First time in a Suite. Tips, please?

We've just grabbed the chance to upgrade to a Suite on A deck. Wahoo!!

Very much looking forward to having breakfast in the Epicurean, particularly outside when in the Caribbean.

Any tips, advise, quirks you'd like to share?

:D:D

We've just grabbed the chance to upgrade to a Suite on A deck. Wahoo!!

 

Very much looking forward to having breakfast in the Epicurean, particularly outside when in the Caribbean.

 

Any tips, advise, quirks you'd like to share?

 

:D:D

Hey, congratulations :) which ship?

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Sorry I got so excited for you I forgot your question! We have been lucky enough to have been upgraded to suites on P&O, Fred and Princess, then we sort of got the bug and booked them twice, not only that our good friends who sail with us caught it too! With P&O I've only had a suites on Arcadia. Some of the more simple things about a suite make me happy such as the iron, coffee machine, DVD player, CD player and trouser press. I also like being able to order in cabin dining from MDR menus at breakfast, lunch and dinner (although we only ordered dinner once as it was a fairly sorry looking thing that arrived). I love the extra wardrobe space, the bath etc. I think that's it really, I'd be happy without a Butler as all he really does for us is bring in-cabin dining, although I do like getting the next day's menus in advance. Whilst it feels a bit like queue jumping getting priority tender service is quite a good perk. You get early check-in and there are champagne and chocolates waiting for you onboard. One thing that surprised me was that there are lots of glasses, cutlery and some crockery in the suite which comes in handy if you take a bottle or two onboard. I can't think of anything else but I will add anything that comes to mind. Have a fabulous time X

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There is an emarkation reception which P&O do a terrible job of telling you about.

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/before-you-sail/priority_lounge

We had to ask after we boarded. Seems odd to offer a reception and not invite your guests.

We've just grabbed the chance to upgrade to a Suite on A deck. Wahoo!!

 

Very much looking forward to having breakfast in the Epicurean, particularly outside when in the Caribbean.

 

Any tips, advise, quirks you'd like to share?

 

:D:D

Try to arrive at about 11.45 and when you get in the building tell the staff member you are in a suite. You will be directed to a separate lounge. You may even go and check in at once and then go to the lounge. There will be free tea coffee and snacks as well as free papers.

You will then be taken on board as soon as the ship is ready.

There is also on board a reception area where food and free drinks are available.

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Thank you for the replies everyone.

As we live in Southampton we shall definitely arrive before noon.

@ Florry. I was so excited I forgot to say which ship! It's our favourite, Azura. Not that we've been on many of the P&O fleet, but she's a good fit for us.

I'm umming and aahhhing about the butler. I understand they are optional. (What does he do if we decide not to have one. Twiddle his thumbs for 2 weeks?! lol)

We are going to the Caribbean, 15 nights, flying back to Bournemouth. There will be a lot of sea days, which we enjoy. DH needs the time to unwind from his job and we like lolling around in our cabin and on the balcony.

I tend to stress about being in the way of the cabin steward as it is, what am I going to do with a Butler?!

Sorry about blathering on. I'm just so excited. :D

Thank you for the replies everyone.

 

 

 

As we live in Southampton we shall definitely arrive before noon.

 

 

 

@ Florry. I was so excited I forgot to say which ship! It's our favourite, Azura. Not that we've been on many of the P&O fleet, but she's a good fit for us.

 

 

 

I'm umming and aahhhing about the butler. I understand they are optional. (What does he do if we decide not to have one. Twiddle his thumbs for 2 weeks?! lol)

 

 

 

We are going to the Caribbean, 15 nights, flying back to Bournemouth. There will be a lot of sea days, which we enjoy. DH needs the time to unwind from his job and we like lolling around in our cabin and on the balcony.

 

 

 

I tend to stress about being in the way of the cabin steward as it is, what am I going to do with a Butler?!

 

 

 

Sorry about blathering on. I'm just so excited. :D

I would definitely have a butler but choose which services you want, for example some people have them unpack and pack but I prefer to do my own. If you search in 'Butler' at the top you will find lots of threads with great explanations :).

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2366256

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2385525

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I would definitely have a butler but choose which services you want, for example some people have them unpack and pack but I prefer to do my own. If you search in 'Butler' at the top you will find lots of threads with great explanations :).

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2366256

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2385525

 

 

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Thank you for the info. I shall take notes:D

Just to tell you that if you opt not to have a Butler you then lose the services he offers - you would not be able to order any meal choosing from the main restaurant menu - no cooked breakfast for example. The Butlers really are not intrusive, they really want to help you have an enjoyable holiday.They are incredibly knowledgeable. The Butler organises anything to do with food and drink together with the other services he offers - booking excursions, tables for Select Dining for example. He brings the canapes each afternoon around 5pm and then asks what you want to do for breakfast the next morning - do you want it brought to your suite for example. You will love breakfast in the Epicurian, I recommend the muffin, smoked salmon with caviar hollandaise - scrumptious, and the orange juice is freshly squeezed - wonderful.

If you decide you'd like something from the restaurant menu at lunch time and have it on your balcony your Butler will organise that - Room service can't do that. I really would go with the whole experience - it's fantastic - enjoy it!

All tips for the first time in a suite most welcome!

There is an emarkation reception which P&O do a terrible job of telling you about.

 

https://ask.pocruises.com/help/PO/before-you-sail/priority_lounge

 

We had to ask after we boarded. Seems odd to offer a reception and not invite your guests.

I would second this. We booked a suite when we got married in 2013 and missed out on half the perks as we didn't know about them.

When we were walking into the embarkation room there was a woman in the distance asking if anyone was in a suite. However when we got close to her she just ushered us into a queue before I could say anything. Turns out she was directing suite passengers to priority boarding but as a young couple we obviously didn't fit the bill for suite guests so we ended up queuing for half an hour when we could have gone straight through.

We also had no idea about the embarkation lounge until we were booking our next cruise a year later and read about it on a thread. Also wasn't aware the butler could unpack, although he didn't offer to be fair. Not that any of it mattered too much, however, as we had a fab time.

We got our dinner delivered a couple of times which we had on the balcony (which was amazing), but I was a bit surprised that the butler delivered all the courses at the same time and left them with us to serve ourselves. I had previously imagined that it would be served course by course as if in the restaurant, but clearly my expectations were clearly a bit too high. Haha.

Breakfast in Epicurean is a huge plus, and also, make sure you get priority for tender and disembarkation as these are big perks and save long queues. The main benefit however is just the bigger room, increased wardrobe space and fab bathroom. Also being at the wake is second to none.

Which suite are you in? I think the A deck ones are the best (we got upgraded to A752 from A750 which was just amazing!)

One word of warning however.. It will be difficult to settle for anything less in the future. We had a balcony last time and spent the whole cruise feeling envious of the suite passengers onboard :-)

We had to fight our Butler not to serve course by course! I think they might take advantage of upgraded and new suite passengers as our first Butler was very laid back and not overly enthusiastic about helping when we had problem - neither did we get given the MDR breakfast menu. So maybe a tip is not to tell them you are new to suites or that you have been upgraded [emoji6]

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We had to fight our Butler not to serve course by course! I think they might take advantage of upgraded and new suite passengers as our first Butler was very laid back and not overly enthusiastic about helping when we had problem - neither did we get given the MDR breakfast menu. So maybe a tip is not to tell them you are new to suites or that you have been upgraded [emoji6]

 

 

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Yes we tell the butler what we want and make it clear that we are not new to this.

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Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

We have absorbed all the information and we have decided to go for the full experience and enjoy having a Butler.

Sooooo looking forward to this. We will be celebrating our birthdays while onboard and this will make it extra special.

For those that asked, we are in A751.

Just got the printed conformation today. A relief as we were convinced it must be all a mistake.:D

I guess it's bit like once you've been in a balcony never an inside again!! We had a large balcony on Ventura a couple of years ago and really felt the difference on Britannia last year and it's one of the things that puts us of going on her again.

Thank you all for taking the time to reply.

 

 

 

We have absorbed all the information and we have decided to go for the full experience and enjoy having a Butler.

 

 

 

Sooooo looking forward to this. We will be celebrating our birthdays while onboard and this will make it extra special.

 

 

 

For those that asked, we are in A751.

 

 

 

Just got the printed conformation today. A relief as we were convinced it must be all a mistake.:D

Brace yourself.... Your suite is on you tube :)

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Brace yourself.... Your suite is on you tube :)

looks like the Princess suite we had, it is lovely!

 

 

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Well that looks perfect!!:D

THe last time we were on Azura in a suite (2 years ago) the restaurant we had breakfast was called Seventeen and not Epicurian. It may have changed since?

It was a lovely experience sitting outside at the back of the ship for breakfast in the morning sun in the Caribbean.

THe last time we were on Azura in a suite (2 years ago) the restaurant we had breakfast was called Seventeen and not Epicurian. It may have changed since?

 

 

 

It was a lovely experience sitting outside at the back of the ship for breakfast in the morning sun in the Caribbean.

Same place.

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Brace yourself.... Your suite is on you tube :)

looks like the Princess suite we had, it is lovely!

 

 

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Oh did I love this cabin.

I guess it's bit like once you've been in a balcony never an inside again!!

The first cruise I did I had a balcony, but the majority since have been inside cabins.

I realised that you really don't need a window or balcony for most things you use your cabin for.

It depends how you like to spend your time. I know lots of people prefer sitting on a lounger near the pool where there is lots going on rather than sitting on their balcony. For us we like the fact that we have our own space to read, pop inside to make a coffee or get a drink when we feel like it. We spend a lot of time on the balcony so for us it is important. Everyone is different. We realise we are lucky to be able to have a balcony each time we cruise - I would rather cruise less often but have a balcony - as I say, each to his own!

Thank you for all this information everyone.

We have booked a suite for the first time to celebrate our wedding anniversary-well that's our excuse anyway!!

I have found all the information really useful.We too were wondering whether to have the butler or not.Now we will definitely use him.

We have found all the information on extra's available for suite passengers invaluable.

😀