Suite can't be worth $1k more pp for 14 days

[Muushka]

We did 2 cruises on Freedom of the Seas. The first one we did in a junior suite. Loved the extra space and larger balcony.

The last one was just a D2 balcony. Ugh.

 

For our upcoming cruise it was well worth the extra $$ for those extra 100 SF plus the suite perks.

Heck, the cappuccinos alone are priceless!

[Gonzo70]

So will guests in Sky Suites go to that special waiting area, get special passes, etc... Like the stuff you got on your last cruise? Or is that kinda stuff only for PH guest?

 

Dont think we will ever be able to afford PH (at least for the sailings I am interested in) but could maybe swing a Sky Suite.

 

Sky Suites generally just receive the perks listed on Celebrity's website. While the extra space a Sky Suite affords over a regular stateroom is nice, there is definitely not much in the way of extras.

[librarylady19]

Our butler got us an invite to the Bridge Tour (this was before they started charging for this) and we received a complimentary dinner in Normandie the first night (actually, it was $5 each in gratuities) when we stayed in a Sky Suite on Summit. No Elite coupons or benefits, but we werent expecting them

[johnb0529]

As several people have mentioned, this is a personal decision based on person expectations and budgets...No different than determining if the VW or Audi is better for you...

 

We traditionally had always done a balcony, once we did a MiniSuite on Princess. But this past November we were on the Equinox traveling with another couple (their first cruise). They wanted to get the Penthouse, we had never really considered spending that much on a cabin, as like many people "we don't spend that much time in the cabin". But after a few price drops, we decided to move up to the Royal that was next to their Penthouse. This was a $4000/pp charge over the CC Cabin we started with.

 

We loved it and felt it was worth the extra dollar, for our vacation expectations (note: YMMV)

 

- the service was outstanding, across the entire ship! And based on stories i have read, i think that having a Royal and Penthouse with linked reservations, they went above and beyond to make us welcome.

- We received full Elite Benefits

- We received 2 bottles of Booze in our Cabins (but we had the Premium Pkg anyway)

- We enjoyed Breakfast in our Suite, delivered by the Butler every morning (never had to step foot in a buffet even once:D)

- Because of the extra space, we didn't run to escape the Cabin, but rather spent lots of our non-port time on our own large balcony reading. We didn't feel we needed to leave, like we do in a regular cabin.

- The closets were so big, we never had "things" laying about the cabin w/o a place to stay

- We were able to switch between Select and Blu any night we asked, based on that days menu.

- the large bathroom w/2 sinks was a huge plus when getting ready on Port Days or for Formal Nights

- It was my birthday during the cruise...not only did we get a cake in the MDR, but when we returned to the Suite, the Asst. Head of Housekeeping had brought up a really nice Chocolate Cake which had to be something the pastry chef whipped up, because it was much higher quality than the MDR cake. And there was a bottle of Champagne to enjoy with the cake!

- the Butler brought us Appetizers almost every night to enjoy in one of the Suites, before we left for dinner. And not the typical Canapés the bring around in the afternoon, but nice selections of Cheeses, Shrimp, Chilled Vegetables, Meats, etc.

- Butler took care of all restaurant changes, shined shoes, mended button on a tux jacket and more...

 

Does all that add up to $4000/pp on the calculator? No, but when we got off the ship, the overall experience was so much better, to how we like to be treated on vacation, we never second guessed the amount for a minute.

 

And our friends who were nervous about the whole Cruise Experience before we went had such a great time, that within a month of returning home, we were booking our next Cruise with them. And this time, we didn't hesitate to book the Royal again....

[Caribbeankitty]

I see you have been on cruise critic a long time, but I believe your facts are not correct I'am elite with celebrity with over 33 sailings I have sailed the fleet ........now I'am not new to cruising but new to cruise critic

I have sailed in ph rs cs and sky suites. And there were others in those suites with only one sailing. All the ships I sailed all suites had many perks some were elite perks. I know this because our friends who are not elite booked a sky suite and had all benefits of elite.

I hoe this answers the suite perks ........if cruise is over 10 days you get two free specialty dining nights

I hope this helps

 

 

 

 

Sky Suites generally just receive the perks listed on Celebrity's website. While the extra space a Sky Suite affords over a regular stateroom is nice, there is definitely not much in the way of extras.

[librarylady19]

I see you have been on cruise critic a long time, but I believe your facts are not correct I'am elite with celebrity with over 33 sailings I have sailed the fleet ........now I'am not new to cruising but new to cruise critic

I have sailed in ph rs cs and sky suites. And there were others in those suites with only one sailing. All the ships I sailed all suites had many perks some were elite perks. I know this because our friends who are not elite booked a sky suite and had all benefits of elite.

I hoe this answers the suite perks ........if cruise is over 10 days you get two free specialty dining nights

I hope this helps

I stand by Gonzo's statement, and my experience was the same sailing in a sky suite (as I mentioned). There are no advertised free specialty dinners for suite guests on M class and Century, just S class. Many (myself included) have received a compliementary dinner the first night.

Just because your friends happened to luck out and get elite perks doesn't make this the rule, its the exception

[SFfranks]

As several people have mentioned, this is a personal decision based on person expectations and budgets...No different than determining if the VW or Audi is better for you...

 

We traditionally had always done a balcony, once we did a MiniSuite on Princess. But this past November we were on the Equinox traveling with another couple (their first cruise). They wanted to get the Penthouse, we had never really considered spending that much on a cabin, as like many people "we don't spend that much time in the cabin". But after a few price drops, we decided to move up to the Royal that was next to their Penthouse. This was a $4000/pp charge over the CC Cabin we started with.

 

We loved it and felt it was worth the extra dollar, for our vacation expectations (note: YMMV)

 

- the service was outstanding, across the entire ship! And based on stories i have read, i think that having a Royal and Penthouse with linked reservations, they went above and beyond to make us welcome.

- We received full Elite Benefits

- We received 2 bottles of Booze in our Cabins (but we had the Premium Pkg anyway)

- We enjoyed Breakfast in our Suite, delivered by the Butler every morning (never had to step foot in a buffet even once:D)

- Because of the extra space, we didn't run to escape the Cabin, but rather spent lots of our non-port time on our own large balcony reading. We didn't feel we needed to leave, like we do in a regular cabin.

- The closets were so big, we never had "things" laying about the cabin w/o a place to stay

- We were able to switch between Select and Blu any night we asked, based on that days menu.

- the large bathroom w/2 sinks was a huge plus when getting ready on Port Days or for Formal Nights

- It was my birthday during the cruise...not only did we get a cake in the MDR, but when we returned to the Suite, the Asst. Head of Housekeeping had brought up a really nice Chocolate Cake which had to be something the pastry chef whipped up, because it was much higher quality than the MDR cake. And there was a bottle of Champagne to enjoy with the cake!

- the Butler brought us Appetizers almost every night to enjoy in one of the Suites, before we left for dinner. And not the typical Canapés the bring around in the afternoon, but nice selections of Cheeses, Shrimp, Chilled Vegetables, Meats, etc.

- Butler took care of all restaurant changes, shined shoes, mended button on a tux jacket and more...

 

Does all that add up to $4000/pp on the calculator? No, but when we got off the ship, the overall experience was so much better, to how we like to be treated on vacation, we never second guessed the amount for a minute.

 

And our friends who were nervous about the whole Cruise Experience before we went had such a great time, that within a month of returning home, we were booking our next Cruise with them. And this time, we didn't hesitate to book the Royal again....

 

Johnb0529,

 

So glad you posted this information! Since you were in the RS did you find and you have the 2 bottles of alchohol plus the invites to the cocktail parties etc., did you find the premium alcholol package worth the price?

Thanks!

[Muushka]

Just off of Silhouette, sky suite, just shy of Elite when boarding, did NOT recieve Elite benefits. Had a great cruise anyway!

Loved our butler. He more than made up for the lack of Elite!

[docsdrillers]

Hi

We are sailing in April on our first X cruise in a Royal Suite.For those that commented that RS suites may get Elite perks,was that as a cabin or per person in the suite.

 

For example Elite perks gets you one free bag of laundry,so if there are three of us sailing would it be one bag or 3 free bags.

Likewise would you get 90 minutes of free internet or 270.

 

Thanks,

Amit

 

 

 

As several people have mentioned, this is a personal decision based on person expectations and budgets...No different than determining if the VW or Audi is better for you...

 

We traditionally had always done a balcony, once we did a MiniSuite on Princess. But this past November we were on the Equinox traveling with another couple (their first cruise). They wanted to get the Penthouse, we had never really considered spending that much on a cabin, as like many people "we don't spend that much time in the cabin". But after a few price drops, we decided to move up to the Royal that was next to their Penthouse. This was a $4000/pp charge over the CC Cabin we started with.

 

We loved it and felt it was worth the extra dollar, for our vacation expectations (note: YMMV)

 

- the service was outstanding, across the entire ship! And based on stories i have read, i think that having a Royal and Penthouse with linked reservations, they went above and beyond to make us welcome.

- We received full Elite Benefits

- We received 2 bottles of Booze in our Cabins (but we had the Premium Pkg anyway)

- We enjoyed Breakfast in our Suite, delivered by the Butler every morning (never had to step foot in a buffet even once:D)

- Because of the extra space, we didn't run to escape the Cabin, but rather spent lots of our non-port time on our own large balcony reading. We didn't feel we needed to leave, like we do in a regular cabin.

- The closets were so big, we never had "things" laying about the cabin w/o a place to stay

- We were able to switch between Select and Blu any night we asked, based on that days menu.

- the large bathroom w/2 sinks was a huge plus when getting ready on Port Days or for Formal Nights

- It was my birthday during the cruise...not only did we get a cake in the MDR, but when we returned to the Suite, the Asst. Head of Housekeeping had brought up a really nice Chocolate Cake which had to be something the pastry chef whipped up, because it was much higher quality than the MDR cake. And there was a bottle of Champagne to enjoy with the cake!

- the Butler brought us Appetizers almost every night to enjoy in one of the Suites, before we left for dinner. And not the typical Canapés the bring around in the afternoon, but nice selections of Cheeses, Shrimp, Chilled Vegetables, Meats, etc.

- Butler took care of all restaurant changes, shined shoes, mended button on a tux jacket and more...

 

Does all that add up to $4000/pp on the calculator? No, but when we got off the ship, the overall experience was so much better, to how we like to be treated on vacation, we never second guessed the amount for a minute.

 

And our friends who were nervous about the whole Cruise Experience before we went had such a great time, that within a month of returning home, we were booking our next Cruise with them. And this time, we didn't hesitate to book the Royal again....

[dkjretired]

Please give some more detail on Elite perks you can expect in a Sky Suite.

 

I thought all suites got those benefits.

 

Thx

 

Nope, the Elite benefits are Captains Club benefits for very frequent cruisers, right or wrong they are not suite benefits and are not granted on all cruises to suite passengers. Biggest benefit is the two hour cocktail party where drinks are free however as I said, not guaranteed.

[caladezi]

Hi

We are sailing in April on our first X cruise in a Royal Suite.For those that commented that RS suites may get Elite perks,was that as a cabin or per person in the suite.

 

For example Elite perks gets you one free bag of laundry,so if there are three of us sailing would it be one bag or 3 free bags.

Likewise would you get 90 minutes of free internet or 270.

 

Thanks,

Amit

 

I'm just curious. If you can afford to stay in a Royal Suite, are you really concerned about getting a bag of laundry washed for free?

[dkjretired]

I stand by Gonzo's statement, and my experience was the same sailing in a sky suite (as I mentioned). There are no advertised free specialty dinners for suite guests on M class and Century, just S class. Many (myself included) have received a compliementary dinner the first night.

Just because your friends happened to luck out and get elite perks doesn't make this the rule, its the exception

 

Sandi is correct, here is the statement on the free specialty dinners, it only applies to S class ships. They do however give free dinners on the other ships at times but it is not guaranteed.

 

 

Complimentary Dining

 

As an added benefit, all Celebrity Solstice®, Celebrity EquinoxSM, Celebrity Eclipse® and Celebrity SilhouetteSM suite guests receive complimentary dining in their choice of Specialty Restaurants. Suite guests can choose from Murano, Tuscan Grille, Silk Harvest Restaurant and Qsine®:

•1 complimentary dining reservations per suite for cruises of seven nights.

•2 complimentary dining reservations per suite for cruises of eight nights or longer.

[docsdrillers]

We didn't book the RS suite but were upgraded due to an issue with our booking so any added perk is a bonus.

 

Humans are a strange bunch;despite spending thousands on suites we like the little benefits too:)

 

I'm just curious. If you can afford to stay in a Royal Suite, are you really concerned about getting a bag of laundry washed for free?

[excitedofharpenden]

DH just saw pix of our CC cabin on Eclipse for Nov and was disappointed. He thought it looked small. Our last few cruises have been Princess or RCCL and we have done mini suites. Celebrity doesn't have minis. We cld upgrade to a sky suite but I can't imagine they are worth an additional $1k per person!? Any thoughts??

The S2s are about a third bigger and having stayed in both categories it makes quite a difference. Notably there is a larger area to walk at the end of the bed and a nicer bathroom with a tub. Also the furniture inside is a lot more comfortable than an ordinary stateroom and there is a good sized table on the balcony to eat at. There is a LOT more storage in them too. It's just a nicer space to hang around in if that is what you want to do. For me the butler was a perk I could do without although the one I had on Eclipse was excellent and did enhance the experience.

 

The issue for me is that many of the S2s on the side of the ship are under the buffet and I and other friends who stayed in them suffered noise from above as the carts were wheeled around up there. More than likely if you book a better value Suite GTY you'll get one of these, but you could be lucky and get a corner S1 or one of the aft facing S2s.

 

Phil

[johnb0529]

Johnb0529,

 

So glad you posted this information! Since you were in the RS did you find and you have the 2 bottles of alchohol plus the invites to the cocktail parties etc., did you find the premium alcholol package worth the price?

Thanks!

 

Yes, we had 2 bottles and mixers in the room, and invites to the cocktail parties.

 

We did not attend the cocktail parties, perhaps because we had the package, but i don't like having a 'window' that i need to plan my evening around, just to get a couple $10 drinks. I have too much of that when not on vacation. Because we were traveling with another couple, we preferred to spend most pre-dinner nights in one of our suites, having wine/cocktails and h'orderves that we would order from our Butler. Then we would stop at one of the bars or the wine cellar for a pre-dinner beverage and then off to dinner.

 

For us the drink package was worth it because:

1 - hate signing slips for every drink

2 - never worried about having that extra drink, or real coffee and iced tea

3 - wine glasses stayed full at dinner without waiting or having to ask

4 - no receipts to try and audit at the end of the cruise!

5 - my schedule is my schedule and i am not trying to get the free drink during the Elite breakfast or cocktail hour...i can get is where/when i want

[johnb0529]

Hi

We are sailing in April on our first X cruise in a Royal Suite.For those that commented that RS suites may get Elite perks,was that as a cabin or per person in the suite.

 

For example Elite perks gets you one free bag of laundry,so if there are three of us sailing would it be one bag or 3 free bags.

Likewise would you get 90 minutes of free internet or 270.

 

Thanks,

Amit

 

In both the Royal and Penthouse there was an Elite Coupon book per passenger. So we all had the internet package, laundry deals, etc. There were also invites for the Elite events. These were all waiting on the coffee table when we got to our cabins, along with our champagne, coupons for Specialty Restaurants, etc. I cannot confirm that the 3rd would receive these benefits, but if paying the full supplement for the 3rd, i would assume it will be all 3 or none.

 

And so no one has to jump in and add it "remember that Elite Benefits for any Suite are at the discretion of the Hotel Manager and you should not assume you will get them"

[docsdrillers]

Thanks,that was very helpful.

 

QUOTE=johnb0529;32941839]In both the Royal and Penthouse there was an

 

Elite Coupon book per passenger. So we all had the internet package, laundry deals, etc. There were also invites for the Elite events. These were all waiting on the coffee table when we got to our cabins, along with our champagne, coupons for Specialty Restaurants, etc. I cannot confirm that the 3rd would receive these benefits, but if paying the full supplement for the 3rd, i would assume it will be all 3 or none.

 

And so no one has to jump in and add it "remember that Elite Benefits for any Suite are at the discretion of the Hotel Manager and you should not assume you will get them"

[DoCruise]

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.;)

[gelo7]

All the staterooms on the Eclipse and other S class ships are the same size except for the suites and FV family cabins. The only difference is cabin amenities and whether or not there is window or a veranda and the cabin location. So the CC cabins will be identical size and layout to any standard veranda cabin on the ship.

 

Whether the suite is worth it or not is a personal decision based on ones expectations and personal budget. I've met cruisers who wouldn't consider cruising in anything less than a suite and I've met others who feel that it is a waste of money to pay for anything other than the least expensive inside cabin. Most of us fall someplace in between these two extremes. That's why they have a selection of cabins available at different price points.

Well said....