Am I missing something?

[Corfe Mixture]

Although we are experienced cruisers, I think I might be about to have an interesting dilemma. On our forthcoming back to back cruises on Dawn, we have gone for a mini-suite instead of our normal suite.

 

Our reasoning when making the booking was as follows:

1. The layout of the mid ship minis on the Sun class ships is the same as the mid-ship full suites on the other ships.

2. We get many of the suite benefits, including priority tendering and laundry (albeit not a same day laundry service) and upgraded bathroom products etc, through being Elite.

3. As there is no Sabbatini’s on Dawn, the suite breakfast is offered in suite and it seems difficult to see how this service can match that in Sabbatini’s meaning we would probably not make much use of the suite breakfast service.

4. There is no Anytime Dining on Dawn, so there is no opportunity to be assigned the same table at a non-standard dining time of our convenience.

5. As Elite, we don’t need the double cruise credits.

 

OK, downsides include:

we will only get one mini-bar set up and we won’t get afternoon tea (which we only really use on sea days)

and

we won’t be able to dine off the full MDR menu in our cabin (which is a service we do not normally use)

but IOHO these don't amount to very much and therein lies my potential dilemma.

 

We have now paid in full for both our cruises and when I did a last minute price check to make sure my deal was still reasonable before paying, I was surprised to see that, whilst, on both the back to back cruises, all the mini-suites are sold out, there are still aft suites for sale on both cruises.

 

Most of these suites (including an aft Owner’s Suite) are available on both cruises and given this, I will not be surprised if I get offered upsells on both cruises, as they would kill two birds with one stone and release the same mini-suite on two cruises where mini-suites are currently sold out.

 

My dilemma is that it is our perception is that, on on the face of it, even if the price is very attractive, an upsell would probably not offer us any meaningful benefit at all?

 

As it stands, I am currently minded to decline any upsell offer and, given we prefer mid ship suites, I might even turn down an upgrade offer. However, if an offer does come along, one thing for sure is that I will have very little time to make a decision.

 

So, thinking ahead, and never having booked a mini-suite on a Princess ship before, though I am familiar with the Sun Class mini-suite layout from P&O’s Sun class ship(s), my question is: ‘Am I missing something in the above analysis?’

Edited August 21, 2016 by Corfe Mixture
punctuation

[Colo Cruiser]

Love the mini's on the Sun Class ships. :)

[Pam in CA]

The mini's on the Sun-class ships are the best in the fleet. Although you don't get the full suite benefits, the cabin itself is terrific. No way would I pay for an upsell because what you're really paying for is the suite breakfast, order off the dining room menu room service and double cruise credits.

[skynight]

I don't think so. You seem to have it under control.

[cb at sea]

You've already said that the benefits you are missing aren't things you use anyway....

[Corfe Mixture]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

 

Just wanted to be sure I was not missing anything significant and you have all reassured me.

 

So, although motion is not a problem for either of us, given the sea can get quite lumpy between Sydney and New Zealand, even if I get offered a free upgrade to a suite, we will turn it down and stick with the guaranteed smoother ride in our mid-ship mini-suite.

 

Kindest regards to you all.

 

CM

[Ron the Rev]

Seems that you've thought out the no-brainer nicely.:)

[-Lew-]

i'm beginning to think the cost of a full suite on any Princess ship doesn't make sense. Cruising in suites on the Allure, Oasis and Anthem for three summers with our grandson, where they're continually adding benefits, made me realize how little value added we're getting on Princess.

 

Royal Caribbean has been expanding its suite benefits while Princess has been reducing them.

 

[OCruisers]

The Traditional Afternoon Tea in stateroom (upon request) is an ELITE perk so you could still have that! :)

 

We LOVE the Sun Class ships and miss no longer having one in the Caribbean -- not too big and not too small! :)

 

LuLu

[Corfe Mixture]

The Traditional Afternoon Tea in stateroom (upon request) is an ELITE perk so you could still have that! :)

 

We LOVE the Sun Class ships and miss no longer having one in the Caribbean -- not too big and not too small! :)

 

LuLu

 

Thanks for that information.

 

I think I might have been confusing it with the De Luxe Canapes which we get every night in a suite but only on formal nights as Elite.

 

Actually this is something we enjoy, but I think the budget might run to paying for them on any nights we want to invite friends around for pre-dinner drinks particularly as the cost likely to better than any upsell offer.

 

 

C M

[compozer]

We normally book suites but we are also thinking that the perks are just not there anymore . LIke you, being elite, we already get most of them.

 

Suites use to sell out first but I am noticing that many are still available even atfer final payment. On our last two Med cruises, where we booked suites, they had a hard time finding people to take them when they were offered as upsells. Many people posted that it wasn't worth the money. Heck, we paid so much more that I almost felt like calling Princess and asking for an adjustment. People use to grab them immediately when they got the offer - not anymore.

 

Other than the larger cabin, they aren' t special anymore.

 

I think you are making the right chioce.

[daiB]

CM, I take it a Sun Class is 'Oceana', the thing you would miss out on are very large cabins and massive balconies. Just a thought.

 

The mini suites are large however and not that much smaller than the Grand class ships of P&O. Certainly the same layout.

 

 

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[Corfe Mixture]

Hi Dai,

 

Yup Oceana is a Sun Class ship. True that the aft balconies are big on the Sun class but the cabin size and layout of the mini-suites on them is comparable with mid ship suites on the Grand class and the original suites on Island. To be honest there is only so much space we need and for us 400 sq feet is ample. Certainly we found the enormous 900sq ft Owners suites on Ocean Princess ridiculously large don't need the 600 sq feet of an owners suite on Dawn. Indeed we only go for the large aft suites on the Grand class ships in order to avoid the noise issues associated with the mid ship suites on Riviera deck and the beam on the balconies of the aft Vista suites.

 

Composer,

 

I thought that it is mostly the mid-ship suites (which are subject to noise from above on Grand Class ships with a Riviera deck) which don't sell well and I was surprised to see suites still available on Dawn's Christmas cruise.

 

Certainly, on Island, I have always had to book early to get a suite (particularly one of the four D deck midship suites) and similarly to secure an aft suite on Grand class ships or a suite on the 'Renaissance' class ships.

Edited August 21, 2016 by Corfe Mixture

[Aus Traveller]

I think your analysis is very thorough and that you are heading the right way. We visited friends in an aft suite on the World Cruise on the Dawn. Although the space was lovely, we found that sitting on the balcony was very noisy. It was like sitting beside a washing machine going at full speed or a waterfall. Although we did love watching the dolphins behind the ship.:) As you mentioned, there can be a fair bit of movement at the back of the ship.

 

Another advantage of mid-ship is that no matter where you want to go on the ship, you only have to walk half the length of the ship.

[jasbo49]

I think you've analyzed it well. With the combination of your elite status and the cabin configuration on your ship, I would not pay much more for a suite.

 

But if they offered the suite for just a modest increase, I'd consider these:

 

-- The wood-and-padding balcony furniture in a suite is much nicer than the aluminum-and-plastic stuff you'll get in a mini.

 

-- A second minibar setup is not a bad thing.

 

-- While the cabin space in the mini sounds great, there's got to be more in the full suite.

 

-- The only time we had a full suite, I was surprised at the difference in the room steward. He was so capable and unobtrusive.

 

If you're accustomed to full suites, you may not have thought of things like balcony furniture and stewards, but I sure noticed these things during our one suite experience.

 

Jim

Edited August 21, 2016 by jasbo49

[eagletwo]

i'm beginning to think the cost of a full suite on any Princess ship doesn't make sense. Cruising in suites on the Allure, Oasis and Anthem for three summers with our grandson, where they're continually adding benefits, made me realize how little value added we're getting on Princess.

 

Royal Caribbean has been expanding its suite benefits while Princess has been reducing them.

 

Having only cruised twice, once in a suite and then a mini, I agree. Some of the other lines are really making the suite experience a good value. Princess might want to step up their game.

[srpilo]

Has the Dawn stop ATD since moving to Aus ?

 

I can definitely confirm that Sun, Dawn and Sea all had ATD when I last sailed them here in the US. Not that I've kept up with the 3 sisters since they left, but I must have missed the removal of ATD if it has indeed be removed in Aus..

 

Srpilo

[Corfe Mixture]

Has the Dawn stop ATD since moving to Aus ?

 

 

 

Srpilo

 

Yes

[srpilo]

Yes

 

Thanks for the update, good to know

 

Srpilo

[Lucky TGO]

Love the mini's on the Sun Class ships. :)

 

Quick Answer Keith, Ditto :)

Tony

[alan310]

deleted

Edited October 30, 2016 by alan310

[OzKiwiJJ]

Hi Dai,

 

 

I thought that it is mostly the mid-ship suites (which are subject to noise from above on Grand Class ships with a Riviera deck) which don't sell well and I was surprised to see suites still available on Dawn's Christmas cruise.

 

 

For some reason the aft suites don't seem all that popular on the Australian-based cruises. There is often one or two available right up to the cut-off before departure.

[Grego]

I agree with Pam and Tony.....but then I usually do. The minis on the Sun Class ships are great and perfectly good enough to not warrant paying the extra for a full suite and stuff you might not use.

[Corfe Mixture]

Well we are now five weeks from the first of the B2B cruises which caused me to start this thread and seeing it resurrected made me go and look again simply out of curiosity.

 

Well, it would appear that the Owner's suite is still not sold on either cruise, including the Christmas / New Year cruise.

To date, nobody has contacted me about an upsell, but even if they do, the decision is made. We will turn it down

 

 

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Edited October 30, 2016 by Corfe Mixture