shythom

Also - here's a video of our Sky Suite balcony:

So this is long overdue but we stayed in the Sky Princess Sky Suite November 2022 for our 7-Day Western Caribbean Cruise.

We treated my parents. And it was worth it! It created such a wonderful memory which we talk about from time to time. My parents have NEVER had such VIP treatment. It was so fun to watch them get wow-ed. Our Suite Manager was just wonderful to them. My parents are mid-late 80's. They were treated with such kindness. Of course, we were all very appreciative and kind back.

Anyway - we were quite lucky to get a chance to experience the Sky Suite.

There's just SO MUCH that comes with it though - it's okay to not do everything especially if you are not on a long cruise. Unless you like being a busy-body.

I like having a lot of chill time between activities. Here are some things top of my list that I don't regret doing. Keep in mind this is purely subjective and in no way a review:

1) Princess Cays complimentary bungalow

2) Complimentary Balcony Dinner - those cold water lobsters were *chef's kiss!*

3) Reserved seating in Princess Theater (but only for the main production shows because that's the only shows I enjoy watching)

4) Complimentary Sail away champagne and hor d-oeurves

5) Crown Grill and Sabatini's - both complimentary (one must be on embarkation day)

6) Access to Sabatini's for Breakfast - full suites only

7) Expedited Club Class dining - full suites only

8. Not complementary but first dibs on getting on the Chef's Table list which gets booked quickly with waiting lists.

9) Free fridge refill - nice to have cold Coke zero and beer waiting for us when we got back from a day out - and while my parents do not drink much, they didn't mind a Corona with lime once in awhile

Things we tried but was just okay for me:

1) Complimentary Enclave - My husband loved it, but the chlorine was way too strong for me (I'm allergic to it though)

2) Complimentary Balcony Breakfast - Preferred breakfast in Sabatinis; not that the balcony breakfast was bad, though. We were just getting tired of eating.

3) Princess Cays complimentary special lunch - We just can't eat that much anymore as we get older and I don't like wasted food; I should have pre-planned the food with our Suite Manager so that one was on me.

4) Invite to special events at the Concierge Lounge - a bit too crowded. We should have not let FOMO get in our way as we had to rush from there to dinner.

5) Concierge Lounge - great food and service, but unfortunately the location was a bit too far for my parents to travel to.

Things we were offered but didn't have a chance to try:

1) Nespresso machine - Okay, so I was looking forward to using it since only the two Sky Suites have one as well as the captain. But they gave my parents a free coffee package and my husband and I got specialty coffee with the Princess Plus pkg which was only added for us (my parents drink very little so it wasn't worth it for them), the Americano at Sabatini's and iced coffee at International Cafe were amazing!

2) Full 2 hard liquor plus mixers - There was just too much to drink as is. We didn't even finish the complimentary champagne that came with both our Balcony breakfast/dinner. Some bottles were never opened.

3) Afternoon Tea in our suite. We planned to, really. But we're all getting older and our appetites are just not what it used to be.

So for those who stayed in the Sky Suite - what did you enjoy the most that was included?

On 7/8/2023 at 4:53 PM, JennyS8675309 said:

If a Family Member is staying in the sky suite on Discovery Princess, are other members of the family whom are in their own suites able to join for meals in the Sky Suite Room? Do they limit those allowed to visit

They can join you but will most likely be charged whatever the cost might be. Having said that, if you order from the Medallion from the regular room service menu, that should be fine. I'm more talking about the included Balcony Breakfast and Dinner. The Balcony dinner was so worth it it. It was the only time/place we were able to get cold-water lobsters, which we prefer. It's just a sweeter meat all around.

On 7/3/2022 at 5:49 AM, Ehg said:

On board now and you get access for the whole cruise. We will be heading down shortly. 😃

Hey Ehg - how was your final review of the Sky Suite? If I'm not mistaken, your friends upgraded to it and then you and your party did, too! I hope you had a lovely time. Our cruise in the Sky Suite is coming up. I'm excited.

I'm only a bit nervous for my parents,. They are in their 80's. I just want to make sure they can get around okay. They both can walk but my dad is slowing down. I am hoping the SEM will help us arrange for golf cart transportation from the pier to the bungalow as it would be too far of a walk for my dad.

On 6/24/2022 at 3:27 PM, Thrak said:

 

I have a question about this for anybody who has actually sailed in a Sky Suite. Is the sound for MUTS piped into the Sky Suite? I can't imagine how awful it would be for the rest of the passengers if MUTS was played loud enough to actually be understandable on the Sky Suite balcony.

I did ask a couple of people who stayed and they said it was not a problem. The music during the day can be heard the most on the part of the balcony where you are watching Under the Stars Move (the extension to the private viewing lounge chairs. As you go inside and to the side balcony, and especially towards the hidden part by the Sanctuary area, it is quiet.

20 hours ago, Beachandcity said:

Thank you all very much for the help. Great advice- sorry for lack of response but all the notifications were getting stuck  in my spam.

   The issue was that they quarantined us for our entire Denali stay due to a faulty Covid test- I respected the test and would have packed up and left but we had back up tests we brought that came out negative- and their testing in Denali was a joke to say the least. It was a packed unventilated room with a buffet style process- very very nice temp workers doing it/ even few teenagers with stacks of the tests like dominoes on their small portable table. 
   But took full day and night for them to even provide how they would send us home/ then agree to come test and of course PCR negative- so we got cleared in time to board ship but lost two days of our land and have to pay 200 for the PCR. 
    Then in Vancouver- bus had short staff and missing busses (maybe due to short staff) so they were not able to accommodate riders- kept apologizing/ so we had to get a own ride to airport- why pay 500 for bus service wasn’t able to transport us.   We merely asked for partial refund on these two items. 
   

Did any of your parties purchase the Princess Vacation Protection plan? While I'm unsure how far you will get without it, it was recommended to us to get this. At the least with standard plan, any trip interruptions, such as what happened to you and your party, will get at least a 75% refund. With platinum, 100%. Depending on the cause, it would be either a FCC or cash refund. Not saying you won't get a refund but I suspect it's much easier if you had their protection plan.

Sorry this happened to you.

On 7/1/2022 at 2:37 PM, ElWatzero III said:

Taking your questions in turn

 

You get one free balcony dinner and one free balcony breakfast and trust me yiu simply couldn’t eat like that every day even if they gave it to you 😀

 

Afternoon tea, you can order as often as you like 

 

the plants outside are all fake as is all the greenery. I think the plants inside are real but didn’t pay too much attention to them 

 

Both Rock Opera and 5 Skies are amazing and Princess Cays is great and we hope to be back there in 2024 once we start flying again post covid and allowing enough time for the airlines and infrastructure to be back to pre pandemic levels

Oh one more question if you don't mind - the Enclave. Is that one complimentary access per person in the Sky Suite or do we get to go to it anytime during the cruise? I think that's my last one. Thanks! 🙂

1 hour ago, Suite Susie said:

The Ultimate Balcony dinner and breakfast are complimentary, but only one of each during your cruise. We booked ours via the Shoreside Concierge when he called last week. In 3 weeks, we should be experiencing this wonderful suite on The Enchanted, providing we get a negative test!

Thank you! Have fun! 🙂

35 minutes ago, ElWatzero III said:

Taking your questions in turn

 

You get one free balcony dinner and one free balcony breakfast and trust me yiu simply couldn’t eat like that every day even if they gave it to you 😀

 

Afternoon tea, you can order as often as you like 

 

the plants outside are all fake as is all the greenery. I think the plants inside are real but didn’t pay too much attention to them 

 

Both Rock Opera and 5 Skies are amazing and Princess Cays is great and we hope to be back there in 2024 once we start flying again post covid and allowing enough time for the airlines and infrastructure to be back to pre pandemic levels

Thank you! I suppose we can always order from just the room service menu for breakfast on days we feel like it but you are right - We won't be able to eat this way everyday.

In fact, I find fitting in all the good food is hard enough during a seven day cruise. We already have our complimentary embarkation day specialty dinner reserved at Sabitinis (or favorite) and are happy to pay for another night at Crown Grill. We'll definitely take advantage of one ultimate balcony dinner for one night.

We also hope to do the Chef's Table if we can be fast enough to make reservations when we arrive.

So many places to eat, so little time. 😄

Thanks for answering my questions!

On 6/25/2022 at 9:51 AM, JF - retired RRT said:

👀🤑👀

Our 7-night Caribbean cruise was about the same. I know it sounds like a lot and we'll NEVER get to afford this experience again. However, I went to all other cruise ships to price out something similar for 5 people. I checked out Royal and NCL. Princess is by far the most affordable. I even did 2 balcony suites on NCL without all these perks and it cost just as much if not more.

On 6/12/2022 at 5:40 PM, ElWatzero III said:

To qualify, we were straight into a tender from the ship but queued to get back on.

Also, just because you’re in a Sky Suite, there’s no preferential service in bars etc. you get served when the team get to you

Thank you so much for posting your experience with the Sky Suite! We are going later this year in this suite on the Sky Princess.

I did read another blogger's experience that when you flash your special white medallion, you get VIP treatment throughout the ship. It tells the staff you are a Sky Suite guest. But they didn't mention about the bars. I don't think they were the bar type.

I have some questions if you don't mind - I have a bit of comprehension disability and what they posted on the Princess Sky Suite benefits page does not always seem clear to me.

The ultimate balcony breakfast/dining states it is complimentary to Sky Suite - is this just once during the whole cruise or all the time? If I wanted this dinner every night would only one time be free? Same with afternoon tea. (not that I could eat lobster and/or steak every night - haha!)

And here's a really silly question but I'm curious - that photo of the succulent plants on the balcony dining table you posted... are they real or fake? I am a huge fan of succulents (part of my hobby) and knowing we get live ones in our suite is such a bonus for me!

I can't wait to see the Rock Opera in our reserved Princess Theater seating! We'll be in the Caribbean on our cruise so hopefully, if weather permits, we'll take advantage of our complimentary Princess Cay private bungalow.

Thank you!

On 2/1/2022 at 5:18 AM, never_cruised said:

Upon looking at the pricing in the Cruise Planner for Cabanas at Coco Cay Symphony Cruise towards the end of August it seems quite expensive are these prices typical ?

 

Beach Club Over the Water £1584

Thrill Island (WaterPark) £810

Chill Island £963

I think August is peak time as prices do come down during low season. I've seen it drop for Oct/Nov for example. Having said that, I think prices have definitely gone up since pre-COVID. I'm okay with paying $300-400 USD for the smallest cabana on South Beach. Anything more, it's not worth it.

We'll see - we won't be sailing until Nov 2023 (for our 20th wedding anniversary on Anthem of the Seas) so it's too soon to even reserve anything. I figure it would be nice to get a Cabana since we're celebrating our anniversary.

On 1/10/2022 at 2:27 PM, cruiser113 said:

includes all the fine amenities of a spacious luxurious Full Suite plus:

Approx. 1,873 sq. ft., including balcony*

Pre-Cruise Shoreside Concierge

Seamless curb to suite experience

Suite Experience Manager to service your every need

Reserved Princess Theater seating

Complimentary access to The Enclave

Reserved Princess Cays bungalow~

Premium Champagne upon arrival

Two full bottle bar setup & mixers

Complimentary Princess Fine Wine Tasting

Private shopping concierge

Private Movies Under the Stars balcony viewing

Deluxe telescope for Discovery Stargazing at SEA

Complimentary Ultimate Balcony Breakfast and Dinner

Luxury balcony furniture including dining table for four, large day bed, loungers and exterior bar with mini fridge and TV at private patio

Living area with sofa that sleeps one▲, side table, lounge chair, coffee table and dining table for four

Three floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors

Master bedroom with Princess Luxury Bed

Private master bathroom with bathtub and separate rain shower

Spacious closet and vanity/desk in master bedroom

Second bedroom with Princess Luxury Bed (queen or two twin beds)▲, lounge chair and ottoman

Spacious closet and vanity/desk in second bedroom

Bathroom with separate shower in second bedroom

Full length mirrors

Luxury bedroom and bathroom linens

Upgraded bathrobes and slippers

Luxury bathroom amenities

Two refrigerators, one in the living area mini bar and a second on the balcony

Four flat-panel televisions

Portable hairdryer

Nespresso machine

*Port side Sky Suite is 1,808 sq.ft., including balcony
▲ 3rd/4th/5th berths available
~ Applicable on voyages that visit Princess Cays

Photos, floor plan diagrams, and amenities represent typical arrangements and may vary by ship. Certain stateroom categories may vary in size and configuration by ship. Square footage varies based on stateroom category and deck location

Just to add, and this is small but I found interesting because I like Nespresso, there are only three Nespresso machines on the ship - one in each Sky Suite and one in the Captain's quarters.

I know - useless tidbit! Lol!

I have asked the same question about the noise level as we'll be set to sail in the Sky Suite end of this year (assuming nothing gets cancelled due to COVID).

I've even looked for your every-day passenger video of the Sky Suite on YouTube. Not influencer, content manager or travel agents, though. While they give great quality content with music played as a sound over while their camera work pans through the suite, I looked for those who captured the real-time noise. And one embarkation day, the Lido deck normally has loud music playing to get people into the cruise mood.

I can definitely say during the day and when they are playing Movies Under the Star, it's noisy at that part of the balcony right over the Lido deck. Once they go to the side of the balcony, and towards the private secluded part close to the Retreat, the noise is muted if much can be heard at all.

I've also had my question answered by those who have stayed in the suite. They say that the noise in the Master bedroom which is also closest to the Lido deck, is muted though you may hear some music during the daytime (mainly on days at sea).

Some one else also said Sky Princess has a good sound system to have more targeted acoustics. I have no idea what that means - sorry. I didn't bother asking for clarification.

So, perhaps the inside cabin has some soundproofing and then with the balcony, it all depends where you are on the balcony. The good news is that Princess, from my personal experience (mind you I sailed with them several years ago), isn't a 'party ship'. You'll at least have some peace and quite when you want to sleep or a late night out for fresh air * star-gazing.

I certainly hope the above information I was provided is closer to the truth than not. As it was from more than one source, I'm hopeful. Hope you have a good time - maybe we can come back here and compare notes after we've returned. 🙂

On 1/10/2022 at 2:36 PM, Ehg said:

Brilliant, thank you. It does have extra benefits then. 
 

sailing in June and I don’t know what the upsell was. I’ll try to find out! 😬

According to a review I read, not only does it have the most benefits but the Medallion you are given is a white once, which signifies you are a Sky Suite passenger. This ensures top of the line VIP service no matter where you go. The Sky suite manager will greet you at the port on embarkation day and whisk you to your suite - with luggage in tow (so no more waiting for your luggage to be delivered to your room by whenever that evening).

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Correct

Thank you!

My confusion is that it states online, Princess drink packages do not count towards room service. But I guess they mean traditional room service (like ordering from the phone) vs. using the app.

On 8/1/2021 at 6:33 PM, wowzz said:

Exactly. 

My wife and I both  have the PP drinks deal. In our cabin, I order a beer. I cannot order a glass  of wine for my wife - she has to  order separately via her own device, so you have two waiters delivering two drinks,  to the same cabin,  60 seconds apart!  

Sheer nincompoopery! 

Okay - I think you answered my questions but I just want to clarify. I haven't cruised for several years. Before Princess Plus package it was just the drink packages. And my understanding back then was the drink package could not be used for room service. But now with the Medallion Oceans app, the PP pkg is loaded to our accounts so it doesn't matter where we order from - even if it is in our cabin, we get the benefit of PP beverages without additional costs? Am I correct on this? Thank you.

On 9/19/2021 at 7:25 AM, defbref said:

Currently on sky princess at the moment and have had zero issues ordering drinks either by the app or via staff. Been impressed actually as having read so much on here was fearing the worst. 

Great to hear! Hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise.

May I ask a favor? I haven't sailed with Princess, or at all, for so long. For the Lido deck/main pool area, is the music very loud? Are there times it's not so loud or no music at all? Like in the mornings, mid-late evenings or when in port?

Thank you.

Thank you for this informative thread! I am a Platinum Princess Cruiser but haven't cruised for several years. The last time I cruise, it was definitely called Gratuities so I have been learning about Crew Incentive. I really don't have a problem with it.. we do plan on getting the Princess Plus package to include the crew incentive.

I just want to know if that incentive covers the Suite Experience Manager (hope I got that right - back when I was cruising they did have butlers for some of the higher-end suites but I think I read somewhere they did away with that). But we're planning on booking the Sky Suite so I want to make sure I understand the breakdown for crew incentives.

We normally gave extra to our cabin stewardess, wait staff and anyone we felt who took part in making our cruise special. I would imagine if our Suite Experience Manager does a lot for us, they will get a good extra tip but it helps to know how if they get some of the crew incentive. Or maybe if it's not a lot as it gets distributed equally to others, that we then ensure we tip a bit more.

I never know how to go about these things and I'm rusty.

All I know is if they do great, I don't mind giving a bit more just to err on the side of caution.

On 3/26/2018 at 8:18 AM, BirdTravels said:

When people ask,,,,

 

Butler: $10-$15 per person in room per day of cruise.

 

 

Concierge: $5-$10 per person in room per day of cruise.

 

 

Steward (who is covered by the DSC): $5-$10 per person in room per day of cruise extra to service your large room

Thank you! Just to clarify this is on top of the automatic gratuities added to the bill daily, correct?

On 9/12/2021 at 12:21 PM, Lisa-UK said:

Hi

 

Thanks for posting this, interesting and honest review.

 

We were on Regal Princess in August and are booked on the Sky on Friday 21st.  I am hoping our Sky cruise is going to be as good as the Regal a few weeks back.

 

I agree with your opinion re the food, all very nicely presented, the main restaurant offerings were a bit lacklustre and I thought they were too heavy handed with the salt.  We ate at the Crown Grill and even a nice fillet there was spoiled by too much salt.

 

The app, when working properly and for those who are able to use the technology is going to be fabulous when they have ironed out a few flaws.  I liked using and choosing drinks from the menu, which is broken down into sections for ease - ie Martinis, frozen cocktails etc.  Our drinks didn't seem to take so long to come, but one error we made was to order 2 (one each) from one account!  The 2nd was charged, we quickly went back to ordering individually or the old fashioned way with a bar waiter.

 

I agree that the power sockets in the cabin are sparse, so great idea to take a extension lead.  

 

I'm looking forward to our next Princess cruise on the Sky.

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you have a good experience on Sky Princess! I admit it's been years since we've cruised but when we did, we only have cruised with Princess. I think I have been on... 6. I became a platinum on my last Princess cruise.

We're finally planning to go on a cruise again and we're looking into Sky Princess as well. Just an easy 7-day Easter Caribbean.

One thing I will agree on is the over-use of salt. I do pre-plan my dietary requests before I go though. As I a have dietary needs. It helped a lot. I don't know if you are comfortable in doing that but I always find it's easier to add salt then take it away once it's been made into the food.

In general, since I started to cruise with Princess cruise 25 years ago, I have found their quality of food in the main dining rooms go down. Maybe my taste has changed? And the menu items have really not changed much over the years.

I recall the last two times my husband and I weren't too keen on the food as much. We started to dine in the specialty restaurants more. Sabotini's was the best one - the steak there was better than the Crown Grill (we're steak lovers - I admit we're picky about our steaks, though).

Having said that, as long as they have healthy options we get by and enjoy our food. The international cafe has great, fresh and healthy options. And actually, the salad bar at the buffet is so fresh and good with lots of options! I'm not looking for quantity, just quality. But that's because I'm getting to that age where I HAVE to mind what I eat. Or I feel horrible! Ah to be 20 again and have the ability to eat anything or as much as I want! *Sigh*

2 minutes ago, memoak said:

I have cruised many times in both vista and owners suites and have never had a door between the sitting area and the bedroom, always a curtain. 

Yes, the owners and vista suites do seem to only have a privacy curtain. Which is why we are inquiring about the Grand Suite (specifically on Sapphire or sister ships). I don't think it would be a big issue if it were just my husband and I, but our teen is a night owl so.... And if we're paying top dollars, I would definitely want a door rather than a curtain. Thanks for your input!

53 minutes ago, dchip said:

We were guests several times in the Grand suite in the Sapphire Princess in 2011. It was nothing short of spectacular. If I remember correctly there was a door to the bedroom. I checked my external hard drive to access photos. From what I can tell, it looks like there is a door to the bedroom.
Cheers, Denise 

Thank you! I believe outside the family suite, Sapphire and it's sister ships' grand suites seem to be the only ones with a door. But I wasn't sure.

Hello - I tried to do a search in various ways on this board but it came up empty.

We're looking to book a suite on the Sapphire Princess to Alaska (my husband, myself and our teen).. The issue I have is many suites seem to have just a privacy curtain and we're looking for one with an actual door for better privacy between bedroom and living room. I have looked at photos, diagrams and videos but have yet to find one that indicates whether the entrance to the bedroom is a door or a privacy curtain. Does anyone have any experience with the Grand Suite on Sapphire (or one of her sister ships)?

I thank you in advance.

On 6/5/2019 at 7:36 PM, Sailing12Away said:

The biggest key is to keep your expectations in check. A lot of the 'perks' you listed as being important to you I never got to take advantage of on our last cruise. Priority boarding only works if your airlines cooperate with getting you there on time. Our flight was delayed 2 hrs, so when we finally made it to the port there was no one there at all. We popped into the Haven lounge just to say we were there, but there was no employees, no food, and no drinks. 

 

Butler service is hit or miss. For us, it was a big giant miss. Outside of bringing breakfast to our room a few days, she did nothing for us. NOTHING. 

 

The Nespresso machine was actually quite odd.... it had 2 buttons, which I presume were for an espresso sized drink or a full mug of coffee. When you press the smaller button, it overflowed the espresso mugs. When you push the larger button, it overflowed the full size coffee mugs (without even adding any milk/cream). We ended up having to use the small button with the larger cups and forgo actually having espresso.

 

Welcome bottle of champagne.... we got one in our non-Haven room on our first NCL cruise. Not sure that's a perk reserved just for Haven folks.

 

Welcome snacks was a bowl of fruit. Each day the butler would bring a snack while we were out at port, but I didn't eat most of them. Yes, I'm a picky eater, but it would have been nice to be given a choice of food instead of having her bring us stuff I don't eat. I even told her I don't eat seafood, and she still kept bringing shrimp and lox. The one thing she did get right was a bowl of M&Ms for me and gummy bears for hubby. Other than that, the snacks in the room were highly overrated for us.

 

In-room dining.... the only meal our butler was willing to bring was breakfast if we left the card filled out and hanging from our door the night before. I tried to get food in the Haven pool area and was told the restaurant was closed and I could only get room service. Ok.... the staff then walked away and wouldn't let me place an order. I wasn't about to go back to my room to go back to the pool, so I went to the buffet and got my own burger and fries.

 

Haven restaurant.... on the Jade there is none. So again, maybe we missed out a bit based on the ship we were on, but again, know your ship before you assume there is one. We had Moderno available for breakfast and Cagneys available for lunch, but there was no 'private Haven dining room' for dinner that was different from what others could have.

 

Haven pool area.... you got me there. That was a godsend. I would gladly pay extra for access to the Haven pool and forgo the butler service in a regular room if that was an option. The pool was tiny, but every time we went either we were the only ones in there or there was a single person with us. The Jade had a covered area for those who liked shade, and sunny upstairs lounging for those wanting sun. That was definitely the best perk of being in Haven due to the crowds in the main area.

 

Priority seating was a bit of a joke. It was all the way off to the left side on the Jade, we would of been better off sitting with the regular folks in the center of the stage for some of the shows. Don't think your getting first row orchestra seats... again, look for reviews of your particular ship to know if it's really a perk.

 

Cocktail party... meh, I could have did without it. We had the beverage package, so didn't need the free drinks. We actually ended up not even meeting the officers at our party as we were talking with the cruise next consultant at the door and he let us in the side way rather than waiting on line. By doing so though, we bypassed the crew meet & greet. Not a priority to us, but if mingling with those folks is your thing, knock your socks off.

 

Haven only elevator? Where?? Didn't see one on the Jade, and our keycard didn't even work half the time to bring us to the Haven deck. Had to get off at 13 and walk a flight up to 14.

 

Concierge was another good perk. We had already booked everything before boarding, but he helped us change dinner reservations so we could make the cocktail party with no effort. The biggest perk with him though is getting off at the ports and final disembarking. You get walked off the ship through the secret back passageways and save a ton of time. So again, you got me there with this one.

 

Not trying to dissuade you, but again, just keep your expectations in check. Our first Haven experience was quite bad, but others tend to rave that 'once you go Haven, you never go back'. If the price is right for you, try it. But if you're justifying the price based on a list of 20 things and you only end up getting to use 2 of them... will you still be ok with what you paid? If so, go for it.

 

*Edit* The only extra fee is a tip for the butler and concierge, if you use them. We gave extra to the cabin steward as he was way more helpful and kind to us than the butler, but that is not required.

Wow - I'm so sorry you did not get a good butler. For so much money that truly sucks! May I ask, did you try to arrange for additional room service other than breakfast? What I mean is, if you ordered for lunch from whatever restaurant/menu, did your butler just refuse to bring food? Isn't that against what they are supposed to do? With the fruit - did you specify what you liked/didn't like? I ask because I'm allergic to many fruits so I would require specific types I am able to eat without an allergic reaction.