Penthouse with Large Balcony

[disneygirl10]

Yesterday a booked a regular mid ship balcony cabin on the Pearl for Alaska. I had wanted an Aft cabin, but all were sold out.

 

I just called to price an Aft Penthouse with Large Balcony Suite, and am seriously considering switching my reservation.

 

Can someone name any other advantages besides the obvious location and size?

 

I do know that we get all 4 offers, and the gratuities for the dining and beverage packages are included as well, also no room service fee.

Will it help us get same day restaurant reservations?

I think we do get priority boarding, the woman on the phone had to check- came back and said "yes" so I'm hoping she's correct. Can anyone confirm this?

[FranknBeans]

Ask yourself how much time will you be spending in the cabin verses the amount of time on shore excursions.

[BirdTravels]

Ask yourself how much time will you be spending in the cabin verses the amount of time on shore excursions.

 

On an Alaska cruise, you should be spending many hours a day on your balcony watching the whales and seaside. The best part of an Alaska cruise! We like the forward facing SE cabins a lot more for Alaska.

[sjnyc323]

Yesterday a booked a regular mid ship balcony cabin on the Pearl for Alaska. I had wanted an Aft cabin, but all were sold out.

 

 

 

I just called to price an Aft Penthouse with Large Balcony Suite, and am seriously considering switching my reservation.

 

 

 

Can someone name any other advantages besides the obvious location and size?

 

 

 

I do know that we get all 4 offers, and the gratuities for the dining and beverage packages are included as well, also no room service fee.

 

Will it help us get same day restaurant reservations?

 

I think we do get priority boarding, the woman on the phone had to check- came back and said "yes" so I'm hoping she's correct. Can anyone confirm this?

 

 

You get a butler, concierge, invite to VIP functions, special restaurant for suite breakfast and lunch and many more

 

Concierge will make any reservations you need

Edited August 16, 2016 by sjnyc323

[disneygirl10]

Ask yourself how much time will you be spending in the cabin verses the amount of time on shore excursions.

 

On an Alaska cruise, you should be spending many hours a day on your balcony watching the whales and seaside. The best part of an Alaska cruise! We like the forward facing SE cabins a lot more for Alaska.

 

It's only myself and a child traveling..and we will be doing long excursions, but we won't be hanging out at a bar in the evenings. He probably won't go to the kids club more than once, so I do see us hanging out in our cabin more than we would on a Disney cruise.

 

BirdTravels- what do you like about the forward suites? Are the views/chances of wildlife better? This will be our only time in Alaska, I've never looked into it or even considered it before, but my child has been asking to go. Luckily I have plenty of time to learn. I chose for my 40th birthday to overlap with this cruise, so that's incentive to splurge.

[disneygirl10]

You get a butler, concierge, invite to VIP functions, special restaurant for suite breakfast and lunch and many more

 

Concierge will make any reservations you need

 

Great, thanks!

[NLH Arizona]

In addition to the cabin being larger, the balcony is awesome. Deck 10 is the best deck, if it is available and I love 10164, because it is a corner suite, so you only have someone on one side.

 

You will get all the suite perks, except for accessibility to The Haven. You will have a Butler and access to the Concierge. There is suite boarding; you check in separately and then are escorted to a suite waiting area and then you will be escorted onto the ship for lunch in the restaurant where you will also have breakfast; it will either be Moderno or Cagney's. You should get all four perks for being in a suite, but keep in mind only the first 2 people get the perks. The best thing for me is the view.

[disneygirl10]

In addition to the cabin being larger, the balcony is awesome. Deck 10 is the best deck, if it is available and I love 10164, because it is a corner suite, so you only have someone on one side.

 

You will get all the suite perks, except for accessibility to The Haven. You will have a Butler and access to the Concierge. There is suite boarding; you check in separately and then are escorted to a suite waiting area and then you will be escorted onto the ship for lunch in the restaurant where you will also have breakfast; it will either be Moderno or Cagney's. You should get all four perks for being in a suite, but keep in mind only the first 2 people get the perks. The best thing for me is the view.

 

With the 4 perks, I was told on the phone that I will not have to pay the gratuity charge on the dining or beverage if we switch to a suite. Is that correct?

[disneygirl10]

The following is what I copied from the NCL website. It does not list the ship we will be on, does everything still apply?

 

 

Special Services

Distinctive keycard

Butler & concierge service

Butler to unpack your luggage

Eats, Treats and Libations

Champagne, custom selection of liquor**, fruit, bottled water and sodas

Sparkling wine, bottled water and fruit on Embarkation Day

Mini-bar and espresso/cappuccino machine

24-hour Room Service

Invitations to an exclusive breakfast and lunch

Specialty dining delivered to your suite from any restaurant (cover charges apply)

Treats delivered right to your door each night

Thoughtful Touches

Bliss Collection by Norwegian™ pillow-top mattress

Fine linens, feather duvet and pillow menu

Plush bathrobes, slippers and towels

Luxury bathroom products

Arrival and Departure

Priority embarkation and disembarkation

Escort to suite

Priority boarding of tenders to shore

 

Exclusively on:

Norwegian Dawn, Norwegian Sky, Norwegian Spirit, Norwegian Star, Norwegian Sun and Pride of America

[NLH Arizona]

With the 4 perks, I was told on the phone that I will not have to pay the gratuity charge on the dining or beverage if we switch to a suite. Is that correct?

That is correct, you wouldn't pay the 18% gratuity on the dining or beverage packages.

 

You would get them all, except in an SF suite, you would not get:

Champagne, custom selection of liquor**, fruit, bottled water and sodas

 

You would get 1 liter of bottled water and fruit.

Edited August 17, 2016 by NLH Arizona

[MikeBTN]

With the 4 perks, I was told on the phone that I will not have to pay the gratuity charge on the dining or beverage if we switch to a suite. Is that correct?

 

That is correct.

[disneygirl10]

I know this is purely subjective, but to those who have stayed in a SF, if you don't normally cruise in a suite, did you feel it was "worth it"?

 

It's a $4k price difference, but if I would have had the aft mini suite that I wanted then the price difference was about $2600- that sounds better in my mind, or at least a little more justifiable.

[MikeBTN]

I know this is purely subjective, but to those who have stayed in a SF, if you don't normally cruise in a suite, did you feel it was "worth it"?

 

It's a $4k price difference, but if I would have had the aft mini suite that I wanted then the price difference was about $2600- that sounds better in my mind, or at least a little more justifiable.

 

The retail price of suites/Haven is usually not worth it to me. Yes, a butler is nice, the extra room doesn't hurt, and sure, a few extra "perks" is fine, but its usually double (or more) per person/per night than a balcony or minisuite. That's hard for me to justify financially, and we're in the "1%". I'd rather take an extra 1-2 cruises a year for the same money. Now if I can grab an upsell to a suite/Haven......that is something I'll do.

 

When we sail with the kiddos, connecting cabins is also generally cheaper than all of us in a suite (unless they're offering 3rd & 4th free, but they generally don't while the kids are off school, so.....).

 

That's just one man's opinion. You'll find others on CC that will ONLY sail in a suite.

[NLH Arizona]

I know this is purely subjective, but to those who have stayed in a SF, if you don't normally cruise in a suite, did you feel it was "worth it"?

 

It's a $4k price difference, but if I would have had the aft mini suite that I wanted then the price difference was about $2600- that sounds better in my mind, or at least a little more justifiable.

I love cruising in an aft penthouse. I enjoy the extra space the suite gives me, I've sailed in a NCL balcony and thought it was really tiny and I love the larger balcony, because I can have a lounger to relax on. I really like the priority embarkation and disembarkation process, so I don't have to fight the crowds. I like the breakfast in lunch in Cagney's, especially on embarkation and disembarkation days or when I try to go to the buffet and it is too crowded. I ask that they not bring the snacks, only because I don't like them, but like that I can call my Butler for special treats like oatmeal cookies. I get great deals from CAS, so I'm not paying the website price, even though I pay a pretty penny for the suite upgrade, so it is a great value to me.

[disneygirl10]

I love cruising in an aft penthouse. I enjoy the extra space the suite gives me, I've sailed in a NCL balcony and thought it was really tiny and I love the larger balcony, because I can have a lounger to relax on. I really like the priority embarkation and disembarkation process, so I don't have to fight the crowds. I like the breakfast in lunch in Cagney's, especially on embarkation and disembarkation days or when I try to go to the buffet and it is too crowded. I ask that they not bring the snacks, only because I don't like them, but like that I can call my Butler for special treats like oatmeal cookies. I get great deals from CAS, so I'm not paying the website price, even though I pay a pretty penny for the suite upgrade, so it is a great value to me.

 

Thanks so much for your input. As far as the location being aft, is it a serious hike to everywhere on the ship? I would have faced the same issues with the aft mini suite, and thought maybe it was better that we ended up midship. The balcony room on NCL is definitely smaller than the one we will be in on DCL, that's another concern that I have.

 

As far as a budget (I'm thinking there are places we can scale back on the DCL/WDW trip i.e cabana at castaway cay)..

Here's what I know-

Everything listed here yesterday is included. Obviously I will tip the butler and concierge seperately.. Is there anyone else that I should tip?

We will be doing a helicopter/glacier dog sled excursion, a train ride for sure.. I'm thinking to plan about $2k-$2500 for excursions/food and incidentals in port. I'm a coffee addict, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of specialty coffees on my bill, but that shouldn't be too much. I do know that we'll order a cake and some of the specialty food offerings- strawberries, cheese plate, shrimp on my birthday.

 

Is there anything else that I need to include?

[NLH Arizona]

Thanks so much for your input. As far as the location being aft, is it a serious hike to everywhere on the ship? I would have faced the same issues with the aft mini suite, and thought maybe it was better that we ended up midship. The balcony room on NCL is definitely smaller than the one we will be in on DCL, that's another concern that I have.

 

As far as a budget (I'm thinking there are places we can scale back on the DCL/WDW trip i.e cabana at castaway cay)..

Here's what I know-

Everything listed here yesterday is included. Obviously I will tip the butler and concierge seperately.. Is there anyone else that I should tip?

We will be doing a helicopter/glacier dog sled excursion, a train ride for sure.. I'm thinking to plan about $2k-$2500 for excursions/food and incidentals in port. I'm a coffee addict, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of specialty coffees on my bill, but that shouldn't be too much. I do know that we'll order a cake and some of the specialty food offerings- strawberries, cheese plate, shrimp on my birthday.

 

Is there anything else that I need to include?

Not far from the aft elevator (maybe down 10 cabins), but sometimes I would walk to the forward elevator and figured I was burning off some calories from all the eating. So things that are at the aft or mid-ship are pretty close, while anything forward will be a hike.

 

Other than the Butler and Concierge, there is no one else you would need to tip. Don't forget tips for your excursions.

 

Just let the Butler know that you like strawberries, cheese plates and shrimp and he/she will take care of you.

 

Sounds like you've got this all planned out. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and please come back and let us know how it went.

[disneygirl10]

Not far from the aft elevator (maybe down 10 cabins), but sometimes I would walk to the forward elevator and figured I was burning off some calories from all the eating. So things that are at the aft or mid-ship are pretty close, while anything forward will be a hike.

 

Other than the Butler and Concierge, there is no one else you would need to tip. Don't forget tips for your excursions.

 

Just let the Butler know that you like strawberries, cheese plates and shrimp and he/she will take care of you.

 

Sounds like you've got this all planned out. I hope you have a wonderful cruise and please come back and let us know how it went.

 

Thanks! I just wanted to figure out a rough budget and stateroom selection. Now this trip is getting put on the shelf until well after Christmas. I'm sure I'll be back at that time with more questions.lol

[bonvoyagie]

I have cruised on the Pearl to AK in an aft suite on deck 10 - loved the huge balcony, great views, and all of the suite perks.

 

We had three adults and the room was OK - it would probably be better with two as there is no real private area for dressing - just pull curtains - similar curtains seperate the main bed from the sofa bed.

 

A suite perk that has not been mentioned is access to the DVD library for free. Just ask the concergie.

 

The aft suites are close to LaCucina and the garden cafe - a short walk to the central elevators which do go directly to Cagneys/Modernaro for your suite breakfasts and lunches.

 

The boarding in Seattle is well set up for the suite perks - you meet at a kiosk outside the main building and check in, they then escort you to the front of the security line and then upstairs to the suite check in lounge - there you sit and enjoy snacks - mostly desert stuff - whlie your final check in takes place and you get your room cards, from there you are escorted onboard and taken to either your suite or directly to Cagneys for lunch.

 

Usually the concergie is hanging around that area all morning, insuring that all the suite guests and VIP cruisers are taken care of - if you have an early excursion he/she will get you off the ship using crew walkways and special exits.

 

There is little tendering in AK so the priority tendering is not needed.

 

We are cabin dwellers - we like to kick back and relax play games and catchup on family stuff - we cruise with my DW and her mother so there is always family stuff to catch up on. The table in the suite is great for both card and board games - we usually bring a card game or two and check out others from the ship. We also like to sit on the deck and watch the wake.

 

Now for our next cruise (36 days away :)) we are moving to a forward SC family suite - not the aft, smaller balcony, but much larger room with a real second bedroom area for the MIL, a nice bedroom for us and a living room so we can all be together. It will be nice to have seperate and private areas for dressing.

[disneygirl10]

I have cruised on the Pearl to AK in an aft suite on deck 10 - loved the huge balcony, great views, and all of the suite perks.

 

We had three adults and the room was OK - it would probably be better with two as there is no real private area for dressing - just pull curtains - similar curtains seperate the main bed from the sofa bed.

 

A suite perk that has not been mentioned is access to the DVD library for free. Just ask the concergie.

 

The aft suites are close to LaCucina and the garden cafe - a short walk to the central elevators which do go directly to Cagneys/Modernaro for your suite breakfasts and lunches.

 

The boarding in Seattle is well set up for the suite perks - you meet at a kiosk outside the main building and check in, they then escort you to the front of the security line and then upstairs to the suite check in lounge - there you sit and enjoy snacks - mostly desert stuff - whlie your final check in takes place and you get your room cards, from there you are escorted onboard and taken to either your suite or directly to Cagneys for lunch.

 

Usually the concergie is hanging around that area all morning, insuring that all the suite guests and VIP cruisers are taken care of - if you have an early excursion he/she will get you off the ship using crew walkways and special exits.

 

There is little tendering in AK so the priority tendering is not needed.

 

We are cabin dwellers - we like to kick back and relax play games and catchup on family stuff - we cruise with my DW and her mother so there is always family stuff to catch up on. The table in the suite is great for both card and board games - we usually bring a card game or two and check out others from the ship. We also like to sit on the deck and watch the wake.

 

Now for our next cruise (36 days away :)) we are moving to a forward SC family suite - not the aft, smaller balcony, but much larger room with a real second bedroom area for the MIL, a nice bedroom for us and a living room so we can all be together. It will be nice to have seperate and private areas for dressing.

 

Thank you for this!

[sjnyc323]

With the 4 perks, I was told on the phone that I will not have to pay the gratuity charge on the dining or beverage if we switch to a suite. Is that correct?

 

 

 

Yes correct

 

 

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