Symphony of the Seas Suite Question

[jgoodm]

Hi All,

 

I am booking a trip on Symphony of the Seas. I've not been on a cruise in many years.

 

I am traveling with family of four, my spouse and twin 6 year olds.

 

The owners suite and the loft suite are approximately the same price. Any suggestions on which is better for us?

 

Thanks,

 

J.

[Pratique]

The loft suite has two bathrooms.

[silentbob007]

I like the loft for two bathrooms and for being close to the suite lounge/Coastal Kitchen. However, of course, there will be stairs.

[jgoodm]

How about comparing a Star/Sky Loft to a Aqua Theater Suite? Any thoughts on that instead? Thanks.

[RFerrington]

I've stayed in both the Star Loft and Aqua Theater Suites. Both are Star Class so this category has significantly more benefits than either the Owner's Suite or the Crown Loft Suite which are both Sky Class.

 

I like the Star Loft Suite's location. It is on Deck 17 near the Coastal Kitchen and it is not a long walk to get to your suite from the elevators. There are stairs in the Star Loft but I think the children are old enough that the stairs would not be a safety concern.

 

I like the Aqua Theater Suite b/c I think these are the nicest suites on the ship (admittedly I have not stayed in the Royal Loft Suite) but they are a very long walk back to the aft of the ship. By far the big ATS (8330 and 8730) are HUGE and the second bedroom would be perfect for the twins, IMO. The Star Loft does not have a second bedroom so the twins would have to sleep on a sofa bed downstairs - not nearly as nice as having their own bedroom, IMO. We stayed in 9730 (ATS) in September and I was surprised how much smaller the ATS on 9 are than the ones on 8. The ATS on 9 are still very nice but the ones on 8 are WAY bigger.

 

I LOVE having the Genie. I think Star Class is worth the extra money but some do not. It's up to you to decide if the extra amenities are worth it to your family.

 

The bottom line is, there are no bad choices here. Any of the Sky Class suites or any of the Star Class suites are extremely nice. With the twins, I would recommend that you get something with a second bedroom but that's really a personal choice.

[jgoodm]

Thanks for the replies.

I have the normal crown loft booked and they just opened up a

 

Spacious AquaTheater Suite - 1 Bedroom (Category A3).

 

Given that I am traveling with family of four (my spouse and twin 6 year olds), worth it or stick with what I have?

Thanks and sorry for the newbie-ness. ;-)

[Rjh8842]

Since you have 2 little ones you may also be interested in the ultimate family suite. Symphony will be the first ship to have it. This suite has a slide so the kids do not have to take the stairs.

[jgoodm]

Couldn't find that suite so it might be full. Asked a TA about it she seemed to think it would be closer in price to the royal loft... I have the question out-standing though and will report back if I hear anything.

[SeeingTheWorldBySea]

This is only my opinion- and I share this only because I have been dreaming of trying one of the big suites since I first booked with Royal last year... my kids are only 2.5 and 4 months right now. We are sailing on our first Royal cruise in March. As much as I want to upgrade our accommodations from the grand suite (sky class) we have now to one that has all the bells a whistles (star class), I know it doesn't make sense since they can't take advantage of the perks. They won't use the suite lounge, the ultimate beverage package, the specialty dining, they (probably) won't go to shows or stay long if we do, etc. to name a few. So for now, at least until they are a little older and will be able to enjoy some of the extra benefits, I will book sky class suites and use the extra vacation funds towards maybe 2 in one year instead of 1 a year.

Is there a 2 bedroom grand suite for your sail date available? That would give you 2 bathrooms and a separate sleeping area that's not a pull out sofa for the twins. Are you comfortable with the twins using the stairs in the loft suites if the seas are rough? Just a thought.