Suite and minisuite question

[NickFank]

What exactly are the ammenities of being in a suite or minisuite?What is the difference between Minisuite or Suite?Thanks for attention Nicola

[LMHSRN]

What ship?

 

What deck?

 

What cruise line?

[NickFank]

What ship?

 

What deck?

 

What cruise line?

The Ship is Coral Princess..:) My friend would like booked on Coral Princess o 18th April 2007..We have a choice between Minisuite and Suite for her Panama cruise next year. Which one would you choose and why?What is the privilege on Minisuite or Suite?:)

[LARGIN]

Enjoy..

 

Passengers in suites and minisuites get the following perks beginning in September:

• Complimentary champagne at embarkation
  
• Top of the range 'Beautyrest' mattresses
  
• Luxury 100% Egyptian cotton, high-thread count ivory satin striped bed linens
  
• Fluffy European duvets
  
• Pillow menu
  
• Massage shower heads
  
• Luxury towels

In addition to the above list, passengers in suites get the following perks (the first 6 on this list are new starting in September):

• Combined DVD and CD player
  
• Complimentary DVD library
  
• Halo illuminated magnifying vanity mirror
  
• Princess Cruises tote bag
  
• Umbrella
  
• Complementary use of the Lotus Spa Thermal Suite (depending upon availability)
  
• Enhanced bathroom amenities
  
• Free laundry/dry cleaning/shoe polishing service
  
• Free internet use
  
• Free corsages/boutonniers on formal nights
  
• Priority embarkation/disembarkation
  
• Priority tender tickets
  
• Access to the Platinum embarkation lounge
  
• Free flower arrangements
  
• Free minibar set-up (but not free refills)
  
• Free daily canapes delivered to the room
  
• Preferred Anytime Dining reservations
  
• Unpacking service
  
• Extended dining room menus
  
• Extra special turn-down service on formal nights (I have no idea what that means, but that's what the press release about suites says)
  
• Afternoon tea served in the suite
  
• Photo sitting in the suite

Note that some of these items are by request, not provided automatically (i.e., afternoon tea, photo sitting, unpacking service, laundry).

[UTAH]

This is going to sound crass - but it's what I've experienced in Princess suites and why I keep booking only suites:

 

When in a suite, you can pretty much ask for or do just about anything you want to do in your room or on your balcony. Want the canapes tripled - just ask. Want all your clothes removed from their closets/drawers and cleaned and then put back - just ask. Want a steward to set up a pre-dinner cocktail party - just... well, you know. You can even get your room and balcony furniture changed out if you don't like it.

 

If you want to be left alone you'll be left alone. But, if you want just about anything brought to you or done in your cabin - you've got it. You'll also get priority booking or transport on any thing going off or on the ship when in port.

 

Even the lists about what you get and don't get in the suites aren't carved in stone. Frankly, your steward can get you what you want when you want it - even if it's not on the list (especially if you're tipping well and often).

 

If this post offends some - I apologize. But, seriously, much of what you're paying for in the suites is a level of service and responsiveness you can't get elsewhere on the ship. To some that's worth it - to some it's not. You get what you pay for.

 

Bill

[critterchick]

Whether or not to take the suite for me would depend on the price difference. The full suites on the Coral & Island are not humongous - they are similar to a minisuite on the Sun class of ships. Here's a link to some pictures of a PS on the Island Princess (C-703):

 

http://community.webshots.com/album/550701530KuleXj

 

Mind you, it was a lovely room, although I found the bedroom/dressing room layout to be awkward because the closet is tucked away behind some dresser drawers and it takes some maneuvering for 2 people to dress for dinner. The minis have a more sensible layout, IMHO.

 

The perks are wonderful, especially the free laundry and Internet. But if you're not going to use the Internet very much or are content with doing a load or two of your own (or paying the ship's prices), the price difference may not justify it. In our case, the difference between a mini and a full was about $100pp, so it was a no-brainer, but the cost of a full suite is usually a whole lot more.

 

And there was nothing "extra special" about our formal night turndown, at least not that I noticed. Just the usual chocolates on the pillow that everybody gets.

 

One final thing: if your friend decides on a full suite, I'd recommend the Dolphin Deck midships. Our suite was about 20 cabins from the stern, and you could really feel the movement.

 

Edited for one more final thing! I'm not at all offended by your post, Utah, but I've always felt plenty spoiled in a minisuite. A lot of what you get depends on your steward - as you said, if you tip early and often, you'll pretty much get what you want. Were you able to get your cabin steward to hop up & down on one leg and sing "doo wah diddy diddy dum diddy dum?";)

[Laurab23]

I understand completly what you are saying and that is why we booked a suite on Crown Princess for this coming Oct.In our room and on our balcony we do expect to be spoiled rotten,that is why we are paying a huge price for the suite. Yes some people will be offended by this post but let me add that we are not looking to be singled out while on the ship,just while in our suite.We plan on asking for extra things in our suite and hope we get a great cabin steward.I really do expect the service to be great and I hope I won't be disappointed. This will be our first suite and at the price,most likely our last but I just had to do it once!

 

Laura

[Lynda90]

I know I am not in the least bit offended. Those willing to pay full, asking price for a full suite certainly deserve to be pampered. Enjoy!:D

[scopewest]

I'm not offended, I'm just envious!!! One of these days....

[BJS]

.. But, seriously, much of what you're paying for in the suites is a level of service and responsiveness you can't get elsewhere on the ship. To some that's worth it - to some it's not. You get what you pay for.

Bill

Don't agree that a suite is the only place you can have a high level of service and responsiveness. It is mainly the luck of the draw as far as room stewards. One of least responsive stewards we had was in a suite.

 

Being Elite we have many of the same benefits - at least the ones that are important to us. We have never had a request such as changing balcony furniture denied by our room steward. We tip generously but it is based on the service we get and not the service we expect to get "tip early and often" never has been required.

 

We did not find the additonal suite perks worth the money and decided we'd rather put the difference in the price between a suite and a balcony towards another cruise. The larger room means nothing to us but a balcony does.

 

Isn't it great that we all don't want the same thing?

[UTAH]

We did not find the additonal suite perks worth the money and decided we'd rather put the difference in the price between a suite and a balcony towards another cruise. The larger room means nothing to us but a balcony does.

 

Isn't it great that we all don't want the same thing?

 

Sounds great to me - a good practical and fun approach!

 

I agree the extra money for the suite is not necessarily worth it. As soon as we go Black Card we'll probably be just as likely to book a mini as a suite.

 

Sometimes the suites aren't much more than the mini's - depends on the ship and the trip. We're doing a Dawn 11-day West Coast in September and the suites are only $200 more per person than a mini. Heck, on our last 12-day cruise our internet bill was $320 and our laundry bill was $250 (when in a suite, you're still billed for the "free" services but they are then credited back to you on your final statement). That's a big chunk to have written off your tab because you're in a suite. On some cruises, the suite extras more than make up for the price difference.

 

Bill

[BJS]

Heck, on our last 12-day cruise our internet bill was $320 and our laundry bill was $250 (when in a suite, you're still billed for the "free" services but they are then credited back to you on your final statement). That's a big chunk to have written off your tab because you're in a suite. On some cruises, the suite extras more than make up for the price difference.

Bill

Agree

 

If we didn't get those things free with the "black card", especially since we are now accustomed to them, I'd probably pay for the suite if I was going to have daily express laundry/dry cleaning and use the internet as much as we now do.

 

When we first cruised and did not have these things we never missed them but....... once you have tasted the "sweet or suite" life it is hard to do without. Have read more than once on these boards how people figure there is some strategy behind Princess's complimentary upgrades because once they have experienced the upgrade they find it hard to return to what they once booked.

[Lynda90]

Agree

 

If we didn't get those things free with the "black card", especially since we are now accustomed to them, I'd probably pay for the suite if I was going to have daily express laundry/dry cleaning and use the internet as much as we now do.

 

When we first cruised and did not have these things we never missed them but....... once you have tasted the "sweet or suite" life it is hard to do without. Have read more than once on these boards how people figure there is some strategy behind Princess's complimentary upgrades because once they have experienced the upgrade they find it hard to return to what they once booked.

Yup--agree with all you are saying. Those Elite perks are wonderful. Have really gotten use to the perks and would not want to give them up. That's one of the reasons I stay with Princess. Especially the laundry/dry cleaning.

[chloesmommi]

We were just upgraded to a full suite from a minisuite. Is the free internet access right in the suite?

[flvol77]

We were just upgraded to a full suite from a minisuite. Is the free internet access right in the suite?

 

 

Sorry I read the post wrong my bad

[crusdiva]

We were just upgraded to a full suite from a minisuite. Is the free internet access right in the suite?

No, you'll have to go to the internet cafe.;)

[flvol77]

This is going to sound crass - but it's what I've experienced in Princess suites and why I keep booking only suites:

 

When in a suite, you can pretty much ask for or do just about anything you want to do in your room or on your balcony. Want the canapes tripled - just ask. Want all your clothes removed from their closets/drawers and cleaned and then put back - just ask. Want a steward to set up a pre-dinner cocktail party - just... well, you know. You can even get your room and balcony furniture changed out if you don't like it.

 

If you want to be left alone you'll be left alone. But, if you want just about anything brought to you or done in your cabin - you've got it. You'll also get priority booking or transport on any thing going off or on the ship when in port.

 

Even the lists about what you get and don't get in the suites aren't carved in stone. Frankly, your steward can get you what you want when you want it - even if it's not on the list (especially if you're tipping well and often).

 

If this post offends some - I apologize. But, seriously, much of what you're paying for in the suites is a level of service and responsiveness you can't get elsewhere on the ship. To some that's worth it - to some it's not. You get what you pay for.

 

Bill

 

While I have only been on two cruises to your many...I disagree. (JMO) I thought the level of service was the same between our mini and our full suite...I had to fight for things that I was suppose to receive with a full suite. IE The lotus spa, free internet, and canapes (these are the things that are off the top of my head) The room was awesome, but for $1,400.00 more total I would rather take another cruise. That is why our next three cruises will be in a Mini Suite, we had a great time in our mini. Now for our 10 day Carribbean Cruise I may consider bumping back up to a full suite because of the number of days we will be cruising...I understand if you take longer than 7 day cruises why the extra room would be important.

I asked my wife what would you rather have two cruises a year in a full suite or three in a mini...and the answer was the mini....and when the wife is happy I am happy....:D

[Netnurse31]

We started booking suites last year and I have to admit you are right....it's very hard to go back to a standard cabin. To me the space is worth it's weight in gold. I tend to spend a lot of time in my cabin and enjoy having that extra space and larger balcony to lounge in.

 

I only cruise once a year, don't have time to do it more often unfortunately, so the cruise fare is not as much of an issue. I'd like to think that if I had more time to vacation that I would book a standard cabin so I could cruise more frequently. Since experiencing a suite I do believe it would be very difficult to go back. Perhaps I'd try taking up a collection at work. Since I'm charge nurse on a nursing unit they would probably pay for me to be gone since I run such a tight ship...lol.