Royal Suite Class - Star Class Review from Ovation April 22 Sailing

Hi Everyone - guess it's time to come back to reality! Just off the Ovation of the Seas, and Mia, our Genie, was wonderful. It's hard to describe the experience because it was so much more than expected and such a delight.

I'll start with my take on the Star Class perks, which can be found online. Usual caveat that Royal can change things without notice. ;)

I'm trying to remember all the questions people asked that aren't covered by the link above, so hopefully I'm covering them here:

• La Patisserie is complimentary. We had a large box of macaroons one day.
  
• Thermal Suite was able to be accessed by just showing the Star Class Seapass; there didn't seem to be a limit on the number of days (I know some folks were wondering if it was just one day).
  
• Specialty dining was either refunded before the cruise or during the cruise.
  
• Never had a time where the drink we ordered wasn't part of the package.
  
• We were given two wi-fi codes for complimentary access (there were two of us in the suite, not sure what happens if there are more guests).
  
• The higher end toiletries were really nice and a great upgrade from the previous ones.
  

Now, for our Royal Genie, Mia. All I can say is wow. I'm not sure I can be left to my own devices after being taken care of so well. She served as our main point of contact before and during the cruise.

She is so amazing, I don’t even know where to start. Before the cruise over email, she helped me plan activities better than some personal/executive assistants with whom I’ve worked. She went above and beyond helping me plan the perfect trip – for example, I asked for some recommendations for what to do in Cherbourg, and she not only provided some great sights to see, but also places to have lunch, a map with the places indicated and even a page with basic sentences translated into French!

Onboard, from the moment we checked in, it was clear that we were in very capable hands. She escorted us to our suite, where she had champagne and canapés ready for us. She also had our daily schedule printed out for us. She also had a fantastic knack for knowing when to be “there" – she would suddenly appear at whatever bar we were at and escort us to dinner to make sure there weren't any issues. She confirmed all our reservations and also reminded the restaurant staff of my partner's gluten allergy, so it was just taken care of without us having to go into a lengthy explanation and worrying that there may be a mix-up.

We booked three private excursions, and Mia contacted all of the operators/guides the day before and day of to make sure that she knew where they were picking us up and the time. When we walked off the gangway, there she was and could escort us right to our driver. Talk about white glove treatment! Final disembarkation in Southampton took only the time it took to walk from our suite to the car we hired – that’s never happened to me before! No stresses trying to locate anyone in a foreign country!

She also was able to snag us a private North Star ride, which was amazing (I wasn’t able to do it on the Quantum Transatlantic two years ago), and anything else we needed, we would just use the Loop app to contact her, and within minutes, she had taken care of whatever our request was – show reservations, spa treatments, changing our dining reservations, etc. The Loop app made everything so easy, especially for me who prefers to text vs. call.

On previous sailings, I would usually need to take care of all of these things myself by contacting the spa, restaurants, Concierge, Guest Services, excursion contacts, etc, but having Mia took all that pressure and stress off of me so that all I had to do was sit back and enjoy the cruise. No more running around or making calls.

In addition to her excellent service, her sweet and friendly personality was a treat. Nothing ruffled her feathers, and she was always calm, cool and collected. She had a knack for remembering details, like the reason why we booked this trip and connecting them throughout the cruise; the gifts and notes that she gave us were spot on – as if she was an old friend.

I'm not someone that likes to be waited on, and I loved that Mia was present when it made sense, but she gave us plenty of space so that we could enjoy the cruise too.

On a Regent cruise and some resorts, I had more traditional Butlers, and they kept looking to me to ask them to do something - it was stressful! Mia just knew what to do and when to leave us alone; she is way more than a Butler.

And, no, we didn't try the handmade cocktails, but if we had asked, I'm sure she would have been right there and that they would have been delicious.

Feel free to ask any questions!

Sounds like you were really pampered by Mia, thanks for the report.

Sounds amazing.

Wow after reading this makes me more excited for our cruises next year - can't wait to be pampered for 2 weeks :D

Pat

That sounds amazing. I am still trying to figure out what ships and cabin classifications qualify for this service. We have the Royal suite on the Enchantment in June but I doubt that since it's a smaller, older ship it will have this available.

jv_nyc, thanks for posting this. This exactly is exactly the level of service and type of personality that our family is looking for in a Genie, not to the point we feel pestered but if we need anything they will be there. Other Genies will be different but so will other guests.

I like the what you said, "the gifts and notes that she gave us were spot on – as if she was an old friend". To me, this means a lot. We are Sky Class cruisers a few times a year. Hopefully seeing our Genie will be the same as us seeing all the great stewards on Oasis Class deck 17 ships, the chance to catch up with an old friend. :)

Thank you for posting this, it sounds like they have gotten it correct in the first week, which is wonderful to hear!

How was the boarding process? Same 'ol, or do they meet you at the pier and have your luggage brought up? Wondering if its the same song and dance with the porters or if they meet you prior to that.

Great to have had that last drink on the last night with you both, good luck with your future plans, hope to speak soon xx

Thank you for posting this, it sounds like they have gotten it correct in the first week, which is wonderful to hear!

 

 

 

How was the boarding process? Same 'ol, or do they meet you at the pier and have your luggage brought up? Wondering if its the same song and dance with the porters or if they meet you prior to that.

Nicole - they meet you at the pier and your luggage gets special treatment. We were onboard in less than 10 minutes and luggage was there soon after.

It wasn't clear to us to not give our luggage to the porters before we entered the terminal, but Mia tracked it down for us to get it to our suite asap!

This was in Southampton, and I'm assuming other terminals will be different.

Disembarking was even easier. The porter met us at our suite door, took our bags, and we saw him again after we disembarked with Mia. Didn't even have to look for our bags in the sea of luggage!! Seriously, zero stress.

Great to have had that last drink on the last night with you both, good luck with your future plans, hope to speak soon xx

Yes, definitely! So great to meet you guys too!

jv_nyc, thanks for posting this. This exactly is exactly the level of service and type of personality that our family is looking for in a Genie, not to the point we feel pestered but if we need anything they will be there. Other Genies will be different but so will other guests.

 

 

 

I like the what you said, "the gifts and notes that she gave us were spot on – as if she was an old friend". To me, this means a lot. We are Sky Class cruisers a few times a year. Hopefully seeing our Genie will be the same as us seeing all the great stewards on Oasis Class deck 17 ships, the chance to catch up with an old friend. :)

Thanks! Yes, this was huge for us too. I appreciate great service, but can't stand it when it's obtrusive and all about it. Loop is the best thing! Whenever something crosses your mind or you see an activity in the Compass, just text, and viola!

That sounds amazing. I am still trying to figure out what ships and cabin classifications qualify for this service. We have the Royal suite on the Enchantment in June but I doubt that since it's a smaller, older ship it will have this available.

Thanks! Unfortunately, it's only offered on some of the Quantum class sailings and the Oasis class ships. I always forget which, so if curious, please check Royal's site.

Enjoy the Royal Suite!

I'm about to board the flight back to Chicago from Heathrow, but I will respond to any other questions when I'm home.

So I was wondering how does it work ordering a drink to your suite. Given the beverage packages don't include room service do they charge you for the drinks or is basically your Genie can get you what ever you want and that is included in your Ultimate drink package? I understand that all specialty restaurants are included with star class. So, can you order specialty restaurant food to your room with that or still just MDR food to the suite? The current info seems a bit unclear on these two things.

Thanks for an clarification you can provide.

jv_nyc, what a great review. We (along with everyone else !) have been waiting to get some idea of the genie process. Sounds amazing !!

I had read somewhere else that the genie actually reserved specific seats for shows and then personally escorts you to those seats. Was that your experience ? If so, was this in the gold card reserved area or some other part of the theater ?

just wondering , how many cabins does a genie look after per cruise? I would assume more than one. If so, if there are services requested by more than one cabin at the same time? which came gets served first? If the genie is occupied with some one else is there much of a wait until she could look after the second request?

Thanks for the feedback! It sounds awesome.

I'm about to board the flight back to Chicago from Heathrow, but I will respond to any other questions when I'm home.

Safe travels home.:)

Andrew

Thanks for the detailed report - very nice to see you had such a fantastic time!

Could you tell me if Mia had any "helpers"? I seem to recall reading that they might have assistants.

THANKS,

Tom

I'm about to board the flight back to Chicago from Heathrow, but I will respond to any other questions when I'm home.

Safe travels and thanks again for the interesting report.

Each Genie was looking after 3 Suites

just wondering , how many cabins does a genie look after per cruise? I would assume more than one. If so, if there are services requested by more than one cabin at the same time? which came gets served first? If the genie is occupied with some one else is there much of a wait until she could look after the second request?

Hope you had a good flight home. Thanks for sharing your experiences. The fact that the genie confirmed the details of your private excursions is amazing! Can't wait to book!

Totally agree with jv_nyc's review of the "Genie's" they were just like excellent P.A's. Despite living a professional life where everything is organised to the minute, as soon as my wife and children become part of the formula, everything tends to dissolve into temporal chaos. Our Genie was brilliant at ensuring everything was ready and waiting whenever we were running late.

I have spent the last two weeks sitting cross legged on a rug at home rubbing an oil lamp (not a euphemism) but sadly nothing has happened!

Great info on your cruise experience. I am guessing that this will be your preferred way to travel RC from now on?

Thanks!

Thank you for taking the time to provide this feedback. We are very excited to do this one day.