Are suites worth the extra $$$ ????

[REPO]

We are considering booking a sky suite on the Galaxy for late Oct./05 We have been looking at the sky suites because they offer the butler service. Being we have never experienced anything quite like this before, we thought it would be fun.

 

Can anyone tell me more about this option? What can we expect? And what do they offer for services? Also any recommendations as to what room to try and book, as well as any other little secrets to help make our first cruise great!

 

Thanks all!

 

Reid

[canderson]

We are considering booking a sky suite on the Galaxy for late Oct./05 We have been looking at the sky suites because they offer the butler service. Being we have never experienced anything quite like this before, we thought it would be fun.

 

Can anyone tell me more about this option? What can we expect? And what do they offer for services? Also any recommendations as to what room to try and book, as well as any other little secrets to help make our first cruise great!

 

Thanks all!

 

Reid

Pay attention to the deck plans. I think you'll find that you'll have a good bit more space if you book one on the Sky deck instead of the Penthouse deck. Even among these there are some variations that will show up in the deck plans.

[emptynest1]

Any suite on the sky deck will be great. The butler is fabulous. I say go for it if you have the means, it is worth it.

 

An example of what to expect...

We are early risers and liked having coffee and pastries delivered and set up on our balcony each morning. You can also have breakfast there. Our laundry was done and put back in the drawers for us. We had dinner served one night on our balcony, and had a cocktail party for friends set up and served by the butler. Afternoon Lattes were delightful, once again prepared and served by the butler. I was so spoiled I could have made the Celebrity commercials.

[brigittetom]

Hi EN, No wonder the Zenith wasn't your favorite ship because of no balconys. I love the idea about the laundry although Tom as done as much for me. :D

[REPO]

Any suite on the sky deck will be great. The butler is fabulous. I say go for it if you have the means, it is worth it.

 

An example of what to expect...

We are early risers and liked having coffee and pastries delivered and set up on our balcony each morning. You can also have breakfast there. Our laundry was done and put back in the drawers for us. We had dinner served one night on our balcony, and had a cocktail party for friends set up and served by the butler. Afternoon Lattes were delightful, once again prepared and served by the butler. I was so spoiled I could have made the Celebrity commercials.

 

I have noticed a few saying that their butlers set up a cocktail party for them. I also read that they brought different drinks and such. I would imagine all drinks consumed at the party would be charged to your account? Some more info on this would be great.

 

 

Reid

[brigittetom]

I would love to hear more info on this as well. I believe I've read that for the cocktail parties it goes by the bottle rather than the indivdual drinks.

 

We were invited to the Penthouse suite for a cocktail party and the butler had been instructed to set up and not to serve. Until then I was under the mistaken impression hordoerves' (I will never be able to spell that) were complimentary. We won't be having a butler anytime soon but it certainly is interesting to hear others' expieriences. :)

[excitedofharpenden]

Repo and BT:)

 

Experience so far with us in 2003 we had a few of our CC buddies round for drinks and hors d'oeuvres and our butler served us. We had a couple of bottles of champagne and a couple of bottles of sparkling wine and these were added to our account. No one had any drinks by the glass, but I'm sure these would be charged at the normal rate. Orange juice was brought in with the food and there was no charge for this or the hors d'oeuvres.

 

Having said this, I understood from our butler last year that there was now a charge for the in cabin cocktail parties, including the food. I don't think it has proved very popular with the butlers and if you get the right one they will probably be able to get the food for you without charge. It seems a bit crazy when room service will bring it to you for free, but if your butler brings it there is supposed to be a charge.

 

I agree with the above posts. If you can get a Sky Suite on Deck 12 with the larger balcony (look carefully at the deck plans for the cutouts) I would go for it. They used to charge a bit more for these cabins, but they are now the same price as those on deck 10.

 

For my part, yes I loved having a butler on our previous cruises, but to be quite honest, I could quite easily live with just the excellent stewards and room service. The thing that has swung it for us in the past was the cabin.

 

Sorry Reid, one other thing to mention as advice. Speak to your butler as soon as he introduces himself and ask what you can expect from him (as a new to butler experience) and indeed what he expects from you in terms of notice etc. He will appreciate this as he will have another 8 or so cabins to service too. If you like a leisurely breakfast in your cabin he will come and serve that to you at a time to suit you. Afternoon tea and cakes at about 4pm was nice, but the canapes at 6pm were less tempting. I needed some room for dinner!;)

 

Whatever, enjoy. You will love Galaxy, I hope. We did!:)

 

Phil

[ABSCruiseLuvers]

We have had a butler on almost every cruise we have taken but I must admit we don't use him as much as we should. We tell him not to bring us the afternoon tea or the canapé at night. We do have him bring a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers that we enjoy while dressing for dinner. We book suites more for the size of the cabin than the butler service. On some cruises it has been well worth having the butler and on others it has just been another person to tip at the end of the trip

[geoherb]

I'd be tempted to upgrade my cruise line instead of my cabin. For instance, the Crystal Harmony is doing a 10-night Mexican Riviera cruise that leaves October 22. You can get an ocean-view cabin for less than $2,000 pp and a balcony for $2,700. Gratuities are included in the price.

[Bruin Steve]

We had a pair of Sky Suites (6122 and 6124) for our Summit cruise this past July...

 

While there certainly is a great amount of pampering, we've never felt that "unspecial" sailing in non-suite cabins either...

 

There are a lot of extra little niceties but, to be honest, I'm not sure it's really all worth the extra cost...Our canapes often went uneaten (like we can't otherwise get enough to eat on the ship)...Our daughters (18 and 20) had the second suite and they drove th Butler crazy bringing them all sorts of things from breakfasts to DVDs...pretty much, it's very personalized service...But, my wife and I really didn't ask for much...

 

What is nice about the Sky Suites are the rooms themselves...For us claustrophobic sorts, they're much more like a real hotel room...and you can actually turnaround in the bathroom without bruising yourself...Also, the closet and storage space is far more ample...

 

But, for those of us whop spend little time in our cabin, we often questioned the value...My thought is that if money comes and goes fairly easily for you, if you don't sweat your budget that much, if you are the type that buys without checking the price tag, go for it...If every dollar you spend comes with a sacrifice, save the money...

 

As to parties in the suite, frankly, I cannot picture holding a "party" of any sort in a Sky Suite...Sure, it's bigger than an ordinary cabin...but only by an extra 60-80 square feet...It's still only one room with a small balcony...and there's still a big bed that dominates the cabin (I dunno...maybe that makes for an interesting "party" for some folks)...Now, if I were sailing in the Penthouse Suite, that would be a different story--with the separate bedroom and the oversized deck, a party there would be cool...But my brother and his wife sailed on the Summit in the PH and they never hosted a party...What's the point? They did eat dinner most nights in their suiote--with the butler serving them...

 

And, yes, if you have a "party" in your cabin, you are paying for drinks just as if you ordered them at a bar...

[Boo's Mom]

REPO ~

 

Yes, the Butler is fun....(your children will love him...coming by to bring them things...in his Tuxedo! )

 

but, I believe what you are really paying for is the suite.

 

I have done the RS on the Century, Mercury and Summit..all with two children in tow. You will love the space.

 

Another alternative you might look into: booking a small suite with a connecting balcony. Now we are talking privacy!

 

Good luck with whatever you decide!

[brigittetom]

 

I think it's fantastic to be able to cruise in a suite and more power to all that do but statements like the above make me wonder. Why would anyone allow indulgence to teens who decide that they want DVDs, special breakfasts, and to drive the Butler crazy. I know the price of the suites but the butlers actually have to serve about 8 suites and to allow the teens free command of the butler is just a little much.

[Bruin Steve]

I think it's fantastic to be able to cruise in a suite and more power to all that do but statements like the above make me wonder. Why would anyone allow indulgence to teens who decide that they want DVDs, special breakfasts, and to drive the Butler crazy. I know the price of the suites but the butlers actually have to serve about 8 suites and to allow the teens free command of the butler is just a little much.

 

Oh, come on now, Brigitte...

When I said the kids drove the butler crazy, I was using just a touch of hyperbole...

The kids used the butler a lot--but really only relative to the amount my wife and I used him...

They generally had breakfast in their room--when they got up in time for breakfast that is...

And they had him getting them a few simple things...like DVDs...

 

But, did you really get from my post that they took up as much of his time as, say, the people having breakfast, lunch AND dinner in their suites? Or the ones requiring the butler to set up and to serve them and their guests for their "in-suite cocktail parties"??? Heavens knows they weren't making a lot of outrageous requests like some "adult" passengers...

 

...And, as always, they were grateful and respectful...

 

As to "anyone" who would "allow indulgence to teens", excuse ME, but, that's MY choice, isn't it? I paid as much to take my daughters on a luxury 13-night cruise tour as anyone else who paid for a suite...And this wasn't just ONE suite that we crowded an entire family into and were taking up more than our "one-eighth share" of that butler's time for two full-priced passengers and two "third and fourth" rates...We were paying for TWO complete suites for the four of us...

 

...and the butler didn't exactly seem to be put off by the girls...He (and the Cabin Steward and the Assistant Cabin Steward all) seemed to be enjoying themselves when interacting with the girls...My guess is they found them much more delightful than some of the snobbish, difficult-to-please "adult" passengers...

 

And, as far as my "indulging" my daughters:

1) Maybe I can afford to. Look, anyone who takes their kids on a cruise is "indulging" them. We all do w2hat we feel is reasonable according to our means...

2) Maybe my daughters DESERVE it. Both girls are attending universities ranked in the Top 10 public universities in the country by US News and other such ranking services...The older daughter just completed her second straight year of making the Dean's List EVERY QUARTER. The younger one was just admitted and awarded an academic scholarship. They both worked hard to get where they are. They're good kids and I'm extremely proud of them. On the train/bus portion of the cruisetour, they were the only kids on our "bus"...and NO ONE had a problem with them...In fact, the entire bus seemed to enjoy having them there. If every "kid" on every cruise were as well-behaved and well-mannered as my daughters, you'd never hear anyone complain about kids on a cruise...Heck, if every "adult" were as well behaved, you'd never see me complain either...

 

So, if I care to "indulge" my kids by letting them cruise in a Suite and have the services of a butler, that is my prerogative, thank you...

[OceanCruise]

We book suites for the extra space as we are a family of three. A regular room with a rollaway is terrible as we found out the hard way. The upper berths are limited and the sofabed takes up precious space and can block the balcony door. While the butler is a nice touch, that is not really factor in my decision. Also, some butlers are mediocre while others can be good. You can get breakfast and cheese and crackers, etc. in a regular room. On some of the ships you have to book a suite to get a balcony so that also factors in my decision.

[raudacruise]

Steve, agree with both of your posts.

 

First, having breakfast and dvd's delivered by the butler is part of the suite experience. Why else would they have menus for the two of them in the suite?

 

Second, a PH is a blast but not sharing we like you don't understand. It can be somewhat cave-like if not shared. The one lucky time when we were on Summit we had two parties (one at sailaway and one at the midpoint of the cruise). Most of the folks were cruise critic followers (exceptions being our table mates). About 30 or so folks. We made it clear that for the sailaway it was BYOB and no food (since dinner wasn't too far away) but did get the food (trays of it for free) and wine/beer/soft drinks (on our account of course) for the midcruise party.

 

We also had several dinners with friends in the PH (table seats 8 after all).

 

It amazed us that the couple next door never did this. The wife was a writer (and even if we could remember her name its not going to be dropped). Their daughter and son-in-law were in the connecting cabin next door. We offered to exchange rooms but both parties wanted their privacy.

 

Different strokes for different folks is all we can say.

[barbon2]

We also do suites due to the size of the cabin rather than the butler. When we did HAL Alaska in an S-suite you did not get a butler, (which we do not really use anyway), but they had a concierge lounge where they provided light mealsm snacks and services. I did find that the one perk that HAL offers which I would rather have then the butler, was free laundry and dry cleaning. That was well worth having the suite. I wish Celebrity would add that as a suite perk.

[canderson]

We also do suites due to the size of the cabin rather than the butler.

Ditto.

 

On an M-Class, we're perfectly happy with an aft CC, but like the FV better -- and it's got more space inside and out than the Sky Suites. More space, less money, no butler? More space wins! I can shine my own shoes and make my own dinner reservations for the difference!

 

On a C-Class, however, the FO has nice space, but no veranda at all, so that's when we start talking Sky deck Sky Suite to approximate the kind of space we can get in an FV on an M-Class.

[Texed]

Bruin Steve,

 

No wonder your proud of your daughters. :) Congratulate them for us.

[hammybee]

We book either a suite or an inside, depending on if our daughter is with us or not and the potential for views. We rarely use the butler and just prefer a little more room when there are 3 of us in a cabin. We love the views in Alaska, Northern Euro and the Med. It does not make much difference to us in the Caribbean.

 

If expense is not an issue, there is no reason to not book a suite.

[canderson]

If expense is not an issue, there is no reason to not book a suite.

Depends on the boat. On C-Class, even a Sky Suite is a step up from the alternatives.

 

On M-Class, however, the FV gives you 20 sq ft more interior space and about 200 sq ft. more veranda than a typical Sky Suite. Why spend the extra to get the butler and lose all that space? The M-Class Sky Suite (with the exception of 2 cabins, I think), at any price, just doesn't offer as much space. You'd have to jump up to a Celebrity Suite to beat the FV.

[REPO]

Can anyone tell me what side of the ship I should book on for the Galaxy cruise to Panama from Galveston? Preferably for the best scenery and sun.

 

 

 

Also, It seems I cannot make any new posts on the board! I can reply to posts, but it seems to lock up when I try and make a new post. Any ideas? I have rebooted my comp and logged out, but no worky. :confused:

 

 

Edit --> Just tried again and it worked. I'm not sure what the heck is going on.

[barbydaul]

Were you in cabin 1203 on the Galaxy. I don't remember seeing a "2003". We have cabin 1203 on the Galaxy in March and if this indeed was you cabin, would like any info you can give me on this cabin. There will be my husband, my mother, and myself in this room and was wondering about the amount of space. Thank you in advance for any info.

 

Barb

[barbon2]

We did do fv 8181 on Infinity and it really was a terrific spacious cabin. The problem is it is so hard to book one of these fv cabins, especially an end one. When we did do the fv, the people who were on deck 9 could hear the noise from the area above their cabins. If you can get an end fv, it certainly is a great buy, but the sky suites are also very nice and we find them to be much easier to book and have a good choice of cabin selection.

[canderson]

Were you in cabin 1203 on the Galaxy. I don't remember seeing a "2003". We have cabin 1203 on the Galaxy in March and if this indeed was you cabin, would like any info you can give me on this cabin. There will be my husband, my mother, and myself in this room and was wondering about the amount of space. Thank you in advance for any info.

 

Barb

I think they meant in the year 2003. We'll be in 1203 in December, so take good care of it! Let me know what you think of it when you get back. Looks like one of the best verandas in a SS. Although I've been on the Galaxy before, I cannot for the life of me what the "interface" between those two hallways and the upper pool deck looks like, though. There must be doors or something either side the elevators. The deck plans aren't giving me much of a clue. Anyone know?

[brigittetom]

Oh, come on now, Brigitte...

When I said the kids drove the butler crazy, I was using just a touch of hyperbole...

The kids used the butler a lot--but really only relative to the amount my wife and I used him...

They generally had breakfast in their room--when they got up in time for breakfast that is...

And they had him getting them a few simple things...like DVDs...

 

But, did you really get from my post that they took up as much of his time as, say, the people having breakfast, lunch AND dinner in their suites? Or the ones requiring the butler to set up and to serve them and their guests for their "in-suite cocktail parties"??? Heavens knows they weren't making a lot of outrageous requests like some "adult" passengers...

 

...And, as always, they were grateful and respectful...

 

As to "anyone" who would "allow indulgence to teens", excuse ME, but, that's MY choice, isn't it? I paid as much to take my daughters on a luxury 13-night cruise tour as anyone else who paid for a suite...And this wasn't just ONE suite that we crowded an entire family into and were taking up more than our "one-eighth share" of that butler's time for two full-priced passengers and two "third and fourth" rates...We were paying for TWO complete suites for the four of us...

 

...and the butler didn't exactly seem to be put off by the girls...He (and the Cabin Steward and the Assistant Cabin Steward all) seemed to be enjoying themselves when interacting with the girls...My guess is they found them much more delightful than some of the snobbish, difficult-to-please "adult" passengers...

 

And, as far as my "indulging" my daughters:

1) Maybe I can afford to. Look, anyone who takes their kids on a cruise is "indulging" them. We all do w2hat we feel is reasonable according to our means...

2) Maybe my daughters DESERVE it. Both girls are attending universities ranked in the Top 10 public universities in the country by US News and other such ranking services...The older daughter just completed her second straight year of making the Dean's List EVERY QUARTER. The younger one was just admitted and awarded an academic scholarship. They both worked hard to get where they are. They're good kids and I'm extremely proud of them. On the train/bus portion of the cruisetour, they were the only kids on our "bus"...and NO ONE had a problem with them...In fact, the entire bus seemed to enjoy having them there. If every "kid" on every cruise were as well-behaved and well-mannered as my daughters, you'd never hear anyone complain about kids on a cruise...Heck, if every "adult" were as well behaved, you'd never see me complain either...

 

So, if I care to "indulge" my kids by letting them cruise in a Suite and have the services of a butler, that is my prerogative, thank you...

 

Bruin Steve, Thank you very much for your most informative reply. That's actually more than I deserved for my observation. I didn't imply that your daughters shouldn't be treated to a suite, I just had the wrong impression of how they used the butler. I guess I have just read too many posts on teens having fun with roomservice and too many stewards having to deal with the problem. Not to mention having a few teens on our cruises thinking that they get to call the shots because their parents are on board.

 

Obviously I was out of line and I apologise. I have always respected your posts and your views. Brigitte