When perusing all of the different stateroom categories available on a Royal Caribbean ship, it can be difficult to tell them apart or whether some distinguishing feature matters. If you think that you want extra room for your party but aren’t sure you’re ready to spring for a full suite, the junior suite is worth a look.
You won’t get all of the benefits of a full suite, but there are some junior suite Royal Caribbean perks that can really upgrade your cruise experience. We walk through them below so you can assess whether it’s a perk that you would personally find beneficial.
Junior Suite Royal Caribbean Perks: An Overview
The specific perks and advantages of a Royal Caribbean junior suite can vary significantly based on the age of that Royal Caribbean ship — but not always in ways that you would necessarily expect.
Royal Caribbean has designated three different “classes” of suites with certain class-wide benefits. These “Royal Suite Classes” are:
- Sea Class
- Sky Class
- Star Class
These suite classes are different from the classes that Royal Caribbean designates ships (e.g., Oasis Class, Quantum Class, Vision Class, etc.).
The suite classification system only applies to ships within the Oasis class going forward. So, that means ships falling within the Oasis, Quantum, Quantum-Ultra, and Icon classes. All junior suites on those ships are considered “Sea Class” ships.
Assessing a Potential Trade-Off in Benefits
Even though junior suites on older ships won’t receive “Sea Class” benefits, they may still have some inherently attractive benefits. For instance, there are junior suites on older ships that are significantly larger than junior suites on some of the newer ships.
The standard junior suite on Independence of the Seas (a Freedom Class ship) measures 299 square feet with a 65-square-foot balcony. The official stats for a junior suite on Odyssey of the Seas place it at 267 square feet with an 81-square-foot balcony.
In terms of a cruise ship cabin, a difference of 30 square feet could feel significant. So, for someone who places a premium on physical space, the older ship may be more appealing.
Royal Caribbean Junior Suite Perks That Apply Fleet-Wide
1. You’ll Get Extra Points
All suites earn double points in Royal Caribbean’s loyalty program — the Crown & Anchor Society. So, every night in a junior suite earns 2 points. A 7-night cruise will earn 14 points.
Double points mean you can climb up the different tiers in the loyalty program more quickly. With increasing tiers comes increasing benefits such as discounted future cruises, free internet packages, discounts on drinks, laundry services, and more.
Higher tier levels, such as the Diamond level, receive special VIP perks such as access to an onboard VIP lounge and Concierge.
2. Larger Occupancy Rooms
Suppose you’re traveling with a group of family or friends. In that case, you’ll be happy to find out that most Royal Caribbean ships have Junior Suites with more sleeping occupancy than the standard rooms, with most housing 4 or 5 people.
So, the Junior Suite is a great choice for vacationers with children, particularly small children, and babies. It’s also a good option for those on their honeymoon or couples who want a nice, comfortable getaway.
Junior Suites typically come with a double-sized sofa bed and a large, King-sized bed that can accommodate a family of four. The King Bed is also made up of two twin beds, so these can be pushed apart if you need more beds or if you have a partner who prefers to sleep apart.
You’ll also be able to benefit from the Pullman bunk beds that are present on some ships, which are typically newer. These are great for families with more children.
For example, Pullman beds on Royal Caribbean ships are often ones that can be put away into the ceiling when not in use by anyone.
3. A Ton Of Extra Space
You’ll find that space is a huge priority for your comfort and happiness when it comes to staying on a ship.
Although there are many ways to maximize the usable space of any cruise cabin, it’s so much easier to do if you’re already starting off with a larger space.
For most Junior Suites on a Royal Caribbean cruise, the average suite ranges in size from 250 to 300 square feet, depending on the type of ship.
The Junior Suite also usually has a private balcony that is larger than the typical oceanview balcony cabin. With a larger balcony, more people can lounge more comfortably and enjoy the sea air and, most importantly, the view!
Extra Storage Space
Oh, and of course, the Junior Suite also features extra closets and cabinet space to stow away all of your clothes and vacation finds. In most Junior Suites, there is an abundance of built-in storage space. In some instances, depending on the ship, you may also benefit from a walk-in closet with ample shelves, a laundry hamper, tons of hangers, a safe for valuables, and plenty of drawers in the vanity mirror area for smaller items.
Also, some Junior suites have connecting rooms, which makes it easier to accommodate extended families.
4. Nicer Bathroom Facilities
The Junior Suite is also equipped with a full-sized upgraded bathroom. The bathroom will be roomier to some extent and include a full-sized bathtub (with shower).
On some ships like the Odyssey of the Seas, some junior suites include an extra half-bathroom (aka powder room), which is fantastic if you have more than two people or if you like to entertain guests. The additional bathroom has a toilet and vanity but no shower or tub.
So, the Junior Suite’s full bathroom is a great amenity for those with small children and mobility issues. It’s also a nice perk for those who want to enjoy a nice relaxing bath on board.
5. Benefit From Boarding Priority
You may know that sometimes there can be significant queues on embarkation day.
However, with the Junior Suite, you’ll be able to bypass some of that with priority boarding.
This entails being able to skip long lines in favor of shorter ones that are usually organized according to the type of suite that one is staying in. In addition, waiting times at check-in lines are drastically reduced when you have priority boarding.
Junior Suite Royal Caribbean Perks on Ships With “Royal Suite Class”
You’ll find the Royal Suite Class perks on the newer Royal Caribbean ships. This includes all Oasis-class ships, all ships in the Quantum and Quantum-Ultra classes, and the new Icon class.
6. Luxury In-Room Comfort Amenities
Personal In-Suite Coffee Machine
As part of their Sea Class benefits, Junior Suites have their own in-room Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machines stocked with a variety of coffee, tea, and sugar sachets.
It’s a nice feature that makes waking up so much easier since you don’t have to stumble to a café or a restaurant in the mornings.
Luxury Bath Amenities
All Sea Class Suites (which includes Junior Suites) receive special in-room amenities to make guests’ stay more comfortable. These include plush bathrobes for use while onboard, nicer bedding, including luxury pillow top mattresses, and luxury bathroom amenities (L’Occitane brand).
Typically, the complimentary L’Occitane brand toiletries include soap, conditioner, shampoo, body lotion, and shower gel. If you finish these during the length of your stay, you can also request them to be refilled.
7. Access To Exclusive Specialty Dining Restaurant (The Coastal Kitchen)
The Coastal Kitchen is a specialty restaurant on Royal Caribbean ships that is reserved exclusively for suite passengers and members of the Crown & Anchor Society who have reached the level – Pinnacle (requires 700 points).
One of the Junior Suite Royal Caribbean perks includes dinner access to the Coastal Kitchen. Reservations are required.
All Royal Suite Class passengers staying on Spectrum and Oasis-class ships and those staying in Junior Suites qualify.
So, by staying in a Junior Suite, you will be able to have access to the Coastal Kitchen, where you can make a reservation for a formal dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
You’ll feast on delicious marine-themed cuisine in a sophisticated environment with windows providing total ocean views. Plus, the fine food comes with excellent service.
Closing Thoughts
A Junior Suite on a Royal Caribbean cruise comes with many benefits, in addition to extra space. You can evaluate whether the entire package is worth it for your particular cruise.
