I wrote this story year ago years ago to correct some popular misconceptions about big ship cruising and highlight how you can live the suite life thanks to, say, Royal Caribbean at a very reasonable cost.

It was published after reviewing lengthy cruises aboard RCL’s Voyager and Radiance of the Seas. Right now, we are sailing on Ovation of the Seas along with 4,000 other passengers – twice as big as Radiance….but my points are still valid.

Firstly, the comment that “walking around the decks must be like attending the New Year store sales – an absolute bun fight – and the restaurants must be packed as well.”

A suite on Voyager

Not true. Some passengers get their daily exercise walking around the deck – others love the pools. In an Inside cabin, passengers often spend the day on a deckchair soaking up the sun and a good book – others relax in the kids-free Solarium or head indoors to activities ranging from lectures to bingo sessions.

The result is it is never that crowded on the top deck. I am talking about days at sea, by the way – when in port, the ship is virtually deserted. As far as food goes, people can eat in the main restaurants downstairs, speciality restaurants, perhaps have a hot dog or order room service. The smorgasbord restaurant – Windjammer on Royal Caribbean ships, is always busy – but never so packed you can’t find somewhere to sit down.

If you are looking for a big step up in service and comfort without breaking the bank, you must understand that these vast ships offer two apparent service levels. Book a suite, and suddenly a new world opens up. I must add here that the pampering I am about to discuss does not apply to a junior suite booking on Royal Caribbean. The suite life usually begins as soon as you arrive to board the ship. When you travel on business on a plane, you have your own embarkation check-in area.

Your suite will be a lot bigger than standard balcony cabins and on an upper deck near the pool and gym – we have enjoyed a couple of monster grand suites over the years. The goodies roll on. You have a private concierge club where you can enjoy everything from continental breakfast to drinks and nibbles every evening. Full breakfast for suites is served in a private restaurant.

Ovation of the Seas.

Your concierge handles any problem easily – on this cruise Danio Alves has solved any small problem for us on the spot. Suite guests get assistance with bookings, priority disembarkation, reserved seating at shows – the list goes on. Royal Caribbean ships boast speciality restaurants like the Chops Grille, which come at a price but are not excessive. Package deals are available for restaurants and wine. You can book online or when you arrive onboard.

I am going into such detail to highlight that crowding is extremely unlikely. A suite guest might not ever use the smorgasbord or the downstairs restaurants. The combination of exclusive breakfast arrangements plus daily menus for ensuite dining and speciality restaurants keeps this group occupied. Another dimension to the cruise experience, even if you are not a suite guest, is offered to cruisers who remain loyal to one brand.

On RCL, it is called the Crown & Anchor club. Build up your points and hit diamond class, and the goodies roll out again – everything from complimentary drinks daily to shopping discounts and your own Diamond Club. The obvious next question is how does the cost compare with booking a more luxurious brand like Seabourn, offering ships accommodating around 800 passengers? The thing is, you will be pushing to find a family suite and kids get bored very quickly on ships designed for an older, more upmarket audience. Viking, for instance, has a no-children policy.

A few other last comments. Don’t automatically book ship excursions – they can be costly. Check out local tour operators via Google. Email can also break the bank – and is frustratingly SLOW!  Better to hook up to a coffee shop on shore. RCL claims its system is the fastest at sea – all I can say is a pity to help other cruisers.

As we are currently cruising on Ovation of the Seas, I have included the latest list of exclusive amenities and services for suite guests. They include:

• A dedicated concierge club on deck 12 offers continental breakfast and cocktail hour every evening from 5 pm to 8 pm.
• Access to a specialty restaurant called Coastal Kitchen, which I believe serves the best food onboard. The service is excellent as well.
• Complimentary internet.
• An exclusive sun deck.
• Priority seats in the Royal Theatre.

We also have Diamond Plus status, which has its advantages, including five free drinks daily, buy one speciality restaurant get one free, a couple of days of free internet and other goodies, including a free wash and fold laundry bag. There is a diamond club lounge on deck 4 where you can enjoy everything from breakfast to drinks and snacks every evening.

Written by Ian McIntosh

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