Suites VS. Aquaclass

[Greenymac]

Aquaclass and Suite opinions wanted. We last sailed Aquaclass and decided to try suites on our next sailing. For those who have done both, was the upgrade to suites worth it? Suites don't get the same spa access, so that hurts the value a bit. Feels like suites should have spa privileges as well. Any opinions or suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

[rollie]

9 minutes ago, Greenymac said:

Aquaclass and Suite opinions wanted. We last sailed Aquaclass and decided to try suites on our next sailing. For those who have done both, was the upgrade to suites worth it? Suites don't get the same spa access, so that hurts the value a bit. Feels like suites should have spa privileges as well. Any opinions or suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

 

A really good question that I have never seen asked before.  We did a B2B cruise on the Equinox this past December in both a suite and aqua class cabin.  The spa access really didn't mean anything to us, as we rarely use it.  The both have their own restaurants, but the service level, food, and table spacing were superior in Luminae.  Blu was also very nice.  We could easily have done without a butler.  We loved Michaels Lounge.  The 4 perks were also a nice add on for suites.  There are quite a few more suite perks, weather they are worth the extra money is entirely up to you.  We liked it so much that we booked another B2B in a suite on the Infinity for 2020.

 

Rollie

[Greenymac]

53 minutes ago, rollie said:

 

A really good question that I have never seen asked before.  We did a B2B cruise on the Equinox this past December in both a suite and aqua class cabin.  The spa access really didn't mean anything to us, as we rarely use it.  The both have their own restaurants, but the service level, food, and table spacing were superior in Luminae.  Blu was also very nice.  We could easily have done without a butler.  We loved Michaels Lounge.  The 4 perks were also a nice add on for suites.  There are quite a few more suite perks, weather they are worth the extra money is entirely up to you.  We liked it so much that we booked another B2B in a suite on the Infinity for 2020.

 

Rollie

Thanks for the feedback. We LOVED Blu for Aquaclass on the Infinity. The MDR always seemed so busy and I appreciated the quiet of Blu. We have already booked a suite on the Equinox for the summer, but me being me is always looking for the best value! 

[dkjretired]

The suites will also have the whole retreat idea once all the ships are done at dry dock  

[Greenymac]

13 minutes ago, dkjretired said:

The suites will also have the whole retreat idea once all the ships are done at dry dock  

Will be sailing after the Equinox dry docks this year 

[delondin]

The suite concierge is worth having especially if you have any issues. Much better than dealing with guest relations

[dkjretired]

7 minutes ago, delondin said:

The suite concierge is worth having especially if you have any issues. Much better than dealing with guest relations

 

Had dealings with concierge and suite manager/Michaels Club host. Suites win that one hands down.

Edited January 18, 2019 by dkjretired

[crazyman3]

We book suites for every cruise because we don't want to be dragged in to the Spa.... Even now I'm feeling quite unwell thinking about entering a Spa. 

I'm off to Michael's Club instead: a vodka is needed! 

Wait! I'm at home!

 

Scream! Hurry up next cruise! (August 'Viking Raiders' cruise) 

[hcat]

I do not think they are comparable. Never had a suite..but seems you get much more.... better  stateroom, priority boarding and disembark.  The Retreat, Luminae, butler, concierge, better snacks, ..just a higher level of service all around.  More Cap Club points if that matters.  One day we will spring for it!

 

The thermal suites/ PG should stay an  exclusive perk for  AQ  guests due to size limitations of the area. They have recently eliminated the 1 day comp  PG port pass for Elite on EDGE due to capacity issues.  Adding more guests to PG access will overwhelm it... It is already crowded some days.

 

.The PG on M class is inside and not as nice as S Class.  Trying out Edge very soon.

For our Summit cruise next year, we are passing on  AQ...and will buy a dining package if it is worth it.  We enjoy Tuscan so we could go there a few nights. 

 

Hope this helps OP decide..If our budget could stretch to a suite we'd take that and add a PG pass for a few days.

[cruiserchuck]

We have sailed many times in Aqua, and once in a suite shortly after Luminae was added.  We thought Luminae was much better than Blu for dinner, but not really any better for breakfast.  Plus, Luminae was loud, even when it was not very full.  We thought the suite was nice, but we did not really need the extra space, and did not use the concierge.  We were in one of the smaller suites, and did not get to go to Michaels club.

 

Unless the price difference were minimal, we would not upgrade to a suite again.  

[sdnich]

 We love the extra perks that a suite gives you we are booked on a B2B after equinox is refurbished for this October /November 2019 .  We look forward to seeing the new retreat deck and love luminae. With the four perks it is great we always do the numbers and if the numbers for the amount of nights work for our budget we do it .  Unfortunately when we looked at our 2020 cruise to Canada that we did book the sky suite price was  around $5000 more  for the both of us for a 10 day cruise just couldn’t justify that!So we booked an Aqua class room.   and I’m sure will also enjoy our cruise thoroughly and book specialty dinners and enjoy blu and still have money left over .  We will watch the prices if they do go down we will definitely upgrade and book a sky suite .

Edited January 18, 2019 by sdnich

[Caribbean Chris]

Just got off Edge in Aqua class, and Blu was excellent, service just as good as .Luminae, food pretty close to the same. (We’ve had some odd dining experiences in Luminae like breakfast pancakes burned black on the underside, etc.)

 

I would say the only thing we missed (vs a Sky Suite) was Michael’s Club, a peaceful place for drinks (which doesn’t exist on the Edge which lacks quiet public lounges. Maybe the suite retreat is quieter, though).

 

We love Michael’s and have had fabulous concierge service there.

Edited January 18, 2019 by Caribbean Chris

[George C]

We are totally addicted to suites and the perks, Celebrity has truly excellent perks , love micheals and luminae also larger room . We also like rccl suites but perks are better on celebrity.

[Alsmez]

We debated this for our upcoming cruise on Summit in May. We have sailed in AQ before on Reflection and really enjoyed it (Persian Gardens access and Blu especially), but we are also happy with a standard balcony and dining package so we can eat in specialty restaurants each night. Our rule of thumb is that if AQ is the same price or just slightly more than a standard balcony plus dining package, we do (or at least seriously consider) AQ - but lately AQ prices have been FAR higher than that. However, the dining package is somewhat less attractive on M-class ships since there are fewer options than on S-class, and no Murano, which is our favorite.

 

So anyway, we debated this question while considering Summit and decided that we would sail AQ or higher due to the limited selection of specialty restaurants, regardless of price differential. We ended up booking while onboard Silhouette last year and the salesperson talked us into a Sky Suite over AQ because SS were priced very attractively at the time - only about $300 more per person than AQ if I recall correctly. He mentioned that the Persian Gardens on M-class are not nearly as large/nice as on S-class (especially compared to Reflection, which has the best of all the PGs!), and convinced us that we would get more bang for our buck with a suite. We have been curious about Luminae so we decided to go for it. 

 

What we didn't know at the time (but I'm sure our salesperson did) was that Summit would be drydocked shortly before our cruise, meaning that we would have access to the Retreat and the other new suite benefits. The price of suites on our cruise jumped enormously once the schedule was announced and last I saw, they were charging $1300 or so more per person than we paid for our S2. I am thrilled that we will get to try out the Retreat and I feel that we will enjoy this feature much more than we would have enjoyed the PG on Summit. However, if we were sailing Reflection, I might feel differently - and depending on whether we enjoy Luminae, I may feel in the future that we prefer to have a dining package and regular balcony on S-class ships in general. 

 

All of this to say, I think keeping your personal priorities in mind AND looking at the specific amenities of each ship can help guide you to the right choice for that particular ship. 

[Jim_Iain]

Stay tuned and I will be posting a comparison in about 90 days.   The review may be slightly slanted as we are Zenith and get Michael's Club, Free Internet, Free Premium Beverage and Free Laundry as automatic perks.

 

We have always sailed in CS and above and after hitting Zenith decided to try out AQ for a 4 day Caribbean Cruise prior to our Transatlantic in April in a RS.    We have eaten in Blu before so we know what to expect for dining.   While we like the food we will certainly miss lunch in Luminea on embarkation day and sea days.   I'm sure the experience will be more similar than different.

[Gordoncruickshank]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

Stay tuned and I will be posting a comparison in about 90 days.   The review may be slightly slanted as we are Zenith and get Michael's Club, Free Internet, Free Premium Beverage and Free Laundry as automatic perks.

 

We have always sailed in CS and above and after hitting Zenith decided to try out AQ for a 4 day Caribbean Cruise prior to our Transatlantic in April in a RS.    We have eaten in Blu before so we know what to expect for dining.   While we like the food we will certainly miss lunch in Luminea on embarkation day and sea days.   I'm sure the experience will be more similar than different.

I'll be interested to hear how you get on. It is more the smaller cabin that would put me off a bit.

[Jim_Iain]

5 minutes ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

I'll be interested to hear how you get on. It is more the smaller cabin that would put me off a bit.

I agree -   As an early raiser I really enjoy having a separate living room to hang out in when I get up.   I also think the addition of the Retreat etc on the Revolutionized ships will be a big game changer also.

 

We got a really good residential rate in AQ so thought it would be an ideal time to give it a try.  

[Gordoncruickshank]

1 minute ago, Jim_Iain said:

I agree -   As an early raiser I really enjoy having a separate living room to hang out in when I get up.   I also think the addition of the Retreat etc on the Revolutionized ships will be a big game changer also.

 

We got a really good residential rate in AQ so thought it would be an ideal time to give it a try.  

I spent some time earlier today comparing suite costs now compared with what they were when we started booking then with Celebrity and I am now convinced that the current package is slightly better value for money than what we paid pre "Suite Class", despite our currency having been devalued by 20% over the past 2 years against the dollar provided you use the internet and the drinks packages. What we are having difficulty now is spending the obc. It used to get used up on the internet package and upgrading the beverage package but not now. 

 

Last year I ended up with a camera and a new pair of Oakleys I didn't really need to use it up and that was after using some of it as tips for Luminae.

[Greenymac]

13 minutes ago, Gordoncruickshank said:

I spent some time earlier today comparing suite costs now compared with what they were when we started booking then with Celebrity and I am now convinced that the current package is slightly better value for money than what we paid pre "Suite Class", despite our currency having been devalued by 20% over the past 2 years against the dollar provided you use the internet and the drinks packages. What we are having difficulty now is spending the obc. It used to get used up on the internet package and upgrading the beverage package but not now. 

 

Last year I ended up with a camera and a new pair of Oakleys I didn't really need to use it up and that was after using some of it as tips for Luminae.

We ended up having to spend our OBC on the last day because we would have lost it if we didnt. That was both a good feeling and a bad feeling! The lady went spent hers in the casino where she actually won a hundred bucks and I grabbed a couple bottles of whiskey to bring back home.

[Orator]

I've been in Suites and AQ Class many times. Michael's Club is a real plus for Suite passengers. I now have access due to loyalty level. A suite will give your more space and that's important to some. I might be in the minority, but I really prefer Blu to Luminae.

I believe that breakfast in Blu is the best on the ship. Blu doesn't serve lunch on sea days, Luminae does and that's a plus. You get Bulgai soap, shampoo and body was in the Suites. I'd get a Suite if the prices are close, but not if there is a big difference. Remember as a Zenith I get MC, the Bulgari products and other benefits so my views may not be typical.

[Viktoria]

We can't find the answer to having water in the room daily. We are Elite and cruising in Aqua class on the constellation. Hate to have to buy water every day. I drink just plain water, not evian or perrier. Can anyone answer this with certainty? Thanks, Jane

[cruiserchuck]

5 minutes ago, Viktoria said:

We can't find the answer to having water in the room daily. We are Elite and cruising in Aqua class on the constellation. Hate to have to buy water every day. I drink just plain water, not evian or perrier. Can anyone answer this with certainty? Thanks, Jane

 

There is no more free bottled water in Aqua, except maybe on the first day.   Celebrity eliminated this benefit years ago.

Edited January 18, 2019 by cruiserchuck

[Orator]

They now only give bottled water on the first day of the cruise. I was on the President's Cruise a few years ago. The CEO hosted a Qand A session and one passenger asked about the AQ water. He started by saying that Aqua means" water" and asked about the lack of bottled water in AQ. Lisa said that it was" not right" to discontinue the daily water in AQ.  I was in AQ on that cruise and the next day the water magically appeared. It did so for the rest of that cruise. I've been in AQ at least 10 times since then and there is bottled water only on the first day. Hint: If you are on a cruise in AQ when the president is aboard be sure to ask her in a public session about Aqua Class and water. My guess is that it will be restored for that cruise. I always have a Premium Drink package so that it is of no concern to me if I get water while in AQ, but it does make a real difference to most.

[stevea36]

2 minutes ago, Orator said:

They now only give bottled water on the first day of the cruise. I was on the President's Cruise a few years ago. The CEO hosted a Qand A session and one passenger asked about the AQ water. He started by saying that Aqua means" water" and asked about the lack of bottled water in AQ. Lisa said that it was" not right" to discontinue the daily water in AQ.  I was in AQ on that cruise and the next day the water magically appeared. It did so for the rest of that cruise. I've been in AQ at least 10 times since then and there is bottled water only on the first day. Hint: If you are on a cruise in AQ when the president is aboard be sure to ask her in a public session about Aqua Class and water. My guess is that it will be restored for that cruise. I always have a Premium Drink package so that it is of no concern to me if I get water while in AQ, but it does make a real difference to most.

I think the water in AQ is more hit and miss.  When I sailed on EQ in March we found 2 fresh bottles of water in the room every day.  In fact, I had only one sailing where it wasn't done and I just stopped at a bar and picked up a bottle on my way to the room (with the drink pkg).

 

Steve

[Greenymac]

21 minutes ago, stevea36 said:

I think the water in AQ is more hit and miss.  When I sailed on EQ in March we found 2 fresh bottles of water in the room every day.  In fact, I had only one sailing where it wasn't done and I just stopped at a bar and picked up a bottle on my way to the room (with the drink pkg).

 

Steve

We always took a big bottle of Evian back to the room with us from Blu.