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Cost benifits Jr suite vs actual suite


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Okay RC brain trust, I know you know the answer to this. I have a JR suite booked on my Jewel OTS. I have The Key (pd 27.99 pp = 167.94x4 = 671 ish total) booked mostly for the internet. We are a family of four (kids 7-9). Yes the internet is worth it for the quite time it provides. We ball parked the JR suite at $556.28 pp. The suite is 914ish for a regular suite. Is the price difference pretty narrow if you factor in free internet in the suite (is that still a thing?). I'm not super well versed on what the suite extras are. Any one interested in giving there two cents either way?

Is there a big benefit to upgrading to an actual suite?

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On Jewel, you will not get complimentary internet, even if you are in a full suite.  Only Oasis or Quantum class ships include complimentary internet for full suites. So you will have to pay for internet under either circumstance.

The  vast  majority of the other Key amenities, however, would be complimentary for you if you were in a full suite (expedited boarding and disembarkation, for example). The full suite would give you breakfast in one of the specialty restaurants (this is not a Key perk) and of course, access to the Concierge/Suites lounge (not sure what Jewel has these days).  The suite would also give you reserved seating in the theater (a duplication of the Key).  About the only Key amenity that you would not get with the suite (besides internet) would be Chops lunch on embarkation day and a place to leave your carry-on bags on embarkation.  Another thing the full suite will give you is significantly more room and a much bigger bathroom.

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6 hours ago, CruisingOz said:

On a ship like the Jewel, we would do a Jn suite, but see no value in a GS or above. The ship does not have the extras like a Quantum or Oasis class. I may even question the value of the Key. If you have tender ports, then maybe worth it?

I think the value of the Key is not super great. This is how we parse it for our family. We all need the internet. It affords some much needed kid quite time after long tiring days. If you subtract the per day internet

29.99 - Key single person per day

24.99 - Internet single person per day

$5.00 = the cost of the Chops lunch ( $5 x6 days = 30 Chops lunch 25 ish)

Possible $5 unaccounted for. I will call this the cost of the "short" line.

This is how I break it down for us. I acknowledge not everyone else breaks down like this - YMMV. I follow a similar decision tree/math path with the JR vs Full Suite.

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As another suggested, you may want to price internet for 4 devices under your room instead of purchasing 1 device per person. It is generally much cheaper per device, especially 4 devices. Unfortunately under the new cruise planner you can not see the price until it is in your cart. You can always remove it once you see the price. Select chosen package, select just one name, select 4 underneath name. After you select 4 you will see the price for 4. It will be the total amount but you can see difference just by dividing by 4 and the number of days and that will give you the new pp per day price. For example I have a 10 day cruise Jan 2023: For 1 device it is 23.99 pp per day but for 4 devices it is 18.99 pp per day after the math! This may help when considering the value of the Key. 

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19 hours ago, AHollyS said:

Is there a big benefit to upgrading to an actual suite?

The biggest benefit is more space.  If you want or need more space than what a junior suite offers then yes upgrade to a larger suite. However you will still have to pay for internet package as it is not complementary on Jewel of the Seas or any other non Oasis or Quantum Class ship. 

I've sailed on Adventure and Freedom numerous times and I've always only done a junior suite on those ships. When I sail on an Oasis or Quantum Class ship we generally will go for a grand suite or higher.

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5 hours ago, AHollyS said:

I think the value of the Key is not super great. This is how we parse it for our family. We all need the internet. It affords some much needed kid quite time after long tiring days. If you subtract the per day internet

29.99 - Key single person per day

24.99 - Internet single person per day

$5.00 = the cost of the Chops lunch ( $5 x6 days = 30 Chops lunch 25 ish)

Possible $5 unaccounted for. I will call this the cost of the "short" line.

This is how I break it down for us. I acknowledge not everyone else breaks down like this - YMMV. I follow a similar decision tree/math path with the JR vs Full Suite.

I believe the Chops lunch is just on the 1st day, not every day.

Also, it is cheaper for a family to buy a single internet plan, with multiple devices. We cruise with my son and I pick the 3 device plan. It's much cheaper than 24.99 per person.

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1 hour ago, The Fox said:

That's odd. I made a reservation this weekend for a B2B Junior Suite and the rep said the gratuities would be the suite price.

It wasn't the case on our just completed Ovation to Alaska, nor is it true for our upcoming Explorer in the Caribbean or the three cruises my wife booked for next summer (all JS) while we were on Ovation two weeks ago.

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On my last 10-15 RC cruises I have been using suites.  Although we have't had to share a room with kids (couldn't afford it when kids were little) we can tell you once you get used to the suite life it is hard to go back. The perks might seem subtle but put together over a 7 day or longer cruise it adds up to a better time.  In your case if you can afford to get connecting rooms it will make a difference not having to share a bathroom with 4 people.  Good luck and don't try and do it all.  Your on vacation!

 

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6 hours ago, MikeK said:

On my last 10-15 RC cruises I have been using suites.  Although we have't had to share a room with kids (couldn't afford it when kids were little) we can tell you once you get used to the suite life it is hard to go back. The perks might seem subtle but put together over a 7 day or longer cruise it adds up to a better time.  In your case if you can afford to get connecting rooms it will make a difference not having to share a bathroom with 4 people.  Good luck and don't try and do it all.  Your on vacation!

 

My major malfunction that requires more space is tripping over the sofa bed in the night on the way to the bathroom. It was the WORST last trip. All adults really had a problem with it. Especially when the kids slid down to the edge and flopped out an arm or leg in to the ultra narrow isle way.

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20 hours ago, AHollyS said:

My major malfunction that requires more space is tripping over the sofa bed in the night on the way to the bathroom. It was the WORST last trip. All adults really had a problem with it. Especially when the kids slid down to the edge and flopped out an arm or leg in to the ultra narrow isle way.

That would depend on what side of the room your bed is on.  If I'm not mistaken some rooms the bed is closest to the bathroom and others the couch is closest to the bathroom.  Don't know if your familiar with the website Cruise Deck Plans and Database but it has videos or pictures of most all the rooms in the RC fleet.

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Have I done a critical analysis of the cost of a Suite vs a standard balcony cabin?  No!  However, I have kinda added up what I would have to pay for a Star Class Suite vs a standard balcony cabin.  Yep, the cost of a Stars Class Suite is way up there.  But, having cruised on every, but one, Royal cruise in a Star Class, I can tell you that in the long run, with all the perks, and luxury's, I will say that the cost difference is well worth it.  At the end of the cruise, I just walk off the ship and not have to worry what was charged to my account because Star Class is basically "all inclusive".  No alcohol bill, no specialty restaurant bill, no internet bill (pre or post cruise), no specialty activity bill.  I usually get a large On Board Credit from my TA so, excursions are paid for as well.  The suite is ready when I get there, the baggage is in the room when I get there, I am briefed by the Royal Genie, as he escorts us from the entrance of the terminal to the suite and in the suite what he has done and will do for me/us, because of pre-cruise communications, the Genie has already booked everything that I/we want to do.  Our cabin is stocked with our favorite drinks (alcohol (beer & wine coolers), waters and cokes) and snacks are restocked automatically everyday.  I/we don't have to worry about a budget while on the ship, which believe me, after being on Brand X, which doesn't have a Star Class tier, that's a big deal.  Escorted off the ship, usually the first off the ship, at Ports of Call.  On the final day, escorted off the ship all the way to the Customs kiosk with a porter carrying, on a cart, our luggage from our suite to the customs kiosk.  Luggage not put in the hallway the night before or us carrying it. The last couple of cruises I took on Royal, the only out of pocket costs were the tips, period.  Everybody gets a tip or extra tip.  

This is for information purposes.  As I've stated in here before, I'm as middle class as it gets.  I live below my means and save for a year or two to be able to afford a little luxury that my wife and I gift to each other.  I believe that my wife deserves as much as we can afford as she raised two kids, took care of me when I was home, and did a very good job of it while I was serving my country for over 20 years.  She had the hard job.  She still has a 7 day a week job taking care of me and our home.  So, she's worth it.

Edited by Moby Dick
CORRECTION: I've cruised twice on Royal that were not Star Class
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  • 3 weeks later...
15 minutes ago, AHollyS said:

Update- I got the suite!!! It was only about 500 is more to get the upgrade. I cancelled the Key which covered the difference + 100 back. I will have to buy the internet for 4 currently priced at 263.88. So I for me I upgraded for 163.88.

That's great!  Enjoy.

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