I love a good cruise deal, but sometimes splurging and staying in a suite is the way to go while on a cruise.
Royal Caribbean has many kinds of suites, but the ones that always capture people's attention are their signature Star Class suites on its biggest ships.
In 2024, I had the chance to review three giant cruise ship suites: Royal Loft Suite, Aquatheater Suite, and the Ultimate Family Suite.
I paid an average of around $4,000 - $5,000 per night for these suites, making them far from a cheap deal.
Each suite was indeed massive, but I think everyone expects that. What truly stood out about these rooms were some of the surprises I didn't expect with these sort of suites. They may not be the top reasons to book them, but I think they make a difference.
Being escorted through check-in made me feel like a VIP
All suite guests have their own line for check-in at a cruise terminal, but when you book a Star Class room, you get escorted inside.
There's a special meet area for Star Class guests, where you drop off your luggage. You don't need to print out the regular luggage tags, because Star Class guests get their own luggage tags added on the spot. In fact, your luggage is taken onboard the ship by a specific porter just for Star Class guests, so that means no waiting around for your bags to arrive.
The agent then escorts your group into the cruise terminal and through security and check-in. They find the shortest lines and get you moving as quickly as possible.
Royal Caribbean's check-in process is already very fast, but as you whizz past everyone, it's a surreal feeling getting the most exclusive service even before the cruise begins
I loved being able to my suite as soon as I boarded the ship
No matter which cruise I go on, I always want to board the ship as quickly as possible.
A loyal Royal Caribbean Blog reader, (and long-time suffering Vols fan) Michael Poole, once reminded me you can either wait at the hotel room or the cruise terminal, so may as well get there early. With Star Class, this even more important.
Your Royal Genie will take you right to your suite as soon as you board the ship.
This means you can not only drop off your things in the room, but get to start enjoying the suite you paid a lot of money for in the first place.
Having early access to your suite before other cabins are ready is a treat, and it's great for entertaining friends. I invited friends up to the suite immediately to hang out and get the cruise fun started.
Even if you're not looking to invite anyone, being in the room early means you could nap, enjoy the amenities within the cabin, or just have a quieter start to your cruise.
The special SeaPass card got attention of crew members
When you go around the ship and flash your Star Class card, crew members take notice.
Like all things with being in Star Class, it's easier, and when you show your SeaPass card at the theater, order a drink at a bar, or borrow towels at the pool deck, you're almost always just waived through.
It's not only easier, but it speeds things up.
I didn't expect the exclusive suite entrance to be quieter
In the case of the Royal Loft Suite on Wonder of the Seas and Ultimate Family Suite on Utopia of the Seas, there is a dedicated entrance.
At first, I thought having these special glass doors to get to my suite was more of a vanity thing. I joked it was a way to keep my friends' kids out.
As it turned out, the real benefit of not having a suite on a shared hallway is you hear no noise at all from outside your suite.
I don't think hallway noise is a big deal to begin with (especially on the suite deck), but after a day or so I really started to notice I heard nothing from outside our room. In other cabins, you'll occasionally hear someone talking loudly, running, or some sort of commotion.
The exclusivity of being in one of these giant suites really stands out.
I didn't think I'd use the hot tub more than the kids did
Two of the suites I stayed in had their own hot tub, but I probably spent more time in there than my kids.
Like many children, my kids like to do something to say they've done and then move onto the next thing. This was the case with the hot tub too.
The best times to enjoy the hot tub are when the ship is sailing in or out of a port, at night, or if there's a sunset in view.
I don't usually hit the pools and hot tubs on the cruise ship's main deck because of how crowded they can be, so it was nice having my own and it's definitely an added bonus.
One of the biggest surprises was how much time the kids preferred to be in the suite
Royal Caribbean is known for offering so much to do on its ships, but my kids tended to hang out in the suite more than when we are in other kinds of cabins.
I certainly don't blame them for wanting to enjoy what the suite offered, but many times they just wanted to have dinner delivered to the suite and watch TV, call their friends, or enjoy the entertainment in the suite.
The kids were glued to the game table in the Ultimate Family Suite, which has all sorts of multi-player games to try.
Plus, they liked being able to stay in the PJs and not bother getting dressed up for dinner and have their meal brought to the suite. One of the best benefits of being in Star Class is you can have room service deliver food from the Main Dining Room or Specialty Restaurants to your suite.
As a parent, I liked knowing they weren't roaming the ship, and I didn't mind being able to go to dinner with just my wife. Date nights are a rare commodity when you have kids, so it was a nice benefit I didn't count on.
