Are you First class or Steerage?

[sicsinohio]

As a suite passenger you have certain perks which are written down as well. Beyond that you are not entitled to anything else. In a bar you should be treated just like the person on deck 2.

 

Amen! We book those interior guarantees, and feel blessed to be able to cruise at all! We don't pay attention to where other cruisers' cabins are located. They can have whatever perks to which they are entitled as long as it doesn't take anything away from my cruise experience. So, "suite-ees", don't mess with my deck chair!!:p

[akcruz]

 

I'm sorry to say-the pool chairs were a great idea. I've read thread after thread on chair hogs. This is true and on a Sea Day sometimes it is impossible to find a chair. My husband and I are up early and I have seen with my own eyes-many folks doing the towell and book thing at 6AM. I personally feel-for the price of some of these suites-those guests should have a chair.

 

This is the part of this whole thing that does bother me. There have been people on here saying that they won't sit in the 'roped off' area either because they don't want to be stared at or looked at as suite passengers or that they don't care for those seats. These people will be sitting in the rest of the chairs leaving theirs empty only making the chair situation worse. There have been a few reviews over the past month or so when this did occur.

 

Bottom line is if the chair hogs woule be controlled wouldn't be an issue for anyone!

 

BTW I'm in steerage as well. Had a JS once and while it was nice, I would rather be spending my $$ on other things.

[Debde]

Bottom line is if the chair hogs woule be controlled wouldn't be an issue for anyone!

 

Agreed! RC should of handled this much sooner and would not have to give this suite/reserved chair thing a try.

But-I believe this is a situation with any cruise line. RC is not the only one with chair hogs I'm thinking!!!

[jaxon41]

Outside of reserved pool-side seating, I don't see anything on the list that would bother me or most others. Anyone staying in a hotel - if you rent a suite you always get perks. As one who, when attending a concert often ends up in the "cheap seats", I'm not bothered, but I do think a cruiser looking for a lounge chair, and not being able to find one while empty chairs exist in the "suite" area, will quite likely be aggravated.

 

I agree, not that I have ever been able to nab a preemo seat by the pool, anyway. Since there are more of us in steerage than them, we could just nab 'em, and see what happens -- mutiny! I think it is NCl which has the super suites with their own outdoor space. I was on one of those cruises, and some sheiks from Arabia were also on that cruise staying in those suites -- I thought it was aggravating that an entire bank of seats in the theatre was reserved for them, and they never used them. I wouldn't have minded if they had used them -- so maybe what needs to happen is if you are a hotsy totsy, you need to call down for your reserved deck lounge or theatre seat, and then one can be held for you, otherwise forget it.

 

Frankly, people who spend those big bucks are doing it for reasons other than a good seat at the pool.

[jaxon41]

Same here. If I had the $x,000's it costs to live in a room FOR A WEEK, I would STILL rather take that money and pay a little extra on my mortgage, and be able to live in several rooms (read: my house) FOR MONTHS.

 

And, I would still have enough $$ left over to get on that same cruiseship and enjoy the same shows, beaches, meals, and bars with the '1st class' people.

 

Off subject -- I LOVE your boxer -- I am on my 6th.

[Nerina]

I don't care if they come into your suite and do your nails for you. I don't care what else they give their suite guests as long as it does not take away something from me that I used to get included in my cruise.

 

For example: reserved seating. I see both sides of the arguement as far as reserved seating goes. This COULD POSSIBLY take something away from the non-suite guests (a chance to sit front row).. BUT.. in reality, I think it will not be a real issue to lose any sleep over as it really won't chance my cruise experience at all.

 

So... keep giving them suite guests all the perks in the world to keep them cruising so that my balcony can remain relatively inexpensive. But, just don't ever cross the line of taking stuff away from me that I used to get to the point where I will actually notice it.

 

Well said!!! :p

 

Past Cruises:

2003 Serenade of the Seas – Canada

2004 Voyager of the Seas – Western Caribbean

2005 Jewel of the Seas – Westbound Transatlantic

2006 Explorer of the Seas – Bermuda

2006 Explorer of the Seas – Bermuda

2007 Radiance of the Seas – Hawaii Circle

2008 Explorer of the Seas – Southern Caribbean

2008 Eurodam – NYC Introduction Cruise

 

Future Cruises:

2009 Explorer of the Seas – Eastern Caribbean

2009 Norwegian Jewel – New England & Canada

[jaxon41]

Just because a suite guest will have a gold sea pass card does not mean all will still have the same vacation they went on the last time they sailed RC.

 

If anyone should get the gold sea pass card it should be the diamond/plus cruisers. Suit-ees (loved that) could get them, too, when they had sailed enough times with the line. A suite once in a lifetime vs a lifetime of loyal patronage? No contest for me.

 

I am not a diamond, btw. And the purpose of the gold card is? Special treatment, of course, so give it to the most loyal of the customers.

[CanWeGoYet?]

 

I'm really, really claustrophobic (elevators even bug me) and sensitive to motion sickness (I wear one of those electric nerve stimulators on my arm so I don't puke--made the mistake of taking it off on last cruise

 

Small derail Citizen Jane, I saw one of those electric nerve stimulators in a catalog - was wondering if they worked. It seems like it makes a big difference for you? Would you tell me which brand you bought?

 

Sorry for derail - back to First Class vs Steerage!

[Rocker313]

Actually this Gold/Silver/White card stuff may backfire.

 

Some (not all) Suite passengers feel that they own the worl aspecially with the distinct difference in card color now.

 

Last cruise on the Grandeur a funny thing happened in the Schooner Bar.

 

We were sitting at a table with the Schooner Bar pretty full. Some couple came in looking for a table. They pulled over a waitress, slung their gold card out and said "we are suite passengers as you can see. We would like to have a table now."

The waitress looked at them like they are from another planet. She said very friendly "well if you can find a table go right ahead. It is an unhosted venue."

 

So, the guy said firmly "did you not hear what I said. We are suite passengers.." flung his card in the air and continued "we should have priority and we want a table".

 

She looked at the card and said nicely "it is really nice that you are a suite passenger but I could contradict your argument that you also have no status. I will not kick a diamond or diamond plus member off their table just for a suite guest."

 

The couple left steaming.

 

Wow!!! that would be more than a little hard to watch...some people...

[marci22]

Actually this Gold/Silver/White card stuff may backfire.

 

Some (not all) Suite passengers feel that they own the worl aspecially with the distinct difference in card color now.

 

Last cruise on the Grandeur a funny thing happened in the Schooner Bar.

 

We were sitting at a table with the Schooner Bar pretty full. Some couple came in looking for a table. They pulled over a waitress, slung their gold card out and said "we are suite passengers as you can see. We would like to have a table now."

The waitress looked at them like they are from another planet. She said very friendly "well if you can find a table go right ahead. It is an unhosted venue."

 

So, the guy said firmly "did you not hear what I said. We are suite passengers.." flung his card in the air and continued "we should have priority and we want a table".

 

She looked at the card and said nicely "it is really nice that you are a suite passenger but I could contradict your argument that you also have no status. I will not kick a diamond or diamond plus member off their table just for a suite guest."

 

The couple left steaming.

 

 

Come on, there are jerks all over, has nothing to do with whether or not you are a suite passenger.

[Rocker313]

Actually this Gold/Silver/White card stuff may backfire.

 

If on my next cruise I see one of those roped of areas and I see a handful of 'suite passengers' in there I'll play a joke on them and will grab me 30 'normal' passengers, we'll turn our pool loungers around, sit in front of them and will just stare at those 'suities' for the next two hours.

 

Because that's what they want: attention. Attention they shall get. LMAO.

 

In the mean time I find this whole thing funny as hell.....

 

:D

 

I will assume this was probably just sarcasm, but i'll use it as an example - wouldn't this kind of behavior, and what others have posted about how "suite-ees" hypothetically might act with these new perks be just as bad as the couple you described wanting a table just because of a gold card? I have an upcoming honeymoon cruise, in a GS, paid for from both sides of our family as our gift (it will be many, well, decades, before I could afford that on my own, so interior is fine by me to keep cruisin' till then!). Will I use the amenities that are offered to suite guests? Abolutely!!! Will I be more than a little angry and frustrated if people try and act poorly to me just for using a perk that RC gives out to anyone in a certain cabins? You better believe it.

Poor behavior by some, causes poor behavior by others, and then it repeats - and really, thats not what a vacation needs to be about, as that happens plenty enough everyday in the real world (mainland as I call it! :cool:)

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

I wouldn't say you will get "bad" service but the very fact that the line has singled out certain passengers by color coding their seapass cards can have a subtle effect on the staff who are working onboard the ship. The gold cards signify that the person is "special" and that can be interpreted by the crew who, while they work for tips, also work to please their employers, to mean that "special attention" is to be given to those passengers. :o

 

Oh please! Enough already!

 

I'm not singling you out, Bill, but merely making a statement. Why is everyone sooooooo concerned about special perks or a different colored card? Really?

 

Oh, I know - we all are so concerned with our image and keeping up with the Jones, so I, too, have to look like I'm a high roller and show off my bling card. Please...give me a break!

 

Regardless of whether I can afford the GS, I will not book it simply because I'm quite happy with a balcony and I'd rather take the difference in price and invest it. Period.

 

Maybe it's my mindset. I'm quite content to watch everyone fall all over themselves in a shopping spree while I quietly laugh to myself to the bank because I own a portion of the companies which are raking in the dough from everyone having to "prove" themselves. (Disclosure: I don't own shares in RCL; I'm speaking generally about consumer spending versus saving and investing).

 

I can't believe something so small as a different colored card provokes so much emotion in people. Here's an idea: instead of feeling down or less of a person because you have a white card, why not feel "important" because you're an astute consumer and investor? You both go to the exact same ports but you did it for less and have a rather sizable chuck available for you to invest when the week is long gone.

[Mark_K]

I will start out by saying that I love Royal and would not sail with any other but really. We now have 2 classes on each ship...First Class which is suite guests and lower class which is everyone else on the ship. The new perks for suite guests don’t bother me other than the reserved seating by the pool and for all the shows.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=62966135.blog

Well, that was really nice of them to do all this just in time for our first cruise in a Grand Suite (for our 30th Anniversary).

[cruisinMike]

 

..............If on my next cruise I see one of those roped of areas and I see a handful of 'suite passengers' in there I'll play a joke on them and will grab me 30 'normal' passengers, we'll turn our pool loungers around, sit in front of them and will just stare at those 'suities' for the next two hours.

 

Because that's what they want: attention. Attention they shall get. LMAO.

 

In the mean time I find this whole thing funny as hell.....

 

:D

 

So, this behavior is superior to the "suite passengers" behavior in what way? These folks are just following the "rules" and enjoying the perks that RCCL has deemed they deserve (reserved deck chairs specifically) and you have taken it upon yourself to try to belittle other cruisers because of this.

 

I think you are a little more then slightly misguided with this suggested behavior. You should direct your "issues" to RCCL and not the other cruisers who are there, like you, to enjoy their vacation.

 

For goodness sakes, some of you are fretting about the color of a seapass card.

 

Let's see, how have I read it on other threads concerning other issues....oh yes.......if you don't like RCCL's rules, move to another cruiseline of your liking. Obviously said tongue-in-cheek and hopefully some of you see how silly that comment really is when used in other threads.

[finucane]

OK, so if you are disabled and confined to a wheelchair, you have no choice to go with a suite (except JS, which doesn't count in all these perks) because you need an accessible cabin. JS is as close to a suite as your going to get, then you are kind of put aside from the rest of your upperclassmen... This really opens up a whole other can of worms.

 

I wonder also what conflict will result on board between passengers who are the haves and the have-nots? Roping off the pool area for just one example I imagine will bring up some real issues when the alcohol starts flowing, maybe even before the alcohol...:eek: They think they have problems now with "lounge saving"... Oh my!

 

Maybe All Inclusive's will be the way to go. That way you can pick your resort level you decide to participate in without the class division. I can't see "class division" working in the confines of a ship. We'll see what happens...

Works for me!

 

Kind of a Titanic situation starting here...

[Texas Teen]

I don't think anyone should get anything special, just because their card is gold!

[shelby_36]

But did you ever price a suite? You don't get much more for your money other than a balcony and bigger bathroom. I don't think adding a few perks is too much to ask. If they were paying the same price it would be different.

[Texas Teen]

OK, so if you are disabled and confined to a wheelchair, you have no choice to go with a suite (except JS, which doesn't count in all these perks) because you need an accessible cabin. JS is as close to a suite as your going to get, then you are kind of put aside from the rest of your upperclassmen... This really opens up a whole other can of worms.

 

I wonder also what conflict will result on board between passengers who are the haves and the have-nots? Roping off the pool area for just one example I imagine will bring up some real issues when the alcohol starts flowing, maybe even before the alcohol...:eek: They think they have problems now with "lounge saving"... Oh my!

 

Maybe All Inclusive's will be the way to go. That way you can pick your resort level you decide to participate in without the class division. I can't see "class division" working in the confines of a ship. We'll see what happens...

Works for me!

 

Kind of a Titanic situation starting here...

 

Royal Caribbean has wheelchair accessable cabins that are NOT suites! They have a few wheelchair cabins in the Interior category, the Oceanview category, and Balcony category!

[llamola]

I agree, not that I have ever been able to nab a preemo seat by the pool, anyway. Since there are more of us in steerage than them, we could just nab 'em, and see what happens -- mutiny! I think it is NCl which has the super suites with their own outdoor space. I was on one of those cruises, and some sheiks from Arabia were also on that cruise staying in those suites -- I thought it was aggravating that an entire bank of seats in the theatre was reserved for them, and they never used them. I wouldn't have minded if they had used them -- so maybe what needs to happen is if you are a hotsy totsy, you need to call down for your reserved deck lounge or theatre seat, and then one can be held for you, otherwise forget it.

 

Frankly, people who spend those big bucks are doing it for reasons other than a good seat at the pool.

Could not have said it better. I am a suite guest and like the perks that come with it. However I would have no problem letting the conceirge know I will be attending the show tomorrow night. If I don't call, I don't get the VIP seating. Simple enough. And I don't need a chair at the pool. I never sit for more than 5 minutes.

[BadBoysDriveAudi]

Unfortunately society is all about "store front" without caring what's inside.

 

A card distinction between suites, junior seats and the rest of the passengers is such a store front. It may satisfy those who need to show everybody "hey look I am in a suite" but it really does not say anything about their character, behavior and/or treatment of staff.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. And good for the attendant for understanding how to best care for all consumers under her care. Those are the types of employees I choose to hire.

[llamola]

If on my next cruise I see one of those roped of areas and I see a handful of 'suite passengers' in there I'll play a joke on them and will grab me 30 'normal' passengers, we'll turn our pool loungers around, sit in front of them and will just stare at those 'suities' for the next two hours.

 

Now thats real grown-up. The cruise line gives you a perk and you are considered wrong for excepting it. I would hope that you would have difficulty in finding 30 people the same as you.

[Debde]

Maybe All Inclusive's will be the way to go. That way you can pick your resort level you decide to participate in without the class division.

 

Just returned from an AI resort where guests that booked 'Royal Service' had their own section of the beach. -an entire section of the beach!!!:eek:

 

I think everyone is in a tizzy for nothing. If this bb turns a cruise into the 'us' and 'thems' that would be sad.

Don't look at someone's sea pass card and look away from the roped off chairs. Make the best of your vacation and don't worry about what the other guy has or does not have.

I've met some of the nicest people on a cruise and I swear-have no idea where they stayed. Nice folks are nice folks-plain and simple.

 

We've stayed- a family of 4 cramed into an inside stateroom-we laughed until we cried we had so much fun. Stayed in a GS too-had so much fun. We were the same people in the inside that we were in the suite. People-please don't judge others on where they stay and what RC has chosen to do.

[llamola]

OK, so if you are disabled and confined to a wheelchair, you have no choice to go with a suite (except JS, which doesn't count in all these perks) because you need an accessible cabin. JS is as close to a suite as your going to get, then you are kind of put aside from the rest of your upperclassmen... This really opens up a whole other can of worms.

 

I wonder also what conflict will result on board between passengers who are the haves and the have-nots? Roping off the pool area for just one example I imagine will bring up some real issues when the alcohol starts flowing, maybe even before the alcohol...:eek: They think they have problems now with "lounge saving"... Oh my!

 

Maybe All Inclusive's will be the way to go. That way you can pick your resort level you decide to participate in without the class division. I can't see "class division" working in the confines of a ship. We'll see what happens...

Works for me!

 

Kind of a Titanic situation starting here...

 

 

Johnny, your back. I missed you.

[DavidM64Cruiser]

The suites are totally worth the extra money!! I just did the Grand Suite on the Serenade of the Seas. If for nothing else, the huge bathroom! The Concierge Service is great too. (Although as a Diamond Member, I get that in any class cabin)

 

I was able to view the Jr. Suite in the Serenade on my way off the ship. The Jr. Suite is really nice in the Radiance Class. There are no double sinks in the bathroom, but still nice.

[horsesrus]

If on my next cruise I see one of those roped of areas and I see a handful of 'suite passengers' in there I'll play a joke on them and will grab me 30 'normal' passengers, we'll turn our pool loungers around, sit in front of them and will just stare at those 'suities' for the next two hours.

 

Because that's what they want: attention. Attention they shall get. LMAO.

 

In the mean time I find this whole thing funny as hell.....

 

:D

 

How increbibly rude, and you talk about suite passengers?! :rolleyes: It’s not about attention, I'm not sure why anyone would think that. It’s about convenience; which in my opinion should be included when paying for a suite.

If you read through this new list of perks they are much more in line with some other cruise lines; RCCL has to keep up or lose out on those passengers willing to pay for a suite. They have lost us for our next two sailings. I'm happy to see these new perks are going fleet wide and will certainly consider my next booking back with RCCL.