Suite/balcony

[cruiseluvva]

My husband and I are booked on Arcadia in a suite. We haven’t cruised with P&O for some years but are Caribbean tier. My recently widowed sister, a cruising virgin, is joining us in the balcony cabin next door.  Will she be able to check-in and board with us, and will she be able to join us in any “priority lunch” or whatever it is these days, on boarding?

 

Thank you.

[Snibs]

Why would she as not in the same cabin as you, has no loyalty and not in a suite?

[terrierjohn]

I suspect that if your bookings are linked and you ask nicely, they will allow your sister to join you for the embarkation lunch, and she might even be allowed to have breakfast with you in the Epicurean.

[Harryjacobs]

Yes.  We are travelling to Southampton with our friends and they are in a suite and we are in a Balcony.  We have linked our accounts together and we can piggy back with them for an earlier check in and we can join them for embarkation lunch as guests.  

You will need to phone P&O and link your accounts

[cruiseluvva]

10 minutes ago, Harryjacobs said:

Yes.  We are travelling to Southampton with our friends and they are in a suite and we are in a Balcony.  We have linked our accounts together and we can piggy back with them for an earlier check in and we can join them for embarkation lunch as guests.  

You will need to phone P&O and link your accounts

Thank you, that’s helpful to know. I have booked both cabins with the same TA who has linked the bookings.

[cruiseluvva]

6 hours ago, terrierjohn said:

I suspect that if your bookings are linked and you ask nicely, they will allow your sister to join you for the embarkation lunch, and she might even be allowed to have breakfast with you in the Epicurean.

Thank you.

[devonuk]

14 hours ago, Harryjacobs said:

Yes.  We are travelling to Southampton with our friends and they are in a suite and we are in a Balcony.  We have linked our accounts together and we can piggy back with them for an earlier check in and we can join them for embarkation lunch as guests.  

You will need to phone P&O and link your accounts

On the Ventura recently I had a stern ‘butler’ suite and my daughter had a non suite cabin next door (both with spouses). We linked our bookings but we were not allowed to board early together, they were not allowed to join us for the embarkation lunch/drinks and we could only have 2 in the Epicurean for breakfast each day so I was joined by different guests each morning. For the avoidance of doubt yes we did ask more than once for the extra privileges 😳

[devonuk]

Just now, devonuk said:

On the Ventura recently I had a stern ‘butler’ suite and my daughter had a non suite cabin next door (both with spouses). We linked our bookings but we were not allowed to board early together, they were not allowed to join us for the embarkation lunch/drinks and we could only have 2 in the Epicurean for breakfast each day so I was joined by different guests each morning. For the avoidance of doubt yes we did ask more than once for the extra privileges 😳

Ps… we were not so keen to link bookings post covid initially as it was a case of ‘one off all off’ 😬

[Selbourne]

14 hours ago, Harryjacobs said:

Yes.  We are travelling to Southampton with our friends and they are in a suite and we are in a Balcony.  We have linked our accounts together and we can piggy back with them for an earlier check in and we can join them for embarkation lunch as guests.  

You will need to phone P&O and link your accounts

Are you sure about that? Linking bookings doesn’t automatically afford you the privileges of the person with the suite. We have booked suites and our adult daughters were in the adjacent balcony cabin. We never had any problem with them boarding with us, but they couldn’t join us at the embarkation lunch (not that they missed much). Neither did it entitle them to join us for breakfast in the Epicurean, although we asked the last night if they could join us for breakfast on disembarkation day and as we knew the restaurant manager well by then it was no problem. 

[TigerB]

2 hours ago, devonuk said:

On the Ventura recently I had a stern ‘butler’ suite and my daughter had a non suite cabin next door (both with spouses). We linked our bookings but we were not allowed to board early together, they were not allowed to join us for the embarkation lunch/drinks and we could only have 2 in the Epicurean for breakfast each day so I was joined by different guests each morning. For the avoidance of doubt yes we did ask more than once for the extra privileges 😳

 

So, how was it with your stern butler? Did they do everything by the book, and not crack a smile for the entire cruise?😂

[Harryjacobs]

8 hours ago, Selbourne said:

Are you sure about that? Linking bookings doesn’t automatically afford you the privileges of the person with the suite. We have booked suites and our adult daughters were in the adjacent balcony cabin. We never had any problem with them boarding with us, but they couldn’t join us at the embarkation lunch (not that they missed much). Neither did it entitle them to join us for breakfast in the Epicurean, although we asked the last night if they could join us for breakfast on disembarkation day and as we knew the restaurant manager well by then it was no problem. 

Our friend who booked the suite was told by the P&O rep on the phone that this will happen.

[Angel57]

14 minutes ago, Harryjacobs said:

Our friend who booked the suite was told by the P&O rep on the phone that this will happen.

Personally I wouldn’t hold your breath over that one.
I agree with Selbourne that generally P&O will sometimes allow a small group to board together and possibly go to the Embarkation lunch together - but receiving other perks of suite passengers or higher tiers are not usual. Please let us know what happens tho!

[Selbourne]

2 hours ago, Harryjacobs said:

Our friend who booked the suite was told by the P&O rep on the phone that this will happen.

Hmmm. P&O land based staff are renowned for providing duff information I’m afraid. Speak to 3 different people and you will get 3 different answers. The correct answer that your friend should have been given is that guests accompanying suite passengers (even when the bookings are linked) are not entitled to any of the suite passengers perks, but staff may, in some situations, exercise discretion. 
 

We have had suites around 4 times when our adult daughters have travelled with us in the adjacent balcony cabin. Embarkation has never been a problem. I just explain the situation and that we travelled down together in one car. On 3 of the occasions we were just nodded through. One time we were refused, so I politely asked to speak to whoever was in charge and when the supervisor came we were shown through to the priority boarding lounge. I think you will probably be Ok with that. 
 

With the embarkation and high loyalty tier lunch our daughters were refused admission (I asked very nicely) and told that it was strictly by invitation. I didn’t ask to speak to anyone else as I felt that the refusal was entirely reasonable. Besides, we have always found the food and cheap plonk to be poor at these events, so we now don’t bother with them and tend to prefer to have lunch and a drink in the Glasshouse (it’s always quiet as nobody realises it’s open). 
 

As for breakfast in Epicurean we didn’t even ask. We wouldn’t have thought it appropriate, as this is exclusively for suite passengers who pay a hefty premium for the privilege (although, as I said previously, the exception was disembarkation). However, I have read elsewhere that there may now be an option for non-suite guests to have breakfast in there by paying a supplement, so worth asking.   

[Rupert2251]

We have never had any problems when we have had a suite and our daughter has had her own cabin. Embarkation lunch we dont bother with. Our butler arranged with the Restaurant Manager for our daughter to have breakfast with us (very obliging man, nothing was too much). Even when we dined on the balcony it was set for 3.

[Joysey]

Can I ask If I am going on Ventura next month with my mother would she be allowed to embark at 12pm with me and attend the Embarkation lunch if we are in the same cabin?

Edited February 10, 2023 by Joysey
wrong word

[Selbourne]

27 minutes ago, Rupert2251 said:

We have never had any problems when we have had a suite and our daughter has had her own cabin. Embarkation lunch we dont bother with. Our butler arranged with the Restaurant Manager for our daughter to have breakfast with us (very obliging man, nothing was too much). Even when we dined on the balcony it was set for 3.

Yes, we never had any issue with our daughters dining on the balcony with us. Also, our butler told them that if they wanted room service to call from our suite and then he would obtain it free of charge. Call me cynical, but that was obviously with an end of cruise tip in mind, but we appreciated it none the less!

[Angel57]

1 hour ago, Joysey said:

Can I ask If I am going on Ventura next month with my mother would she be allowed to embark at 12pm with me and attend the Embarkation lunch if we are in the same cabin?

Yes!

[pete14]

2 hours ago, Rupert2251 said:

We have never had any problems when we have had a suite and our daughter has had her own cabin. Embarkation lunch we dont bother with. Our butler arranged with the Restaurant Manager for our daughter to have breakfast with us (very obliging man, nothing was too much). Even when we dined on the balcony it was set for 3.

Previously we have booked a suite and taken my brother in law as a third person in the suite. On some cruises, this is offered for free, on others it is £99 or £199. He received the benefit of the breakfast in the speciality restaurant and other perks. Had he paid for a basic inside cabin, it would have cost considerably more and he would not have received the suite perks unless the butler / restaurant manager had been feeling generous. 

Edited February 10, 2023 by pete14

[SeaJane]

We had an aft suite on Arcadia a few years ago and my cousin and husband had the balcony cabin next door. Our bookings were linked and as others have said we were allowed to board together. Although we asked very nicely they were not allowed to attend the embarkation lunch - the woman on the door was adamant about that! As Selbourne found the butler was happy to provide lunch on the balconies for all of us and free room service via our suite. 

[annieuk]

I'm going on Aurora shortly - have been on her several times and with P&O many times - this time I'll be in my own cabin, a mini suite, and my daughter near me in a de-luxe balcony cabin.  I'll be in a wheelchair on boarding and I'm hoping that she'll be allowed to board with me.  I'll have an earlier boarding time than she will.  Our bookings are linked.  I asked P&O about this and also about the priority lunch - I expected a negative answer to the priority lunch and this was what I received.  I was also told in an email from P&O that my daughter would not be allowed to board at the same time as me, even though I'll be in a wheelchair.  I can walk but not far and certainly not the distance from the terminal to my cabin.  P&O said that someone from Assistance will be quite happy to push my wheelchair on board.  I expect that in the event my daughter will be allowed to board with me.  As has been said what P&O shoreside say is very often different from what happens on the ship.  I doubt very much that my daughter will be allowed at the priority lunch, I'm Baltic level but this is her first cruise.  Strictly speaking she shouldn't be allowed to go to the lunch but as she'll be pushing my wheelchair she may be allowed.  If I'm told no then that's fine, it's by the rules.  If in the future I consider cruising on my own I will have to have a motorised scooter or wheelchair.  

 

It seems from what I've read in this thread sometimes relations are allowed to join the passenger who's in a suite and sometimes not, the crew perhaps judge each case on what they see as its merits.  When I cruised with my husband we cruised either in a suite or a mini suite. When in a mini suite we were always allowed early boarding and to attend the priority lunch.  As we gradually got to Caribbean level and then to Baltic we would have been allowed those perks anyway.  It was only on one occasion several years ago now that when we boarded and were in a mini suite, a crew member told us that we weren't entitled to go to the lunch as we weren't in a full suite.  We didn't argue.  Later that cruise, it was in the days when the Officers sat at tables in the MDR on formal evenings,  we happened to have the Hotel Manager on our table, they were called the Purser in those days, so I asked him about passengers in a mini suite having early boarding and attending the Priority Lunch and he said yes of course when I told him about our experience.  

 

So very often it all depends on the individual members of staff.  

[Selbourne]

6 minutes ago, annieuk said:

I'm going on Aurora shortly - have been on her several times and with P&O many times - this time I'll be in my own cabin, a mini suite, and my daughter near me in a de-luxe balcony cabin.  I'll be in a wheelchair on boarding and I'm hoping that she'll be allowed to board with me.  I'll have an earlier boarding time than she will.  Our bookings are linked.  I asked P&O about this and also about the priority lunch - I expected a negative answer to the priority lunch and this was what I received.  I was also told in an email from P&O that my daughter would not be allowed to board at the same time as me, even though I'll be in a wheelchair.  I can walk but not far and certainly not the distance from the terminal to my cabin.  P&O said that someone from Assistance will be quite happy to push my wheelchair on board.  I expect that in the event my daughter will be allowed to board with me.  As has been said what P&O shoreside say is very often different from what happens on the ship.  I doubt very much that my daughter will be allowed at the priority lunch, I'm Baltic level but this is her first cruise.  Strictly speaking she shouldn't be allowed to go to the lunch but as she'll be pushing my wheelchair she may be allowed.  If I'm told no then that's fine, it's by the rules.  If in the future I consider cruising on my own I will have to have a motorised scooter or wheelchair.  

 

It seems from what I've read in this thread sometimes relations are allowed to join the passenger who's in a suite and sometimes not, the crew perhaps judge each case on what they see as its merits.  When I cruised with my husband we cruised either in a suite or a mini suite. When in a mini suite we were always allowed early boarding and to attend the priority lunch.  As we gradually got to Caribbean level and then to Baltic we would have been allowed those perks anyway.  It was only on one occasion several years ago now that when we boarded and were in a mini suite, a crew member told us that we weren't entitled to go to the lunch as we weren't in a full suite.  We didn't argue.  Later that cruise, it was in the days when the Officers sat at tables in the MDR on formal evenings,  we happened to have the Hotel Manager on our table, they were called the Purser in those days, so I asked him about passengers in a mini suite having early boarding and attending the Priority Lunch and he said yes of course when I told him about our experience.  

 

So very often it all depends on the individual members of staff.  

In your situation I would feel almost certain that your daughter will be allowed with you in all locations. Many wheelchair users (my wife included) have to have a carer to push their wheelchair and to refuse them access would be unforgivable. 

[daiB]

7 minutes ago, annieuk said:

I'm going on Aurora shortly - have been on her several times and with P&O many times - this time I'll be in my own cabin, a mini suite, and my daughter near me in a de-luxe balcony cabin.  I'll be in a wheelchair on boarding and I'm hoping that she'll be allowed to board with me.  I'll have an earlier boarding time than she will.  Our bookings are linked.  I asked P&O about this and also about the priority lunch - I expected a negative answer to the priority lunch and this was what I received.  I was also told in an email from P&O that my daughter would not be allowed to board at the same time as me, even though I'll be in a wheelchair.  I can walk but not far and certainly not the distance from the terminal to my cabin.  P&O said that someone from Assistance will be quite happy to push my wheelchair on board.  I expect that in the event my daughter will be allowed to board with me.  As has been said what P&O shoreside say is very often different from what happens on the ship.  I doubt very much that my daughter will be allowed at the priority lunch, I'm Baltic level but this is her first cruise.  Strictly speaking she shouldn't be allowed to go to the lunch but as she'll be pushing my wheelchair she may be allowed.  If I'm told no then that's fine, it's by the rules.  If in the future I consider cruising on my own I will have to have a motorised scooter or wheelchair.  

 

It seems from what I've read in this thread sometimes relations are allowed to join the passenger who's in a suite and sometimes not, the crew perhaps judge each case on what they see as its merits.  When I cruised with my husband we cruised either in a suite or a mini suite. When in a mini suite we were always allowed early boarding and to attend the priority lunch.  As we gradually got to Caribbean level and then to Baltic we would have been allowed those perks anyway.  It was only on one occasion several years ago now that when we boarded and were in a mini suite, a crew member told us that we weren't entitled to go to the lunch as we weren't in a full suite.  We didn't argue.  Later that cruise, it was in the days when the Officers sat at tables in the MDR on formal evenings,  we happened to have the Hotel Manager on our table, they were called the Purser in those days, so I asked him about passengers in a mini suite having early boarding and attending the Priority Lunch and he said yes of course when I told him about our experience.  

E lunch

So very often it all depends on the individual members of staff.  

Yes when we were in a mini suite we got priority and into the lunch. Of course there are very few mini suites left only Aurora and Arcadia.

[daiB]

People have mentioned that they have “linked” two bookings together and expect that this will mean boarding together and going to priority lunches together.

 

This is completely wrong, the linking of two bookings simply means that in club dining you will be given a table together. We have done the a number of times. Of course now with freedom dining it is not needed at all as it serves no purpose.

[Wonky]

On 2/14/2023 at 11:53 AM, annieuk said:

I'm going on Aurora shortly - have been on her several times and with P&O many times - this time I'll be in my own cabin, a mini suite, and my daughter near me in a de-luxe balcony cabin.  I'll be in a wheelchair on boarding and I'm hoping that she'll be allowed to board with me.  I'll have an earlier boarding time than she will.  Our bookings are linked.  I asked P&O about this and also about the priority lunch - I expected a negative answer to the priority lunch and this was what I received.  I was also told in an email from P&O that my daughter would not be allowed to board at the same time as me, even though I'll be in a wheelchair.  I can walk but not far and certainly not the distance from the terminal to my cabin.  P&O said that someone from Assistance will be quite happy to push my wheelchair on board.  I expect that in the event my daughter will be allowed to board with me.  As has been said what P&O shoreside say is very often different from what happens on the ship.  I doubt very much that my daughter will be allowed at the priority lunch, I'm Baltic level but this is her first cruise.  Strictly speaking she shouldn't be allowed to go to the lunch but as she'll be pushing my wheelchair she may be allowed.  If I'm told no then that's fine, it's by the rules.  If in the future I consider cruising on my own I will have to have a motorised scooter or wheelchair.  

 

It seems from what I've read in this thread sometimes relations are allowed to join the passenger who's in a suite and sometimes not, the crew perhaps judge each case on what they see as its merits.  When I cruised with my husband we cruised either in a suite or a mini suite. When in a mini suite we were always allowed early boarding and to attend the priority lunch.  As we gradually got to Caribbean level and then to Baltic we would have been allowed those perks anyway.  It was only on one occasion several years ago now that when we boarded and were in a mini suite, a crew member told us that we weren't entitled to go to the lunch as we weren't in a full suite.  We didn't argue.  Later that cruise, it was in the days when the Officers sat at tables in the MDR on formal evenings,  we happened to have the Hotel Manager on our table, they were called the Purser in those days, so I asked him about passengers in a mini suite having early boarding and attending the Priority Lunch and he said yes of course when I told him about our experience.  

 

So very often it all depends on the individual members of staff.  

Just resurrecting this thread to see how you got on? Also would like to know the differences between suite and mini suite on Arcadia/Aurora. Specifically are you eligible for epicurean breakfast in a mini suite?

[annieuk]

To start at the end, no you're not eligible for Epicurean breakfast in a mini suite, you have to be in a full suite.  However, you are eligible for early boarding and the Loyalty lunch on boarding.  This only applies to Aurora and Arcadia as they are the only ships left with mini suites.  I have been in both a suite and a mini suite on Arcadia but it was a long time ago and before suite passengers were given a separate venue for breakfast.  We had an aft suite, D deck I think, with a wraparound balcony and enjoyed it.  I haven't been in a suite on Aurora but have seen one.  They are larger than the mini suites and have more seating room although, quite honestly there's not that much difference between the two.  I suppose one main difference is that the Aurora mini suites have a shower over the bath whereas the full suites have a separate shower.  The mini suites on Aurora are very spacious with an amazingly shaped dining table that can be pulled out to sit more than two.  We used it when we were on the 65 night South American trip as we sometimes played Bridge with some people we met at the free Bridge Lessons on board and we had them as partners for the whole trip.  Other than the fact that there's no separate shower I think the mini suites are excellent.

 

We arrived at the Terminal at 12.30, my boarding time.  My daughter had been given 2pm.     On arrival we went straight to the Assistance people as I was already registered with them, my daughter pushing my wheelchair.  Once there a marvellous man called Martin took over.  He managed to push my wheelchair and cope with my cabin bag and took us straight to Check in which was accomplished in a flash and then straight through security and on to the ship.  Then it was to the Muster station where we checked in and on to my cabin where we dropped our hand luggage.  My daughter's balcony cabin was in the adjoining corridor.  We then went on to the Priority Lunch.  I was entitled to attend this as I am Baltic level and also I was in a mini suite, but it was my daughter's first cruise.  It seems slightly odd in that if my daughter had been sharing my mini suite then she too would have been entitled to attend the lunch but as I'd chosen to pay extra for my cabin as a solo passenger and give her a cabin of her own she wasn't entitled.  Anyway Martin wheeled me to the restaurant, consulted with the crew member on duty there and we went straight through to a table for two and had a very pleasant lunch which was a fantastic introduction to my daughter's first cruise.  Things had changed since I was on Aurora in 2019 in that it was a sit down three course lunch rather than the buffet affair it used to be.  I'm sure some people will say we didn't keep to the strict rules as far as the priority lunch was concerned but I feel I certainly paid enough for it.  I certainly wouldn't have gone on my own and although I could walk far enough to be able to leave the wheelchair outside the restaurant and walk in I obviously couldn't push my own wheelchair back to my cabin.  

 

We enjoyed the cruise and I found both passengers and crew very kind and helpful as far as my wheelchair was concerned.  I didn't need it all the time, it depended on how much walking I was intending to do.  For example we were at the stern of the ship and we dined in the Alexandria Restaurant, we were on Club Dining.  We like to go to Andersons for a drink before dinner which is at the other end of the ship and so I'd have to walk from one end of the ship almost to the other to have a drink and then back to the stern to go to dinner.  After dinner if we wanted to go to the Theatre it would be back to the bow again.  This may not seem much to many people but when you have Arthritis and walking is uncomfortable, sometimes painful it can be too far, hence the wheelchair.  The cruise gave my daughter the opportunity to meet up with a friend who lives on the outskirts of Amsterdam and I stayed on the ship.  I'd been to Amsterdam a couple of times before and I wanted to have the chance to be on the ship by myself to see how I felt as it was the first cruise since my husband died in 2020.  I will cruise again, hopefully but not on my own.  I might buy myself a motorised scooter so I could be more mobile around the ship and not have to rely on someone to push a wheelchair.  I have in the past taken a scooter on Ventura which was in a suite so I could take the scooter and store it in the cabin, I didn't have to have an Accessible cabin - I don't need one as far as bathroom facilities are concerned.  It was good to be back on Aurora and I would certainly consider going on Arcadia.  I'm not sure about the larger ships, although I suppose it wouldn't be so difficult if I had a scooter which I know are the bane of some people's  lives but they do allow people like me with walking difficulties still to have a the cruise holiday that they've come to love over the years.