Jade Owners suite questions

[erdoran]

Still busy comparing OS to two BR family suite for Jade 11 day Holyland sailing. Total of 4 sea days, 2 at the beginning, 2 at the end, the rest very port-intensive. There's $1000 difference on paper, but the pix look so much nicer that I'm trying to justify it to myself anyway!!

 

So, in addition to the different and bigger cabin and Courtyard access, the other things that I think are different about the OS are

 

3 bottles of hard liquor

sodas

free specialty restaurant????

 

Is that correct? And questions:

 

1. are the sodas and bottled waters that are mentioned on the website just a few at boarding, or do you get free unlimited sodas and bottled water for the entire cruise?

2. can you get a bar setup in the cabin if that's the case - some mixers, olives, cherries--y'know, if we want to make in-room foofoo drinks, have the additional ingredients for that?

3. I read somewhere that for each week of cruising you get a free specialty restaurant dinner with bottle of wine. Is that correct? It was unclear whether that would apply.

 

Any other comments and opinions about whether or not it is worth the price difference, and any other differences I didn't catch above? thanks

[ImADaneFan]

Still busy comparing OS to two BR family suite for Jade 11 day Holyland sailing. Total of 4 sea days, 2 at the beginning, 2 at the end, the rest very port-intensive. There's $1000 difference on paper, but the pix look so much nicer that I'm trying to justify it to myself anyway!!

 

So, in addition to the different and bigger cabin and Courtyard access, the other things that I think are different about the OS are

 

3 bottles of hard liquor

sodas

free specialty restaurant????

 

Is that correct? And questions:

 

1. are the sodas and bottled waters that are mentioned on the website just a few at boarding, or do you get free unlimited sodas and bottled water for the entire cruise?

2. can you get a bar setup in the cabin if that's the case - some mixers, olives, cherries--y'know, if we want to make in-room foofoo drinks, have the additional ingredients for that?

3. I read somewhere that for each week of cruising you get a free specialty restaurant dinner with bottle of wine. Is that correct? It was unclear whether that would apply.

 

Any other comments and opinions about whether or not it is worth the price difference, and any other differences I didn't catch above? thanks

 

With the OS the sodas are unlimited for the entire cruise. You will tell your butler which sodas you like and he/she will make sure your fridge is kept stocked. You should also get mixers to go with your 3 bottles. You might also be able to get a blender. Our butler provided one when we were in the GV on the star.

I'm not sure on the free specialty dinner. On our TA in November 2010 they offered 2-1 if you were latitudes during a specific time range.

[phillygirl63]

I was in the A2 Deluxe OS in July, 2010. Is this the same room you are referring to? We got 3 complimentary bottles of liquor (they give you a list to choose from). DH was very happy that we had unlimited complimentary water and soft drinks (Pepsi products, which was great as DH is a corporate employee). We chose 1 bottle of red wine, Seagrams and Jack Daniels and made our own mixed drinks to take to the restaurants and enjoy on the decks. Your butler will bring the mixers you referred to. Our butler was Caeser, and he brought us trays of fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, and I'm sure whatever else we would have requested. I was great having something to munch on in the mornings and later at night right there in the room.

 

As for the free dinners in the specialty restaurants, I don't think that is included, because our concierge would have told us about that when we had her make reservations for us. You do, however, get free breakfast and lunch at Cagneys everyday.

 

Also, you can have breakfast in the courtyard area. I think you can get served there for any meal if you wish. We did not do that as we had 4 others (my parents and my 2 teenagers) traveling with us who were not in suites. They came to our room often, and Caeser accommodated them as well.

 

Our cruise was only 7 days. We gave Caeser $300 and the concierge (who we did not use often) $50 at the end of the cruise.

 

The room is huge with dining area, living room, bedroom, and huge bathroom with large shower and separate bathtub, separate dressing area, and separate powder room. There are only 2 things I would caution about -- first, the room overlooks the pool area, and there is a lot going on there until late at night, so if you want to get to sleep early, think about it. Second, the room is on the very top of the ship and is the only thing up there besides the Garden Villa decks. This makes for a little more movement than maybe a room below. So, if you are prone to seasickness, this may be a factor in your decision.

 

If you have any other questions, let me know.

[Fishbait17]

We have never been offered a free specialty dinner in the OS, only the GV. I really love the OS, but in your situation, the 2 bedroom may be a better setup. The sofa in the OS is not set up for sleeping, and you would be basically sharing the one bath and dressing area (storage), so lack of privacy will likely be an issue. If you can find a way to share the bed, and the extra amenities outweigh the lack of privacy, then go for it. I shared the bed with my SIL, and we had a great time, but we share the same schedule and privacy is of no importance to us (we are more like sisters than in-laws). You could use the extra cash to order bar setup, have some great tours and still have money left. Both suites are my favorites, with the exception on the GV. Tough decision!

 

Robin

[erdoran]

THANKS for the info, this is super!

 

We're talking about OS, not DOS. We were thinking that we would take turns in the master bedroom and ask for a rollaway bed for the living room. We had gone on youtube and checked out videos of the OS and of the 2 br CV which I believe is identical to the 2 br family suite, and in comparison the OS is just SO MUCH NICER! We agreed we can live with sharing the master bathroom and closet, especially since the 2 br doesn't look like it has much space for clothes other than in the MBR anyway (did I miss some storage somewhere?) We both love the two balconies, and my roomie pointed out that no matter what room we were in, we'd each have our own balcony! Lots more space, too, on the OS balconies!

 

So really I'm down to justifying the extra expense of approx $1k apiece. I guess the amenities are worth perhaps $150 per person for the booze & soda, another $50 AARP discount brings that to $200, and then there is what we think we can get from OBC from a TA. Just making sure we haven't missed anything in amenities that would help justify it!

[coffeecat]

THANKS for the info, this is super!

 

We're talking about OS, not DOS. We were thinking that we would take turns in the master bedroom and ask for a rollaway bed for the living room. We had gone on youtube and checked out videos of the OS and of the 2 br CV which I believe is identical to the 2 br family suite, and in comparison the OS is just SO MUCH NICER! We agreed we can live with sharing the master bathroom and closet, especially since the 2 br doesn't look like it has much space for clothes other than in the MBR anyway (did I miss some storage somewhere?) We both love the two balconies, and my roomie pointed out that no matter what room we were in, we'd each have our own balcony! Lots more space, too, on the OS balconies!

 

So really I'm down to justifying the extra expense of approx $1k apiece. I guess the amenities are worth perhaps $150 per person for the booze & soda, another $50 AARP discount brings that to $200, and then there is what we think we can get from OBC from a TA. Just making sure we haven't missed anything in amenities that would help justify it!

 

Can I vote again :)?

 

Have stayed in the OS on Gem and Dawn. They are beautiful rooms for sure and the two balconies are very nice. There is also an extra half bathroom. In terms of storage, the closet is large, there are drawers in the bedroom and also some additional cabinets in the living room. You could both bring A LOT of stuff and not have a problem. Had not thought about a roll-away bed. There is only a curtain that separates the bedroom from the living room. The room is fabulous but we hardly ever used the CY.

 

After getting off the Jewel, I told my husband that I thought the best NCL suites (GV excluded-that is a no brainer!) are the A3s and A4s (which would also include AB with no CY). We did a cabin crawl on the Jewel and I saw AE, AD,OS, and we toured the GV earlier in the day. A few people commented that they liked the A3 better than the OS we saw. It's just so cozy. Additionally, there is less movement and the location is outstanding. It is wonderful to go to the CY in the morning for breakfast, take a short walk to Cagney's for lunch, or hop in the hot tub before dinner. Plus there is the sundeck above the CY that is a little slice of heaven. They balcony is a decent size (two large chairs). I think in Europe, the AB or A3 would be ideal. Personally, I would not spend an extra 2000$ for the OS....Europe is expensive and this amount of money could go towards some really sweet shore excursions!

 

So my vote is the AB/A3...and I do think you will be busy enough that the AB would be absolutely wonderful.

 

What is the price difference between the AB, A3, and AA for your sailing?

 

Let us know what you pick!

Coffeecat

[erdoran]

I so love CC! This board has been phenomenally useful for me in planning my cruises and especially in turning me on the suite life on NCL! But it has also been responsible for me spending $$$$$$ cruising!!

 

having said that, here's the pricing for the cruise we're considering:

 

S3 OS $3999

S4 CV $3699

SC Family suite $2999 (aka Family Penthouse with Balcony)

 

I'd love the CY, especially considering we have 2 sea days at the beginning and at the end, but if we were going to spend the $700 to upgrade to CY, at that point I can absolutely justify the additional $300 to go to the OS because we get almost that much each in additional amenities.

 

We were concerned that there isn't much closet/dresser space for the second bedroom in the S4/SC and also the tiny balcony doesn't have room for more than two regular chairs, not even loungers?

[coffeecat]

I so love CC! This board has been phenomenally useful for me in planning my cruises and especially in turning me on the suite life on NCL! But it has also been responsible for me spending $$$$$$ cruising!!

 

having said that, here's the pricing for the cruise we're considering:

 

S3 OS $3999

S4 CV $3699

SC Family suite $2999 (aka Family Penthouse with Balcony)

 

I'd love the CY, especially considering we have 2 sea days at the beginning and at the end, but if we were going to spend the $700 to upgrade to CY, at that point I can absolutely justify the additional $300 to go to the OS because we get almost that much each in additional amenities.

We were concerned that there isn't much closet/dresser space for the second bedroom in the S4/SC and also the tiny balcony doesn't have room for more than two regular chairs, not even loungers?

 

Okay...hmmm...three bottles of booze, sodas, and two balconies are the major difference that I see. The S4 and S3 are priced pretty close. On the Pearl we were in an A4 (s5?...the onebedroom CY suite) and the woman staying with her two daughters next door told us she had a lounger placed outside. For me, with the CY right next door and the sundeck upstairs, I wouldn't need to have a lounger. Unless you really want to be alone A LOT, the proximity to the CY cancels out the two balconies in the OS. The chairs in the S4 were plenty comfy for reading etc. Also, just as an aside, we never got a free dinner in the OS...I htink that is usally just for the CV, casino VIPs or other NCL has deemed VIP.

 

One other thing that I didn't think of is that the bathroom is hte CYV is AMAZING. THe OS bathrooms are much larger but there is no picture window right about the bathtub or in the shower-which for some reason I just love. A previous poster on another thread said something about the bathrooms in the AB/CYV being designed for women and they are totally right.

 

On the jewel I packed a large backpack and carryon stuffed full and thought I had plenty of space. I think I would have been fine with even taking a large suitcase along. When I was in the a4, my husband and I each had a back pack, carry-ons, and then a huge suitecase (50lbs on the dot because we were flying!). We had not problem fitting all of our stuff in just the masterbedroom storage space. IMO, storage should not be a concern, although depending on what you bring you might need to share the masterbedroom closet. At first glance or in a video, the storage in the second bedroom seems WAY too little, but I was pleasantly surprised when I had unpacked my stuff just how much EXTRA room I still had!

 

If it were me, it would come down to the AB or the A3. If the A3 is already a bit of a splurge then I wouldn't go up to the OS. The CY location just can't be beat IMO. We are sailing on the Pearl in a couple of weeks in an AD and I am hoping I don't miss the CY too much! You are in a win-win situation-both cabins are wonderful (the minuses aren't even minuses because they are just so nice...was just trying to help you sort out the positives!), it's just a choice on how much you want to spend. Good luck!

 

Coffeecat

[erdoran]

Coffeecat, we wouldn't have CY location because for us it's between the $3k family suite which is kinda at the front of deck 11, just under the spa--or the $4k OS, at the front of deck 10. We considered, but dismissed, the $3.7k CV because we think it's identical to the $3k family suite and we aren't convinced CY location and access are worth $700.

 

So the differences are:

• 3 bottles of booze
  
• sodas
  
• cy access
  
• much nicer/bigger cabin & balconies
  
• $1k extra each
  

vs

• more privacy
  
• much nicer master bathroom
  
• save $1k each
  
• spend perhaps $60 each on soda cards (if that)
  
• relatively small balcony
  
• fighting the chair hogs at the regular pool (weather permitting, no guarantee that it will be nice enough for swimming/sunning)
  

Does that about cover it?

[Fishbait17]

Yup, that just about covers it except for one small thing, reserved theater seating, available for courtyard and higher only. We found we rarely used the courtyard from the OS, but then again, didn't use it much in the CV either... You have a really tough choice... I truly love the OS for a couple, but think I prefer the AB for separate adults, for privacy issues only. I love being forward in the OS, but the front balcony is not as usable while sailing at full speed (sea days) - but I don't lay out in the sun either. Hubby and daughters much preferred using the regular pool deck over the front balcony for sunning. Side balcony is very large tho - think two AB balconies side by side. We really like the OS for entertaining, we always have people in for whatever in the OS, and that's a big reason why we prefer it (sailing with our daughters, friends etc) plus hubby and I are cabin trolls... Otherwise it's almost too much open living room space for two. Don't get me wrong, we love the OS, but love the AB too, ESP when traveling with others (taking my MIL in an AB on the Jade in May vs an OS on the SUn). If the living room person sleeps in, the bedroom person will be sneaking through to get out, and vice versa for the shower,

where in the AB you have completely separate sleeping spaces plus the living

room for you both to enjoy. Like I said, it's a tough choice!

 

Robin

[coffeecat]

Coffeecat, we wouldn't have CY location because for us it's between the $3k family suite which is kinda at the front of deck 11, just under the spa--or the $4k OS, at the front of deck 10. We considered, but dismissed, the $3.7k CV because we think it's identical to the $3k family suite and we aren't convinced CY location and access are worth $700.

 

 

So the differences are:

• 3 bottles of booze
  
• sodas
  
• cy access
  
• much nicer/bigger cabin & balconies
  
• $1k extra each
  

vs

• more privacy
  
• much nicer master bathroom
  
• save $1k each
  
• spend perhaps $60 each on soda cards (if that)
  
• relatively small balcony
  
• fighting the chair hogs at the regular pool (weather permitting, no guarantee that it will be nice enough for swimming/sunning)
  

Does that about cover it?

 

Wasn't sure when you were going! If the weather is going to be iffy, then that is a huge plus for the OS...IMO, 700$ (or 1000$ plus CY in your situation) would be money well spent for the CY with so-so weather. For the jewel recently there was an 700$ dif between the AD and CY (bought last minute and prices were really low!) and I thought the 700 bucks pp was worth it to be in the CY.

 

Alternatively, you could still go with the family suite and buy a spa pass (that is what I am going to do with the AD on the Pearl) which, I hear, are very nice.

 

It's a tough decision :D and you can't lose either way! I am sure the Jade will be wonderful with whatever you decide!

 

Coffeecat

[erdoran]

If it matters, late october, Holyland 11 day Jade itinerary. October 20, 2012 cruise.

 

THANK YOU! I'll email my roomie to read this thread as well, and please keep the info & advice coming!!!

 

I had seen somewhere OS gets one or two loads of free laundry??

[coffeecat]

If it matters, late october, Holyland 11 day Jade itinerary. October 20, 2012 cruise.

 

THANK YOU! I'll email my roomie to read this thread as well, and please keep the info & advice coming!!!

 

I had seen somewhere OS gets one or two loads of free laundry??

 

 

You guys will really love whatever you pick. I totally agree with what Fishbait said...although I still would probably pick the A4 over the OS but would be thrilled to be in either.

 

Because of my job (no more than a week off at a time) I haven't been able to cruise Europe yet (I would be too worried about flights on a tight schedule) but it's on my agenda for sure. I am, therefore, not too familiar with the weather. On the Jewel in December, the CY was a huge plus as our weather was chilly. I know you have it down to the family suite and the OS but I would still really think about the CY family suite and saving 600$ (esp for the reasons Fishbait said) over the OS. It's just a nice little community up there!

 

On the Dawn and Gem, both in the last year, we didn't get free laundry...I think this is a platinum perk? maybe. You can do laundry for 25$ a bag when they do their special and you can fit a lot into those bags.

 

Decisions, decisions! At least they are good decisions! Another way to think of it would be would you rather have two balconies and a courtyard or take your excusion level up a couple of notches with the extra cash?

 

Coffeecat

[Fishbait17]

No free laundry or Internet, even in the GV...

 

Robin

[erdoran]

You guys will really love whatever you pick. I totally agree with what Fishbait said...although I still would probably pick the A4 over the OS but would be thrilled to be in either.

 

Because of my job (no more than a week off at a time) I haven't been able to cruise Europe yet (I would be too worried about flights on a tight schedule) but it's on my agenda for sure. I am, therefore, not too familiar with the weather. On the Jewel in December, the CY was a huge plus as our weather was chilly. I know you have it down to the family suite and the OS but I would still really think about the CY family suite and saving 600$ (esp for the reasons Fishbait said) over the OS. It's just a nice little community up there!

 

On the Dawn and Gem, both in the last year, we didn't get free laundry...I think this is a platinum perk? maybe. You can do laundry for 25$ a bag when they do their special and you can fit a lot into those bags.

 

Decisions, decisions! At least they are good decisions! Another way to think of it would be would you rather have two balconies and a courtyard or take your excusion level up a couple of notches with the extra cash?

 

Coffeecat

 

Can I be greedy and say BOTH???? Budgetwise we're ok with the family suite, the OS is a bit of a stretch but with two years to save probably doable. Excursions are definitely a priority and once we get our booking finalized we'll take over the port of call boards, reading about excursions and must-do's! I HAVE to see the pyramids, and we HAVE to see Jerusalem and the Dead Sea....it's all good!

 

And in a suite I would assume it's realistic to have the butler bring us a 6 am breakfast so we can be the first two off the ship for excursions? We're thinking about getting a group together from our roll call to perhaps do a ship-sponsored private tour....

[Fishbait17]

Yes, early ensuite breakfast is (to me) one of the best suite benefits. Just remember that your tours will be expensive in that part of the world. I would highly recommend a private overnight tour in Alexandria, if you are there overnight.. It should cost about $600 (a really rough estimate) for the two of you, but you can really specialize it to see exactly what you want, well worth it to not wait for dawdlers and not going to all the shopping places so many people want to go to and see only the things you want to see and not be rushed. We avoided all the typical shopping, and instead had our guide take us thru the souk at night, a fantastic experience, he bargained for us and we bought some amazing items. We visited the pyramids twice, to see them at different times and to do different things, plus The Egyptian Museum, Sakkara, Memphis, Alexandria, etc For four of us, we spent just over $1100 (maybe it was less without the hotel) plus tip I think for the car, driver, guide, admissions, etc and arranged our own hotel separately. Haven't been to the other ports, but I have heard that Israel and the Palestinian region are very costly. Keep this in mind... I am so jealous! We have looked at this itinerary and are trying to fit it in!

 

Robin

[PeleNipsy]

I was in the A2 Deluxe OS in July, 2010. Is this the same room you are referring to? We got 3 complimentary bottles of liquor (they give you a list to choose from). DH was very happy that we had unlimited complimentary water and soft drinks (Pepsi products, which was great as DH is a corporate employee). We chose 1 bottle of red wine, Seagrams and Jack Daniels and made our own mixed drinks to take to the restaurants and enjoy on the deck.

 

I noticed that you were able to get Jack Daniels. Wasbthis on the list or were you able to substitute? I ask because I have an Owners Suite reserved and was bummed to see the complimentary list in most photos doesn't include Jack. I was hoping the list may have changed since your sailing was quite recent. Thanks!

[garycarla]

We visited some friends in the OS and actually prefer the AB or A3/A4. So, in our case it is an easy choice to save money.

[erdoran]

Fishbait, we'd love to know more about your private overnight Egypt tour - would you be willing to share details, operator & contact info? I think it is ok for you to post, but if you would prefer to email, you can use my CC account - madhatterdinners at gmail dot com. Thanks in advance!

[Fishbait17]

Fishbait, we'd love to know more about your private overnight Egypt tour - would you be willing to share details, operator & contact info? I think it is ok for you to post, but if you would prefer to email, you can use my CC account - madhatterdinners at gmail dot com. Thanks in advance!

 

Since you asked, I think I am allowed to post the info here.. We used Ramses Tours, we had Usama Othman as our guide. I have just asked Usama on FB if he is still with Ramses, awaiting reply.

 

Here is a link to a loooong thread about Ramses, it has some bad, but mostly good. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1026330

It starts in 2009, but has been posted on ever since.

 

Our tour was perfect, our guide Usama was knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and fun. We had a large roll call group, and had several private tours booked with them, plus two buses for group tours booked privately too. We had a delay upon arriving in Alexandria (fog and major accidents on the highway kept us in the port parking lot for more than 3 hours), but still saw everything we wanted to see and made it back to the ship in plenty of time (as did everyone else). We booked privately for just the four of us because we were not interested in the Light and Sound show nor the Nile dinner cruise, we wanted to go to the bazaar in the evening instead. The most fun was watching Usama (othman) doing the bargaining for us - he pretended to be engaged to one of my daughters and argued with the vendors about making his "mother-in-law" pay tourist prices lol... We simply wanted to customize the itinerary to us, and we did.

 

Here is my original thread started while I was planning, not long but you can get an idea of what we wanted to see and do, and we modified the tour by the time we left. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1080870&highlight=ramses We dined at the cafe mentioned http://www.exceltrvl.net/article/Egypt/restaurant/khanelkhalili.htm after reading his books before we left. We stayed at the Le Meridien because of hotel loyalty points (used), fantastic. I'm sorry I can't remember exactly what the whole tour cost, I will try to look it up in my old emails. Edited to add: Here is the response to the original email I sent, not as expensive as I remembered:

 

Dear sir ,

 

Greetings from Ramses Travel Company of Egypt

220$ perperosn without accommodation

 

 

the price including Egyptologist guide (islam or mohamed )

all entrance fees of sites u requested , also memphis

private tour , private vehicle just for your family

meals not included in the price

 

just in case u want me to book for you

 

320$ per perosn including accommodation (oberoi mena house best hotel in cairo )

Please contact me if you need any additional information .

Looking Forward to Welcoming You in Egypt

_______________________________________

H.George

Senior International Sales Executive

Ramses Travel Group of Egypt.

Main office : 102 Garden city semoha,

Alexandria,

Egypt.

Office phone :002/ 034255918

Direct Phone :002/01057-593-64

Cell n :002/01005-386-23

Fax :002034248426

Email:info@ramsestours.com

 

 

 

 

The Ports of Call board has a lot of great information to pore over in planning your excursions. We chose to spend the most cash in Egypt, and did the other ports on our own (had been to them all before) and it was all very easy but time consuming to plan.

 

Robin

[erdoran]

Fishbait, thank you so much!

[erdoran]

OK, the decision is made - and it's the Owners Suite! We switched our AB/SC Family Suite reservation last night and put down the rest of the deposit. My roomie realized that front balcony is something she would really love, and I'm a total pushover for the tranquility of the courtyard vs what I've experienced on other cruise ships as pool deck craziness! So now we have 18+ months to plan our excursions and save up to pay for them! thanks everyone for the great advice.