Is it worth switching from a balcony to a penthouse?

[tata72]

I have a room booked on the ncl that is a balcony aft. I'm thinking about upgrading to a penthouse. It would be gaurantee but the worst we would get would be a room with Handicapped-Accessible Facilities.

 

Is it worth spending the extra money when you may get a room that does not have all the features of a penthouse?

 

Can someone explain to me the real difference between traveling as a regular guest as opposed to a VIP? I have to justify spending the extra money to my DH. :)

 

Does anyone have pictures of cabin 9672 or 10168?

 

Thanks so much!

[halos]

I have a room booked on the ncl that is a balcony aft. I'm thinking about upgrading to a penthouse. It would be gaurantee but the worst we would get would be a room with Handicapped-Accessible Facilities.

 

Is it worth spending the extra money when you may get a room that does not have all the features of a penthouse?

 

Can someone explain to me the real difference between traveling as a regular guest as opposed to a VIP? I have to justify spending the extra money to my DH. :)

 

Does anyone have pictures of cabin 9672 or 10168?

 

Thanks so much!

 

You get a bunch of perks with a suite:

What you can expect when booking a suite

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=28073917&postcount=18

 

 

I'll be trying my first Penhouse suite on my next NCL cruise, so I don't have any first hand knowledge yet...but I look forward to gaining it :)

[raventhebouv]

We stayed in 10168 on the Jewel last May for the first time and as soon as we got back I booked a cruise for this May in the same cabin....love, love, love the aft balcony! Although the room is the same size as any other balcony cabin, the balcony is HUGE in 10168. If you need more room and are OK with spending a bit more money on the cruise, I would stay on deck 10 aft and book the Romance Suite (I think it is SF category now) right next door to 10168. That way you would get the suite perks and still be at the aft. Whichever cabin you choose, have a great cruise!:D

[faymuiheng]

"Bottled water and sodas upon arrival"

 

I know about the sparkling wine/champagne, but the bottle water and soda?

 

Does anyone know this first hand?

[Springwater21]

we were just in our first suite on the Star. There was a large bottle of water and sparkling wine, a flower arrangement and bowl of assorted fruit. NO Sodas. Fridge is full of pay per use items. We had the steward empty the fridge so we could put a bucket of beer in.

Breakfast and lunch at Cagney's is a suite perk, and well worth it! You would still pay for dinner, as it is a pay venue. We had a forward penthouse with balcony, and yes, I am spoiled! Big time. It was hubbys 65th birthday on board, so I wanted it to be special for him.

The suite was wonderful and over 400 Sq Ft. Dona

[Fishbait17]

"Bottled water and sodas upon arrival"

 

I know about the sparkling wine/champagne, but the bottle water and soda?

 

Does anyone know this first hand?

 

You will get a single bottle of water, but unlimited sodas and waters are limited to Owner's Suites and above.

 

Robin

[nona0541]

I have a room booked on the ncl that is a balcony aft. I'm thinking about upgrading to a penthouse. It would be gaurantee but the worst we would get would be a room with Handicapped-Accessible Facilities.

 

Is it worth spending the extra money when you may get a room that does not have all the features of a penthouse?

 

Can someone explain to me the real difference between traveling as a regular guest as opposed to a VIP? I have to justify spending the extra money to my DH. :)

 

Does anyone have pictures of cabin 9672 or 10168?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Short answer--YES- perks are awsome--afternoon snacks, butler, conceriege, priority boarding, breakfast and lunch at Cagneys and much more.

[Cubechick]

In my universe yes. VIP embarkation, Cagneys for breakfast and lunch. VIP cocktail party. Butler at your beck and call. Oh yeah! Not to mention the spacious cabin. Bliss bed, upgraded bath ammenities.

[retired rascal]

From start to finish, cruising in a Suite is like cruising on a different cruiseline....at the terminal, find the 'Concierge' area where you will quickly check in and then wait in comfort ....like on a chair. You will be the first to board the ship. You will likely be escorted by your Butler to Cagney's for a leisurely luxurious lunch. You will then go to your Suite for champagne or espresso brewed in your Lavazza. You can lounge on your balcony in your luxurious robe and slippers or use the upgraded Elemis products or order a DVD for viewing later....all through the cruise, especially the breakfasts and lunches in Cagney's, you'll marvel at the wonders of NCL dining. Your butler will bring you what you want/need in your suite; the concierge will make dinner reservations for you. You'll be invited to special events and will have priority tendering at any tender port.....and when it's time to leave, relax, site around, be the first ones off, pick up your luggage without crowds if you used priority tags on the last evening. Porters will all be available. You'll whisk thru customs and immigration to an uncrowded cab area. Just a totally fine way to go.

[mr&mrscruiselover]

From start to finish, cruising in a Suite is like cruising on a different cruiseline....at the terminal, find the 'Concierge' area where you will quickly check in and then wait in comfort ....like on a chair. You will be the first to board the ship. You will likely be escorted by your Butler to Cagney's for a leisurely luxurious lunch. You will then go to your Suite for champagne or espresso brewed in your Lavazza. You can lounge on your balcony in your luxurious robe and slippers or use the upgraded Elemis products or order a DVD for viewing later....all through the cruise, especially the breakfasts and lunches in Cagney's, you'll marvel at the wonders of NCL dining. Your butler will bring you what you want/need in your suite; the concierge will make dinner reservations for you. You'll be invited to special events and will have priority tendering at any tender port.....and when it's time to leave, relax, site around, be the first ones off, pick up your luggage without crowds if you used priority tags on the last evening. Porters will all be available. You'll whisk thru customs and immigration to an uncrowded cab area. Just a totally fine way to go.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself! Last May we were in our first suite and will NEVER cruise in less than a suite again.

 

Sherri and Clay

[tata72]

This all sounds nice, but don't you get treated great as a regular cruiser also? You can order room service and get snacks really anytime you want on the ship. I also thought all the food on the ship is supposed to be good, how can cagneys be so much better? And the beds, are the regular beds in a balcony room not comfortable?

[Music City]

I have a room booked on the ncl that is a balcony aft. I'm thinking about upgrading to a penthouse. It would be gaurantee but the worst we would get would be a room with Handicapped-Accessible Facilities.

 

Is it worth spending the extra money when you may get a room that does not have all the features of a penthouse?

 

Can someone explain to me the real difference between traveling as a regular guest as opposed to a VIP? I have to justify spending the extra money to my DH. :)

 

Does anyone have pictures of cabin 9672 or 10168?

 

Thanks so much!

 

Well...My personal opinion is it's not even worth the extra money for a balcony so there's no way I would blow the dough for a penthouse.

 

The reason I responded, though, is because getting a handicapped cabin on NCL is not a bad thing since they are usually twice as large as a normal cabin.

[russianmom]

In my universe yes. VIP embarkation, Cagneys for breakfast and lunch. VIP cocktail party. Butler at your beck and call. Oh yeah! Not to mention the spacious cabin. Bliss bed, upgraded bath ammenities.

 

 

I second this! My husband and I just came off the Spirit in a suite and EVERY ammenity was well worth the difference in the price.

We booked another suite the day we came home:D

[stanmoto98]

Does anyone have pictures of cabin 9672 or 10168?

 

Thanks so much!

On which ship?

 

We were in 9672 on the Jewel two years ago. As you noted, it is a disabled person ready stateroom. The only difference between it and a regular penthouse was the bathroom. It does not have a bathtub, the toilet is taller, and has the required handrails installed. We actually loved the shower because it was much roomier than a normal shower, utilizing a curtain instead of a shower enclosure.

 

Here are some picture of the Jewel's 9672.

 

http://s895.photobucket.com/albums/ac153/stanmoto98/NCL%20Jewel%209672/

 

You'll notice in the photos of the bed that we had the steward make it up so that the our heads were in line fore and aft with the ship rather than port and starboard. This creates a much better rocking motion for sleeping. We learned this the first time we sailed in an aft stateroom.

[stanmoto98]

This all sounds nice, but don't you get treated great as a regular cruiser also? You can order room service and get snacks really anytime you want on the ship. I also thought all the food on the ship is supposed to be good, how can cagneys be so much better? And the beds, are the regular beds in a balcony room not comfortable?

In regular staterooms you have a limited room service menu. Suite have an extensive room service menu as well as the option of ordering off any of the specialty restaurant menus... surcharge applies of course, but you have the option.

 

As to your question about Cagney's...

 

The menu offered for breakfast and lunch at Cagney's to the Suite passenger is marked more upscale than the MDR or buffet. Plus it is a very intimate setting... read: quiet and relaxed.

 

The beds...

 

Yes, all the bed on board are comfortable from my experience. But the Suites benefit from upgraded mattresses & linens and you can order pillows that more aptly suit your comfort level.

[SFO-F/A]

We've booked an aft balcony, deck 10, on the pearl for November, the price is the same as a mini suite. To move up to the penthouse next door, would have cost an extra $900, I believe. We decided to try the regular aft balcony and not change to the penthouse. Thinking we'd spend the extra money on speciality restaurants and excursions instead.

We also booked the Dawn in November. We booked a regular forward balcony for the 11 day cruise. To go up to a penthouse on that cruise was over $1,800 more. We felt that for us, having 2 cruises in balconies, was better than one cruise in a suite. ;) It all depends on your financial situation and what you want.

[cruisegal3]

we were just in our first suite on the Star. There was a large bottle of water and sparkling wine, a flower arrangement and bowl of assorted fruit. NO Sodas. Fridge is full of pay per use items. We had the steward empty the fridge so we could put a bucket of beer in.

Breakfast and lunch at Cagney's is a suite perk, and well worth it! You would still pay for dinner, as it is a pay venue. We had a forward penthouse with balcony, and yes, I am spoiled! Big time. It was hubbys 65th birthday on board, so I wanted it to be special for him.

The suite was wonderful and over 400 Sq Ft. Dona

 

Can you describe the flower arrangement-- size, types of flowers, etc? I was going to order flowers but then I saw that they provide an arrangement. (I'm in a penthouse in June) If it's a dinky little thing, I'll order my own.

 

Thanks in advance for the info--

 

Linda

[Fishbait17]

Can you describe the flower arrangement-- size, types of flowers, etc? I was going to order flowers but then I saw that they provide an arrangement. (I'm in a penthouse in June) If it's a dinky little thing, I'll order my own.

 

Thanks in advance for the info--

 

Linda

 

It varies from home port to ship to hierarchy of suite. Most single room suites have a small arrangement, maybe 8-10 inches across the flower heads, in the GV it was huge (two of them at least 3 feet tall) in the OS was about halfway in between. Think hard about where you will put the flowers if you purchase them, some suites have very limited table space. I love great smelling flowers, and none of the arrangements I have had were scented. In Barcelona, I have bought small bouquets of great smelling blooms at the flower market and brought them on board to put in my AB bathrooms, when I asked they said noproblem. May be different sailing out of other ports.

[cruisegal3]

Thanks a lot, Fishbait17! Linda

[jaja]

From start to finish, cruising in a Suite is like cruising on a different cruiseline....at the terminal, find the 'Concierge' area where you will quickly check in and then wait in comfort ....like on a chair. You will be the first to board the ship. You will likely be escorted by your Butler to Cagney's for a leisurely luxurious lunch. You will then go to your Suite for champagne or espresso brewed in your Lavazza. You can lounge on your balcony in your luxurious robe and slippers or use the upgraded Elemis products or order a DVD for viewing later....all through the cruise, especially the breakfasts and lunches in Cagney's, you'll marvel at the wonders of NCL dining. Your butler will bring you what you want/need in your suite; the concierge will make dinner reservations for you. You'll be invited to special events and will have priority tendering at any tender port.....and when it's time to leave, relax, site around, be the first ones off, pick up your luggage without crowds if you used priority tags on the last evening. Porters will all be available. You'll whisk thru customs and immigration to an uncrowded cab area. Just a totally fine way to go.

 

 

DITTO !!!!!! Had our first suite this year...LOVED IT !:D

[dchang]

I second this! My husband and I just came off the Spirit in a suite and EVERY ammenity was well worth the difference in the price.

We booked another suite the day we came home:D

 

Could you tell me about what time priority disembarkation would be for suite passengers on the Spirit in New Orleans?

 

I would appreciate the information if you can provide it.

 

Thank you in advance......