Not to pile on, but it’s bad…

[goofysmom99]

I may notice this more because I travel solo, but when traveling in suites, I did feel I received better service in the bars.  I'm not booking suites anymore but have the zenith black card.  It will be interesting to see if it makes any difference when I'm  traveling in steerage for cruises beginning later this week.  I'll report back and also about the food.

[NMTraveller]

4 minutes ago, morfred said:

This is not Vegas. We sail mostly suites and I can honestly say that I have never noticed special treatment. I have never sailed in a Penthouse/Royal but I find your attitude about special treatment to just be wrong. 

I have noted special suite treatment even on excursions.

[Orator]

4 minutes ago, morfred said:

This is not Vegas. We sail mostly suites and I can honestly say that I have never noticed special treatment. I have never sailed in a Penthouse/Royal but I find your attitude about special treatment to just be wrong. 

A private club. A private restaurant. Reserved seats for production shows and a butler. Isn’t that special treatment? You paid enough to be treated special.

[RichYak]

22 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

It is all data science.  The room cards are coded and the servers and bartenders know whom is most likely to give the largest additional tips.  Service is rendered accordingly.

 

When you roll up to a casino in Las Vegas they know whom the big spenders are before they come in through the door.

 

 

 

This is utter nonsense as relates to most Retreat guests. The staff knows who the very upper suite guests are and may treat them differently but that’s it. The rest of the Retreat are plebians not whales. 

[NMTraveller]

2 minutes ago, RichYak said:

This is utter nonsense as relates to most Retreat guests. The staff knows who the very upper suite guests are and may treat them differently but that’s it. The rest of the Retreat are plebians not whales. 

It is a quite visible ranking of customers.

[RichYak]

4 minutes ago, Orator said:

A private club. A private restaurant. Reserved seats for production shows and a butler. Isn’t that special treatment? You paid enough to be treated special.

Don’t be dense. The discussion is about special treatment outside the Retreat areas. 

[morfred]

9 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

I have noted special suite treatment even on excursions.

Nonsense. I have never seen it. It has not happened to me.

[NMTraveller]

3 minutes ago, morfred said:

Nonsense. I have never seen it. It has not happened to me.

Well it has happened to me.  How many ship excursions do you take?

Edited February 15, 2023 by NMTraveller

[Georgia_Peaches]

3 hours ago, Keys Kathy said:

Yeah, and that is Lisa Lutoff-Perlo. 

 

I may have to get one of those $1. steaks and see what we can do with it.

Even Dollar Tree has been a victim of inflation by a whopping 25%. So that dollar steak just got even more for less at a buck twenty-five. 

[morfred]

5 minutes ago, NMTraveller said:

Well it has happened to me.  How many ship excursions do you take?

Ok. This is going nowhere. I'm out. Let us get back on topic.

 

 

 

 

 

[Orator]

30 minutes ago, RichYak said:

Don’t be dense. The discussion is about special treatment outside the Retreat areas. 

If a suite guest is not feel special it’s because someone is not doing their job. It starts at embarkation and ends with disembarkation.and continues throughout the cruise with someone taking you through lines. Most businesses treat their “special “ customers special.

Edited February 15, 2023 by Orator

[NMTraveller]

1 hour ago, goofysmom99 said:

I may notice this more because I travel solo, but when traveling in suites, I did feel I received better service in the bars.  I'm not booking suites anymore but have the zenith black card.  It will be interesting to see if it makes any difference when I'm  traveling in steerage for cruises beginning later this week.  I'll report back and also about the food.

My DW will notice this way before I do...

[RichYak]

24 minutes ago, Orator said:

If a suite guest is not feel special it’s because someone is not doing their job. It starts at embarkation and ends with disembarkation.and continues throughout the cruise with someone taking you through lines. Most businesses treat their “special “ customers special.

This is how customers in Iconic Suites, Edge Villas, and Penthouse Suites are treated. Don’t conflate those very few with the vast majority of Retreat guests, who are just regular customers at bars and in lounges, the solarium, OVC, etc. 

[Orator]

16 minutes ago, RichYak said:

This is how customers in Iconic Suites, Edge Villas, and Penthouse Suites are treated. Don’t conflate those very few with the vast majority of Retreat guests, who are just regular customers at bars and in lounges, the solarium, OVC, etc. 

The items I mentioned are included in every suite. Upper suites get even more.

[Jmoondance]

Then why anyone pays for the big $ for the just being regular Retreat guests?

[RichYak]

4 minutes ago, Orator said:

The items I mentioned are included in every suite. Upper suites get even more.

I admire your imagination. If only the staff had the same reverence for Retreat guests that you do, it might actually be worth it. 

[Jmoondance]

5 hours ago, RichYak said:

I admire your imagination. If only the staff had the same reverence for Retreat guests that you do, it might actually be worth it. 

Then why pay for the difference, if it's not worth it? 

[RichYak]

3 minutes ago, Jmoondance said:

Then why pay for the difference, if it's not worth it? 

I don’t. At current prices, it’s not worth it to me. 

[wineoclock]

We were in a CS in October. We were treated very well. We’ve been in PS twice before. We were treated exceptionally well :)) SS first cruise was great also. 

 

Id not pay for PS again. In Aqua next time. Will no doubt experience the difference but we are paying less so expect it. 
 

 

[chemmo]

19 minutes ago, wineoclock said:

We were in a CS in October. We were treated very well. We’ve been in PS twice before. We were treated exceptionally well :)) SS first cruise was great also. 

 

Id not pay for PS again. In Aqua next time. Will no doubt experience the difference but we are paying less so expect it. 
 

 

wineoclock, you express well what the difference is and the ‘value’ side…For many people the PH additional cost is not worth it.

 

Paying $$$$ for the ‘top suite’ experience is only worth it if you are going to use/enjoy the ‘exceptional’ perks that come with a top suite. Both those advertised and those little extra touches. To get the value of a PH/RS you need to significantly benefit from some of the following…

 

You will spend significant amounts of time in suite and enjoy the space and facilities.

You will enjoy an in suite bar set up.

You will enjoy some in suite dining, perhaps something not on any menu.

You will ask your butler for a few things daily and perhaps to set up a party.

You will use the laundry service.

Your preferred seating in all dining venues will be noted.

Speciality restaurants will frequently offer to make ‘something special’ for you.

You will benefit from being privately escorted on/off the ship.

You will enjoy a behind the scenes tour of an area not generally seen.

You will enjoy being invited to dine sometimes with the Captain.

Any issues you have will be taken very seriously.

 

I am sure others could add to the list….On our last few cruises my late husband had significant health issues and it was worth every penny to enjoy the PH and RS we booked. Each of the things listed made our cruises very special. However, going back to when we first cruised none of the above mattered! Our cruises were about itineraries, our room was a place to sleep. We were poolside on sea days and happy with the MDR for food and our drinks were enjoyed in the bars. We could happily queue in hot weather and patiently stand in line at the buffet…

 

I am not in any way suggesting that only the old and infirm can benefit from a PH. But I am suggesting to really get value from a PH/RS then you need to want to use what comes with it. For example, if you are cruising after a hard spell in work and simply want a relaxing pampering experience then you will enjoy all the things listed or if you are planning a romantic getaway then the same applies….

[Gracie115]

8 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

It is a quite visible ranking of customers.

 

Having sailed in Sky Suites, Celebrity Suites, Royal Suites, Aqua & regular verandas on X I CAN say that, YES, if you are in a Royal Suite or higher you DO get special consideration once your "status" is recognized, in a Sky or Celebrity outside of the stated suite benefits you are treated just like Aqua, veranda, inside...etc...  when wandering the ships. I believe TeeRick was in a Sky or Celebrity Suite so his observations are correct ......... 

[Ex-Airbalancer]

A big difference was when a person was quarantine 

a suite got a lot better service than a non suite in quarantine 

[TeeRick]

12 hours ago, NMTraveller said:

Hank,

 

As always a very informative post.   You are one of my favorite posters on this board and a multitude of others.

 

My main issue was with the poster claiming that "The fraction of the time I spent in non-suite public areas on my cruise was probably over 90%."  I do not think that this is mathematically plausible unless they were sleeping on the pool deck, sick bay, or in another non-suite plus going through the Luminae drive through.  I am rolling around laughing at this claim.  I suppose that they meant some other more reasonable number.

 

My secondary issue is with suite posters claiming that their experience in non-suite venues is indicative of other non-suite cruisers.  They go to the Martini Bar and as soon as they pull out their room key the bartender and servers notice that they are suite guests and give them appropriate service.  The same for the theater and other venues where a room card is required.  My point is that a suite guest saying that their service in the Martini Bar, theater, etc.,etc.  was great is totally irrelevant to non-suite cruisers.

 

Also people staying in suites "reviewing" the non-suite areas are missing about 80% of the non-suite cruise experience.

 

How was room service in the non-suites?

How was cleaning service in the non-suites?

How was the MDR on multiple nights?

How was the OVC?

How was the pool bar service?

How was disembarkation at the ports.

The list goes on and on.

 

The only thing that I can think of that is more ridiculous and laugh worthy than a suite guest reviewing the non -suite areas would be a non-suite guest reviewing the suite areas.  Just does not make much sense. 🙂 🙂🙂🙂 

 

Rant over.

 

 

Thanks for ridiculing my post with your rant to another poster.  Class act.

[Cruise a holic]

If you pay 3-4 times more pp, you absolutely expect the highest level of service and additional perks.  Why not?  If you want the "extra" level of service, try an entry level suite.  A big difference.  Just like IMO dining in a specialty restaurant is much better then dining in the regular dining rooms.  Also Elite plus members are given extra perks.

[NMTraveller]

33 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Thanks for ridiculing my post with your rant to another poster.  Class act.

Still waiting to hear about how you could spend 90% of your time in non-suite areas when in a suite.  Seems like a falsehood.

 

I would have responded directly to you, but you said you were out.

 

And it was a generalization about suite cruisers in non-suite areas getting better treatment.  How does this apply to non-suite cruisers?  It does not.  And quite frankly a lot of this is self pontification.  Oh look at me.  I am in a suite and the service at blah blah was excellent.  Yet the OP is in a different cabin and does not get the same experience because they are not in a suite.  How is this relevant to the OP's experience?  I do understand that extra was paid for the suite cruiser experience and the experience should be different.

 

 

Edited February 15, 2023 by NMTraveller