What's is it like in the penthouse suite.

PoppyandNana · July 22, 2015

Question for anyone who has stayed in a penthouse suite. What's it like?

Did you have a group? Is there a limit to the number of people that can stay?

Did you leave much, particularly on sea days?

GigemAggies · July 23, 2015

The Penthouse Suite was heaven on the Summit because of the huge deck. The balconies on the other class ships are long and narrow and not as usable. I believe 4 is the max that can stay in any suite, including the Penthouse. Be warned ,There is only one bed. 3rd & 4th passengers would have to use pull out sofa or a roll away. The service is fabulous and we love having breakfast in our suite and playing cards there with other guests. That being said, the prices of the upper suites have really gotten absurd. They really makes me think twice now before booking the Penthouse Suite. In fact, for our upcoming med cruise I recently downgraded to a Celebrity Suite. We saved almost $10,000 and stilll get Michaels Club.

Jim_Iain · July 23, 2015

The Penthouse is really a wonderful experience. While we really enjoyed it on Millennium, I am not sure we would book it again. There were only two of us and it was way too much space for our needs. It would take me 10 minutes to turn off the lights and curtains each evening. The front foyer is almost the size of a regular stateroom.

The suite is fitted out with high endsound equipment and electronics which are a bit tricky to turn on to watch TV. In addition all of the shades in the living room are motorized on separate switches which takes a long time to close in the evening.

Like GigemAggies said the decks were wonderful. I believe they are about 1,500 SF and wrap around the suite. There is a wonderful outdoor tub to relax in.

One item they really never tell you about is the Butler's Pantry which is separate room with a full size refrigerator / freezer, a separate wine chiller, and a microwave. The butler treats you very special and bring full party size tray's of Shrimp and Cheese every evening.

We hosted a party one afternoon for about 25. The butler was there to greet the guests and serve beverages and snacks.

Phxazzcruisers · July 23, 2015

On the M Class ships it is totally awesome. Larger than any peoples homes. It is about 1500 sq ft with a 1500 sq. ft balcony. It was an awesome experience. We were fortunate enough to book it a few times. The only problem is that it is hard to downsize once you have had that experience. There were only 2 of us but we traveled with friends who were able to have breakfast with us in the room and cocktails and cheese plates before dinner.

It will really spoil you. Enjoy

Project_gal · July 23, 2015

Once you have stayed a PH, it is hard to sail in anything else in the future. What I enjoy most of all is the space. Each time we have upgraded from one level of suite to another, when we see what we were previously happy with, it seems so small. We once loved the M-class CS and loved the amount of space. When I visited that suite staying in a RS, I could not believe that it was the same as we have been in only a year earlier. So, yes, the space is wonderful. I love having storage for everything we bring with space to spare. We can be so organised. For example, we have one cupboard for going off the ship another for going to the pool and when we are heading off somewhere, we just grab what we want yet have not been cluttering up our living space.

Because of this, I enjoy the S-class PH because the flow is so much better than the M-class [although I wish they had thought out the power point locations better on the S-class].

My husband loves the balconies - even if the S-class PH balconies are not very large. He just spends most of his time reading, well more often sleeping, on the balcony - much to my annoyance!

Because of this, my husband prefers the M-class to the S-class but then he does not end up doing all the organising and have to walk as much as I do in the suite! He also loves the butler's pantry, especially having both a microwave and kettle!

The service you receive in the PH is incredible. Your butler, your stateroom attendants, in fact most people on the ship look after you so well.

We find that we leave the PH very little and because of what we have paid for the room, I do not feel that is an issue. When we found that we did not get out and about much in other accommodation, I would feel that we may as well have been anywhere and not spent so much money on a cruise. It certainly lessens my annoyance of my husband laying on the balcony all the time!

However, we do love entertaining in the PH. As we travel as a couple, how we entertain depends so much on who we meet up with on board. Cruise Critic Roll Calls are so important for this and, of course, Michael's Club. However, some of our best memories have been with others in our suite.

As to how many can be booked into a PH, there were 5 in the PH next to us on one cruise and butlers have told us of 6 but they find that really difficult because of the extra temporary beds that have to be brought in and the floor space that they take up. I think that the S-class would be less disrupted than the M-class because of the layout. Their descriptions remind me so much of family Christmases when I was a child when there would be people sleeping on all the available floor space. Probably fun but a very different PH experience to the one we have. I think that you would probably have to speak to someone if you want more than four in a PH because I do not think that you can book that online and it would depend on the total occupancy of the ship for that cruise. There is an overall limit as well as the limit of number in a room.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Project_gal

chemmo · July 23, 2015

Our first PH was on the Millie. It was also our first M class ship. It was wonderful. On S class I have been in the PH as a visitor, thought it was nice but not the wow of the M class and not worth the extra cost. So cruises on S class as others have said, we are happy downsizing to other suites.

As others have said it is that deck......great for breakfast, sightseeing and entertaining. Also we enjoyed the butlers pantry too!

Project_gal · July 23, 2015

Our first PH was on the Millie. It was also our first M class ship. It was wonderful. On S class I have been in the PH as a visitor, thought it was nice but not the wow of the M class and not worth the extra cost. So cruises on S class as others have said, we are happy downsizing to other suites.

As others have said it is that deck......great for breakfast, sightseeing and entertaining. Also we enjoyed the butlers pantry too!

Interesting, I would choose the S-class any day! I dislike the S-class RS and CS compared to the M-class equivalents. I think the S-class PH is beautiful and I love the location. Now if it just had the M-class butler's pantry, desk, balcony and view [yes, I know I cannot have both the mid-ships location and a view of the wake ...]. On balance, I'll take the light and layout over the other things.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Project_gal

chemmo · July 23, 2015

I am sure that staying in the S class PH is very different from just visiting. I have got to say it quite simply is the deck space on the M class that wins my heart. I would settle for a much smaller room but still an enormous balcony.

I wonder what the Edge project suites will be like? It will be interesting when the new designs come out.

BunnyLebowski · July 23, 2015

My family was fortunate to stay a PH on the Constellation (M-Class) in Winter 2014. It was myself, my husband and our 2 elementary school age children. We brought our Nanny who had her own cabin.

I was frankly overwhelmed with joy at the entire experience. We were given priority, escorted boarding. The staff seemed to be on the lookout for us and showed a strong desire to assist in any way to enhance our trip. We were escorted by a butler from Michaels club to the PH about an hour before other cabins were ready.

Upon first laying eyes on the cabin I was taken aback by how much room there was, as well as the high end custom detail that went into the space. Details such as the mosaic tile floor in the entryway and master bathroom, the gorgeous polished wood paneling with curvilinear surfaces throughout, the piano and the large public space with separate dining and seating areas really make for a special interior space.

It was wonderful to have 2 full bathrooms. The children used the ow in the hallway to shower etc. while the adults had the master bath to ourselves.

As mentioned before, the layout of the rooms is not well thought out. It just doesn't "flow". But we have no mobility issues, so the maze-like setup wasn't really an issue for us. It was funny to keep getting lost in the suite, though!

The aft balcony is simply amazing. I literally felt like Jackie Onassis on my own private yacht. That was the most spectacular part of the cabin.

The kids slept in the living room at night (one in a rollaway bed, the other on the pull out sofa- both reasonably comfortable). The master bedroom was private, although my husband found the bed to be a bit soft.

The cabin itself showed some wear. The upholstery on the sofas and chairs was worn, throw pillows were flat and no longer fluffy, some objects on display were missing and not replaced, etc. None of this bothered us, but if you have an eye for detail you will notice such things.

We probably would have spent more time in the cabin, but there were ports to visit and the kids wanted to spend some time in the pool every day. At the pool, it doesn't matter what cabin you are in, it's still a free-for-all when it comes to finding a lounger. Perhaps the butler may have been able to help with that, but I never mentioned it. The PH was always a refuge from any crowded conditions and I was always so happy to return.

We ate dinner every evening in the MDR or a specialty venue. We were invited to the Captain's table one night. It was the 2 PH couples, the top cruisers and another couple in a Royal Suite. Our butler mentioned that the PH always gets an invitation. I don't think our children were invited, but it also never occurred to us to ask to bring them (obviously that's an adult event).

We had breakfast in the suite or on our balcony every morning which was relaxing and lovely.

Other than having our Nanny with us in the cabin during the day (she took her meals with us and the butler accommodated her as one of our party) we didn't entertain as this was more of a family trip.

The Butler's pantry was one of our favorite features. The full size refrigerator was stocked with waters, juices and diet cokes as per request. Cheese plates and other snacks would appear in there most days as well. The microwave is a very nice feature which we used daily to heat things for the kids.

The butler is like any other member of your staff (albeit a temporary one). If you are clear and reasonable with your expectations it's better for everyone. Don't be afraid to ask for what you need, but also remember there are other passengers he needs to take care of, so try to be flexible whenever possible. I gave our butler a written list of items we wanted stocked, preferences for snacks, etc. and made sure to tip generously at the end of trip. I believe that if you are in the PH, the auto gratuity simply isn't sufficient to appropriately compensate your butler and cleaning crew for the extra work and attention.

We'll be back on the Constellation in a couple of weeks, again in the PH, and this time in Europe. We are looking forward to trying the new suite amenities. I considered trying a Royal Suite this time, but thought that being on the private aft balcony while sailing out of Venice could be a once in a lifetime opportunity, so went ahead and splurged.