Are there any dining advantages to a Grand Suite on Adventure of the Seas?

[LB_NJ]

Just trying to figure out any advantages besides a bigger room and a concierge which we probably wouldn't use.

 

for us a big advantage would be access to better dining however I don't think there is a coastal kitchen on the ship.

[rudeney]

No dining advantages, except that I have always thought suite guests got better tables - top level, by windows, etc.  Maybe it's just the luck of the draw, but it's always been that way for us.  

 

Don't discount the benefit of access to the concierge.  They can do anything Guest Services can and more, so if you do have any needs with anything, it's much nicer to sit at the concierge's desk rather than stand in line with the proletariat.  😁

[Ashland]

We enjoy being able to order off the main dining room menu for delivery to our suite. We often order breakfast and late night (before the MDR closes) desert.

[rudeney]

Oh, one dining advantage for full-suite guests is breakfast in Chops - or it might be Gionvanni's on Adventure.  Much better than fighting crowds in the Jammer.

[orville99]

1 minute ago, Ashland said:

We enjoy being able to order off the main dining room menu for delivery to our suite. We often order breakfast and late night (before the MDR closes) desert.

The one benefit of a full suite that we definitely use most evenings. Nothing better than having dinner under the stars on our balcony. We have a B3B coming up in a GS on Mariner and plan on ordering room service from the MDR most evenings.

[AlohaLivin]

We were in suite’s on adventure twice and don’t recall any particular benefit to the dining room (except the ability to order from the main dining room for room service, something we actually somehow I’ve never done).  I definitely did not feel that our tables were superior. Suites don’t get a lot extra on ships that size. Enjoy your sailing 😊

Edited June 17, 2022 by AlohaLivin

[RoperDK]

We just sailed on Mariner in a GS.  Prior to that, we had only been on Oasis or Quantum class. On those ships we had either been in a JS or GS.  We weren't expecting much on Mariner, but really enjoyed it!  A big plus for us was the Suite Lounge.  Comp evening drinks and such a relaxing atmosphere.  It was open all day with snacks always available.  The concierge took care of a few small issues for us and kept us from waiting in line at guest services.  Breakfast at Chops was great, too.  So nice to escape the chaos of Windjammer.  Free room service from the MDR was nice as was the extra room in the cabin.  Really enjoyed the early escorted debarkation, too.  For us, the GS was definitely worth the extra money.     

[smokeybandit]

Chops for breakfast. Light fare for breakfast and lunch in the suite lounge plus finger food during happy hour. Free MDR room service.

[AustinCruise]

Typically lunch in one of the speciality restaurants on sea days. Last we were on, the menu was reduced over paying guests. 
 

 

[mitz18]

On 6/17/2022 at 3:51 PM, rudeney said:

No dining advantages, except that I have always thought suite guests got better tables - top level, by windows, etc.  Maybe it's just the luck of the draw, but it's always been that way for us.  

 

Don't discount the benefit of access to the concierge.  They can do anything Guest Services can and more, so if you do have any needs with anything, it's much nicer to sit at the concierge's desk rather than stand in line with the proletariat.  😁

 

Proletariat?  Wow - takes me back to my 70's liberal arts studies.  Thanks for the flashback 😂

 

[LATTELOVE]

1 hour ago, mitz18 said:

 

Proletariat?  Wow - takes me back to my 70's liberal arts studies.  Thanks for the flashback 😂

 

Yeap, on this class ship unfortunately the benefits are minimal.

We were on Explorer OTS  back in April2022. ( Sister ship of

Adventures OTS) 

Our expectations were very high, for we paid for a grand suite.  

We left that cruise extremely disappointed.  We were expecting

a little extra for a grand suite, the way we read on other post for other ships.

 There were no specialty restaurant included except Chops for breakfast.

Food in the main dining and Windjammer were blah.

Best hot food we got was from room service.

 

[rudeney]

2 hours ago, LATTELOVE said:

Yeap, on this class ship unfortunately the benefits are minimal.

We were on Explorer OTS  back in April2022. ( Sister ship of

Adventures OTS) 

Our expectations were very high, for we paid for a grand suite.  

We left that cruise extremely disappointed.  We were expecting

a little extra for a grand suite, the way we read on other post for other ships.

 There were no specialty restaurant included except Chops for breakfast.

Food in the main dining and Windjammer were blah.

Best hot food we got was from room service.

 

 

I agree that on the Freedom and smaller ship, the suites do lack some of the benefits you get on the larger (Oasis/Odyssey) ships like Coastal Kitchen and more availability of drinks in the SL, but all the other suite benefits are the same.  Besides a much larger stateroom, the thing I like best about cruising in a suite is not having to wait in line for things.  Priority boarding and disembarkation, access to the concierge instead of having to wait in line at Guest Services, booking specialty dining through the concierge before boarding, and priority tendering are all great benefits.  

[Merion_Mom]

3 hours ago, LATTELOVE said:

Yeap, on this class ship unfortunately the benefits are minimal.

We were on Explorer OTS  back in April2022. ( Sister ship of

Adventures OTS) 

Our expectations were very high, for we paid for a grand suite.  

We left that cruise extremely disappointed.  We were expecting

a little extra for a grand suite, the way we read on other post for other ships.

 There were no specialty restaurant included except Chops for breakfast.

Food in the main dining and Windjammer were blah.

Best hot food we got was from room service.

 

 

And this is the reason that some research is necessary so that you know what you are getting.  You expected something that you were not entitled to nor were promised.

[Tulsacoker]

And that's the reason a GS on Adventure is cheaper than a GS on Oasis or Quantum class

[smokeybandit]

1 hour ago, Tulsacoker said:

And that's the reason a GS on Adventure is cheaper than a GS on Oasis or Quantum class

I don't think perks are why they're more expensive. Just demand for the newer/bigger ships is higher so they can charge more.

[cruisegirl1]

14 hours ago, LATTELOVE said:

Yeap, on this class ship unfortunately the benefits are minimal.

We were on Explorer OTS  back in April2022. ( Sister ship of

Adventures OTS) 

Our expectations were very high, for we paid for a grand suite.  

We left that cruise extremely disappointed.  We were expecting

a little extra for a grand suite, the way we read on other post for other ships.

 There were no specialty restaurant included except Chops for breakfast.

Food in the main dining and Windjammer were blah.

Best hot food we got was from room service.

 

The ship YOU selected does not offer special dining for suites.  You should not have been disappointed about that.  

 

M

Edited June 21, 2022 by cruisegirl1

[LATTELOVE]

On 6/20/2022 at 11:08 PM, Merion_Mom said:

 

And this is the reason that some research is necessary so that you know what you are getting.  You expected something that you were not entitled to nor were promised.

And that's the reason we paid extra for a GS.  Yes we knew it did not have

specialty restaurant included.  But the expectations of having  better service, 

better food options,etc, ( priority at check in was a joke).  Seems like the

larger newer ships have priority on everything else.  Older ships are short staff 

and the attention is not there.

 Really sucks.

 

 

Edited June 22, 2022 by LATTELOVE

[LB_NJ]

On 6/17/2022 at 4:51 PM, rudeney said:

Don't discount the benefit of access to the concierge.  They can do anything Guest Services can and more, so if you do have any needs with anything, it's much nicer to sit at the concierge's desk rather than stand in line with the proletariat.  😁

 

I maybe go to guest services one or two times on a longer trip.  For me that is not that much of a benefit

[Seannie]

On 6/20/2022 at 10:51 PM, rudeney said:

 

I agree that on the Freedom and smaller ship, the suites do lack some of the benefits you get on the larger (Oasis/Odyssey) ships like Coastal Kitchen and more availability of drinks in the SL, but all the other suite benefits are the same.  Besides a much larger stateroom, the thing I like best about cruising in a suite is not having to wait in line for things.  Priority boarding and disembarkation, access to the concierge instead of having to wait in line at Guest Services, booking specialty dining through the concierge before boarding, and priority tendering are all great benefits.  

Hi Rudeney - how do you book specialty dining through the concierge before boarding?  By phone or just via the app?  
 

Any idea if the booking pre-boarding for specialty restaurants can be done in conjunction with the unlimited dining plan?
 

We have the unlimited dining plan and a suite but it looks like if we book specialty dining in advance before the cruise via the app we can only do so if we pay the going price of the specialty restaurant.  

[rudeney]

@SeannieAbout 10 days before your cruise, you should receive an introductory email from the concierge that will ask if you need assistance with things such as pre-booking spp treatments or specialty dining.  The concierge should see that you have the UDP, but if not, just include a reminder in your reply to ask for the venues and times you want to book.  

 

You can book individual specialty dining meals in your Cruise Planner, but even with UDP, you will have to pay for those.  Once you are on the ship, you can have those charges refunded as OBC (the concierge can help with that), but keep the reservations.  I have not personally done that, but I have heard others who have.  I don;t do it that way because I have pretty much pre-booked and pre-paid for everything so I don't need OBC on my cruise.

[rudeney]

2 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

 

I maybe go to guest services one or two times on a longer trip.  For me that is not that much of a benefit

 

What almost always happens to me is that some charge is wrong and I need it adjusted.  Instead of standing in liem, I can just tell the concierge and get it looked at and corrected if necessary.  For example, it seems that on almost every cruise, we get hit with strange "mini bar" charges for a few dollars, yet we have no stocked mini bar.  And it always shows up on the last night when I know GS is going to be a madhouse.

[RFerrington]

The Concierge will email you 5 days prior to sail date.  If you expect to hear from the Concierge 10 days ahead of time you will be worried that something is wrong.  

[rudeney]

8 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

The Concierge will email you 5 days prior to sail date.  If you expect to hear from the Concierge 10 days ahead of time you will be worried that something is wrong.  

 

You are right - 5 days is probably a better expectation.  I looked back at my concierge emails and it varied from 6 to 10 days, but that was pre-COVID (and the 10 day email was way back in 2007!)