Crown AB penthouse

[sauvichick]

DH & I are considering a Bermuda cruise in August. Can anyone tell me what are the perks/extras in this category? I know you receive a butler and concierge service. But what does this entail(we've never gone higher than balcony category)? Is there anything like evening snacks,one-time bar setup,etc. I called my "personal" cruise consultant and he basically read me the brochure(in other words, didn't know anything):rolleyes: . Any info would be appreciated. Thanks.

[jeanettep]

We were in Cabin #1017 in October and loved it. We had a butler (Anoop) who greeted us as soon as we arrived and took our order for soft drinks and water which were replenished daily in the refrigerator. We had a chilled bottle of champagne waiting for us which he offered to open and pour for us. He also gave us an order slip for three complimentary bottles of liquor. A different snack was delivered daily around 5:15 pm -- chocolate covered strawberries, cheese and crackers, pastries.

 

Our concierge (Vicky) checked with us every day to see if she could do anything for us. She met with us the first day and made our dinner reservations for the week and upgraded our Dining Ashore lunch certificates to dinner certificates ($10 charge instead of $5). Vicky also escorted us to the Captain's cocktail party (see below) and took care of priority disembarkation (we got VIP tags for our luggage) at the end of the cruise.

 

We were provided terry-lined microfiber robes and high-end lotion, soap, shampoo (still small sizes, though). There was a VCR in the room and we had a list of videos we could request from the butler. Meals and extra snacks could also be ordered which would be delivered by the butler or his assistant. We like going to the buffet for breakfast and lunch and to the restaurants for dinner so we didn't use room service.

 

As suite passengers, we were invited to a cocktail party in the Captain's quarters. Champagne was served along with hors d'oeuvres. The Captain was very sociable and we brought our camera along so we could have a picture taken with him. Also took some pictures of his quarters, basically his office and large room with couches, conference table, etc. where I assume he holds meetings with the officers.

 

The AB Penthouse is very spacious, lots of closet space and a large balcony with two loungers and a table with four chairs. Lots of room both inside and out. I think I've mentioned all the perks, but if I think of anything else, I'll add to this message. You can do a "thread search" and get lots of information on penthouse suites including links to photos.

 

Keep in mind that the butler and concierge are not included in the $10 per person, per day tip added to your bill. We gave them each a sizable tip at the end of the cruise.

 

Bottom line, it was well worth the extra money we paid for the upgrade from a mini-suite to a penthouse suite. We got the upsell offer about two weeks before departure.

[jeanettep]

Just to clarify, the soft drinks and water that our butler provided daily were complimentary.

 

Also, after the first night's sleep, we asked for egg crate foam toppers and promptly had them on our beds.

 

Another afterthought on the search, I think "forum search" is what I meant to write.

[sauvichick]

Hi Jeanette:

Thank you so much for taking the time to write out all those details! I will show DH so we can decide. I realize you were offered the upsell but I'm not sure if the offer will be available in August. There is a huge price difference between the mini-suite and the penthouse suites(almost $2000) and we want a balcony! If we do decide on Bermuda, we will go for the guarantee AB(exactly what we want). If we get an owner's stateroom even better. Thanks for the advice on the forum search-I did not feel like reading 100's of threads. We really loved Bermuda but unfortunately there are not many ships with balcony cabins that have fewer than 2000 pax.