Veranda Suite versus Penthouse suite

[cruisetheworld67]

So....we  usually have cruised on Holland America and want to "try" one of the luxury lines. We like what we see so far from Seabourn. Smaller ships; more personalized  service, better food. At least that is what we will expect. We always look for a room with a veranda/ balcony so the 2 rooms that come to mind are either the veranda room or the penthouse suite.

Both come with a verandah and obviously the PH is larger (not a big deal for us) and the PH I see has a fully stocked bar ( not a big deal as we do not drink alcohol).

There is no butler service on Seabourn so if we are looking at a future Caribbean cruise with a price difference of $6,000   between a Veranda suite and a PH suite;  would we not be just as happy ( for less money) in a veranda suite?   What am I missing?

[cruisetheworld67]

Also wanted to ask but forgot to.....we are also looking at SilverSea which has butler service. Is butler service really a big deal? I know they will serve a full course meal in the suite and maybe act much like your personal concierge. Just wondering  if any of you that have also cruised Silver Sea and how that experience compared with Seabourn. Thanks!

[Mr Luxury]

I don't particularly like the Butler service on a ship but like it in a land based Hotel.

The suite stewardesses on Seabourn can get things done and the Seabourn square reception staff are excellent.

You won't be left wanting.

[tv24]

IMHO the difference between the Verandah and the Penthouse is square footage.  It's all about the real estate.  With the extra space, the PH has a table and chairs, more complete separation of the bed from the sitting area, and a larger balcony.  In the PH you can have a few friends over for cocktails, a little difficult to do in a Verandah.  However the price differential is substantial, so if space is not important, then the PH would not be a good buy.  Like M. L., I agree that the Seabourn Stewardesses are more than competent, and that I have found butlers on ships to be a bit Lah-Dee-Dah.  Plenty of Lah and Dee, but not enough Dah.

[whystayhome]

The big advantage of the Seabourn penthouse, aside from the size of the cabin of course, is that the toilet is separate from the rest of the bathroom. The owner's suite, as 2 bathrooms, which for some people can be a real marriage saver.

 

We have had course-by-course dinners served on our balcony on many Seabourn cruises in regular veranda cabins. In the penthouse and owner's suite, the living room is conducive to hosting friends you made on board for a cocktail party or for dinner

 

We enjoyed our time on Silversea, but did not see how having a butler made much of a difference.

 

Whatever you pick, you can't go wrong!

 

Linda

[Catlover54]

If space isn't an issue for you, as you describe, then you can save $6000 and just get a nice veranda suite on SS or SB.

 

I liked the luxury and spacious Neptune Suite layout on Holland America ships, one big room,  but did not like the Penthouse Suite on SB because I like to lie on the bed and see the ocean and have an open space . On SB the PH  "bedroom" area is crammed off , and gave me a claustrophobic feel.  Plus the couches on SB are rockhard so I hated sitting there, much less lying down.

[Catlover54]

20 hours ago, tv24 said:

IMHO the difference between the Verandah and the Penthouse is square footage.  It's all about the real estate.  With the extra space, the PH has a table and chairs, more complete separation of the bed from the sitting area, and a larger balcony.  In the PH you can have a few friends over for cocktails, a little difficult to do in a Verandah.  However the price differential is substantial, so if space is not important, then the PH would not be a good buy.  Like M. L., I agree that the Seabourn Stewardesses are more than competent, and that I have found butlers on ships to be a bit Lah-Dee-Dah.  Plenty of Lah and Dee, but not enough Dah.

Due to Covid, it will be a while before having friends over for cocktails in your suite will be sanctioned by a cruise line barely getting going.

But you can fit them into a Veranda suite!  On SS, a poster in a veranda suite  (Terry in Ohio) had a sports on TV event in his suite for I think six people, snacks and drinks catered by the butler. It was tight, but doable with a butler, not so much with a busy SB stewardess. But other than for events like that, there is not much  an SS butler does that a SB stewardess cannot so. He might help with restaurant reservations, or serve canapes a little more reliably.  One butler on SS we had was fantastic ( intelligent, proactive, and creative) , but  others were overworked and provided no added value.

 

 

[nolatravelgirl]

I have never been one to have people over in my room. I like the room service that is from the full dining room menu but when I do that it is usually because we don't want to get dressed up and want a low key night in watching movies in comfy clothes. I have never felt the need to host a dinner party in my room. I have however coordinated dinner parties in the MDR. 

 

If you have 6K to burn then go for it but the standard Verandah suite is quite spacious and plenty of space for a couple. 

[SLSD]

On 4/26/2021 at 7:50 AM, Catlover54 said:

 Plus the couches on SB are rockhard so I hated sitting there, much less lying down.

Yes, the rock hard sofas.  Does anyone know why the sofas/couches on SB HAVE to be so hard?  

[Catlover54]

SLSD, it remains a mystery how those horrid sofas on the Quest and Odyssey were selected.  The best theory is that the 20 or 30 something healthy guy in charge of getting furniture at the time thought they *looked* cool and would be durable and would last a long time before needing replacement, and he probably got a good price to save the parent company Carnival money, maybe because no one else was buying them. The modern trend in furniture ( cruise ships, restaurants, hotel rooms) seems to also generally be to make pieces that while uncomfortable for susceptible seniors, are  tolerable for younger people,  if the appearance is enhanced. Soft comfort is "old-fashioned" and may look clunky.

The buyer almost certainly never suffered from arthritis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, sciatica, or other conditions which make sitting on anything that hard while trying to relax tortuous.

After my first experience with those things, when it took  extra pillows brought by the stewardess to make sitting in my PH "tolerable,"   DH and I carried an inflatable roll-up REI camping pad to SB ships, and to hotels whose beds we did not already know.  One of the first things we did after boarding is inflate the pad and put it on the sofa 🙂

[ernieb]

Damn - as a newbie to SB, in a PH on Odyssey, that really doesn’t sound like the “luxury” I am expecting.

[SLSD]

37 minutes ago, Catlover54 said:

SLSD, it remains a mystery how those horrid sofas on the Quest and Odyssey were selected.  🙂

Unfortunately, the newer ships, Ovation and Encore have equally hard sofas.  I figured they are considered sturdy.  They are so hard that you certainly think twice before sitting on them.  

[marazul]

On 5/7/2021 at 4:17 PM, Catlover54 said:

The best theory is that the 20 or 30 something healthy guy in charge of getting furniture at the time thought they *looked* cool and would be durable and would last a long time before needing replacement,. 

They will last forever because no one will sit on them.

[SLSD]

5 hours ago, marazul said:

They will last forever because no one will sit on them.

So true.  I think we understand now.  

[cuddles115]

The sofa is great for putting extra clothes and stuff.  Sitting......NO WAY!!!

[lincslady]

Agree about the sofas, but we manage to sit on them with some of the cushions provided; ditto on the veranda seats - but bring them inside  after in case of high wind or rain.

 

They were certainly chosen so as not to need to be replaced any time soon.

[Mr Luxury]

On 5/7/2021 at 7:19 PM, SLSD said:

Yes, the rock hard sofas.  Does anyone know why the sofas/couches on SB HAVE to be so hard?  

They are sturdy and hard to take the weight of some of the passengers that over indulge 😀

[Hlitner]

This thread has me roaring (with laughter).  I guess we can all agree that the sofas are "firm."  But I do find that a better option then some very soft sofas that take two extra folks, one holding each of your hands/arms, so you can get out of the thing.

 

Hank

[rl787]

We never gave a thought to the sofa, as other people have said we tend to use it for laying odd jackets on and other bits........normally if we watch any TV we tend to lie on the bed or use the single chair which I find quite comfy!!