Go-Bucks!

Full suites rarely go on sale so your chances of a price drop are essentially zero.

Not true. We booked a full suite in Nov. 2014 and there was a price drop in Mar. 2015 which we got! Saved $236 per cabin and didn't lose any OBC or other booking perks. Suites people should check for price drops just like anyone else should or you might miss one. :)

The bed in the larger bed room will split into two beds that are referred to as twins.

That's not what everyone else is saying. I've been told that only the Family Suite with balcony has a bed that separates into twins - not the 2 Bedroom Family Suite with balcony.

I have been on the Dawn three times and I have stayed in some of these types of cabins. I have toured the others as a way to make plans for the next cabin. I like to do this right before debarkation.

 

As others have said, the Deluxe Owners Suites (SA) do not have balconies. The 2 middle ones 12000 and 12500 have 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. The outer ones have one bedroom and the living room couch is used a a sleeper. With the middle SA's 12000 and 12500, one of the bedrooms is small and no window. The other bedroom is beautiful and has a wall of windows in which to look out above the bridge and see the bow and the sea in front of you. It is my understanding that the bed in the master bedroom does not separate. We will be staying in this cabin when we go on the Dawn next.

 

I have toured the Owners suites on deck 9 and 10 and friends have stayed in one. It is a great suite with 2 balconies. However, the master bed does not separate and it is only a half bathroom off the living room where the other person would sleep.

 

We have stayed in an SC on the Dawn. It has the balcony but the second bedroom/bathroom is small and windowless. The beautiful master bedroom/bathroom has a bed that does not separate.

 

Finally, we have not been in a SD but have been in the SJ. The cabin layout is quite similar. The SD has the balcony, the SJ does not. This is a large bedroom/living area. There is a large bed and I am almost certain that it does separate (someone will correct me if I am wrong). There is also a Murphy bed and a pull out couch. At least the SJ had this. There was only one large bathroom with a shower and a tub, double sinks. The SJ was a nice cabin and when I toured the SD, next door, it was similar.

 

I hope that this helps some.

Thank you, Jim, for your helpful reply. I think we'll have to get an SC or SD if we would choose this cruise. But with an SC, whoever would have to sleep in the little bedroom shouldn't pay half - maybe a third - since they're not able to enjoy the same level of luxury that the other one would have. This has been very confusing because our favorite cruise lines, Princess and Celebrity, can separate nearly all their beds so this has never been an issue. I don't understand why NCL doesn't do it that way to accommodate people who aren't a couple? The only reason we are considering NCL is because my friend wants to sail out of New Orleans so I guess we'll have to decide what is most important to us.

Thanks again!! :D

No Haven on the Dawn only the 3 bedroom Garden Villas.

Yes, I meant Garden Villas. I've been looking at so many different suites that I'm getting them mixed up. Would love one of these, but they're not in the budget.

If you google the name of the ship and suite you can see lots of u tube videos.

I will do that, but am also looking for actual answers to my questions from those who have had those cabins or can tell me. Anything you can answer?

My good friend and I are considering cruising on the Dawn for the first time, but are completely confused about the layouts of several suite options. Hoping some of you can answer these questions and provide some photos too. :p We need one bedroom that has TWIN beds or 2 bedrooms that are equally as nice (not one that is small and windowless). And we definitely need a balcony - the bigger, the better. Unfortunately, can't afford the Haven suite.

1) Deluxe Owner's Suite (SA) - NCL floor plan shows no balcony and 1 bedroom/1 bath. Says the bed does not make into twins. But I have been reading that it actually has 2 bedrooms/2 baths. Which is true? If it's one bedroom, does the bed separate into twins? If it has 2 bedrooms, are they both nice, big rooms with windows? Photos anyone?

2) Owner's Suite with 2 balconies (SB) - does the bed separate into 2 twins? Can't find this cabin on the NCL deck plan. Any photos?

3) 2 Bedroom Family Suite with Balcony (SC) - does the bed separate into 2 twins? The floor plan makes the second bedroom look like the size of a closet with no windows and the bath appears to be a half bath. Photos?

4) Family Suite with balcony (SD) - how does this cabin compare with the others listed above? Supposedly the beds can become twins.

Any thoughts on these 4 cabins would be much appreciated. Have looked in the "search" but can't find answers to these questions. My friend and I would love separate bedrooms, but neither of us wants to pay suite prices but sleep in a tiny little bedroom while the other gets a lovely bedroom. And if it's one bed, we need twins - don't share. ;)

Thanks so much!!

I've been enjoying the itineraries on Celebrity although I still enjoy the Princess cruise experience more. I think Princess used to have the best port calls, but Celebrity has improved alot. :p

Do that, but continue to check prices on your own. I've found the best price drops last a day or two and are not part of announced promotions.

I check frequently for price drops and call my TA - she always gets me a better rate then. For my next cruise, unfortunately, my category is sold out so won't be getting anymore drops. But I did get a big price drop in March so I'm happy. :p

With Princess it's best to . . . find a travel agent that discounts and don't even look at the smoke and mirror promotions.

I've always used travel agents who are "high-volume-Princess" agents. They give me 12-15% discounts on cabins, lots of OBC and other perks. If you book directly with Princess you pay the highest price. :(

Those locations are nice and my favorite, not the best in the old Sabatini's locations out onto the Promenade deck.

Location doesn't have anything to do with how much I enjoy breakfast in Sabatini's. It's the food and service that are so special. One of the greatest suite perks! (Also love the free unlimited laundry!). :p

How fantastic! Especially for Alaska!! You'll love it. :D

I've taken the Princess transfer twice --- first time they didn't have enough buses so we had to wait for more. Didn't leave London until 2pm, then had bad traffic and didn't arrive at ship until 4:30pm. Not happy at all.

Second time there were plenty of buses and we left at 11:30am and got to ship by about 2pm. Easy peasy.

One time we used the LondonToolkit bus to take us from airport hotel to Harwich - very nice. Also took the LondonToolkit bus back from Southampton to London airport hotel via Salisbury, Stonehenge and Windsor. That was fantastic!! Nice way to spend our last day in England.

Sweet!! Don't pass that one up! You'll LOVE sitting on the balcony watching all the scenery and glaciers. :D

I've never gained an ounce on a cruise. We always get aft cabins so we have to walk pretty far around the ship to get anywhere. We usually take active excursions and stay active on the ship too. I don't worry about what I eat because I'm on vacation! ;) But I don't eat more than when at home and try to keep sweets to a minimum.

I think they're allowed. I took one once, but it was so heavy that I haven't taken it since. I prefer to take "travel" clothing that is wrinkle-proof and comfortable and doesn't need ironing. Just my preference. ;)

Once I was in a port (can't remember which one, but not Livorno) where passengers weren't allowed to walk through the industrial port so the only options to get into town were to take the Princess shuttle, a taxi or private transportation that was hired. Each of these options cost money - even the Princess shuttle. We only had these choices, so it was either pay or stay on the ship.

Have you found our videos?

 

Here is our last Princess one.

Your "Happy" video is fantastic!! You were all enjoying yourselves so much - really love your son's hairdryer lip sync! :D I was toe tapping and clapping along.

There are a good number of beachfront stands that will rent you chairs and umbrellas, from the Sheraton at Black Rock, just north of Whalers Village, down toward the southern end of Ka'anapali Beach at the Hyatt.

Thank you so much for actually answering the question about chairs/umbrellas instead of telling us to do a lengthy, laborious, often fruitless "Search" for the answer. So much quicker and easier to just answer the question like you did. It's a big help! :D

But . . . the question still remains --> why does RCCL and Celebrity charge only the Select diners the gratuities at final payment instead of during the cruise?? I haven't been able to get a straight, definitive answer yet and I can't figure it out. Why don't they charge the traditional diners upfront too? And why don't any other cruiselines charge their Anytime diners upfront??

I've been on a number of Princess cruises and they manage to do their Anytime dining just fine without getting tips paid at final payment. Very puzzling. :confused:

On my previous cruise in a full suite, I forgot to order afternoon tea in my cabin but on the next one (in 6 months) I plan to order it.

We definitely don't need all that food - can we ask for just scones, cream and jam, with tea, when we order it?? That's all we eat when we go to the dining room.

Its not the same service. Anyone can order the tea through RS.

This is what it says on the Princess website regarding Suites Amenities:

"Afternoon tea service in suite (upon request)"

This is what it says on the Princess website regarding Elite Loyalty Amenities:

"Afternoon Tea: Complimentary afternoon tea may be served in your stateroom, should you wish. You may request this via room service at least six hours prior to the desired delivery time."

Sounds like the same thing. :confused: Doesn't say that they're different.

If I remember correctly, I think people in full suites can also get in-cabin afternoon tea without having to be Elite loyalty status.

OP - We're booked on a British Isles cruise on Celebrity Silhouette on Aug. 6, 2016 that will go to Liverpool and Lerwick, Shetland Islands, Scotland. And . . . what makes this cruise even more amazing is that we'll be spending 2 days in Edinburgh so we can attend the Military Tattoo!! You might want to check out our itinerary since it has many great ports (incl. Northern Ireland, Ireland, St. Peter Port, Guernsey and Bruges, Belgium) and starts and ends in Amsterdam. Our roll call already has over 100 people and the cruise is still 14 months away!

Two other comments - first, if you have a 401K plan that allows stock purchase this is a perfect place to buy. We started with about a 3200 investment several years ago and it rose to 4400, plus the OBC from cruising (at least twice a year for us). Even our financial advisor likes the 2 1/2% return/dividend. Not sure you could do this in three weeks, though. Note that this is Carnival stock, not Princess, and you get a credit sailing on any of the corporate lines.

 

For the other poster, this now does show up on the Cruise Personalizer once you send in the documentation, but everything does vanish about five days before the sail date.

This is what I did - I sold an underperforming mutual fund in my 401K and bought my 100 shares of Carnival Corp stock. Back then (2008) it cost $25/share! I have my dividends and profit used to buy more shares. Now I have 114 of them. And since I take long cruises , I get $250 of OBC each time!!