Let’s be honest, sometimes cruising can be the opposite of a relaxing vacation. You are sharing a small room and bathroom with your kids, and the race to find a pool chair requires more exercise than you have done all year. Trust me, I get it. So let me share my secret to a stress-free cruise.
Book. A. Suite. The amenities added to your vacation when you stay in a suite far outweigh the price tag.
There are three classes of suites on a Royal Caribbean ship: Sea, Sky, and Star. The Sea Class has the least amount of benefits but has the lowest price tag. The Star Class has the most amount of benefits, but these rooms do come at a higher price. All suites are larger than a standard room, so if space is what you’re looking for definitely look into upgrading your room.
My family stayed in the Crown Loft Suite on the Allure of the Seas on our 7 Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise. It is part of the Sky class, and it has two floors. There is a master bedroom upstairs with a double vanity and a full bathroom/bedroom downstairs. On top of the extra space, Royal Caribbean provides suite guests with exclusive benefits, and I promise they make every penny worth it.
Here are my top 5 suite-class amenities that you need on your next cruise.
1) Suite Lounge Access
This is a lounge with restricted entry to just guests staying in a Sky or Star suite. Inside is a bar and buffet with rotating hors d’oeuvres for every meal. There is also a happy hour each afternoon before dinner where guests can order complimentary cocktails. We spent so much time here.
Waiting for dinner? Suite Lounge.
Break from the sun? Suite Lounge.
Arrive onboard early? Suite Lounge.
Not ready to disembark? Suite Lounge.
Is your tender late? Suite Lounge.
Endless Shirley Temples? Suite Lounge.
Seriously, it was right up the stairs from our room, and it was the perfect place to relax without 4,000 of our closest friends.
2) The Coastal Kitchen
This is a suites-only restaurant, and in the Sky and Star class, you can eat every meal here. It has a similar feel to the Main Dining Room, but the menu is very elevated. Each day you can expect to see filet, lobster, and crab on the menu and included in your cruise fare. The food quality is wonderful, and the restaurant is much more intimate. My family would compare the dinner menus each day to decide where to eat.
(Coastal Kitchen usually won)
3) Included Wi-Fi
Nobody anticipates the added cost of paying for wi-fi during their cruise. While it’s necessary, it’s also annoying to think you could use that money on another excursion or a specialty meal. The Voom internet package offered by Royal Caribbean typically costs $15 dollars per day, per person. Each guest in Sky and Star suites receives complimentary internet for one device.
4) Exclusive Beach in Labadee, Haiti
One port on our cruise was Royal Caribbean’s private island in Labadee, Haiti. This area is much smaller than Perfect Day, so it gets easily crowded. We took advantage of the suite-only beach, which made for the most relaxing island day. We reserved complimentary snorkel gear and enjoyed swimming with sea animals. This area also had dedicated wait staff which made ordering food and drink quick and easy.
5) Priority for EVERYTHING
If you have not figured it out by now, Royal Caribbean loves its suite guests. They roll out the red carpet for them, and they give guests early access to anything and everything to guarantee smooth sailing. (pun intended)
Here is a quick list of the priority access:
– Arrival
– Departure
– Specialty Dining Reservations
– All Onboard Entertainment
– Sky Deck (this is a pool deck EXCLUSIVE to suite guests).
If this has you convinced, schedule a free consultation, and let’s make your cruise dreams come true.
For a complete list of amenities by suite class, see here
