Heard from the Upsell Fairy!

[Sandyshore]

Got a call this morning! Had been booked in an AD on Jewel (aft-facing balcony and our first ever suite). I've been checking the NCL website for weeks and an AA/Owner's was still open, so I'd been hoping and wondering if she might call....and also conflicted about giving up the glorious aft balcony I've heard so much about. But with access to the Courtyard, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. The AA is probably a once-in-a-lifetime for us, so I grabbed it. So excited!!!! :D

 

So....anything I should know, being a suite virgin? Other than the butler/concierge tips, are there any other charges I should be aware of?

[JColquhoun]

Got a call this morning! Had been booked in an AD on Jewel (aft-facing balcony and our first ever suite). I've been checking the NCL website for weeks and an AA/Owner's was still open, so I'd been hoping and wondering if she might call....and also conflicted about giving up the glorious aft balcony I've heard so much about. But with access to the Courtyard, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. The AA is probably a once-in-a-lifetime for us, so I grabbed it. So excited!!!! :D

 

So....anything I should know, being a suite virgin? Other than the butler/concierge tips, are there any other charges I should be aware of?

 

How much was the upgrade? When r u leaving

[familyof4cruising]

Congrats! You will LOVE the Courtyard.

[Sandyshore]

We leave Jan 12th.

The pics are gorgeous! Thanks familyof 4!

[Sandyshore]

How much was the upgrade? When r u leaving

 

oops - forgot to answer you...$1000 for the upsell.

[JColquhoun]

oops - forgot to answer you...$1000 for the upsell.

 

That is so great-- have a great time

[NeilD]

Seems like a great price for a 10 day cruise....We are booked on a five day cruise in February in an AD...AA's are still available...hope she calls us...have a great time!!!

[Sandyshore]

Seems like a great price for a 10 day cruise....We are booked on a five day cruise in February in an AD...AA's are still available...hope she calls us...have a great time!!!

 

Yes, the 10 day length makes it easier to justify the added cost! We will take full advantage, especially of the Courtyard, on our cold days in and out of NY. Our "fairy" was a lovely lady named Patricia, who couldn't believe that I knew why she was calling before she even got the words out LOL...other than to say she was with NCL.

[runmomrun]

Got a call this morning! Had been booked in an AD on Jewel (aft-facing balcony and our first ever suite). I've been checking the NCL website for weeks and an AA/Owner's was still open, so I'd been hoping and wondering if she might call....and also conflicted about giving up the glorious aft balcony I've heard so much about. But with access to the Courtyard, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. The AA is probably a once-in-a-lifetime for us, so I grabbed it. So excited!!!! :D

 

So....anything I should know, being a suite virgin? Other than the butler/concierge tips, are there any other charges I should be aware of?

 

 

no suggestions- I'm a suite virgin too. But... CONGRATULATIONS!!! :D

[Sandyshore]

no suggestions- I'm a suite virgin too. But... CONGRATULATIONS!!! :D

 

lol Thanks!

I've learned about the unlimited sodas that come with the AA, but alas...no caffeine-free diet coke and no diet root beer on NCL as far as I can tell, so we'll still be bringing our own :rolleyes:

[IWORK2CRUISE]

We got an upsell on our Dawn cruise last month. Too bad it was only 5 days. We could have enjoyed the ameneties more on a longer cruise.

We went from a Penthouse aft balcony (which we had been upgraded to as my 50th b-day gift) to an Owners Suite.

This was our 1st suite experience and hopefully not our last.

Our OS had a forward facing balcony and a side balcony. The Dawn does not have the Courtyard but we did get to go to the Villas as there were CC members there. Wow!

We loved the HUGE bathroom. Plus we had a powder room. At home we have only 1 full bathroom!

The breakfast is amazing at Cagney's. So much so that on our 2 sea days we couldn't go to the lunch! We had gone to lunch on boarding day, though. Quite good.

Bring some of your favorite CD's to play in your suite. Enjoy your Moet on your balcony.

Have room service.

Enjoy the Courtyard.

Most of all, enjoy your cruise!

[marelind]

Oh boy are you in trouble!! We got upsold to an AA on our first cruise and we've never been able to go back! :D

 

You are going to love the AA. We've been in the AA on the Pearl twice and it is our favorite cabin. There is soooooo much room. Are you deck 9 or deck 10?. The cabins are slightly different depending on the deck.

 

There are no extra charges associated with the AA other than the gratuities you mentioned, but so many perks. Keep searching the boards for more information about suite perks. My review for the Pearl in April is here: http://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=66582

[Anthony&David]

We were upsold to an AA owner's suite (9504) for our Jewel sailing in May 2010. We were booked in an AC suite, and we would have very much enjoyed that room had we not received the upsell offer. But, we were excited when we were presented with the opportunity and it turned out to be a great experience. There was a lot to enjoy about the room, access to the courtyard (even though the courtyard is not just outside of the cabin, it does not take much time to get there), and the other extras that come with the AA. I am not sure if you are interested in specifics, but if so, I can share.

 

One small thing we would do differently is related to the three bottles of alcohol that come with the room. We got one bottle of wine and the other two were vodka and rum. We would have been better off selecting three bottles of wine, because by the end of the cruise we had most of the vodka and rum remaining, whereas we had wine on a daily basis with dinner.

 

You asked about other charges besides butler and concierge tips. Other than the steward tip (which you might give a bit more because it is more room to clean/organize) and a tip at cagney's (if you have breakfast and lunch there), I cannot think of other charges.

 

I have attached some pictures.

[Sandyshore]

We got an upsell on our Dawn cruise last month. Too bad it was only 5 days. We could have enjoyed the ameneties more on a longer cruise.

We went from a Penthouse aft balcony (which we had been upgraded to as my 50th b-day gift) to an Owners Suite.

This was our 1st suite experience and hopefully not our last.

Our OS had a forward facing balcony and a side balcony. The Dawn does not have the Courtyard but we did get to go to the Villas as there were CC members there. Wow!

We loved the HUGE bathroom. Plus we had a powder room. At home we have only 1 full bathroom!

The breakfast is amazing at Cagney's. So much so that on our 2 sea days we couldn't go to the lunch! We had gone to lunch on boarding day, though. Quite good.

Bring some of your favorite CD's to play in your suite. Enjoy your Moet on your balcony.

Have room service.

Enjoy the Courtyard.

Most of all, enjoy your cruise!

 

We had a similar progression -- first booked a regular aft balcony 18 months ago....then just 2 months ago decided to upgrade to the romance suite (AD) and we were ecstatic to have that. And now the Owner's Suite! Really too much to absorb right now. I may never leave the ship!

[Sandyshore]

You are going to love the AA. We've been in the AA on the Pearl twice and it is our favorite cabin. There is soooooo much room. Are you deck 9 or deck 10?. The cabins are slightly different depending on the deck.

 

There are no extra charges associated with the AA other than the gratuities you mentioned, but so many perks. Keep searching the boards for more information about suite perks.

 

Thanks for the link to your review! We are on deck 9. Is there any issue about lights in the cabin affecting the bridge? I thought I read about that somewhere on CC. I've spent the entire day searching the boards to learn everything I can LOL.

 

We were upsold to an AA owner's suite (9504) for our Jewel sailing in May 2010. There was a lot to enjoy about the room, access to the courtyard (even though the courtyard is not just outside of the cabin, it does not take much time to get there), and the other extras that come with the AA. I am not sure if you are interested in specifics, but if so, I can share.

 

One small thing we would do differently is related to the three bottles of alcohol that come with the room. We got one bottle of wine and the other two were vodka and rum. We would have been better off selecting three bottles of wine, because by the end of the cruise we had most of the vodka and rum remaining, whereas we had wine on a daily basis with dinner.

 

I have attached some pictures.

 

The photos are just great -- I can't get over how beautiful the suites are. I don't think I'll mind the distance to the courtyard...the more calories I can burn, the better, especially with those Cagney's meals. :rolleyes: I would be interested in hearing the specifics if you have time to share them.

 

About the liquor/wine....we are not big drinkers. I'm wondering, if we don't use all the bottles during the cruise, are we permitted to take them off the ship to bring home?

[Anthony&David]

In no particular order, other than what has popped into my mind...

 

Refrigerator contents: We asked the butler if he could remove what we knew we would not use, and then bring us more of what we knew we would (including some drink mixers that we used with the vodka and rum). He did this and kept us replenished for the full cruise.

 

Restaurant menus: All were in the room when we arrived and we ordered in-room dinner twice; it was nice to have a couple of quiet meals.

 

Breakfast: We ate in the room a few times. I like yogurt for breakfast, and even though it is not on the cagney's menu, the butler was able to bring it from the main dining area.

 

Balconies: Just great! At night, the front balcony can still be used (just turn off the bedroom light before going outside). One morning was quite windy up front, to the point that I could not stand and drink my coffee without it blowing out of the cup, but once seated it was no problem). Overall, it was great having both balconies and we spent a lot of time on them - this, I think, is one of the best things about the AA suite.

 

Espresso/Coffee maker: It was nice to have quick/easy access to a cup (in my opinion, it is not the best coffee, but it is good enough and how can sipping coffee on the balcony be a bad thing!) - we used this often (including to make cappuccino a few times).

 

Bathroom - It was huge! Double sink, bathtub with television, separate shower, walk-in closet with vanity and lots of storage. Much bigger than our bathroom at home. There is a second half bathroom near the door to the hallway, but we only rarely used this.

 

Courtyard: I used the lap pool and whirlpool several times (it seemed people were respectful of allowing others to enjoy these on their own, but not to spend too much time so as to limit other's enjoyment). The area was generally quiet and there was never a problem getting a place to sit. The private sun deck was also relaxing, especially spreading out on a day bed for hours at a time (if it is not too windy, there are umbrellas to block the sun).

 

Cagney's: From other posts you have probably already read about this for breakfast and lunch, and we did enjoy this too.

 

Afternoon snack: This was a nice touch, especially considering we tend to eat dinner later.

 

Reserved seating area at shows: They are not the best seats in the house, but we enjoyed the stress-free process of showing up five-ten minutes before the show.

 

Captain's cocktail party: The previous time we were in a suite, we did not go to this, but this time we did and I thought it was a nice event.

 

Bridge tour: We went on this; it was interesting, but there were many seemingly disinterested children who were running around the bridge and being quite loud. On our next cruise, we might try this again in the hopes of it being more calm.

 

Chocolate buffet: It was nice to be able to walk around for a few minutes before it was fully opened.

 

Check-in, embarkation, and debarkation: All very quick and easy.

 

Concierge: More attentive than our previous time in a suite. For example, he would stop by during dinner to see how we were doing and at many other times we would bump into each other and he stopped to chat and answers any questions we had and provide suggestions for what to do.

 

Oh, about taking bottles home, I have read on Cruise Critic that others have done this.

 

I hope this is helpful as you plan for your cruise. :)

[snooper1225]

Got a call this morning! Had been booked in an AD on Jewel (aft-facing balcony and our first ever suite). I've been checking the NCL website for weeks and an AA/Owner's was still open, so I'd been hoping and wondering if she might call....and also conflicted about giving up the glorious aft balcony I've heard so much about. But with access to the Courtyard, it was an offer I couldn't refuse. The AA is probably a once-in-a-lifetime for us, so I grabbed it. So excited!!!! :D

 

So....anything I should know, being a suite virgin? Other than the butler/concierge tips, are there any other charges I should be aware of?

 

Hi Sandyshore,

I am on the same cruise as you. For the last two days I have been forwarding my home phone calls to my cell phone while I am at work, hoping for a call.

That is so awesome for you, enjoy it!!!

[fridaythe13th]

Enjoy!! It seems I read more times than not it's the Aft balcony people they call first. I'll probably never get the call because I would not book an aft due to motion.. :(

[Sandyshore]

Enjoy!! It seems I read more times than not it's the Aft balcony people they call first. I'll probably never get the call because I would not book an aft due to motion.. :(

 

I know what you mean...the aft balconies seem highly desirable, so the Upsell dept must feel confident they'll be able to fill the opening with another upsell. We were happy just to have a BA aft -- booked it 18 months in advance just to be sure we got one -- and now we're on the other end of the ship. Two yrs ago on the Gem we were very far forward in a BB on deck 9 and I was pretty green from the motion on our first day out of NYC....but what the heck, I'd rather be green in an owner's suite :rolleyes:

[Sandyshore]

In no particular order, other than what has popped into my mind........

 

A&D thanks so much for taking the time to write all that out. Great info!! I'm copying it into my notes that I'll be taking on board :)

 

Hi Sandyshore,

I am on the same cruise as you. For the last two days I have been forwarding my home phone calls to my cell phone while I am at work, hoping for a call.

That is so awesome for you, enjoy it!!!

Hi Jeanne and/or Chuck! You may still get a call. There's still an A3 open, and the NCL rep gave me 2 scenarios (as she called them) to choose between. Smart move having your home calls forwarded. Good luck and see you next week!

[fridaythe13th]

I know what you mean...the aft balconies seem highly desirable, so the Upsell dept must feel confident they'll be able to fill the opening with another upsell. We were happy just to have a BA aft -- booked it 18 months in advance just to be sure we got one -- and now we're on the other end of the ship. Two yrs ago on the Gem we were very far forward in a BB on deck 9 and I was pretty green from the motion on our first day out of NYC....but what the heck, I'd rather be green in an owner's suite :rolleyes:

 

You definitely will be spoiled! How did you like the Dawn compared to the Gem?

[Sandyshore]

You definitely will be spoiled! How did you like the Dawn compared to the Gem?

 

The Gem buffet is much more user-friendly. Action stations are more open, easier to maneuver. Dawn had action stations, e.g. pasta, but it was part of the regular buffet line, so harder to navigate. The part I missed most on Dawn is the outdoor buffet area on the stern--The Great Outdoors--that Gem has (and I guess all the Jewel-class ships) that's like an extension to the Garden Cafe buffet on Deck 12. Doesn't exist on Dawn. The other thing I liked better on Gem is the Blue Lagoon setup. It's a sit-down place on Gem, more of a fast-food place on Dawn, and the Dawn placement makes it difficult to move through the area. All JMHO of course! Dawn's still a beautiful ship.

[tlm]

Is it possible to call NCL or your TA about an upsell? Or do you need to wait to be contacted.

 

There are two AAs available on our sailing and we're in an AC. Should we ask about an upgrade and then make an offer?

 

Sorry...I'm a newbie at all this!

 

Thanks

[Sandyshore]

Is it possible to call NCL or your TA about an upsell? Or do you need to wait to be contacted.

 

There are two AAs available on our sailing and we're in an AC. Should we ask about an upgrade and then make an offer? Sorry...I'm a newbie at all this! Thanks

 

I'm a newbie too -- this was my first ever upsell call. What I've read on these boards is that it's a very small dept at NCL, and they work last-minute on each cruise, meaning in the 1-2 weeks before sailing. So it's too soon for you to even hope to hear for your February cruise. People have posted that in the past, when too many people called the upsell dept, they stopped taking calls entirely. I don't know what the status is these days. If you booked with a TA, I guess it doesn't hurt to ask them if they will call for you when it gets closer to your sailing. It will all depend on how many higher category suites are still available. Good luck!

[vandals04]

Is it possible to call NCL or your TA about an upsell? Or do you need to wait to be contacted.

 

There are two AAs available on our sailing and we're in an AC. Should we ask about an upgrade and then make an offer?

 

Sorry...I'm a newbie at all this!

 

Thanks

 

 

I made a call to the upsell deptmant and they politely told me that they do not take requests for upsells.