Suggestions as to how to get the most out of a Princess Suite reservation

[donaldsc]

On 5/29/2024 at 1:43 PM, JF - retired RRT said:

We were in a suite on Discovery a couple of years ago. I brought a print-out of the available suite benefits and was glad I did. I had to show the list to our steward to get anything that was on the list.

Even then, there were some items that we simply didn't get.

 

And the steward didn't get an extra tip.

 

Do I interpret your post seriously or was it a joke.  You actually showed the steward a print-out of all the suite benefits that you expected to get and because you did not get 100% of them you did not tip him.  Please tell me that you were joking.

 

DON

[reedprincess]

3 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

Do I interpret your post seriously or was it a joke.  You actually showed the steward a print-out of all the suite benefits that you expected to get and because you did not get 100% of them you did not tip him.  Please tell me that you were joking.

 

DON

Extra tip. They don't say they didn't tip at all. Just no additional/extra tip..

 

And, I'm with JF on this one. 

Extra tips are for above and beyond - if the steward isn't even providing the basics, and has to be asked and shown repeatedly - yeah, there's no extra til coming their way .

[latebloomer56]

10 hours ago, reedprincess said:

You don't need to pre-book the embarkation night dinner. Slots are held at the specialty restaurants for suites.  You can have the concierge book it for you in Royal if you want, or call the DINE line once aboard and book your time and choice..

As for Thermal Suite - that's only in older Grand/Island /Gem class ships.  Royal class ships have the Enclave. And it's not a suite perk (clearly excluded on the suite perks listing). Same for Sphere class, BTW, ie Sun/Star.

The Enclave is wonderful - I'm sure you'll enjoy.

Definitely check out the concierge, there will be a couple hours of free drinks, snacks available all day, make sure they show you how to get a soda or water when they're not there (open 24/7, not staffed 24/7),

Suite breakfast is fab, they'll make just about anything you want, ingredients available.   Personally - eggs benedict, side of crispy bacon, mocha and mimosas.  Every single day, lol..  the French toast is divine also...

 

Enjoy!

I was told no Thermal Suite on the Grand? Would you know where this is located or is it just part of Lotus? Thanks

[JF - retired RRT]

6 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

Do I interpret your post seriously or was it a joke.  You actually showed the steward a print-out of all the suite benefits that you expected to get and because you did not get 100% of them you did not tip him.  Please tell me that you were joking.

 

DON

It wasn't just the suite benefits that resulted in no EXTRA tip. He was the worst steward we had ever had in 25+ cruises (and that's saying something). 

Why should I have to fight to get the benefits that were on the list? If I hadn't had the list with me, we would have not got any of the benefits.

[latebloomer56]

Our only suite on Princess was the Regal Baltic cruise in 2016. We did get the Enclave and loved it, I would pay for a week of this. The room service for the main room dinner was great on the night we had been in St. Petersburg all day. However careful what you order everything comes at once, also it was raining so at inside a little crowded so plan. Didn't understand about the separate lounge, but it was a bust the young lady at the desk didn't belong there. Absolutely no help couldn't run the coffee machine 😊. I am grateful for this posting. We got a good deal to sail on the next cruise from when we planned on a Vista suite on the Grand. We were last on this ship in 2010 on one of our TA's.

Thanks

[latebloomer56]

8 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

It wasn't just the suite benefits that resulted in no EXTRA tip. He was the worst steward we had ever had in 25+ cruises (and that's saying something). 

Why should I have to fight to get the benefits that were on the list? If I hadn't had the list with me, we would have not got any of the benefits.

We were lucky on the Regal our cabin steward help us out greatly. He did get a little extra.

[JGmf]

On 5/29/2024 at 3:46 PM, Stickman505 said:

 Would really appreciate learning how others maximize the available benefits.

 

Concierge Lounge

Well, for us, on the Enchanted this past February, we were way too far away from the Concierge Lounge to make it worthwhile or even a destination. (Read: don't need extra food, already have sodas in the minibar, already have drink package, already socialize with others at other places).  We did find that for tendering, the lounge was the meeting point for priority tendering off the ship.

 

Snacks in room

We did take advantage of this.  I would routinely ask for the fruit bowl to be restocked; and I did indeed request the canapes on a daily basis (doubled-up on the sushi, skipped the other stuff).

 

First night specialty dining

I was needlessly worried about pre-booking The Catch on night one, so much so I called the 800 number in advance to make the reservation.  In hindsight, as others have said, you don't need to. The place was kind of a ghost town and anyone could've walked in and got a spot.  I've found that to be the case on other Princess cruises we've been on while staying in a suite.

 

Laundry

Yes, take advantage of this perk.  We did.

 

Breakfast in Sabatinis

We're not breakfast people, so we did this only once; and it was excellent.  The service was top notch.

 

That's pretty much it. There aren't a ton of perks with being in a suite given the very high upcharge.  Maybe it's the space in your room.  There's a lot of it!

 

 

[latebloomer56]

35 minutes ago, JGmf said:

 

Concierge Lounge

Well, for us, on the Enchanted this past February, we were way too far away from the Concierge Lounge to make it worthwhile or even a destination. (Read: don't need extra food, already have sodas in the minibar, already have drink package, already socialize with others at other places).  We did find that for tendering, the lounge was the meeting point for priority tendering off the ship.

 

Snacks in room

We did take advantage of this.  I would routinely ask for the fruit bowl to be restocked; and I did indeed request the canapes on a daily basis (doubled-up on the sushi, skipped the other stuff).

 

First night specialty dining

I was needlessly worried about pre-booking The Catch on night one, so much so I called the 800 number in advance to make the reservation.  In hindsight, as others have said, you don't need to. The place was kind of a ghost town and anyone could've walked in and got a spot.  I've found that to be the case on other Princess cruises we've been on while staying in a suite.

 

Laundry

Yes, take advantage of this perk.  We did.

 

Breakfast in Sabatinis

We're not breakfast people, so we did this only once; and it was excellent.  The service was top notch.

 

That's pretty much it. There aren't a ton of perks with being in a suite given the very high upcharge.  Maybe it's the space in your room.  There's a lot of it!

 

 

Your right about the cost on Princess our cabin of choice is always a mini for the added space. Got a good deal for this upcoming cruise so took it. The suite dining perk will be interesting for me, so will see how this plays out.

[Shippy]

On 5/29/2024 at 2:28 PM, cr8tiv1 said:

Even Grand/GEM class ships will have a concierge (not lounge) available for suite guests.

 

Laundry is same day express ...if in by 9 AM/returned after dinner.

 

The Enchanted Princess will have 360 dining, but not sure if it is still complimentary for suite guests.  First night embarking specialty dining is complimentary.

 

IF you do not have the Plus bundle, you will be charged $5 for picking up the phone to order from room service.  

We had a Penthouse & never paid $5. for room service.

We get up very early, before the breakfast service with the tag on the door starts.

I called down at about 5:30 every morning for coffee & pastry & was never charged.

[cr8tiv1]

2 hours ago, Shippy said:

We had a Penthouse & never paid $5. for room service.

We get up very early, before the breakfast service with the tag on the door starts.

I called down at about 5:30 every morning for coffee & pastry & was never charged.

 

I need to retract my $5 charge while in a suite.  I was left a voice mail (therefore AI translation has spelling errors).  Sorry you have to open the PDF to see the explanation of waivers.

 

Concierge Services.pdf

[JF - retired RRT]

4 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I need to retract my $5 charge while in a suite.  I was left a voice mail (therefore AI translation has spelling errors).  Sorry you have to open the PDF to see the explanation of waivers.

 

Concierge Services.pdf 492.81 kB · 24 downloads

Print that out and bring it on your cruises.😉

[cr8tiv1]

28 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Print that out and bring it on your cruises.😉

 

I have it printed out and am bringing it on my next cruise !  Not that I don't trust Princess...........

 

I also have printed out that Princess' smoking policy includes a few nights (usually formal) where smoking in the casino is prohibited.  cough cough

 

But my next cruise is with Princess Plus.

[memoak]

25 minutes ago, cr8tiv1 said:

 

I have it printed out and am bringing it on my next cruise !  Not that I don't trust Princess...........

 

I also have printed out that Princess' smoking policy includes a few nights (usually formal) where smoking in the casino is prohibited.  cough cough

 

But my next cruise is with Princess Plus.

I have not seen no smoking nights in the casino at all since the restart. That is old news

[JF - retired RRT]

13 hours ago, memoak said:

I have not seen no smoking nights in the casino at all since the restart. That is old news

Great way to prevent non-smokers (the majority) from going into the casino and dropping a lot of $$$ in the coffers.

[HotRoot]

13 hours ago, memoak said:

I have not seen no smoking nights in the casino at all since the restart. That is old news

There is no smoking indoors while in Australian and New Zealand waters.  For the 30+ nights of our last cruise there was no smoking in the casino, but it still smelled terrible.  All of the smoke from previous smokers was in the carpet, drapes, game tables, etc.

[ninka26]

Does anyone have the Suite Experience PDF they could post? Due to a quirk with Chrome and the html language on the princess site, clicking PDF link just takes you back to the same webpage. TIA

[cr8tiv1]

16 hours ago, memoak said:

I have not seen no smoking nights in the casino at all since the restart. That is old news

Initially, when cruising restarted, during the first few months smoking was not allowed in the casino.   It was wonderful.  “Old News”

 

The current, updated policy is printed on their web site, but has not been in enforced.  I will be inquiring on my next cruise.  I invite all to do the same.  

 

Now back to regular programming.  

 

The Grand/Gem class ships will have a “Meet the Officers” cocktail hour on the champagne pour night for suite passengers only.  Nice nibbles, free drinks, and intimate gathering.

 

Flowers are a hit and miss.  Got them a couple of time.  Got them late into the cruise.  Didn’t get them at all.  I was told they were thinking about plastic orchids.  I was told they were an allergen.  Who knows. 
 

 

 

[Mark_K]

6 hours ago, ninka26 said:

Does anyone have the Suite Experience PDF they could post? Due to a quirk with Chrome and the html language on the princess site, clicking PDF link just takes you back to the same webpage. TIA

This is what I have, I’m not positive if it’s comprehensive.

 

 

[Stickman505]

Thanks for all the suggestions and info to download.

 

One more question -  has anyone invited non-suite guests for tea or dinner/lunch/breakfast on their deck or is that activity forbidden?

[memoak]

1 hour ago, Stickman505 said:

Thanks for all the suggestions and info to download.

 

One more question -  has anyone invited non-suite guests for tea or dinner/lunch/breakfast on their deck or is that activity forbidden?

You can do that but I would not do it on an ongoing basis or with too large a crowd. It’s one thing to order for say 4 people and another to order for 20. What you cannot do is bring them into Sabatini’s for breakfast or Reserve Dining unless they are in a reserve class mini

[cr8tiv1]

2 hours ago, Stickman505 said:

Thanks for all the suggestions and info to download.

 

One more question -  has anyone invited non-suite guests for tea or dinner/lunch/breakfast on their deck or is that activity forbidden?

 

Keep in mind that "one/1" order for tea service will feed 4 people (might be a little stretch of the imagination).  Just order more hot water, tea bags, tea cups, and serving plates.  You will get plates of sandwiches, cookies, scones, desserts/cakes, pastries.  We are not talking one piece per plate.  Each plate will have 3-5 items.

 

I've had a tea party for 7 in my suite.  It was fun.  Also did it as an elite in an inside cabin for 4 (that was cozy).

[Papa Yoda]

On 5/31/2024 at 3:32 AM, latebloomer56 said:

I was told no Thermal Suite on the Grand? Would you know where this is located or is it just part of Lotus? Thanks

 

There is no Thermal Suite on the Grand.  

 

[cr8tiv1]

Express Laundry:  in by 9 AM, returned after dinner, same day.

 

Steward needs to get it down to laundry before 9 AM and get it into the correct basket.  I prefer to leave my bag of laundry on my bed the night before.  I’ve been told that’s the best place to leave it (picked up when doing turn down service).  I’ve been known to track down steward in the morning.  Too early for me.  He told me to leave it in the hall, outside my door.  Will he see it? Pick it up?  Nah….leave it on the bed (Plan A).

 

Be sure to check Express Service.  I write Total = $0.

 

Some folks take a photo of items.  So far,I haven’t lost anything.  
 

First night, I send out several items to be pressed only.  
 

I never send out laundry on packing day.  Too risky.  I send out the bulk of my items 3 or 4 nights before disembarkation.  If needed, I send a smaller bag out timed to arrive the evening…before final packing.  I tend to do longer than 7 day cruises.  
 

I was told (post pandemic) that everything is “laundered”. No more dry/chemical cleaning.  Haven’t pushed the issue since.  Haven’t tried to ask for cold water wash.  Did ask for laundry room tokens on the Diamond, with a coy smile and CS asked me how many?  

 

 

[ninka26]

14 hours ago, Mark_K said:

This is what I have, I’m not positive if it’s comprehensive.

 

 

Thank you! This is exactly what I was looking for!!!!!!

[JF - retired RRT]

16 hours ago, Mark_K said:

This is what I have, I’m not positive if it’s comprehensive.

 

 

I notice several things missing that used to be there, i.e. daily bottle of water.