RCCL junior suites vs. Princess mini-suites

[Kellie in Texas]

We've only been in a junior suite once; it was on Serenade, it was an aft, and we loved it. Looking at a possible cruise early 2024 on Regal Princess. I'm thinking their mini-suite is equivalent to RCCL's junior suite. Looks like both have the slightly larger bathrooms with a tub/shower, etc.  Are they pretty much the same?

[George C]

I think they are , we prefer rccl but I like the mini suite on Princess, normally large balcony without shade, two TVs . I never stayed in junior suite ( we book grand suites) but did cabin crawl and it has a nice walk in closet , I would give a slight edge to rccl.

[mafig]

Don't the newer Princess ships have teeny, tiny balconies. ?

[MCC retired]

Princess mini suites have 2 tv’s .

Regal class ships have smaller balconies in general than RCI .

 

[1025cruise]

Think of a Princess mini suite as an extended balcony.

[George C]

Every Princess mini suite we have stayed in had a large balcony 

[MJSailors]

We have stayed in mini suites on the Regal Princess three times before March 2020.

I assume that those type of cabins cabins remain the same now. 

The bed area is separated by a heavy curtain. There is a flat screen tv across from the bed. There are two night tables on either side of the bed with drawers.

The sitting area consists of a sofa, coffee table, counter space unit with under counter drawers, a large mirror and small refrigerator.

There is a flat screen tv for the sitting area.

The balconies are somewhat smaller on the Regal class ships compared to those on the Grand class ships- Caribbean Princess for example.

The mini suites on Dolphin deck do not have any overhead coverage. Passengers on decks above can see onto the Dolphin deck balconies.

You could check either Caribe or Baja decks to see if there are mini suites on those decks. 

We have had cabins on both Dolphin and Baja decks and felt comfortable on both decks.

RCCL may offer certain perks attached to junior suite accommodations.

I do not recall perks associated with the mini suites on Princess. But, it has been some time since we were on a cruise,unfortunately.

I would suggest that  you look at deck plans and the layouts of the cabins- square footage etc before you make any final decision concerning booking any cruise.

I hope this helps.

MJ🙋🏻

[1025cruise]

I've done minis on Princess and a Jr suite on Royal (Adventure). My experience is a bit dated...

 

The minis on Princess I've been on where on the Emerald and Star. So the Royal might be different. The only difference between the minis and a balcony is the existence of a couch, a tub, and the welcome glass of sparkling wine that most people use to test the drain in the sink versus drink. No other perks.

 

On the Adventure, our junior suite was definitely bigger, and had a nice walk in closet. At the time, we could check in with the suites. I don't recall any other perks.

[gkbiiii]

Royal JR Suites are MUCH wider and have a full tub in the bathroom.  Also, you get double points, a bathrobe, silver key card, and on some ships, Costal Kitchen for some, pre-reserved dinners. 

 

Princess, you need to be in "Club Class," to have a Special Dining Room, and other perks.  My father & I enjoyed ( Caribbean Princess JR Suite, Emerald Deck) a Private Lobster Balcony Dinner, when at Aruba.  It was outstanding and highlight of trip.

[CruisingWalter]

On 2/11/2023 at 3:49 PM, Kellie in Texas said:

We've only been in a junior suite once; it was on Serenade, it was an aft, and we loved it. Looking at a possible cruise early 2024 on Regal Princess. I'm thinking their mini-suite is equivalent to RCCL's junior suite. Looks like both have the slightly larger bathrooms with a tub/shower, etc.  Are they pretty much the same?

 

The Junior Suites are much larger in terms of the cabins themselves. Much wider cabins and larger bathrooms along with the walk-in closet in the junior suites.

 

The Princess Mini Suites are essentially slightly stretched balcony cabins. The only real upgrade is the tub in the shower if you want that. But the cabin itself is slightly longer with the same sized balcony as a regular balcony cabin for the most part. If you get the Reserve Mini Suites (which used to be called Club Level) you get added benefits in the main dining room which we thought was the best perk. In our case on Crown Princess, the dining captain made a fresh entree each evening in the MDR which was awesome.  If you're not upgrading to the Reserve Mini Suites, I'm not sure there's a whole lot gained with the Mini Suite on Princess in terms of cabin size and amenities vs. a good balcony cabin. 

 

Junior Suites on RCCL are among the best value at sea honestly if you're looking for a larger cabin than a standard balcony. And at least on Oasis class, that Lavazza coffee maker in the cabin was a real winner for me too. 🙂

 

 

[Teeara]

We're getting ready to go on the Royal Princess RT from SF to Hawaii and we have a Club Class mini suite.  I'm extremely disappointed with the balcony on the ship in comparison to the balcony we had on our Independence of the Seas cruise in 2021.  Most of the Princess ships have smaller balconies than RCI does which is why we mainly cruise on Royal Caribbean rather than Princess. The tubs I think are about the same and having that extra living area space is lovely.

 

Have a great cruise! 

[Kellie in Texas]

Thanks, everyone. We're wanting to avoid having to fly anywhere so that means the easy drive to Galveston for us. We've done three RCCL cruises from there and thought we'd try Princess for something different. We'll continue to research.