Top tips for first time in a Silhouette sky suite

[ela123]

Hi

I’ve booked a UK Staycation on the Silhouette. It’s the first time I’ve booked a suite so would want to make the most of it. Any tips on what to make use of or how to make the most of it would be really welcome.

 

Many thanks

 

 

[chemmo]

23 hours ago, ela123 said:

Hi

I’ve booked a UK Staycation on the Silhouette. It’s the first time I’ve booked a suite so would want to make the most of it. Any tips on what to make use of or how to make the most of it would be really welcome.

 

Many thanks

 

 

 

The best way to answer your question is to break down the suite experience into its separate parts.

 

Boarding/disembarkation. Especially at present it is useful not to have to queue too long to get on board and to have your preferred boarding time. At disembarkation the concierge will escort you off the ship bypassing any queues. As there is no passport control and 50% occupancy escorted exiting this cruise probably will not be necessary.

 

Room/Butler. We have never stayed in a sky suite so hopefully others will comment on its features. Your room does have a butler who will bring you coffee on request, organise snacks etc. The important thing about getting the best out of a butler is by talking with him. For example, we request a small afternoon tea selection daily at about 4pm (just a few small sandwiches and a couple of mini tarts). Your butler will greet you first day and give you a card with his name and number. If you want anything outside your daily requests just ring him. Bear in mind you may need to be patient at peak times (breakfast) as he will have preordered items to deliver. If you have any simple issues (missing button, wet shoes) phone the butler and he will find a solution...

 

Luminae. Spend some time looking at Luminae reviews, especially those with pictures. The menu is quite playfully worded so it can be difficult to know what you are actually ordering. If in doubt ask the waiter to describe the dish. Vegetables on many dishes are more of a garnish than a portion so if you like your veg request a side of broccoli or a green salad. You can order from the MDR menu too so ask for it if you are struggling with the choices on the Luminae menu.

 

Retreat lounge. We find this a really pleasant area for pre and post dinner drinks. They usually hold one or two events (music, future cruise presentation, meeting officers, helipad sail away...). Obviously in present circumstances these may be more limited than usual but look for letters/information in your room and messages on your answerphone. If you have any issues re charges etc see the concierge he/she will sort them for you, no need to queue at guest relations.

 

Retreat Deck. We have not experienced this on Silhouette ourselves yet but did experience a lesser version on Equinox. The furnishings are very comfortable and well spaced and service of drinks and light snacks is excellent. At sea even in the Caribbean it was quite breezy. I would think on a staycation cruise the best chance of enjoying this space may be when you are in a port.

 

Remember booking a suite on Celebrity is about having the ‘ship within a ship’ experience. A ‘home base’ to retreat to but a full ship to enjoy! Don’t keep exclusively to suite areas. We love the speciality restaurants, the sunset bar, live music at different times of the day...

 

We can’t wait ourselves now to board! Any further questions, just ask...

 

 

[ela123]

That’s very helpful thank you 👍 

[dutchclogs]

59 minutes ago, chemmo said:

 

We can’t wait ourselves now to board! Any further questions, just ask...

 

 

When will you next be on board?  Have you heard of arrangements for the first 'international' cruises?

 

 

 

[Hazeldavies]

On boarding day you can enjoy lunch in Luminae, so try and board early if you can. Lunch is also usually offerred in Luminae on sea days and lighter lunch options are available on the retreat deck.

The concierge in the retreat lounge is great for any queries you would usually take to guest relations. They can help you book excursions, speciality restaurants etc.

Enjoy the suite experience! 

[chemmo]

47 minutes ago, dutchclogs said:

When will you next be on board?  Have you heard of arrangements for the first 'international' cruises?

 

 

 

 

With so many thinks still up in the air we have swapped from the Canary Islands cruise to a staycation mid September. Just looking forward to being on board!

[swjumbo]

I’m writing this as a Celebrity fan and a first time suite resident.

The cabin/room/suite is amazing.

Luminae was very average and we will not be going back. 
Is there a butler? 
No turn down service last night either.
The Retreat is lovely and to be honest if we had a regular cabin with the Retreat amenities then we’d be very happy.

At this moment, in the middle of the North Sea, we’re both extremely disappointed.

Wanted it to be so much more and quite frankly it isn’t. 

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, swjumbo said:

I’m writing this as a Celebrity fan and a first time suite resident.

The cabin/room/suite is amazing.

Luminae was very average and we will not be going back. 
Is there a butler? 
No turn down service last night either.
The Retreat is lovely and to be honest if we had a regular cabin with the Retreat amenities then we’d be very happy.

At this moment, in the middle of the North Sea, we’re both extremely disappointed.

Wanted it to be so much more and quite frankly it isn’t. 

 

Did you chat with your butler and tell him what you wanted on a daily basis? Did you telephone him and ask him for anything?

 

Many guests don’t want/need butler service so if you don’t communicate the butler will leave you alone....

 

If you have requested things from your butler and he hasn’t provided them then chat to the concierge.

 

In our experience Celebrity much preter you to express disappointment/complaints whilst you are on board so that they can sort out the issues...

[downsmead]

I agree with swjumbo, we loved the suite itself but were not overly impressed with Luminae. The Retreat deck is nice but quite windy even though we had the week with the lovely weather. Enjoyed the food and drinks on offer up there. The Retreat lounge was OK, however on our cruise it was either deserted or packed!

Our butler usually delivered any meals ordered on room service, and ice as requested. The concierges were far more helpful.

Since our cruise, we have tried Viking and were very impressed. Irrespective of your cabin type, everyone on board has equal access to all the facilities - eg. free spa, speciality dining, fabulous afternoon tea. 
We have a cruise booked with Celebrity in October, Canary Islands (if it goes ahead) plus a Caribbean one next year (L&S) and have booked a further cruise with Viking. If nothing else, the suite experience on Celebrity opened our eyes to look at what you can get elsewhere for the money. 
People look for different things from their cruising and with all the different options available, will find one that suits them. We are so lucky to have the cruise experiences we do.
We loved sailing from Southampton and Portsmouth and wished there were more sailings available. Hopefully the cruise companies may increase the number of cruises they offer as there was quite a market for the U.K. sailings 🤞.

 

 

[Eglesbrech]

1 hour ago, downsmead said:

I agree with swjumbo, we loved the suite itself but were not overly impressed with Luminae. 

Can I ask what you did not like about Luminae. Was it the food, the service, the general ambience?

[chemmo]

1 hour ago, downsmead said:

 

People look for different things from their cruising and with all the different options available, will find one that suits them. We are so lucky to have the cruise experiences we do.
 

 

 

Agree...

 

On a recent(ish) pre covid cruise we were chatting (on two separate occasions) to two couples who had both recently travelled on Regent. One couple loved it and probably all their future cruises will be with this line. The other couple hated it! What one couple had seen as a strength “So small and intimate” the other couple had seen as a negative “Just too small we felt claustrophobic”...As you say experience helps you decide just what is important to you...

[woodards]

4 hours ago, swjumbo said:

I’m writing this as a Celebrity fan and a first time suite resident.

The cabin/room/suite is amazing.

Luminae was very average and we will not be going back. 
Is there a butler? 
No turn down service last night either.
The Retreat is lovely and to be honest if we had a regular cabin with the Retreat amenities then we’d be very happy.

At this moment, in the middle of the North Sea, we’re both extremely disappointed.

Wanted it to be so much more and quite frankly it isn’t. 

What is it that you where expecting that didn’t deliver. Curious as we are doing our first suite cruise on Celebrity in September. Expectations are not particularly high, only comparison we have is in the Haven on NCL which we have done a few times which is very hit and miss. Plus suite on Azamara which was a fluke and probably once in a life time (owners suite). Never really used butler in any of those scenarios. 

Edited August 15, 2021 by woodards
Error

[LGW59]

4 hours ago, swjumbo said:

I’m writing this as a Celebrity fan and a first time suite resident.

The cabin/room/suite is amazing.

Luminae was very average and we will not be going back. 
Is there a butler? 
No turn down service last night either.
The Retreat is lovely and to be honest if we had a regular cabin with the Retreat amenities then we’d be very happy.

At this moment, in the middle of the North Sea, we’re both extremely disappointed.

Wanted it to be so much more and quite frankly it isn’t. 

Luminae was very average and we will not be going back. May ask why you felt it just average?  Certainly not questioning your experience, but would be interested to know why you felt just average.  Many on CC, myself included, do not feel the need for specialty dining because Luminae is so good.

 

Is there a butler?  Did the butler introduce themselves to you at the start?  Did you request their services and he/she did not deliver?  My personal experience with every butler I have had has been top notch.  Should be easy to correct if not, just talk to them and if that does not work talk to the manager.

 

The Retreat is lovely.  Totally agree, it is def what makes the suite experience (and cost) so special.

 

I hope your cruise experience improves.

[jelayne]

5 hours ago, swjumbo said:

I’m writing this as a Celebrity fan and a first time suite resident.

The cabin/room/suite is amazing.

Luminae was very average and we will not be going back. 
Is there a butler? 
No turn down service last night either.
The Retreat is lovely and to be honest if we had a regular cabin with the Retreat amenities then we’d be very happy.

At this moment, in the middle of the North Sea, we’re both extremely disappointed.

Wanted it to be so much more and quite frankly it isn’t. 

 I’m sorry your experience wasn’t what you were expecting.
 

I think sometimes high expectations are set by others on CC who rave about the  amazing ________ fill-in the blank (food, service, Butler, lounge, suite itself, the extra service they received.)     Some posters are responding about their experience and amenities  in a Edge Villa, a PH or RS which is not quite the same as a SS.

Prior to our 1st Azamara cruise I would read that board and ask questions. Folks raved how the food and service in the MDR was amazing and better than Blu and on par with Luminae.  We had some pretty high expectations and were majorly disappointed, to a point that we hesitate to  book Azamara.  
 

 

Edited August 15, 2021 by jelayne

[woodards]

9 minutes ago, jelayne said:

 I’m sorry your experience wasn’t what you were expecting.
 

I think sometimes high expectations are set by others on CC who rave about the  amazing ________ fill-in the blank (food, service, Butler, lounge, suite itself, the extra service they received.)     Some posters are responding about their experience and amenities  in a Edge Villa, a PH or RS which is not quite the same as a SS.

Prior to our 1st Azamara cruise I would read that board and ask questions. Folks raved how the food and service in the MDR was amazing and better than Blu and on par with Luminae.  We had some pretty high expectations and were majorly disappointed, to a point that we hesitate to  book Azamara.  
 

 

Opinions are brilliant. Haven’t done Luminae yet (20 days and counting). But would generally re-enforce view that Azamara MDR is better than Blu. However, we have had some amazing cruises in Aqua (most of our X trips) but given the choice would always book Azamara. 🙂

[George C]

We love Luminae first class food and service, have done suites on Celebrity last four years including last month . Have sailed everything from sky to penthouse suites. Have not done outside added on retreat yet, but inside suite lounge is very relaxing with great drinks and great staff. Enjoy. Suite perks in general are way better than most lines.

[Momma Rene]

We both loved Luminae.  One morning, just for fun, we went to the main dining room for breakfast.  It felt that it was loud, not relaxing and the food was thrown down on the table and cold.  At Luminae we have a lovely table and terrific service.  We never went back to the main dining room.  

[swjumbo]

17 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Luminae was very average and we will not be going back. May ask why you felt it just average?  Certainly not questioning your experience, but would be interested to know why you felt just average.  Many on CC, myself included, do not feel the need for specialty dining because Luminae is so good.

 

Is there a butler?  Did the butler introduce themselves to you at the start?  Did you request their services and he/she did not deliver?  My personal experience with every butler I have had has been top notch.  Should be easy to correct if not, just talk to them and if that does not work talk to the manager.

 

The Retreat is lovely.  Totally agree, it is def what makes the suite experience (and cost) so special.

 

I hope your cruise experience improves.

We wanted Luminae to be fantastic. Day 1 lunch was very average. 
Couldn’t eat my potatoes as they were undercooked. The chilled chocolate dessert was below average and warm. The sweet crisps were soggy.

Went back in the evening and asked for a table in the corner. Told to return in 15 minutes which we did only to be given a table slap bang in the middle.

We were then ignored and had to get up and ask for a glass of wine as our meal had arrived.

The small lady who appears to run it is very cold and it was a very unpleasant experience. We felt like we shouldn’t have been there.

Tuscan was amazing!

[techwatcher]

29 minutes ago, swjumbo said:

We wanted Luminae to be fantastic. Day 1 lunch was very average. 
Couldn’t eat my potatoes as they were undercooked. The chilled chocolate dessert was below average and warm. The sweet crisps were soggy.

Went back in the evening and asked for a table in the corner. Told to return in 15 minutes which we did only to be given a table slap bang in the middle.

We were then ignored and had to get up and ask for a glass of wine as our meal had arrived.

The small lady who appears to run it is very cold and it was a very unpleasant experience. We felt like we shouldn’t have been there.

Tuscan was amazing!

Sorry to hear that you have had some issues. Doesn't sound like a typical Luminae experience. As you are mid-cruise it may be possible for these issues to be resolved. I would suggest having a conversation with the concierge as an initial step to resolving your issues.

[Silkroad]

2 hours ago, swjumbo said:

Went back in the evening and asked for a table in the corner. Told to return in 15 minutes which we did only to be given a table slap bang in the middle.

We were then ignored and had to get up and ask for a glass of wine as our meal had arrived.

The small lady who appears to run it is very cold and it was a very unpleasant experience. We felt like we shouldn’t have been there.

I do understand why you’ve been put off by your experiences in Luminae. We had a similar experience just before shutdown. We were on our first cruise in a suite having Luminae access (had once had a suite before Luminae existed). After a frustrating two days, I tried having a quiet discussion about our desires with the lady at the front (I think she was the Assistant Maitre D’) at a quiet time during the day. I told her we understood that she had to manage the requests of a full pax load, but we’d really appreciate being accommodated when possible. After that conversation, she seemed warmer and we were seated in our preferred spots at least half the time.  

 

We’re giving Luminae another go on Edge (October) and Equinox (December) and we’re hoping to be so impressed that we’ll want to book suites thereafter. If not, we’ll stick with the verandas we’ve booked for next year. 

Edited August 16, 2021 by Silkroad

[chemmo]

36 minutes ago, Silkroad said:

 

 

We’re giving Luminae another go on Edge (October) and Equinox (December) and we’re hoping to be so impressed that we’ll want to book suites thereafter. If not, we’ll stick with the verandas we’ve booked for next year. 

 

Luminae is not to everyone’s taste. We certainly would not book suites for access to it only. We book suites for the ‘full package’. For those guests who are not over bothered about room size, butler service....then a good veranda room and a speciality dining package may suit better.

 

We have always found the menu in Luminae quite limited and the wording ‘playfull’ to the point of being hard to understand. We have, however, always found the service and ambiance very good. 

 

Strongly recommend anyone who is finding service/food in the restaurant to be below par to do as you did and speak to someone at an appropriate time. If the M’D is part of their problem or comments fall on deaf ears then I would recommend them to speak to the concierge and (if necessary) ask for an appointment with the suite manager.

 

We have cruised Celebrity many times and always found them very responsive when we have raised the odd issue. 

[Silkroad]

5 hours ago, chemmo said:

Luminae is not to everyone’s taste. We certainly would not book suites for access to it only. We book suites for the ‘full package’. For those guests who are not over bothered about room size, butler service....then a good veranda room and a speciality dining package may suit better.

 

We have always found the menu in Luminae quite limited and the wording ‘playfull’ to the point of being hard to understand. We have, however, always found the service and ambiance very good. 

And this is the crux of the matter. Each of us must assess how well the "full package" suits us. We booked our 2019 Sky Suite for the additional room and the opportunity to try both Luminae & Michael's Club. We weren't certain how useful a butler would be to us, and our ship hadn't yet had her "Revolution" so there was no Retreat. We loved our suite itself, Michael's club was delightful, and (despite the initial seating issues) our Luminae experience ranged from very good to excellent. Excepting one night, we had no trouble finding appetizing options on the Luminae menu and the staff was excellent (sometimes superb). Our butler wasn't a negative, but his contribution to our positive experience was negligible. It's possible that our inexperience was to blame for this. Instead, we found the Michael's Club (Retreat Lounge on most ships) Concierges invaluable.

 

We look forward to our upcoming opportunity to also experience the Retreat and Retreat Lounge on Edge. For us, it's certainly not all or nothing when it comes to booking suites. We may reach the conclusion that we prefer suites on some ships and Verandas on others. What's certain is we've been very happy with Celebrity and haven't yet been tempted to actually try other lines.

Edited August 16, 2021 by Silkroad

[DenGNNJ]

Here's some of the things we were able to do/get while in a Sky Suite on Celebrity.  Don't know if they still do all this, but it doesn't hurt to ask...

• BLU... Suite guests can eat at Blu breakfast, lunch, & dinner if there's availability.
• FUTURE CRUISES... talk to the concierge in the Retreat Lounge and ask for an appointment with the FUTURE CRUISE person.  He/she will meet you in the lounge and you can book your next cruise without waiting on line & while having cocktails and snacks.
• LUMINAE... Never had a bad meal there.  Have the Luminae burger (terrific) for lunch on embarkation day (avoid the buffet crowd).
• BUTLER... The first person we speak with about EVERYTHING.  If she/he can't help, you'll be put in touch with someone who can.  Don't forget about the reserved seating at the shows for suite guests.
• RETREAT CONCIERGE... If the Butler couldn't help you speak with the Concierge (don't ever wait in line at the ship's service desk... the concierge can do what they do).
• RETREAT LOUNGE... If the lounge attendant isn't there, you can help yourself to whatever is in the fridge and enjoy it in the lounge or take it back to your room.
• AFTERNOON TEA... If you'd like to have it in your cabin rather than the Lounge, ask your Butler.
• RETREAT SUNDECK... While Luminae is open for lunch, you can order off the Luminae menu and have it served on the sundeck.
• CHAMPAGNE... If you'd like another bottle of champagne, the Butler may have a bottle in his/her work fridge that someone didn't want.

 

[mk960072]

On 8/15/2021 at 4:32 AM, chemmo said:

 

The best way to answer your question is to break down the suite experience into its separate parts.

 

Boarding/disembarkation. Especially at present it is useful not to have to queue too long to get on board and to have your preferred boarding time. At disembarkation the concierge will escort you off the ship bypassing any queues. As there is no passport control and 50% occupancy escorted exiting this cruise probably will not be necessary.

 

Room/Butler. We have never stayed in a sky suite so hopefully others will comment on its features. Your room does have a butler who will bring you coffee on request, organise snacks etc. The important thing about getting the best out of a butler is by talking with him. For example, we request a small afternoon tea selection daily at about 4pm (just a few small sandwiches and a couple of mini tarts). Your butler will greet you first day and give you a card with his name and number. If you want anything outside your daily requests just ring him. Bear in mind you may need to be patient at peak times (breakfast) as he will have preordered items to deliver. If you have any simple issues (missing button, wet shoes) phone the butler and he will find a solution...

 

Luminae. Spend some time looking at Luminae reviews, especially those with pictures. The menu is quite playfully worded so it can be difficult to know what you are actually ordering. If in doubt ask the waiter to describe the dish. Vegetables on many dishes are more of a garnish than a portion so if you like your veg request a side of broccoli or a green salad. You can order from the MDR menu too so ask for it if you are struggling with the choices on the Luminae menu.

 

Retreat lounge. We find this a really pleasant area for pre and post dinner drinks. They usually hold one or two events (music, future cruise presentation, meeting officers, helipad sail away...). Obviously in present circumstances these may be more limited than usual but look for letters/information in your room and messages on your answerphone. If you have any issues re charges etc see the concierge he/she will sort them for you, no need to queue at guest relations.

 

Retreat Deck. We have not experienced this on Silhouette ourselves yet but did experience a lesser version on Equinox. The furnishings are very comfortable and well spaced and service of drinks and light snacks is excellent. At sea even in the Caribbean it was quite breezy. I would think on a staycation cruise the best chance of enjoying this space may be when you are in a port.

 

Remember booking a suite on Celebrity is about having the ‘ship within a ship’ experience. A ‘home base’ to retreat to but a full ship to enjoy! Don’t keep exclusively to suite areas. We love the speciality restaurants, the sunset bar, live music at different times of the day...

 

We can’t wait ourselves now to board! Any further questions, just ask...

 

 

We just stayed in our first suite on Edge three weeks ago. We had a sky suite and loved it!!!!  my tips are: 1) if you know what you want such as a specific drink, coffee, snacks, pillows, magazines in the room, etc I recommend typing up a list and providing to the butler to keep.  Also if you are celebrating an event let the Butler know as he decorated the suite for my birthday with cake, flowers, balloons and champagne.

2) use the concierge for addressing any questions such as making spa appointments, excursions, casino credits that you pre purchase, and booking future cruises.  I told the concierge I was going to head down to the future cruise desk when the concierge said you dont need to go down there, let me have them come up here.  He called and provided times, I selected one and they were there!  Excellent service on Edge.

3) Retreat Deck, Edge has a pool and whirlpool so we hung out there a lot.  I never needed. my bulter there but did see him up there one day.  The bar staff came around while lounging and offered drinks, cool towels, and offered sorbet or fruit on a stick daily.  You have to go over to the bar area to eat and Edge offered a limited menu of lunch items at the Retreat Deck.  

 

Butlers can draw a bubble bath if you want one, take care of laundry, polish shoes, unpack and pack for you, and obtain reservations at speciality restaurants if you want.  I recommend using them for any desire you have, not abusing them but we found using a butler for their purpose made them happy and use too.  It pleases them to know what you want. 

 

[Momma Rene]

17 hours ago, mk960072 said:

We just stayed in our first suite on Edge three weeks ago. We had a sky suite and loved it!!!!  my tips are: 1) if you know what you want such as a specific drink, coffee, snacks, pillows, magazines in the room, etc I recommend typing up a list and providing to the butler to keep.  Also if you are celebrating an event let the Butler know as he decorated the suite for my birthday with cake, flowers, balloons and champagne.

2) use the concierge for addressing any questions such as making spa appointments, excursions, casino credits that you pre purchase, and booking future cruises.  I told the concierge I was going to head down to the future cruise desk when the concierge said you dont need to go down there, let me have them come up here.  He called and provided times, I selected one and they were there!  Excellent service on Edge.

3) Retreat Deck, Edge has a pool and whirlpool so we hung out there a lot.  I never needed. my bulter there but did see him up there one day.  The bar staff came around while lounging and offered drinks, cool towels, and offered sorbet or fruit on a stick daily.  You have to go over to the bar area to eat and Edge offered a limited menu of lunch items at the Retreat Deck.  

 

Butlers can draw a bubble bath if you want one, take care of laundry, polish shoes, unpack and pack for you, and obtain reservations at speciality restaurants if you want.  I recommend using them for any desire you have, not abusing them but we found using a butler for their purpose made them happy and use too.  It pleases them to know what you want. 

 

We have stayed in a sky suite twice before.  The butler announced both times that they had too many suites to take care of.  So, the butlers were not available.  I have booked a Celebrity Suite this time and am hopeful that the butler is better.  We are not demanding folks, just disappointed in the very few services the butler actually did.