Suite Class All Separate: How Do You Feel About That Concept?

You know what's great about cruising being a whole industry, there's lots of CHOICES. If you are so devastated about cruiselines like NCL and Celebrity offering areas exclusive to suite passengers then go travel with a line that does not do that. Last time I cruised with Princess and HAL they did not offer any suite exclusive areas. Why continue to cruise with a line that clearly makes you so miserable?

I hope everyone likes the Edge class ships and will pay premiums to sail on those ships. From my perspective, I'll stay on the S class ships with lower prices, those ships are just fine with me.

I feel the same. Cruising isn't our sole vacation and would much rather have 2 or 3 vacations (land and sea) rather than considering a room/suite the ultimate. Frankly, I am not keen on the Edge modern design in any way, and much prefer the S class ships (and don't mind the M class either). To each his own.

I feel the same. Cruising isn't our sole vacation and would much rather have 2 or 3 vacations (land and sea) rather than considering a room/suite the ultimate. Frankly, I am not keen on the Edge modern design in any way, and much prefer the S class ships (and don't mind the M class either). To each his own.

I agree. I find the Edge designs unusual, which isn't a bad thing per se. I would be a little hesitant to step onto that moving deck that hangs over the starboard side of the ship. I'm not adventurous enough to try something that new. I guess I prefer a more "classic" cruise ship design. If we enjoy X in May, we will probably book M class again or perhaps try an S class ship next time.

You know what's great about cruising being a whole industry, there's lots of CHOICES. If you are so devastated about cruiselines like NCL and Celebrity offering areas exclusive to suite passengers then go travel with a line that does not do that. Last time I cruised with Princess and HAL they did not offer any suite exclusive areas. Why continue to cruise with a line that clearly makes you so miserable?

Actually, Princess' recent 'Club Class' innovation is far more "in your face" than anything Celebrity has done. All Suite and top MiniSuite passengers now have a special section of the Main Dining Room roped off for them, with its own entrance. So while all the other Anytime Diners are lined up outside, the elite go straight in (they are promised no-wait anytime dining). And while the hoi polloi order off the regular menus, the elites get extra choices that involve table-side preparation (to make sure the 'theater' is obvious to the elites and the prols on the wrong side of the velvet rope). But the saddest thing (IMHO) is that the elites don't actually get a much better experience [it's still basically the regular MDR menu], so the net effect is envy and anger. Celebrity offers Suites a much better experience, much more discreetly.

We're cruising for the first time in June on Celebrity and we're Diamond on Royal. We don't use the exclusive Diamond area for breakfast because we have breakfast with friends who aren't Diamond. We don't use the Diamond lounge for the same reason...we travel often with people that wouldn't be allowed in. We all have the beverage package so I don't see the big deal about the Diamond lounge and the few times we've been there, I could have skipped it and gotten the drink at a bar. I don't have a problem with the food in the MDR. We always have quite a bit of OBC but I've never been tempted to use it to go to the specialty restaurants. We normally book a balcony/verandah cabin but we spend very little time there. The idea of a separate pool area wouldn't bother me, however, I think it would be nice if there was a restriction on the 'regular' pools so as not to have suite guests with their own pool crowding the space used exclusively for the non-suite passengers. I don't eat the continental breakfast in the 'priority' disembarkation lounge. I prefer to go to the buffet and then leave the ship. I like getting up in the morning, going to get a cup of coffee and sitting watching the early morning folks walking around. Everyone gets room service and the existing menu is just fine with me. A butler would be totally wasted on me. I'm pretty self-sufficient and my cabin stays tidy throughout the cruise. I prefer to spend the money I would spend on a suite toward another balcony cabin where we can carry my Grandson and a friend along with us to enjoy their company. It's just all in what our priorities are. We've been fortunate enough to enjoy a couple of Med cruises and we carried my Grandson who is a history buff. I was glad we had previously sailed on both the ships because we barely saw our cabin, let alone the ship. We booked private excursions just for us and we felt it was worth it because we were able to personalize it and could see what interested us and spend the time only at places that we chose. Some people feel the cabin and amenities are their priority. We like carrying family and friends and we don't really feel we're sacrificing anything by spending our money this way instead of spending it on a suite. There was a thread about the perks that suite guests get and for us, the perks really aren't tempting, but for those that enjoy the perks, it's worth it. Different strokes for different folks. If we aren't satisfied with our cruise on Celebrity, as someone said earlier, it's a competitive market and there are always other options. We'll be sitting on our regular balcony, eating in the regular dining room with the rest of the regular guests, looking at the same port but with a couple of terrific young people, including one who has never cruised, enjoying sharing another great vacation with wonderful company, and it doesn't get any better than that.

Love it. We do cruises to reconnect, enjoy the sea. Edge design is creative and forward thinking. Excited to go and yes, booked sky suite and and aqua (sky was sold out) for our 2B

Actually, Princess' recent 'Club Class' innovation is far more "in your face" than anything Celebrity has done. All Suite and top MiniSuite passengers now have a special section of the Main Dining Room roped off for them, with its own entrance. So while all the other Anytime Diners are lined up outside, the elite go straight in (they are promised no-wait anytime dining). And while the hoi polloi order off the regular menus, the elites get extra choices that involve table-side preparation (to make sure the 'theater' is obvious to the elites and the prols on the wrong side of the velvet rope). But the saddest thing (IMHO) is that the elites don't actually get a much better experience [it's still basically the regular MDR menu], so the net effect is envy and anger. Celebrity offers Suites a much better experience, much more discreetly.

Have you actually sailed on a Princess ship since that change? Or are you merely repeating comments that some have said. I have been on three different Princess ships since they implemented the new system. While I had concerns of potential impact with them moving in implementing such a system. I was happy to find that very little was impacted.

Let me explain why there are a couple of thing not quite right in your claim. First of all the new system was implemented in the deck 6 mid ships dining room. This dining room is traditional early and anytime late. The backup on Princess anytime is usually during the early dining period, when this dining room is traditional. After early traditional, when deck 6 switches to anytime, there is usually not a wait. The dining room that backs up is the traditional on deck 5. So you do not have people waiting while the people in the Club class walk by. The tables are not roped off, the only way to tell the new space is the color of the table cloths being used. The Club class has a light blue or green tint, the regular tables white. The only other way to notice is that most of the time the 10-12 tables that have been set aside are empty.

Unlike on Celebrity which moved the tables closer together in the MDR, resulting in people being much closer together than before the changes, with a resulting much higher noise level, the tables in the Princess dining room remained just as far apart as before, the noise level has not increased and the MDR main dining experience not negatively impacted.

Anytime dining on Princess has always had its issues with early dining times, due to so many wanting to eat early (line starts forming about 30 minutes before the dining room opens). Some of the people have that have commented about the Club class system have not even correctly identified the dining room in which it is located and have made assumptions that any problems they are having in deck 5 much be related to Club class, which is not correct. Some have confused people with reservations on deck 5 with club class participants (wrong dining room) when they have made complaints. To even notice club class you pretty much have to go searching for it (which I have) and know what you are seeing. Someone that did not know it existed would probably not even notice. Pretty low key.

One other thing it is the MDR menu plus additional. There is usually at least one higher end item on the club class menu in addition to the MDR list. The main attraction is guaranteed access without a wait.

So have you actually been on a Princess ship to see the implementation or were you just repeating hearsay when you made your in the face claims? I have been on both recently.

Have you actually sailed on a Princess ship since that change? Or are you merely repeating comments that some have said. I have been on three different Princess ships since they implemented the new system. While I had concerns of potential impact with them moving in implementing such a system. I was happy to find that very little was impacted.

 

Let me explain why there are a couple of thing not quite right in your claim. First of all the new system was implemented in the deck 6 mid ships dining room. This dining room is traditional early and anytime late. The backup on Princess anytime is usually during the early dining period, when this dining room is traditional. After early traditional, when deck 6 switches to anytime, there is usually not a wait. The dining room that backs up is the traditional on deck 5. So you do not have people waiting while the people in the Club class walk by. The tables are not roped off, the only way to tell the new space is the color of the table cloths being used. The Club class has a light blue or green tint, the regular tables white. The only other way to notice is that most of the time the 10-12 tables that have been set aside are empty.

 

Unlike on Celebrity which moved the tables closer together in the MDR, resulting in people being much closer together than before the changes, with a resulting much higher noise level, the tables in the Princess dining room remained just as far apart as before, the noise level has not increased and the MDR main dining experience not negatively impacted.

 

Anytime dining on Princess has always had its issues with early dining times, due to so many wanting to eat early (line starts forming about 30 minutes before the dining room opens). Some of the people have that have commented about the Club class system have not even correctly identified the dining room in which it is located and have made assumptions that any problems they are having in deck 5 much be related to Club class, which is not correct. Some have confused people with reservations on deck 5 with club class participants (wrong dining room) when they have made complaints. To even notice club class you pretty much have to go searching for it (which I have) and know what you are seeing. Someone that did not know it existed would probably not even notice. Pretty low key.

 

One other thing it is the MDR menu plus additional. There is usually at least one higher end item on the club class menu in addition to the MDR list. The main attraction is guaranteed access without a wait.

 

So have you actually been on a Princess ship to see the implementation or were you just repeating hearsay when you made your in the face claims? I have been on both recently.

Mea culpa. I have not sailed on Princess since the change -- will be doing so in October on Crown. And I am aware that some of the claims were clearly not fact-based. But those "10-12 tables" that "most of the time" "are empty" must be impacting the non-club diners on Princess since so many reports over the years [as you note] indicate that their Anytime Dining doesn't work very well. Taking tables away from Traditional Dining means more people get closed out from that and pushed into Anytime Dining -- making those lines even longer.

Also, I won't be sailing on Princess in Club Class -- because the fares for M1 mini suites are far too high for the minimal amenities on offer: "one higher end item on the club class menu in addition to the MDR list" versus Luminae's complete menu in addition to the MDR menu; no butler; etc.

Finally, part of my "in your face" assumption [i will call it what it was ;)] was based on a statement that many of those special high-end menu items would involve table side preparation -- that should be obvious to those in the regular part of the dining room.

Mea culpa. I have not sailed on Princess since the change -- will be doing so in October on Crown. And I am aware that some of the claims were clearly not fact-based. But those "10-12 tables" that "most of the time" "are empty" must be impacting the non-club diners on Princess since so many reports over the years [as you note] indicate that their Anytime Dining doesn't work very well. Taking tables away from Traditional Dining means more people get closed out from that and pushed into Anytime Dining -- making those lines even longer.

 

Also, I won't be sailing on Princess in Club Class -- because the fares for M1 mini suites are far too high for the minimal amenities on offer: "one higher end item on the club class menu in addition to the MDR list" versus Luminae's complete menu in addition to the MDR menu; no butler; etc.

 

Finally, part of my "in your face" assumption [i will call it what it was ;)] was based on a statement that many of those special high-end menu items would involve table side preparation -- that should be obvious to those in the regular part of the dining room.

Not really. There is one prep unit. Not really visible from most of the dining room. Again someone has to really look for it. Looks more like a standard serving station unless you look really close.

The tables are mostly 2 and 4 top, maybe one or two larger, so you are talking max capacity of about 30-40 people. That dining room is traditional during early dining. Mostly to handle the over flow from the alwaytraditional dinning room at the stern. On the cruises I have been on it is usually not full, more like 70-80%. I would expect that on most cruises they can still handle all of the early traditional diners. As such it would not impact early Anytime if it was there or not. Early anytime is where their problems tend to be. Too many want early dining in total then the ships can handle. They do, on occasion, bring some Anytime diners into that room when it first opens and there are known open slots.

Thanks for clarifying the reality. I have been wondering if we would be affected on our upcoming Princess cruise [not really expecting a problem, as we dine late] -- and your experience/analysis makes it seem likely that we won't have a problem. How would you compare Princess MDR food to Celebrity?

Thanks for clarifying the reality. I have been wondering if we would be affected on our upcoming Princess cruise [not really expecting a problem, as we dine late] -- and your experience/analysis makes it seem likely that we won't have a problem. How would you compare Princess MDR food to Celebrity?

The last Celebrity ship I was on was Sydney to Auckland on the Solstice a couple of months back. In most cases the food was fairly similar. Celebrity did throw in more local dishes (Kangaroo and Crocodile were two examples). Princess soups tend to be better in my opinion. Portion size is a little bit larger on Celebrity.

Have not been on the Crown so cannot comment about specifics there. Have been on the Regal, Royal Caribbean, Star, and Grand in the past 12 months and they have all been pretty much the same so I would not expect much difference on the Crown.

The last Celebrity ship I was on was Sydney to Auckland on the Solstice a couple of months back. In most cases the food was fairly similar. Celebrity did throw in more local dishes (Kangaroo and Crocodile were two examples). Princess soups tend to be better in my opinion. Portion size is a little bit larger on Celebrity.

 

Have not been on the Crown so cannot comment about specifics there. Have been on the Regal, Royal Caribbean, Star, and Grand in the past 12 months and they have all been pretty much the same so I would not expect much difference on the Crown.

Thanks

I am interested in the suite only retreat area. Other lines have it so am excited to see how this rolls out.

Luminae looks a little small for the amount of suite passengers with or without the increase in that EDGE has proposed. I wonder if they are going to offer the all inclusive food package to more of the suites?

Luminae was really busy during our January 2017 cruise. Hard time getting reservations and was always packed. we had the Sig Suite on Reflection which offered the all inclusive dining package but at times all we wanted was Luminae and had a hard time getting a reservation for the time we preferred.

Other impressions of Edge so far:

* love many of the concepts and ideas-

* décor is just ok- nothing wow IMHO

* SS verandas appear to have a small table so breakfast on the veranda may be problematic. Hoping they have a nice table.

* In the SS- not loving the makeup vanity in the bathroom. Usually I show first and then DH hops in making the bathroom hot and steamy...may not be able to use the dedicated space to get ready ( If this is all I have to worry about, then is pretty good:D)

* As stated earlier, I am not thrilled with the CS layout with the loggia and sunroom concept. Plus the living room area looks narrow.

* As others have questioned....storage seem elusive.

* IF an S3 was riced right, I would book it even with the magic carpet. Suite amenities are great so would prefer an S3 to not having a suite.

* some of the rendering show couches in the cabins and others show a chaise lounge. I love the couches in Solstice SS so hope it is more of a couch than a chaise lounger

Regardless, we will sail EDGE at some point in time...hoping sooner than later. Right now I am envious of those already booked and can hardly wait to hear real reports from the initial sailings.

Amy

...

 

Regardless, we will sail EDGE at some point in time...hoping sooner than later. Right now I am envious of those already booked and can hardly wait to hear real reports from the initial sailings.

 

Amy

Right there with you --- TO THE EDGE, AND BEYOND !! :D

I looked at a few sailings/categories (referencing the comment you made regarding suites and specialty dining), and it looks like RS and above will still be the beneficiaries of this perk on the Edge.

Tom

Right there with you --- TO THE EDGE, AND BEYOND !! :D

 

I looked at a few sailings/categories (referencing the comment you made regarding suites and specialty dining), and it looks like RS and above will still be the beneficiaries of this perk on the Edge.

 

Tom

I was hoping for the CS to be included...someday :) the price difference between SS and CS is usually pretty significant so wish they would give premium drink package or unlimited dining with CS. Just throwing out into the universe...hoping it will stick :)

...Just throwing out into the universe...hoping it will stick :)

I try that approach as well!

Tom

This is such a sensitive topic for so many people. Bottom line is each cruise line has its segment of the market place it is trying to appeal to. Press releases have stated that with this ship they were focusing on the segment "affluent families aged 36 to 52. " There are hundreds of cruise ships out there each with different pros and cons. We are all able to vote with our wallets which line we want to cruise with and what kind of cabins we wish to pay for. And at the end of the day anyone who gets to cruise at all is really quite fortunate in my opinion! For X It's smart business to be able to appeal to a wide range of travelers and budgets and it is clearly differentiating itself from Royal Caribbean. Every company is out to make money based on their clientele and the segments they target. Celebrity is being very clear who they are targeting with this ship - love it or hate it. I certainly know what I prefer when I cruise..but I don't hold anyone else to that standard nor judge them because they may choose differently. I have been fortunate enough to sail in the penthouse suite on celebrity and my most recent cruise was a last minute decision where we had a standard balcony and the 3 of us all shared a room. At the end of the day it was time spent with my family that meant the most... and a great lesson for my son that you can have just as much fun with or without a gold pass card!

... And at the end of the day anyone who gets to cruise at all is really quite fortunate in my opinion! ...

A point I have to remind myself of from time to time, but so true!

Tom

... Press releases have stated that with this ship they were focusing on the segment "affluent families aged 36 to 52. " There are hundreds of cruise ships out there each with different pros and cons. ...!

I am curious how Edge will compare to the new, and I assume similarly targeted age group, Virgin Voyages.

I am curious how Edge will compare to the new, and I assume similarly targeted age group, Virgin Voyages.

When will Virgin Voyages go on sale? I think they started building the ship on March 2017, is that right?

I just booked my first suite ever on the Edge. I have no idea if it's worth the extra money or not - I guess I'll find out! I was motivated to splurge this time because of the 4 perks for the price of 1 special. That definitely helps take the sting out of my wallet - a tiny bit.

I just booked my first suite ever on the Edge. I have no idea if it's worth the extra money or not - I guess I'll find out! I was motivated to splurge this time because of the 4 perks for the price of 1 special. That definitely helps take the sting out of my wallet - a tiny bit.

Isn't the "4 perks" for suite guests pretty much standard anymore?

Tom

(as a side note, maybe they should have areas of the ship that suite passengers aren't allowed to enter??)

Interestingly, they actually do (sort of) have an area that suite guests aren't allowed. Suite guests are assigned Luminae and are not given an MDR table. On our first Celebrity cruise after Luminae was added, we had to push the Concierge and the Loyalty Ambassador to get a table in the MDR and it was not for lack of space. We would have understood if there was not a table available for us but there were many. We even further explained that we would be sure to well compensate the waiter in the MDR since the prepaid gratuities would be intended for the server in Luminae. We just like the atmosphere of a large table of new friends which we always seem to make in the MDR. We were given an MDR table and we made friends with a group of people we continue to have contact with today. We had far more of our dinners in the MDR than we did in Luminae.

So, suite guest are not outright banned from the MDR but being assigned there is not easy.

Your ability to 'cope' with suite class depends entirely upon the type of person you are. We tried a suite for the first time on our last cruise. Loved the extra space, butler was amazingly (and importantly - to us) unobtrusive ;.... and that was where it ended. We were not impressed by Luminae - not just the food which for us did not live up to expectations - but found the 'attentiveness' overbearing. We did not need telling every single night what an amuse bouche was, nor the purpose of it. We found Michaels Club to be dark and unwelcoming unless you were obviously 'one of us'. We HATE being fawned over and detest sycophantic behaviour. Why should we be ushered past the (very lengthy) queue of other guests - in full view of everyone - , simply because we were in a suite? For us - Suite Class should be unobtrusive. We liked some of the perks, but NOT at the expense of having them rubbed in the faces of non-suite guests. We are well versed in experiencing the finer things in life, and had hoped that X suite class would be just what we were looking for. Sadly it wasn't and we will continue to sail in Aqua (who have the balance just right - for us) when sailing with X. In the meantime, we are giving Regent Seven Seas a try. For us, creating even greater - public - divisions between suite and non-suite guests is a real no-no.

Oh how *dare* the staff pay extra attention to us as they have been instructed. How *unfortunate* that we were directed to an exclusive area for pre-dinner cocktails where they were extra-nice to us. It is totally unfair that the fact we payed 5-10x more for this vacation was made in any way visible to other passengers, those poor lambs.

Please. You're allowed to enjoy nice things. You don't have to apologize for it.

Not a very pleasant reply to a reasonable explanation as to why somebody prefers not to be in a suite