Advice For First Time Suite Guests On Discovery?

[FlutePrayer]

My husband and I will be staying in a Penthouse Suite on the Discovery Princess for the first time in November. Does anyone have any tips or advice for us?

[JF - retired RRT]

Bring a print-out of everything that a suite is entitled to have. We were in our one and only suite on the Discovery and we had to show the list (repeatedly) to our steward to get the included benefits that were supposed to be provided by the steward.

[Cruise Raider]

2 minutes ago, FlutePrayer said:

My husband and I will be staying in a Penthouse Suite on the Discovery Princess for the first time in November. Does anyone have any tips or advice for us?

Be sure to visit the concierge lounge on day one to learn of everything you are entitled to.  
Also, take advantage of the room service from the dining room menu and get breakfast at whatever specialty restaurant they have set up for suite guests.  
On the Discovery, I’ve also seen a special reserve section for suite guest in the theater for production shows.  
 

[memoak]

1 hour ago, Cruise Raider said:

Be sure to visit the concierge lounge on day one to learn of everything you are entitled to.  
Also, take advantage of the room service from the dining room menu and get breakfast at whatever specialty restaurant they have set up for suite guests.  
On the Discovery, I’ve also seen a special reserve section for suite guest in the theater for production shows.  
 

No there is no special area in the theater for suite guests that is reserved for those with premier packages. Also if you do not have a plus or premier package you may be charged for calling room service. If you do order from the MDR all items will be received at once. Much rather go to Reserve Dining area. Best perks are suite breakfast, free priority laundry and free mini bar

[startedwithamouse]

36 minutes ago, memoak said:

No there is no special area in the theater for suite guests that is reserved for those with premier packages. 

There is for the Sky Suites, just not regular suites.

[startedwithamouse]

2 hours ago, FlutePrayer said:

My husband and I will be staying in a Penthouse Suite on the Discovery Princess for the first time in November. Does anyone have any tips or advice for us?

Make sure you have either Plus or Premier bundle. If you don't, consider going to less expensive mini suite cabin, and purchase one of the bundles. 

Edited August 28 by startedwithamouse

[FlutePrayer]

Just now, startedwithamouse said:

Make sure you have either Plus or Premier bundle. If you don't, consider going to less expensive mini suite cabin, and purchase one of the bundles. 

Thank you for this. We do have the Plus package so we're all set.

[startedwithamouse]

Just now, FlutePrayer said:

Thank you for this. We do have the Plus package so we're all set.

Excellent! Like others said, go to concierge lounge on the first day. 

[Cruise Raider]

41 minutes ago, memoak said:

No there is no special area in the theater for suite guests that is reserved for those with premier packages. Also if you do not have a plus or premier package you may be charged for calling room service. If you do order from the MDR all items will be received at once. Much rather go to Reserve Dining area. Best perks are suite breakfast, free priority laundry and free mini bar

Actually, we’ve seen the area for suite guests reserved on the Discovery.  I only know that because I saw the blue seat covers and sat there as we had the premier package.  We were asked to move as they saw we weren’t in a suite.  Upon further inspection, I saw the seat covers showed ‘suite guests’ or something like that printed on the back.  I just wasn’t paying attention when I sat down.  
If you order the meal for your balcony from the Concierge, you won’t be charged for that, even if you don’t have a package.  That’s probably not true for ships that don’t have a suite concierge, though .. but the OP stated she was on the Discovery.  
 

[memoak]

14 minutes ago, startedwithamouse said:

There is for the Sky Suites, just not regular suites.

The OP is in a Penthouse suite not a Sky suite

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

If you have cruised on other cruise lines in a suite, don’t expect much.  We still sail on the Sky in a Penthouse suite (the huge balcony cabin one) but Princess is so far behind in treating suite guests like other lines. Even their suites aren’t even that great.  

[Treasure Hunter]

We love the suite free laundry with one day turn around. It comes back elegantly done. We send it out every morning then go to our lovely suite breakfast. And the suite concierge can be hugely helpful with reservations and requests. Princess is playing catch up with Celebrity Retreat and NCL Haven but Princess suite prices are much more affordable. I guess we’ll see how they do with the new Sanctuary cabins on the Sun. Of course they are already messing it up by diluting the benefits by attaching them to certain balcony and mini suite cabins. Will they never learn?!

[cr8tiv1]

You will have one complimentary mini-bar set up with 10 alcholic and 10 non.  You can change out for like items (to take home).  On recent cruises, stocking has been an issue with not everything that is usually available.  Just ask

 

Edited:  Whatever you don't use, the crew will be happy to receive the left over bar items.  

 

Suite passengers have "Express" laundry (check upper hand box).  I usually leave it on my bed for turn down so don't have to worry about making the (in by) 9 am time.  It is usually returned by the time you go to bed.  On the first couple of days, I request sevearl laundry bags so that I can do few pieces more often.

 

Assistant Managers in the suite breakfast area vary.  The last cruise was terrific.  I could order almost anything (except lobster) that I wanted.  In the past, I've had managers tell me...."no substitutions".  This last trip:  crab/avocado omelette, full English breakfast, granola and fruit, breakfast steak, and my own recipe for watermelon salsa.

 

I prefer to have my "regular" table and same wait staff.  I am either at the MDR door before it opens or 60-75 minutes after.  If you are not particular (and no need to be), you are usually seated immediately or with a few minutes wait.

 

Priority water shuttles is a really nice perk when leaving the ship.  Unfortunately, it doesn't happen upon your return.  

Edited August 29 by cr8tiv1

[Sox Fan Cruiser]

The suite experience on the Sun is better than normal Princess ships when compared to Celebrity and NCL Haven. But not on Discovery. And the price reflects that. The lounge is a joke. And the concierge is hit or miss. Ours was horrible. Others have said that they did amazing things. And the dinning room is barely different than the main dinning room. Nothing special to make it “suite experience”.

 

But I still book the penthouse suite on deck 9 for Royal class ships for the amazing balcony. It’s just not anything special elsewhere, especially if you are already elite.  

[startedwithamouse]

1 hour ago, memoak said:

The OP is in a Penthouse suite not a Sky suite

I was replying to your statement "No there is no special area in the theater for suite guests that is reserved for those with premier packages."  

 

Someone commented they had seen seats reserved in the theater for suite guests. You stated those were reserved for those with premier packages.  

 

You may not have known they have reserved seats at shows for the Sky Suite. 

 

Edited August 29 by startedwithamouse

[Shippy]

6 hours ago, memoak said:

No there is no special area in the theater for suite guests that is reserved for those with premier packages. Also if you do not have a plus or premier package you may be charged for calling room service. If you do order from the MDR all items will be received at once. Much rather go to Reserve Dining area. Best perks are suite breakfast, free priority laundry and free mini bar

Just off Discovery with a Penthouse.

NO special seating in theater. We arrived 20 minutes early for a show & they would not even let anyone in,. all seats were taken.

There is no charge for a room service call for suites. We are early risers and would usually call

own for coffee, juice & pastry about 5 am. Never a charge.