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Suite Perks

hhalliv

By hhalliv,
in Carnival Cruise Lines

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hhalliv

hhalliv

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Posted

So I think we can all say that the suite perks on Carnival are nowhere near up to par with the rest of the industry...although I don't mind because it keeps the price down for the extra room. I know what the perks are according to the website, so feel free to skip copying and pasting that in a reply, but I want to know the experience of any other cruisers who have traveled in a suite before. Are there any "unofficial" perks...I know Carnival is great about offering things not shown on their website. Also is the priority boarding kind of like FTTF, mainly will bags be delivered express, and will the room actually be ready?? If not I'd rather chum around the airport than sit in the crowded buffet with all my bags lol. Thanks!

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Carnival_Brides

Carnival_Brides

Posted
Posted
So I think we can all say that the suite perks on Carnival are nowhere near up to par with the rest of the industry...although I don't mind because it keeps the price down for the extra room. I know what the perks are according to the website, so feel free to skip copying and pasting that in a reply, but I want to know the experience of any other cruisers who have traveled in a suite before. Are there any "unofficial" perks...I know Carnival is great about offering things not shown on their website. Also is the priority boarding kind of like FTTF, mainly will bags be delivered express, and will the room actually be ready?? If not I'd rather chum around the airport than sit in the crowded buffet with all my bags lol. Thanks!

 

You do not get FTTF perks as part of your suite. You are only supposed to get priority embark and debark and you get to hop the line at Guest Services. Your bags shouldn't be fast-tracked to your cabin and you may not have access until they "open the doors".

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travler27

travler27

Posted
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With the exception of a single cruise, we have always stayed in an ocean suite or grand suite. The only perk you get is priority embarkation and check-in at the VIP lounge. And your cabin is not available until 1:30 just like everybody else.

 

You get a low debark group number (which anybody can request) but they have taken away the "Priority" debark perk with the advent of FTTF. You get no special lines at GS, no special consideration in the MDR no nothing after going up the gangway. You do get a pretty nice room and balcony and the price is significantly less than other lines.

 

We now purchase FTTF with our suite so we can get those perks.

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wdnoble9999

wdnoble9999

Posted
Posted
With the exception of a single cruise, we have always stayed in an ocean suite or grand suite. The only perk you get is priority embarkation and check-in at the VIP lounge. And your cabin is not available until 1:30 just like everybody else.

 

You get a low debark group number (which anybody can request) but they have taken away the "Priority" debark perk with the advent of FTTF. You get no special lines at GS, no special consideration in the MDR no nothing after going up the gangway. You do get a pretty nice room and balcony and the price is significantly less than other lines.

 

We now purchase FTTF with our suite so we can get those perks.

 

We've had an OS on the past several cruse, and traveler27 is right on. The real benefit for us is VIP embarkation and a the enjoyment of a larger room with more storage, better shower/bath, dual sinks, adjustable lighting, more counter space, larger balcony, etc. And, while this may be purely subjective on my part, we've found the stewards to be more responsive, perhaps due to a lower room/steward ratio. Having said this, though, we've not ever had poor service in that regard regardless of what category state room we were in. You also get a low number on debarkation which can be handy if you're in a hurry to get off the ship for a flight home.

 

As for those that decry the lack of perks for suite customers compared with other lines, keep in mind that the cost of an OS with Carnival is much, much lower than that of other lines. While you may get more perks with another line, you certainly pay for it.

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Linda the Book Lover

Linda the Book Lover

Posted
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With the exception of a single cruise, we have always stayed in an ocean suite or grand suite. The only perk you get is priority embarkation and check-in at the VIP lounge. And your cabin is not available until 1:30 just like everybody else.

 

You get a low debark group number (which anybody can request) but they have taken away the "Priority" debark perk with the advent of FTTF. You get no special lines at GS, no special consideration in the MDR no nothing after going up the gangway. You do get a pretty nice room and balcony and the price is significantly less than other lines.

 

We now purchase FTTF with our suite so we can get those perks.

 

I enjoyed the Carnival suite experience and space was the reason. For the short cruises it is the balcony. $50 for the extras FTTF offers is a much cheaper total cost than a suite on NCL. True I will not enjoy all of the nice perks that NCL offers but the price is right for the extra space.

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qsuzi

qsuzi

Posted
Posted (edited)
As for those that decry the lack of perks for suite customers compared with other lines, keep in mind that the cost of an OS with Carnival is much, much lower than that of other lines. While you may get more perks with another line, you certainly pay for it.

 

We checked suite price and cabin/balcony size on Carnival before booking with HAL. Bottom line after OBC HAL was at least $200 less and had larger cabin/balcony sizes. Our Princess cruise Mini Suite (size comparable) was also overall less than Carnival.

Edited by qsuzi
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Linda the Book Lover

Linda the Book Lover

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I hear you Disconnections. I was very surprised that Carnival was more on the sailings in question. It can vary by cruise line and date.

 

Your point on date and in my case destination is right on the money.

 

I am surprised as well on the pricing! :D It is very true when you mention prices can vary by date. I checked on prices for an Alaskan cruise and there is a little under $2000 price difference between NCL and Carnival suites with NCL being the higher. This is with all of the past member, military, and state, and AARP possible discounts. Of course when there is a special it will make a difference. I will admit when I looked at price comparisons it was only for the cruises I am looking at next and I never measured the cabin sizes. :eek:

 

Thanks qsuzi for the excellent information for my future selections I admit to looking at suite to suite comparison versus square footage.

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Roz Great Review Rare

Roz

Posted
Posted

I've found Carnival's suites can be every bit as expensive as other lines, or darn near close. This is why I don't plan to book a suite on Carnival. When I've booked a suite on Holland America, I get all sorts of perks - use of the Neptune Lounge for continental breakfast and snacks throughout the day, plus the coffee machine; the Lounge concierge; breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill; priority embarkation; hot hors d'oerves (sp?) served in my suite before dinner; complimentary bottles of water, water, and champagne; suite passengers reception and lunch.

 

Roz

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qsuzi

qsuzi

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Posted (edited)
I admit to looking at suite to suite comparison versus square footage.

 

:D To be clear my basic point is that Carnival does not always have the lowest suite prices for comparable cabin/balcony size or in some cases their price is not lowest and their cabin/balcony size is less. We have not sailed NCL and I cancelled a booking we made with them for various reasons. At this time of our lives, (looking at similar itineraries) value, personal choice, and price are part of our decision to book; price is not the sole factor.

 

Like Roz, we have also found that Carnival's suites can be every bit as expensive as some other lines, or darn near close.

Edited by qsuzi
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Disconnections

Disconnections

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I hear you Disconnections. I was very surprised that Carnival was more on the sailings in question. It can vary by cruise line and date.

 

I wasn't surprised, actually. I used the emoticon to represent sarcasm because a majority of the blind loyalists here assume Carnival is always (100%) the lowest price when compared to competitors. It's the same thing with as the airline industry... a high number will assume WN is the lowest price and will book directly on their website, forgetting about a flight matrix that can compare routes and pricing among most airlines, such as ITA.

 

Whenever a thread comes up asking why an individual sails Carnival, the answer for most is "Carnival is the cheapest." That statement isn't always true.

Edited by Disconnections
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hbrote

hbrote

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Posted
:D To be clear my basic point is that Carnival does not always have the lowest suite prices

 

 

No doubt in my mind on this, in fact, Carnival prices for suites has increased during the last year. They are a little more than other lines in some cases.\

I did just book an 8 Day Southern on Carnival, in an ocean suite for $1,029 pp

with a $50 OBC. You can't beat that price but I paid over $1700 pp this summer on a 5 Day. I make sure to check rates closely on all lines and may I add that you get more perks in Concierge Class on Celebrity.

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