Suite guests and platinum elite lounge

[Thrak]

On the Sapphire earlier this month, the offerings were just cheese, crackers, veggies, &dip. Same offerings every evening. The card in our room was the same as you experienced on the Caribbean Princess. Is this the beginning of a fleet wide downgrading of this perk?

 

We had the same on CB in April. First time we had seen this. We were neither pleased nor impressed. At least we had booked under the previous Sip and Sail so we drank what we wanted. It was a quiet venue (Club Fusion) which was nice, though. It was in Club Fusion on the previous cruise on Emerald Princess last October (again with the beverage package :)) but it was the "old" way with differing offerings and the card listed what each night had. Still not fabulous but a great deal better. The cruise was 28 days and one of the couples at our dinner table made sure to go each time they offered Steak Tartare. (I've never felt inclined to give that one a try. It just sounds wrong. :eek:)

[Knickearth]

we use to do the elite/platinum lounge nightly. Finally woke up to the fact that we munched on too many appetizers with drinks just prior to going to dinner. So we weren't hungry.

 

Now we go around 4 PM to the Vines for some wine and a small plate of tapas and we are off around 6 or 6:30 ready for a nice dinner.

 

Just a thought if you end up in similar situation or unimpressed with the platinum/elite lounge thing.

[Colo Cruiser]

The cruise was 28 days and one of the couples at our dinner table made sure to go each time they offered Steak Tartare. (I've never felt inclined to give that one a try. It just sounds wrong. :eek:)

 

 

Love it! :D

[OCruisers]

Do full suite guests get to go to the nightly platinum elite cocktail hour? Pretty sure I read this somewhere but can’t find it on princess suite perks info.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

Yes, for sure Full Suite Guest are included.

The best part it's a very relaxing place to have pre dinner drinks and ample space to sit with friends. Sometimes, it's hard to find a place for a group of 8 to sit so this often works for us. :)

[Hlitner]

we use to do the elite/platinum lounge nightly. Finally woke up to the fact that we munched on too many appetizers with drinks just prior to going to dinner. So we weren't hungry.

 

Now we go around 4 PM to the Vines for some wine and a small plate of tapas and we are off around 6 or 6:30 ready for a nice dinner.

 

Just a thought if you end up in similar situation or unimpressed with the platinum/elite lounge thing.

 

Completely agree about Vines. It is a much nicer venue then the large lounge used for the Elite thing... and Vines has a decent selection of wines and tapas.

 

Hank

[capriccio]

We haven't gone to the lounge on our last 5 cruises. Since we've had Sip and Sail on all of them we prefer the Outrigger Bar area on the Royal Class ships. If we're hungry it is just a few feet to the buffet to make a plate of hors d'oeurves. On ships with an Adagio Bar we'll go there for the peace and quiet and the usually lovely views out the window. The munchies aren't that great (olives, snack mix) but the drinks are much better than the new ones in the lounge. And Vines is always a good choice since we like wine.

[jagoffee]

For this event of you hoping for a Celebrity style replacement program, be careful what you wish. I predict there would be a very negative reaction from the Princess loyalists.

 

Celebrity’s Lounge is for Elite and above only (it would not include Platium level). Free cocktails from 5-7 PM on all but two nights of the cruise. You will be giving up your free mini bar set up. If it was not for the drink packages included on most Celebrity bookings, the area would be overwhelmed every night with all the Elites and above.

Personally I think the mini bar set up (or coffee exchange) is a nice benefit.

[Gracie115]

For this event of you hoping for a Celebrity style replacement program, be careful what you wish. I predict there would be a very negative reaction from the Princess loyalists.

 

Celebrity’s Lounge is for Elite and above only (it would not include Platium level). Free cocktails from 5-7 PM on all but two nights of the cruise. You will be giving up your free mini bar set up. If it was not for the drink packages included on most Celebrity bookings, the area would be overwhelmed every night with all the Elites and above.

Personally I think the mini bar set up (or coffee exchange) is a nice benefit.

 

 

But if in a suite, any suite, on Celebrity you also have Michael's Club, which serves free cocktails all day long and late into the night....it is truly a wonderful perk and has kept us captive with Celebrity for some time....suite prices however are starting to get really crazy so our next cruise is on the Regal!!!

[floridalover5623]

we use to do the elite/platinum lounge nightly. Finally woke up to the fact that we munched on too many appetizers with drinks just prior to going to dinner. So we weren't hungry.

 

That was their intent all along. ;)

Feed the people unlimited appetizers before dinner so they're not hungry when they finally do sit down to eat or skip dinner altogether. :rolleyes:

Although on the CB it seems that the appetizers offered might actually be better that some of the food I've heard people comment on.

[asctony]

I assume that I will be flamed for this. However, I have said and posted this for years on this site.

The Happy Hour Elite Lounge where they offer the drink for $6.99 or whatever it is now, is not a very good perk. Some ships will only offer the drink of that evening, nothing else. The food is ???

 

The Happy Hour in the evening whatever time that is where you may get the same drink BOGO for $1, is late in the evening. many people have said they didn't even know that existed.

 

Why not stop the in-cabin bar setup and really provide an Elite Happy Hour like RCI or Celebrity does? There is a dedicate Lounge where drinks are free from 5 -7 on Celebrity (Elite and above) and 5 -8:30 on RCI (Diamond and above.) They both offer food, too.

 

On RCI in addition to the 5 -8:30 lounge drinks, RCI puts 3 extra drinks on your Cruise Card that you may be used during that time in any bar. This allows you to enjoy a drink in a bar with your friends who may not be Elite.

 

RCI also has the Diamond Lounge that is open 24/7 where you may enjoy a quiet setting with breakfast from 8 - 10, coffee and cappo 24 hours, and food during the 5 -8:30 hours at night. The food is normally chicken, wings, shrimp, meatballs, cheeses, fruit, and very plentiful. Not just one thing each night.

 

Again, this is my suggestion. Many will not agree. But, please don't tell me to cruise them instead of Princess. I do all cruise lines. Each one has its + and -. Happy Cruising!!!!!

I'm going on RCI and MSC Nov 2018. I will get drink prices to see those $14 drinks. Going on Princess in Jan 2019. Wil price those out, too. Will post on here.

[Morisnfan]

We love the Platinum/Elite lounge drinks and apps! Havent tried the new ones, but we are open to new tastes, and can't wait to try it with new offerings!

[jagoffee]

But if in a suite, any suite, on Celebrity you also have Michael's Club, which serves free cocktails all day long and late into the night....it is truly a wonderful perk and has kept us captive with Celebrity for some time....suite prices however are starting to get really crazy so our next cruise is on the Regal!!!

Very true.

[eagletwo]

Last night on the CB, we are in the Owners Suite. We went to the Elite lounge on the first formal night. Snacks and appetizers were good. Never went back, too busy enjoying our suite. I do think Skywalkers is one of the most under utilized spaces on the ship. Year's ago, we could go up there mid afternoon and have a drink, enjoy the view. S

 

Anyway, really enjoyed CB this week. Our Medallions even unlocked the door from 2-3 feet away. Medallion team is working hard everywhere to get the entire ship working.

[floridalover5623]

Last night on the CB, we are in the Owners Suite. We went to the Elite lounge on the first formal night. Snacks and appetizers were good. Never went back, too busy enjoying our suite. I do think Skywalkers is one of the most under utilized spaces on the ship. Year's ago, we could go up there mid afternoon and have a drink, enjoy the view. S

 

Anyway, really enjoyed CB this week. Our Medallions even unlocked the door from 2-3 feet away. Medallion team is working hard everywhere to get the entire ship working.

Do you know if other cabins on the Aloha deck were connected for the ***** or just your area?

[Colo Cruiser]

Do you know if other cabins on the Aloha deck were connected for the ***** or just your area?

 

 

 

They are completing deck by deck from the top.

I believe they are working on Caribe now maybe even Dolphin.

We had friends on Aloha.......Aloha was done on our cruise 08/18-08/25. The OS is on Aloha Deck.

[GRAYTech]

...The cruise was 28 days and one of the couples at our dinner table made sure to go each time they offered Steak Tartare. (I've never felt inclined to give that one a try. It just sounds wrong. :eek:)[/quote

 

IMHO if you like steak you would like this too. Done right with a piece of rye, Tartare, salt, pepper and some raw onion it's one of my favorites. The meat flavor is intense, again if it's done right, meaning the freshest/best filet cut of beef on the planet and it was years ago.

 

I'm actually very happy and surprised to see this thread. We had the beef Tartare on cruises in the past and have not seen it in recent years. Maybe just on the 28 day? The "nosh" on a 7 day Caribbean has been run of the mill. Shrimp tree at best.

[heath_durbin]

It's true, I like the idea of the Excel suite on Carival coming with the basic soda package, but I agree... when you are gettin a more expensive suite, it should come with a drink package and mini-bar refills

 

I'm staying in a suite on the CB and I'm elite sattus, but you only get one mini-bar set up... I think if you quietly twice, or have two elite in the cabin, you should get a refill/re-stock (upon request.) 

[suzyed]

We enjoy getting a drink and a small snack before dinner.  We enjoy it when it's at Skywalkers so we can sit and watch the wake! 
I order whatever drink I want...sometimes one on the "list" but more often one of my choice....we're paying for it anyway so might as well get what we enjoy.

 

Edited August 20, 2019 by suzyed

[caribill]

4 hours ago, heath_durbin said:

I'm staying in a suite on the CB and I'm elite status, but you only get one mini-bar set up... I think if you quietly twice, or have two elite in the cabin, you should get a refill/re-stock (upon request.) 

 

If you are elite in a suite you do get two setups. If the second one is not there, just call room service and they will bring it.

[Mapu]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

If you are elite in a suite you do get two setups. If the second one is not there, just call room service and they will bring it.

Correct that you have to call for the second mini-bar set up. No longer will both setups be in your suite initially.

[Ombud]

On 8/30/2018 at 4:23 PM, Knickearth said:

we use to do the elite/platinum lounge nightly. Finally woke up to the fact that we munched on too many appetizers with drinks just prior to going to dinner. So we weren't hungry.

 

Now we go around 4 PM to the Vines for some wine and a small plate of tapas and we are off around 6 or 6:30 ready for a nice dinner.

 

Just a thought if you end up in similar situation or unimpressed with the platinum/elite lounge thing.

I'm looking for a new place. Only go to PES lounge if in Skywalkers and they moved it on CB / eliminated Skywalkers on some ships altogether. 

 

Are tapas still comped in Vines? If not, what's the charge? Might just grab something at IC but I can miss that running ad at Good Spirits

[Cruiserkenn]

On August 30, 2018 at 4:18 PM, paul929207 said:

In June & July on the Pacific, they had steak tartare, shrimp, smoked salmon, guacamole, etc.

 

Wow!  Sounds fantastic!  Where is it held on the Pacific?  Thanks!

[c-boy]

Mmmmm .... cocktails, people watching and conversation.

[suzyed]

2 hours ago, Ombud said:

I'm looking for a new place. Only go to PES lounge if in Skywalkers and they moved it on CB / eliminated Skywalkers on some ships altogether. 

 

Are tapas still comped in Vines? If not, what's the charge? Might just grab something at IC but I can miss that running ad at Good Spirits

Yes, with a purchase of a glass of wine.

[suzyed]

On 8/30/2018 at 6:27 PM, Thrak said:

 

We had the same on CB in April. First time we had seen this. We were neither pleased nor impressed. At least we had booked under the previous Sip and Sail so we drank what we wanted. It was a quiet venue (Club Fusion) which was nice, though. It was in Club Fusion on the previous cruise on Emerald Princess last October (again with the beverage package :)) but it was the "old" way with differing offerings and the card listed what each night had. Still not fabulous but a great deal better. The cruise was 28 days and one of the couples at our dinner table made sure to go each time they offered Steak Tartare. (I've never felt inclined to give that one a try. It just sounds wrong. :eek:)

On the Crown this past March, we had the old way with different offerings each evening and it was held in Skywalkers!  We enjoy it and the food is just enough for a small snack/app before dining.