Suite Perk Drinks

there should be one brand available( don't ask me which one though)

Cool thanks!!

Originally Posted by yolanda1

Not an extreme reaction at all in my opinion, and certainly not "whining" as you put it.

As a customer, I am simply expressing my dismay at the constant inconsistency of a company who expect people to pay many thousands of dollars for a suite and expect them to be content with whatever benefits they decide to provide on a whim for as many hours, days, weeks or months as they see fit. It's chaotic and unprofessional, and if people don't "whine" about it, it will continue.

Perhaps you think it's reasonable for the customer to accept the ever changing terms applied to overpriced suite accommodation without notice of a start date or an end date. I don't think it's good practice.

I do think it is a bit of an extreme reaction. Royal was probably experimenting with a possible benefit that may have gone fleet wide. Evidently RCI felt that it would not work fleet wide so they cut the experiment off.

Maybe they should have done the same thing with DD instead of touting it before they tried it.

We have a loft suite on Oasis shortly and having seen the posts about drinks all day being withdrawn I queried it with the Concierge when he made contact. His reply was that it was a special short term promotion. I am guessing this is because of the post dry dock disruptions which were by all account quite significant. I've got an ultimate package for our cruise which stated it comes with a free bottle of champagne. I've printed out the page so if it doesn't appear, I can show them the offer!

We have a loft suite on Oasis shortly and having seen the posts about drinks all day being withdrawn I queried it with the Concierge when he made contact. His reply was that it was a special short term promotion. I am guessing this is because of the post dry dock disruptions which were by all account quite significant. I've got an ultimate package for our cruise which stated it comes with a free bottle of champagne. I've printed out the page so if it doesn't appear, I can show them the offer!

That's a good idea to print your offer. I've read a couple of posts from people what said the crew onboard knew nothing of that promo.

Just returned from Brilliance and our first time in a suite and access to the CL. What a lovely experience.

We could get just about any drink in the CL during evening cocktail time. I never even saw a list posted. First evening I ordered a glass of wine. Second evening I asked our bartender, Mickey, if he could make a Bellini (my favorite drink in the Champagne Bar), and it was no problem. On the Monday of our cruise, we did a "Martini Monday with Mickey" with a nice group of people we met in the CL. He had no problem mixing up a Cosmo for me, and an Appletini for my daughter. Never tried ordering something that required a blender, so that may be where they draw the line. What a nice experience though. :)

Also, just about everyone I saw brought their drinks out of the CL to dinner. It's been asked here on CC, so I noticed. My daughter even asked if it was appropriate, and was told "absolutely, it's what most people do." We had dinner at 8pm, and would be arriving to the CL as the early diners were leaving, almost all with drink in hand.

I know all ships are different, and look forward to seeing the CL on Liberty and Freedom.

Just returned from Brilliance and our first time in a suite and access to the CL. What a lovely experience.

 

We could get just about any drink in the CL during evening cocktail time. I never even saw a list posted. First evening I ordered a glass of wine. Second evening I asked our bartender, Mickey, if he could make a Bellini (my favorite drink in the Champagne Bar), and it was no problem. On the Monday of our cruise, we did a "Martini Monday with Mickey" with a nice group of people we met in the CL. He had no problem mixing up a Cosmo for me, and an Appletini for my daughter. Never tried ordering something that required a blender, so that may be where they draw the line. What a nice experience though. :)

 

Also, just about everyone I saw brought their drinks out of the CL to dinner. It's been asked here on CC, so I noticed. My daughter even asked if it was appropriate, and was told "absolutely, it's what most people do." We had dinner at 8pm, and would be arriving to the CL as the early diners were leaving, almost all with drink in hand.

 

I know all ships are different, and look forward to seeing the CL on Liberty and Freedom.

We had Mickey in the CL in Dec. also...terrific bartender! i hope he is still there when I go back in April!

We had Mickey in the CL in Dec. also...terrific bartender! i hope he is still there when I go back in April!

Mickey has hopped lines? :O).

Mickey has hopped lines? :O).

I see what you did there. :D

I have always sailed in a suite on RCI and other than no more chocolates and now the 3 drink coupon on the sea pass card during the CL "happy hours", it's always been consistent...except, where are the slippers??:p I haven't been on Oasis/Allure, but on my visit to Labadee last month, we were offered the floating mat for free at Barefoot Beach without having a cabana, and no, no open bar. And there was no open bar with our cabana on our visit in 2012.

 

The only time we ever got a (single) bottle of champagne in a suite was on Voyager during our Med cruise in the Royal Suite in 2006 on the first day. And I've been in 8 suites (OS, GS) in the following 8 yrs since, and no champagne.

 

Oasis class ships may have different/evolving suite perks in the CL with the changes going on during dry dock...but on the class of ships I've sailed on, they've remained relatively the same. The addition of gold sea pass cards years ago have actually improved suite perks overall - preferred seating in the theater, ice show, pool deck, WJ for breakfast/lunch on some ships, etc. IMHO :o

 

Just be sure to do your research on your specific ship, because from what I've experienced, even same class ships have some different ship nuances for gold pass bearers, i.e. on Brilliance the WJ Verandah was reserved seating for gold pass bearers during breakfast/lunch, but on Radiance, the WJ Verandah was the 24 hr coffee station due to the addition of the hot dog stand on the other side of the pool deck outside the WJ. Did any of these differences detract from my cruise experience? Heck no. Loved each and every minute of each one and can't wait for the next...

Certainly appreciate your experience. I too routinely book a suite but I sail eight to ten times a year so have a bit different slant. I have occasionally received champagne but if memory serves me correct it was on ships that had to yet received a CL. Along with the slippers the personalized stationary and pens have also disappeared. Depending on the ship sometimes you have a separate area for breakfast and lunch sometimes just breakfast sometimes neither. Sometimes the concierge contacts suite guests before the sailing sometimes they don't.

Seems that for a while there was an effort to enhance the suite benefits but that seems to have come to a sudden halt. Since they first floated the Oasis and Allure complimentary beer and wine were served in the CL for lunch. So apparently that is also gone. I still have a great time regardless of how they play with the perks. Would I prefer more consistency? Absolutely! Could there become a point when I consider other cruise lines? Yes.

Only time I've ever seen bubbly included was as an offer through a TA.

Although we did make an art purchase on our last cruise and asked them to throw in a free bottle of bubbly, to which they obliged.

The following regards the Oasis only.

We were on the Oasis 01-10-2015 in A Crown Loft Suite.

Free drinks were only served in the Suite Lounge on Deck 17 in the evening

from 5:00 until 8:30 each evening. Free drinks were no longer served during lunch. Also, you could not order from the menu for lunch on port days in the Coastal Kitchen.

Before the recent addition of Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge on Deck 17 the following was in place.

Suite Guests cruising in Grand Suites and above, D+ and P could order lunch from a menu and were served free soda, beer or wine everyday in the Concierge Lounge on Deck11. Also free cocktails were served from 5:00 to 8:30 for these cruisers.

I e-mailed my comments to Mr. Bayley, the new President, regarding these changes yesterday. He promptly replied that he was not aware of these changes and would find out the reasoning why.

Also, they closed the new Diamond Lounge that was recently installed on Deck 4. The old Concierge Lounge on Decks 11 and 12 is now the new Diamond Lounge. Wonderland which was to replace the old Concierge Lounge is now on hold.

I'm ok with only a limited time for drinks, but I am not happy to see that CK is closed on port days for lunch (is it open for breakfast and dinner every day?). I hope that Mr. B. puts in a word to get that decision reversed. Not all of us go off the ship in every port.

The following regards the Oasis only.

 

We were on the Oasis 01-10-2015 in A Crown Loft Suite.

 

Free drinks were only served in the Suite Lounge on Deck 17 in the evening

from 5:00 until 8:30 each evening. Free drinks were no longer served during lunch. Also, you could not order from the menu for lunch on port days in the Coastal Kitchen.

 

Before the recent addition of Coastal Kitchen and the Suite Lounge on Deck 17 the following was in place.

 

Suite Guests cruising in Grand Suites and above, D+ and P could order lunch from a menu and were served free soda, beer or wine everyday in the Concierge Lounge on Deck11. Also free cocktails were served from 5:00 to 8:30 for these cruisers.

 

I e-mailed my comments to Mr. Bayley, the new President, regarding these changes yesterday. He promptly replied that he was not aware of these changes and would find out the reasoning why.

 

Also, they closed the new Diamond Lounge that was recently installed on Deck 4. The old Concierge Lounge on Decks 11 and 12 is now the new Diamond Lounge. Wonderland which was to replace the old Concierge Lounge is now on hold.

Thank you for reporting on your experience. I hope Mr Bayley comes up with a satisfactory answer. He shouldn't have to though. It should be a customer service issue.

When we looked at Loft Suites, for a 7 night cruise, they were several thousands of dollars more expensive than a JS. For the inflated price I think customers at the very least deserve to know EXACTLY what they will get for their money - opening hours, drinks hours etc. This "sometimes you get this, but you might not on your sailing....." attitude of the company simply isn't acceptable.

I fully understand differences between classes of ships, and this is often reflected in the price, but every suite guest should be confident that they will receive the same as a comparable cruiser the week before or after.

We didn't bother booking because nobody would confirm anything, either on the phone or in writing and there was no way we were parting with that kind of money when we weren't being informed.

Also, they closed the new Diamond Lounge that was recently installed on Deck 4. The old Concierge Lounge on Decks 11 and 12 is now the new Diamond Lounge. Wonderland which was to replace the old Concierge Lounge is now on hold.

Since the old Concierge Lounge is now the Diamond Lounge, is there a new Concierge Lounge for D+ members? My understanding is that the Suite Lounge on deck 17 is only for suite guests and P members. Does that mean that only the Diamond Lounge is available to D+ members who are not in suites?

Since the old Concierge Lounge is now the Diamond Lounge, is there a new Concierge Lounge for D+ members?

No.

My understanding is that the Suite Lounge on deck 17 is only for suite guests and P members. Does that mean that only the Diamond Lounge is available to D+ members who are not in suites?

At this time yes. But this could (and at some time probably will) change at any time.