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Junior Suite question


Va4fam

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We are Balcony cabin regulars and never tried a Junior Suite.

Looking at some of the deals on Navigator and Empress, the JS looks like it might be a good deal.

Questions:

1.  Do we get double C & A points for booking a JS?  

2,  Were the rooms updated on Navigator recently?  

3.  The JS room on Empress looks like a regular balcony room or am I missing something?

4. What other perks would we get on the ship that we typically don't get with our C & A "Gold" status and balcony room?

5.  Most importantly, if we book a JS, would we ever be able to go back to regular Balcony room again?

 

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1. Yes.

2. Yes.  New upholstery and carpet for the most part, the cabin itself and bathroom is the same.

3. Slightly bigger than a balcony cabin on a new ship but pretty much it's like a balcony cabin with a small walk in closet.

4.  No perks come with a JS other than using the suite process on boarding day.  

5. I go back and forth all the time.  Sometimes the JS rates are too expensive for what you get so it's back to something else.  

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3 minutes ago, twangster said:

1. Yes.

2. Yes.  New upholstery and carpet for the most part, the cabin itself and bathroom is the same.

3. Slightly bigger than a balcony cabin on a new ship but pretty much it's like a balcony cabin with a small walk in closet.

4.  No perks come with a JS other than using the suite process on boarding day.  

5. I go back and forth all the time.  Sometimes the JS rates are too expensive for what you get so it's back to something else.  

How about the coveted silver Sea Pass & in room coffee/tea?

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On 11/14/2019 at 4:59 PM, Va4fam said:

We are Balcony cabin regulars and never tried a Junior Suite.

Looking at some of the deals on Navigator and Empress, the JS looks like it might be a good deal.

Questions:

1.  Do we get double C & A points for booking a JS?  

2,  Were the rooms updated on Navigator recently?  

3.  The JS room on Empress looks like a regular balcony room or am I missing something?

4. What other perks would we get on the ship that we typically don't get with our C & A "Gold" status and balcony room?

5.  Most importantly, if we book a JS, would we ever be able to go back to regular Balcony room again?

 

Hello!  I am not going to be able to answer all of your questions but I can answer a few of them! 

1.  Yes, that is part of the reason we love booking a JS!  Especially at the price point on some of the ships that we have been on, my rule of thumb is that if its cheaper to book a JS than it is to take another cruise then I book it.  Most have only been $4-700 more than a regular balcony room. 

2.  Can not help you with this one! 

3.  Yet another one I can not help you with, sorry! ?

4.  Priority boarding, and depending on the ship CK access (if you do not know what it is then you need to do a search, I can assure you that @Lovetocruise2002 is the absolute queen of #teamCK.  Once you have been there you will not desire to go back to the MDR.  

5.  I can assure you that you will not have any issues going back to a balcony room.  We flip flop back and forth depending on which ship we are on and the price point, you do get a little spoiled depending on the ship but it really is not as much as you would think.  You will enjoy both but it is not like you have booked a Owners Suite and are trying to go back to a "regular" room.  Most important of all please enjoy your cruise and if you see a JS at a good price point then please do yourself a favor and book that room before the price goes up!  And if you have the opportunity to book a cruise in a JS with a CK at a good price point then  please heed my words and book that cruise ASAP!

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59 minutes ago, MikeSD said:

Coastal Kitchen access for Dinner

Based on availability for Junior suites.

Just now, bhageerah said:

and depending on the ship CK access (if you do not know what it is then you need to do a search, I can assure you that @Lovetocruise2002 is the absolute queen of #teamCK.  Once you have been there you will not desire to go back to the MDR.  

Very true.  We are guilty of booking Junior suites for the sole reason of being able to access Coastal Kitchen, especially on Anthem.  Oasis class is harder to get into CK with a JS.

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12 hours ago, MikeSD said:

I'm going on HOS in a JR Suite. Besides the suite amenities, I was told you get:

  • Additional C&A points (not sure if double)
  • Suite priority boarding
  • Coastal Kitchen access for Dinner
  • Free Wow bands

Might be a few other things, but not significant. Really JR Suite is just a bigger room.

The OP is looking at JS’s on Navigator and Empress so there is no Coastal Kitchen nor WOW Bands

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Since we are at diamond plus the double points don't really mean anything anymore but we like the bigger room, walk in closet and  full bath with upgraded shampoo conditioner and shower gel.  My wife loves the L'Occitane but I think its only available  on the bigger ships.

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Definitely have the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome trying to make a decision.  Not overly concerned about the C & A points as this 7 day cruise will finally get us past Gold into Platinum (or is it Emerald?).   Next meaningful plateau seems to be Diamond once you reach 30 points. 

I can do Oasis of the Seas balcony cabin (less excited about Labadee/Falmouth/Cozumel itinerary) for 1/3 less than the JS on Empress.   We have not done Oasis class ship yet.

Really like the Empress itinerary (Key West, Belize city, Costa Maya, Cozumel) but the ocean view rooms look so small and have no additional furniture (couch/chair etc).  Should I just not worry about it and enjoy the cruise and hospitality of the ship or pony up for the JS?  

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54 minutes ago, Va4fam said:

Definitely have the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome trying to make a decision.  Not overly concerned about the C & A points as this 7 day cruise will finally get us past Gold into Platinum (or is it Emerald?).   Next meaningful plateau seems to be Diamond once you reach 30 points. 

I can do Oasis of the Seas balcony cabin (less excited about Labadee/Falmouth/Cozumel itinerary) for 1/3 less than the JS on Empress.   We have not done Oasis class ship yet.

Really like the Empress itinerary (Key West, Belize city, Costa Maya, Cozumel) but the ocean view rooms look so small and have no additional furniture (couch/chair etc).  Should I just not worry about it and enjoy the cruise and hospitality of the ship or pony up for the JS?  

I know that others will chime in with their opinion and here is mine, if you are not happy with the sailing on Oasis then do not book it!  Even though it is cheaper, its my opinion that you also need to be happy about where you are going as well!  Me personally I would book the Empress and spring for the larger room.  I have been to Belize, Costa Maya, and Cozumel and had an absolute AMAZING TIME.  And to be honest with you having done both of the cruises that you speak of (with the exception that we also had Honduras in ours) I would rather do that cruise vs the other on Oasis.  Just please do yourself a favor (once again IMHO) and book something else on Oasis to see the beauty and fun that a Oasis class ship has to offer! 

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The Oasis is a great ship, but it will be around for a long time to come.  The Empress may not be.  It was brought back for Cuba and since that is gone now, maybe it will be too.  I would go Empress, take the cheap double points, and enjoy an experience you may not ever get again.  Also, I think C&A points should be important to you - at least until you become Diamond.

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I'm in an ocean view on Empress right now.  Here is my deck 8 cabin:

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The gap between the bed and walls wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the Pullman beds.

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Since I'm solo I have them separate the beds.  Makes a huge difference and the Pullman beds don't bother me.

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I've stayed in JS on Empress 3 times before.  This time around the price gap was too much for me so I did the OV.

Here is a post with pictures of a JS on Empress.

https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/boards/index.php?/topic/14213-empress-b2b-14-nights-on-the-biggest-little-ship-july-2019/&do=findComment&comment=141036

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Just now, Va4fam said:

Thanks @twangster.   I reached out to MEI travel for a 2/23 quote on Empress for OV and JS.  

Any issues with rooms on deck 4?   I think the obstructed rooms are higher up.

 

I've never been down that low.  Look at a picture of Empress on the internet and see if the OV cabins in that section of the ship are round portholes or nice rectangular windows like mine.  Forward cabins tend to get smaller round porthole style windows.

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31 minutes ago, twangster said:

I'm liking my Empress ocean view today...

JIhtcPE.jpg

 

Looks like Cozumel! And to be perfectly honest I do not care where it is, your view beats mine any day of the week!!  Its in the 40's here with high winds, and I have to make my own bed, clean my own room, and cook my own food!!

 

th.jpeg

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We booked the OV room on Empress last night through MEI Travel (first time using them).   Told our agent to keep an eye out for JS deals.

Most likely we will book a JS on a different cruise where the price difference is not as significant.   Based on our 7-10 nights a year we book on RCI, we are probably 5 years away from reaching Diamond but I would love to "double up" sometimes and get there by Summer 2023 for a BIG anniversary Alaska Cruise!!!!   

Thanks everyone for your input. 

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On 11/14/2019 at 7:20 PM, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Based on availability for Junior suites.

Very true.  We are guilty of booking Junior suites for the sole reason of being able to access Coastal Kitchen, especially on Anthem.  Oasis class is harder to get into CK with a JS.

Leaving on Anthem in the morning. Staying in a JS. Looking forward to trying CK for the first time. What is our best bet for a reservation there? How does it work? Can we go there first day and make a reservation or do we have to wait and try each day. I realize other full suite guests get priority over JS but if we make a reservation are we "wait listed"? Or is that reservation guaranteed? Any tips are appreciated. - Thanks!

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21 minutes ago, whenismynextcruise said:

Leaving on Anthem in the morning. Staying in a JS. Looking forward to trying CK for the first time. What is our best bet for a reservation there? How does it work? Can we go there first day and make a reservation or do we have to wait and try each day. I realize other full suite guests get priority over JS but if we make a reservation are we "wait listed"? Or is that reservation guaranteed? Any tips are appreciated. - Thanks!

While we are no Anthem experts we sailed during spring break this year.  We stayed in a JS and had no issues whatsoever getting reservations.  We ate in the MDR the first and third nights and in CK all the others.  We prefer to eat earlier than later and the place was WELL over halfway empty when we ate around 5:30-6. We also had no issues making reservations for the rest of the week once we realized how much nicer CK was over the MDR.  

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1 hour ago, whenismynextcruise said:

Leaving on Anthem in the morning. Staying in a JS. Looking forward to trying CK for the first time. What is our best bet for a reservation there? How does it work? Can we go there first day and make a reservation or do we have to wait and try each day. I realize other full suite guests get priority over JS but if we make a reservation are we "wait listed"? Or is that reservation guaranteed? Any tips are appreciated. - Thanks!

Outside of CK on Anthem is a kiosk where a host or hostess will stand during open hours.  Talk to them.  They may not be there upon boarding but they should be after muster as you approach dinner time.

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I upgrade to a JS over regular balcony on Indy, based on the bath room alone. A bigger bathroom is worth every penny! I also repriced the booking when it was on sale saving $194 off original price, then did the upgrade for only $200. Basically only cost me $6 to upgrade over original booking price. 

11/27/2019 - Just saved another $75 with the Black Friday instant credit going up to $150! Score!! To bad I am planning way too early to get a discount on anything else #April2021

 

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  • 5 months later...

The Pullman beds on the Ocean View Empress cabins really suck if you don’t need them.  Makes the cabin that much smaller, really inconvenient when there’s just two of you in the room.  Wish the terrible TA at AAA had told us about them.  We had two cabins right next to each other and both had those beds, but each room only had 2 people in them.  It was right there on the ship map but she didn’t tell us , explain or suggest we pick rooms without them.  Make sure you do if in a similar situation.  Loved the ship.

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