chemmo

Laundry in suites is different from the stuff in a bag Elite perk. In a RS you can request items to be laundered and pressed free of charge. These, and other items like polo shirts come back on hangers. The smaller items are returned in a small basket neatly folded. We have never found return an issue with RS laundry as we always have enough garments to cover two days as I think most guests do. If you do have an ‘emergency’ garment issue, for example you notice a stain on a gown you were planning to wear later, give your butler a ring and he will take it down to the laundry and if they can do something quick for you they will. I know from experience!

Crossing the pond would require me to board without clothes if I gave a lot of space for books! Seriously, next time I cruise from Southampton I will take any unwanted books with me however we also tend to do this… Although recently some charity shops are saying they have enough books…

Please double check what the ‘expert’ TA’s inform you. There are some fantastic TA’s out there but many who have no specific knowledge of the individual ship layouts. It doesn’t help that sometimes when you try to look up rooms on Celebrity you can get a mix of the M, S and E class pictures. Sincere best wishes that you and your Mother find something to suit.

I think a mistake guests can make is the thought that if you book a suite your cruise will be automatically better. It will only be better if the perks it offers are the things important to you. Many guests prefer speciality dining to Luminae or are happy with the MDR and find standard rooms a perfectly adequate size. As you say, the art is to look at your holiday $$$ and decide what to spend them on.

I guess that is why the revolutionised ships are popular. Not too many suites but with a ‘decent’ if not perfect suite deck… Silhouette with its additional restaurants, being less elderly and with the S class favourite restaurant Murano perhaps being the ‘Sweet, suite spot!’.

Definitely some butlers are more willing to go ‘above and beyond’ than others but sometimes the directive can come from above. On our last Silhouette cruise we became aware two sets of RS couples (related) were trying to run circles around the suite system. They were on the suite deck insisting that the waiter should get them full meals from Luminae. Constant repetition of ‘We are in Royal Suites….’ I wonder if on your cruise several guests were regularly ‘expecting’ to order room service from Luminae to the point it was putting pressure on both the restaurant and the butlers. It is in such circumstances that the M’D of Luminae or the Suite Manager may feel the need to intervene and simply say to all butlers ‘No Luminae room service’. This is why on my earlier thread I said we would always ‘request’ a special meal and accept if it is not offered. Quite simply the few over demanding can spoil reasonable requests from others. For those with long memories when suite perks were first introduced we asked why unlimited laundry had become ‘twice per cruise’. Our butler explained that there had been several occasions where larger family groups with one couple in a RS had been sending in multiple bags for the full family daily…We have cruised many times since and, as others will I am sure agree, have never had our laundry restricted but they do have the restriction rule in place if needed.

We have never asked for or had breakfast, lunch or a last minute dinner served course by course when in a RS or above. RS and above have unlimited speciality dining but there is no mention of this being included in suite. However, some cruises we have requested a special meal one evening. We have chatted with the butler about the food we want at least one day before and have received some lovely meals served course by course… This reflects our experience… Not something I would ask for or expect regularly. We see it as a treat not a right. If we asked and were refused we would accept it. Unfortunately there are some guests who can be ‘demanding’ expecting this level of service daily and last minute. Quite simply they then overwhelm what is a shared service. In our experience butlers love the ‘give us 24 hours’ to organise…If they know one suite between 7/8pm will need a bit more time they can juggle other duties. Whilst I totally agree that none of us should abuse or over expect service from the butler in our experience they love setting up little treats. Friends of ours in a SS mentioned that the next day was their wedding anniversary and pre ordered breakfast. The butler arrived with the breakfast, flowers and champagne…

Great idea, unfortunately many of us fly in to cruise so tend to rely on our downloads. On our last Equinox cruise we regularly saw a group of quilters meeting up to enjoy their craft. Definitely a space worth saving as a quiet, relaxing corner on the S class ships.

Agree. We tend to have the premium package as it comes with our room but I have mixed drinks so weak it probably doesn’t matter what spirit goes in! Also I rarely have a Martini and never have energy drinks or vitamin water. However, I do like a decent glass of wine. If the premium package didn’t come with the room I would probably stick with the classic then simply either pay the upgrade nightly for a better glass of wine or purchase a couple of bottles. It is great that you can buy a bottle of wine in one restaurant and ask them to send it to where you are dining the next night to finish…

I almost feel like quoting Clint as in ‘Do you feel lucky?’ Amongst my friends I have had a work colleague in their 30’s suddenly collapse and need immediate treatment for a brain tumour whilst touring the USA and a friend having a heart attack whilst hiking in Spain (40’s, very fit)…Needless to say if either had not had insurance they would have seriously struggled to pay the medical and repatriation costs… I don’t begrudge a penny I have paid in insurance over the years (well perhaps I do I am sure they could reduce their costs a bit!). However, quite simply I wouldn’t relax on a holiday if I didn’t have it…

I haven’t joined in the discussion as I haven’t had anything useful to add but so pleased it has worked out for you. Sincere best wishes to your whole family!

I guess the more guests there are the less individual and personalised the service becomes. However, the counter argument is that the more suites there are then the greater the facilities there are for them…Certainly the E class ships offer more facilities for suite guests. To get a true reflection of ‘quality’ of suite experience you would need specific ratios of suite staffing etc. Funnily we had a similar conversation about business flights a few weeks ago. Much as the seats/food etc on our Etihad business A380 flight were excellent it never felt special unlike the business flights we have enjoyed on older aircraft. Simply the number of guests in business seemed to make it ‘less special’…I hope that makes sense…

That is a great price! With the philosophy that if your itinerary changes you will still enjoy you cannot go wrong… We have visited Egypt a couple of times…Pollution, litter and hygiene are a concern even in the smaller towns and cities. If you can look past this it really is the most amazing country to soak up the atmosphere, culture and history. You have lots of time to look at excursions etc. Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise!

If you are in a suite the concierge will escort you off as soon as possible. Obviously not useful to you if you are not in a suite…

We have organised many trips similar to you with land stays before and after. I think you are missing an easy solution… Look at laundry options pre and post cruise. There is the obvious option of choosing a hotel with a laundry room or competitive pricing. However, why not look at self catering options with washer dryers? Not just Airbnb, but apartments (often very competitively priced). We have often chosen these pre and post cruise. Not only have we enjoyed the additional space and the option to dine in we have boarded with all laundry clean and been able to disembark and throw our laundry in the washer on arrival at our accommodation. The mid week ‘all you can fit in a bag’ offer may then be all you need. Just a thought…

Make sure you make the most of your included speciality dining, especially Murano!

We loved the refurbishment generally. The extra seating at the sunset bar area, the suite deck area…She is my favourite ship! However, I would agree that some of the furnishings were less than comfortable. Many low chairs, hard for the tall or less mobile to use. In the suite lounge I needed cushions to prop me up on most seats… Definitely spotted the reduction in drawers. We were in the PH and all the drawers in the bathroom had become open spaces! Very pretty when not used but totally impractical to unpack your cosmetics in. Also on the balcony a couple of really odd chairs… I guess looks over function rules!

Also following along…Each time we have cruised from Southampton we have enjoyed a ‘New Forest’ stay. The most memorable perhaps being the ancient Red Lion Inn in Boldre when it had an apartment above. Quite magical. Must as I appreciate the desire of those travellers visiting the UK to head for the major sights of London, Winchester or Salisbury pre cruise (don’t blame them, fantastic locations) there really are lots of quality options much nearer the cruise port… Scottishclover, I hope you have a fantastic visit to the Jurassic coast and you don’t find a fossil too big to fly back home after the cruise! Sincere best wishes for a fantastic cruise!

Shorter cruises also provide ‘tasters’ for those who are uncertain if cruises are for them. In the UK a 3/4 day cruise is often marketed as an add on to an Orlando holiday. Our first cruise (about 30 years ago) was one of these on Carnival! We decided we loved cruising but not Carnival…Never cruised on them since! Yes, it is important to make the most of ‘now’, none of us knows what is around the corner. I guess the benefit of a short cruise is you do tend to squash into it what is important to you be it pool time, shows or dining…

I am going to miss your daily reports. Thanks soooo much for your review. I think your nephew may have caught the cruising bug…

Enjoy! We loved Phuket but never did the elephant sanctuary. If you have the option of adding a beach break to your excursion avoid the busy tourist hot spots… I am unsure what time the concierge comes on duty for escort duty to tenders. Could be worth checking on boarding the time tendering is expected to start and at what time the concierge staff come on duty. If tendering doesn’t start until 8.30am then you have time to contact your trip provider.

Certainly the number of guests ordering mixed drinks vs wine is harder work for someone be it the sommelier or assistant waiter. However, I simply think it is the number of guests in Luminae between 7 and 8 that can slow drinks service as it does the food service.

The only time we have ‘booked’ a set time was when the staff agreed to do a special meal for us not on the menu. As we had requested something different we felt we should accommodate them by letting them know when to expect us. We also tend to avoid dining between 7pm and 8pm as we found service was less prompt and in particular wine service. Don’t get me wrong service wasn’t bad it was simply slower and the waiters were more rushed. Another vote for 2 x 6 tables…You will probably find you do not all dine together every night anyway. Some may want to try a speciality, or be tired from an excursion and opt for the buffet or room service or want to see a show…We have found it better for the group to agree 2/3 nights (first, last and a sea day evening in between) then decide on the rest as days progress.

I would always arrive a little early. You never know how weather, Celebrity direct to excursion craft etc may delay general departure times.

Usually you simply go to the Retreat lounge about 10 minutes before you want to get off and the concierge will escort you to the front of the tender line. Occasionally there is a short wait if they are disembarking a large Celebrity tour group. Check with your concierge on boarding.