Star Class and Royal Genie tipping

[A&L_Ont]

For two couples, would the RLS work better than a 2 bedroom aqua suite?

 

Andrew... Andrew... ? :D

 

Tom

 

I'd say it depends on how well you know the other couple. If you have travelled together the ATS is a bit tighter, with smaller washrooms. If you are splitting the RLS equally in price one couple is going to get the more superior loft and washroom area. The "smaller" bedroom and washroom is nothing to complain about though. It would be a dilemma, but not a bad one.

Edited May 12, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[John&LaLa]

I'd say it depends on how well you know the other couple. If you have travelled together the ATS is a bit tighter, with smaller washrooms. If you are splitting the RLS equally in price one couple is going to get the more superior loft and washroom area. The "smaller" bedroom and washroom is nothing to complain about though. It would be a dilemma, but not a bad one.

 

Isn't the loft open to below?

[A&L_Ont]

Isn't the loft open to below?

 

Yes, that's why I said its best if you know the other couple.:) There is a thin curtain and I can't remember if there was a thicker one over and above. The normal CLS and SLS only have the thin curtain. The people in the bedroom below actually have door to a separate bedroom.

 

I think if you were to share a cabin with either couple you'd want to be familiar with who they are and what they are about. Another words no one from Craigslist.:D

 

Personally I'd share with family and that is about it, for either the RLS or ATS.

Edited May 12, 2016 by A&L_Ont

[cruisegirl1]

Andrew... Andrew... ? :D

 

Tom

 

Overboard? If so, that is way back.:eek: but a cute movie.

If not, I am clueless. (and I guess also way back)

M

[John&LaLa]

Overboard? If so, that is way back.:eek: but a cute movie.

If not, I am clueless. (and I guess also way back)

M

 

Andrew is A&L Ontario. Our resident expert on loft suites and flowrider. :D

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Overboard? If so, that is way back.:eek: but a cute movie.

If not, I am clueless. (and I guess also way back)

M

 

It was more of a "Bueller... Bueller..." call out. Not entirely correct/applicable, but I'm exercising message board license! :D

 

Tom

[cruisegirl1]

Andrew is A&L Ontario. Our resident expert on loft suites and flowrider. :D

 

It was more of a "Bueller... Bueller..." call out. Not entirely correct/applicable, but I'm exercising message board license! :D

 

Tom

 

Thanks John and Tom.

 

I get it now.

 

 

I was too creative this morning. Andrew... Andrew from Overboard would have been really obscure. Bueller... Bueller not so much.

 

 

 

Marci

Edited May 12, 2016 by cruisegirl1

[A&L_Ont]

Thanks John and Tom.

 

I get it now.

 

 

I was too creative this morning. Andrew... Andrew from Overboard would have been really obscure. Bueller... Bueller not so much.

 

 

 

Marci

 

 

You might be better than you think, my last name kind of rhymes with Bueller. :)

[myraid]

We (three) got off the Allure Aqua suite 9330. Our Genie Susan was terrific and we tipped 350.00. We gave 100. the first day 100. after a big meal served in our suite for six and 150.00 the last day. We sailed May 1st to the 8th. Penny

 

 

We will be in this exact room on December 4th. Will be my wife and I and two kids (7 and 11). Just so I am clear, you gave separate amounts throughout the week? So $100 to start and so on.....Did you like the room?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Bdchili]

So...now that we have had another couple of weeks since the last post on this topic. Does anyone else have first hand perspective on what seems to be the norm on Gratuity for the Genie?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

So...now that we have had another couple of weeks since the last post on this topic. Does anyone else have first hand perspective on what seems to be the norm on Gratuity for the Genie?

 

I think that question could only be answered by a Genie! Unless we can get a good sample size (no idea how many that would require) of Star guests offering up what they tipped (not likely), then we're working in the dark here. Tip what seems appropriate for the requests you've made of him/her and how they've helped make your vacation more relaxing or enjoyable.

 

Tom

[jdemontrichard]

We are a family of 4 sailing on Harmony of the Seas in a few weeks. I would think that a tip of 50 Dollars a day for the room would be in order, thereby making it $350 for the week. Should the service exceed our expectations then $400 would be paid as the gratuity.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[marci22]

As I was told by rc when I inquired through Facebook, Coastal kitchen staff are paid through your Mdr tips. That is why they ask your room number.

 

Good to know.

[babydoc71]

Have just experienced Star class for the first time. Very first day of the cruise it was AMAZING...there is a specific texting app the genie gives you a week before sailing in order to contact her. I texted her 15 min before arrival to the pier and she was waiting on us with a specific porter. She seamlessly got us onboard the ship in 15 min bypassing all lines and we were in our room by 11 am with luggage arriving shortly thereafter. We had a variety of appetizers waiting in our room including Izumi sushi and chilled champagne. I was blown away.

 

However, I am not convinced the service is worth the additional expense as the cruise wore on. Our genie would do whatever we asked of her, however my understanding of this service is that they anticipate your needs. This didn't happen and in fact on a 9 night cruise we wouldn't even hear from our genie on a daily basis. We filled out a very esoteric survey prior to the cruise (asked questions like if deserted on an island what would you bring with you). I hope as the program gets more developed, the survey is more useful and the genie knows your needs without having to ask. I prefer not to ask for things and will just do them myself so as not to feel bad

 

What have people asked their genies to do for them? I still have a few more days left of the cruise and would love to benefit from this service as we will never be able to afford this type of room again. thanks.

[BlueCollarCruiser]

^^ What needs can the genie meet that your cabin steward could not?

 

I've asked stewards for glasses, towels, pens, and other random junk and they always pulled through and never had to wait around.

 

I mean, even if they act as a concierge and make reservations for you that's only a telephone call. Hardly worth the price. Unless they literally go to the theater and hold front row seats to the quest for me I don't see what value they would possibly add.

[silvermcs]

We received our survey for the July 9th cruise on Anthem. Will fill it out this week.

[Cel_cruise]

Some ideas...I am not sure all of these are allowed but I think they are?

 

Ask your Genie to have a sweet and /or Savory snack in your room each day at 3pm or 30 minutes before sail away.

 

Ask them to have your laundry cleaned or your dress pressed.

 

Ask them to bring you a late night snack (can they also bring a night cap??)

 

Ask them to secure you a seat at a show

 

Ask for a tour or request a question be answered by the captain at the captains corner

 

Ask them to adjust your dining reservations or table seating area if you are not in coastal kitchen?

 

Hopefully this spawns some ideas for you! Enjoy!!

[MattInFLL]

Maybe we lucked out, but our genie made the experience very personal. And he absolutely read our questionnaire answers and used them. They do far more than your cabin steward can do. But they don't want to be in your face. You do need to interact.

 

And sorry. But the embarkation and personal debarkation. Along with the ability to never care about all the pre planning usually required on oasis and quantum class? Worth the price of admission.

 

You can read about our Genie experience here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2361632

[ronsex]

Why be shy about having a genie? He/she is there to ensure you have the best time possible. Obviously they are not mind readers and you have to engage them to take care of your needs.

 

We met with our genie a couple hours after he escorted us through the boarding process - which by the way was flawless and gave us a window of what to expect. During our first meeting we discussed what we planned for the week and what we would like to do additional to our original plans.

 

We also chatted about hosting a cocktail party for a group of friends in our suite and what we would like to have happen during that party.

 

Every desire and expectation was met on time and without further discussion. Each day we would catchup with anything new that was important to us.

 

Hard to get reservations were handled with a "can do" attitude and in a few cases we were met at the entrance to the event by our genie who walked us to our front row seat and then served us our drinks of choice.

 

The true test was the cocktail party which was perfectly executed with a complete bar setup in our suite, a private bartender, snacks, and canapés... as well as a beautiful customized cake for the occasion. He orchestrated all of this while we got ready and we were ready for our guests to arrive. Immediately after our party we left for dinner and returned to our suite which had no evidence of the event.

 

Getting off the ship was the single most satisfying part of the entire cruise. Thirty minutes prior to leaving he arranged for our luggage to be collected. He met us in our suite, walked us past all the massive lines to a waiting customs/immigration agent where our luggage was waiting. We went from suite to waiting car within 10 minutes. Truly amazing and worth every penny... in my opinion.

 

The genie is there to work for you and with a maximum of four suites each expects to pull your plans together and make your trip memorable.

 

Tipping is always the tough part... and the genie is not part of the "included gratuities" so depending on what you asked of him I would suggest anywhere from $350 to $700 for a seven day cruise.

[A&L_Ont]

Why be shy about having a genie? He/she is there to ensure you have the best time possible. Obviously they are not mind readers and you have to engage them to take care of your needs.

 

We met with our genie a couple hours after he escorted us through the boarding process - which by the way was flawless and gave us a window of what to expect. During our first meeting we discussed what we planned for the week and what we would like to do additional to our original plans.

 

We also chatted about hosting a cocktail party for a group of friends in our suite and what we would like to have happen during that party.

 

Every desire and expectation was met on time and without further discussion. Each day we would catchup with anything new that was important to us.

 

Hard to get reservations were handled with a "can do" attitude and in a few cases we were met at the entrance to the event by our genie who walked us to our front row seat and then served us our drinks of choice.

 

The true test was the cocktail party which was perfectly executed with a complete bar setup in our suite, a private bartender, snacks, and canapés... as well as a beautiful customized cake for the occasion. He orchestrated all of this while we got ready and we were ready for our guests to arrive. Immediately after our party we left for dinner and returned to our suite which had no evidence of the event.

 

Getting off the ship was the single most satisfying part of the entire cruise. Thirty minutes prior to leaving he arranged for our luggage to be collected. He met us in our suite, walked us past all the massive lines to a waiting customs/immigration agent where our luggage was waiting. We went from suite to waiting car within 10 minutes. Truly amazing and worth every penny... in my opinion.

 

The genie is there to work for you and with a maximum of four suites each expects to pull your plans together and make your trip memorable.

 

Tipping is always the tough part... and the genie is not part of the "included gratuities" so depending on what you asked of him I would suggest anywhere from $350 to $700 for a seven day cruise.

 

Having following your cruise through the review of Matt I knew you had a great time. My question to you is for the $350-$700 is that based upon 2 people in the cabin? I know it is dependant on how much you use the genie, but it would help in establishing my baseline.

 

Thanks,

Andrew

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

...

Tipping is always the tough part... and the genie is not part of the "included gratuities" so depending on what you asked of him I would suggest anywhere from $350 to $700 for a seven day cruise.

 

I gave ours $200 (for the week, for the two of us) and that I was all I felt was necessary, or that he "earned".

 

Prior to the sailing I sent him a couple specific requests, a listing of our (self-made) dining reservations, as well as some questions. VERY little was done with that. For example, I asked him what type of (English Breakfast) black tea they have. I added, "is it something like Twinings or Tea Forte?". After a follow up to this simple question, he said "no, it's our own brand of tea". I thought, OK, we'll I just go with that and not bring my own (not a biggie). Upon getting to our cabin, I saw that the brand was TAZO. It's another one which I get occasionally. It was what was provided on the Equinox in March, and I enjoyed it. Not sure why he could not tell me ahead of time what brand it was, and it certainly was not "their own" brand. No matter...

 

Nuts... I had also asked ahead of time for some raw nuts to be in the cabin for general snack purposes, something which I like (I mentioned almonds, walnuts, pecans, and/or macadamias). He did not really address that in his (pre-cruise) reply. Upon boarding, no nuts. I did remind him, and he said he would see to it. Second day, no nuts... reminded again. Third day NO NUTS, they then showed up that afternoon - several mixed together, including some I don't care for. So much for trying to give him details ahead of time so that "all our needs" could be met.

 

How about Buffalo Wings? That was part of my pre-cruise email to him as well. I asked if wings could be brought to our suite one afternoon on the cruise. We enjoyed some excellent wings in the Penthouse on the Equinox earlier in the year (only had to ask ONCE). Upon boarding I touched base on the wing request and gave him some specific parameters, not wanting to leave it up to chance (we know where that usually gets you!): Breaded, fried, with NO sauce, and carrots & celery w/blue cheese for dipping. I mentioned that we brought our own sauce and would just need some melted butter to mix our sauce into for the wings. Again, "no problem, just let me know what day you'd like them". I recall that we indicated that the third day would work nicely, and gave him a time. Well, I will say, the timing was right on. But, they were already sauced in some sweet goo... no butter... no blue cheese.

 

We tried again a second day... these came sauced again, this time with carrots and celery, and blue cheese. BOTH times, the wings were similar to what they'd have in the suite lounge - and seemed as if they'd been sitting around for hours.

 

I decided to give it a THIRD attempt to get this right (not like I was asking that they helicopter in fresh caviar or something)! I asked they they be fresh, fried, unsauced, with melted butter. We agreed on the last sea day at 2 pm. They never showed... I did not bother to call and ask "where are they"... I was over it, concluding that nobody really cared to tend to the "little things". About an hour later he did drop by to ask how the wings were. I said "what wings"? He seemed shocked, and we later found that they had been delivered to the wrong cabin.

 

I decided to finally be blunt with him, skipping the smiles and pleasantries - saying that if I were him, especially after the two previous mis-fires, that I would have made EXTRA sure that they didn't screw up the third time (pretty much my exact words and emphasis).

 

Don't get me wrong, he's a friendly and nice fellow - but either over worked, not well supported (wrong suite got the wings), still getting a feel for this... I don't know. Let's hope things sharpen up!!

 

Count me as ... not impressed... yes, other than the easy debark and such, but that is NOT worth thousands of dollars. :rolleyes:

 

Tom

[John&LaLa]

Appreciate the background on your voyage.

 

FWIW, the Star Class is a lot more than just the Genie, correct. Fabulous cabin, comp dining, comp internet, comp drinks, etc..

 

That is where a lot of the $$$$ goes towards, not to mention the std suite perks. It is a shame that the Genie could not have met your expectations. Maybe we can chalk it up to being a beta tester, so to speak.

 

Forgot to ask, was Chef's Table a comp dining experience, and if so, could you do it more than once?

Edited June 22, 2016 by John&LaLa

[BlueCollarCruiser]

I am not usually "that guy" who says things aren't really complimentary on the ship, they are part of the price you pay but if I pay $1,300 for being on the same ship for a week and you get a drink package, dinners at chops, and internet access but you paid $13,000 ... It ain't complimentary. That's all I'm saying.

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

Appreciate the background on your voyage.

 

FWIW, the Star Class is a lot more than just the Genie, correct. Fabulous cabin, comp dining, comp internet, comp drinks, etc..

 

That is where a lot of the $$$$ goes towards, not to mention the std suite perks. It is a shame that the Genie could not have met your expectations. Maybe we can chalk it up to being a beta tester, so to speak.

 

Forgot to ask, was Chef's Table a comp dining experience, and if so, could you do it more than once?

 

Yes, the Chef's Table was included. I had it booked prior to the sailing, but (afternoon prior) went ahead and cancelled. Knowing that the meal was something like 3 hours in length, and it did not start until 8, we decided that sitting around eating until 11 did not appeal to us. I probably should have put two and two together beforehand, but once we were fully in "cruise mode" it became more about relaxation than doing "this and this, and that..."

 

Tom

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I am not usually "that guy" who says things aren't really complimentary on the ship, they are part of the price you pay but if I pay $1,300 for being on the same ship for a week and you get a drink package, dinners at chops, and internet access but you paid $13,000 ... It ain't complimentary. That's all I'm saying.

 

Just like "comps" one receives at the casino. I don't play (chase) comps anymore. Besides, what are they going to do above/beyond for me that Star class did not already offer... comp me a meal at Chop's or give me a free drink? I suppose they could have offered spa services, since I did "drop" more in there than I paid for the cruise to begin with! :eek:

 

Tom