First Princess Cruise. What's Included With a Suite?

[Guindalf]

We're experienced cruisers with over 20 RCCL, NCL, X and (yuk) Carnival cruises under our belts. Wanted to try Princess, so we're going to Alaska in an S4 Penthouse Suite in September.

 

I'm having difficulty in finding what's. included with the suite. Do we get priority embarkation/debarkation? What's included in the mini-bar setup? What else is included, if anything?

 

We booked through a TA, so. no mention of this, but it appears we can dine in a specialty restaurant on the first night. is this true? Are there any suite-only perks that we should know about?

 

There is a temptation to go with what we know and go back to Celebrity with its Retreat lounge and Luminae restaurant, so please help me know I've made the right decision.

 

TIA.

[Shelly97060]

Here is a link to the Princess website with info on current suite amenities.

 

https://www.princess.com/ships-and-experience/ships/products/staterooms/default-suite.html

 

[Lady Arwen]

Which Princess ship are you interested in?  I need to point out, that as a long time Celebrity cruiser myself, your suite experience on Princess cannot compare to what you’re used to on Celebrity.  There is no comparable suite dining on Princess that comes close to Luminae.  The same goes for The Retreat.  There is smoking allowed in the Princess casino, which tends to waft around the rooms and hallways in that general area.  
That being said, Princess does offer very nice Alaska itineraries.  In my opinion, much better than Celebrity’s.  So, it depends on your priorities, the ship or the itinerary.  We sail with Princess most frequently when we see an itinerary we really want.  We go knowing what to expect and we’re rarely disappointed.

Good luck with your decision!

[Sea Hag]

You got good advice and answers above, so I'll just add that for years I saw people here saying that their favorite suite perk was the suite breakfast. They're right about that. We were in a suite on the Ruby last fall, and we really liked the special breakfast in Sabatini's. 

[Guindalf]

1 hour ago, Lady Arwen said:

Which Princess ship are you interested in?  I need to point out, that as a long time Celebrity cruiser myself, your suite experience on Princess cannot compare to what you’re used to on Celebrity.  There is no comparable suite dining on Princess that comes close to Luminae.  The same goes for The Retreat.  There is smoking allowed in the Princess casino, which tends to waft around the rooms and hallways in that general area.  
That being said, Princess does offer very nice Alaska itineraries.  In my opinion, much better than Celebrity’s.  So, it depends on your priorities, the ship or the itinerary.  We sail with Princess most frequently when we see an itinerary we really want.  We go knowing what to expect and we’re rarely disappointed.

Good luck with your decision!

 

Discovery Princess out of Seattle. The Princess cruise is similar in price although there's only $50 in OBC whereas with Celebrity, it's $950, so that's a consideration. Discovery is much newer than the S-class ships, but Luminae, Michael's Club/The Retreat, butler service and soda/wine/beer in the fridge are attractive and, although neither of us drink a lot, the Premium package is unlimited and includes coffees and premium water.

 

Maybe we should look at NCL before making a final decision, too!

 

 

[Shippy]

  We have cruised just about every cruiseline over the last few decades. Mainly mini suites.

I must say Princess was near the bottom of the list.

We really only cruised on them because  we live near San Francisco & they pretty much have that port locked up.

    BUT, a few months ago we cruised an S4 on the Royal....loved it. Actually looking at Alaska cruises for this summer in the same suite.

  Did the steakhouse the first night for the complementary meal.   We were unable to reserve before the trip but had no problem when onboard.

   Unlike most other people, we did not really care for the special breakfast in Sabatini's.

But you get the club service in the main dining room which was great.

  The suite concierge lounge was the best. It is open 24 hrs.

We were right across the hall. I am a total insomniac so at 2 or 3 am i would just walk across the hall in my robe & slippers & get a glass of milk & cookies.

  The multi type coffee machine is available all day.

There is a cocktail time from 5 until 7pm.

  Not that most people would care but the self serve laundry is right next to it.....the suite does give you free laundry...but one morning at about 4am, I decided to do a bag of whites. I was pleasantly surprised because a lot of cruise ships close there laundry rooms at night.

 

 

[Lady Arwen]

44 minutes ago, Guindalf said:

 

Discovery Princess out of Seattle. The Princess cruise is similar in price although there's only $50 in OBC whereas with Celebrity, it's $950, so that's a consideration. Discovery is much newer than the S-class ships, but Luminae, Michael's Club/The Retreat, butler service and soda/wine/beer in the fridge are attractive and, although neither of us drink a lot, the Premium package is unlimited and includes coffees and premium water.

 

Maybe we should look at NCL before making a final decision, too!

 

 

NCL The Haven is a good comparison.  Anywhere else on an NCL ship is very low scale.  Have you tried Edge class on Celebrity?  Suites are fabulous.  Princess suite experience can be disappointing if you sailed in suites on other lines.  You go for the itinerary on Princess, certainly not the food.

[Guindalf]

4 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

NCL The Haven is a good comparison.  Anywhere else on an NCL ship is very low scale.  Have you tried Edge class on Celebrity?  Suites are fabulous.  Princess suite experience can be disappointing if you sailed in suites on other lines.  You go for the itinerary on Princess, certainly not the food.

 

Yes, we had an accessible Sky Suite on the Apex in January. We'll be in a similar class on the older Solstice next month.

[dog]

I was in an aft facing corner PH suite in May on Discovery.  Great cabin! Mini fridge stocked plus as elite I had second refill. There is a lounge for suite guests with drinks snacks free.  Canapés each afternoon delivered- we didn’t care for them.  Good selection on app for room service. First night specialty restaurant, priority tender, embark/ disembark- didn’t need it as I am elite. A few upgraded bathroom amenities.  The size of the cabin and large wrap around balcony was best part for us.  Breakfast in Sabatinis and dining in club class area.

Edited December 9, 2022 by dog

[HBCcruiser]

49 minutes ago, Lady Arwen said:

NCL The Haven is a good comparison.  Anywhere else on an NCL ship is very low scale.  Have you tried Edge class on Celebrity?  Suites are fabulous.  Princess suite experience can be disappointing if you sailed in suites on other lines.  You go for the itinerary on Princess, certainly not the food.

The Discovery suite perks do not compare to the Haven IMO. Princess does not escort you onboard ahead of all others like NCL does, there is no separate dining room, lounge, bar, pool area, and hot tubs for suite pax on Princess, and there is no butler. Of course, the price reflects that difference. Haven prices are usually much higher than Princess suites. I have not been on Celebrity so I can’t compare. 

[Shippy]

1 minute ago, HBCcruiser said:

The Discovery suite perks do not compare to the Haven IMO. Princess does not escort you onboard ahead of all others like NCL does, there is no separate dining room, lounge, bar, pool area, and hot tubs for suite pax on Princess, and there is no butler. Of course, the price reflects that difference. Haven prices are usually much higher than Princess suites. I have not been on Celebrity so I can’t compare. 

  I think about twice the price...

[HBCcruiser]

Just now, Shippy said:

  I think about twice the price...

And climbing! 😳

[HBCcruiser]

https://www.princess.com/downloads/pdf/ships/PrincessSuite_eFlyer.pdf
 

 

[cruzsnooze]

 suites on Princess have fewer perks then other lines. You do not get seating at the shows and if you don't get to a show early there will be no seats left. There is no happy hour like on RCL with comp'd drinks although on Discovery there is a concierge lounge with some limited alcoholic drinks in the evening.  Princess needs to up their game when it comes to suite amenities. 

[donswife]

We were in a suite on the Discovery Princess last month,  and had a wonderful time.  We enjoyed the complimentary first night dinner at the Bistro....one of the best meals we have ever had. Breakfast in Sabatini was a delightful start to our day. You can customize your order and they will do their best to accommodate.  We visited the concierge lounge several times a day for snacks, coffee drinks,  happy hour (much larger selection than beer and wine), and any help we needed. The hostess and suite experience manager were both lovely. 

 

Suite aside, I have been to Alaska with 3 different cruise lines, and Princess had the best destination programs and food.

[justafem]

Breakfast at Sabatini's is one of my favorite perks.  They will get you anything you want and when I mean anything, I mean anything.  If it's on the ship, it'll be there.  I like berries, just a couple for breakfast.  They always had them waiting for me and my tea.  It really was a nice place to go to start the day.  You can have Champaign, mimosas or blinis if you want.  Unlimited and don't count towards your drink package, if you want.   

 

Next would be same day laundry.  Get it out by 9 and it's back by 6.  We weren't concerned about getting it back fast, so we asked for next day instead of same day.  

 

Club class dining is third.  Same food, more attentive service and 1 different item.  If you like princess dinners, it's a step up.  

[nwnittany]

One thing we really enjoyed was the concierge lounge.  In addition to the good snacks, drinks, and quiet space, there's..well, a concierge.  Might not sound like much, but from my experience, the concierge's are just fantastic and willing to help with anything you need.  No need to ever set foot in a guest services line, if you're in a suite. 

[dides]

You will receive a Suite guest welcome letter along with your concierge lounge access cards on embarkation day in your stateroom. Here was ours from Discovery Princess in late September this year:

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by dides

[Wildcatllamas]

I have cruised in suites on Norwegian, Celebrity and Princess and Princess is at the bottom of the list. Just not impressed with what they offer. Norwegian and Celebrity are just about tied. I sailed Discovery back in October, although not in a suite, and I wasn't really impressed with the ship. So I would look at the itinerary.

[Guindalf]

Thanks all for the (surprisingly) honest feedback. From what I’m seeing, Princess suites are fine for those who haven’t had the experience of other suite offerings. The Celebrity Solstice sails on the same day and has a similar itinerary, so I’m thinking I might just move the booking. We’ll wait until after our cruise next month to be sure, but I think I’m leaning that way.