Explorer of the seas owners & grand suite questions

[kowkitty]

Hi

We are booking our yearly "girl trip" for December 2007 (going to Mexico this December) Going on 12 night out of New Jersey (no flying YEAH!!!!) anyway, we like to spoil ourselves for our once a year thing!!

Trying to decide between the owner's suite & grand suite. The owner's suite is about $700 more total than the grand suite but is it worth the extra $$$ The photos I've seen of both look nice. Don't mind spending the extra $$$ if it is really worth it. Otherwise we could just spend it in teh spa!! Do love the bathroom in the owners suite though... Is the tub a jet type tub or just regular?? Could not tell from the pics.

How are the amenities in both? seperate check in area?

Anyone who has stayed in either - info would be great - photos too!! so hard to choose....

The only thing we have to compare to is our first "girl" cruise which we did a short 5 night one to see what we thought of cruising (usually beach resorts) took a mini suite on the Carnival Imagination last December - nice room... Don't think it comes close to the RCCL suites though.

thanks so much

Jackie

[CaptainKevin]

We were just in a Grand Suite on Explorer. The bathroom was about 8x10, very large and nice. The tub had a Jacuzzi emblem on it, but it wasn't a whirlpool. Disappointing.

 

I wish they had bathrooms like the suites on the Princess ships... they have it divided in half so a sink and toilet are in one room, the whirlpool tub and separate shower are in another.

 

When you're traveling with several people, the more bathroom space, the better ;)

 

Kev

[moofus]

OMG... get the OS,,, we were in it on the Grandeur, Mariner and Explorer( 2 years ago) and are going to be in it Sunday on the Serenade:D it is to die for!

The bathroom is enormous. It is marble, and the shower is huge also, has a pivoting door. The bathtub is jetted( just make sure you clean it out yourself before you use it,,, I always wonder if it is cleaned between guests), Also has a bidet, which we used as a vase to hold flowers until we got the vase sent up! Two sinks and tons of space.

The room itself is 500 or more square feet and has a plasma TV and a small dining table for four. I think the balconys are smaller than in the Family suite. Which, by the way has 2 bathrooms( i think) if that is important to you.

Yes you get priority boarding and deboarding....

They send goodies to your room every night

I think there is a wet bar, but cant remember for sure

You can use the Conceirge(SP?) room

There are something like 32 drawers ( I counted them) and 2 closets

AND A DOORBELL... so cute

Our first time in the OS we felt like the Room Steward was exceptional, since then I understand that the work load has changed for them and stewards for the suites do not have fewer cabins to take care of, so I think you can expect the same service as any other cabin... which is still GREAT

I would go for the OS if you can swing it. I think you said 5 of you are sharing? Well the only deal buster might be the one bathroom.

Don't know how old you are but, as I have gotten older and traveled with girlfriends we all like our own bathroom so we try to get a suite with 2 or have seperate rooms... thats what happens when you hit 50, you know what you want and what you are willing to do to get it!:rolleyes:

I have pictures, somewhere, but don't have time to find them and post,,, sorry.... gotta go pack, leaving Friday for Vancouver and ALASKA!!:eek:

Hope this helped

The Moof

[moofus]

You will have to figure that you will be tipping more when you are in a suite.

No flaming please.... the recommened tip in a suite is more for your cabin steward per day per person,,, well worth it, its a big cabin and with a bunch of "girlfriends" there could be some cleaning to do!:D

 

We give the steward 20.00 when we arrive and ask him to make sure our ice bucket is filled and that we have Tomato juice every afternoon ( for the Bloody Marys:p ) Then of course we tip him as suggested and add to it as we feel appropriate

[cb at sea]

Just so you know, they will fill your ice bucket twice a day, whether you tip in advance or not! It's what they do!

[CaptainKevin]

Oh, just to add...

 

Use the concierge service! Free drinks and nibbling food each evening, good coffee. Can borrow DVDs from him, too.

 

Also, he will give you tickets for any ice show you wish, and we bought our Bermuda ferry tickets from him, to avoid the crowds.

 

Although we didn't use it, I _think_ you can ask him for tags letting you be amongst the first off the ship the last day. If you're tendering off the ship anywhere else, I believe you can get priority tickets for that as well.

 

You, of course, will have your own (very short) line to board the ship, usually without annoying photographers.

 

Cheers, Kev

[RevSmith]

We were just in a Grand Suite on Explorer. The bathroom was about 8x10, very large and nice. The tub had a Jacuzzi emblem on it, but it wasn't a whirlpool. Disappointing.

 

I wish they had bathrooms like the suites on the Princess ships... they have it divided in half so a sink and toilet are in one room, the whirlpool tub and separate shower are in another.

 

When you're traveling with several people, the more bathroom space, the better ;)

 

Kev

 

I too love the divided bathrooms on Princess..and for the money, I personally don't think the owners suite is worth it...yes it's bigger, but here are a lot of draw backs, smaller balcony and can't see the view from your bed as well...don't like that.

[jakeil7]

You may want to remember that the bed in the OS does not split apart, as several people at RCI have told me. The bed in the GS does. I am traveling with a couple of friends in a GS because of this.

 

Jake

 

PS I could be wrong :D Let me know if I am please...

[briri]

I too love the divided bathrooms on Princess..and for the money, I personally don't think the owners suite is worth it...yes it's bigger, but here are a lot of draw backs, smaller balcony and can't see the view from your bed as well...don't like that.

 

???:confused: ..... Our OS on NOS had a large balcony, much bigger than GS balcony and even bigger than the ( Voyager class) aft balconies everyone covets.....should be the same on Explorer....can't see the view from bed???....our windows went from the bedroom thru the living room...I could see the view from anywhere in the suite (except in Bathroom).... tub in OS has Jacuzzi jets....glass shower is adequate in size with swing out door....bed was one piece king size, not queen....One couch was queen size sleeper, other couch did not fold out...there is a curtain that can divide the bedroom from the rest of the suite.....

 

I've got many pics I could email if you want ( from NOS not EOS, should be similar though)