Owner or Grand Suite on PG

[Spikesgirl]

We are thinking about doing a cruise on the Paul Gauguin (as a change from Princess) and are interested in hearing from folks who have booked either a grand or owners suite on board.

 

Believe it or not, the sticking point is not the cost, but the butler service, for my DH. He's not too keen on 'having help' around the cabin. What was your take on this, both pros and cons would be appreciated.

 

Like I said, I'm mostly just fact finding at the moment, but would appreciate any input.

 

Thanks!

 

Charlie

[Wendy The Wanderer]

All I can say us lucky you! Some friends were invited to a party in one of these large suites, and had comments, hopefully they will post. There was one type of suite (not the OS I think), where getting out to your balcony was not overly convenient.

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

"Believe it or not, the sticking point is not the cost, but the butler service, for my DH. He's not too keen on 'having help' around the cabin. What was your take on this, both pros and cons would be appreciated."

 

 

My experience was that Regent staff are very discrete. Our suite was somehow cleaned/attended whenever we left, for even a short time. In looking around the cabin I think they have a motion detector of some sort that, along with a door sensor, lets the staff know when the cabin has been vacated.

 

Your butler will attend you as much or as little as you desire, just let him know.

 

 

Rag

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Right Rag, I hadn't thought of that! Remember Charlie, Regent is all-inclusive, tips included. You do not have to tip your butler. So if you tell him at the beginning of the cruise that you don't need him, he will probably not feel to put out.

[Spikesgirl]

That's reassuring. Thanks for your input. We are just in the talking stage, but if I have info to counter his concerns, it will be easier all the way around.

 

Charlie

[Island Cruiser]

When we were on the PG with Wendy and David in 2005 we were invited to a party in 801, one of the grand suites. We were unimpressed. The suite did, of course, offer more room than a standard cabin. And it came with a butler. But we were unimpressed with the layout. The suite offered a balcony with a forward view, but to get to it you had to walk through a heavy metal door, to us somewhat of a turnoff. The other amenity it offered was a very long wall of bookshelves. Bookshelves? How many books or photographs do you you take with you for a short cruise (or even a long one, for that matter)? Our reaction was if we had the money to spend on a premium cabin we absolutely wouldn't chose to spend it on this one.

 

Patrick

[egret]

On our cruise in 2003 Andrea invited us CCers to a cocktail party in her Ocean View Suite. The cabin is bigger and came with a butler who laid out the party for her. I guess if you intend to entertain, the suite is the thing to do for the space and service alone.

I agree with the comment about the deferential service, we have never felt we had to adjust our schedule to the housekeeping staff. Big difference from some of the 5 star resort hotels we have stayed at.

138 days and counting.

[Spikesgirl]

Patrick - thank you for being so candid. Your observations have led me to think about things. I don't mind paying for the space, but the heavy door seems like a turn off. Wendy has mentioned that she feels the cabins are larger on PG than regular cabins, so it will deifinitely fit into the mix. I don't want to spend money for the sheer sake or it. We aren't planning to entertain, although that might happen. It frequently does, but that doesn't usually enter into the picture as a deciding factor.

 

Egret - thanks for your reassuring about the nonintrusiveness of the staff. I hate being at their mercy, as it were.

 

Charlie

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Just to clarify Charlie, what I think I said was that the standard PG cabins are probably larger than mass-market cabins--the large suites are perhaps smaller than many mass market large suites. But PG cabins, in general, are smaller than the rest of the Regent fleet. The standard cabin, which we are stuck with until we win the lottery, are 210 square feet. But the standard cabin on Voyager is 306, plus a 50 foot balcony. If I wanted to splurge on Voyager, having a Penthouse would be amazing, but on the PG I'd settle for an A Deluxe suite. Neither of these cabins sounds large enough for you.

[DoctorTom]

We will be traveling on the PG in room 801 in 9 days. Hopefully we will like it better than Islandcruiser did! We picked it because we are celebrating a 20th anniversary, and wanted to splurge a little for the extra room. I can give our impression after we return on October 25.

 

Tom

[Island Cruiser]

DoctorTom, you'll love the cabin. Don't get me wrong. It is certainly better than a standard cabin. But I have been entertained in one of the Regent Voyager premium cabins and I've peeked into most of the others (during the turnaround between one leg of a cruise and the next when they were unoccupied, I might add) and they are all much more desirable than 801. If I had the money, I'd spend it on any of the Voyager premium cabins. I wouldn't on 801 on the PG. It just isn't that great. But, then, I don't really need the extra room and I have no need for a butler. If I had lots of money to spend, I'd spend it on a cabin with extra space and an extra half bath.

 

Patrick

[AtA]

That's reassuring. Thanks for your input. We are just in the talking stage, but if I have info to counter his concerns, it will be easier all the way around.

 

Charlie

We'll be in a butler suite in Dec and I'll report back here. This would be our first time with a butler.

[Spikesgirl]

Thanks, Wendy, I did misread what you initially wrote.

 

AtA - I look forward to reading your reactions to the PG suites and the butler service.

 

Charlie

[Degas]

Hi

Congrats on the anniversary,

We will be sailing on the PG with you.

Is there enough CC people sailing tht we should ask for a get together???