$20 Service fee for a suite that has NO suite perks?

[CleverUserNameHere]

7 minutes ago, abugarcia1 said:

That did not include our butler or concierge Adrian who was outstanding.

 

These suites do not have a butler or concierge

[abugarcia1]

3 minutes ago, CleverUserNameHere said:

 

These suites do not have a butler or concierge

Good to know, thank you. I would appeal to NCL about that cost as that sounds unfair.

[tampadee]

Oh my, I did not know the suite category on a ship with no haven did not include breakfast & lunch in a specialty restaurant!  That was my favorite part.  So glad I learned this before I booked one.

[vacation44]

20 minutes ago, tampadee said:

Oh my, I did not know the suite category on a ship with no haven did not include breakfast & lunch in a specialty restaurant!  That was my favorite part.  So glad I learned this before I booked one.

Only on the Joy.   This amenity was taken away in December without any notice to those of us that booked a suite.

[mking8288]

I speak with first hand direct knowledge of the "exclusive" SP "suites" (and, almost certain true for "SC" penthouse "suites" too - for the Norwegian Joy only as of this month (just disembarked May 15th, 2022) - other ships and their categories & offered perks (might/should) vary and possibly different.  That is, to say, that there is no butler services, there is no concierge services (except for the offer of available onboard concierge services for show & dining reservations, subject to booking availabilities)

 

We received an official welcome letter, co-signed by the designated concierge and the GM, and that's it. Never even got a personal voicemail, let alone being greeted by anyone from his team inside the cruise terminal (NYC) since there was basically no priority embarkation (except for the priority luggage tags mailed to 1 of our 2 "suites") - priority disembarkation was worthless, as we could've simply "invoke" our Sapphire/Platinum status to request it.

 

@tampadee - if you are booking a suite on other ships, like the Gem, Jewel, Dawn - those non-Haven suites will get your "more" services, just for the "Joy" with its recent 2022 re-classifications of perks & takeAWAY.  

 

Treats for a suite that sleep 5 to 6 😳😳😳 😤😤😤 really, why bother at all.  My 77 years old SIL said she can do better and grab better "treats" upstairs in the Observation Lounge and/or Garden Cafe, in more generous quantities too, enough to really share.  

 

NCL 🫣🫣🫣

 

Edited May 16, 2022 by mking8288

[lx200gps]

4 hours ago, mking8288 said:

I speak with first hand direct knowledge of the "exclusive" SP "suites" (and, almost certain true for "SC" penthouse "suites" too - for the Norwegian Joy only as of this month (just disembarked May 15th, 2022) - other ships and their categories & offered perks (might/should) vary and possibly different.  That is, to say, that there is no butler services, there is no concierge services (except for the offer of available onboard concierge services for show & dining reservations, subject to booking availabilities)

 

 

 

 

 

Update to this...  We only received the letter and the stick-on luggage tags for our SC category suite a few days ago. In the letter, it gave the Email address of the onboard Concierge, and clearly offered to make restaurant reservations for us ahead of time. We wrote a long  Email to them, over this past weekend, with a long list of reservations and times we wanted, and they responded by the end of the first working day (i.e. today) saying : Thank you for your email. We will be more than happy to assist you. Your reservations has been updated with your additional dining, you will not see the dining reservation on your side. The requests have been sent directly to the ship to be booked with your onboard concierge" Fingers crossed it actually happens, we'll know when we board in a few weeks.

[mking8288]

21 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Update to this ...  We only received the letter and the stick-on luggage tags for our SC category suite a few days ago ... We will be more than happy to assist you. Your reservations has been updated with your additional dining, you will not see the dining reservation on your side. The requests have been sent directly to the ship to be booked with your onboard concierge" Fingers crossed it actually happens, we'll know when we board in a few weeks.

Best of luck & do share, especially if you have better success & a happy outcome on those dining requests (although, it might be more difficult to obtain specific "prime" time reservations for yours. 

 

Pretty much what we've done too, although we booked ours in a much shorter turnaround time, etc.  Emailed request acknowledge first & a similiar boiler plated reply.  Our 2 suites reservations were linked & cross-referenced, and we only asked for 2 SD to be booked for us, with the understanding that +/- 30 minutes of our specified time of 6:30 pm, table for 6 at Cagney's on Day 2 and Q - Texas Steakhouse on Day 4 to be made.

 

Well, the reservation desk onboard showed nothing booked for us anytime, on any given date for the Q.  It only showed a 8:45 pm reservation at Cagney's on Day 2 for 6 of us.  Aside from that letter, no message or notes / letter at all in the suite, to inform us that there was a (not exactly minor) change or adjustment to our requested time at Cagney's; or, that they couldn't book anything for Q at all ... or will do so and let us know, etc. - maybe suggest another option, i.e. La Cucina or even Food Republic. 

 

The Norwegian App didn't work well, if at all on Day 1 or 2 in making any dining reservation - "not offered" - maybe, an I.T. issues with their onboard server (hardware, not personnel) ... virtual balcony, live shipcam, et. al.  However, using the iTV interactive menu and those Touchscreen monitor display throughout the ship, on Day 1, Day 2 and even Day 3 - it was clear, that, plenty of open time slots were available.  Cagney was a little busier than most - we managed to change ours back, then cancelled due to the extreme weather, rough sea states and 30 ft. high wave heights that lasted well into Day 2, just about everyone was feeling seasick & not in a good state to eat chops - rescheduled it ourselves again to Day 4.  The seniors in the other suite didn't want smoked/BBQ meat so we decided to do Food Republic instead - super easy, there're just 6 tables for almost the entire night - between 6:15 and 8:00 pm - ours including and the largest group there. 

 

Keep in mind that we only had 1,900 guests onboard for the week - less than half of her capacity, and ship was well staffed ... of course, my understanding is that Haven was full, largely resulting from upgrade bids, cheaply. 

 

As far as I am concerned, look back, there was no serious efforts from their concierge department or team.  I've heard and understood from others, over the years, Patrick is considered by many to be one of the best concierge within the fleet.  Nevertheless, I'm not impressed.  Did not meet him or anyone from his team, did not get any voice mail style "hello" either (pre-recorded ??) and of course, we did not see compelling reasons for us to reach out to him.  Maybe, I apologize, I got it wrong and should be pushing harder to ask. Then, I stand corrected on how to best take advantage the offers of limited reservation services.  There was no true need to make reservations of any kind at all, period, aside from making it together for Footloose and Elements, as it was on for 1 day each only.  

 

We probably could've just walk into Cagney's directly and get seated - it wasn't full ... 

 

Wait, I almost forget that we are entitled to Priority dining and show reservations, subject to availability ... as our Latitudes tier perks could've or should've been just as good - instead of.  Just going to need to decide whether to pull our Joy reservations this week for the Fall, and reconsider, maybe rebook into a different category.  The SP aren't selling at all and overall pricing for the ship have been dropping lately, whereas the older Breakaway is still commanding much higher prices for identical Fall itineraries.  Something isn't right for a much newer ship and freshly reconfigured for the Americas, the Observation Lounge, heated outdoor deck by the (oops) open door / small pool deck ... maybe, it's the size of the pool.

 

Hint Hint - make good use of Spice H20, Deck 17 AFT and its hot tubs, free & included, not everyone knows. 

[lx200gps]

8 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Best of luck & do share, especially if you have better success & a happy outcome on those dining requests (although, it might be more difficult to obtain specific "prime" time reservations for yours. 

 

Pretty much what we've done too, although we booked ours in a much shorter turnaround time, etc.  Emailed request acknowledge first & a similiar boiler plated reply.  Our 2 suites reservations were linked & cross-referenced, and we only asked for 2 SD to be booked for us, with the understanding that +/- 30 minutes of our specified time of 6:30 pm, table for 6 at Cagney's on Day 2 and Q - Texas Steakhouse on Day 4 to be made.

 

Well, the reservation desk onboard showed nothing booked for us anytime, on any given date for the Q.  It only showed a 8:45 pm reservation at Cagney's on Day 2 for 6 of us.  Aside from that letter, no message or notes / letter at all in the suite, to inform us that there was a (not exactly minor) change or adjustment to our requested time at Cagney's; or, that they couldn't book anything for Q at all ... or will do so and let us know, etc. - maybe suggest another option, i.e. La Cucina or even Food Republic. 

 

The Norwegian App didn't work well, if at all on Day 1 or 2 in making any dining reservation - "not offered" - maybe, an I.T. issues with their onboard server (hardware, not personnel) ... virtual balcony, live shipcam, et. al.  However, using the iTV interactive menu and those Touchscreen monitor display throughout the ship, on Day 1, Day 2 and even Day 3 - it was clear, that, plenty of open time slots were available.  Cagney was a little busier than most - we managed to change ours back, then cancelled due to the extreme weather, rough sea states and 30 ft. high wave heights that lasted well into Day 2, just about everyone was feeling seasick & not in a good state to eat chops - rescheduled it ourselves again to Day 4.  The seniors in the other suite didn't want smoked/BBQ meat so we decided to do Food Republic instead - super easy, there're just 6 tables for almost the entire night - between 6:15 and 8:00 pm - ours including and the largest group there. 

 

Keep in mind that we only had 1,900 guests onboard for the week - less than half of her capacity, and ship was well staffed ... of course, my understanding is that Haven was full, largely resulting from upgrade bids, cheaply. 

 

As far as I am concerned, look back, there was no serious efforts from their concierge department or team.  I've heard and understood from others, over the years, Patrick is considered by many to be one of the best concierge within the fleet.  Nevertheless, I'm not impressed.  Did not meet him or anyone from his team, did not get any voice mail style "hello" either (pre-recorded ??) and of course, we did not see compelling reasons for us to reach out to him.  Maybe, I apologize, I got it wrong and should be pushing harder to ask. Then, I stand corrected on how to best take advantage the offers of limited reservation services.  There was no true need to make reservations of any kind at all, period, aside from making it together for Footloose and Elements, as it was on for 1 day each only.  

 

We probably could've just walk into Cagney's directly and get seated - it wasn't full ... 

 

Wait, I almost forget that we are entitled to Priority dining and show reservations, subject to availability ... as our Latitudes tier perks could've or should've been just as good - instead of.  Just going to need to decide whether to pull our Joy reservations this week for the Fall, and reconsider, maybe rebook into a different category.  The SP aren't selling at all and overall pricing for the ship have been dropping lately, whereas the older Breakaway is still commanding much higher prices for identical Fall itineraries.  Something isn't right for a much newer ship and freshly reconfigured for the Americas, the Observation Lounge, heated outdoor deck by the (oops) open door / small pool deck ... maybe, it's the size of the pool.

 

Hint Hint - make good use of Spice H20, Deck 17 AFT and its hot tubs, free & included, not everyone knows. 

Thanks, yes, I'm under no illusion whatsoever that we actually do have these reservations ;o). Even their poor wording leaves me in doubt that anything will have been booked (stating "Your reservations has been updated with your additional dining" then stating in the next sentence "The requests have been sent directly to the ship to be booked with your onboard concierge")

 

We always eat as early as possible anyway, preferably when the restaurant first opens, as it's the quietest time. We'll still be heading for the restaurant booking location, wherever that is, as soon as we  board, to correct and finalize our bookings for the week. Thanks again for all the excellent info.

[vacation44]

9 hours ago, mking8288 said:

Best of luck & do share, especially if you have better success & a happy outcome on those dining requests (although, it might be more difficult to obtain specific "prime" time reservations for yours. 

 

Pretty much what we've done too, although we booked ours in a much shorter turnaround time, etc.  Emailed request acknowledge first & a similiar boiler plated reply.  Our 2 suites reservations were linked & cross-referenced, and we only asked for 2 SD to be booked for us, with the understanding that +/- 30 minutes of our specified time of 6:30 pm, table for 6 at Cagney's on Day 2 and Q - Texas Steakhouse on Day 4 to be made.

 

Well, the reservation desk onboard showed nothing booked for us anytime, on any given date for the Q.  It only showed a 8:45 pm reservation at Cagney's on Day 2 for 6 of us.  Aside from that letter, no message or notes / letter at all in the suite, to inform us that there was a (not exactly minor) change or adjustment to our requested time at Cagney's; or, that they couldn't book anything for Q at all ... or will do so and let us know, etc. - maybe suggest another option, i.e. La Cucina or even Food Republic. 

 

The Norwegian App didn't work well, if at all on Day 1 or 2 in making any dining reservation - "not offered" - maybe, an I.T. issues with their onboard server (hardware, not personnel) ... virtual balcony, live shipcam, et. al.  However, using the iTV interactive menu and those Touchscreen monitor display throughout the ship, on Day 1, Day 2 and even Day 3 - it was clear, that, plenty of open time slots were available.  Cagney was a little busier than most - we managed to change ours back, then cancelled due to the extreme weather, rough sea states and 30 ft. high wave heights that lasted well into Day 2, just about everyone was feeling seasick & not in a good state to eat chops - rescheduled it ourselves again to Day 4.  The seniors in the other suite didn't want smoked/BBQ meat so we decided to do Food Republic instead - super easy, there're just 6 tables for almost the entire night - between 6:15 and 8:00 pm - ours including and the largest group there. 

 

Keep in mind that we only had 1,900 guests onboard for the week - less than half of her capacity, and ship was well staffed ... of course, my understanding is that Haven was full, largely resulting from upgrade bids, cheaply. 

 

As far as I am concerned, look back, there was no serious efforts from their concierge department or team.  I've heard and understood from others, over the years, Patrick is considered by many to be one of the best concierge within the fleet.  Nevertheless, I'm not impressed.  Did not meet him or anyone from his team, did not get any voice mail style "hello" either (pre-recorded ??) and of course, we did not see compelling reasons for us to reach out to him.  Maybe, I apologize, I got it wrong and should be pushing harder to ask. Then, I stand corrected on how to best take advantage the offers of limited reservation services.  There was no true need to make reservations of any kind at all, period, aside from making it together for Footloose and Elements, as it was on for 1 day each only.  

 

We probably could've just walk into Cagney's directly and get seated - it wasn't full ... 

 

Wait, I almost forget that we are entitled to Priority dining and show reservations, subject to availability ... as our Latitudes tier perks could've or should've been just as good - instead of.  Just going to need to decide whether to pull our Joy reservations this week for the Fall, and reconsider, maybe rebook into a different category.  The SP aren't selling at all and overall pricing for the ship have been dropping lately, whereas the older Breakaway is still commanding much higher prices for identical Fall itineraries.  Something isn't right for a much newer ship and freshly reconfigured for the Americas, the Observation Lounge, heated outdoor deck by the (oops) open door / small pool deck ... maybe, it's the size of the pool.

 

Hint Hint - make good use of Spice H20, Deck 17 AFT and its hot tubs, free & included, not everyone knows. 

So, in a nut shell, the only amenity that you receive in a Joy Suite is a larger cabin and the $20 DSF that comes along with it.

[vacation44]

5 minutes ago, lx200gps said:

Thanks, yes, I'm under no illusion whatsoever that we actually do have these reservations ;o). Even their poor wording leaves me in doubt that anything will have been booked (stating "Your reservations has been updated with your additional dining" then stating in the next sentence "The requests have been sent directly to the ship to be booked with your onboard concierge")

 

I caught that too when reading your post.   My guess also is that no reservations have been made. 

[lx200gps]

37 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

So, in a nut shell, the only amenity that you receive in a Joy Suite is a larger cabin and the $20 DSF that comes along with it.

That's pretty much my understanding as well. We really only booked this somewhat more expensive cabin due solely to the extra floorspace and better bathroom we perceive from the photos of our SC cabin type. It does appear that we will have MUCH more space than a regular cabin and that's important for us. We're not going to worry about these deleted amenities as NCL comped us each $200 OBC and most of the amenities were worthless to us anyway. Priority boarding would have been nice, but we'll just go with the flow and put up with the hell of embarkation at the MCT; we'll try to get to the port early and try to be near the head of the line.  The dedicated breakfast at La Cucina is the only real perq we would have enjoyed.

[lx200gps]

43 minutes ago, vacation44 said:

I caught that too when reading your post.   My guess also is that no reservations have been made. 

Not only haven't they been made, they almost certainly WON'T be made either. I'm relying on the belief that NCL, like our usual Princess, always keep many if not most restaurant slots available for post-embarkation booking and only have a limited number open for online booking. We will be heading for the restaurant booking location as soon as we board and since we will be looking to book the very first time, usually 5:30, I don't think we'll have a problem

[mking8288]

@vacation44 and @lx200gps & others - onboard dining reservations desk/kiosk for the Norwegian Joy.  Most of time, they are setup outside Tappenyaki, Deck 6 Midship near the 3 stories atrium lobby (opposite LeBistro's location if you are familiar with other *Away ship's layout) or below the casino / ahead of the Gallery display area.  They have all the menus there as well (also in QR codes that you can download, but sometimes wouldn't save to PDF on our devices) to preview.   With Cagney's - I just walked over to the hostess desk and had her search, lookup & make/cancel and move/change/reconfirm our 2 suites / 6 guests - as it was late evening with the desk/phone line shut. 

 

BTW, kinda unrelated - the complimentary Latitudes Platinum perk with dining - wine list selection at Cagney's is much, much shorter & limited in what NCL is now able to provide, and, for us to choose from.  Supply chains logistics and sources availabilities being their challenges, I was informed.  

[ceilidh1]

19 hours ago, mking8288 said:

I speak with first hand direct knowledge of the "exclusive" SP "suites" (and, almost certain true for "SC" penthouse "suites" too - for the Norwegian Joy only as of this month (just disembarked May 15th, 2022) - other ships and their categories & offered perks (might/should) vary and possibly different.  That is, to say, that there is no butler services, there is no concierge services (except for the offer of available onboard concierge services for show & dining reservations, subject to booking availabilities)

 

We received an official welcome letter, co-signed by the designated concierge and the GM, and that's it. Never even got a personal voicemail, let alone being greeted by anyone from his team inside the cruise terminal (NYC) since there was basically no priority embarkation (except for the priority luggage tags mailed to 1 of our 2 "suites") - priority disembarkation was worthless, as we could've simply "invoke" our Sapphire/Platinum status to request it.

 

@tampadee - if you are booking a suite on other ships, like the Gem, Jewel, Dawn - those non-Haven suites will get your "more" services, just for the "Joy" with its recent 2022 re-classifications of perks & takeAWAY.  

 

Treats for a suite that sleep 5 to 6 😳😳😳 😤😤😤 really, why bother at all.  My 77 years old SIL said she can do better and grab better "treats" upstairs in the Observation Lounge and/or Garden Cafe, in more generous quantities too, enough to really share.  

 

NCL 🫣🫣🫣

 

FWIW - these were the exact same treats we received in our Club Balcony on Bliss last month. We were also of the mind "why bother"...

[JGmf]

7 hours ago, lx200gps said:

It does appear that we will have MUCH more space than a regular cabin and that's important for us.

 

I haven't stayed in an inside cabin in a long, long time, but I booked the SP Family Inside Suite for the significant real estate: 3 guys each having their own sleeping space along with 2 bathrooms.  The amenities would've been a nice bonus, but it was the private space that was the deal maker.

 

 

3 hours ago, ceilidh1 said:

FWIW - these were the exact same treats we received in our Club Balcony on Bliss last month. We were also of the mind "why bother".

 

We thought the same thing: why bother?  We didn't touch most of it.  Those orange rubbery things, laid in a cross-wise pattern were definitely not appealing.  If would've subbed both of those gratis/token treat plates for a bowl of simple fruit on day one, like in Haven cabins. 

 

[itsnotjustme]

I am puzzled why these are called Suites.  I tried to book one for my family of 5, fully expecting the suite perks.  An NCL rep even told me that while I can't go to the Haven restaurant, that one of the specialty restaurants is available for breakfast and lunch (like for suites on non-Haven ships.... if any still exist!).

 

Fortunately, my TA advised me that the "suite" did not come with "suite" perks.  It should be just a Large Family Inside Cabin, not a Family Suite.

[geleisen]

14 hours ago, itsnotjustme said:

It should be just a Large Family Inside Cabin, not a Family Suite.

To be fair, they also have a 'club balcony suite'. So suite is not exactly a precious term for them. 
 

[itsnotjustme]

8 hours ago, geleisen said:

To be fair, they also have a 'club balcony suite'. So suite is not exactly a precious term for them. 
 

Yes, but when booking, the Large Family Suite is listed under suites.  The Club Balcony Suite is not.