VS,PS,PH suites on Sapphire

[ronandot]

I mentioned in a previous post that I had an AE mini booked (guaranteed) for the Sapphire departing April 24th for our 20th anniversary cruise. Got the booking extended until Monday so have the weekend to decide and consider a big..no huge...leap to a VS, PS or PH suite. Has anyone stayed in these suites on this ship and could you offer any recommendations regarding location? My Princess rep says that almost all of these suites are available as of today. Definitely would only happen for an auspicious occasion such as this. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated!!!!!

[freddie1974]

There are many benefits to a full suite, our favourites are breakfast in Sabatini's, extended room service menu, free laundry and daily canapes.

 

There is little difference between suite categories (except GS) so I would recommend any VS suite, particularly D738/9.

 

Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great anniversary cruise. :)

[mikiecc]

Two years ago November we were in a Vista Suite and enjoyed it very much. Very quiet, very calm and the "best view in the house" so to speak.

We also had the balcony cabin next door as friends were traveling with us. So with the door between the two decks open, we had a great time.

We have now been on two ships with the Vista Suites and would highly recommend them to you.

Have a great trip....:)

[esmo]

We had a PH suite on the Caribe deck last December. It was wonderful. The deck was huge and the only downside to that is we tended to spend more time there and less time around the ship.

 

We enjoyed the nightly canapes and breakfast at Sabatini's and the laundry service and free wifi were a definite plus also.

 

We too were celebrating a milestone, so if you can afford the splurge I'd say do it! It is going to be hard for us to go back now (but we have too :()

 

Kathy

[HappyMomof1]

Definitely agree with "esmo" above. We had a PH suite on the Sapphire in January this year and the perks that came with it were fabulous. In addition to those mentioned above were: early boarding and ease of disembarkation (separate lounge with coffee and baked goods), flowers in the cabin on arrival, coursages for formal night, use of DVD library (we had our 9 year old son with us so he enjoyed this perk!) & the huge balcony. We had the Cozumel Suite right at the front on the Caribe deck & even thru stormy seas returning from the Mexican Riviera, we thoroughly enjoyed the huge suite. It is definitely the most luxurious travel we've ever enjoyed on Princess! Would do it again in a heartbeat!

[luvs2travl]

We were in the Singapore Suite on the Sapphire in 2007, (Alaska Cruise). It is on "E" deck - aft - and we totally 100% LOVED it. I believe the cabin number was E730, but I've slept since then and I could be wrong about the cabin number. You can check the deck plans. (Senior moment!) It was about 525 sq ft and had a fabulous covered wrap-around balcony. We had one neighbor - the balcony cabin next door - with whom we made friends immediately, and had the partition between their balcony and ours opened by the cabin steward to create one HUGE balcony!! :D

 

We had priority boarding, and a special disembarkation lounge with coffee, tea, juice, pastries, etc provided until our luggage tag color was called.

 

We had breakfast at Sabatini's and that was wonderful! The bathroom amenities were upgraded; we had a marvelous pillow selection and the most luxurious towels ever.

 

We were able to leave the sliding glass door to our bedroom cracked open at night just to hear the beautiful, soothing sound of the ship's wake. The cabin itself was awesome. The bathroom had an entrance from the foyer as well as from the bedroom so our guests could access it without having to trek through the bedroom area. The commode area was separate from the large separate glass shower and super-deep whirlpool tub area, so that made it even nicer.

 

The bedroom was able to be sectioned off from the living room by a thick pull-curtain, though we never did so.

 

We had free laundry and dry cleaning throughout the cruise; free corsage and boutonniere on formal nights; a one-time use of the mini-bar; free hors d'ouerves whenever; fresh fruit daily ( you will need to request when needed); a full hot breakfast available from room service daily as well as order dinner off the MDR menu; fresh flowers in the suite ( they were replaced twice during our cruise) and so many other 'perks' as well.

 

We are on the "Star" this coming April on our trans-Atlantic, and have a mini -aft- this time. All suites were booked, but I'm sure we'll make do. ;)

[JPRLHR]

We had a PS on Sapphire, B753 which is situated between an OS and a GS. We liked the fact that the front one third of the balcony is uncovered so there was plenty of sunlight coming in. The only slight annoyance (and I mean slight) is that it's directly below the Terrace Pool and whilst there's no noise from the pool area whatsoever, there are quite a few inquisitive people who lean over from above to try and grab a peak. As I said it's not a problem so long as you're either on the rear two thirds of the balcony or if you're clothed..!! :D

[fairstars]

I mentioned in a previous post that I had an AE mini booked (guaranteed) for the Sapphire departing April 24th for our 20th anniversary cruise. Got the booking extended until Monday so have the weekend to decide and consider a big..no huge...leap to a VS, PS or PH suite. Has anyone stayed in these suites on this ship and could you offer any recommendations regarding location? My Princess rep says that almost all of these suites are available as of today. Definitely would only happen for an auspicious occasion such as this. Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated!!!!!

 

Ronandot,

 

We had our first suite on the Diamond, (sister ship), last year and it was a stern suite, absolutely loved it. The breakfast in Sabatini’s alone is almost worth it aside from all the other benefits. Booking a suite virtually gives you Elite privileges and some extras that even Elites do not get.

We loved it so much that we have booked the same suite on the Sapphire for this year’s cruise. We had previously booked mini suites and loved them especially with our Elite privileges, but the full suite is just so much better.

 

Happy cruising

Chris

[scopewest]

Thanks to everyone for the info, I booked us in Sapphire's grand suite for next year to mark a special occasion and was hoping the extra $$ was worth it! Now I can't wait.

[Woobstr112G]

Thanks to everyone for the info, I booked us in Sapphire's grand suite for next year to mark a special occasion and was hoping the extra $$ was worth it! Now I can't wait.

 

Have a fantastic cruise.....:):):)

 

Bob

[luvs2travl]

Thanks to everyone for the info, I booked us in Sapphire's grand suite for next year to mark a special occasion and was hoping the extra $$ was worth it! Now I can't wait.

 

It will be! A couple on the CC roll call for that Alaskan cruise had the Grand Suite booked, and that's where we had our Meet & Greet! It is fabulous, and at that time (2007), it came with a butler! :D Don't know if that is still the case, but you will LOVE it! The suite is gorgeous.

 

Have a wonderful cruise and Smooth Sailing to you always! :)

[Feebarn]

Luvs2travl do you by any chance have any photos of the singapore suite on Sapphire? We are booked in the same suite on the Diamond for Alaska cruise in June and am curious how it looks/is laid out? :)

[ronandot]

Thanks to everyone for their input. It sounds like the aft suites come highly recommended, front suites not so much and the mid ship suites maybe a toss up? The price difference is not that great between the three but a huge jump from the mini. It's only money right :eek: Will need to make a decision soon so i might come back to this thread right before I make the call;)

[JPRLHR]

Thanks to everyone for their input. It sounds like the aft suites come highly recommended, front suites not so much and the mid ship suites maybe a toss up? The price difference is not that great between the three but a huge jump from the mini. It's only money right :eek: Will need to make a decision soon so i might come back to this thread right before I make the call;)

 

Just do it... Suites make for a proper cruise, you won't regret a penny and it won't be your last suite either..!!

[ronandot]

Still surfing around for the best deal and while I know this is a Princess board, I realize that many of you sail multiple lines. So...can someone who has sailed Royal and Princess help me understand why the VS,PS,PH suites are so much more than say the Grand Suites on Majesty of the Seas that is also sailing the Mexican Riviera? Thought I might find someone who has stayed in both. Thanks!!!!

[4cats4me]

We have had Vista Suites twice and I can tell you, the location is

fantastic. Some people don't like afts because it's too far to walk,

preferring instead to have a PH on Caribe deck right in the middle.

 

We prefer the Vista afts by a longshot and this is why: They're on the

corners so you only have one neighbor on the side of you, and also

it's so nice and quiet back there.

 

I've attached Coral's link from these boards which show pictures

of various types of suites.

 

Also, word of caution, when you do decide which suite you want, make

sure to mark it NO UPGRADES, because if you choose a VS they could

upgrade you to a PH or a PS which is not in as desirable of a location,

and on the Sapphire they have those front corner suites which

I don't think are nearly as nice as all the others. The front corner

suites don't even have the extra fancy bathrooms, because I made

sure to check all the suites out while waiting for a late disembarkation

once.

http://homepage.mac.com/tlassek/PhotoAlbum21.html

 

Suites on the Golden and Sapphire are nearly identical.

 

Good luck with your decision.:)

[spongerob]

Still surfing around for the best deal and while I know this is a Princess board, I realize that many of you sail multiple lines. So...can someone who has sailed Royal and Princess help me understand why the VS,PS,PH suites are so much more than say the Grand Suites on Majesty of the Seas that is also sailing the Mexican Riviera? Thought I might find someone who has stayed in both. Thanks!!!!

Princess suites are generally larger than RC's GS category and many have much larger balconies, particularly the aft suites. The bathrooms are also nicer and are split into two rooms.

 

One thing I thought odd about the GS we had on Voyager of the Seas was that most of the storage area for clothes was in the bar area. It felt like we were getting dressed in the kitchen! But otherwise it was great, perks were similar except of course for the "no liquor in the cabin or minibar" thing.

 

Ditto to 4Cats, if you book an aft suite, mark it "no upgrades".

[bhopal21]

which The front corner

suites don't even have the extra fancy bathrooms, because I made

sure to check all the suites out while waiting for a late disembarkation

once.

 

Neither do the VS Caribe deck suites on the larger ships. We stayed in C750 three weeks ago on The Emerald and there was no shelving at all in the bathroom and it was arranged differently from any other we have seen.

 

Mike:)

[ronandot]

Thanks for the input and the great link to the photos. So much information here it can be overwhelming for a newbie. I also realize that many of you answer the same questions time and again.....Thank You!!!!!

 

About the aft VS suites, they appear to be fully covered. Can we expect no or very little sun there? I know time of day and direction of ship come into play but in general. I know most the of the mini's appear to be uncovered.

 

Bigger question for spongerob.....is the price difference for Princess VS worth it over a Royal GS? You appear to have done both and have obviously cruised a bunch. Thanks again!

[teachergal29]

Thanks for the input and the great link to the photos. So much information here it can be overwhelming for a newbie. I also realize that many of you answer the same questions time and again.....Thank You!!!!!

 

About the aft VS suites, they appear to be fully covered. Can we expect no or very little sun there? I know time of day and direction of ship come into play but in general. I know most the of the mini's appear to be uncovered.

 

Bigger question for spongerob.....is the price difference for Princess VS worth it over a Royal GS? You appear to have done both and have obviously cruised a bunch. Thanks again!

 

I think you are confusing the cabin terms on the different lines...

On Princess the full suite categories go from Vista Suite(VS), Premium Suite(PS), Penthouse Suite (PH), Owners Suite(OS) and then Grand Suite (only on some ships). The Princess Grand Suite is their biggest one that has a separate living, dining, and bedroom areas.

 

Now on RCL full suite categories go from Grand Suite(GS), then Owners Suite (OS) and then their biggest Royal Suite (comparable to the Grand Suite on Princess).

 

So when you are comparing prices on the two lines it would be:

 

Princess--VS, PS, PH to RCL--GS (Princess PS +PH vary from VS in location and are slightly larger than the VS)

 

Princess--OS to RCL-- OS

 

Princess-- Grand Suite to RCL-- Royal Suite

 

Hope this helps when getting confused about comparing the prices of the cabins on the two cruise lines... I am only talking about the full suites that have the extra perks on both lines..:)

[bhopal21]

Don't forget the new (lowest) category on Princess WS suites.

 

Mike:)

[teachergal29]

Don't forget the new (lowest) category on Princess WS suites.

 

Mike:)

 

Oh, I forgot about the new one..:) I guess I thinking of the ones that compared to RCL.. I don't think RCL has that category..

[ronandot]

What I was thinking in my head didn't come out of my fingers:D I really meant to ask about input on value comparing a Princess VS with a Royal Caribbean GS. The Princess appears to be about $1000 more than RC. So if you take into account the suite, amenities that are included, the ships and the cruise lines.....is the Princess VS worth the price difference over RC?

 

I am not familiar with the WS suite on Princess and one salesperson I spoke to commented on the fact that there is a big gap between the mini and the full suites when you compare to what is available on other lines.

 

Everyone's input is appreciated!

Thanks!!!

[4cats4me]

What I was thinking in my head didn't come out of my fingers:D I really meant to ask about input on value comparing a Princess VS with a Royal Caribbean GS. The Princess appears to be about $1000 more than RC. So if you take into account the suite, amenities that are included, the ships and the cruise lines.....is the Princess VS worth the price difference over RC?

 

I am not familiar with the WS suite on Princess and one salesperson I spoke to commented on the fact that there is a big gap between the mini and the full suites when you compare to what is available on other lines.

 

Everyone's input is appreciated!

Thanks!!!

 

I've got to be honest here: Although we've had full suites before on

Princess, we've had mini-suites an equal amount of time, and truthfully

for us, we prefer the minis. You see, it was nearly double the cost

for the full vs. the mini, and we didn't utilize the perks to the fullest.

 

To answer your questions about the VS suites, yes, fully covered!!

VS suites on Dolphin deck have a deeper balcony and have two

loungers plus table with 4 chairs versus on Emerald deck where the

table only had 2 chairs [at least on the Golden]

There is also two sliding doors and one is obstructed by a beam, but we

really liked the beam, because when the sun does hit the balcony, it's

nice to pull the lounger behind the beam and not have to deal with

the blazing sun at certain times of the day.

 

If you are one who will partake of all of the Suite Perks, unlimited internet,

meals delivered to your cabin instead of eating out, and plan to drink

the free alcohol set up AND use the thermal spa which is also included

with your suite perks, then go for it. However, it's been our experience

that we just cant utilize all of the perks because:

We like to go out in the dining rooms for dinner

 

Why would we spend tons of time in the internet cafe for the free internet

if we're trying to enjoy our cabin that we're spending way more money

for?

 

For us, the BEST BEST BEST part of the full suite was the rear-facing

balcony. That's where we spent a good deal of time.

 

I can tell you that the AD mini-suites on Emerald deck are the only

mini suites that are fully covered, and we've had just as nice a time

on those balconies,

 

and if you get plain old balcony [non mini-suite cabin] C752 and C753,

we've had those too, and they offered the exact same amount of

enjoyment as the VS suites since the balconies were on the corners

and faced aft. Very private and nice.

 

Good luck with whatever you choose. Sorry to be so verbose.

[bhopal21]

Why would we spend tons of time in the internet cafe for the free internet

if we're trying to enjoy our cabin that we're spending way more money

for?

 

For us, the BEST BEST BEST part of the full suite was the rear-facing

balcony. That's where we spent a good deal of time.

 

If you bring a laptop you can enjoy that balcony and the free internet.;)

 

Mike:)