What to Expect on a Cruise: Cruise Suites (2024)

FAQs

What does a suite on a cruise ship consist of? ›

What is a suite? A suite is an especially large room within a cruise ship's top tier of cabins. Passengers who book a suite often receive special perks, such as quicker boarding, a dedicated butler, or even a separate restaurant, lounge, pool or sun deck.

The perks often include lots of complimentary things for which you'd normally pay extra on a ship, such as Wi-Fi access and dinners in top shipboard restaurants. Add it all up, and — for some cruisers, at least — a pricier suite on a cruise ship can turn out to be the best value of any cabin on board.

There aren't any hard-and-fast guidelines for this type of tip since it's contingent on your experience, but $25 to $40 on behalf of a couple roughly works out to an extra $2 to $3 per person, per day, for a seven-night cruise.

Suites are typically built to sleep two people, although many contain a sofa that pulls out to accommodate a third passenger. Some suites are specifically designed for families and may accommodate four, five, six, or even more people. (For example, some Royal Caribbean top suites can sleep up to 14 people!)

In the middle, a one-bedroom Grand Suite is 476 square feet (371 inside, 105 outside). Whereas balcony cabins are typically one big room with a bed, sitting area, desk/vanity, and closet, some suites may have multiple rooms with the bedroom separate from the living room or even a second bedroom.

Reserved exclusively for guests of Grand Suite-level accommodations and above, the Suite Lounge serves complimentary continental breakfast and evening drinks. From croissants to your favorite drink, we've got your cravings covered.

The nicest and most expensive cabins on any ship are generally on the highest decks. That typically means just below the pool deck. However, the pool deck is often the loudest during the day (and often well into the night).

Directly Ask Your Cruise Line for a Cruise Cabin Upgrade

You really have nothing to lose by calling your cruise line and asking the question: “Is there a possibility of a cruise cabin upgrade?” If you're willing to pay for a cruise cabin upgrade, call your agent or cruise line about two weeks before departure.

Best Deck for Seasickness and Access to Amenities

The best location to book your cabin will be in the center of the cruise ship and on the lower deck. The lower you go down, the less rocking you will experience during your trip. If you suffer from any motion sickness, this area is ideal for you.

For bartenders and housekeepers, you may also want to offer a generous tip at the beginning of the cruise (again, $20 or more, depending on your needs) to ensure great service while on board. As for daily housekeeping gratuity, $2 to $5 per person per day is a good rule of thumb.

How much do you tip a room steward on a 7 day cruise? ›

Average extra tips vary, with most cruisers averaging $1-2 for drinks or room service, and $10-20 per day for cabin stewards. It's up to you if you decide to tip extra, but your automatic gratuity charge covers all the essentials.

In general, plan on giving $16–$23 in gratuities per day for each passenger. Note that the amount should be tabulated for each individual in your party—don't try to tip once per couple or group. So if you're planning to go on a 7-day cruise, expect to give a total of between $112 and $161 per person in gratuities.

For the most part, cruise ship employees don't hook up with passengers, for fear of losing their jobs. But it definitely happens. I'd say about 5% of officers, staff or crew that frequent the passenger areas end up being with a passenger or passengers at some point in their cruise ship careers.

Depending on the size of the room, fitting four people -- and all of their belongings -- in one cabin can be tight. Some cabins are designated as family staterooms and can sleep five or more. Additionally, some suites that aren't specially geared to families have beds for five or more people.

Typically, a five-berth cabin will feature a double sleep sofa and one pull-down bunk; six-berth cabins have two pull-down bunks plus the sofa-bed, so five-person families can put each kid in a separate bed.

The higher the deck, the better and, often, more panoramic the view. Cabins on top decks aren't always the best on the ship, but many suites and specialty cabin categories are typically located on upper decks. Like to be near all the action? Most mega-ships place their lido (pool) areas on higher decks.

If you're after views, the best room on a cruise ship will be a balcony cabin at the ship's rear end. Aft balcony accommodations at the ship's corners are also the largest and often give more outside area than conventional balcony cabins, allowing you to enjoy both the beautiful views and the extra space.

Room service is available any time of the day or night - simply order from the room service menu located in your stateroom/suite (service charge of $7.95* applies). An 18% gratuity is additional and will automatically be added to your check.

Each Interior stateroom includes: Either a Royal king size bed or two twin beds, private bathroom with shower, vanity area, a TV and telephone, fridge or minibar, hair-dryer and 24 hour room service.

All suites in the Royal Caribbean Suites program have access to certain benefits. Our Junior Suites, Grand Suites, Ocean View/ Panoramic (No Balcony) Suites, and Owner's Suites all receive priority boarding, and our Royal Suite and Villa Suite guests are escorted onboard by an officer.

Can you sleep on the deck on a cruise? ›

Can You Sleep on a Cruise Ship Balcony? There are no rules that say that passengers on cruise ships can't sleep on their balconies. That said, cruise lines do generally advise against it. Despite this many people enjoy sleeping on their balconies and you won't have any problem doing so if you want to.

Since you most likely will be doing a lot of walking and standing in line, comfortable shoes are key. Dress casually, and don't be surprised to see tropical wear on Caribbean cruises or even groups in matching T-shirts. Also make sure you check the weather beforehand.

If you'd rather see the sunrise while sailing south or east, staying on the port side is your ideal choice as well. Choose the starboard side for the opposite situation: sunsets are visible on southbound and eastbound sailings while sunrises are visible on northbound and westbound cruises.

So while you shouldn't expect a free upgrade on a flight, you can still ask for upgrades from booking till boarding — and you may be able to pay your way to a much more comfortable seat.

Balcony cabins on cruise ships are more spacious due to the outside space. They have spectacular ocean views, fresh sea air, and a private seating area. Although these cabins are more expensive, the rewards of a private balcony sometimes outweigh the cost. If it fits within your budget, balcony cabins are worth it!

An upgrade is essentially the same as booking a guarantee cabin — a type of room where your cabin category is guaranteed, but your specific room location is not. You agree to let the cruise line pick your cabin in exchange for giving you a discount on that room.

Most guests bring $50-$120 cash per day to spend during the cruise. You will have many opportunities to purchase duty free goods, take exciting shore excursions, buy local souvenirs, play your chance in the casino, or enjoy some pampering in the spa.

The most stable part of the ship is its lowest point of gravity, so on a lower deck, at the center. You'd feel a lot less motion here than, say, in a stateroom on the upper decks a long way forward or aft (towards the back of the ship).

Avoid arriving at peak boarding time

We recommend getting to the terminal either early, before the rush, or late (after 2 p.m.), when most people are already onboard. You might still have a little wait, but it won't be anything compared to peak boarding time.

Many cruise lines add an automatic tip to bar and spa bills; check your bill, as you do not need to add an additional tip. That said, many passengers like to tip the bartenders extra at their favorite onboard bar, especially at the start of the cruise, in order to receive above-average service.

Can you refuse to pay gratuities on a cruise? ›

Technically cruise lines cannot force you to pay gratuities, especially if you have a complaint or issue about the service you received on board. Gratuities on a cruise are not mandatory, but instead heavily suggested and added automatically.

Generally, guests tip $15 to $20 per day per passenger for the cabin steward and dining room staff on a cruise. Some cruise lines automatically charge this to your onboard account, while others leave it up to your discretion. Extra tipping for exceptional service is usually appreciated.

If you plan to remove tips from your onboard bill, you will need to plan in advance to bring enough cash for personal tipping, then wait in a potentially long line at the guest services desk to remove the auto-gratuities and chase down all the crew members you wish to thank on the last evening.

It's not necessary, but a small tip can be offered for in-room dining. Personally, when I have a great housekeeper, even on a ship that includes gratuities, I will leave a small cash bonus (maybe $20 per passenger) at the end of the cruise. The same goes for waiters.

7 Night Cruises - Usually on Day 2 and 6. 8 - 10 Night Cruises - 2 Formal Nights, Days vary by ship and sailing. 11 - 14 Night Cruises - 3 Formal Nights, Days vary by ship and sailing. 15+ Night Cruises - 3 or 4 Formal Nights, Days and number vary by ship and sailing.

Bartenders, main show entertainers and third-party shop employees are some of the more obvious ones, but they're not the only ones. Most cruise ship employees that do not receive gratuities receive a salary instead. For example, a cruise ship captain won't receive tips, but they will receive a healthy salary.

Tip non-guide drivers roughly $2 per person in your party. You'll likely want to tip more for customized, private tours – consider 5 to 20% of the cost of the tour.

On a cruise ship, the secret symbol of an upside-down pineapple is regularly used as a code for swinging or “wife-swapping”. In most cases, an illustrated and upside-down pineapple is fixed to the cabin door of a guest interested in swinging and partner swapping.

Cameras could be watching, depending on your location

For most people, you don't have to worry about a camera being able to see into your balcony. There are no cameras covering the majority of them, offering some privacy to passengers.

Despite what you saw on "The Love Boat," passenger-crew romances are not permitted, with passengers banned from entering crew areas of the ship. Of course, romance still ignites between passengers and crew members from time to time.

Do cruise ship employees share rooms? ›

Staffers typically live with a roommate in tiny cabins that have bunk beds and small closets. We usually eat at our own buffet and hang out after work at the crew bar.

Two-Bedroom Grand Suites on cruise ships

Two-bedroom Grand Suites with a Balcony are on all Oasis class ships including Symphony of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas. Click on the ship below to learn more about Junior Suites on particular cruise ship.

In one very important way, cruise prices have more in common with airfares than hotel prices, as prices are quoted per person and not per room (as is the case with most hotels). Also akin to airlines, the least expensive fares get you the least desirable space on the vessel.

How many people can sleep in a suite? In general, suites are designed to sleep two people, though most have a sofa that pulls out to accommodate a third passenger. Some suites that are specifically designated for families have room for four, five, six or even more.

Because most cruise ship staterooms are meant to hold at least two people, booking a room by yourself often means still paying higher prices that are equivalent to two people. According to Cruise Critic, some cruise ships have solo cabins that are meant for just one person, but it's not common.

The Family Interior Stateroom is the least expensive option for up to six passengers. Family Ocean View Staterooms: Available on Radiance-, Voyager-, Freedom- and Oasis-class ships, these cabins feature a picture window and accommodate up to six people, in the same bed configurations as the Family Interiors.

Will my cruise ship cabin have a private bathroom? Cruise ships offer ensuite bathrooms in even the smallest and least expensive cabins, just as you'd find in a hotel. Some suites or family cabins will even have a master bath and a second half-bath or shower-only full bathroom.

200 - 300 square feet

This is the lead-in size for most luxury lines, with a verandah, at about 50 square feet, additional. The accommodation will probably be referred to as a suite, although it actually means a room with a separate, but not separated, sleeping and living area.

Balcony staterooms will go for $2,777 per month, while mini-suites will set you back $3,818 per month. Six-month leases range from $1,468 per month to $4,276 per month. “We're going to focus on tourism and getting people on the ship and not focus so much on real estate,” Elwartowski recently told Cruise Industry News.

Royal Suite Class offers three tiers of accommodations, based on the suite category, Star, Sky, and Sea.

Why do cruise ships drain the pools at night? ›

Cruise lines drain their swimming pools at night to discourage guests from trying to enter the pool when it is closed. Draining the swimming pools each night also allows the cruise lines to replace the water with clean water and a drained swimming pool is safer if the weather is rough.

Tap water on cruise ships is safe to drink. Guests can drink tap water either from the tap in their cabin bathroom or at dinner when it is offered. The water has been through a purification system and though it may not taste the best on all cruise ships, it's safe to drink.

Most cruise lines allow 2 bottles of wine or sparkling wine per cabin and some do allow liquor or beer. You can enjoy that in the stateroom, or pour a glass and walk freely with it, but if you want to bring the bottle to the dining room they will charge you a corkage fee.

Royal Caribbean has a few "family suites" that are designed to handle 5-6 guests, and often have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. On Oasis or Quantum Class ships, you'll find loft suites, which are a two-story cabin that have vaulted ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows.

Royal Family Suite with Balcony

The suite sleeps up to eight with two twin beds that can become a Royal King in both the master and second bedroom, and an additional two Pullman beds in the second bedroom.

For passengers looking to enjoy views, especially the scenery in the wake of a ship, we recommend higher decks and the back of the vessel. The higher you pick, the farther you'll see. If you're after views, the best room on a cruise ship will be a balcony cabin at the ship's rear end.

How Much Does it Cost to See a Doctor on a Cruise? A medical consultation on a cruise usually costs around $100 (£85) if during medical centre opening hours. This price rises to around $165 (£137) for appointments outside of opening hours and can rise as high as $205 (£170) if a doctor needs to visit a guest's cabin.