Royal Caribbean's mid-tier suite offering is known as Sky Class, but what is it exactly? And what does it get you?
On the newer and bigger ships, you'll find the cruise line's upgraded suite program that is known as the Royal Suite Class. Royal Caribbean updated its suite offerings years ago, and it uses this moniker to differentiate suites on new ships versus old ships.
A majority of the suites you can book within the Royal Suite Class are Sky Class suites, and they offer the Goldilocks amenities and value: not too cheap, and not too expensive.
Before you spend extra to book a Sky Class suite, here's what you can expect from it.
What is Sky Class on Royal Caribbean?
On Royal Caribbean's newer ships, it has three tiers of suite offerings: Sea, Sky, and Star Class.
They're available on the Oasis, Icon, and Quantum Class ships only. This includes Star of the Seas, Wonder of the Seas, Utopia of the Seas, and Odyssey of the Seas.
Older and smaller Royal Caribbean ships do not offer Sky Class suites.
Sky Class is the middle tier, and it's where most of the suite rooms are included in, such as:
- Crown Loft Suite
- Owner’s Suite
- Family Suite
- Grand Suite
- 1 Bedroom AquaTheater Suite
- Sunset Junior Suites
- Sky Class Junior Suites
- Surfside Family Suites
Sky Class benefits at a glance
The key difference between any of the suite classes are the perks included with the room. Sky Class benefits are:
- Concierge service
- All-day access to Coastal Kitchen and The Grove (The Grove is on Icon Class ships only)
- Specialty bottled water upon arrival
- Complimentary internet
- Priority boarding and departure
- Priority dining reservations
- Suite Lounge access
- Access to Suite Sun Deck
- Royal Caribbean plush bathrobes for use onboard
- Luxury pillow top mattress
- Luxury bathroom amenities
- Lavazza Espresso coffee maker
What you can expect from Sky Class
When you book a Sky Class suite, the basics of it are added benefits and service throughout your cruise.
Before you board
A few days prior to your cruise, the suite concierge will email you to introduce themself and to welcome you onboard.
The email has a reminder of all of your benefits, and it also explains Sky Class passengers have flexible arrival times.
The flexible arrival time means you can arrive an hour earlier or later than your cruise check-in time that you chose in the app. I love this benefit because it means you can get onboard even earlier.
Once you arrive to the cruise terminal, look for a special line exclusive to suite guests.
This line offers priority check-in and an expedited boarding process.
Inside your suite
Most Sky Class suites feature a good mix of space, upgraded facilities, and large balconies.
The difference between suite types is primarily how large the suite is, with the more expensive Sky Class suites offering more square footage.
A 1-Bedroom Grand Suite on Oasis of the Seas will measure 371 square feet of living space and a 105 square foot balcony. A Crown Loft Suite will have 545 square feet of space, and a 114 square foot balcony.
The configuration of the suites can also vary, with larger ones having separate bedrooms and additional bathrooms.
Dining Perks
Arguably one of the best benefits of being in Sky Class is you get access to Coastal Kitchen, which is a suites only restaurant.
Coastal Kitchen is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day of your cruise and you have to be in a Sky or Star Class room to get in. Sea Class suites only have access for dinner.
Speaking of eating, you can also enjoy complimentary room service in your suite.
Sky Class guests can order off the standard room service menu without a surcharge. In addition, they can order food from the Main Dining Room to be delivered whenever the Main Dining Room is open.
Entertainment
Royal Caribbean reserves seats in the theaters onboard the ship for suite guests (the same seating is also available to loyalty members).
It does not guarantee admission into the show, but the advantage is once you get in, there's a row other guests cannot sit in before you have a chance.
While the reserved seating is nice, it's often in strange locations and may not be where you want to sit.
Of course, you don't have to sit in the reserved section, but it's available if you prefer.
Concierge and Lounge Access
One of the top suite perks is access to the Suite Concierge and Lounge.
The Suite Concierge is there to help you with anything you may need assistance with. Think of them like a suites-only Guest Services.
It's a good idea to meet the Concierge on the first day of your cruise to introduce yourself to them and get anything you need take care of. In fact, you can email the concierge before the cruise begins with any special requests.
The Suite Lounge is an exclusive enclave for suite guests that offers seating, drinks, and snacks throughout the day.
Access to the suite lounge is only for those that booked a Grand Suite or higher cabin, as well as Pinnacle Club members on sailings where there are not too many Pinnacle members.
Each suite lounge has a self-service coffee and espresso maker that you can use 24 hours per day.
In addition, there are snacks offered during select hours.
Sky Class passengers can enjoy complimentary beer and wine from 11am to 11pm in the lounge, and then a full bar happy hour in the evening. It's a fantastic benefit because you can enjoy many drinks in the lounge (or even take them out back to your cabin or elsewhere).
Disembarkation and Port Days
One other notable perk of being a Sky Class guest is being able to get on and of the ship easier.
If your ship tenders, you'll have priority with them. The Icon and Oasis Class ships are too large to offer tenders, but the Quantum Class ships occasionally will offer it.
A personal favorite benefit of mine is the escort off the ship by the Suite Concierge.
Speak to the Concierge before the final morning, and they can walk you off the ship and bypass the line of passengers trying to do the same.
Usually you meet the Concierge in the Suite Lounge at a specific time, and they will escort you off the ship and beat the crowds.
How Sky Class compares to Sea and Star Class
Because Sky Class is the middle tier of suite benefits, it can be a nice step up from Sea Class, but nearly as encompassing as Star Class.
I look at Sea Class suites as being essentially "extra large balcony rooms". They don't have many benefits at all, and don't have access to the Suite Lounge or the Concierge. Booking a Sky Class suite instead would provide far more perks.
Star Class has the best benefits of any suite, including the services of the Royal Genie, unlimited specialty dining, gratuities included and much more.
Price is usually the driving factor as to why to book one class over another.
Sea Class is great if you just want a larger room with the benefit of having additional Crown and Anchor Society points.
Star Class is truly for the passenger that wants to have everything included and one done for them. It's the cruise "easy button", but will cost two or three times what a Sky Class suite is listed for.
I find the Sky Class suites are great for someone that wants a traditional suite experience onboard with more living space in their stateroom, added service from the Concierge, and access to certain suite-only amenities, such as the lounge and Coastal Kitchen.
Tips for maximizing your Sky Class perks
If you book a Sky Class suite, I'd recommend taking advantage of it in a few ways.
When the Suite Concierge emails you a few days before the cruise, don't be shy. Respond with any requests you may have, such as dining requests, stateroom configurations, or alerting them to special events.
When in doubt, head to the Suite Sun Deck instead of the regular pool deck for seats.
Not only are there seats reserved for you on the sun deck, but they're usually plusher and have waiters come by more often.
Speaking of exclusive areas, use the Suite Lounge as a quiet escape.
During the day, the lounge is usually empty, and it's a great spot to read, play a card game, or chat with friends.
Be sure to take advantage of the priority disembarkation to save time.
Lines to get off the cruise ship on the final morning can be long, and no matter how much time it saves you, it all adds up.
Is Sky Class worth it?
Booking a Sky Class suite is a lot like booking a first class airplane ticket in that it's a nicer way to travel.
I think the people that will benefit the most from trying Sky Class would be folks that want added service and are more likely to spend time in their stateroom.
Having a plush cabin with lots of space is great for those that want to spend more time in their room than perhaps being out and about elsewhere.
While booking a suite will never save you money overall, those that take full advantage of the included benefits could see another reason to book it.
Having complimentary internet access for everyone booked in the suite, access to Coastal Kitchen, and no room service fees are added value.
Having stayed in many Sky Class suites, it's a lovely way to cruise. Having all the extra space in the stateroom, along with access to certain areas makes it all far more enjoyable.
However, it all comes at a cost. Sky Class suites aren't inexpensive, and there's always a compelling argument whether you should book a suite or balcony room instead.
A Sky Class suite might be the perfect room for a special occasion or longer sailing because you can justify the included perks as being a good rationale for moving up to these types of rooms.
