Penthouse dining

[Cliff-FLL]

Great discussion on how many could easily dine in different suites but the OP questioned whether or not the butler would beat them back into steerage when they arrived. We've dined en suite on a few occasions with no problems. When we discussed it with our butler, he specifically asked if we would like to invite others, whether we preferred to dine indoors or out, and volunteered to hand-deliver invitations to our guests' suites. Ergo, I wouldn't worry about being considered an interloper. Heck, even the Titanic let Jack Dawson into the DR for one night...

[StanandJim]

Great discussion on how many could easily dine in different suites but the OP questioned whether or not the butler would beat them back into steerage when they arrived. We've dined en suite on a few occasions with no problems. When we discussed it with our butler, he specifically asked if we would like to invite others, whether we preferred to dine indoors or out, and volunteered to hand-deliver invitations to our guests' suites. Ergo, I wouldn't worry about being considered an interloper. Heck, even the Titanic let Jack Dawson into the DR for one night...

 

If we are talking Penthouses, I was with you right up until the "indoors or out" comment, because it is physically impossible for a grouping of four adults to eat a meal on the Terrace of an R ship Penthouse Veranda.

Marina and Riviera each have 124 Penthouse Suites, out of which 34 (all located on Deck 7) have extended verandas which would make an outside table for four possible.

The other 90 Penthouse Verandas are simply too tight:

[Queen of DaNile]

Cliff-FLL - Thanks for getting the gist of my question. As I said, my sister is traveling solo and it would be to keep her company if she felt she did not want to join us in a dining room for dinner. Essentially just one extra person for the butler to deal with.

[PaulMCO]

Your Butler would still have to bring in another chair and likely one of the wood table tops. With the redesign of the furnishings in the R class PH they have two chairs and a small glass table. This was barely enough space for two. In past they had the wooden top in the room and apparently it was done away with with the new table.

Edited August 5, 2014 by PaulMCO

[Cliff-FLL]

If we are talking Penthouses, I was with you right up until the "indoors or out" comment, because it is physically impossible for a grouping of four adults to eat a meal on the Terrace of an R ship Penthouse Veranda.

 

You're right - I wasn't talking about the size of a PH when I responded but, as I mentioned, that wasn't the OP's question. I just wanted to exemplify how accommodating the butlers can be when dealing with folks coming in for an en suite dinner.

 

P.S. Do you all work in shifts to monitor Cruise Critic, bring in extra help, or simply contract it out? I could NEVER keep up the way you two do!

[ohmark]

Marina and Riviera each have 124 Penthouse Suites, out of which 34 (all located on Deck 7) have extended verandas which would make an outside table for four possible.

34 penthouse suites with extended verandas or 4 (on each)?

Edited August 6, 2014 by ohmark

[basor]

I think that I can (somewhat) solve this mystery.

Not all R ship Penthouses are created equal.

 

We've only booked a Penthouse on the R ships twice, but thanks to the largess of Cruise Critic Buddies, we have been entertained in a good number of them.

While those nearest the forward Elevator bank are large rectangular rooms (so much so that our first act on the ship was always to ask for a standard height dining table in addition to the coffee table) ,

the ones further aft are more irregularly shaped, and often seem quite snug.

 

Could you give us the specific penthouse cabin numbers that are larger on the "R" ships - we will be sailing as a triple on a future cruise and it would be nice to be able to grab one of these to have more space...

 

Thanks

[StanandJim]

Could you give us the specific penthouse cabin numbers that are larger on the "R" ships - we will be sailing as a triple on a future cruise and it would be nice to be able to grab one of these to have more space...

 

All of the Penthouses which are able to accommodate a third or fourth person have the large rectangular configuration, and would be fine.

To be clear, I'm not saying that the Suites further Aft are smaller in square footage, just that I prefer the rectangular layout of the more forward cabins because they "feel" more spacious.

 

I've always wondered why everything forward of midships on Deck 8 isn't categorized as a PH1.

[Winters Gate]

When reading Oceanias Penthouse Perks it says a + (Certain limitations applay) behind:

* Course-by-course in-suite dining

* Order in from any of our specialty restaurants

Does anyone know what the limitations are?

[hondorner]

When reading Oceanias Penthouse Perks it says a + (Certain limitations applay) behind:

* Course-by-course in-suite dining

* Order in from any of our specialty restaurants

Does anyone know what the limitations are?

In the good old days, one could order a mixed meal in combination from any of the restaurants, including specialties -- appetizer from Toscana, Entree from Polo, Dessert from the GDR, and a different combination for one's partner!

 

With the advent of Marina and Riviera, with 4 specialty restaurants on Deck 5 and 14, and the GDR in between, it became physically impossible for a butler to run all over the ship putting together the combinations. So, they limited the choice to just one restaurant. The food is still great and the service is even better.

[farthinghill]

In the good old days, one could order a mixed meal in combination from any of the restaurants, including specialties -- appetizer from Toscana, Entree from Polo, Dessert from the GDR, and a different combination for one's partner!

 

With the advent of Marina and Riviera, with 4 speciality restaurants on Deck 5 and 14, and the GDR in between, it became physically impossible for a butler to run all over the ship putting together the combinations. So, they limited the choice to just one restaurant. The food is still great and the service is even better.

 

Being a people watcher I have never considered in suite dining until our first Riviera cruise. I loved Red Ginger but my husband did not. I thought the solution would be pick and mix from the speciality restaurants. Our butler soon disabused me of this foolish notion although he did leave delicious desserts from Red Ginger in our cabin on subsequent nights.

[Jay23]

On Riviera there are only eight penthouse suites on deck 7. We had 7124..... A balcony stateroom, definitely not Penthouse, but did have the extended balcony. We suggested there would be room for a sun lounger on this "steerage" balcony, and rather delightfully, Customer Services put one there for us. We thought this was a nice touch. :D (They removed the lounger at the end of the cruise)

Nothing to do with dining in suite of course, but worth mentioning.

[LHT28]

On Riviera there are only eight penthouse suites on deck 7. We had 7124..... A balcony stateroom, definitely not Penthouse, but did have the extended balcony.

 

There are only 4 PH suites on deck 7 where do you see the others??

[Jay23]

There are only 4 PH suites on deck 7 where do you see the others??

 

Yes of course you are right.. I saw four on the deck plan, and erroneously thought it was four each side of the ship, not two. Apologies.:confused:

[Winters Gate]

In the good old days, one could order a mixed meal in combination from any of the restaurants, including specialties -- appetizer from Toscana, Entree from Polo, Dessert from the GDR, and a different combination for one's partner!

 

With the advent of Marina and Riviera, with 4 specialty restaurants on Deck 5 and 14, and the GDR in between, it became physically impossible for a butler to run all over the ship putting together the combinations. So, they limited the choice to just one restaurant. The food is still great and the service is even better.

 

So the limitation are that you can't order from different restaurants at the same meal, not a limitation of the amount of times per cruise!

[Mura]

Absolutely right. You can order in every night if you wish. We did so several times on our last cruise -- mostly after long tour days, or packing night.

Mura