Lowest price you’ve found for Star Class?

[Sunny_D]

I realize there are many different factors that go into this and some may have been unique one-time situations that won’t occur again, but I’m just curious in general what is the lowest price anyone has snagged (or even just seen) a Star Class suite for, let’s say for a 6-8 day cruise? For purposes of this discussion I’m talking about original reservations, not Royal Ups to Star Class from a different category.  If you could include ship, roughly what time of year/season it was, or any other details you think are important that would be great too. Thanks! 

[WAAAYTOOO]

The days of "good" SC fares are pretty much gone, as far as I can tell.  One of our very first SC cruises (Deck 8 ATS)  retailed at ~10K but that was back in maybe 2013 ?  I think we paid about half that (~5K) for the casino upgrade.  I tried to find an A1 to do a comparison and couldn't even find one available !  They seem to be generally running about double the price they were back then.

[Sunny_D]

22 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

The days of "good" SC fares are pretty much gone, as far as I can tell.  One of our very first SC cruises (Deck 8 ATS)  retailed at ~10K but that was back in maybe 2013 ?  I think we paid about half that (~5K) for the casino upgrade.  I tried to find an A1 to do a comparison and couldn't even find one available !  They seem to be generally running about double the price they were back then.

Thanks! Is the ATS 2-bedroom generally the “cheapest” Star Class suite? I tend to scroll past any type of suite with two bedrooms since it’s just my husband and me, but perhaps if it was the only way for me to ever try Star Class I should check it out. 

[Neesa]

I agree with @WAAAYTOOOin the fact that the "good" SC fares are gone, but lately I feel the same about most of the offerings, just so much more then we have ever paid. My experience was the "cheapest" SC was the Panoramic Suite at the front of the Oasis of the Seas. That one is the first one I booked that I felt I could fiscally wrap my head around. A Star Loft opened last minute for not much more that sailing & I had FCC burning a hole in my pocket at the time, so I sailed in that one but at the end of the day my research had that suite ( the panoramic front one) coming in the lowest. It was a spring break sailing.

To clarify the Ultimate Panoramic on deck 14

[WAAAYTOOO]

Agree with @Neesa.  The UPS on OA is the least expensive SC, generally.  The ATS is second.

[Sunny_D]

19 minutes ago, Neesa said:

I agree with @WAAAYTOOOin the fact that the "good" SC fares are gone, but lately I feel the same about most of the offerings, just so much more then we have ever paid. My experience was the "cheapest" SC was the Panoramic Suite at the front of the Oasis of the Seas. That one is the first one I booked that I felt I could fiscally wrap my head around. A Star Loft opened last minute for not much more that sailing & I had FCC burning a hole in my pocket at the time, so I sailed in that one but at the end of the day my research had that suite ( the panoramic front one) coming in the lowest. It was a spring break sailing.

Thanks! I never would have guessed you’d get such a good deal during spring break…I always assume those weeks, along with winter break and summer are the most expensive. We generally go during times like early Feb, late September, etc…assuming (perhaps wrongly) that those are the cheapest times.

[AlmondFarmer]

Here is some recent Star Class data I’ll share

Oasis A-1 7 guests Nov 2021 $8,800

Symphony 4 bed Villa 8 guests Jan 2022 $16,900

Wonder A-1 4 guests June 2022 $9,900 (booked as Allure)

Allure A-2 5 guests Jan 2023 $8,600

Harmony A-1 5 guests Nov 2023 $9,400

All sailings 7 nights and every booking made on release day. 

Edited December 11, 2022 by AlmondFarmer
Typo

[GCT]

6 night on Harmony of the seas, 8k after taxes and fees - two bedroom aqua theater, booked seven months in advance during the welcome back all cruise sale. Party of five; but I also got Florida residence, LEO, Military discounts added. Dunno if that’s a deal for star class it’s my first experience coming up. 
 

from what I’ve seen and been told the room is usually in the 20k so 1600ish per person was a no brainer for me. All adults no children style vacation 
 

Edited December 11, 2022 by GCT

[Sunny_D]

32 minutes ago, AlmondFarmer said:

Here is some recent Star Class data I’ll share

Oasis A-1 7 guests Nov 2021 $8,800

Symphony 4 bed Villa 8 guests Jan 2022 $16,900

Wonder A-1 4 guests June 2022 $9,900 (booked as Allure)

Allure A-2 5 guests Jan 2023 $8,600

Harmony A-1 5 guests Nov 2023 $9,400

All sailings 7 nights and every booking made on release day. 

Very helpful, thanks!  Sorry for the ignorance…but are those per room or per person prices? I’m always pricing rooms for just two people so I’m unaware of how it fluctuates when you add more.

 

Also, how do you know when release day is for any given sailing?

[tonyfsu21]

1 hour ago, Sunny_D said:

Very helpful, thanks!  Sorry for the ignorance…but are those per room or per person prices? I’m always pricing rooms for just two people so I’m unaware of how it fluctuates when you add more.

 

Also, how do you know when release day is for any given sailing?

Agree, the actual sail day would be more helpful in this instance to determine holiday vs non holiday sailing. If these are not per person rates then they are great prices and must be related to casino discounts. I have casino status can cannot touch these rates for Star class. 

[AlmondFarmer]

2 hours ago, Sunny_D said:

Very helpful, thanks!  Sorry for the ignorance…but are those per room or per person prices? I’m always pricing rooms for just two people so I’m unaware of how it fluctuates when you add more.

 

Also, how do you know when release day is for any given sailing?

All amounts given are total for room, including taxes. Divide by guest count if interested in that. Whenever kids sail free was available, the base room price increased to a level resulting in a net increase so I always paid the 3+ rate.
Next release date in scheduled for this week for May 2024-April 2025 Caribbean. An article is usually posted on main page once itineraries are available to book.

The prices I listed are not related to the casino. I’m a farmer who gambles enough with business I have no interest while on vacation. 
 

[twangster]

The UP on Oasis has usually been the least expensive entry point into SC as other have mentioned but there are some caveats that go with the UP like no balcony and being isolated away from the suite areas in general.  Privacy in port can be a challenge as well and the living area has no view.  Currently only two of these in the whole fleet and only on Oasis right now.

There was a time when SC was easy to justify compared to other suites since UDP, DX and gratuity was included.  At one time the price of the packages included made SC cheaper on paper.  Now it seems SC is priced well above all other suites so it makes one evaluate if a full suite with UDP and DX is better value.  Is a Genie worth an additional $5k (or more) compared to a GS with UDP and DX added for example?  For me, since I've sailed a number of ships and seen all the shows the Genie value equation is hard to make work.   If you have never sailed on a particular ship or are traveling in larger numbers then Genie services have more value.  

[tonyfsu21]

Sky class seems to be the best value (especially the loft suites on deck 17). 

[Sunny_D]

3 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Sky class seems to be the best value (especially the loft suites on deck 17). 

I agree, have a CLS on Allure coming up in Feb, and I’m definitely looking forward to it.  I just read other people’s posts about Genies and Duxiana mattresses and wonder if I’m missing out 

[britinbrooklyn]

4 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Sky class seems to be the best value (especially the loft suites on deck 17). 

For an upcoming 11 night on Anthem we saw the price difference between Sky Loft and a Grand Loft was about 10%  (i.e. $1,500 more for the cabin in Star vs Sky). Considering that gets the dining, beverage and laundry services for 2 adults and 2 kids it seemed worth the additional spend to us. I guess it depends on the spread between the 2 rates. 

Additionally we have kids so plan to spend a lot of time in the room - in which case the Genie seemed worth a premium.

[Ampurp85]

I did the 4BR Villa with @AshleyDillo and I thought the price was very good. Of course, there will quite a few mitigating factors such as: I believe she booked as soon as it was released, we sailed during the restart, and it isn't a wow factor room in that its very basic looking.

I also saw some 6/7N 2br Aqua suites on Allure at around $8k for 4 people. This was all before Icon itineraries were released. They now know people are willing to pay $15k+ for just Sky class; I have noticed the cost of Star has increased. 

I do think Sky class is a "suite" spot.......but the more you rise in C&A the less you want to pay 10x the price for something. Like I really want to sail in a CLS but it is hard to justify $8-10k for one 6-8N cruise when I could do three or four 5-8N for that price in an interior or balcony with the internet/dining package.

[Neesa]

6 hours ago, Sunny_D said:

I agree, have a CLS on Allure coming up in Feb, and I’m definitely looking forward to it.  I just read other people’s posts about Genies and Duxiana mattresses and wonder if I’m missing out 

Yes this! Sunny, this is why I tried it. Well, was I missing out? Also the amazing fun filled Star Class posts by others sounded amazing. I am so glad we did it, but I love Sky, that is our Suite spot. 

We require very little, and sometimes I was overwhelmed by everything. Don't get me wrong, if I found a great price I would consider again but I can sail 2X for the price of one Star sailing in Sky probably 2.5 on another class of ship. We are D+ so we have great amenity with that. 

I enjoyed the Star experience I did, but it was a total splurge for me. I find more fun and value being/feeling like I am just a little more fiscally conservative. It's amazing for sure, but I'm my own genie

[Ampurp85]

@NeesaI am like you, I like to plan and feel a little weird with the Genie so Sky is a better fit.

I am worried that with some changes, inconsistencies across the fleet and the rising cost; star class will have to become a rare treat. Allure is currently the lowest price ship in which star class seems feasible. 

[AshleyDillo]

On 12/11/2022 at 12:22 PM, Sunny_D said:

Very helpful, thanks!  Sorry for the ignorance…but are those per room or per person prices? I’m always pricing rooms for just two people so I’m unaware of how it fluctuates when you add more.

This is where the quantity of guests helps in Star Class pricing.  The first cost of passengers 1 & 2 are fixed no matter how many you have in the room.  The third passenger rate is lower and that's what you lock in as the price for all passengers up to capacity.

When I booked the 4BR Villa (capacity maxes out at 14) it was less than $800 each to add additional people beyond passengers 1 & 2.  I caught a BOGO60 and and 30% off all other passengers sale plus my C&A balcony/suite discount as shown above.

I booked the very first day the cruise went on sale in November 2019 for a January 2022 sailing.

[AlmondFarmer]

57 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

I booked the very first day the cruise went on sale in November 2019 for a January 2022 sailing.

I remember that day, lots of bookings made. I lucked out and was on Navigator at the time. Got to know the next cruise agent very well. Those prices will likely never been seen again. 

[Sunny_D]

Thanks so much to everyone for the replies. Lots of valuable info and perspectives. It sounds like since I’m always just booking a room for two that perhaps Star Class (for me) may not be worth the large extra per person cost. I can definitely see, though, how at some point it could make sense the more people that are added to the room. I guess I also should be planning a little farther in the future for the best deals too…the last two cruises I booked were within five months of sail date. Sounds like it pays to be an early bird.

[twangster]

If you are seeking the lowest method to experience Star Class consider a short sailing.

Allure will be doing 3 & 4 night cruises in 2023 - 2024.

They aren't the cheap Star fares from yesteryear but under this new normal they are less than a typical 7 night Star voyage.

You can even get one of the OP and GP suites.  

[Sunny_D]

17 minutes ago, twangster said:

If you are seeking the lowest method to experience Star Class consider a short sailing.

Allure will be doing 3 & 4 night cruises in 2023 - 2024.

They aren't the cheap Star fares from yesteryear but under this new normal they are less than a typical 7 night Star voyage.

You can even get one of the OP and GP suites.  

That’s a good idea. I’ve never considered a shorter cruise before since I live quite a ways from the nearest port and I’m also lazy (don’t like the thought of the effort of unpacking and re-packing my suitcase too close together). But maybe it’s worth it just to try Star class.

[twangster]

14 minutes ago, Sunny_D said:

That’s a good idea. I’ve never considered a shorter cruise before since I live quite a ways from the nearest port and I’m also lazy (don’t like the thought of the effort of unpacking and re-packing my suitcase too close together). But maybe it’s worth it just to try Star class.

When I used to fly to evey cruise I'd often put together B2B or S2S.  With so many ships using Port Canaveral now maybe you could start on one ship and then move to Allure for the ultimate way to cruise.  Other cruise lines here too.  Just a thought.  

[Temeculaguy]

10 hours ago, Neesa said:

Yes this! Sunny, this is why I tried it. Well, was I missing out? Also the amazing fun filled Star Class posts by others sounded amazing. I am so glad we did it, but I love Sky, that is our Suite spot. 

We require very little, and sometimes I was overwhelmed by everything. Don't get me wrong, if I found a great price I would consider again but I can sail 2X for the price of one Star sailing in Sky probably 2.5 on another class of ship. We are D+ so we have great amenity with that. 

I enjoyed the Star experience I did, but it was a total splurge for me. I find more fun and value being/feeling like I am just a little more fiscally conservative. It's amazing for sure, but I'm my own genie

I'm with neesa, Sky class for me on ships with the classes, especially the GS on newer ships. I see it as price point, at 5-6kk a couple I can get a sky class GS suite on ships with it or an owners suite on ships without classes. For 10k+ a couple on those same ships, I'd probably just move onto a luxury line, Viking ocean cruises gets competitive at that price point. My BIL is very loyal to royal and is going star class in the royal suite on an upcoming family cruise where I am going sky, many of talks over drinks I have failed to convince him that going on a celebrity cruise is not cheating on royal since they own it, diamond carries over and at that price point the retreat is less $ albeit less square feet but potentially better in other areas. I just think the star class prices opens up lots of competition and is held back by the same windjammer everyone else gets. But I totally get that it caters to those who want to be with family but are in another tax bracket, I'm just a sky class guy at heart, it still feels like a value compared to to star even though it is more expensive than balconies, but not by too much. Little secret, when on any ship, classes or not, if someone in your group gets the royal suite, the treat your party like they treat them, everyone gets escorted onboard by an officer and the maitre d seats you himself to the best table, call me a coat tail rider but it suits me.

[WAAAYTOOO]

These are just my opinions, for whatever it's worth.

We travel alone, too @Sunny_D.  We have booked plenty of 2 BR suites through the years - some Sky and some Star.  Frankly, the price hasn't been significantly different for 1 or 2 BR suites.  We just use the other BR to store our luggage.  We rarely utilize the second bathroom (however, the second bathroom in the 2-level suites are godsends).

If you are traveling with children, I find that there is more benefit to Star Class on the Quantum class ships.  There's simply more for the Genie to "help" with for children - namely the bumper cars, North Star and IFly (if they are old enough).  ...and if you're going to go on a Q class ship, sailing SC out of Bayonne is generally cheaper than sailing SC out of Florida.  Certainly there are exceptions to these "rules" but in general, I have found these to be fairly consistent.

If it is just 2 adults (as it always is with us), we find the O class ships to be a better fit.  While we love the North Star, it was one-and-done for IFly and the bumper cars, so we have never utilized these again, since our first SC cruise on Anthem.

Absolutely, book early.  This is the best advice you can get regardless of whatever class of accommodation you are booking.  Keep checking for price drops.  I was able to take advantage of 14 separate price drops on our 12-22 sailing on OA, which is even more surprising when you realize that this is a holiday sailing.  

From your signature, @Sunny_Dit looks like you live in Arizona, so you're going to have to fly, regardless of which port you sail from.  So just for points of comparison, I recommend you start looking at SC out of Bayonne and FL as soon as new itins come out.  It's true that itineraries out of Bayonne can be fairly uninteresting but if you really want to try SC just to see if it's "for you", it's not a bad trade-off as the $$ can be a significantly less.  No SC cruise is cheap.  Fact.  ...but if you're going to spend that kind of money, you might as well get the best deal you can, and generally that will be out of NJ.  Generally...

...and to what @twangstermentioned, a shorty SC cruise is also not a bad idea, although there is a lot to cram into a SC cruise and less time means less "stuff" but it's also an option.  We are going on a 4 night SC cruise on OA in 5 days (YAY !!!!) and we are staying on for the following 7 night cruise (Christmas) but will be moving to a balcony room for the second half.  It's a pretty good plan (I hope !) b/c we will get the expedited boarding process when it counts and then for the turnaround, re-boarding will be much less stressful, especially since we will not have any luggage to wrestle.  Since we will be getting all the food and drink we can possibly ever want in the first 4 days, we can take it easy on the following cruise (no drink package, although I have given up the DBP anyway...different story).  We will, most likely, not make it to the casino much that first 4 nights (the whole "cram" factor in play) and b/c we will have done whatever shows and special dining options (Chef's Table and Izumi Hibachi) the first half of the B2B, we will not be attending any of this for part II....so we will be hitting the casino much more frequently on part II than we did for part I.  Win-win.

Is SC worth the money ?  Always an individual assessment.  We have sailed SC many times and never regretted it.  ...but now that we are both retired (or mostly retired, anyway), SC is going to be a much less frequent splurge.  I'm super glad that we got our SC frenzy accomplished when we did.  I love, love, love SC.  It's not for everyone.  We love it and we will continue to do it whenever we can....but balcony cruising is better than no cruising !

[Will.i.am.]

On 12/12/2022 at 10:53 AM, britinbrooklyn said:

For an upcoming 11 night on Anthem we saw the price difference between Sky Loft and a Grand Loft was about 10%  (i.e. $1,500 more for the cabin in Star vs Sky). Considering that gets the dining, beverage and laundry services for 2 adults and 2 kids it seemed worth the additional spend to us. I guess it depends on the spread between the 2 rates. 

Additionally we have kids so plan to spend a lot of time in the room - in which case the Genie seemed worth a premium.

Just another data point.  Our 8 night HOTS 11/26 sailing in the 2BR ATS for two adults and 2 kids was $11.5k.   Agree with Brit re: Genie and children.  We thought that the Genie was of great value for us (because several in the group were sick), and we relied on him for various itinerary changes and endless dietary requests.  When our kids reach the point of no longer being tethered to us, we probably will not need a Genie's service and the ROI makes less sense (for us) given the spread.

[Sunny_D]

11 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

These are just my opinions, for whatever it's worth.

We travel alone, too @Sunny_D.  We have booked plenty of 2 BR suites through the years - some Sky and some Star.  Frankly, the price hasn't been significantly different for 1 or 2 BR suites.  We just use the other BR to store our luggage.  We rarely utilize the second bathroom (however, the second bathroom in the 2-level suites are godsends).

If you are traveling with children, I find that there is more benefit to Star Class on the Quantum class ships.  There's simply more for the Genie to "help" with for children - namely the bumper cars, North Star and IFly (if they are old enough).  ...and if you're going to go on a Q class ship, sailing SC out of Bayonne is generally cheaper than sailing SC out of Florida.  Certainly there are exceptions to these "rules" but in general, I have found these to be fairly consistent.

If it is just 2 adults (as it always is with us), we find the O class ships to be a better fit.  While we love the North Star, it was one-and-done for IFly and the bumper cars, so we have never utilized these again, since our first SC cruise on Anthem.

Absolutely, book early.  This is the best advice you can get regardless of whatever class of accommodation you are booking.  Keep checking for price drops.  I was able to take advantage of 14 separate price drops on our 12-22 sailing on OA, which is even more surprising when you realize that this is a holiday sailing.  

From your signature, @Sunny_Dit looks like you live in Arizona, so you're going to have to fly, regardless of which port you sail from.  So just for points of comparison, I recommend you start looking at SC out of Bayonne and FL as soon as new itins come out.  It's true that itineraries out of Bayonne can be fairly uninteresting but if you really want to try SC just to see if it's "for you", it's not a bad trade-off as the $$ can be a significantly less.  No SC cruise is cheap.  Fact.  ...but if you're going to spend that kind of money, you might as well get the best deal you can, and generally that will be out of NJ.  Generally...

...and to what @twangstermentioned, a shorty SC cruise is also not a bad idea, although there is a lot to cram into a SC cruise and less time means less "stuff" but it's also an option.  We are going on a 4 night SC cruise on OA in 5 days (YAY !!!!) and we are staying on for the following 7 night cruise (Christmas) but will be moving to a balcony room for the second half.  It's a pretty good plan (I hope !) b/c we will get the expedited boarding process when it counts and then for the turnaround, re-boarding will be much less stressful, especially since we will not have any luggage to wrestle.  Since we will be getting all the food and drink we can possibly ever want in the first 4 days, we can take it easy on the following cruise (no drink package, although I have given up the DBP anyway...different story).  We will, most likely, not make it to the casino much that first 4 nights (the whole "cram" factor in play) and b/c we will have done whatever shows and special dining options (Chef's Table and Izumi Hibachi) the first half of the B2B, we will not be attending any of this for part II....so we will be hitting the casino much more frequently on part II than we did for part I.  Win-win.

Is SC worth the money ?  Always an individual assessment.  We have sailed SC many times and never regretted it.  ...but now that we are both retired (or mostly retired, anyway), SC is going to be a much less frequent splurge.  I'm super glad that we got our SC frenzy accomplished when we did.  I love, love, love SC.  It's not for everyone.  We love it and we will continue to do it whenever we can....but balcony cruising is better than no cruising !

Thanks so much for taking the time to write out such a thoughtful and informative response . I think someday we will probably give Star Class a try. My husband and I aren’t retired, but we are self employed (dentists) with no paid vacation…so for us the most expensive part of any trip is missing work, which is the same regardless of what cabin we choose. Thinking about it that way might help justify trying Star Class a little more…

Now if only Royal decided they needed an onboard dentist…