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

[A Sixth?]

I think that the suites occupying a big section of the prime, upper-most, deck space that used to open to all, takes away from the "outward-facing " at-one-with the sea feel the company says the ships designed for.

Unless of course you're a suite customer

 

[A Sixth?]

Let them it cake.

 

There are distinctions everywhere. I assume those who have status in the Captain's Club and are opposed to "class distinctions" will forego their benefits in solidarity of non-members so we have a classless society.

 

Try to remember, the status system Celebrity offers takes nothing away from you.

 

A missing area of prime deck space on a cruise ship does.

[Merriem]

I just came off of a 3 day cruise on Norwegian Epic, a cruise we sailed specifically to try out the Haven. Having a separate area was wonderful. It's not like we consider non-suite people riffraff or anything (although 3 day cruises in the spring tend to attract booze cruisers). It was just so much more quiet and secluded. When we ventured into the regular common areas it seemed very claustrophobic and crowded. Of course the Epic carries over 4k passengers so it was crowded. Still, it was nice to have that area where only people who booked cabins in the Haven could go. Every once in a while there would be someone who would make a snarky comment in the elevator, but then they didn't pay half of what I paid to stay in that area. Given the huge prices for Edge suites so far, I don't sweat people who pay that much for getting their privacy and perks.

We were in the Haven on the Breakaway. Considering IMHO that there is a different crowd on NCL, the Haven was nice. However on Celebrity I don't see that. We would book a suite, but have no interest in the Caribbean , so we most likely will not choose the Edge. So being separate I don't think that is necessary.

[RDC1]

Celebrity had said the Edge ships would be slightly smaller than S-class, but in yesterday's presentation they now say Edge is 129,500 (vs. 121,878-125,366 for Solstice-Reflection). Edge has fewer passengers than Reflection. Space ratio goes from 41.2-42.7 (Reflection-Solstice) to 44.4 (Edge). So the minor areas devoted to suite guests (Luminae and Retreat) will still leave as much or more room for everyone else.

 

However those numbers are tonnage ratio's not space ratios. While there is certainly a relationship to really do the analysis one needs to have public square footage space (removing all crew space, and all cabin space) Then beak out the private space. While the overall tonnage now seems to be slightly higher, and number of passengers slightly lower, it is my understanding that the percentage of suites has increased and overall cabin sizes have increased. That could consume any extra space and more, without improving the public space.

[Host Jazzbeau]

One of the points in the live presentation was that they increased cabin sizes on Edge to an industry-leading figure -- since they specifically talked about how the Veranda cabins are larger, this means that most passengers [not just suite passengers] are getting more room. This discussion feels like many are assuming a "zero sum game." Until the ship actually debuts, neither the congenital optimists nor the congenital pessimists will convince each other!

[CruisersTimesThree]

Celebrity has to go with the flow and be as competitive as the other cruise lines and private suite areas seem to be very popular.

Suite guests get pampered, they pay for it, so giving them an area that is exclusive to them is the right move.

Being that we book suites, we couldn't be happier that the new Edge class will now have the Retreat for us to enjoy.

With some of the comments you would think that Celebrity gave more then half of the ship to suite passengers, but in reality it is a small area of the ship that is basically unused.

Do people begrudge those who fly first class?

Land-based resorts have separate parts of their complexes where the higher-end rooms are located with certain amenities for those who pay to stay there.

Why is it different for a cruise ship?

When people pay sometimes 3-4 times more for their vacation experience then another, I believe they are fully entitled to some "extras."

And when a company like Celebrity does it right (which I think they do very well) it keeps people coming back.

Suites sell very well with Celebrity because they have some of the best suite perks at sea.

I'm excited to try one of the new Edge villas, but that will have to wait till after our first S-class sailing in 2019!

[A Sixth?]

One of the points in the live presentation was that they increased cabin sizes on Edge to an industry-leading figure -- since they specifically talked about how the Veranda cabins are larger, this means that most passengers [not just suite passengers] are getting more room. This discussion feels like many are assuming a "zero sum game." Until the ship actually debuts, neither the congenital optimists nor the congenital pessimists will convince each other!

 

Bigger cabins are nice, but isn't the Outward looking theme lessened by reducing top-deck space to everyone?

 

I'll try her but since the OP asked....

[RDC1]

One of the points in the live presentation was that they increased cabin sizes on Edge to an industry-leading figure -- since they specifically talked about how the Veranda cabins are larger, this means that most passengers [not just suite passengers] are getting more room. This discussion feels like many are assuming a "zero sum game." Until the ship actually debuts, neither the congenital optimists nor the congenital pessimists will convince each other!

 

Cabin space is not public space. Even small increases in average cabin space, not even counting the higher ratio of suites consumes floor space very quickly. To a large degree taking public space and making it private space is a zero sum game since A+B=C and if you increase A you must decrease B to still equal C.

 

You can break the ship space down into a number of categories that will impact different passengers in different ways.

 

Ship operational space

Cabin space

Retail space

Additional cost dining space

Other additional cost space (cabanas, etc)

MDR and Anytime dining space

Public common area space

Private Suite common space, including Suite dining space.

 

Depending upon what is important to each person they will have different views of the space use. Those that like to shop on board like the retail space, those that use the additional fee dining may prefer more space for those areas.

[compman9]

Dislike it. What, is this the Titanic ?? Hate the segregation factor. Large turn off.

 

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No, it's nothing like the Titanic

 

They may segregate the rich from the poor but everyone dresses like they are in steerage now ;p

[gimletgal]

How do lines with the "suite only areas" handle visitors to the exclusive area?

 

In my experience - if allowed at all, there is a $$$ charge, per person, per day.

[jonsmum]

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.

[CEOofVacation]

Oh, you mean like the first class passengers on a plane are subsidizing the coach class passengers? So I can now thank those first class people for the continuing deterioration of coach class experience sitting in smaller, closer together, thinly padded seats and paying for checked luggage and refreshments, all the while the first class cabin has ever larger convert-to-a-bed seats, included checked luggage and plenty of complimentary, drinks and decent tasting meals.

 

Yeah, that has been working out great for us coach class people. :rolleyes:

 

Hail socialism! Let's take all the money from those (Sillicon Valley, Wall Street...) billionaires and multi-millionaires and share equally amongst everyone. Our lives would no longer be miserable and no one will fly first or coach class ever again! One type of flights for all! Mmm... who gets to sit in front of the plane or gets on the plane first? Let's burn them!

[Orator]

The marketplace is receiving the idea quite well as bookings appear strong. That's the only opinion that counts to Celebrity.

[sanger727]

I've sailed on NCL with the haven, and as a non-haven customer you can't even tell that it's there. You couldn't see it, and there was more than enough public area for everyone else.

 

I think the separate spaces is really the best way; if you simply reserve the prime spots of public areas for suite guests (like in the theater) it leaves everyone bitter.

 

But if they pull it off as well as NCL did with the haven, as a non suite customer you'll have full access to the ship and no clue that space is there unless you read about it online.

 

While I still can't bring myself to spend suite money for a cruise, this definitely ups the value to me and would make me more likely to book one.

 

 

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[hvsteve1]

Our last sailing was in an aft S1 because it was only slightly more than Aqua. The butler was nice, but not important to us. Reserved seats in the theater were nowhere near as good as seats downstairs I found at another show. Butlers waiting in line to escort guests to the head of a staircase in the theater is a big deal about nothing.

 

We liked Luminea but not as much as some of the specialty restaurants, which we could afford more easily if we don't pay for a suite. We thought service in Blu was better than Luminea.

 

I know some folks love Michael's Club but we thought it was overrated. We understood they had special events but, if they had them, we were never told about it. The only two we were invited to attend were sales sessions, one for the jewelry store and the other for future bookings. We had a premium beverage card so the free drinks weren't a big deal.

 

We're booked for our fourth sailing on Regent. One of the things we like about the luxury experience is not having to produce a card. Squeezing up to a bar or trying to get a server than handing over your card and having to wait for it to come back is in no way comparable to servers asking if they can hand you a drink, no questions asked.

 

We have an upcoming sailing on Cunard so will find out what the class system is REALLY like.

[SantaFeFan]

Hail socialism! Let's take all the money from those (Sillicon Valley, Wall Street...) billionaires and multi-millionaires and share equally amongst everyone. Our lives would no longer be miserable and no one will fly first or coach class ever again! One type of flights for all! Mmm... who gets to sit in front of the plane or gets on the plane first? Let's burn them!

 

Clearly you have no clue what I am talking about, or are one of those who favors more for the rich, even if it is at the expense of the middle class or poor. If you had read what I wrote, and not interpreted it to benefit your way of thinking, you would have understood that my concern is not that the rich can afford more than I can and shouldn't be allowed to have it. My concern is when the rich enjoy a better lifestyle AT THE EXPENSE of the lower classes. I don't mind rich people enjoying a sumptuous, beautiful, crammed to the hilt with luxury amenities stateroom. That doesn't affect me in the least. What I do mind, however, is when areas or amenities that I used to enjoy are TAKEN AWAY from me in order to give them to those richer than me.

 

Do you also support converting some highway lanes for exclusive use by the wealthy, by taking away a lane or two that could be used by the rest of the people? Same concept. You, the rich, get more. Me, the not-so-rich, get less. Not what I consider a fair trade off just because you have more money to throw around than the rest of us. I supposed in your world view, we peasants should stay out of sight and keep quiet while you are around.

[Covepointcruiser]

If you expect a "class system" on Cunard you will be disappointed. We travel with Celebrity and with Cunard and enjoy both. Recently on the QM2, we were in a Suite. We had a different restaurant and a specific table with specific waiters for the cruise. We could come whenever we wanted (during operating hours) for all meals. There was a bar for suite passengers next to the restaurant but I never saw anyone refused service.

All drinks were included (up to $12) anywhere on the ship so we frequented our favorites. There is outside seating in an obscure area with a hot tub, also not policed. Cunard does still have a dress code and folks dress for dinner. You are not escorted into the theater nor are you brought to the front of lines. You will never notice suite guests unless you happen to eat dinner with them, there is too much going on in all areas of the ship.

Celebrity makes much more of a "show" and the waiters in Luminae can be overly attentive. The butler escort to bad seats in the theater made no sense and with no windows, Michaels Club can be dreary. There is very little upcharge dining on Cunard, everything is included.

 

I will be interested to hear what you think of Cunard, just don't expect to find class distinctions.

[galavant3]

I never ever ever travel in a suite but have absolutely no problem with the extra perks going to those that have the money to pay for it.

 

 

Agree completely. Never booked a suite. Never plan to. More power to those that do. I am a very happy AQ cruiser.

 

 

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[RDC1]

Hail socialism! Let's take all the money from those (Sillicon Valley, Wall Street...) billionaires and multi-millionaires and share equally amongst everyone. Our lives would no longer be miserable and no one will fly first or coach class ever again! One type of flights for all! Mmm... who gets to sit in front of the plane or gets on the plane first? Let's burn them!

 

Not hardly. Everyone has to make their own decisions about what has value to them and if the cost benefit equation results in a purchase decision. No one really cares what someone else gets for the money that the other folks spend, everyone cares about what they get for their own money. If a cruise line adds features that does not impact other people on the boat no one really cares. However, unlike a land hotel on a cruise ship a passenger is limited to the ship (most of the time). A cruise ship also has limited space and personnel to work with. The size of the crew quarters are limited. As was demonstrated a couple of years ago when Celebrity reduced the size of the CD staff and used that space for additional spa employees. The square footage of common space is also a limited commodity.

 

So when I have my experience negatively impacted by reduction in common service areas (due to personnel slots being allocated to butlers and other restricted uses, when I see the dining room becoming more crammed together and much noisier, when some entertainment choices I once had has vanished because the room where it used to be held is now private, then that certainly does impact the cost benefit analysis for the trip.

 

How Edge will be I cannot comment on at this time. The information that they have released so far is not encouraging as far as current trend of increasing the amount of restricted area, and reducing the public common space.

[hcat]

Exclusive areas for dining, pools, lounge etc works well on Cunard with the Grills etc. We were in a regular cabin, never felt cheated and actually were assigned to a very nice dining area. Royal C has sep clubs /lounges, pvt breakfast areas for diff level guests, .and all lines have diff boarding lines/ waiting areas etc.

 

What causes upset is when some items are taken away..Examples: Diamonds on Royal were no longer elig for the lounge, Michaels Club no longer accessible to Elite guests.. and parts of dining room converted for BLU, Luminae..Taking from one group and given to others.

 

But the new ship is designed with these dedicated spaces, so no one should feel deprived. Pay the fare & get the perks!

[Cruise Junky]

Exclusive areas for dining, pools, lounge etc works well on Cunard with the Grills etc. We were in a regular cabin, never felt cheated and actually were assigned to a very nice dining area. Royal C has sep clubs /lounges, pvt breakfast areas for diff level guests, .and all lines have diff boarding lines/ waiting areas etc.

 

What causes upset is when some items are taken away..Examples: Diamonds on Royal were no longer elig for the lounge, Michaels Club no longer accessible to Elite guests.. and parts of dining room converted for BLU, Luminae..Taking from one group and given to others.

 

But the new ship is designed with these dedicated spaces, so no one should feel deprived. Pay the fare & get the perks!

 

^^ this 100%

[iSailor]

Looking at it another way, the suite class customers are subsidizing the "poor" people. If not for the suite class customers, cruise companies will need to increase prices across the board, otherwise they will go out of business.

 

The arrangement is not benefitting the "rich", but rather the "poor". :)

I don't understand what you mean by POOR?

I have met so many Millionaires, they prefer to cruise in Standard stateroom.:rolleyes:

[CEOofVacation]

I don't understand what you mean by POOR?

I have met so many Millionaires, they prefer to cruise in Standard stateroom.:rolleyes:

The word "Poor" was used by SantaFeFan. Any one who can afford to cruise or vacation regularly is wealthy. I am picking on SantaFeFan's complaint about feeling that the non suite "poor" guests are getting a lesser product because of the "rich" suite guests... and another analogy used in flying coach vs. First class. If there is a gripe, it needs to be about economics, competition and what the market will bear. It is not because there exists first class with larger seats that coach gets a lesser product. First class seats is not the cause of coach class woes.

[Germancruiser]

I agree CEO- the word " poor" does not apply to any cruise passenger! After 13 years of sailing almost exclusivly X we switched over to Cunard- where the class system is more vissible then anywere else. I never sailed in Princess or Grill Class but never ever felt cheated out of something or even missed something!

So the new ships are built with the suite guests space in mind- so if suite guests want not interfere so be it- enough great lounges and space fro non suite guests!

And on a lighter note- in the unlikly event of the ship going down- the cabin class passenger are as quick at the muster stations as the suite guest- if not " quicker"! :')

[WonderMan3]

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.

 

 

Perfect. Then I guess we won't be seeing you in an Edge suite. More room in the Retreat for the rest of us!

 

 

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