Sometimes the cost of a Junior Suite is only a few hundred dollars more than a balcony room on a Royal Caribbean cruise, and that leads to the question of if it's worth upgrading or not.
Whether the extra cost is substantially more or not, the real question is are you paying for meaningful perks or just a slightly larger room?
I've sailed in Junior Suites many times, including most recently on an older ship. I've found the extra benefits of a Junior Suite and larger room to be quite useful. Nonetheless, I didn't want to overpay for them either.
Consider your travel style, ship class, and budget before choosing. Let's compare.
Balcony vs. Junior Suite comparison
| Category | Balcony Cabin | Junior Suite |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Cruisers who want a private balcony without paying suite prices | Cruisers who want more space and a few extra perks |
| Cabin size | Comfortable, but usually compact | Noticeably larger with more living space |
| Bathroom | Smaller bathroom with shower | Larger bathroom, often with a bathtub |
| Storage | Enough for most short cruises | More storage, often including a walk-in closet |
| Balcony | Private outdoor space | Private outdoor space, often larger |
| Suite perks | None | Limited perks; not the full suite experience on most ships |
| Crown & Anchor points | 1 Point per night | 2 Points per night |
| Coastal Kitchen access | No | Dinner only |
| Price | Usually much cheaper | Can be a modest or major upgrade depending on the sailing |
| Best value when | You will spend most of your time around the ship | The price gap is small or you are on a longer cruise |
What you get with a standard balcony cabin
A balcony room is the most popular type of cruise ship cabin because it's truly the middle ground option that is affordable for a lot of families.
With this type of stateroom, you'll have a slightly larger room than an interior cabin and have access to your own outdoor space. This means you have an outside view from your room, as well as a private verandah to step out to and enjoy the fresh air and views.
Every balcony comes with a fairly standard set of features:
- King size bed (can be split apart)
- Private bathroom
- Sofa/couch
- Vanity seating area
The reason balcony cabins are so popular is because they have the best mix of price and comfort.
You have outside views and access to the outdoors without feeling like you're overspending. Usually the price difference between an inside to a balcony is a reasonable cost.
Plus, a balcony feels like a major jump in experience from an inside room. Many cruisers swear by staying in a balcony because it adds just enough of a difference to make their room feel less insular, while also adding natural light to enhance it all.
Balcony cabins are especially attractive to first-time cruisers because it's the "goldilocks" cabin.
What makes a Junior Suite different
The real selling point to a Junior Suite is how much more space you get compared to a balcony room.
The exact size depends on the ship, but you'll quickly notice how much larger these cabins feel. The living area is enormous, and there's a walk-in closet too.
The balcony in a Junior Suite tends to be larger than a standard balcony.
Another important reason some people prefer a Junior Suite is the fact it has a full tub instead of a shower. Lower category staterooms on Royal Caribbean ships have a stand-up shower only.
Another equally important Junior Suite perk are the benefits that come with this room.
Royal Caribbean will give you an extra Crown & Anchor point per night, which allows you to reach higher loyalty tiers faster. This is a major reason cruisers will book a category JS room.
You'll also get priority boarding in the cruise terminal, which means you can board with the suite guests.
Space permitting, you'll be able to dine at Coastal Kitchen on Oasis, Icon, and Quantum ships. This is a bonus complimentary restaurant that is exclusive to suite guests.
It's important to remember that despite its name, a Junior Suite isn't a real suite in terms of benefits. Unless you book a Sky Junior Suite, you don't get the full suite benefits, including:
- No Royal Genie
- No access to the Suite Concierge
- No included W-iFi
- No included drink package
- No suite lounge access
- Breakfast and lunch at Coastal Kitchen are not included
When paying extra for a Junior Suite is absolutely worth it
The longer the sailing, the better the argument to move up to a Junior Suite.
On short cruises, you're going to be likely busy trying to squeeze in as much fun as you can, and so time spent in the stateroom is going to be limited.
On longer cruises, you'll probably spend more time in your room. This is especially true of transatlantic crossings.
A lot of cruisers will say they move up to a Junior Suite on especially scenic itineraries, such as in Europe or Alaska.
I also think a Junior Suite is helpful when you're sharing a room with more than 2 people. If you have kids, the extra living space will feel amazing.
Personally, I tend to splurge for a Junior Suites on older ships because the price isn't usually as much. Junior Suites can feel dramatically more comfortable on older ships.
Lastly, if you are prioritizing chasing higher cruise line loyalty, then a Junior Suite makes sense.
When a balcony cabin is the better choice
By default, a balcony is going to be the more economical choice. So being on a budget may make this the defacto choice.
If your cruising style is that you tend to be out and about and barely use your room other than for showering, sleeping, and changing, then a balcony makes more sense.
You could also make a good argument to take the money needed to upgrade to a Junior Suite and spend it on something else to enhance your cruise, such as a drink package, shore excursion, or specialty dining. If upgrading means sacrificing excursions or drink packages, I'd keep the balcony cabin.
If I had the choice of one of those add-ons or a better room, I'd probably lean towards the add-ons because they can have a major impact in how you enjoy your trip.
One of the top regrets people have about a Junior Suite is not understanding these rooms don't have full suite benefits.
It's a common source of disappointment that despite the name, a Junior Suite isn't actually a real suite. So not having access to the Suite Lounge or other suite perks leads some to wish they hadn't booked one.
My advice after trying both
Balcony cabins are almost always going to be the better value, so it's a question of how much more a Junior Suite will cost.
It's also a question of your own personal needs: extra space, extra loyalty points, and your cruising style. Some people will deem a Junior Suite far more necessary.
Anytime I've ever booked a Junior Suite, it's been because the price was nominally more than a balcony. For me, that's a couple hundred dollars at the most more.
I love how much bigger a Junior Suite feels, and the extra Crown & Anchor points are a great perk, but I won't pay top dollar for it either.
I consider Junior Suites an "opportunistic splurge". If I want to celebrate a special occasion, or simply book something nicer, I'll go with a full suite.
I don't think I've ever regretted booking a balcony. The extra space in a Junior Suite matters more than most cruisers expect. But if upgrading means sacrificing excursions or drink packages, I'd keep the balcony cabin.
