A Few "Full Suite" Questions

[jimdee3636]

My wife and I have just booked a Premium Suite on the Royal (B-101) for a five-night Cabo Getaway cruise Feb. 6-11, 2021. We've occasionally booked suites on other lines but this will be our first one with Princess. I had some "nuts and bolts" questions for the Princess personal cruise consultant that she didn't know the answers to. She suggested I wait until I'm onboard and then ask the appropriate people, but I prefer knowing these things ahead of time. So, for those who have sailed in full suites on Princess in the past:

 

1.There is supposed to be complimentary specialty dining for suite guests on embarkation night, but the online restaurant reservation system evidently doesn't recognize suite status and would automatically charge me $29 pp. The pcc confirmed this, and suggested I go to Sabatini's or Crown Grill as soon as I'm on the ship and make my reservation. But I'd much rather do it in advance, to ensure we get the restaurant and time slot we want. Is there any way to do this without the annoyance of incurring a charge and then having to stand in line and get the charge reversed?

 

2. There is also supposed to be a complimentary mini-bar setup. Is there any way to specify in advance what kinds of beverages we want and don't want, or do I have to hunt down the cabin steward once I'm onboard?

 

3. Booking a suite gives us Club Class dining privileges, but there are three non-specialty dining rooms on the Royal. Is Club Class available in all of them, or only one (and if so, which one)?

 

Thanks in advance for all answers and suggestions.

 

Jim

[Dunk]

12 minutes ago, jimdee3636 said:

My wife and I have just booked a Premium Suite on the Royal (B-101) for a five-night Cabo Getaway cruise Feb. 6-11, 2021. We've occasionally booked suites on other lines but this will be our first one with Princess. I had some "nuts and bolts" questions for the Princess personal cruise consultant that she didn't know the answers to. She suggested I wait until I'm onboard and then ask the appropriate people, but I prefer knowing these things ahead of time. So, for those who have sailed in full suites on Princess in the past:

 

1.There is supposed to be complimentary specialty dining for suite guests on embarkation night, but the online restaurant reservation system evidently doesn't recognize suite status and would automatically charge me $29 pp. The pcc confirmed this, and suggested I go to Sabatini's or Crown Grill as soon as I'm on the ship and make my reservation. But I'd much rather do it in advance, to ensure we get the restaurant and time slot we want. Is there any way to do this without the annoyance of incurring a charge and then having to stand in line and get the charge reversed?

 

2. There is also supposed to be a complimentary mini-bar setup. Is there any way to specify in advance what kinds of beverages we want and don't want, or do I have to hunt down the cabin steward once I'm onboard?

 

3. Booking a suite gives us Club Class dining privileges, but there are three non-specialty dining rooms on the Royal. Is Club Class available in all of them, or only one (and if so, which one)?

 

Thanks in advance for all answers and suggestions.

 

Jim

1. No way to do it in advance. Do it once you're onboard; you're a suite Guest, and you won't have any trouble--trust me. 

2. You can't specify in advance. Once you're on board, it's Room Service that will do the swap out, not your Steward. 

3. Club Class is only available in one Dining Room--it's just a separate section of the same room. I forget which one it is, but I believe it's the lower one off the Piazza. 

[marden1970]

Hi Jim,

We've been fortunate enough to splurge on a full suite twice.  

Regarding the specialty restaurant on the first night, you make the reservation when you are on board;  there should be a card in the room.  You can call the dine line or just go to whichever restaurant you choose and make the reservation there.  Our first time they let us make the reservation for a different night - doesn't hurt to ask.

On the mini bar - the first time there was already a set up and we didn't know that you could change things out.  The second time the fridge was empty and had a note to call and tell them what you want - they will walk you through the options.  You will also get 2 bottles of water a day,

The club class dining is great; it's a separate area in one of the dining rooms and has a separate entrance with a host.  We were on the Grand Princess and it was in the DaVinci dining rooom.  We liked it so much that we have booked a Club Class mini suite for upcoming Alaska cruise next year (full suite wasn't in the budget this time).

Hope this helps.

Mary

[voljeep]

a great suite perk is the 'mimosa breakfast' for full suite guests only each morning in one of the specialty restaurants

 

also, don't hesitate to order 'off menu' and the staff will see what they can do, maybe the next morning

 

also, full mdr menu is available for room service for suites

[jimdee3636]

Dunk, Mary, and Voljeep:

 

Your replies are all very helpful. Thanks! I can't wait for the cruise (assuming, of course, it goes forward).

 

Jim

 

[CineGraphic]

For specialty dining, I've usually found that you have a better choice of dining times when making the reservation in person at the podium, versus using the dining line.

[jondfk]

I'll add a further comment about the "first night complimentary specialty dining".  As several have said, you'll have no trouble reserving this when you board.

 

I'd add that we've never actually used this benefit on the first night.  We're usually wrung out by the travel, embarkation and unpacking process.  A long (albeit very nice) meal is the last thing on our minds.  That being the case, we've used the benefit on a night of our choosing with nothing more than a wink to the Maitre'd upon our arrival.  

 

More often than not after we do a few suite breakfasts he or she will ask us when we'll be coming for dinner, take care of the booking and make certain we are not charged.

 

Recognize that the breakfast team alternates with the Sabatini's (or Crown Grill or Share or Bayou) team working one voyage and the other specialty team working the next.  Breakfast has never been anything less than spectacular whichever team happens to be working that voyage.  Breakfast is by far our favorite suite amenity and it's a rare morning indeed that we don't partake. 

[skynight]

To add

Club Class dining on the Royal is in the Concerto DR deck 6 mid ship.

The mini bar contains:

Alcoholic - 2 x 50ml bottles each of scotch, vodka, gin and cognac. in the past they have been Dewars, Sky, Beefeater or Gordons, and Courvoisier. There will also be 2 bottles of beer probably Dos Equis.

Non-Alcoholic 6 cans of soda, Coke products, 2 bottles Perrier or other sparkling water, 2 small bottles of plain water.

Exchanges can be made by calling room services. Alcoholic for alcoholic or non-alcoholic, non-alcoholic for non-alcoholic, entire mini bar for one 750ml bottle of wine or 2 new grounds coffee packages.

Note on the coffee package: free brewed coffee from grounds, tea and hot chocolate are available in the World Market Place. I believe the full suite concierge lounge also has coffee & tea. Specialty coffee drinks are not free and are available at the International Cafe and some other locations.

Specialty Dining - You can call the dining line, button on the phone, once on board. There you will probably be asked about a fixed set time, example 5:30 or 8:00. If you visit the restaurant you may be able to be seated at an off time. 

[Treasure Hunter]

3 hours ago, jimdee3636 said:

My wife and I have just booked a Premium Suite on the Royal (B-101) for a five-night Cabo Getaway cruise Feb. 6-11, 2021. We've occasionally booked suites on other lines but this will be our first one with Princess. I had some "nuts and bolts" questions for the Princess personal cruise consultant that she didn't know the answers to. She suggested I wait until I'm onboard and then ask the appropriate people, but I prefer knowing these things ahead of time. So, for those who have sailed in full suites on Princess in the past:

 

1.There is supposed to be complimentary specialty dining for suite guests on embarkation night, but the online restaurant reservation system evidently doesn't recognize suite status and would automatically charge me $29 pp. The pcc confirmed this, and suggested I go to Sabatini's or Crown Grill as soon as I'm on the ship and make my reservation. But I'd much rather do it in advance, to ensure we get the restaurant and time slot we want. Is there any way to do this without the annoyance of incurring a charge and then having to stand in line and get the charge reversed?

 

2. There is also supposed to be a complimentary mini-bar setup. Is there any way to specify in advance what kinds of beverages we want and don't want, or do I have to hunt down the cabin steward once I'm onboard?

 

3. Booking a suite gives us Club Class dining privileges, but there are three non-specialty dining rooms on the Royal. Is Club Class available in all of them, or only one (and if so, which one)?

 

Thanks in advance for all answers and suggestions.

 

Jim

The easiest thing to do is go to the concierge lounge and have her /him do the dinner reservation for you. You will get exactly what you want and can make additional reservations for other nights, spa reservations too. We always tip our steward a little extra in advance upon introducing ourselves. Then we ask for extra hangers, conditioner, towels etc. He will notify room service if you want changes to the bar set up and they will do it. We don’t drink anymore so we swap out the liquor for diet cokes and sparkling water etc. the free laundry is fabulous and you can send out your days laundry every night. Sabatinis suite breakfast is wonderful. If it’s not on the menu, they will get it for you. Remember that the concierge lounge has continental breakfast, great sandwiches and wraps at lunch and cookies snacks and fruit all day. No need to go to the buffet!

[XBGuy]

Wow, Jim, we were in B101 on the Royal Princess a year ago on a Los Angele-Alaska roundtrip.  It is an awesome cabin.

 

In the preceding post, Skynight references the Suite Concierge Lounge.  This is a terrific amenity on Royal-class ships for cruisers in full suites.  In your suite you will find a note advising you of this amenity on Deck 14.  Last year the note included two of the old stlyle card keys to unlock the door for the lounge--our medallions did not work for it.  This may or may not have been changed since.  As Skynight indicates there are beverages and light noshes available.  My wife, who regularly sleeps in every morning, would use the Concierge Lounge for her morning snack.

 

Now, obviously, there is a reason why it is called the Concierge Lounge.  There is, in fact a concierge available for you who can help out with a variety of things--like, for example, making dinner reservations for you.  On our Alaska cruise, we were traveling with friends and had plans with them for the first evening.  I asked the concierge if we could arrange our complimentary dinner for the second night, and, boom, done.  I had him make most of our dinner reservations on that cruise--including the Chef's Table.

 

On our cruise they were experimenting with a complimentary happy hour at abour 4:00 oe 5:00 every afternoon in the Concierge Lounge.  A bartender would be available.  I do not know if this program has been continued.

[Treasure Hunter]

We were on the Regal in a Penthouse suite on deck 14 in the Caribbean in February right before the $??@ hit the fan. There was a modest happy hour each day with a bartender. The concierge got dressed up and hosted it. You’d usually get about ten couples. Everyone else was still on deck or showering for dinner. It was still a nice social perk. The concierge was fabulous, kind, helpful, friendly. It is a great perk. 

[NavyVeteran]

Unfortunately, you do not qualify for the "Complementary specialty dining dinner on embarkation evening++". Look at the "++" at the end of the description on the suite amenities list. This refers to the following footnote "++ Available on cruises 6 days or longer."

 

I have heard of some people receiving this benefit on shorter cruises, but it is not policy for cruises shorter than six nights.

[voljeep]

5 minutes ago, NavyVeteran said:

Unfortunately, you do not qualify for the "Complementary specialty dining dinner on embarkation evening++". Look at the "++" at the end of the description on the suite amenities list. This refers to the following footnote "++ Available on cruises 6 days or longer."

 

I have heard of some people receiving this benefit on shorter cruises, but it is not policy for cruises shorter than six nights.

good catch

 

when we had our one and only suite, so far, it was on an upsell to a suite on a little 4 day cruise on the CB.  I had learned here on CC that our cruise did not qualify for the specialty dinner the first night ... but ... when we were in our suite, the dine line rang asking which specialty restaurant we wanted that night for our comped dinner ... we chose Crown Grill thinking maybe they had changed the policy 

 

Got there, and the dude in charge, stated it was a mistake and there were no comped dinners.  we 'explained' as we were getting ready to leave to go to Club Class that the dine line people called us, we didn't call them ... he looked around a mostly empty room and stated, come with me, I'll take care of it no charge ... very nice meal and we gave a nice tip to the excellent servers

[Papa Yoda]

10 hours ago, voljeep said:

good catch

 

when we had our one and only suite, so far, it was on an upsell to a suite on a little 4 day cruise on the CB.  I had learned here on CC that our cruise did not qualify for the specialty dinner the first night ... but ... when we were in our suite, the dine line rang asking which specialty restaurant we wanted that night for our comped dinner ... we chose Crown Grill thinking maybe they had changed the policy 

 

Got there, and the dude in charge, stated it was a mistake and there were no comped dinners.  we 'explained' as we were getting ready to leave to go to Club Class that the dine line people called us, we didn't call them ... he looked around a mostly empty room and stated, come with me, I'll take care of it no charge ... very nice meal and we gave a nice tip to the excellent servers

 

Yah I got caught by that too - you got treated as one would expect - way to go Crown Grill Head Waiter!

 

 

[caribill]

12 hours ago, skynight said:

The mini bar contains:

Alcoholic - 2 x 50ml bottles each of scotch, vodka, gin and cognac. in the past they have been Dewars, Sky, Beefeater or Gordons, and Courvoisier. There will also be 2 bottles of beer probably Dos Equis.

Non-Alcoholic 6 cans of soda, Coke products, 2 bottles Perrier or other sparkling water, 2 small bottles of plain water.

Exchanges can be made by calling room services. Alcoholic for alcoholic or non-alcoholic, non-alcoholic for non-alcoholic, entire mini bar for one 750ml bottle of wine or 2 new grounds coffee packages.

 

 

Note that any exchanges for the scotch, vodka, gin and cognac will (if liquor is what you want) limited to those same choices. You could, for example, change the gin for two more vodka.

[jimdee3636]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Note that any exchanges for the scotch, vodka, gin and cognac will (if liquor is what you want) limited to those same choices. You could, for example, change the gin for two more vodka.

This is useful to know. Thanks.

[kitty2264]

Do you get two liquor set-ups in a suite if you are Captains Circle elite?  My wife and I are going to be in a suite for the first time on the Enchanted in Nov 21.  It will be the third attempt to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.  We have cruised many time with Princess but never in a suite and we are really looking forward to it.

[shirazcruiser]

1 hour ago, kitty2264 said:

Do you get two liquor set-ups in a suite if you are Captains Circle elite?  My wife and I are going to be in a suite for the first time on the Enchanted in Nov 21.  It will be the third attempt to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.  We have cruised many time with Princess but never in a suite and we are really looking forward to it.

Yes!

[memoak]

2 hours ago, kitty2264 said:

Do you get two liquor set-ups in a suite if you are Captains Circle elite?  My wife and I are going to be in a suite for the first time on the Enchanted in Nov 21.  It will be the third attempt to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.  We have cruised many time with Princess but never in a suite and we are really looking forward to it.

Yes. They will set up one on embarkation and you can just call when you want the 2nd one set up

[cruzsnooze]

The best perk I enjoy in a full suite is the included admission to the thermal suite which has these wonderful hot tile beds. It's been hit or miss with getting the specialty restaurant on less then a six night cruise for me. 

[JF - retired RRT]

It's been my experience that trying to call the Dine Line on the first day results in a long wait on hold or a busy signal. Never been in a suite...maybe they give priority status and answer the phone faster???

I usually wait until day 2 to call to get the mini-bar changed.

On one cruise, I'd made a note (to myself) about the things we wanted changed, left the cabin for about an hour and when we came back the steward had taken care of it. He got a good tip.

[cruzsnooze]

27 minutes ago, JF - retired RRT said:

It's been my experience that trying to call the Dine Line on the first day results in a long wait on hold or a busy signal. Never been in a suite...maybe they give priority status and answer the phone faster???

 

Yes, they recognise your calling from a suite and must assume you need a reservation for that night.

[getting older slowly]

1 hour ago, cruzsnooze said:

Yes, they recognise your calling from a suite and must assume you need a reservation for that night.

And most of the time they ring you........ sometime if we are down there we will talk to the Maitre'd...

 

Also a note about the mini bar setup exchange.... and the steward  will do it for you...

 

Breakfasts are a dream.... a great way to start the day.... also club class is very good and the staff wonderful......

 

Generally our shortest cruise is 10 days.... and now always in a suite... the only way to go

 

Cheers Don

Edited October 2, 2020 by getting older slowly

[NavyVeteran]

Another advantage of a suite is the laundry. Suite passengers receive one-day laundry, even if there are so many Elites that Elite laundry is slower than the stated two days. In a suite, you would actually be able to send out laundry on a six-night cruise (if you wanted to).

 

The policy is you will get the laundry back the same day if you send it out early enough (I forget the exact cut-off time in the morning). I've found that you can't always count on the steward getting it delivered to the laundry room early off even if you leave it early. Since I usually bathe and change before dinner (after being out all day), I leave my laundry on the bed when I go to dinner - and I almost always have it back the next day (in a suite).

[cr8tiv1]

I was told by 9 AM.  Rarely does the steward get it to the laundry before then.  Best is the night before.

 

And yes, your suite shows up on the DINE line.  Only once did I receive a call shortly after arriving in my cabin.  That was a shock.

 

Hello B and J....When are we cruising together again?

 

Edited October 3, 2020 by cr8tiv1