What can we expect with a Sky Suite "host"?

[hrhdhd]

1 hour ago, MMMCruiser said:

<snip>

We can specify afternoon tea if we don't like the normal afternoon treats?

Anything else I should know about?

 

For priority disembarkation (a couple of our ports look like they may be tender ports) I believe I go through the Retreat staff, not the butler.  And it looks like I can get bottled water in the Retreat Lounge, so it's ok that the room doesn't come with water bottles each day.

AFAIK, there are no more "normal" afternoon treats. If you want treats, you ask for what you want.

 

You can get bottles of water at any bar.

 

We were escorted to the tender area by our butler (retreat host). Maybe that's changed. And if he or she is busy filling a tub, you could have a wait. 😉

[MMMCruiser]

So we would be at the mercy of the host/butler and his/her schedule if we want to get off the ship quickly at a port?  That seems unfortunate (and a real issue for me).

[jelayne]

Often for the tender ports we have been asked to go to the Retreat Lounge when we are ready to get off the ship.  There are usually a number who want to get off about the same time and 1 of the Concierge’s escort us to the front of the tender line.  

[chemmo]

7 hours ago, MMMCruiser said:

I really appreciate all the responses (and the additional questions).  I'm learning quite a bit.  I also keep reading that people aren't happy because they aren't asking for what they want.  All this info here gives me some idea of what to ask for and what's possible.  

 

We get pillow options?  

We can specify afternoon tea if we don't like the normal afternoon treats?

Anything else I should know about?

 

For priority disembarkation (a couple of our ports look like they may be tender ports) I believe I go through the Retreat staff, not the butler.  And it looks like I can get bottled water in the Retreat Lounge, so it's ok that the room doesn't come with water bottles each day.

The ship has a range of pillow types including feather and non allergy. Important to us as feathers make us sneeze. If in a higher suite you can put your preferred on your request list and they will be on your bed on boarding. If you have not been contacted pre cruise just mention to your room attendant (he/she usually pops in to see you first day) and they will swap them. 
 

On some cruises Sky Suite guests have reported that their butler has stocked their minibar with soda and water of choice. If your butler does not offer to do this he may simply be responding to management directives on that ship so simply request him to empty the cooler. It does not necessarily mean he is reluctant to help you. On the first couple of days on going to any bar request water or unopened soda to take away and fill your own cooler. Alternatively head to the retreat lounge and request some water and sodas there.

 

If you want priority disembarkation let the concierge know the day before. They will explain where to go to. Usually the Retreat Lounge. We have tended to get there early and grab a coffee and a couple of their breakfast snacks (salmon and cream cheese are yummy) as we wait. In ports other than tender you usually do not need to be escorted. When returning to the ship some ports do have an (embarrassing) red carpet suite line. Whilst as long as the queue isn’t long we don’t bother if there is a long queue and we are hot and tired we have found this perk useful.

 

Re what you can ask for, keep asking additional questions on here and also once you board. For example, in normal times the concierge will usually arrange a few on board tours (galley, theatre, bridge). On our last cruise these were cancelled due to covid but can be enjoyable. Simply ask the concierge on boarding. They will put your name on a list if they are offering.

 

You can request an afternoon tea selection but before you do consider other options, that is simply our choice. Firstly, if you are an afternoon tea fan there is a full set up in the Retreat Lounge, we are simply too lazy at this time of day to go down. Other things you can request are things like cheese and crackers, a shrimp cocktail, crudités and dip. Hence in my earlier post my stress on the need to chat to your butler! Often by mid cruise we will also say ‘no more snacks’…sometimes afternoon snacks seem a better idea than they are when you are being offered excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner options.

 

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise!

Edited May 8, 2022 by chemmo

[galleycook]

On 5/6/2022 at 3:15 PM, JFontaine said:

 

Yes, I am typically contacted a few weeks in advance.  I'm asked about in room bar set up, specialty restaurant reservations, pajama size, etc.  and I'm given embarkation instructions (depends on port).  I'm typically low maintenance,  but as an example I ask that the Villa pool be filled every day at a certain time, because the ship doesn't want us doing it ourselves. 

Wow, they don't want you doing this yourself?? I assumed it was like filling the hot tubs that some ships have on the balcony, except maybe takes a little longer.

 

Can the temperature of the pool be adjusted throughout the day once it's filled? Depending on where the ship is sailing (colder or warmer itineraries), it might be desirable.

[JFontaine]

2 hours ago, galleycook said:

Wow, they don't want you doing this yourself?? I assumed it was like filling the hot tubs that some ships have on the balcony, except maybe takes a little longer.

 

Can the temperature of the pool be adjusted throughout the day once it's filled? Depending on where the ship is sailing (colder or warmer itineraries), it might be desirable.

On the Edge Villa suite i couldn't adjust the temperature.   It was filled very hot, took a couple of hours to cool down to comfortably get in, and in the shade the temperature dropped fairly quickly. I've had several experiences in different Villas and it was the same. 

[chemmo]

10 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

On the Edge Villa suite i couldn't adjust the temperature.   It was filled very hot, took a couple of hours to cool down to comfortably get in, and in the shade the temperature dropped fairly quickly. I've had several experiences in different Villas and it was the same. 

What was your general opinion of the Edge Villa balcony (sun/shade/space/breeze)?  I have spoken to two guests who have stayed in one…very different opinions. One loved it one would never do it again….

[galleycook]

3 hours ago, JFontaine said:

On the Edge Villa suite i couldn't adjust the temperature.   It was filled very hot, took a couple of hours to cool down to comfortably get in, and in the shade the temperature dropped fairly quickly. I've had several experiences in different Villas and it was the same. 

Thanks for the feedback!

[Mark_K]

21 hours ago, MMMCruiser said:

And it looks like I can get bottled water in the Retreat Lounge, so it's ok that the room doesn't come with water bottles each day.

Our retreat host made sure there were always a couple of cans of water in the room whenever she refilled the ice buckets.  

[JFontaine]

3 hours ago, chemmo said:

What was your general opinion of the Edge Villa balcony (sun/shade/space/breeze)?  I have spoken to two guests who have stayed in one…very different opinions. One loved it one would never do it again….

Very protected from wind. Sun only for a part of the day, probably the same as any side balcony. Pool was great. Loved the balcony but it is small and only comfortable for a small group. 

[George C]

1 hour ago, JFontaine said:

Very protected from wind. Sun only for a part of the day, probably the same as any side balcony. Pool was great. Loved the balcony but it is small and only comfortable for a small group. 

Zero sun on edge penthouse, wasn’t happy there , rest of penthouse was amazing.

[JFontaine]

2 minutes ago, George C said:

Zero sun on edge penthouse, wasn’t happy there , rest of penthouse was amazing.

You can't beat the M Class Penthouse balcony for sun. 

[George C]

49 minutes ago, JFontaine said:

You can't beat the M Class Penthouse balcony for sun. 

We recently did a royal suite on M class , fantastic balcony, about 200 sq ft with small hot tub .

[Covepointcruiser]

At least it was a “ hot tub” and not a bath tub as is furnished on Royal Suite balconies.    It is a waste of space, you fill with water and the temperature is not maintained.   I would rather have loungers on the balcony.    I also wonder how they clean the water lines.   At least in a hot tub chemicals are added for sanitation.

[chemmo]

9 hours ago, JFontaine said:

Very protected from wind. Sun only for a part of the day, probably the same as any side balcony. Pool was great. Loved the balcony but it is small and only comfortable for a small group. 

Thanks for that…We love balcony time and are struggling with finding an E suite with a balcony as good as the s class PH (I don’t expect to find one as good as the m class PH). The Edge RS balcony is a joke….

 

7 hours ago, George C said:

Zero sun on edge penthouse, wasn’t happy there , rest of penthouse was amazing.

This is what I had heard from others too although the inside layout of the PH would suit us. Iconic is beyond our price category….

[MMMCruiser]

On 5/8/2022 at 12:13 AM, chemmo said:

The ship has a range of pillow types including feather and non allergy. Important to us as feathers make us sneeze. If in a higher suite you can put your preferred on your request list and they will be on your bed on boarding. If you have not been contacted pre cruise just mention to your room attendant (he/she usually pops in to see you first day) and they will swap them. 
 

On some cruises Sky Suite guests have reported that their butler has stocked their minibar with soda and water of choice. If your butler does not offer to do this he may simply be responding to management directives on that ship so simply request him to empty the cooler. It does not necessarily mean he is reluctant to help you. On the first couple of days on going to any bar request water or unopened soda to take away and fill your own cooler. Alternatively head to the retreat lounge and request some water and sodas there.

 

If you want priority disembarkation let the concierge know the day before. They will explain where to go to. Usually the Retreat Lounge. We have tended to get there early and grab a coffee and a couple of their breakfast snacks (salmon and cream cheese are yummy) as we wait. In ports other than tender you usually do not need to be escorted. When returning to the ship some ports do have an (embarrassing) red carpet suite line. Whilst as long as the queue isn’t long we don’t bother if there is a long queue and we are hot and tired we have found this perk useful.

 

Re what you can ask for, keep asking additional questions on here and also once you board. For example, in normal times the concierge will usually arrange a few on board tours (galley, theatre, bridge). On our last cruise these were cancelled due to covid but can be enjoyable. Simply ask the concierge on boarding. They will put your name on a list if they are offering.

 

You can request an afternoon tea selection but before you do consider other options, that is simply our choice. Firstly, if you are an afternoon tea fan there is a full set up in the Retreat Lounge, we are simply too lazy at this time of day to go down. Other things you can request are things like cheese and crackers, a shrimp cocktail, crudités and dip. Hence in my earlier post my stress on the need to chat to your butler! Often by mid cruise we will also say ‘no more snacks’…sometimes afternoon snacks seem a better idea than they are when you are being offered excellent breakfast, lunch and dinner options.

 

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise!

 

Thank you so much for your detailed answer.  It's hard to know what to ask for or what's possible so your suggestions really help me understand it a bit better. 

Also, I would have thought that priority disembarkation would be more important at a tender port.  Am I wrong on this one?  We've cruised before, but on smaller ships and no tender ports.  We just like to make the most of a port day so waiting in line for 30 mins to an hour just to get off the ship is very unappealing.

[chemmo]

5 hours ago, MMMCruiser said:

 

Thank you so much for your detailed answer.  It's hard to know what to ask for or what's possible so your suggestions really help me understand it a bit better. 

Also, I would have thought that priority disembarkation would be more important at a tender port.  Am I wrong on this one?  We've cruised before, but on smaller ships and no tender ports.  We just like to make the most of a port day so waiting in line for 30 mins to an hour just to get off the ship is very unappealing.

Priority  is more important at tender ports, that is when you probably will be advised to meet in the Retreat lounge, my apologies if my post was unclear! The concierge will be in contact with the tender station and receive a message when they can start to bring suite guests down. We have used it a few times. The general rule is Celebrity tours first then others.
 

We arrive at the lounge and generally are escorted  as a group of about 10 guests. Celebrity tours may still be getting on but suite guests are usually seated on the next tender. So rather than join a large queue you are escorted to the front. The concierge will then return to the lounge and bring another group…We always speak to the concierge the day before a tender port and ask the suggested earliest time we can be escorted. We then arrive a bit before that time and let him/her know we are there. We will have a coffee while we wait. You do not need to ‘organise’ with the concierge, we just see it as a curtesy so they have some idea how many guests want escorting. If you are not planning on picking up a tour until later in the morning then the queue will be dying down and you probably will not need an escort. On our second visit to Santorini when we were simply planning to use the cable car, visit the museum and enjoy a drink with views that is what we did, no long wait for the cable car then.

[MMMCruiser]

So Celebrity excursions get priority over the Retreat guests?  Just checking so I know what to expect.

[emmas gran]

3 hours ago, MMMCruiser said:

So Celebrity excursions get priority over the Retreat guests?  Just checking so I know what to expect.

Yes

[chemmo]

3 hours ago, MMMCruiser said:

So Celebrity excursions get priority over the Retreat guests?  Just checking so I know what to expect.

Yes, one of the perks of booking a Celebrity tour in certain venues is the early start ones leave the ship first. On a couple of excursions guests are transferred directly from the ship to their day boat rather than to a tender. We did this in Bay of Islands NZ. Full day excursions with long drives also tend to be first off. I think once these early tours are loaded that is the point where the concierge will get the call from the tender post to say they can now start to bring down guests. So several Celebrity tours will definitely leave before you but you will be able to board ahead of all other guests and later excursion guests.

 

If you name the tender port you are stopping at people will be able to share their experiences.

[Mark_K]

6 hours ago, MMMCruiser said:

So Celebrity excursions get priority over the Retreat guests?  Just checking so I know what to expect.

Yes, Celebrity excursions get priority when they’re ready to leave, but this may or may not be before Retreat guests.  On a recent tendering stop in Cabo, they started taking people ashore before we were even supposed to be in the theater.

 

In any case, like chemmo recommended, talk to the retreat concierge, they will let you know.

[levramosis]

On 5/7/2022 at 7:15 PM, MMMCruiser said:

For priority disembarkation (a couple of our ports look like they may be tender ports) I believe I go through the Retreat staff, not the butler.  And it looks like I can get bottled water in the Retreat Lounge, so it's ok that the room doesn't come with water bottles each day.

Understand that, as I understand it, your butler reports directly to the retreat concierge. Obviously given this and my earlier comments, you can see I find that understanding some of the chains of command help understand how things work and how to get things you want.

 

You can get bottled water anywhere (meaning bars, which are everywhere), and in the suite they will automatically give you Evian if you want still and Perrier (I think) if you want sparkling - unless you request something else (at least, that's what they used to do, I'm not sure what environmental initiatives have done). At bars you may have to request Evian over the regular bottled water, and if you prefer the Evian significantly you'd better have it on you before proceeding off the ship (near the exit they will have a table of the regular water which - seriously - will taste weird if you are used to the Evian water). On previous voyages I've guessed that our butler wasn't restocking our water, but our room steward was. Of course it totally doesn't matter to me who does it, what I cared about was that it was stocked - and it always was.

 

All this assuming you have premium drinks package. I thought part of the deal of getting a suite was always getting that, though they done that wrong recently with the suite guarantee rates. Which makes sense as one of the Retreat Lounge employees once mentioned "we know who has the drinks package and who doesn't" when asked about people taking multiple bottles out with them etc. You never know what might make it into the computer. It would make sense if Celebrity has a file with notes on your preferences and things, like posh hotel chains do.

[Andrea & Bill]

Looking to book a British Isles cruise for my retirement celebration and 25th wedding anniversary. We have always booked the balcony rooms and want to upgrade this time for the celebrations. Are the Sky Suites really worth the additional price over the Aqua rooms? 

[chemmo]

27 minutes ago, Andrea &amp; Bill said:

Looking to book a British Isles cruise for my retirement celebration and 25th wedding anniversary. We have always booked the balcony rooms and want to upgrade this time for the celebrations. Are the Sky Suites really worth the additional price over the Aqua rooms? 

It honestly depends on what is important to you…I assume the cruise you are looking at is on Silhouette. If it is a different ship some of my comments may not be relevant.

 

Key features:

 

Luminae. In our opinion, definitely better food, spacing and ambiance than Blu.

 

Retreat Lounge. Nice venue, usually excellent service and pleasant company and a concierge who will look after those little issues you would normally need to queue at guest services to sort. The concierge usually arranges some special events too like helipad sail away, behind the scenes tours, musical events.

 

Room. Bigger than a standard balcony. If I am not mistaken on Silhouette Sky Suites are shower over tub, perhaps someone can confirm.

 

Retreat Host (Butler) who will bring your room service, snacks, coffee and help with bookings etc.

 

Retreat Deck. We found this a big plus on Silhouette, nice furnishings, excellent service.

 

Priority boarding and disembarking.

 

Priority tendering.

 

If you would enjoy these features then it is worth booking. Some guests see some of the perks as not something they appreciate. For example, they love the Martini Bar (so would not use the Retreat Lounge) and would not use a butler and do not sit out on deck that much(so wouldn’t get value from the retreat deck). To celebrate a special occasion rather than book a suite they may book a speciality dining package or a special excursion like a helicopter trip…

 

No right or wrong cabin type, just the type that best suits what you want.

 

Sincere best wishes for a fantastic Silver Wedding cruise. We celebrated our 40th during lockdown…Somehow champagne doesn’t taste as nice when not at sea!

 

[Mark_K]

Chemmo,

 

I would sooner think Apex than Silhouette.  Apex sails out of Amsterdam but the ports are British Isles.  Silhouette sails out of Southampton but mostly does Iceland and Canary Island cruises.