Royal Caribbean is planning to build more ultimate family suites on its next Oasis-class vessel following soaring sales of Symphony of the Seas’ 980 square foot cabin.
Ben Bouldin, Royal’s associate vice-president and managing director for UK and Ireland, confirmed the success of selling the two-floor family cabins had changed the line’s outlook.
Symphony’s ultimate family suite, which costs £30,000 per week to book, is twice the size of the ship’s two-floor crown loft suites and features an eight-person hot tub, slides, a Lego wall, a gaming table and a private 3D cinema.
Royal Caribbean confirmed on Tuesday at STX France shipyard in Saint-Nazaire where Symphony of the Seas is being built, that the luxury family suite had sold out for this year.
Bouldin said: “The ultimate family suite is totally unique. Michael Bayley [Royal Caribbean’s president and chief executive] said, in his view, it is the best family room or suite on any type of hotel or resort.
“There is at least one other Oasis-class ship that we have announced I am sure there will be more ultimate family suite space on that.”
Due to the ultimate family suite’s popularity, Bouldin called on Royal Caribbean to ensure that parts of the “iconic” space were “explored” when designing other family-friendly accommodation priced at a lower rate.
He added: “There is a section of the population that can afford them and holiday at that level. It really is high end space. I can see us having them on all our Oasis-class ships as we go through and modernise them.
“We have created this iconic space. I think we will learn over time what parts of that space people really love and how we continue to refine suite class.
“For Royal Caribbean, suite class has always been about providing genuinely high quality, high end space to couples but they have not been tailored to families.
“This is the first time we have gone out there and said what do families really want. That is why we have created this magical space.”
Bouldin said he would like to see ultimate family suites rolled out on existing Royal Caribbean ships.