Suite life on Freedom of the Seas

[jsmeeker]

Still weighing my options for cabin type on a FoS cruise in October 2012. I'm contemplating a Grand Suite, and have some questions about the various perks. I'm not asking for the list of them, because I have that. I'm gonna paste them right here into this thread. What I am really asking for is some information on what some of them actually mean. I've read some reviews, but some of them are old and know perks change over time. So, here goes.. this is the list "Enhanced Program for Suite Guests" web page

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithHero.do?pagename=enhanced_program_for_suite_guests

 

 

Priority check-in

Personalized attention throughout the cruise with complimentary Concierge Club service on select ships

Reserved prime seating in the main theater for entertainment shows, where available

Priority tender tickets on select cruises. (Tender service is provided when smaller vessels are necessary to reach shore in locations without docking ports large enough for cruise ships.)

VIP pool deck seating, where available

Full breakfast, lunch and dinner dining room menus available for in-room dining

Private breakfast and lunch seating in specialty restaurants on our Voyager and Freedom Class ships

Mattel® board games available to order for in-room entertainment for the kids

Complimentary luggage valet service

Luxury spa bathrobes for use onboard

Complimentary pressing service on formal night

Priority departure with exclusive suite* departure lounge featuring continental breakfast

 

Also, to be complete, I am pasting in the details from the concierge club

 

dedicated Concierge who is available to assist with anything you require

Twenty-four-hour a day use of the Concierge Club Lounge

Continental breakfast every morning† and open bar & hors d'oeuvres every evening available in the Concierge Club Lounge

Assistance with reservations for Portofino Italian restaurant & Chops Grille Steakhouse

Assistance with Explorations! Bookings

Assistance booking appointments for Salon or Spa treatments

Priority tickets for the ice skating show

Assistance with the arrangement of private parties

Personalized Discover Shopping advice

DVDs and CDs available to borrow during the Concierge's hours

Pre-ordering of your dinner wine

Business services (faxing, copying, etc.)

 

 

Here are the perks I have some questions on. The rest are fairly obvious or I have learned about via other reviews and threads.

 

Priority Check-in - is this just check in or does it include priority boarding too? My single cruise experience was that check-in to boarding was one smooth, continuous process. There was no waiting between check in and actually getting onto the ship.

 

VIP pool seating -- is this available on Freedom? If so, are they "better" loungers? Is it attended so that I can just walk up and get shown to some chairs? Can I reserve in advance?

 

Complimentary luggage valet service -- what is this? is it more than then delivering luggage to your stateroom? Pretty sure they do that for everyone.

 

Complimentary pressing service on formal night --is this reliabe? this could be handy if my suit gets wrinkled.

 

Priority departure with exclusive suite* departure lounge featuring continental breakfast -- What exactly is this? A place to go to after getting off this ship when we return to Port Canveral??

 

Continental breakfast every morning† and open bar & hors d'oeuvres every evening available in the Concierge Club Lounge -- I think I've read they have an automated, self service "specialty coffee" machine in there. True?

 

Can the concierge handle reservations for MDR if I was on MTD?

 

Are there any other unlisted perks/benefits? Like invites to "private" parties, secial tours, welcome aboard ammenity, etc.? I have no status with RCI. Never sailed with them, so this will be my first cruise.

[Paulxyz2004]

Still weighing my options for cabin type on a FoS cruise in October 2012. I'm contemplating a Grand Suite, and have some questions about the various perks. I'm not asking for the list of them, because I have that. I'm gonna paste them right here into this thread. What I am really asking for is some information on what some of them actually mean. I've read some reviews, but some of them are old and know perks change over time. So, here goes.. this is the list "Enhanced Program for Suite Guests" web page

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/contentWithHero.do?pagename=enhanced_program_for_suite_guests

 

 

Priority check-in

Personalized attention throughout the cruise with complimentary Concierge Club service on select ships

Reserved prime seating in the main theater for entertainment shows, where available

Priority tender tickets on select cruises. (Tender service is provided when smaller vessels are necessary to reach shore in locations without docking ports large enough for cruise ships.)

VIP pool deck seating, where available

Full breakfast, lunch and dinner dining room menus available for in-room dining

Private breakfast and lunch seating in specialty restaurants on our Voyager and Freedom Class ships

Mattel® board games available to order for in-room entertainment for the kids

Complimentary luggage valet service

Luxury spa bathrobes for use onboard

Complimentary pressing service on formal night

Priority departure with exclusive suite* departure lounge featuring continental breakfast

 

Also, to be complete, I am pasting in the details from the concierge club

 

dedicated Concierge who is available to assist with anything you require

Twenty-four-hour a day use of the Concierge Club Lounge

Continental breakfast every morning† and open bar & hors d'oeuvres every evening available in the Concierge Club Lounge

Assistance with reservations for Portofino Italian restaurant & Chops Grille Steakhouse

Assistance with Explorations! Bookings

Assistance booking appointments for Salon or Spa treatments

Priority tickets for the ice skating show

Assistance with the arrangement of private parties

Personalized Discover Shopping advice

DVDs and CDs available to borrow during the Concierge's hours

Pre-ordering of your dinner wine

Business services (faxing, copying, etc.)

 

 

Here are the perks I have some questions on. The rest are fairly obvious or I have learned about via other reviews and threads.

 

Priority Check-in - is this just check in or does it include priority boarding too? My single cruise experience was that check-in to boarding was one smooth, continuous process. There was no waiting between check in and actually getting onto the ship.

 

There is a suite check-in line and it´s not always the shorter one. Boarding can be priority when you check-in before boarding starts, but usually you just board after check-in.

 

VIP pool seating -- is this available on Freedom? If so, are they "better" loungers? Is it attended so that I can just walk up and get shown to some chairs? Can I reserve in advance?

 

No reserving, no "better" loungers, just a roped off area where they might or might not check your seapass card to lounge there, but that´s it in matter of attendance.

 

Complimentary luggage valet service -- what is this? is it more than then delivering luggage to your stateroom? Pretty sure they do that for everyone.

 

Luggage Valet is a service to get your luggage checked with the airline for your return flight onboard already. It´s not available on all ships and all airlines.

 

Complimentary pressing service on formal night --is this reliabe? this could be handy if my suit gets wrinkled.

 

yes it is

 

Priority departure with exclusive suite* departure lounge featuring continental breakfast -- What exactly is this? A place to go to after getting off this ship when we return to Port Canveral??

 

A designated place onboard, where you wait for your group to be called to go ashore.

 

Continental breakfast every morning† and open bar & hors d'oeuvres every evening available in the Concierge Club Lounge -- I think I've read they have an automated, self service "specialty coffee" machine in there. True?

 

Yes

 

Can the concierge handle reservations for MDR if I was on MTD?

 

S/he should

 

Are there any other unlisted perks/benefits? Like invites to "private" parties, secial tours, welcome aboard ammenity, etc.? I have no status with RCI. Never sailed with them, so this will be my first cruise.

 

I like the Grand Suites on RCI, but do it for the room, not the perks as the perks are not that overwhelming.

[39august]

Priority boarding depends on the port. We have gotten suite priority boarding in LA, Galveston, and Miami. Not in Ft. Lauderdale or San Juan.

[jsmeeker]

Priority boarding depends on the port. We have gotten suite priority boarding in LA, Galveston, and Miami. Not in Ft. Lauderdale or San Juan.

 

This would be at Port Canaveral.

 

 

As a previous poster mentioned, it seems that as long as they are letting anyone on the ship, they let everyone on the ship as soon as you get checked in and squared away. I'm guesing that waiting to board is only an issue if you how up to the pier fairly early?

[39august]

I have not yet sailed out of Port Canaveral. And yes, waiting is only if you arrive early, which we always do.

[SherriZ366]

There is also a private reception with the captain.

 

The CL concierge checked with us each day to see what he could do for us. We also had calls from the Diamond Concierge (we have sailed on FOS many times and know the concierges). We liked being pampered.

 

We had more furniture on the balcony.

[39august]

The private cocktail party for suite guests is with high-ranking officers, but the captain does not always attend.

[SherriZ366]

The private cocktail party for suite guests is with high-ranking officers, but the captain does not always attend.

Oh. He did attend ours on Freedom of the Seas.

[midwife1021]

The private cocktail party for suite guests is with high-ranking officers, but the captain does not always attend.

Is this only for the adults? Middle son thought it sounded cool and asked "can we get coke and go to the reception?"

Also, is it something that is like the captain's cocktail thing where it only lasts a tiny short time? We meant to make it to the one one our January cruise but it was so short and we missed it by 15 minutes.

[BND]

I'm jumping in with a question as we're on Freedom in Oct in a GS. Do we need to prebook shows or not? We were in a GS on Explorer last year but since there's not prebooking for shows on Explorer and since there's reserved suite seating in the venues, it didn't apply then. Am I right in thinking that we don't need to prebook shows? The FAQ isn't specific, just that there is reserved seating "where available". That's not specific.

[BND]

The private cocktail party for suite guests is with high-ranking officers, but the captain does not always attend.

 

Several officers, including the Captain attended ours on Explorer in March 2010. We got to talk to him and a couple of others.

[AF-1]

I'm jumping in with a question as we're on Freedom in Oct in a GS. Do we need to prebook shows or not? We were in a GS on Explorer last year but since there's not prebooking for shows on Explorer and since there's reserved suite seating in the venues, it didn't apply then. Am I right in thinking that we don't need to prebook shows? The FAQ isn't specific, just that there is reserved seating "where available". That's not specific.

 

To my knowledge the only ships who pre-book shows are Oasis/Allure. As a suite guest u will get tickets for the ice show; u get them from the concierge; that is the only show onboard Freedom that requires a ticket.

[srice]

To my knowledge the only ships who pre-book shows are Oasis/Allure. ....

You can now pre-book shows, including the ice show, on the Freedom. I have done it for our 28 Aug 2011 sailing.

[Mainer59]

To my knowledge the only ships who pre-book shows are Oasis/Allure. As a suite guest u will get tickets for the ice show; u get them from the concierge; that is the only show onboard Freedom that requires a ticket.

 

Not sure how it will work now that Freedom is pre-booking but last week there was no need for ice tickes. Concierge said just show up with your gold pass 15-20 minutes early. Worked welll at a very crowded show.

 

Also of note on Freedom.... The reserverd area for departure is essentially a section of the MDR on deck 3. Odd part was while the main portion of MDR had menu service or the regular MDR breakfast buffet at departure we only had buffet. If we wanted menu we'd have had to sit in the main area.

[BND]

To my knowledge the only ships who pre-book shows are Oasis/Allure. As a suite guest u will get tickets for the ice show; u get them from the concierge; that is the only show onboard Freedom that requires a ticket.

 

Nope, you can prebook shows for Freedom. I just don't want to do it if it isn't necessary. So, the ice show is like Explorer and we don't need tickets, but does anyone know about the production shows? There's 2 or 3 during our cruise and I don't want to get tickets that someone else can use if we don't need them.

[AF-1]

Thank you everyone for giving me the update on Freedom; since I don't sail until Dec; haven't looked into pre-booking anything onboard. Will wait until Sept; will have to take a look at what I can and can't pre-book.