Golden Suite and dining questions

[NHcruisers]

We are not new to cruising (25+ cruises) but have not cruised Princess in quite awhile having moved on to Radisson and Crystal. My brother sold me on going on the Jan 21 Golden sailing out of San Juan just to get to warmer climes. Pretty full sailing, could only get a window cabin, great price though but put my name on a wait list for a higher category cabin. Well, I snagged a Penthouse suite. Here are my questions:

 

Exactly what are the perqs of a Penthouse suite (Caribe deck 409)? (I already did a search and there seems to be some confusion between mini-suite and suite perqs coupled with Elite status (we are not Elite)).

 

What's the minibar stocked with? Can bottles be swapped out for others? Do they replenish on a complimentary basis?

 

Do you have a choice of hors d'oevres in the afternoon or is it pot luck?

 

How does priority embarcation work for suite passengers? Is there priority debarcation?

 

Is there a Sterling steak house on Golden? How are the steaks? A Tex-Mex restaurant as well or did the tex mex replace Sterling?

I've read about Sabatini's.

 

Do you immediately have to make reservations for alternate dining venues once you get on board? Can you dine several times at the alternate restaurants during a seven day cruise? Do suite passengers get preferred reservations at these restaurants?

 

Can you get eggs or crab benedict in your cabin for breakfast?

 

How's the wine list? Anybody have a link to a reasonably current list?

 

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

Bill

[Coral]

Some answers.....

 

Minibar is stocked one time. You have to pay for replacements. I have had mixed results swapping the items out - sometimes I can, other times I could not.

 

Houdourves (sp?). Usually the first night it is a sampler. After that, they give you a menu and you can select the following days items. The menu is usually in your room at night and you have to turn it in in the morning.

 

Priority disembarkation - it is usually the same as Platinum/Elite line. It is not that much of a perk and sometimes the other lines are quicker. I don't think there is a priority disemarkation.

 

There is a Sterling Steakhouse (it used to be a Tex Mex) and it is pretty good. The steaks are good, I didn't care for the side items.

 

You can dine several times at the premium restaurants as long as you are willing to pay. Suite passengers usually don't get priority but then again, I have never had a hard time getting in. If there is a specific night you want to go, make the reservations when you first get on. Otherwise, I have not had any problems making them mid week - sometimes I don't get the exact time I want but I haven't had problems getting them any night I want.

 

There are pics in this album of the stocked bar and refrigerator (sometimes it is all in the bar - other times the soda has been in the refrig):

http://homepage.mac.com/tlassek/PhotoAlbum21.html

 

Sorry I don't have all the suite perks - someone will post them after me.

[NHcruisers]

Thanks, Coral.

 

Does anybody know anything about Caribe 409? Is the balcony fully covered or partially covered? I don't have a brochure...

 

Bill

[Coral]

Thanks, Coral.

 

Does anybody know anything about Caribe 409? Is the balcony fully covered or partially covered? I don't have a brochure...

 

Bill

 

If you look in the album I posted above - I have pics of Caribe 402 on the Grand (it is the last few pics and they are labeled by room number). Your cabin on the Golden will be identical. The balcony is mostly covered but the last part is open. It is a nice cabin/balcony - you will enjoy it.

[niborHS]

Thanks Coral. I am going to be in C401 on the Grand, so it was nice seeing your pics.

[JanMD]

Bill-

 

Welcome back to Princess- we have been on Radissson for a number of years but since they took away the great 2-1 and other deals we have returned to Princess also. We just took 2 Princess cruises this past year in a suite. As you are used to getting all the soda's all day long and free wines at dinner- the cost comes out to being alot cheaper on Princess now. It used to be the reverse for a number of years.

 

The suite is a very nice experience- you get your first bar set-up with the minitures- but on room service you can order a package of rum- cokes, etc. And if you don't get the soda card there is a package for can of sodas. The perks are you get to the port and there is a special line for Suite that also includes Platium and Elite members.

 

If you have to tender to any locations you will get tickets in the cabin to use those to be the first ones off the ship. The hors douves you will have a paper on your bed when you come back from dinner- fill it out and it shall be delivered around 5 p.m. every evening for you.

Since you are going out of San Juan stop off at liquor store and run in and get some wine and champayne to have during the trip- we have learned to do that now. Just put it in your carry-on. At sailaway- you will get a bottle of champayne.

 

The mini bar set up you can switch with room service on the items that you don't want.

 

Regarding the wine list- it is similar to the Radisson wine list and reasonable.

 

I don't remember that egg choice for room service- but you can at least try, and see what happens. We got omelets for 2 morning over Thanksgivng cruise and they were perfect. On the ship in the horizon court they will do your eggs up for you, that is new in the past year or so. Nice touch.

 

The entertainment is whole lot better on Princes and there are things to do during the day. Our last cruise on Radisson was last Christmas and it was really disapointing. We had a grand time on The Diamond in the MED 5/04- that was a 2-1- best iternary and that was a cool small ship- but they sold that ship- lost the lease.

 

Oh- Bill- we were on the Caribbean Princess C751 suite and did not want to leave the ship- the suites are really nice. There is also a dvd library that is different than the Radisson. Only for mini-suites and suites. You fill out the 2 dvd's that you want and the stewart will deliver them to you.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Jan