jnik

29 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Jnik, if your friends' budget can afford it, based on your being able to afford the Pinnacle cabin, I highly recommend booking a suite. The food in their private Luminae restaurant is so good you won't even think to book any specialty restaurants unless you just want to.

 

We were recently in a corner aft-facing sky suite on the Reflection and had a wonderful time. We also for the first time had a butler, Walter, who was simply great. We never really understood what one needed a butler for, but after our 21 day cruise, we definitely learned to appreciate their value. Also, with a suite you automatically get all of the Go Best perks, which is a real plus! And then there is Michael's executive lounge to spend some relaxfull time at before dinner if you choose. But, even if a suite is not in the budget, you will still have a great time!

Ken, We have booked the PH on our next cruise which won't be until July of 2020.  We don't get to vacation often due to business obligations, but when we do, we make it count. 

Our dear friends travel more often, having chosen more traditional careers, but do it on a smaller scale.  I have another thread going on the advisability of sharing the PH with another couple.  Our friends are currently booked in an aqua class cabin, and I think we can make that work for all of us.  We are excited to give cruising another try, this one with a few more sea days.  

I promise to do an in depth report back on the difference at traveling in the PH on both lines next year.  

Just now, Ken the cruiser said:

What is it that you like to do on a cruise, especially on sea days? What did you enjoy most about your first (real) HAL cruise?

I am going to clarify the (real) part of my answer, my DH and I won a cruise in a raffle over 25 years ago, we did not have any choice in the itinerary (Greek Islands and Turkey), ship (Epirotiki World Renaissance)  or cabin (OV) ; nor was there an internet available for us to do research on any of our ports.  So, although we enjoyed that cruise, the experience is not really comparable to the cruises we are planning and taking now.

Our HAL cruise was chosen for the itinerary (12 days Barcelona to Venice) and had only one sea day.  My DH and I were staying in the Pinnacle Suite, so we spent a fare amount of time lounging about in the cabin, and on the balcony.   When out and about, we went to a couple of the late shows (both were okay, we were not "wow"ed, but neither were we bored).  While we were out exploring the ship, I do not remember seeing anyone involved in any specific activities or events.  I did have a very nice and very expensive pedicure at the spa.  

Looking back, what I specifically remember liking about HAL, was their service.  Everything seemed to be well run.  Also, we had friends also on the ship and so we were not as dependent on the ship to provide entertainment. We will be traveling with the same friends on our Celebrity cruise (they are much more seasoned cruisers, we are just getting our feet wet).  

I finally did a review about a week ago, although my cruise was last July. It will give you a better idea of my overall feelings.  

3 hours ago, Presto2 said:

The HAL research has now begun ….. it will keep me quiet for hours and hours and hours ..

I am also very interested in hearing from members who have traveled on both. I am taking my next cruise on Celebrity, after my first (real) cruise on HAL.  We decided to give Celebrity a try based on recommendation of our travel mates.  I am in the process of doing my hours and hours of research on Celebrity, so that I know what to expect.  Here is to hoping this thread gets a lot of helpful responses.

1 hour ago, TeaBag said:

Jnik, you sound like the kind of friends everyone would love to have!  Is this the Baltic cruise?  It is amazing.

Since it is really important to you to be with your friends as much as you can, I am wondering what you would think of downgrading yourselves to AQ?  That way you could be together all the time if you wished.  With the money saved, you could treat your friends to some amazing excursions, or the drink pkg, specialty restaurants etc.  (Lawn Club Grill comes to mind).  Spending time up by the lawn is wonderful.  If this is the Baltic cruise, it is a port intensive cruise and you wouldn't really have that much time to enjoy the fabulous penthouse.

 

I hope I am not upsetting you by thinking so far outside the box, or is it the Penthouse?

 

Whatever you do, have a wonderful cruise and welcome to Cruise Critic.

TeaBag,

Thank you for taking time to respond, and the warm welcome.    Downgrading our accommodations was not really a consideration.  I appreciate the out of the box thinking; as I mentioned, we are very new to cruising, and although I have read enough Cruise Critic threads on any board I thought would be helpful, it is not the same as real life experience. 

My DH and I rarely vacation, and when we do, I try to make it as fabulous and stress free as possible.  We love our friends, and traveled well together the one time we did it.  I am looking forward to spending time with our friends, and we will,  regardless of how we have to work that out.  But I am also looking forward to some alone time with my DH.  

We will be on the Scandinavia/St. Petersburg Cruise.  

3 hours ago, cruisewmn said:

We’ve been lucky enough to stay in a PH on the S Class ships three times. My DH and I travel with our college age son. You couldn’t pay me to travel with another couple in the PH. It’s one thing to have my son on the sleeper sofa, but it’s completely different to have non-family members there. Your friends would have zero privacy. Just the normal things of getting ready in the morning, showering or changing clothes for dinner, blow drying hair and putting on makeup (no outlet or countertop in guest bathroom), would be difficult or done in the living room area. The closet barely fits the small amount of clothes my son brings on the cruise. If they stored things in the master closet, they would have to come in and out of your bedroom to access it. Plus, the sleeper sofa isn’t very comfortable (my son complains, but I tell him to suck it up for a vacation paid for by mom and dad). Your friends would not find it comfy for two people (or romantic). Obviously, it’s only my opinion, but I’d keep the rooms separate. 

Thank you cruisewmn,  This is the kind of the information we need in order to make a decision.  I was hoping for people who had more than two in the Penthouse to share their experiences.  

4 hours ago, miched said:

In reply to sharing we hav had adjoining cabins a few times with friends.   We no longer do that as there is never any chance for privacy.   You cannot carry on a conversation about anything personal as you do not know if they may be able to hear you ot talk about anything that you want in private.   

 

Having the partition open was a problem as we were never able to really go out and relax and enjoy a lttile of our own private time.

 

We found better to  have some separation and not be joined at the hip for every minute of the cruise

Thank you Miched, This is the kind of feedback I was looking for.  We did enjoy our "private" time during our previous shared cruise; and that was one of the reasons we were concerned about sharing a cabin (even if it is the PH).  My DH and I do not vacation often, and so when we do, my goal is to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.  Hence the 18 months out reservations and the angst over what is the best solution to our current dilemma.   I am currently leaning towards leaving our reservations as they are and purchasing a dining package as a gift for our friends.  

1 hour ago, Cruise a holic said:

I find it hard to believe that  the cost of two s2’s will come near the cost of a penthouse?  Surely a reflection suite for four adults will be extremely expensive 

Cruise a holic, Two S2 cabins was not really one of the considered options.  We will either remain as we are currently booked (Penthouse for me and DH, aqua class cabin for BFFs) or we will all share the PH.  The third option of the reflection style suite was only brought to my attention through the helpful replies of the CC members.  We have not yet priced that out, but our hope is that is not much more than the total we are currently committed to paying separately.  Since we have each separately decided what we are willing to spend on the chosen cruise, if a Reflection style suite does become available and the cost is acceptable to all, we will then have that option.    (PS- I had to look up what an S2 cabin was; I am really new to all of this).  I am so thankful that so many have taken the time to pass their knowledge on.

On 2/3/2019 at 8:35 AM, Canuker said:

Recipe for disaster.
To misquote Bogart, "Louie, I think this is the end of a beautiful friendship."

Canuker,

This is my fear.  Although, truthfully, I believe our friendship would survive, but our enjoyment of our vacations (for all four of us)  might be severely compromised.  That is why I was seeking information from people who had done either of the two options we are looking at trying.  Thankfully, there appears to be a third option, and that would be a 2 bedroom suite should Celebrity add that during the renovation.  Happy Cruising to you and thanks for taking time to respond.

Just now, jnik said:

 

I obviously do not have the hang of this yet, since I just hit quote, and then did not reply, but my reply to CHEMMO is Thank you.  I have taken your suggestion, but have not yet found a reflection suite available for booking near the same time as our planned sailing.  It seems they go fast.  I will call and see if Celebrity can give me an idea of the cost of the 2 bedroom suite on Silhouette post renovation.  I did look it up, and though we are not as happy with the location, it might still be the best option for the four of us. 

17 hours ago, chemmo said:

Phone Celebrity direct and say you may be interested in booking the Reflection suite and ask them if it is available....We have been told that they will be on the S ships post Revolution even though they are not showing on deck plans or for booking as yet. If that is true then it is just if it is available and if it is at what price...If you look up the Reflection suite on the Reflection ship (next to Sky Lounge) It  will show you the layout expected post Revolution on the other S class ships. If you also do a couple of mock bookings of the PH suite and Reflection suite on Reflection it should give you some idea of the extra cost. 

 

I wouldn’t dismiss the PH for the four of you...A bit of a loss of privacy but the cost of guests 3 and 4 really is a bargain when you think they will have the included premium drinks package, unlimited speciality, Michael’s access, Luminae and invitations to other events the same as you...

9 hours ago, miched said:

I don’t know why you would want to share a cabin.  I think the other couple could probably book a Sky Suite cheaper than  it would be for them to be in the same cabin with you.  They would get the same benefits and could join you in  your suite whenever you wished.  

 

The overall cost of the Penthouse Suite if it were split evenly would benefit you more than them, if that is your intention.  

 

Just my opinion and thoughts.

 

Happy cruising 🌊🚢🇺🇸🌅

Miched, Thank you for your response. 

We don't really want to share a cabin, but neither did we want to cause our friends to spend more than they were comfortable with just to have dinner together.  I know we could have all just moved to the main dining room together, but I also did not want to give up the all inclusive premium dining that goes with the PH.  I know, I know, I want it all.  But we really are just trying to decide what is actually possible, and then make the best choice.  So I needed more information.  I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time to respond.  

We were not planning on splitting the PH evenly, but rather, each taking a portion of the overall savings when we added together how much we were currently spending for the two separate cabins vs. the total for four people in the PH.  This saved each couple some money in return for the loss of privacy.  

Happy Cruising to you as well. 

2 hours ago, First family said:

I traveled in a suite with my other family members/friends in different categories. Spending time with them on the ship was a priority for me. I bought them all a 6 night dining package as a gift so we could all dine together in the specialty restaurants and/or Luminae. I was able to join them in the main dining room for the rest of the meals. They were allowed to join me in Michaels Club with permission of the conceirge when it wasn’t busy. For cocktail hour they all joined me in the suite where I had two bottles of alcohol, mixers, juice, beer and soda. The Michaels Club conceirge extended the helipad invitation to include them but not the ships inside access tour because it was full. My butler included them in the escorted walk to the theater on evening chic night and always brought a large tray of appetizers before dinner so they could share. We had to go to separate areas for boarding but once on the ship we met up at Luminae for our first meal that I had arranged. We were all able to disembark together. You have the same worry I do. My family and friends save hard for the cruise and they come in from all over the country so it’s the time with them that’s important to me. Your penthouse will be plenty big for them to visit and enjoy a drink, watch a movie, relax on the patio, have private sailaways. You could also ask your Butler to set up a en-suite dinner to include them. I hope this helps. 

First Family, Thank you!  This is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.  Dining was our biggest concern, I did not know there was even such a thing as a dining package.  This would solve our dining dilemma rather nicely.  It is awkward (for all of us) to offer to pay for each specialty meal for as we go, but gifting them a dining package is a wonderful solution. I am sure this comes up quite frequently on Celebrity, and was hoping that they would be understanding.  We are comfortable with going on our own for events that do not have space for "guests".  This sounds similar to the treatment we received on HAL, guests included when possible, but not for everything.  

Thank you, Cruise a holic and Chemmo.  We had considered the difficulties you both mentioned, (and I have the spread sheet to prove it).   Unfortunately, there are not any intro level suites available on our sailing, and the difference between the lowest suite available and the aqua class is over $2000 per person.  Price is a consideration for our dear friends, and adding them to the PH would be a big cost saver for them, as so much is included for all four guests.  I did not see a 2 bedroom suite on the Silhouette, I do not know what the plans will be post revolution, we are playing wait and see until after the Equinox has completed her renovation later this year. If they add a 2 bedroom suite, assuming the price is not completely outrageous, this becomes a non-issue.  We would easily share a 2 bedroom suite with our friends.  What we are really interested in is real life experiences of couples traveling together for either of the scenarios that I mentioned.

Hi all, I was wondering if anyone had shared an S class penthouse with another couple, and how that worked out for you.  OR has anyone traveled in the penthouse suite while their traveling companions were not in a suite?   The reason I ask is my DH and I have booked the penthouse on Silhouette post edgification, (July 2020) and are traveling with another couple.  The other couple, my BFF and her DH currently have an aqua class cabin on the same deck.  While we had a similar situation (Pinnacle for us, Veranda Cabin for them) when we cruised together on HAL, they did not have any "suite exclusive" areas, other than the Neptune Lounge, and our guests were welcome there any time we went together.  They also included them when issuing invitations to us for certain special events.  I have not sailed Celebrity before, nor really cruised much at all, so I have no idea how either situation might play out.  Thankful in advance for any insights you might be able to share.  

Thank you, thank you, thank you. While only signed on for the 12 day Mediterranean Tapestry portion of this trip, I am very excited for my first HAL cruise. I have learned so much while lurking on the Holland American forum, I am hoping to put it all to use on this cruise. Looking forward to running into Denatravels on our shared journey. I will make sure to let everyone know how it went once I return.

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July 23, 2018 Oosterdam, Mediterranean Tapestry, 12 days

This is our Second cruise after a 27 year hiatus. (We won a 7 day cruise on Epirotiki Cruise Lines in 1991). So this will obviously be our first HAL cruise.

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