Garden Villa

[AdoptAtty]

... and mine aren't missing testing, just school.

 

OK, so those are good ideas. I like the "take a tour of a suite because your rooms aren't ready yet" idea!

 

I was going to email the concierge ahead of time to clue him or her in ... I also thought about making a note on the back of a couple of my business cards so I can slip them to someone to clue them in... they don't know about the Garden Villa, it is a surprise!

[angeljt]

I hope you can get in the GV a few seconds before them to take a pic of their faces when they realize they'll be staying there all week!!! :eek:

What a great surprise it will be! :D

We toured the GV when they sailed empty after a CC M&G, so they do sail empty sometimes.

Jackie

[SeattleMother]

AdoptAtty,

 

I wonder if they would let us decorate the GV for you before we leave. We're not flying, so we could pack whatever decorations you want...

 

Rachel

[AdoptAtty]

AdoptAtty,I wonder if they would let us decorate the GV for you before we leave. We're not flying, so we could pack whatever decorations you want...Rachel

 

Oh wow, wouldn't that be something. My stepmother's birthday is Sunday and my daughter's is on Friday... I actually did buy some birthday decorations, a little prefab kit from Target, thinking I'd put them up late Saturday night after everyone went to bed... hmmm. I am emailing the concierge anyway, so I could tell them, my buddy SeattleMother, oh I mean Rachel, will be in the suite before us and she is going to put up birthday decorations for us... or maybe I could get Kinko's to make a banner that says something like "Grandma & Maggie, welcome to your birthday cruise!"

 

I'm still trying to figure out how to pull this off. I think being able to blab on here is the only reason I've been able to keep it a surprise so long. I'm even afraid to post anything about it on my roll-call because my step mom could go on there and the cat would be out of the bag.

 

WhenIsOurNextCruise had a good idea... a "fake" offer for a GV tour, get them in there and then say something.... I've already been thinking what I'd say... "Oh, this is so nice, I think we'll just stay." "OK, I know the Captain, I'm sure he won't mind." or maybe just... SURPRISE! :D Or maybe when we check in they could say, "Oh I see we have two birthdays, here is a special birthday present for you both" (ie. the keys to the suite). I'm quite sure neither my children nor my parents have ANY idea such a suite even exists.

[SeattleMother]

If you decide you want us to try to decorate, let me know. We're leaving in a bit over a week to do Disneyland before our cruise, so if you want Disney decorations, we can probably do that too.

 

I think ａ "let's tour this suite while we wait," and then a 'Surprise' banner in the garden at the end of the tour.

 

Rachel

[AdoptAtty]

SeattleMother, let me contact Kinko's and see if I can get a small banner and I suppose mail it to you asap... I don't leave until the 29th but I started packing... only the kids carry on so far, but I've started!

[szdiver]

What wonderful peole here on cc to do something like that for a complete stranger - you all are really nice .....

[AdoptAtty]

SeattleMother... I found something reasonable online, I can have it printed and sent directly to you. Regular shipping is 3 - 7 days, but can do quicker. When would you need to have it? It is almost 3 x 5. Are you sure you have room to bring it? I'd guess they would deliver it rolled up in a tube that must be almost 3 feet.

[SeattleMother]

We're leaving on the 14th, so we should have enough time. Email my yahoo account at rachel99382000 at yahoo dot com, and I'll send you my address. Plenty of cargo room, no worries.

 

He He!! I love surprises. :)

 

 

Rachel

[angeljt]

Yes, there are a lot of nice people on CC, and it is a very nice gesture. Rachel, it really is nice of you to decorate. Too bad they won't let you stick around to see the surprise! I wish we could all be flies on the wall in that GV when they realize it will be their home for the week!

Great surprise and excellent job keeping it under wraps! Glad you have this outlet to share it with us. It wouldn't be much fun if you couldn't tell anyone at all!!! :eek:

Jackie

[AdoptAtty]

I found a great site to make a banner that says, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GRANDMA & MAGGIE, Surprise!, Welcome to our Garden Villa, Alaskan Family Cruise, May 2009" and they will ship it to Rachel directly. This is so nice for a total stranger, or a somewhat stranger, to offer to do this for us. Thank you so much SeattleMother!!

[szdiver]

Now all you have to do is make sure they don't "clean up" after you leave.....make sure everyone is in on the surprise EXCEPT the family. The Hotel director might be the one to be in the know, as well as the concerierge. Have a great time.....

[AdoptAtty]

So I actually just ordered the banner and am having it shipped to SeattleMother. She is so nice! I"m sure she can convey to the Butler that the banner is for the arriving family and I will email the concierge. Between the two of them, and the two of us, I think we may actually pull this off. Then I just have to try to keep anyone from saying too much while we check in. If they just say Garden Villa, no one will know what that is. I like the whole idea of a tour while we are waiting for our cabins to be ready. I'm also trying to figure out how to get my luggage tags on the bags. I think I'll say they are special Latitudes tags and they will deliver those bags first!

[Eeyoregon]

Our old AB showed up as available right away, but the AF didn't. Maybe they oversold them?

 

I haven't read the rest of this thread so perhaps this has been addressed.

 

Likely, you only gave up one of your cabins for the upsell.

 

That is what happened to another CC who had two suites booked and was offered the upsell to the GV a few days before sailing. When they checked in the person at the desk asked them which passengers would be staying in the GV and which ones would be in the other suite. Because it was 2 adults and 5 kids in their party, they obviously all moved to the GV, which left an empty suite cabin....probably the one that they gave away as the BINGO prize mid cruise!

 

Enjoy your accomodations!! Thare are amazing!! When I walked into the 1st master closet I thought it was my cabin :D!

[Eeyoregon]

AdoptAtty,

 

I wonder if they would let us decorate the GV for you before we leave. We're not flying, so we could pack whatever decorations you want...

 

Rachel

 

We were on the Star a week ago and I actually met the folks that were staying in the same cabin, right after me, here in CC!! On the last day I showed my cabin stewards what I was leaving for the next folks and they said that was fine. The CC'er gave me her name so that I could write it on something which I think help my steaward associate that I actually "knew" them by name ;).

 

Wishing you all great cruises!! Wave as you sail by Oregon on the repo!!

 

Gina

[AdoptAtty]

I actually get to visit your lovely state Eyeoregon, before my cruise... staying in Portland for three days for a meeting. A little precruise trip!

[SeattleMother]

I haven't read the rest of this thread so perhaps this has been addressed.

 

Likely, you only gave up one of your cabins for the upsell.

 

That is what happened to another CC who had two suites booked and was offered the upsell to the GV a few days before sailing. When they checked in the person at the desk asked them which passengers would be staying in the GV and which ones would be in the other suite. Because it was 2 adults and 5 kids in their party, they obviously all moved to the GV, which left an empty suite cabin....probably the one that they gave away as the BINGO prize mid cruise!

 

Enjoy your accomodations!! Thare are amazing!! When I walked into the 1st master closet I thought it was my cabin :D!

 

I think that is what almost happened. They offered the upsell for X dollars, and it ended up being X - what we paid for the AF. What a nice surprise!

 

The summary when I log on to ncl.com shows all six of us and (upgraded from )

 

I just LOVE looking at that summary!:D The other times we sailed with the kids, we were in two inside rooms...

 

It looks like the other GV is gone now too for our sailing. I hope someone got a good deal.

[angeljt]

How great is that! You can't get a better deal and you're going to have a wonderful time with all that room and the perks of the GV! I bet the kids will like it much better than those inside rooms. ;) Have a great time!

It's very sweet of you to do the decorations for AdoptAtty too.

Jackie

[insidecabin]

I haven't read the rest of this thread so perhaps this has been addressed.

 

Likely, you only gave up one of your cabins for the upsell.

 

That is what happened to another CC who had two suites booked and was offered the upsell to the GV a few days before sailing. When they checked in the person at the desk asked them which passengers would be staying in the GV and which ones would be in the other suite. Because it was 2 adults and 5 kids in their party, they obviously all moved to the GV, which left an empty suite cabin....probably the one that they gave away as the BINGO prize mid cruise!

 

Enjoy your accomodations!! Thare are amazing!! When I walked into the 1st master closet I thought it was my cabin :D!

 

They should have rolled the other cabin in at upsell time they would have probably paid a lot less.

[AdoptAtty]

I guess that teaches us something else to watch out for with upsells...

 

who is included in the upsell

what about your OBC, and

location... where is the upsell

[insidecabin]

I guess that teaches us something else to watch out for with upsells...

 

who is included in the upsell

what about your OBC, and

location... where is the upsell

 

With a move to an AB,A3 or GV you can add passengers to the booking or ask for another cabin to be included

 

For an AB,A3 it might be worth cost of a double booking to get the suite perks and with the A3 the courtyard but keep the other cabin for sleeping.

 

The GV can take 8 so a lot of options, but any 2 cabins AC down are worth combining with the upsell.

 

Merging in a cabin with the master bath AA,A2,AB,A3,A4 will be less desirable since you lose that master bath for a AC/AD/AE style bathroom in the GV second/third bedrooms.

 

But if the price is right the location may be worth giving up the bathroom good friends/family can share.

[AdoptAtty]

Merging in a cabin with the master bath AA,A2,AB,A3,A4 will be less desirable since you lose that master bath for a AC/AD/AE style bathroom in the GV second/third bedrooms.

 

I don't know this from personal experience yet :D but I understand the Star GV has three bed rooms, two of which are considered master bed rooms with master bathrooms, the "middle" bed room and bath I've been told are comparble to an AC.... maybe an AC AD and AE all have the same type of bathroom... I don't know. But I'm pretty sure the GV on the Star has two of the master baths.

 

Anyone know?

[ImADaneFan]

I don't know this from personal experience yet :D but I understand the Star GV has three bed rooms, two of which are considered master bed rooms with master bathrooms, the "middle" bed room and bath I've been told are comparble to an AC.... maybe an AC AD and AE all have the same type of bathroom... I don't know. But I'm pretty sure the GV on the Star has two of the master baths.

 

Anyone know?

Yes it has 2 master baths. In the pics below, the 1st one is the back master bath, the 2nd is the middle bath, and the 3rd is the front master bath. The 2 masters have a jetted tub and a separate shower also.

[insidecabin]

I don't know this from personal experience yet :D but I understand the Star GV has three bed rooms, two of which are considered master bed rooms with master bathrooms, the "middle" bed room and bath I've been told are comparble to an AC.... maybe an AC AD and AE all have the same type of bathroom... I don't know. But I'm pretty sure the GV on the Star has two of the master baths.

 

Anyone know?

 

Thats true, thinking the 4 Jewel class, with the other GV's the value points are different.

[AdoptAtty]

Value points? can anyone tell me what that means?

 

Dane, which of the two master bed rooms/baths did you like the most and why? I think I'll just let my parents pick which they want and I'll take the other... I'm thinking either is nice.

 

The poor girls, they get stuck in the middle (I say in jest!)