Debuting on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is the new Sky Junior Suite, the fleet’s first Junior Suite to offer exclusive benefits usually found only in higher category staterooms.
Sky Junior Suite benefits include Suite Neighborhood access, all-day dining at two suites-only restaurants, free wifi, and concierge service. While these benefits will surely enhance your cruise vacation, are they worth the extra cost?
Let’s take an in-depth look at the new Sky Junior Suite to help you decide if it’s the right fit or if you’re better off sticking to a regular Junior Suite.
Sky Junior Suite details and benefits
The Sky Junior Suite will only be available on Icon of the Seas, which is set to launch in January 2024. There are eight Sky Junior Suites available on the ship.
The suite has occupancy for four guests and comes at 322 square feet with an 80 square foot balcony. Although the suite does not have a separate bedroom, it does have a separate dressing area in the room and a full bathroom with a tub.
While guests in regular Junior Suites still receive double Crown & Anchor Society points each night of the sailing and enjoy more living space, additional benefits are slim. Because of this, many cruisers prefer to classify Junior Suites as a large balcony room compared to a suite.
Related: Royal Caribbean’s Junior Suites: What you need to know
The Sky Junior Suite, however, takes Junior Suite benefits to the next level by offering Sky Class benefits.
What are Royal Caribbean’s Sky Class benefits?
Sky Class is the second tier in Royal Caribbean’s Royal Suite Class, a suite program available on Quantum, Oasis, and Icon Class cruise ships.
Sky Class benefits:
- Dedicated Check In Line
- Priority Boarding
- Coastal Kitchen Dinner
- Royal Caribbean Bathrobes for use onboard
- Luxury Bathroom Amenities
- In Room Lavazza Espresso Coffee Maker/Tea Service
- VOOM Internet
- Concierge Service
- Exclusive Signature Activities
- Suite Lounge/Concierge Club Access
- Priority Departure
Related: What are the Royal Caribbean suite perks?
Onboard experience
While the list of Sky Class benefits available in a Sky Junior Suite provides a peek into what you’ll experience on Icon of the Seas, let’s dig deeper into these benefits to see just how much they can impact your onboard experience.
Suite Neighborhood access
One of the best benefits of staying in a Sky Junior Suite is access to the Suite Neighborhood, a private enclave reserved exclusively for suite guests on Icon of the Seas. Sky Junior Suites are the only Junior Suite category to have access to the Suite Neighborhood.
Located in the Suite Neighborhood is a suite sun deck, private pool, Coastal Kitchen restaurant, and Mediterranean-style casual eatery. It’s an enclave away from the hustle and bustle found elsewhere onboard, and offers a more upscale experience than the ship’s other pool and dining areas.
Related: Icon of the Seas: itinerary, features, and more
Plus, the Sky Junior Suite is located within the Suite Neighborhood, providing easy access to the neighborhood’s amenities.
Coastal Kitchen
Coastal Kitchen, Royal Caribbean’s suites-only restaurant, is another benefit of staying in a suite. For guests in most Junior Suites, however, dining at Coastal Kitchen is only available for dinner (subject to availability).
Guests in Sky Junior Suites, on the other hand, can dine at Coastal Kitchen for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Suite Lounge cocktails and hors d’oeuvres
Complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres are available each evening in the Suite Lounge on Royal Caribbean ships. This is another benefit of staying in a Sky Junior Suite as opposed to a regular Junior Suite.
In a Sky Junior Suite, you can enjoy alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages each evening without spending hundreds of dollars extra on a drink package.
Concierge Service
Sky Junior Suite guests have access to the Suite Concierge, who acts as a personal Guest Services member for suite guests. The Suite Concierge can help guests with billing discrepancies, dining reservations, priority disembarkation, etc.
Related: 10 Surprising things you didn’t know the Royal Caribbean concierge can do for you
VOOM Internet
Another great benefit of staying in a Sky Class suite as opposed to a regular Junior Suite is the VOOM internet included in your cruise fare.
If you stay in a regular Junior Suite and plan to purchase an internet package for 2 guests in the room, this can easily cost $140 per person on a 7-night cruise. By staying in the Sky Junior Suite instead, you’ll save $280 on internet packages.
Price difference: Junior Suite versus Sky Junior Suite
With the added benefits and enhanced onboard experience of a Sky Junior Suite comes higher cruise fares. Just how much can you expect the price difference to be between a Junior Suite and Sky Junior Suite?
You can expect a Junior Suite to run anywhere from $5800 to $6800 total for two guests on a 7-night cruise. Sky Junior Suites range from around $9200 to over $11,000.
Related: Is a suite on Royal Caribbean worth it?
Therefore, compared to a regular Junior Suite, a Sky Junior Suite can cost anywhere from $3000-$4000 more total for 2 guests on a 7-night cruise.
Sky Junior Suite vs larger Sky Class suites
If you’re interested in receiving Sky Class benefits on Icon of the Seas, should you reserve the Sky Junior Suite or spend more for a larger, more opulent suite?
Let’s take a look at the price difference between the Sky Junior Suite and other large suites on Icon of the Seas. These prices are for two guests on a 7-night sailing in February 2025:
- Sky Junior Suite: $9,235
- Grand Suite: $13,003
- Sunset Suite: $14,963
- Owner’s Suite: $24,523
Booking a Sky Junior Suite can save you $5000 or more while still receiving the same benefits as other Sky Class suites. Because of this, the Sky Junior Suite can be an attractive option for any Icon of the Seas cruise.
Average or Epic? Our thoughts on the new Sky Junior Suite
The Sky Junior Suite may cost more than a traditional Junior Suite–and significantly more than a standard balcony stateroom–but you’ll receive Sky Class benefits at a fraction of the cost of other Sky Class cabins.
There’s no concrete answer when it comes to deciding if a Royal Caribbean suite is worth the cost. Depending on your budget and vacation style, a suite could be a necessity or an out-of-the-question upgrade.
Related:Â Guide to Icon of the Seas cabins and suites
All things considered, the Sky Junior Suite is much more lucrative than a regular Junior Suite. Regular Junior Suites are more similar to standard cabin categories than a suite; if you’re looking for a ship-within-a-ship concept on Royal Caribbean, a regular Junior Suite might be a disappointment.
Therefore, if you’re already spending, say, $6800 on a Junior Suite and see a Sky Junior Suite for $3000 more, it’s not too big of a price difference to receive the added Sky Class benefits.
Access to the Suite Neighborhood, all-day Coastal Kitchen access, and Suite Lounge benefits will certainly add to the enjoyment of your cruise vacation, making a Sky Class Junior Suite an enticing cabin option.
