Thoughts About Suites

[PBTravelBug]

The only cabin type we have not tried on our Celebrity cruises is a suite. Have seriously considered quotes but, for one reason or another, never made the final purchase. Still have a good 10 years to go before we would consider retiring. In the meantime we feel very lucky to have control of our time so we can go on 2-3 cruises per year. Our favorite child (ie only child) is successfully launched and off the family "payroll" as of this past September (YEA!). We have cruised for years and have determined that it is our preferred way to travel and Celebrity is the line that does it for us. We are part of the Captain's Club at the Elite level. Starting to think - we should give the suite life a chance!

 

Would love to get thoughts & opinions about cruising in the Celebrity suites? Does it make for a significantly better experience? Do you always go with a suite or does it depend? How is the dining in Luminae? What is Michael's club all about? These forums are so helpful and I have learned a lot -  anything constructive anyone cares to share would be great!

 

For our cabin choice we typically look at the itinerary and the various costs. We try to find the nicest cabin (ie location & type) for the best deal. We like inside cabins especially on a port intensive itinerary. We were on the Coastal California cruise in November with a huge inside cabin in a great location. We spent so much time off the ship and in port that the inside cabin worked. Have done Aqua and liked it for Blu but did not care for the cabin locations. Concierge many times and like the cabin locations along with the first day sit down lunch. I would have a well located inside cabin over a ocean-view cabin.

 

 

 

 

[Mwgw]

We have sailed 5x on Celebrity. 3 have been a suite Alaska,Caribbean and Mediterranean. We really enjoy the food and service in Luminae and Michaels Club is fantastic. 2 of the 3 suites we felt our butler was fantastic. It was probably our own fault for the first one not being so good. We really didn’t know how to utilize him. Once you start pricing Celebrity suites you are approaching a Crystal cruise pricing. We are taking a 2021 Panama cruise on Crystal and we have a 2022 South America cruise in a suite booked on Celebrity. 
 

We think what you get in a Celebrity suite is a great product. 

 

 

 

[PBTravelBug]

Just now, Mwgw said:

We have sailed 5x on Celebrity. 3 have been a suite Alaska,Caribbean and Mediterranean. We really enjoy the food and service in Luminae and Michaels Club is fantastic. 2 of the 3 suites we felt our butler was fantastic. It was probably our own fault for the first one not being so good. We really didn’t know how to utilize him. Once you start pricing Celebrity suites you are approaching a Crystal cruise pricing. We are taking a 2021 Panama cruise on Crystal and we have a 2022 South America cruise in a suite booked on Celebrity. 
 

We think what you get in a Celebrity suite is a great product. 

 

 

 

Thank you!

About the butler - how do you utilize a butler?

[Mwgw]

We ask them to do more. Our first butler we were hesitant to ask for things.  Our last one would get us drinks. During the Hubbard glacier viewing he got us spiked coffee and coco. 😉

[Globehoppers]

Appears you may be overthinking "suites."  Suites on any ship/cruise line offer the passenger more space, "luxury" and flexibility. What you get with a suite varies tremendously between cruise lines.  We have sailed in everything from a balcony cabin, to mini-suites (offering more space w/o a "butler") to the Royal Suite on a Solstice class.  The addition space is really nice, the addition of a "butler" less so.  We select cruises based on itineraries and not butlers.  Its also a matter of affordability.  Many are not concerned with the price of a cruise and can afford what they want.  Others, not so much.

Edited January 17, 2020 by Globehoppers

[grandgeezer]

We were in a Sky Suite, on the Equinox after supposedly the revolution, in August. We’ve also been in the Grand Suite on the Allure of the Seas, and the Yacht Club Deluxe Suite on MSC Seaside twice.

The Equinox was, by far, the most expensive, least value of the three. The only real highlight was dining in Luminae and that had some less than stellar considering the hype. One, it’s not open on sea days, and two, there is not a beef dish every day. I was told I could order off the MDR menu and that’s one of the reasons I booked a suite, for the food.

We would do RCL again, if the price is right, but the Equinox price is so far off, I can’t imagine it would be in a range where we would consider it.

[Oville]

22 minutes ago, grandgeezer said:

 

The Equinox was, by far, the most expensive, least value of the three. The only real highlight was dining in Luminae and that had some less than stellar considering the hype. One, it’s not open on sea days, and two, there is not a beef dish every day. I

Your above highlighted statements are untrue.  Luminae is open for breakfast and dinner everyday and closed for lunch on port days.  There is a beef dish offered everyday at dinner, a 4 oz filet.  We are currently on a 7 day Celebrity cruise and beef is on the menu 5 of the 7 days.

Edited January 17, 2020 by Oville

[CHEZMARYLOU]

We have been sailing with Celebrity since 1997 and have been in every class except an inside. In 2013 we had our 1st suite and have continued booking them.  Most of our cruises are a "get away" cruise to the Caribbean and we cruise to relax on the ship which is why we book suites.  If we were to take a port intensive cruise and intended to get off the ship in most ports we would probably book Aqua Class.  We like a quiet dining experience and usually get that in Luminae. We also like the added space and service from the butler and Michaels Club. We typically cruise only once a year and are RDINK's cruisers so the cost is usually not a factor for us. 

Edited January 17, 2020 by CHEZMARYLOU

[39august]

We, on the other hand, feel our Equinox first suite experience was far superior to our suite experience on RCI's Oasis class ships. Certainly the dining in Luminae was much better than the Coastal Kitchen. We will be doing suites from now on on X. Yes, they are expensive, but we would rather spend our money on a great experience on a ship than any other type of travel. Of course, we are older, long retired and have slowed down. So we enjoy being waited on and staying in comfortable cabins. BTW, Luminae is open for breakfast and dinner every day. Lunch is served there on sea days. My friend cruises with Seaborn now and I have seen a few prices close to what we are seeing on X for suites (Sky). But we don't feel that luxury  lines would be a fit for us. 

[Beachlover1989]

We always sailed in Concierge class because of the location of the cabins, until we did a Celebrity Suite on the Infinity - Luminae was fantastic!  It was so nice to not have to deal with the MDR.  Then our last cruise with friends we didn't do a suite because they didn't want to pay for one.  The MDR was so awful - not the food, but just trying to get in, get a table for 4, get it with your preferred waiter, etc.  I don't want to have to do that again!  So now we're booking either Suites or Aqua Class - anything to not have to deal with the MDR!  

[jelayne]

We book a Suite (when price isn’t crazy high)  for long cruises with a lot of sea days.  Shorter cruises with more port days we book Aqua.  
We enjoy the extra space of a Suite.  We don’t use the Butler much; they are stretched pretty thin and we can get our own  morning coffee, make our own dinner reservations and call room service if we want a afternoon snack.   We don’t care for Michaels Club on the S Class ships and most times when we stop in it dead.  For some reason we have found  I heals on the M Class ship has been more use and more going on in the early evening.   Luminae is nice and not as busy as Blu so generally it is quieter with a bit better service.   We do however prefer the menu in Blu to the Luminae menu.  

[opa&oma]

We have done Sky Suites many times but have come to decide they're not really worth the extra cost.  In our opinion, the only thing they have going for them is Luminae and the extra space.  You could eat in Murano every night with the savings from a veranda, and I love the cozy feeling in the smaller room.

[misterkevin]

It depends on what you expect from a cruise. I had only booked aqua class cabins on Celebrity since 2018 when we started cruising with them and immediately became a fan. On my last cruise in July on the Equinox, which was our third Celebrity cruise, we upgraded to a Sky Suite because I was concerned that there would be more children on board and more crowding around the pool. I put in a modest MoveUp bid after final payment and was upgraded once again to a Celebrity Suite. From my experience, the suite life changed the entire cruising experience in a very good way for us. I have another cruise booked this summer and It's going to be a suite again. Here are a few reasons I fell in love with the experience:

 

1. Suite treatment started a couple of weeks before the cruise when I got an email from the suite concierge asking us about the bed (I prefer a pillow topper), pillows preferences, and whether we wanted our in cabin fridge cleared.

 

2. Embarkation from Pier 25 in Port Everglades was a new experience. We had a completely separate experience at the terminal. We stopped closer to the doors and had separate porters and curbside agents. We were whisked through a private corridor to a special elevator to a lounge where we had light breakfast available. We were checked in from agents who met us at our chairs and checked us in on iPads. We were first on the ship.

 

3. There's more room in your cabin. The balcony is larger. You get a bath tub. There are upgraded toiletries (although not sure whether these are different from aqua and concierge classes).

 

4. You get a cabin attendant and and a butler. Our butler gave us his cell phone number and we could call at any time with any request. He served all of our room service meals to us. Also, the room service menu is upgraded and there is no extra charge for steak and eggs or truffled omelets with caviar.

 

5. Luminae is open for embarkation lunch. It is also available for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Tables are more spaced out in Luminae. Service is steller. Food (I understand this is subjective) is a step above even Blu. Bread choices are more varied. The sommelier will remember your wine preferences. It always includes an amuse bouche for dinner. On elegant nights, the dessert cart includes mignardises. In other words, it's much fancier. I liked that.

 

6. Michael's Club / Retreat is a private bar where they offer a light breakfast, hors d'oeuvres before dinner, and tea sandwiches in the afternoon. They will learn your preferences and get any special liquor your request to make your drinks as long as it's on board. There's no extra charge for this. It's quieter. We met very nice people there, although we've always met nice people on Celebrity. They hosted an officers meet and greet in the club where we met all of the senior  officers including the captain one evening before dinner and they had servers with trays of appetizers walking around also with champagne. The concierges there will address any issues for which you would normally have to go to guest services. It's more personalized. They even have a future cruise consultant available to meet you there at your convenience to book another cruise. You don't have to wait in line at the general desk for this. There is an open cooler in Michael's where you can bring Evian, Perrier, or canned sodas back into your cabin refrigerator for personal use.

 

7. The retreat sundeck was a deluxe perk, although hot on the Equinox because they didn't finish the upgrade and had to exclude the hot tubs and showers. This will vary by ship depending on whether it's been revolutionized. In any case, there are padded loungers always available for suite guests to sun with roving servers from Luminae who will get you any drink you want (not free, but if you have a drink package, it's included). They serve a light lunch there as well. You order something and they bring it to you.

 

8. We were invited to more special events. There was a kitchen tour organized through the Luminae hostess. There was a free ship tour we could have participated in. We got to go to the officer's cocktail party for elite guests and above as well, despite the fact we weren't elite.

 

9. I decided to have a small party for 12 people in my cabin which I arranged through my butler and the Michael's / Retreat host. They threw in 4 bottles of champagne and a cheese and cracker tray for us at no extra cost.

 

10. There are special seats for suite guests for most shows saved at the center of the balcony in front. 

 

The whole suite experience is very nice. It's very elegant. It's like you're on a different ship. It changed everything for me. I'm spoiled now.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 18, 2020 by misterkevin

[encoresue2]

When we have had a suite....it was because we could snare an aft corner suite............we done those mid-ships and would still rather have an aft cabin which are usually concierge. Good reason to book early on a cruise you know you want. But we lovedour aft corner suite sailing the Sat. after turkey day.  Great Butler, views and super quiet. Yes, it is a long walk to elevators but that justifies (or not) a dessert in Luminae...ha ha. Met some super people in the special cocktail hour (in Retreat), dinner in Luminae and no worries about bar tabs. Worth every penny to us. Cruises are for not paying attention to stuff like that........

 

[encoresue2]

Sorry about the typos..........I was in a hurry to comment.

 

[saltycat]

Love the celebrity suite experience. We have always booked with 4 perks which makes it a much better value than a suite on royal .from embarkation to debarkation truly worth it! 

[PBTravelBug]

Many thanks to all for the great responses!

[Jim_Iain]

I have only found one MAJOR PROBLEM with suites.    They are addictive and hard to go back to a non-suite.

 

Edited January 18, 2020 by Jim_Iain

[K12Guy]

58 minutes ago, Jim_Iain said:

I have only found one MAJOR PROBLEM with suites.    They are addictive and hard to go back to a non-suite.

 

I have thought a couple times about attending suite withdrawal therapy.

 

That was stupid.

 

Bring on the Penthouse. Go for broke!

 

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

I've sailed in everything from an inside to the penthouse on Celebrity.  The suite experience is very nice, although the price is getting a bit crazy.  Give it a try and make your own decision.

 

Don't understand the comment above about Luminae on Equinox.  I sailed last fall and it was, hands down, the best Luminae experience I've ever had.  Everyone in there was awesome and the food was excellent.

[warmwinds]

We sailed in our first suite on Celebrity last may (sky suite).  We decided we really prefer Aqua and Blu, don't need a butler, thought the new Michael's Club ugly and bright and a waste, and while of course a bigger cabin and bigger bathroom were nice, we're happy to go back to AQ.  But we're glad we tried it once to be able to make that decision.

[TommyD3]

I have sailed over 150 times on Celebrity. Been in all cabin types from Inside to Celebrity suite.

If you only sail once or twice a year and are the type of person that drives an expensive German car, then a suite is for you.

I personally would rather sail 2-3 times as often for the same price.

In general AQ is 1/2 the cost (or less) of a Sky Suite.

Being Zenith we have Michael's Club / Retreat Lounge access even when sailing in an inside cabin.

Sometimes the service is good but quite often it isn't !!!

I have eaten in Luminae many times.

I agree that there is a lack of beef dishes on the menu (other than the Luminae burger every day for lunch).

Considering what the suites cost there should be an everyday full sized Filet Mignon available (not just the children's filet).

I have asked about this many times and it is like pulling teeth (even in advance when dining with the Captain).

Some see it as a plus that you can order off the MDR menu, but you are paying at least 2X what the people in the MDR paid.

That is like going to a steak house and being able to get a McDonalds burger if you want !!!

Personally I think that AQ is the sweet spot.

Great food, an amazing picture window (on S class) and much smaller restaurant than the MDR.

[chemmo]

I totally agree with just about what everyone says!

 

Suites are great for some people and less so for others!

 

Personally we love the Celebrity suite life...OP just go for it and see what you think...

[meechee341]

17 hours ago, Oville said:

Your above highlighted statements are untrue.  Luminae is open for breakfast and dinner everyday and closed for lunch on port days.  There is a beef dish offered everyday at dinner, a 4 oz filet.  We are currently on a 7 day Celebrity cruise and beef is on the menu 5 of the 7 days.

I second that.  That statement about Luminae is completely untrue.  Even if steak isn't featured on the menu, you can ask for one and they will gladly provide it.  Even the kids menu features a smaller steak option each evening.  You can download the X app and choose an available ship and current sailing.  From there you can check out the menus and the open hours for Luminae.  Luminae is open for breakfast and dinner EVERY day and open for lunch on sea days.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

14 hours ago, TommyD3 said:

I have sailed over 150 times on Celebrity. Been in all cabin types from Inside to Celebrity suite.

If you only sail once or twice a year and are the type of person that drives an expensive German car, then a suite is for you.

I personally would rather sail 2-3 times as often for the same price.

In general AQ is 1/2 the cost (or less) of a Sky Suite.

Being Zenith we have Michael's Club / Retreat Lounge access even when sailing in an inside cabin.

Sometimes the service is good but quite often it isn't !!!

I have eaten in Luminae many times.

I agree that there is a lack of beef dishes on the menu (other than the Luminae burger every day for lunch).

Considering what the suites cost there should be an everyday full sized Filet Mignon available (not just the children's filet).

I have asked about this many times and it is like pulling teeth (even in advance when dining with the Captain).

Some see it as a plus that you can order off the MDR menu, but you are paying at least 2X what the people in the MDR paid.

That is like going to a steak house and being able to get a McDonalds burger if you want !!!

Personally I think that AQ is the sweet spot.

Great food, an amazing picture window (on S class) and much smaller restaurant than the MDR.

 

I don't drive an expensive German car.  I drive a 20-year-old Lexus.  But I like suites on a cruise in the Caribbean when I will rarely get off the ship.  Most of mine were booked before the prices headed to the stratosphere.  I agree, the experience is variable.  Last fall on Equinox, you couldn't get a drink in Michael's/Retreat to save your soul.  And there was hardly anyone in there except one bartender who just liked to talk.  She was nice enough, but it would take half an hour to get a drink.  But Luminae was awesome--best Luminae experience I've ever had.  So you never know.  I think AQ is OK, but I've had very nice meals in the MDR also.  Personally, my sweet spot is 1A cabins on S-class.  But I've yet to experience a fully-revolutionized S-class ship, so that could change.  I've currently got 52 days booked on Summit this year, some suite, some CC.  We'll see after that.  She used to be my favorite ship.