Can I ask a very blunt and nosy question?

[bransonpa]

I have really enjoyed reading all the posts regarding the Suite Life. I have been on several cruises on Princess and Carnival and will take my first NCL Cruise on the Sky in September. I am looking at a possible Family Cruise (where I am thinking Suite Life for all of us) in a year or so on Pride of America, but am undecided at this time. I keep hearing about all the "PERKS" of the Suite. Can you clue me in on what kind of perks. I understand the "no-line Boarding" and breakfast and lunch at Cagneys. However, what do your butler and concierge do for you???

[islandgirlejfan]

Can you clue me in on what kind of perks. I understand the "no-line Boarding" and breakfast and lunch at Cagneys. However, what do your butler and concierge do for you???

 

I think that really depends on the passenger....some people are needier than others. We used the concierge for making our shore excursions and getting the times we wanted for the restaurants. Virginia was great! Erlindo our butler found out I LOVED the limon tea for the Lavazza coffee maker and he kept us well supplied. He brought little tidbits before dinner, they will set up meals in your room from the various dining areas if you request it (which we do plan to take advantage of on our upcoming cruise and yes for dinner there is still a surcharge). To be honest, I actually love going to the dining rooms on the ship, but I am always complaining to my DH about not having room service when we are on trips, so I think we are going to have at least one meal in our suite....just because!:D

[Chuck2810]

I have really enjoyed reading all the posts regarding the Suite Life. I have been on several cruises on Princess and Carnival and will take my first NCL Cruise on the Sky in September. I am looking at a possible Family Cruise (where I am thinking Suite Life for all of us) in a year or so on Pride of America, but am undecided at this time. I keep hearing about all the "PERKS" of the Suite. Can you clue me in on what kind of perks. I understand the "no-line Boarding" and breakfast and lunch at Cagneys. However, what do your butler and concierge do for you???

 

For me - not too much. We used her to make dinner reservations, which I could do myself, just as easily. She failed on a couple of things, so I was not impressed. Lucky, our butler, on the other hand....

[DMH15]

Bransonpa-

 

As I learned here on CC, the butler takes care of your special requests ensuite and the concierge outside the suite. When I travelled on the Sun in an aft AC (loved it), Karin, our concierge would pop into Il Adagio each morning (the Sun does not have a Cagney's) and see what we needed. She was a doll. She'd call our room or leave us notes. It was wonderful.

 

Our butler brought us snacks and I ordered in from the specialty restaurants a few times. That was fun.

 

It was nice to pop into the theater and find seats in a reserved section. Prior to having a suitewe skipped a lot of shows because it was hard to find seats unless you went early.

 

Just a note, perks are not included in mini suites.

 

Also, you might read reviews from suite guests descrbing their suite experience. It'll give you hints and expectations.

 

Oh, look out... You will be spoiled in a suite. It's hard to turn back after you have had a taste of "the suite life"!

[suzyed]

Very good posting. You said what I was trying to say but I didn't do a good job of it. Another thing we try very hard to do is to balance living today and putting away for tomorrow. I don't want us to put every penny we can away for retirement and not have fun and beautiful memories of things we like to do today. What if one or both of us never make it to retirement? Then we would have sacrificed our today for tomorrow for nothing. We try the best we can to balance the two so we can enjoy being with each other both today, and hopefuly for many many many years to come.

I agree Terry...who knows what tomorrow will bring....both DH and I are very spontaneous and we enjoy life to the fullest! Yes, we do save for retirement, but not at the expense of living and joying today! Life is an adventure...and we are having the time of our lives!

[islandgirlejfan]

I agree Terry...who knows what tomorrow will bring....both DH and I are very spontaneous and we enjoy life to the fullest! Yes, we do save for retirement, but not at the expense of living and joying today! Life is an adventure...and we are having the time of our lives!

 

I feel the same way. I was told I had 2 weeks to live a few years ago and hearing that changes you forever. I used to totally be a workaholic and couldn't leave work if I had a unfinished project. I had been known to go back to work to deal with things I hadn't finished during the day. It's amazing how those words change your life. They have burned my ears so many times since June of 2005.

 

Saving for retirement is fine and everyone should do it....both my hubby and I put away money and are looking to put more away soon, but you also need to splurge on yourself occasionally. When I look at my parents who have not been able to afford to do anything because of medical bills and illnesses, I know I have been truly blessed to be able to go on many of my hubby's trips to exotic places and only have to pay for my food....add in their I am young enough to enjoy them while still being able to get around well (big time knee problems run in my family) and I thank God for all my blessings a lot!:)

[suzyed]

I feel the same way. I was told I had 2 weeks to live a few years ago and hearing that changes you forever. I used to totally be a workaholic and couldn't leave work if I had a unfinished project. I had been known to go back to work to deal with things I hadn't finished during the day. It's amazing how those words change your life. They have burned my ears so many times since June of 2005.

 

Saving for retirement is fine and everyone should do it....both my hubby and I put away money and are looking to put more away soon, but you also need to splurge on yourself occasionally. When I look at my parents who have not been able to afford to do anything because of medical bills and illnesses, I know I have been truly blessed to be able to go on many of my hubby's trips to exotic places and only have to pay for my food....add in their I am young enough to enjoy them while still being able to get around well (big time knee problems run in my family) and I thank God for all my blessings a lot!:)

How wonderful that you proved them wrong!! Puts everything in perspective...

 

I am so glad that you were given a second chance, and I look to folks like you to teach me how to live my life more fully and to appreciate every day that we have here on earth! Thank you for sharing.

[coka]

Well I am with ya original poster! One of my faults is sometimes wanting what I think everyone else has. Even so, the only grand poo-bah suites I will ever see are the ones on the tour or the ones I am invited to visit. I did try to win a Garden Villa in a contest one time...

 

For me, a few AC penthouse suites are in my history. They were selected based on pure location (the front or back of the ship) and I was only paying for me. My suite mates were friends or relatives who paid their way. That is the only way I afforded it. The prices also were what I thought to be a bargain as I watched them over the years. They were a few years apart (so I think I am about due for another). My viewpoint is that I am not going to be able to afford it when I retire so I am going now while healthy and while I still have a splurge once-in-a-great-while attitude and account.

 

All the other times I find myself getting envious about the high end suites as I sail in my regular balcony category or lower, I remind myself that my master bathroom back home is still bigger than the Garden Villas. I mean the GV's master bathroom...not the entire GV...lol

 

coka

[islandgirlejfan]

How wonderful that you proved them wrong!! Puts everything in perspective...

 

I am so glad that you were given a second chance, and I look to folks like you to teach me how to live my life more fully and to appreciate every day that we have here on earth! Thank you for sharing.

 

I just wanted to point out to take the extra time to really look at a beautiful sunrise, take notice of how wonderful the flowers smell, don't worry about the small things, and don't put off something you might want to do or enjoy if at all possible.

 

What makes my experience so life changing is I didn't find out I was very sick until I was two weeks from death, all because doctors weren't listening to what I was saying. When I was recuperating, I kept thinking of all the things I hadn't done and how precious life is. I had spent most of my time sweating small stuff and it's just not worth it.

 

Thanks for the nice words suzyed....I felt compelled to mention my situation because I see how hurried people are sometimes and if they would just take time to notice the simple things in life, they would have a lot less stress!:)