In-Suite Sail Away Party

[Eve]

I'd like to host a get-together in our suite for Sail Away on Embarkation day. Can anyone provide me with information on how to arrange appetizers and drinks to be delivered at the appropriate time? Also, does anyone know if the appetizers are free or is there a charge for them? (I realize the booze is NOT free ;) PS...we will be in a full suite.

 

Thanks!

[Toto2Kansas]

I'd like to host a get-together in our suite for Sail Away on Embarkation day. Can anyone provide me with information on how to arrange appetizers and drinks to be delivered at the appropriate time? Also, does anyone know if the appetizers are free or is there a charge for them? (I realize the booze is NOT free ;) PS...we will be in a full suite.

 

Thanks!

 

I have never tried this on sailaway from the departure port before, even in a full suite. Normally, room service needs some advanced notice for appetizers. There will be a book in your suite that describes what is offered and the 'prices' as they will not provide them without a fee attached (that we have ever seen) with the proper notice. Also, you can check out the gifts section on Princess.com and they also have a list to pre-order. But anymore it is very difficult (if not impossible) to have them in your stateroom on embarkation day. You could always call and check though, they change things all of the time. They will provide you with things like snack mix and such at no fee, but appetizers, they have always charged us.

[Colo Cruiser]

I would just call room service and speak with a supervisor as soon as they start taking calls after you board. :)

[jamscckmc]

Just an idea**** I brought boxed wine and crackers. Got cheese and other snacks from the buffet. Had plenty of glasses in the suite. Not sure how many people you are having but I was told that food is free from room service for the amount of people in your stateroom. Like you get free canapes for your room but they won't send you 100. If you order a large amount for a party they may charge you.

[SingerEsq]

I'd like to host a get-together in our suite for Sail Away on Embarkation day. Can anyone provide me with information on how to arrange appetizers and drinks to be delivered at the appropriate time? Also, does anyone know if the appetizers are free or is there a charge for them? (I realize the booze is NOT free ;) PS...we will be in a full suite.

 

Thanks!

 

Sounds like a lovely gesture, but sailaway is often a very busy time. Usually boat drill immediately precedes. People hurry back to their cabin to stow there life vests so that they can get out on deck.

 

The CC get-togethers I've actually been to on sailaway were very lightly attending. Maybe the first sea day, instead? That way, you can order your hors d'oeurves, etc, the day prior. (On the Emerald, I was told cheese and crackers required a 6-hour pre-order! :eek:).

 

Have you taken it up on your Roll Call?

 

Good luck.

 

Edit: I may have incorrectly assumed you wanted to host a Cruise Critic get-together. A few guests may not be much of a problem, but again we were only 2 people when I wanted the cheese and crackers. :)

[JetJock_YHZ]

Hi,

 

We hosted a Suite party on Emerald, but not at sailaway. There is no way of selecting hors d'oeuvres in your room on the first night. You get a standard selection. However, after that, you are allowed 6 pieces every day, which you order the night before (card on bed first night). I am not sure if it is standard practice, but we ordered 3 of everything and attached a polite note to the card explaining what we were planning. The tray arrived the next day, on time, with everything we requested... no additional charge. Of course, drinks would be at an extra cost, or use your complimenary bar setup.

 

Princess treats their Suite passengers very well!

 

Hope this helps.

 

Carl

[Id rather be diving]

My husband and I thought it would be wonderful to order cheese and crackers to go with our bottle of wine while we left Venice. What a joke!!! Don't make this mistake....the crackers were individually wrapped so you had to unwrap each one - they are like the crackers you get at a salad bar. And the CHEESE was just slices of chees that were cut in half. For this we were charged over $10. Go to the buffet and load up a couple of plates and bring back to your room. We will NEVER make this mistake again. Wished I'd known then what I know now!!!!

 

Kari

[bhopal21]

I'd like to host a get-together in our suite for Sail Away on Embarkation day. Can anyone provide me with information on how to arrange appetizers and drinks to be delivered at the appropriate time? Also, does anyone know if the appetizers are free or is there a charge for them? (I realize the booze is NOT free ;) PS...we will be in a full suite.

 

Thanks!

 

Good luck! We have held a sailaway party on our balcony for the last several (5-6) cruises with no problems. I always fax the order in several weeks ahead of time (noted for sailaway) and typically include two bottles of good champagne, a cheese tray, 4 or 5 shrimp trays, a guacamole dip w/chips and maybe another appetizer or so. We have always found the cards in the suite when we arrived and called room service for delivery.

 

Three weeks ago when we boarded The Island there was one tray of shrimp (out of four) and a cheese tray in the cabin along with cards for the rest of the order. I called room service and asked them to bring the rest of the order and was told they needed 12 hours to fill a room service order. Needless to say, I was highly p----d. They could offer me no rational explanation why they put one tray of shrimp and one of cheese in the cabin without me calling and could not fill the rest of the order.

 

We had invited friends over for sailaway and had nothing to serve. I am still unhappy about how casually I was told to "just call back and give us 12 hours notice" when I have given them several weeks notice.

 

Since this is the first time we have had any trouble I am going to place the blame on "Joe" in room service on The Island.

 

Just make sure that you note on your faxed order "For Sailaway Party Deliver at Xpm) etc.

 

Mike:)

[marcoigna]

oh my, u are in a suite -

 

we have had several parties, right down to having a bar tender and waitress do a set up in our suite for 20 passengers - room service is

extremely accommodating - if they are selling achohol they will bend

over backwards for u.....

 

call princess inadvance, and advise what u wish to do, but alot of times it must be arranged onboard - first thing i would do as soon as i board.....

 

have fun, we always do and enjoy

[Celest1022]

The key answer to this is make sure when you pre-order you tell them you want it for sail-away. I've pre-ordered, way in advance and gotten those cards in our suite. Last cruise I made sure to tell them I was ordering for our sail away and the items were delivered to our suite just prior to sail away.

[bhopal21]

I did all that just as I have done many times before. Just be prepared for it not to work like three weeks ago on The Island.

 

In hindsight I should have asked for the head of room service and explained the situation to him/her and I feel like it could have been resolved.

 

It it had been just us it wouldn't have been so difficult; but it was embarrassing to say the least when I had invited guests.

 

Mike:)

[Spikesgirl]

We had a sail-away party in our suite on Embarkation Day and didn't have any problems, but the trick was that we were in port overnight and there was time to arrange things. We had brought out own champagn and decorations. We then went into Papeete to a local store and purchased what we wanted, plus we ordered apps from room service. It's easier to do it later in the cruise when the crew has more time for such things, but if you want to do a shake and howdy in your cabin, just be ready to provide as much of everything as possible (light apps, champagne/etc.) and you'll be fine.

[Eve]

Thanks to all for your very helpful suggestions. At least I will be better prepared! Going to give it a shot and see what happens. I just want to have the other 6 members of our group over for sailaway.

 

18 days and counting!!!