GV benefits on the gem

[rkeate0804]

I know I have read the benefits of staying in an A3 GV but i have been thru all the postings and can't find it. Would someone please direct me to it or let me know what the benefits are??? Thanx alot kathie

[rkeate0804]

Don't think I am asking about a GV but it is an A3 cabin.....that I am asking for the benefits thanx kathie

[NoPiratesPlease]

I know I have read the benefits of staying in an A3 GV but i have been thru all the postings and can't find it. Would someone please direct me to it or let me know what the benefits are??? Thanx alot kathie

 

The GV on the Gem and the Pearl isn't as nice as the GV on Jewel and the Jade, though the layout is the same.

You get a master BR, two BRs with private baths and balconies. There's a front hall with a half-bath, then a large living room with a wet bar, coffee/capuccino maker, 6 complementary bottles of liquor, dining room table for 8, a baby grand player piano, a living room area with at 32" flat screen tv, a desk and a laptop. To get outside there is a sliding door in the master BR, another in the master bath, a door in the front hall, and 2 sliding doors in the LR.

 

Outside is "the Garden". Downstairs is a private hot tub, but the winds at sea make it VERY tough to use at night. There are some settees and a large protected picnic table that over looks the pool. Upstairs there is a sundeck. On the Gem and the Pearl, the best part of this deck, the front that overlooks the pool and looks forward on the ship was taken away for the two Deluxe Owners' suites and their hot tubs. This is why the Jewel and Jade are better. You not only have lost the best part of the upper deck, you now have upstairs neighbors over your living room. Their hot tub is over your outdoor table and if they use it, the noise is SO loud you cannot stay at the table. Meanwhile if they leave their wet towels out, they blow down into YOUR hot tub area (thank goodness no upstairs used towel ever fell into the tub while we were there.)

 

Your priority butler and concierge service: you get it first! You get concierge boarding--quick and painless, concierge disembarking--that's great because you can be off early if you must make a plane, or much MUCH later than everyone else and then leave at leisure--between the first day and last you actually get nearly a full day more vacation than everyone else! As soon as you get to the port say to the first NCL official you see "Excuse me: we are in the Garden Villa" and things seem to magically happen (Except in Miami when Carlos is Concierge--when Alex Forbes was there they happened too). You get special seating in the Star theater, and get moved to the front of the line for tender service.

 

For dining you can get reservations in any restaurant on very short notice, usually within an hour of when you want it, and when you get there you don't have to wait. You get one free specialty restaurant meal and, you can dine anytime you want at your own table with the butler as your waiter.

 

Pretty much anything you ask for you get. Our little guy must have soy milk so they make sure he always has it (we eMail the concierge in advance). In the GV, you get all the soft drinks and bottle water you want--all gratis, plus all the mixers you need for the drinks. If you do a Back 2 Back you get another 6 bottles, too.

 

You also have access and use of the Courtyard, a nice place to meet people and a safe place for the kids, with a private sun deck. Sometimes you'll just order lunch or breakfast and eat it there if it's a nice day and you have friends there.

 

I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff....With a great Concierge like Ruthie, or Simone or Alex and a great butler like John, or Kaydek or Roland or Danny, and a great housekeeping staff, the experience can be really, really wonderful. Our last cruise we were on the Jade and the butler wasn't competent and neither were the housekeeping staff--only the Concierge, Ruthie, was. It was a very, VERY rare unpleasant surprise.

[rkeate0804]

thanx a bunch we are excited about going......kathie

[BarbCT605]

Kathie,

 

A3 category = Courtyard Villa

 

A1 category = Garden Villa

 

Mr. NoPiratesPlease described the A1 Garden Villa.

[rkeate0804]

Thank you I realized my mistake after I posted......sorry i messed up k

[mooline]

(we eMail the concierge in advance). With a great Concierge like Ruthie, or Simone or Alex and a great butler like John, or Kaydek or Roland or Danny, and a great housekeeping staff, the experience can be really, really wonderful.

 

Hmm... I believe Simone will be our Concierge on Star when we travel in June. We are trying to pull off a BIG surprise for our daughter; this trip is for her as she has just finished her MBA. She has NO idea that we are in a GV (she thinks we are in a OS and she is in the adjoining PH.) In addition - also unknown to her, we invited my sister & her husband along, they will be within a week of their 40th anniversary. We are planning a "staggered boarding" so that daughter can be doubly surprised (GV first then the surprise appearance of much-loved aunt and uncle.)

 

I would love to email Simone just a bit ahead of our cruise and clue her in (so that she can enjoy the fun)- and also let her know that I learned of her through CC. Would this be appropriate?

 

I also plan to get a Congrats package for daughter and a Happy Anniversary package for my sister & brother in law. The GV should be quite the festive place at embarkation! :)

[NoPiratesPlease]

Hmm... I believe Simone will be our Concierge on Star when we travel in June. We are trying to pull off a BIG surprise for our daughter; this trip is for her as she has just finished her MBA. She has NO idea that we are in a GV (she thinks we are in a OS and she is in the adjoining PH.) In addition - also unknown to her, we invited my sister & her husband along, they will be within a week of their 40th anniversary. We are planning a "staggered boarding" so that daughter can be doubly surprised (GV first then the surprise appearance of much-loved aunt and uncle.)

 

I would love to email Simone just a bit ahead of our cruise and clue her in (so that she can enjoy the fun)- and also let her know that I learned of her through CC. Would this be appropriate?

 

I also plan to get a Congrats package for daughter and a Happy Anniversary package for my sister & brother in law. The GV should be quite the festive place at embarkation! :)

 

Absolutely appropriate! In fact, I highly recommend eMailing her in advance. We ALWAYS try to contact the Concierge at a minimum a few weeks before we are in the GV on ANY ship. The Concierge appreciates it because it makes her life easier as she can PLAN for it and doesn't have to deal with it ad hoc.

 

However, Simone is on vacation in June, from April to July, but she'll be back when we are there in August, then she'll leave again in November (if not October) for her December wedding.

 

Still, eMail her and find out who her replacement is so you can communicate with him/her, who will be just as happy to help.

[mooline]

Great - I will - how do I find her email address?

[AdoptAtty]

I'll be checking out the GV on the Star for my friend Mooline before she sails... we sail May 2nd. Would like to know the same answer... how to contact our concierge or butler before hand. We are both doing the surprise GV thing... NO ONE in my family knows! I've actually thought about writing on the back of some business cards... "family does NOT know we are in a Garden Villa... surprise!" and handing them out as we do the embarkation process. Of course even if someone says Garden Villa, no one in my family will know what that means. :D Mooline, it really is too bad we aren't on the same sailing!! We could have one heck of a surprise going on! and a party... we have two birthdays to celebrate.

[mooline]

Mooline, it really is too bad we aren't on the same sailing!! We could have one heck of a surprise going on! and a party... we have two birthdays to celebrate.

 

I know!! I wish we connected before we booked. There's always next time. :)

 

BTW here is my personal email if you want to contact me. I am putting it in "cryptic" so that those web-combing nasty-bots won't pick it up:

 

L LeBlanc 3 (combine all into one) at gmail dot com

 

Apologies to others for the little sidestep conversation here...:o

[AdoptAtty]

Garden Villa Old Hats... wondering if you have any advice. This is a total surprise to my family! :eek: Trying my best to keep in under wraps until they are lead to the suite. (This is so hard not sharing!!) At the moment they think we are in an AB and an AF. Other than the DH, they don't even really know what an AB is.

 

I spoke with someone in the administrative offices at Carnival about something else and she said she would email the concierge and ask them to help with this, getting us on the ship without someone making a huge deal about being in the Garden Villas... and I now have the address to email them directly... other than that, my only thought is to neatly print something on the back of some business cards that I can put in front of someone helping us, so I don't have to say anything. Any other thoughts?

 

Also, I'm wondering what time I should try to board so that we can go directly on to the GV and not have to wait. Any suggestions?

[msescada]

Garden Villa Old Hats... wondering if you have any advice. This is a total surprise to my family! :eek: Trying my best to keep in under wraps until they are lead to the suite. (This is so hard not sharing!!) At the moment they think we are in an AB and an AF. Other than the DH, they don't even really know what an AB is.

 

I spoke with someone in the administrative offices at Carnival about something else and she said she would email the concierge and ask them to help with this, getting us on the ship without someone making a huge deal about being in the Garden Villas... and I now have the address to email them directly... other than that, my only thought is to neatly print something on the back of some business cards that I can put in front of someone helping us, so I don't have to say anything. Any other thoughts?

 

Also, I'm wondering what time I should try to board so that we can go directly on to the GV and not have to wait. Any suggestions?

 

I am uneasy about posting any of the email addresses for the ships BUT if you have a personal cruise consultant, call him/her. ask her to have either her supervisor or someone from group/guest relations in miami email her with your email address. convoluted but you will get there. It's easier on the concierge and her butlers to know what you want in advance.

 

stress the surprise aspect of your trip (and mooline's too).

 

also if you get there around noon you will be escorted straight to your villa. NO WAITING. usually your butler takes you right onboard and the concierge meets you up on 14.

 

we get there earlier than that but then the situation is different and we don't mind waiting until boarding starts (we like being among the first on the ship).

[AdoptAtty]

Thanks Msescada... I'm sure the concierges appreciate you not posting their email addresses. I have that, so that part isn't an issue. (I've shared with my friend Mooline so she can contact them as well... that you to my GV old had friend that provided that directly... you know who you are)

 

When you get there early is the GV ready? I'm guessing GV guests can be some of the last folks off the ship if they want and then the crew has to turn the villa around, so to speak... I'm guessing that may get top priority to turn it around quickly, but it still has to take some time.

 

It would be really nice if when we are lead onto the ship the GV is ready... so they aren't just handing us the keys and saying cabins will be ready at 2.

 

I know I've hijacked the thread a little... sorry Kathie... I'm on the Star, not the Gem... but it seems there are a lot of experienced GV guests responding.