Maybe I’m missing something…grand vs owners suite

[dianajo67]

I have never cruised in either, but have watched literally dozens of video/reviews of both.  Can someone explain why the owners suite costs nearly twice as much as a grand suite on a Voyager class ship?  The balcony is smaller and doesn’t have a lounger, the dining table is a minor thing as you could always bring in/use the balcony table for room service meals and the bidet is a complete novelty/space hog.  The smaller balcony is the real killer for me.  I guess the stand alone shower is nice….but for an extra $4k for a week for 2?

 

We’re doing b2b.  Thought a nice suite would be great for second week as we’ll have seen most of the entertainment the first week and be more likely to spend time in the cabin.  We also have a couple sea days the second week and zero the first week.

 

From what I see right now, I’d take a grand suite over an owners suite for the same price.  I have to be missing something……

 

Also, junior suites with the walk in have the best storage for clothes/luggage. With no ck to enjoy,  maybe I should just stick with the jr suite I already have booked.

 

I know folks will just say “get what makes you happy”.  That doesn’t really explain why folks purchase an owners suite on the older ships.   I want to know….why did you select an owners suite?

[Jimbo]

What ship are you talking about?

[dianajo67]

1 minute ago, Jimbo said:

What ship are you talking about?

Explorer

Edited October 3, 2021 by dianajo67

[Funkytown83]

7 minutes ago, dianajo67 said:

 Can someone explain why the owners suite costs nearly twice as much as a grand suite

That is very unusual. A Owner suite is usual priced around 40 to 50 % higher then a grand suite. The Owners must be well booked to explain the price jump?! 

[dianajo67]

3 minutes ago, Funkytown83 said:

That is very unusual. A Owner suite is usual priced around 40 to 50 % higher then a grand suite. The Owners must be well booked to explain the price jump?! 

It’s 6k for grand and nearly 11k for owners on the 28 nov sailing. Even at 40% more, the grand suite looks like a better room for virtually everyone.

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by dianajo67

[Jimbo]

Owners Suite is a larger Cabin 506 sq.ft  Balcony 64 sq. ft.

Grand Suite  381 sq. ft.  balcony 95sq. ft.

Junior Suite  277 sq. ft. balcony 50 sq.ft

 

Owner Suite's are just fancier.

 

What is the price difference's you are looking at for each?

[Jerseygirl1416]

From someone who just cruised in a GS on Oasis I’d recommend you save the money and keep your JS if you’re happy with it.

[Jimbo]

10 minutes ago, dianajo67 said:

It’s 6k for grand and nearly 11k for owners on the 28 nov sailing.

Still 6 Owner's Suite unbooked, stick with the JS and then Royal Up for an Owner's Suite for about $2000 total and you might score an Owner's Suite, if it doesn't happen you still are okay with your JS.

[dianajo67]

16 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Owners Suite is a larger Cabin 506 sq.ft  Balcony 64 sq. ft.

Grand Suite  381 sq. ft.  balcony 95sq. ft.

Junior Suite  277 sq. ft. balcony 50 sq.ft

 

Owner Suite's are just fancier.

 

What is the price difference's you are looking at for each?

I think I have great deals on my jr suite (same cabin both weeks ).  2.2k for first week and 2.7k for second week.  Grand is nearly 6k for second week and owners is nearly 11k more if you buy online today.  Lots of availability online for suites at the moment.  If I submit max bids on royal UP for both cabin types and get one, It’ll be a steal versus currently advertised rates.  I just don’t know why I should bid higher on the owners.  I like it less from the videos I’ve watched.    Just want input from OS lovers as to what made it so great.  I must be missing something…

 

i like being able to be on a lounger on my balcony and read all day during sea days.  I’m actually kinda introverted despite my verbose posts!  Would welcome input on the 2 bedroom grand as well.  Don’t love the superstructure, but the balcony looks divine for lounging/reading….minus the minimal privacy.  
 

lm an over thinker for sure!

Edited October 3, 2021 by dianajo67

[reallyitsmema]

I would stick with a JS with that price difference.  Explorer does not have Royal Suite Class, so no Coastal Kitchen, no free Voom.  To us, the benefits of a full suite on that class is only worth it if we find a good price.  OS have fancier finishes that GS.  You get the dining table and bidet and more space.  Not worth the money to us.  I would consider a Royal Up bid if the price was right.

[Chiliburn]

Full suites are great but not at that price.

Go for the JS ,get a dining and drink package .

[dianajo67]

7 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

I would stick with a JS with that price difference.  Explorer does not have Royal Suite Class, so no Coastal Kitchen, no free Voom.  To us, the benefits of a full suite on that class is only worth it if we find a good price.  OS have fancier finishes that GS.  You get the dining table and bidet and more space.  Not worth the money to us.  I would consider a Royal Up bid if the price was right.

Max bid to grand is $700 and owners is $900 per person. I’m tempted to do $1400 total for chance at grand and bigger balcony.  Haven’t been able to justify another $400 total for max on owners as I like it less. 
 

BTW…my husband is frugal and thinks the js is fine.  We can afford more, but he prefers we split our splurge funds between vacations and home upgrade projects!  I say travel while you can!  Stuff is just stuff.

[reallyitsmema]

1 minute ago, dianajo67 said:

Max bid to grand is $700 and owners is $900 per person. I’m tempted to do $1400 total for chance at grand and bigger balcony.  Haven’t been able to justify another $400 total for max on owners as I like it less. 
 

BTW…my husband is frugal and thinks the js is fine.  We can afford more, but he prefers we split our splurge funds between vacations and home upgrade projects!  I say travel while you can!  Stuff is just stuff.

 

We would bid on the GS too.  Not that much price difference to bid on OS but nothing additional there that we would need.  Good luck!

[Sunshine3601]

I agree with your husband.  We think  JS is just fine.  We really dont spend much time in the cabin.  We use the balcony a lot on sea days, especially if on sunny side.    Most times we are content with OV balcony with a large balcony or one of those nice wrap around aft balconies.

I prefer to be frugal and cruise more often then spend thousands to upgrade.  

[Merion_Mom]

I agree with your husband.  Plus, I LOVE LOVE LOVE not having to move on a B2B. That's worth A LOT to me.

[dianajo67]

1 minute ago, Sunshine3601 said:

I agree with your husband.  We think  JS is just fine.  We really dont spend much time in the cabin.  We use the balcony a lot on sea days, especially if on sunny side.    Most times we are content with OV balcony with a large balcony or one of those nice wrap around aft balconies.

I prefer to be frugal and cruise more often then spend thousands to upgrade.  

I agree 95%.  We have 12 cruises booked (plan on actually doing 7-8) and all are in balcony or lower except this b2b trip and odyssey from Rome sept 2022.  With low occupancy, I think this is really our only shot to get a true suite of some sort at a decent price.  Also happens to be our anniversary and our first cruise post covid shutdown…sooo much repressed travel lust in there!  Going to book max on grand, something on owners and maybe a lowball bid on the aft 2 br grand and see if we get lucky for this cruise. We usually have family jump in on our cruise dates, but I’m being very very quiet this time to them.  Just want a romantic getaway with hubby!

 

Still don’t know why owners is so much better than grand, other than sq footage…

[smokeybandit]

I had Rhapsody booked on a now-canceled March 2022 cruise. The two bedroom grand suite was only $100 pp more than the one bedroom.

[cruiselvr04]

We noticed the same thing on Adventure.  However we ended up getting an owners for the cost if a grand so we are trying the owners to say we've done it. The 5 nights have had some crazy price drops. I'm asking for a lounger as I've seen some in those cabin videos.  We've bid for the Royal suite but don't care if we get it except for again, to say we have do it. 

 

[Jimbo]

1 hour ago, dianajo67 said:

I agree 95%.  We have 12 cruises booked (plan on actually doing 7-8) and all are in balcony or lower except this b2b trip and odyssey from Rome sept 2022.  With low occupancy, I think this is really our only shot to get a true suite of some sort at a decent price.  Also happens to be our anniversary and our first cruise post covid shutdown…sooo much repressed travel lust in there!  Going to book max on grand, something on owners and maybe a lowball bid on the aft 2 br grand and see if we get lucky for this cruise. We usually have family jump in on our cruise dates, but I’m being very very quiet this time to them.  Just want a romantic getaway with hubby!

 

Still don’t know why owners is so much better than grand, other than sq footage…

 I bet if you were to walk into the GS and then walk in to the OS, you would want the OS., Book the max on the OS $1800 and let it ride.

Make sure your anniversary is noted on the booking, I bet you get the OS if it's noted on your reservation.

 

Edited October 3, 2021 by Jimbo

[RFerrington]

We love the OS.  So much more room plus the dining table and chairs make room service so much easier.  …and there’s the bidet and the walk-in shower.  

[jean87510]

2 hours ago, cruiselvr04 said:

We noticed the same thing on Adventure.  However we ended up getting an owners for the cost if a grand so we are trying the owners to say we've done it. The 5 nights have had some crazy price drops. I'm asking for a lounger as I've seen some in those cabin videos.  We've bid for the Royal suite but don't care if we get it except for again, to say we have do it. 

 

It's the reason we decided to cruise next month.  Price drops were crazy.  Plus we had airline credit that we couldn't extend past November.

[zekekelso]

The great think about the Owner’s Suite is that while you are in it, it’s as if you own the ship. They may even let you steer the ship a bit on sea days*.
 

*getting to steer the ship not guaranteed. 

[dianajo67]

1 hour ago, Jimbo said:

 I bet if you were to walk into the GS and then walk in to the OS, you would want the OS., Book the max on the OS $1800 and let it ride.

Make sure your anniversary is noted on the booking, I bet you get the OS if it's noted on your reservation.

 

I’m going to bid max on the gs and a bit more on the os, but below max, and see how it plays out.  My js is on the hump, so pretty desirable location.  I got it fairly cheap, so maybe they’ll feel they can resell easily or maybe just use for the suite guarantee folks who paid more than I did to pick the cabin.  Guess we’ll see!

[RFerrington]

21 minutes ago, dianajo67 said:

I’m going to bid max on the gs and a bit more on the os, but below max, and see how it plays out.  My js is on the hump, so pretty desirable location.  I got it fairly cheap, so maybe they’ll feel they can resell easily or maybe just use for the suite guarantee folks who paid more than I did to pick the cabin.  Guess we’ll see!

Good luck !

[SRF]

It all depends on the cruise and what has sold/is selling.

 

We normally cruise in a GS on Grandeur.  Next cruise is OS, as the OS is only a few hundred more.

 

On Grandeur, balconies are the same size.  OS cabin is bigger, plus the separate shower and tub.  In teh GS, there is room for a bidet without an issue, if they wanted to install them.