well-appointed as the S-class. If you are looking to book on a specific ship, find the ship photos on Cruise Critic and take a look at the differences. Both are meant to be relaxation areas.

 

 

 

You just have to read the menus for Blu and Luminae to see the differences in cuisine. There are plenty to be found on Cruise Critic. Blu is not really a "granola" experience. It's "spa-inspired" cuisine but that doesn't mean it's healthier than anything else onboard. The food & service is generally a step up from the MDR and comparable to most specialty restaurants experiences.

 

 

 

Michael's Club is rarely crowded throughout the day, so you can often get more personalized attention. And any drinks you get there are free, which makes a difference if you don't have a drink package. Those are the main differences. If you are more of a social drinker, it's better to hang out at a busier bar. MC gets more people in it during afternoon tea time and right before dinner. Sometimes there will be special entertainment in MC depending on the concierge and sailing.

 

 

 

Thank you very much for your help! I really appreciate the feedback!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[CooksCruiser14]

Thanks for all the great insight. We just got offered a Suite Guarantee upgrade for $900 for a 14 day cruise to South America in the beginning of January. It includes all 4 perks and extra 500 OBC. We were originally in Aqua Class with 2 perks. Our second time on Celebrity, very excited. Hmm.... where will we spend that extra OBC?

[LA_CA_GAL]

Thanks for all the great insight. We just got offered a Suite Guarantee upgrade for $900 for a 14 day cruise to South America in the beginning of January. It includes all 4 perks and extra 500 OBC. We were originally in Aqua Class with 2 perks. Our second time on Celebrity, very excited. Hmm.... where will we spend that extra OBC?

 

Nice deal.

 

For OBC, check out the excursions.

[hvbaskey]

Thanks for all the great insight. We just got offered a Suite Guarantee upgrade for $900 for a 14 day cruise to South America in the beginning of January. It includes all 4 perks and extra 500 OBC. We were originally in Aqua Class with 2 perks. Our second time on Celebrity, very excited. Hmm.... where will we spend that extra OBC?

 

GREAT deal!!! enjoy :cool:

[ldyluck]

We have always booked Aqua Class, but for the first time have booked a Sky Suite on the Edge repositioning cruise (Rome to Ft. Lauderdale) November 2019.

 

One of the things we loved about Aqua Class was the Persian Garden. Does anyone know if we can still get in there for no charge if we move up to the suite?

 

Also, are amenity packages offered on the transatlantic repositioning cruises? In the past, we've taken advantage of premium drink packages, wifi, onboard credit, and gratuities. Are those ever bundled together for the repositioning cruises?

 

Are the drinks at Michaels complimentary? Or only if you have the drink package?

 

I'm new here, apologies in advance if I'm asking this in the incorrect spot. :o:o

 

Looking REALLY forward to sailing the Edge! I'll be surfing this forum to read reviews!

[Mynki]

 

One of the things we loved about Aqua Class was the Persian Garden. Does anyone know if we can still get in there for no charge if we move up to the suite?

 

Not sure. Sorry.

 

Also, are amenity packages offered on the transatlantic repositioning cruises? In the past, we've taken advantage of premium drink packages, wifi, onboard credit, and gratuities. Are those ever bundled together for the repositioning cruises?

 

No. Repo cruises don't usually come with any perks.

 

Are the drinks at Michaels complimentary? Or only if you have the drink package?

 

Complimentary. No need for a package. Drinks included with the premium package are available there.

[ldyluck]

Wow, thanks so much! :)

[ECCruise]

Our experience may be unique. Although we see the value in suites, our perception of price to value is way off what most is.

 

We never have paid more than $350 per day (total for 2) for a suite, and frequently less. For us, that is the sweet price point. Anything more than that and we can't justify the value. Our target for a balcony cabin is $200 a day total (hit that over 40 times) so we roughly can justify a $150 per day upcharge.

 

Have had a pretty wide range of experience. 7 of our last 9 cruises in the last 2 years have been in suites on different lines, everything from SS1 (=X=) to 2 BR, 2 BA suites (RCCL), and a variety in between.

 

How do we do it? Book early, the day sailings are announced. Book longer cruises, never 7 days. Only book group prices. Keep looking for upgrade offers (like a poster in this thread was offered a suite guarantee for $65 per day). If the line has an upsell department, use it. Have your TA always nosing around for deals.

 

It's definitely worked for us.