Perks for suites?

[Baitman19]

We have a Keurig here and the little pods are about 50¢ each for this machine too. :( I did buy a couple of the filters for it and can use any coffee in those. Really is much more cost effective, just not as convenient.

I should have tried the tea, but I just made espresso, coffee and cappucino. They were all good with Kahlua too.

I also looked at the Lavazza machines when we came back from the cruise but decided they were too pricey also. Maybe someday!!! :D

Jackie

 

Hi Jackie,

 

We are not only in the 9506 club but now in the Keurig club together. I just got an order from Green Mountain Coffee today. No wasted coffee anymore.

 

I took a look at you Gem pics. We sail on her on 12/6. Was that 10004 you were in? We sail in 10504 with our daughter in the connecting BB 10506. I was lucky again.

 

Do you know what the weekly fee for the Spa pass was?

 

Happy Cruising,

Monty

[Kim.]

You are not going to get a *pod* for it, but you would have milk and if you either got the butler to bring you syrup or you brought your own, you certainly could steam your milk and mix it up to have it. It would definitely be the same thing....probably just take you steaming 3 milk pitchers. They are a lot smaller than the one I have at home and the cups with the coffee maker are expresso sized.

Thanks! I may try that. :)

[angeljt]

Hey Monty!!! You and Diane are at it again. Good for you!!! Glad to hear you got lucky again too. You're going to have a great time, as usual!!! :eek:

 

Yup, Mom gave us the Keurig last Christmas and it's great. I've found that Costco has the best price on the pods, but they only offer 2 types in their stores. Same with BJ's. A box of 80 pods for about $33 and they carry Newman's Extra Bold Special Blend and Green Mountain Columbian. We like Newman's because it makes a stronger cup, but the Green Mountain is good too.

 

Yes, we were in 10004, but I think I like port side better. Everything seemed backwards.. It was definitely different from 9506 with the dining alcove and different bath set up. Still great though and I'm not complaining one bit. We had Putu for our butler and he was great!

Make sure you have the right color key cards. They gave us the wrong ones and we thought we were doing something wrong when we tried to access the courtyard. We showed Putu and he told us our cards should have been red and took care of it and then escorted us up there along with our friends who were in our room for an early Happy Hour. :D

Not sure if they're still the same color though.

 

I did post the Spa menus on webshots and it says the Thermal Suite weekly pass is $75 for standard and $68 for Value. Not quite sure what the differnce is though since I didn't sign up for it.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2954914700051977359oZnBbz

 

Don't forget you can go to the Courtyard for some quite time. It wasn't ever crowded when we went up there and I never saw anyone in the pool or hot tub there.

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2534408370051977359hIosJZ

 

Also a couple of pieces of exercise equipment...

http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2320568150051977359sZHawu

 

Is this the trip the baby is going on too? She's going to have a ball!!! Nice that you have the OS with them in the adjoining room.

Jackie

[terrymtex01]

It broke my heart when I saw that it was not the Lavazza! I just gotta ask you Terry, was it the coffee maker that you were not impressed with or the coffee itself? We are pretty big coffee connoisseurs in our home (just bought a Tassimo because they offer European coffees that I LOVE <3 not to mention we do a lot of French pressed coffees) and I think it will upset me more if the coffee is awful. They made a really nice French press coffee at Cagneys on the Sky, even though I found they press a little too fast and it gets a little chunky for my taste. :eek:

 

Sorry I am just now seeing your question to me.

 

Ours was the same on that is pictured in the 9th or 10th posting on this thread. I think my disappointment was more in how the machine worked. Half the time I would set it to brew me a cup of coffee while Doug was taking a shower, etc, and I would go over to get the cup of coffee when it was done and there would be nothing there but the little bit that had dripped into the cup when I thought it had started. There were instructions there and I'm some what intelligent, so I am fairly sure I was doing it correctly. But by the time I had discovered it had not made the cup, it was time for us to leave the cabin to go where ever it was we were goine. Also, we had no milk in our fridge, just those little packets of half and half. You know the ones that have like 1/2 of an ounce in them? I just did not feel like opening six of them to have enough to steam, so I never used that function.

 

I am sorry if I have said something that has made you look forward to your cruise less than before. Please don't let that be the case. I am sure we just had a bad machine or something and it did not mean enough to me to have the butler take care of it. I always got great coffee in Cagneys so it wasn't a big deal to me.

 

The machine was a "tasso" machine or something like that. Last weekend we were at Bed Bath and Beyond and they had one that was normally $700.00 but they had this one specific one marked down to like $450.00. It was an "out of the box" one.. a display unit .. they were selling. It was almost identical to the one we had on the cruise ship but it didn't have an electronic display screen like the one on the ship had.

[islandgirlejfan]

Oh no Terry, you didn't do a thing to make me not look forward to it, honestly! Your review of this past cruise was wonderful and I think other than minor issues that everyone suffers with on a cruise, it certainly was very positive!:D I really was just wondering if it was awful coffee or something! I would have loved the Lavazza one, but hey, I won't die if we don't have that and there are a lot more alternatives, not to mention *HEY*, I booked another suite and I love the fact that Cagneys is an option for us again!!:D

 

Thanks for posting back to me because I really was just curious!

 

BTW, I have *not* seen that machine at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It took me 2 hours to decide between the Tassimo and the Keurig machines the last time I was at BB&B and the only reason I ended up with the Tassimo was the European coffees...I guess I am glad I didn't see that one!:p

 

Sorry I am just now seeing your question to me.

 

Ours was the same on that is pictured in the 9th or 10th posting on this thread. I think my disappointment was more in how the machine worked. Half the time I would set it to brew me a cup of coffee while Doug was taking a shower, etc, and I would go over to get the cup of coffee when it was done and there would be nothing there but the little bit that had dripped into the cup when I thought it had started. There were instructions there and I'm some what intelligent, so I am fairly sure I was doing it correctly. But by the time I had discovered it had not made the cup, it was time for us to leave the cabin to go where ever it was we were goine. Also, we had no milk in our fridge, just those little packets of half and half. You know the ones that have like 1/2 of an ounce in them? I just did not feel like opening six of them to have enough to steam, so I never used that function.

 

I am sorry if I have said something that has made you look forward to your cruise less than before. Please don't let that be the case. I am sure we just had a bad machine or something and it did not mean enough to me to have the butler take care of it. I always got great coffee in Cagneys so it wasn't a big deal to me.

 

The machine was a "tasso" machine or something like that. Last weekend we were at Bed Bath and Beyond and they had one that was normally $700.00 but they had this one specific one marked down to like $450.00. It was an "out of the box" one.. a display unit .. they were selling. It was almost identical to the one we had on the cruise ship but it didn't have an electronic display screen like the one on the ship had.

[momofmeg]

mom, that is what i would want to , to be able to sit and shave, i have 3 herniated disks in my back, so my mobility is limited, but i can suffer through , i do not want to spend 125$ more pp for a tiny bit more room and tiny bathtub, is rather use that money towards spa treatments:D

 

Suni, the best suggestion I ahve gotten for shaving in the normal dinky shower bathrooms, is to sit on the toilet, use hair conditioner they provide you for shaving lotion and then shave. Then get into the shower and rinse! It works! but having the little tub is better!

[odblnt]

Just before boarding our Pearl cruise, we stopped and got a container of Smucker's Caramel just for use with our coffee machine. We even took it upstairs when we made cappuccinos from the machine between Garden Cafe & Great Outdoors.

 

Like Terry & Doug, all we had were the little creamer packets, so I went up to the buffet at breakfast and grabbed a couple of little cartons of milk to stick in our refrigerator. Worked great. We had already had our steward clear out our refrigerator for DW's Diet Pepsi.

[angeljt]

This was the tub we had on the Dawn in a mini suite. Looks like you can sit on the edge. Sorry it doesn't show more of the edge.

 

[terrymtex01]

This was the tub we had on the Dawn in a mini suite. Looks like you can sit on the edge. Sorry it doesn't show more of the edge.

 

 

From what I can tell that looks exactly like ours in the AE. I have said for some time that I really think all you are paying for when you go from an AF to an AE is the perks. They mean enough to us to be worth it, to some they may not.

[terrymtex01]

Oh no Terry, you didn't do a thing to make me not look forward to it, honestly! Your review of this past cruise was wonderful and I think other than minor issues that everyone suffers with on a cruise, it certainly was very positive!:D I really was just wondering if it was awful coffee or something! I would have loved the Lavazza one, but hey, I won't die if we don't have that and there are a lot more alternatives, not to mention *HEY*, I booked another suite and I love the fact that Cagneys is an option for us again!!:D

 

Thanks for posting back to me because I really was just curious!

 

BTW, I have *not* seen that machine at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It took me 2 hours to decide between the Tassimo and the Keurig machines the last time I was at BB&B and the only reason I ended up with the Tassimo was the European coffees...I guess I am glad I didn't see that one!:p

 

You know what.. I have to admit.. I'm kind of a "Southern Belle" LOL when it comes to coffee. I love my Cafe DuMonde from New Orleans. Until we could get it here in our grocery stores,I used to order it by the case off of the internet. If I do not have Cafe DuMonde, then anything else is as good and the next, so to speak. I will tell you I don't like Starbucks coffee (I hear the gasps now as people read that..LOL), but I do like Seattle's Best. I'm not really picky about coffee really. I just like it strong. Not that Starbucks isn't strong, there is just something about the taste of theirs I do not like. LOVE their Chai Tea though. I never understood why they call it Chia Tea because Chia means tea, doesn't it? So you are drinking tea tea.. which does't sound that good to me.. LOL

[angeljt]

From what I can tell that looks exactly like ours in the AE. I have said for some time that I really think all you are paying for when you go from an AF to an AE is the perks. They mean enough to us to be worth it, to some they may not.

 

Yes, love those perks, but we had a great time in the mini suite too. I was wondering how the mini would be after staying in the OS the three previous cruises, but we had a ball... I booked an aft AE on the Gem last April because I heard so many great things about the aft cabins, but we never made it. We were lucky enough to get an upsell to the OS.

I will try to book an aft again, but it's tough to turn those upsells down.

You sure do get spoiled by the perks!!!

Jackie

[IDKaren]

OMG- just upgraded from balcony to AC penthouse? Input Input!! What exactly does and will your butler do? I have been trying on the search but it keeps freezing up on me! We leave on mon for the JADE and I am SO curious about what comes with this THANKS ALL!!!!!:D

[terrymtex01]

OMG- just upgraded from balcony to AC penthouse? Input Input!! What exactly does and will your butler do? I have been trying on the search but it keeps freezing up on me! We leave on mon for the JADE and I am SO curious about what comes with this THANKS ALL!!!!!:D

 

WOW.. that is an amazing upgrade.

 

Here is the simple way to think of it. The butler will take care of all of your "desires" or "concerns" inside the stateroom and your concierge will take care of all of that which is outside your stateroom.

 

Ie. If you want certain snacks in your stateroom or if you want room service, etc, your butler will take care of that for you. Even if there are issues with your room stewards, your butler will take care of it. If you want more pillows, etc, ask the butler.

 

If you want reservations for specialty restaurants, the concierge will take care of that. Your concierge will take care of your priority embarkation , priority tender tickets, etc.

 

You did a good thing upgrading to an AC. It will be an amazing adventure for you. Just don't forget you wil need to budget tips for your butler and your concierge as they are not in the tipping pool.

[IDKaren]

Thanks SO much! time is getting close and I was SO curious and search just would not work--I understand this has probably been asked a million times so thanks for being so nice!

 

I see there could be wind and water problems up front- did you ever experience any of that? I am SOOO excited ! Thanks

[islandgirlejfan]

The search feature can really bite on here, can't it??:mad: And for some of us when we can't get in to a thread because the site is slow, well it can make you a little crazy!!:eek::rolleyes::p

 

Welcome to the *suite* life Karen!:D You are going to just love it! I think that my personal favorite option of the suite was being able to have breakfast or lunch as Cagneys. The hubby and I enjoyed 3 very quiet mornings just having our coffee and breakfast, enjoying our surroundings there! You are going to be spoiled for life, because nothing is ever going to quite do after having the suite!

 

Terry mentioned to you about the tipping and there are a lot of different opinions on that and if you have time try to read a few of the threads concerning them and draw your own conclusion. I know you don't have a lot of it but reading them will really help you honestly when it comes to what you want to leave. They were of the utmost help to me when I was trying to figure out what to do. I got the *suite* call about 4 days prior and had drawn my conclusions from those threads. When it is all said and done, I think all in all you need to decide how the butler and concierge have assisted you and use that to make your decision of what you want to leave them, but you will have what you know from here as a guide at least. I will also add that you might want to leave a little something for your housekeeper. While these people are part of the tipping pool, they go above and beyond. We had a lady name Elizabeth who checked our room frequently...never had a wet towel laying around the whole weekend!

 

Prepare to be spoiled.....you're not going to want to leave! Enjoy and have fun!:D

 

OMG- just upgraded from balcony to AC penthouse? Input Input!! What exactly does and will your butler do? I have been trying on the search but it keeps freezing up on me! We leave on mon for the JADE and I am SO curious about what comes with this THANKS ALL!!!!!

[IDKaren]

Thank you so much for your input! Guess I will budget a bit more! We usually do tip over and above for the room stewards so we will add some more to the "extra" pile. Gosh- we are not "fancy" people-my hubby says it will be like the Beverly Hillbillies coming to the penthouse:D Thats ok-we will have fun!

 

Finally found some pics of the forward suites- man that door look imposing! Looks like a bank vault door! Also saw how WET the deck looked on the balcony- hmmm- could be in for a wet ride up there:cool:

 

OMG I am just so so excited! I read somewhere that the Butler unpacks for you? Don't need that- I need to unpack and steam some things that I know are gonna be a mess. Does he HAVE to?

 

Thanks again! K & J

[lvcruises]

No, they don't have to unpack for you. I think you would probably have to ask them to unpack for you.. they don't just do it. IMO I don't want someone else looking at my undies:eek:. I like to know where everything is. We had an OS on the Pride of Hawaii..Upsell fairy called. We felt like the Beverly Hillbillies too! This was our first time in a suite and we really didn't know what to expect. It was absolutely the best vacation ever and worth the extra money.

[watchdiva]

Hi Karen - we've never asked our butler to unpack for us (and none of them have offered). I have no great desire to have my undies unpacked by the same person who will be bringing me breakfast every morning:eek:.

 

Seriously though - be prepared to be pampered to the nth degree (at least that's always been our experience). The concierge can make any reservations for you (spa, dinner, etc) and solve any little thing may come up so that you don't have to.

[angeljt]

Thanks SO much! time is getting close and I was SO curious and search just would not work--I understand this has probably been asked a million times so thanks for being so nice!

 

I see there could be wind and water problems up front- did you ever experience any of that? I am SOOO excited ! Thanks

 

Congrats to you!!! :D You're going to love the AC and being spoiled by all the perks.

The front balcony can be windy when you're at sea and going at a good clip, but it's great once you're in warmer weather and cruising at a slower pace. The balcony is very big and you're going to enjoy it!

When and where are you going?

Terry and Islandgirlejfan are right about the tipping and also Cagney's for breakfast and lunch. That is one of the best newer perks and you can also have breakfast or lunch in the Courtyard. A nice, quiet place to relax.

The butlers have done many nice things for us and always with a smile. They deserve those tips and work hard for them and for us. We use the butler more than the concierge, but we do use their services and we've had some wonderful ones. I usually bring some thank you cards and put there tips in them along with a note.

We've never had a butler offer to unpack and I would rather they didn't. :eek:

We're also the Beverly Hillbillies. ;)

You're going to have a great time!!!

Jackie

[beachbride09]

You did a good thing upgrading to an AC. It will be an amazing adventure for you. Just don't forget you wil need to budget tips for your butler and your concierge as they are not in the tipping pool.

 

I have a question in regard to the tipping; can you, or anyone, give us an idea for the tipping of the butler and concierge?

 

FH and I are seriously considering upgrading from a balcony to an AE (we're about 99.9% sure we are going to do this) and, like previously mentioned, searching for info on the threads is hit or miss.

[angeljt]

I have a question in regard to the tipping; can you, or anyone, give us an idea for the tipping of the butler and concierge?

 

FH and I are seriously considering upgrading from a balcony to an AE (we're about 99.9% sure we are going to do this) and, like previously mentioned, searching for info on the threads is hit or miss.

 

The amounts are totally up to you, but they do work hard to please.

Here is a thread that might help you.

I agree with Terry in the thread. Start with $10 per person per day for your butler and adjust it according to what they do. They will 'cater' a party in your room, serve you breakfast, lunch and dinner if you choose.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=870352

[angeljt]

This is an AC balcony on the Gem. Plenty of room. :D

There are a few more pics of the room and balcony here if you want to check them out.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/564962717rPyLbU

 

[islandgirlejfan]

I used Terry as a guide for our tipping because some of the tips I read were a little more than I would probably tip for something over the top, and I totally consider myself a good tipper...you know they say women are cheesy when it comes to tips and I would say I am usually way over that norm.

 

I read about the unpacking as well when we got our upsell and thought *yeah, like I want someone unpacking my clothing....uh, NOT!*. NCL lady laughed at me when I said something to her about it, but I told her it was on the website and it really wasn't something that I would want. My packed items are *my* business....heck, the hubby doesn't even deal with my bag!:p

 

You are going to feel right at home in the suite, don't worry! A few hours will pass and you will feel like the movie Sabrina and won't ever want to go home! We are just regular middle class folks that work in offices and after a weekend in that suite, I came off feeling like a Queen!! I decided I needed the perks again and booked an AE on the Pearl for next December.

 

Seriously, you are going to love it! I still rejoice when I look at our photos! Come on December!

[terrymtex01]

Ok.. I am SO STRANGE about people touching my clothes and stuff that if I walked in our stateroom and the butler had unpacked our luggage I would be freaked. Thank goodness they have never done that for us.. Heck.. they never have time to do it for us really. Usually when we see they have started putting luggage outside the doors we look like chickens poking our heads out the door just waiting for ours. To me when we get our luggage unpacked and suitcases put away, then we are finally "home" and the vacation really begins. Munster is over, clothes are put away, and the ship has sailed. Oh do I miss that feeling right now.. 8-( A whole year before I feel it again.

[madelinerose]

You are going to feel right at home in the suite, don't worry! A few hours will pass and you will feel like the movie Sabrina and won't ever want to go home! We are just regular middle class folks that work in offices and after a weekend in that suite, I came off feeling like a Queen!! I decided I needed the perks again and booked an AE on the Pearl for next December.

 

Seriously, you are going to love it! I still rejoice when I look at our photos! Come on December!

 

 

Sorry for the OT, but just wanted to say hi and extend a welcome to another Baltimorean to CC! ;)