Royal Caribbean's Utopia of the Seas has many types of cabins and suites, and I booked the inaugural sailing in a Crown Loft Suite with my family.
Suites are never cheap, but they do come with perks that help make the cost more palatable. They're a luxury, and not about necessarily the best value you can find.
For the first sailing of Royal Caribbean's brand new cruise ship, I wanted a cabin for my family that had enough room for everyone, and most importantly, a second full bathroom. Plus, I wanted to be able to experience the suite amenities on the ship because we often get a lot of questions about what the suite areas are like on a new ship.
The Crown Loft Suite is a two-level suite that offers the mid-tier suite benefits, which includes access to the a private lounge, reserved seating at shows, and concierge services.
The price is steep compared to regular cabins
A suite on a Royal Caribbean ship will almost certainly cost significantly more than a balcony room, especially on a brand new ship like Utopia of the Seas.
I booked the cabin on the day Royal Caribbean opened bookings up for Utopia, and it cost $10,784.52 for the four of us on the inaugural 3-night cruise.
To put that in comparison, two people in an oceanview balcony guarantee cabin on the same sailing cost $2223.
At 670 square feet, the Crown Loft Suite is almost four times bigger than a balcony
One big thing you'll notice quickly about a suite is just how much space you get.
That oceanview balcony cabin I compared earlier is nearly 4 times smaller than the Crown Loft Suite, and has one less bathroom.
Cruise ship cabins are notoriously small to begin with, so a suite is one way you could spread out and not feel as cramped.
It also has a big balcony
In addition to the 670 square feet of living space, you get an additional 105 square foot balcony.
The balcony comes with two plus chairs and ottomans, which are great for lounging. There's a small table too, so you can order room service to be delivered right to your balcony.
The extra large balcony space means everyone can fit on it for sailaway, or even have friends come to visit.
No complaints of cramped cabins here
One thing someone new to cruising might notice is how much smaller cruise ship cabins are compared to hotel rooms. With a suite, that's not much of an issue.
The lower level has a living room with couch, large screen television, chairs, and even a dining room table that can seat four.
The couch can be opened up to become a bed, meaning two more people can sleep there.
The suite also has a wet bar
We had a bottle of champagne waiting for us upon entry into the suite as a welcome gift on the wet bar, and it's where you can store all your drinks.
While the suite does not include drinks as part of the cost, if you bring any drinks back to the room, you can store them there. This is true of the complimentary Crown and Anchor beverages we receive as part of Royal Caribbean's loyalty program benefits.
There's also a complimentary coffee machine you can use.
The TV could pull down toward the king-sized bed
On the upper level is the master bedroom, which overlooks the lower level.
There's a privacy curtain that you can extend to not only section off the master bedroom, but also make it darker.
The television descends from the ceiling and can retract with the push of a button.
The master bathroom is large and has a shower and a tub
Suites have large bathrooms, including a shower and a tub. This is a favorite feature for many why they upgrade to a suite.
There's only one mirror and sink (some of the bigger suites have two in their master bathroom), but there's enough counter space for two people's toiletries.
The second bathroom makes sharing the cabin much better
I booked this particular suite over other suites because it has a full second bathroom.
Located on the lower level near the entrance, it's great for whomever is sleeping on the lower level. Or if you're planning to entertain in your suite, another place for guests to use instead of your bathroom.
A closet with more storage space than you need
There's more closet and storage space than you'll find on most cruise ships, and certainly more than enough space for a short weekend cruise.
The master bedroom closet has two sliding doors to provide lots of hangers, in addition to shelves recessed inside the closet.
The closet is also where you'll find the safe.
Next to the closet is a vanity with large mirror.
There were so many USB outlets
Cruise ships have finally gotten the memo that passengers want to be able to easily plug-in their devices without having to buy special adaptors.
Read more: 40 essential things to bring on a cruise
Equally impressive is you can control the room television, curtains, and air conditioning from the Royal Caribbean app. There are physical controls too, but I loved being able to open the blinds from my bed with my phone.
Many perks are included with the suite stay
While the suite is impressive, it comes with even better amenities that I think are what justify the cost for a lot of cruisers.
Here's a list of the top Sky Class benefits:
- Concierge Service
- All Day Access to Coastal Kitchen
- Specialty Bottled Water (upon arrival)
- Complimentary internet access for every person in the suite
- Flexible Arrival Boarding & Priority Departure
- Priority Dining Reservations
- Venues Early Access to Seating in Select Entertainment Venues
- Suite Lounge Access (complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails each evening)
- Access to Suite Sun Deck
- Royal Caribbean Plush Bathrobes for Use Onboard
- Luxury Pillow Top Mattress
- Luxury Bathroom Amenities
- Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine
The suite lounge and suite sun deck are the best amenities, given how much value they provide.
I think the suite sun deck on Utopia of the Seas (and Wonder of the Seas) is Royal Caribbean's best suite sun deck on any ship. There's a bar, seating in the sun and shade, and a terrific pool to cool down in. It's rarely busy, and a favorite spot to do work from.
Moreover, the suite concierge can do a lot, especially pre-cruise. They can book show and dining reservations before you get onboard, and they are very helpful with billing issues.
Sky Class suites come with a complimentary one-device internet package for everyone in the suite, which saves a couple hundred dollars for a family.
Is a Crown Loft Suite worth the price tag?
It's undoubtedly a steep cost to stay in one of these suites, but having a full second bathroom and the array of Sky Class benefits was a lovely way to cruise with my family.
I booked this suite partly because I wanted to have a stateroom with enough space for my family, and partly because I wanted to experience the suite options on Royal Caribbean's newest ship.
The combination of sailing on a brand new ship and on its inaugural voyage meant I was never going to get a low price on the fare, so bargain hunters will likely never see the value in this booking.
Ultimately, I think it's a good choice for a family or friends looking to stay in a cabin with upgraded amenities and a second bathroom. Plus, the location on deck 18 was very convenient to the ship's Suite Neighborhood.
