worth it???

[princess tu tu]

Just got an E -mail to upgrade to a penthouse balcony suite SE, from a balcony 10 th floor BA, for $ 500.00 Per person....

What is included in this upgrade and is it worth $ 1000.00

Only 3 days till we cruise !

Any help appreciated..

[Beaver1975]

What you will receive:

 

- larger cabin

- priority embarkation

- breakfast and lunch in Cagney's

- invite to Captains cocktail party

- priority tender access

- butler (extra tips?)

- concierge (extra tips?)

- priority debarkation

- afternoon snacks delivered to your cabin

- higher daily service charges

 

Is this worth $1,000.00?

[JohnIreland]

That's a great deal.

[jpcdds6]

We always book a suite. At that price, I would do it in a heartbeat. You're gonna get spoiled!

[cliffd64]

What you will receive:

 

- larger cabin

- priority embarkation

- breakfast and lunch in Cagney's

- invite to Captains cocktail party

- priority tender access

- butler (extra tips?)

- concierge (extra tips?)

- priority debarkation

- afternoon snacks delivered to your cabin

- higher daily service charges

 

Is this worth $1,000.00?

 

Add to that list above that you are generally pampered and treated specially by everyone. Knowing how to utilize the butler and concierge is key to getting the most out of your vacation as well. Fair warning, suite life is very addicting when you have learned the ins and outs.

 

To see if you are getting a deal, you need to compare the Penthouse with a Balcony price versus the Balcony cabin category you currently hold. If it was on the sailing I am going on for example, for two people, the difference if we booked it ourselves is $2400 from Balcony to Penthouse with Balcony, so $1000 is a good deal. Your mileage may vary depending on your booking as it exists today.

 

There are so many facets to the suites and how to get the most enjoyment out of them, but if you do decide to go for it, make sure you read up on it here as its definitely a good idea to get advice on the subject from those who have been there before :)

[LiveToCruise99]

The perks would be nice but $1000 more? And do you really spend enough time in your room to justify the cost. Personally, I would stay where I am and spend the $1000 on excursions, fancy dining, shopping, etc. or towards my next cruise.

[wimsikl]

What you will receive:

 

- larger cabin

- priority embarkation

- breakfast and lunch in Cagney's

- invite to Captains cocktail party

- priority tender access

- butler (extra tips?)

- concierge (extra tips?)

- priority debarkation

- afternoon snacks delivered to your cabin

- higher daily service charges

 

Is this worth $1,000.00?

 

I would add to that:

- fantastic in-room Lavazza machine for coffee, tea, hot chocolate.

- Really nice toiletries from the onboard spa.

-A different color room key which announces to staff, when worn around your neck on a lanyard, that you are a Suites guest. Makes a difference.

- A full-sized bottle of champagne on ice in your room.

-Free room service versus $7.95.

-Can order Breakfast and Lunch from Cagney for room service; have to ask butler for menu.

-Double Latitudes Points (example:14 instead of 7 for a 7 day cruise)

-DVD player in the TV and DVD library of movies your butler can get you. Do it the first day for best choice.

- Probably a better ship location

- More things I can't remember.

 

I have been surfing other cruise line boards and I hear over and over how well NCL recognizes it's Suites Passengers.

[monkeybone]

I would not do that on the Dawn, If it was on the larger ships with the Haven area I would think about it.

 

Save your money to put down on another cruise :)

[swedish weave]

I would add to that:

- fantastic in-room Lavazza machine for coffee, tea, hot chocolate.

- Really nice toiletries from the onboard spa.

-A different color room key which announces to staff, when worn around your neck on a lanyard, that you are a Suites guest. Makes a difference.

- A full-sized bottle of champagne on ice in your room.

-Free room service versus $7.95.

-Can order Breakfast and Lunch from Cagney for room service; have to ask butler for menu.

-Double Latitudes Points (example:14 instead of 7 for a 7 day cruise)

-DVD player in the TV and DVD library of movies your butler can get you. Do it the first day for best choice.

- Probably a better ship location

- More things I can't remember.

 

I have been surfing other cruise line boards and I hear over and over how well NCL recognizes it's Suites Passengers.

 

Add a few dollars to that thousand and I could book an inside cabin for two people for another week on the ship. I would get 21 or more meals plus visit the ports twice instead of once.

Edited May 12, 2015 by swedish weave

[roboclam]

Have never had a suite before, booked one on the Star for 2016, please tell me about any and all "facets" as well as other "perks", the "ins and the outs you might call them...I can see the obvious "perks" like free room service vs the $7.95, tell me about the less obvious "facets" I should know about...

Thanks, looking more than forward to the experience, we've always had a mini suite in the past... Looking forward to the differences...

Rob

[cliffd64]

It's easy to gloss over the perks when they are part of a list, but here's a little expanded conversation on them:

 

Breakfast and Lunch at Cagney's: The menu for breakfast (especially) and lunch in Cagney's is superb, and the service is the best and most relaxed. You are greeted every morning and afternoon by name and treated like royalty. Great way to start the day for breakfast, and although we didn't always do lunch there, it was delicious as well.

 

VIP check-in and embarkation: When you arrive at port (assuming you arrive early), you will go into a special line and be processed very quickly and then escorted to a private area with refreshments while you wait to be escorted on board. There you will get to meet the concierge and asst concierge, and perhaps your butler. Once boarding is ready, you will be escorted on board and if your cabin is ready, right to your cabin, otherwise to Cagneys for lunch. They will even offer to take your carry-on on board for you...

 

VIP tendering: If you are arriving at a port that tenders, you will be allowed to have priority meaning you will be one of the first people to get on a tender if you want to. You will be walked past the long line of people awaiting tenders and onto the first one if you want.

 

Concierge Access: The concierge is your liason on board. "No" is not usually in his/her vocabulary. You can get restaurant reservations (even when they say they are full) or shore excursions, and many other arrangements through the concierge. They are your go to person for anything you may need outside of your cabin, as well as any difficulties IN your cabin as well. They are responsible for resolving anything that comes up for you.

 

Butler: The butler is also very useful to you... By calling your butler, you may arrange to have meals from any of the restaurants aboard ship in your cabin if you want. They can also bring you individual items like a specific dessert from your favorite specialty restaurant as you desire. They are quite efficient and they do keep track of the things you like. The butlers will develop a dossier of your likes and the next time you are in a suite, your new butler will already know some of your favorites :) They are the go to person for your cabin needs. They will also deliver standard afternoon snacks for suite passengers although if you have a special preference, they will adapt to your likes and dislikes.

 

VIP disembarkation: When in a suite, you can be escorted off the ship early if you wish. Your luggage will be in a special area and you will not have to wait "until your color is called".

 

The coffee machine in your room... to die for.

 

Your color coded room key instantly alerts staff people to your status as suite passengers.

 

Definitely worth it in my opinion. And we don't spend a ton of time in our cabin...

Edited May 12, 2015 by cliffd64

[cliffd64]

Have never had a suite before, booked one on the Star for 2016, please tell me about any and all "facets" as well as other "perks", the "ins and the outs you might call them...I can see the obvious "perks" like free room service vs the $7.95, tell me about the less obvious "facets" I should know about...

Thanks, looking more than forward to the experience, we've always had a mini suite in the past... Looking forward to the differences...

Rob

 

Here's another good thread to read ....

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2150810&highlight=suite+life

[roboclam]

Thank you very much I appreciate the quick response as well as the great information...Very much looking forward to the experience, now we hope we can live up to being "suite guests"...

Again, thanks...

Rob

[swedish weave]

It's easy to gloss over the perks when they are part of a list, but here's a little expanded conversation on them:

 

Breakfast and Lunch at Cagney's: The menu for breakfast (especially) and lunch in Cagney's is superb, and the service is the best and most relaxed. You are greeted every morning and afternoon by name and treated like royalty. Great way to start the day for breakfast, and although we didn't always do lunch there, it was delicious as well.

 

VIP check-in and embarkation: When you arrive at port (assuming you arrive early), you will go into a special line and be processed very quickly and then escorted to a private area with refreshments while you wait to be escorted on board. There you will get to meet the concierge and asst concierge, and perhaps your butler. Once boarding is ready, you will be escorted on board and if your cabin is ready, right to your cabin, otherwise to Cagneys for lunch. They will even offer to take your carry-on on board for you...

 

VIP tendering: If you are arriving at a port that tenders, you will be allowed to have priority meaning you will be one of the first people to get on a tender if you want to. You will be walked past the long line of people awaiting tenders and onto the first one if you want.

 

Concierge Access: The concierge is your liason on board. "No" is not usually in his/her vocabulary. You can get restaurant reservations (even when they say they are full) or shore excursions, and many other arrangements through the concierge. They are your go to person for anything you may need outside of your cabin.

 

Butler: The butler is also very useful to you... By calling your butler, you may arrange to have meals from any of the restaurants aboard ship in your cabin if you want. They can also bring you individual items like a specific dessert from your favorite specialty restaurant as you desire. They are quite efficient and they do keep track of the things you like. The butlers will develop a dossier of your likes and the next time you are in a suite, your new butler will already know some of your favorites :) They are the go to person for your cabin needs. They will also deliver standard afternoon snacks for suite passengers although if you have a special preference, they will adapt to your likes and dislikes.

 

VIP disembarkation: When in a suite, you can be escorted off the ship early if you wish. Your luggage will be in a special area and you will not have to wait "until your color is called".

 

The coffee machine in your room... to die for.

 

Your color coded room key instantly alerts staff people to your status as suite passengers.

 

Definitely worth it in my opinion. And we don't spend a ton of time in our cabin...

 

Can you put a dollar figure on these items ?

[Kingofwylietx]

we hope we can live up to being "suite guests"...

Again, thanks...

Rob

There is nothing to live up to. It is simply a nicer experience.

 

 

Can you put a dollar figure on these items ?

 

$1000, in this case.

 

 

Other points:

You are exempt from the room service fee, so you can pretty much have anything delivered to your room. If you want to take something from a restaurant, such as a desert, the butler will deliver it. You get a selection of bed pillows for comfort.

 

You will have the Lavazza coffee machine, but you can also just have your butler deliver coffee and pre-breakfast snacks to your room at a designated time. That way, you can enjoy some coffee before greeting the world.

 

People always say 'why spend the money on a room when you only sleep there?'....but I have noticed that we spend more time in the cabin when in a suite. Think of it like your back yard. If you only have a patch of concrete, you probably won't sit out there....but a suite is like a fully decked retreat...it's actually enjoyable and you don't feel like you need to leave to be comfy. They are spacious, comfortable, and normally have a larger balcony.

 

Our concierge had an uncanny knack for finding us a few times each day. We frequently saw her around the ship and she always offered her services. She arranged a bridge tour for all the suites, which was really neat. She offered us better seating at the shows, without having to be there early. The butler and concierge signed and gave a happy anniversary card to us, along with a rose and swan towel animals.

 

Again, it's just a nice experience. If you have not done it and don't mind spending the money, I say go for it. I could easily sail in a balcony, a suite is not going to change your life. But, it is definitely worth doing if you have any interest in it.

[cliffd64]

Can you put a dollar figure on these items ?

 

Wouldn't even try to...

[4774Papa]

Knowing the length of the cruise would help.

[cliffd64]

Add a few dollars to that thousand and I could book an inside cabin for two people for another week on the ship. I would get 21 or more meals plus visit the ports twice instead of once.

 

That's wonderful for you... Not possible for me unless I get divorced. My wife will never ever cruise in an inside cabin again... Minimum cabin category would be Balcony for her. Maybe an outside cabin if it was a really nice one.

[amarvel]

People always say 'why spend the money on a room when you only sleep there?'....but I have noticed that we spend more time in the cabin when in a suite. Think of it like your back yard. If you only have a patch of concrete, you probably won't sit out there....but a suite is like a fully decked retreat...it's actually enjoyable and you don't feel like you need to leave to be comfy. They are spacious, comfortable, and normally have a larger balcony. .

 

This cannot be said enough. Having a suite is not like having a regular cramped room. When in a suite we spend more time in the room. Sometimes having meals delivered because there is the balcony or table to eat at. it's no different then finding a quiet place on deck somewhere except it's your own private quiet place.

[Theresa522]

That's wonderful for you... Not possible for me unless I get divorced. My wife will never ever cruise in an inside cabin again... Minimum cabin category would be Balcony for her. Maybe an outside cabin if it was a really nice one.

 

lmfao... I don't blame your wife neither would I. Balcony or better for me :D

[triptolemus]

Add a few dollars to that thousand and I could book an inside cabin for two people for another week on the ship. I would get 21 or more meals plus visit the ports twice instead of once.

 

I would never cruise again in an inside. Ever. It's a suite, or I don't go.

 

Different stroke for different folks, SW. I'm not sure why you need to pile on about suites... :confused:

[swedish weave]

I would never cruise again in an inside. Ever. It's a suite, or I don't go.

 

Different stroke for different folks, SW. I'm not sure why you need to pile on about suites... :confused:

 

It is easy to explain !!! I would prefer to spend three or four weeks on cruises in an inside cabin than one week in a suite for the same cost.

 

The return to me is much more than a suite guest gets for the same dollars.

 

Try a calculator if you are still confused.

 

I have not bought into the salesmanship from the cruise lines that a suite is worth three or four times as much as an inside cabin. I go to the same ports and get three hots and a cot for my money--- same as a suite guest only I get more days.

Edited May 12, 2015 by swedish weave

[triptolemus]

The return to me is much more than a suite guest gets for the same dollars.

 

I'm not sure how you could know that, but...whatever.

[swedish weave]

I'm not sure how you could know that, but...whatever.

 

Believe me !!! Experience is how I know.

[Kingmaker_inc]

-Double Latitudes Points (example:14 instead of 7 for a 7 day cruise)

 

 

Just a note of correction: They will not get the increased points. When you upsell, you are given the points level from your original booking.