Suite amenity changes?

[sueclark]

I just read this on another post.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The recent cutbacks for suites are:
No more suite dinners/lunchs.
Newspapers no longer delivered to suites.
Breakfast/Lunch in the Kings/Queen room or Pinnacle has been discontinued.
The treats, like chocolate covered strawberries, that you would find when you returned to your cabin at night, has been disconntinued for some time now. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The suites luncheon was one of our favorite things on HAL! We also enjoyed having breakfast or lunch in the Pinnacle (or the Kings room on the older ships).

Is this really true?

Sue
[email="SueClark"]sueclark@aol.com[/email]

[B]Constellation Transatlantic 9/7/04[/B]
[img]http://escati.linkopp.net/cgi-bin/countdown.cgi?trgb=000000&srgb=00ff00&prgb=ff0000&cdt=2004;9;7;17;00;00&timezone=GMT-0500[/img]

[B]Infinity Panama Canal 4/17/05[/B]

[KAKcruiser]

A HAL representative told me that suite passengers would no longer have a separate dining room for breakfast and lunch. I also was disappointed.

[gillianrose]

Are they reducing the price of the S and higher suites, then? If not, we will just book a balcony cabin, since those are quite comfortable, anyway.

It seems odd, don't you think, that they would be cutting back on suite perks at the same time as they are initiating their "Signature of Excellence" Program.

I hope HAL is not going to become more like Princess, where the only thing you get with a suite is more room. We want the perks!

[yarlenna]

Have they also done away with the complimentary laundry?
Without the perks, why would anyone want to book a suite? Sigh - it used to be so lovely.

Work like a dog. Live like a pauper. Save all your money. Then Cruise!
My gif kitties have gone to cyber heaven so that dial up cruisers don't have a problem getting their posts read.

[Krazy Kruizers]

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] Suite perks

Sadly to say that HAL is giving up some suite perks.

The suite dinner was discontinued when HAL changed the Marco Polo and Odyssey restaurants into the Pinnacle Grills and started charging $20 per person. We were told that they couldn't afford to close those restaurants for night because they would lose revenue.

We were told that on the Maasdam this past May that we would be the last ones to be able to eat breakfast and lunch in the Queen's Room (for this ship). When we asked if this was going to fleet wide, we were told - yes.

As for the suite buffet in the crow's nest - we still had one but wonder if that will soon be cut out. We enjoyed the suite sit-down luncheon much better. This past May the captain didn't even bother to come to the suite buffet.

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[Cruising Illini]

There are still MANY suite amenities and well worth the price just for the cabin size and those other extras. The amenities will vary ship by ship -- on the Amsterdam we DID have a lovely suite buffet lunch in the Crow's nest which we prefer because we don't care for curry and sit-down luncheons with the curry theme. Also had a Capts. Welcome Cocktail Party the first night in the Crow's Nest. Free cleaning and laundry I'm sure is universal, Neptune Lounge is still superb -- fantastic snacks and personal concierge. Have an Eastern European serving for most of the day in the Neptune and personally prefer the Indonesian or Filipino for their personality.
Tea or hot appetizers still served if just call room service early in the day. All of the new linens (mattress, towels, robes, etc.) are in the "s" categories. Always priority tender cards when in port and also for embarkation and disembarkation. Neptune Lounge has copies (not originals) of many papers available to read in the Lounge so no need for individual papers.
There are of course other things I can't remember but if you compare price of these suites and size with other 5 star lines they are a great value. I do notice that some of the suite prices are getting higher in Europe in 05 but currently there are many great prices available.

[Krazy Kruizers]

[img]http://messages.cruisecritic.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img] Papers

Think newspapers vary from ship to ship and port to port. In the Neptune Lounge on our last cruise in May, there was only 1 copy of a couple of local newspapers. By the time we hit Canada - rarely a newspaper.

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[texkat]

My FAVORITE S Suite perk is the free laundry, and there were no changes to that service as of two weeks ago on the Zuiderdam.

It's wonderful to come home from a trip with clean clothes instead of a suitcase crammed full of dirty laundry...

The loss of the Odyssey for breakfast and lunch was the most noticeable negative change in my view.

[sail7seas]

Just a silliness of mine, but I don't call it "free laundry", I call it "included". I figure the extra sums we pay for the "S" Suites are paying for those extra perks/amenities.

We almost never go to King's/Queen's Room/Pinnacle for breakfast or lunch but I am sorry that stopped it for those who did enjoy it. When prices remain the same or rise and what is included is reduced........the product is less than it used to be, isn't it?

[texkat]

Even with the changes, spending a week onboard is awfully nice!

It's still a bargain in my book- I don't know anywhere else I could get pampered, see beautiful places day after day, and just be treated like a queen for that kind of money!

[sueclark]

[font=Comic Sans MS][color=Red]Sail7Seas,

We agree again. I didn't use the term Perk because that indicates something that is given free. S suite passengers pay for the amenities they receive.

I've written HAL asking about the changes, but have not received a reply.[/color][/font]

[sail7seas]

[color=palegreen] [/color][color=magenta]Hi Sue,[/color]
[color=#ff00ff][/color]
[color=#ff00ff]I hope you'll post what their response is....if you get one.[/color]
[color=#ff00ff][/color]
[color=#ff00ff][/color]

[Krazy Kruizers]

;)

[size=3][color=magenta][i]A couple of weeks ago I e-mailed both HAL and the Mariner's about a couple of things. So far the only response that I have gotten is the normal one "We are so busy, etc., etc., will respond in a couple of days, etc."[/i][/color][/size]
[i][size=3][color=#ff00ff][/color][/size][/i]


;)

[localady]

I do find it strange that they are cutting suite services, when they are talking about their publicity about an enhanced cruising experience while they are cutting benefits in the suites and making others damn near impossible to obtain.:confused: For instance no one told us, nor did the literature state, that appetizers or tea had to be requested early that day or even the day before to be provided. When I did request the tea one morning, I was told that it was impossible, that I should have ordered it the day before!! :( I don't know about the rest of you, but I try not to plan my meals days in advance, and this response was surprising to me. Will those changes keep me from booking a suite??? The answer is it depends on the price for the suite.

HAL knows that they will be able to sell suites without the lost amenities. They seem to have no problem advertising one thing and doing another lately! I guess this is the way to stay "competitive" and help Carnival post such spectacular earnings!

P.S. In our next 4 cruises, 2 of our cabins are suites, as we got very sweet prices! :cool:

[KAKcruiser]

I talked to a HAL rep yesterday and he said that the suite lunches and dinners were still included on 10 day cruises. When I said that I heard they had been discontinued, he checked with a supervisor who confirmed that they were still included. I don't know what to think.

[sail7seas]

We were on Rotterdam ten day cruise in March and they did not have a Suite Lunch.

[gizmo]

We did not have a lunch or dinner on my 10 day Rotterdam cruise either.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:( Maasdam

Did 13 days on her just last month (May) and there wasn't any suite dinner.

We didn't even have a suite dinner on our 16 day cruise in April of 2003.

I don't count on having one on our 21 day cruise this fall.

:(

[localady]

[font=Comic Sans MS][size=3][color=green]No suite dinner on the Amsterdam 17 dayer last December either. They did hold 2 gatherings, one was a Suite lunch in the Crow's nest and then a noon time wine tasting for the Suite guests. The officers were in attendance at both. I believe they may have also held a welcome cocktail party which we missed. :):o [/color][/size][/font]

[gizmo]

Last Oct we had both a sit down Indonesian lunch, held in the lower dining room and a suite dinner on a 10 day Statendam cruise.

[sail7seas]

:) Actually, I prefer the cocktail parties more than the lunches. Hope we continue to have those nice Suite cocktails. That's when you really have a chance to speak with whoever you wish among the officers.

[GayleArc]

The last two times we have been on the Rotterdam (Last Oct. and this past
May) there was no suite dinner. But both times we did have a suite luncheon in the Crows Nest. In May we had no newspapers delivered to the cabin.

[Krazy Kruizers]

:) When we did a 21 day on the Amsterdam in 2002 we did not have a suite wine tasting party.

That sounds like fun.

:D

[sail7seas]

Been in an "S" for at least 35+ cruises (I'm not sure how many it is since they stopped having that on the Immigration Form...) and have NEVER had a suite wine tasting party. :(

[jima53]

Some of you folks keep comparing today to what was last year or the year before that when talking about changes in suite benefits. Has anyone sailed the past month or so and seen any drops in suite benefits. We have suites reserved for our next two cruises.

Jim