Platinum, OS, and NO UDP

[Sea saw 56]

I read a post from someone that sailed in the OS on Pearl and had a problem getting dining reservations in the specialty restaurants.

We are getting ready for our 11th cruise in an owner's suite. We have never had a problem with specialty reservations through the concierge. The older we get and the longer we cruise, the less we want to have pre-made appointments for meals. With the advent of the UDP - is it really necessary to have specialty meals pre-booked? If so, that will sure diminish our need for a concierge.

Would love to hear recent experiences on this issue.

[time2cruise1]

I have never had an issue getting dinner reservation in the OS as late as 5:00 the night of. This was true last month on the Pearl as the latest.

[Sea saw 56]

Thanks T2C. I forgot to mention, our upcoming cruise is on the Jewel to Alaska. This lady's post was for an Alaskan cruise on the Pearl just in the past few days.

[toyotaford]

We returned from the Jewel on May 7 and didn't have any problem getting reservations.

[craig-n-carol]

We are also platinum, and had an OS in March on the Star, and we had an impossible time getting reservations for Le Bistro and Teppanyaki. This was not problem for us before the UDP, or on other ships.

[mpk218]

We are also platinum, and had an OS in March on the Star, and we had an impossible time getting reservations for Le Bistro and Teppanyaki. This was not problem for us before the UDP, or on other ships.

 

+ 1 ... much more difficult since the UDP and the fact everyone is platinum these days...

 

* NCL , thanks for the latest suite offer email , answers still no .. ;)

[dexddd]

We got denied on the Dawn back in 2012 for several reservations but I think that was related to the concierge lack of desire to try.

[Kaftan Kween]

We are also platinum, and had an OS in March on the Star, and we had an impossible time getting reservations for Le Bistro and Teppanyaki. This was not problem for us before the UDP, or on other ships.

Hi Craig n Carol from NorCal. Which OS were you in? If you were in the double balcony I would dearly love to pick your brain(s) about your suite. DH and I are on the Star #10006 in June, 2016 and I have a few questions that only one who's been there would be able to answer (honestly)! Thanks.

 

Jennifer (Recently transplanted from Santa Cruz area)

[dexddd]

Hi Craig n Carol from NorCal. Which OS were you in? If you were in the double balcony I would dearly love to pick your brain(s) about your suite. DH and I are on the Star #10006 in June, 2016 and I have a few questions that only one who's been there would be able to answer (honestly)! Thanks.

 

Jennifer (Recently transplanted from Santa Cruz area)

 

We were in 10006 on the Dawn - what is it you are looking about?

[craig-n-carol]

Hi Craig n Carol from NorCal. Which OS were you in? If you were in the double balcony I would dearly love to pick your brain(s) about your suite. DH and I are on the Star #10006 in June, 2016 and I have a few questions that only one who's been there would be able to answer (honestly)! Thanks.

 

Jennifer (Recently transplanted from Santa Cruz area)

 

Hi KK,

 

Here is a link to our review with pics. Let me know on that thread if you have any questions.

 

Craig

[Kaftan Kween]

We were in 10006 on the Dawn - what is it you are looking about?

Dexddd, mostly I am wondering about the comfort level for all if we shared the suite with my sister and her DH. I'm sure we'll have enough space for adequate separation, just concerned about sleeping situation. DH spends a lot a nights sleeping in his recliner, finding it more comfortable than lying down. Will the "comfortable" chair in the bedroom be comfy enough? And I'd like to know what the sleeping situation would be for Sis and BIL. None of us are small people, :o nor young for that matter.

 

Thanks for your input. Since the Star just had her facelift you may not even be able to opine.

 

We cannot wait! Never done the suite life before. Jennifer

[SuiteTraveler]

I read a post from someone that sailed in the OS on Pearl and had a problem getting dining reservations in the specialty restaurants.

We are getting ready for our 11th cruise in an owner's suite. We have never had a problem with specialty reservations through the concierge. The older we get and the longer we cruise, the less we want to have pre-made appointments for meals. With the advent of the UDP - is it really necessary to have specialty meals pre-booked? If so, that will sure diminish our need for a concierge.

Would love to hear recent experiences on this issue.

 

When we were on the May 2 Getaway cruise, I happened to see our concierge having to let suite guests know they couldn't get a reservation where they wanted at the time they wanted. Sometimes they could only get a reservation a few days later for the specific restaurant and sometimes not at all.

 

From what I saw onboard, Raw Bar and Ocean Blue are not very busy, Moderno was moderately busy but Cagney's and Le Bistro were completely full every night. Sushi was also very popular, but open in the afternoon. I never passed the noodle bar, so don't know about that. Tropicana room did not appear full between 7 and 9pm on the nights we were in Cagney's or Moderno and could see it. The Haven Restaurant is almost always empty. I didn't see what was going on in Teppanyaki.

 

I guess it will depend what ship you are on, but if it is a smaller one, I'd at least pre-book Cagney's, Teppanyaki and Le Bistro IF you want to go to those. On larger ships, I'd prebook Cagney's and Le Bistro as I also saw many get turned away from these restaurants when I visited them.

[dexddd]

Dexddd, mostly I am wondering about the comfort level for all if we shared the suite with my sister and her DH. I'm sure we'll have enough space for adequate separation, just concerned about sleeping situation. DH spends a lot a nights sleeping in his recliner, finding it more comfortable than lying down. Will the "comfortable" chair in the bedroom be comfy enough? And I'd like to know what the sleeping situation would be for Sis and BIL. None of us are small people, :o nor young for that matter.

 

Thanks for your input. Since the Star just had her facelift you may not even be able to opine.

 

We cannot wait! Never done the suite life before. Jennifer

 

I've got a picture of the pullout bed in the living room. Our kids used it and it was big enough for them but probably not good for adults. When we sailed on the Dawn in 10006 it was one year after dry dock and they really didn't do much to the room so I doubt much changed in your room on the Star with the recent dry dock.

[Carnac767]

We had no problems on Gem, even with last minute reservations.

[dexddd]

Dexddd, mostly I am wondering about the comfort level for all if we shared the suite with my sister and her DH. I'm sure we'll have enough space for adequate separation, just concerned about sleeping situation. DH spends a lot a nights sleeping in his recliner, finding it more comfortable than lying down. Will the "comfortable" chair in the bedroom be comfy enough? And I'd like to know what the sleeping situation would be for Sis and BIL. None of us are small people, :o nor young for that matter.

 

Thanks for your input. Since the Star just had her facelift you may not even be able to opine.

 

We cannot wait! Never done the suite life before. Jennifer

 

Pretty sure Craig and Carol were in 9006 not 10006 - the pictures/paintings are different and the other thing is the dining table is in the living room area. The Dawn and Star OS on 10 have a dining nook so the the table is off to the side.

 

The white couch you see in the living room in Craig's pictures is what the couch will look like for whoever sleeps on it - it folds out to basically double width what you see - not quite like a hide-a-bed with springs, but folds out. I'm guessing you will have new carpet in your room as the carpet from what I had seen in the past and actually looks nicer than what they had previously but not as nice as the original.

 

As far as chairs to sleep in, I've never seen any that are really like a recliner in those OS - the closest is kind of a chaise lounge in some of the living rooms. There is a half bath when you first come in the room and then a huge bath kind of off the foot of the bed. I'd say there is a ton of closet space as we easily shared with our kids but we also tend to pack fairly light. The Star and Dawn OS have two heavy pocket doors that can be closed (they have glass) and also heavy curtains.

 

Here is a picture of the bed made up in a Deck 10 Dawn OS. We were on the Star in 2011 when we saw those couches staged on deck 4 when they were in the process of converting many of the suites that only slept 2 to sleep 4. Those white things on the left side were the cushions from the couch. Our kids would put one of the long ones between them so Mr. Crazy Legs wouldn't bother his DS.

 

Edited May 27, 2015 by dexddd

[craig-n-carol]

That is correct, we were in 9006.