Suite on Azura

[Puppy9]

Hi, we have just booked a Suite on the Azura and was wondering if anyone could tell me what they are like please? We have booked the AD grade cabin number C750 which is at the back of the ship. I noticed on the brochure that suites have a butler service? anyone know how that works?

 

Thank you:)

[annieuk]

We have a suite booked on Azura next year too - C749. We have had suites on Arcadia and Artemis so have some experience of what happens. I don't know if you are embarking from Southampton or on a fly cruise. If you are leaving from Southampton you will have priority embarkation - just tell the person on arrival that you are in a suite. Then on board you will be guided to one of the lounges for drinks and sandwiches. You will be given a card to put on the table so your butler can find you and when your cabin is ready he will come and take you to your suite.

 

Obviously if you are on a fly cruise this doesn't happen as passengers are arriving at all different times but once you are in your cabin the butler will come along and introduce himself as will the cabin steward. The butler deals with all your food and drink requirements plus things like booking select dining restaurants etc. On arrival in your cabin you will find fizz in an ice bucket, flowers, chocolates, his and hers large pamper packs in the bathroom. You also get bathrobes and slippers, an atlas and binoculars for your use and also magazines.

 

Each evening around 5ish the butler will bring you canapes and this was the time our butler used to ask what we wanted to do about breakfast. I understand that suite passengers can have breakfast in the Seventeen restaurant if they wish instead of going to the buffet or the main restaurant. In addition, if you wish, the butler will serve breakfast in your cabin or on your balcony. You can choose anything you like from the main restaurant menu - inluding a cooked breakfast. We often did this, especially if we had an early excursion. The butler will set it all up for you on your table either in the cabin or on the balcony. He took our order each evening when he brought the canapes.

 

The butler will also make sure you have drinks you want for your use in the cabin - keep your fridge stocked with lemon slices and your ice bucket filled. If you wish the butler will pack and unpack for you. I've never asked him to do this as I'd never know where everything was! We asked our table companions for drinks before dinner one evening and the butler organised this, ordered some extra canapes for us and stayed to serve the drinks. You can also have lunch and dinner served in your cabin if you wish.

 

Basically the butler will do all he can to help you have a great cruise. The butlers really like to be used so do take advantage of the service they offer. We are off to Azura for the first time next March and really looking forward to it. We love the aft suites, much prefer them to the miship ones. Hope you have a great time.

[Puppy9]

Thats great thank you. We are very excited now!! There are four of us sharing the suite on the caribbean cruise later this year. Its our first time in a suite and I was wondering what the protocol would be about tipping the butler? Thanks again for taking time to reply :)

[Iceandaslice]

Hi Annieuk

Thank you for your reply too! I am also being treated to a suite on the Azura in February next year and your reply has been really helpful.

I was a little worried about being 'aft' as has never booked that part of ship before but your comments have reassured me.

Thanks and have a great cruise too!:D

Iceandaslice

[annieuk]

Glad to be of service! As far as tipping the butler goes I think it depends how much you use him. We had a special drinks do on our cruise on Artemis for a couple on our table who got married - they kindly invited us to the wedding. So in the evening of their wedding day we organised a drinks do before dinner. The butler was great; he decorated the cabin for us - posters and pink and silver balloons, brought us up CDs so we could have background music, organised drinks and canapes and he and the other butler came and served it all, then cleared it away when we were at dinner.

 

So we tipped him slightly more than we gave the cabin steward who we gave the suggested amount. I think if the butler does lots for you then you would expect to tip him more. I hope you enjoy your suite.

 

:)

[Iceandaslice]

Hi Puppy9

Just realised you shall be cruising before me so I would really appreciate your comments on what the Suite was like and if there any insider tips you could share from your experience! Hope you do not mind me asking.

Hi again Annieuk

We are also in cabin C749 but in February so will report back after our cruise if you would like.

Thanks again

Rachel:)

[annieuk]

Thank you Rachel, would love to hear all about it. There was a review on cruise.co.uk about the same suite a few months ago and it all sounded really good. Looking out of my window now - wet, drizzly - can't wait for the Caribbean!:)

[scottie99]

Last year we had a mid ship suite on Ventura, but we are thinking of a aft suite on our next cruise (on the Azura).

 

I notice the suites are above the aft show lounge (sorry cant remember what it is called.

 

Can anyone who has experienced these suites on either ship say if they heard a lot of noise from the lounge?

[Bav]

Last year we had a mid ship suite on Ventura, but we are thinking of a aft suite on our next cruise (on the Azura).

 

I notice the suites are above the aft show lounge (sorry cant remember what it is called.

 

Can anyone who has experienced these suites on either ship say if they heard a lot of noise from the lounge?

We had E733 on Ventura...over Havanna club. No Noise. We prefer aft cabins.:) also booked c748 on Azura on 28th Sept !! aft again........no problem !!

[old git]

we had cabin above manhatten lounge,never heard any noise but maybe that was because we were never in it before the shows finished??

 

have a nice cruise

[Looking4Luxury]

My wife and I were in an aft suite (C748) on Azura in June and were very pleased with the size of both the cabin and most certainly the balcony. The balcony had a table and 4 chairs plus 2 sun loungers with a small coffee table. The butler srevice was first class. The only comment I would make about your suite is that it has quite a large obstruction which reduces both the usable size of the balcony and the view from inside the suite. Our neighbours in suite C750 did not have room for sun loungers, so as there are four of you and if you are likely to want to make good use of the balcony (we certainly did) then I would suggest you may wish to try and move to either C748 or C749. C751 has the same issue as C750.

I hope this helps and do enjoy.

[Puppy9]

Thank you for the information. I will look into it.

 

Do you have any pictures of the suite and balcony area?

 

Thank you:)

[annieuk]

We were originally booked in for C751 and then I discovered it had a beam through the balcony so we changed to C749 next door. There is a long thread on the Princess forum which gives you pictures of the aft of the Princess ships that are the same design as Azura and Ventura. If you go to the Princess forum and put "Beam" into the search box at the top right hand corner you will find a thread called something like "the ultimate beam thread". You will then see which balconies are affected by the beam.

[Looking4Luxury]

Hi, if you go to the Princess board and look for the following thread, which was first posted April 2006, there is an excellent photo of the aft showing the beams.

 

"Hopefully the ultimate Aft thread with Pictures (vent, and beams)"

 

Do change suite if you can as it will make a big difference.

 

Best of luck:)

[Puppy9]

Thank you for your help. As its our first suite experience i dont think this will bother us. Cant wait to go and see the ship, cabin and caribbean. Thanks again.:)

[Lynnmovi]

Recently stayed in C749 and:

• it does have a lovely large balcony with 2 sun loungers. The balcony is sheltered and receives sun for less than 2 hours a day, so do not book this suite if you are a sun worshipper and enjoy sunbathing on your balcony as you will be disappointed.
  
• our butler was excellent
  
• the suite appeared much smaller than others we have stayed in eg on Arcadia and Queen Victoria.
  
• the suite is positioned next to a vent. Althoguh there is some noise from air rushing out of the vent it is white noise and it did not bother us. Occasionally the vent does emit a faint smell (like cooked cabbage) - again do not be concerned about this.
  
• the bed was very comfortable
  
• the bathroom is large and perfectly adequate
  
• positioned at the aft, the suite was very quiet
  
• I noticed very little noise or vibration from the propellers - much better than the Queen Victoria
  
• I thoroughly enjoyed my holiday on Azura but, as I enjoy sunbathing on the balcony, I would not book this aft suite again.
  

[Puppy9]

Hi, Does anyone have any pictures of the suite please?

 

Thank you :)

[Megsdad]

Hi, if you go to the Princess board and look for the following thread, which was first posted April 2006, there is an excellent photo of the aft showing the beams.

 

"Hopefully the ultimate Aft thread with Pictures (vent, and beams)"

 

Do change suite if you can as it will make a big difference.

 

Best of luck:)

 

The thread is full of excellent information but it is a column/stanchion/strut not a beam.

[cruiseluvva]

We have C749 booked for the repositioning cruise in March. We have had Arcadia suites with a covered balcony a few times before, so that doesn't worry me too much - we tend to use a parasol on the balcony anyway to protect ourselves.

 

I am relieved to read however, that the large obstruction doesn't affect us.

 

Can I ask, is there in suite internet access? I am assuming so since Ventura has it in suites. And was breakfast in Seventeen well attended? We have always found this facility very under used on other ships.