Author: Alyson Nachman, My Virtual Vacations
Every year, the bar is raised by cruise lines to entice guests for a luxury experience and every year, our family is excited to embark on this next step! We’ve always cruised together as a family. Whether it’s with the two kids or a multi-generational cruise with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, we like it to be as relaxing as possible. That’s why we often choose to upscale our cruise vacation. We enjoy mid-size ships that aren’t too large but still have a variety of entertainment options and an array of food.
When we first moved into luxury cruising in 2008, we started with a Grand Suite on Royal Caribbean’s Enchantment of the Seas. It included the availability of a concierge lounge that served drinks throughout the day and then evening hors d’oeuvres while enjoying live music.
Then we moved to Celebrity Cruises, which is owned by Royal Caribbean but is a more upscale product. When we experienced a suite on the Celebrity Summit in 2014, we fell in love with our large Celebrity Suite. This suite included a separate bedroom, a jetted bathtub, and large shower, even a dining area. As a suite guest, we had access to Michael’s Club, their version of a concierge lounge. And we had a butler! During this cruise, we enjoyed the Main Dining Room and were seated with a lovely family who also had two boys.
5StarTip🌟: Celebrity Cruises always does a fantastic job of matching guests together for dining.
In 2017, we enjoyed our next suite, a Royal Suite on Celebrity Cruise. It was fabulous with one and a half bathrooms, a full dining room with a stocked wet bar, and a hot tub on the veranda. By this time, they had upscaled the suite experience again and created Luminae, a restaurant exclusively for suite guests.
And now it’s 2019! Cruise ships have upped the experience again. Norwegian Cruise Line first set the luxury standard with “The Haven” a few years ago. You’ll find a private restaurant, a swimming pool, and lounges just for suite guests. This year, you’ll find large secluded areas like this on more and more cruise ships. MSC Cruises has a “Yacht Club” for suite level guests and now Celebrity Cruises has designated a private area for suite guests on their newest ship, Celebrity Edge.
Our favorite suite experience was the Royal Suite on Celebrity Equinox. While our preference is Celebrity Cruises, many cruise lines offer comparable luxury cruising experiences. The amenities given to suite guests are so enticing, you will want to upscale your next cruise!
Here are my top 5 tips that you will not want to miss when booking a cruise on Celebrity Cruises in 2019. Also, suggestions that you might find on other luxury cruise lines that you will want to make sure and receive too.
5StarTips🌟:
🌟 Butler Service
Why is this experience on the top of my list? Because it provides the relaxing experience that cruising should be all about. If you want something, don’t hesitate to ask. Your butler is there to assist with making things happen seamlessly without you having to think about them. A few fun suggestions:
- Deliver afternoon tea or cappuccino, hors d’oeuvres, and meals at your dining room table or on the veranda (We often ask for cheese and crackers in the afternoon and they magically arrive every day.)
- Expedite the laundry, dry-cleaning and pressing services
- Make specialty dining reservations or help with booking shore excursions
- Draw a bubble bath to be waiting for you after dinner
- Want to plan a family movie night? Let your butler know and they will find a DVD and provide snacks
- Arrange in-suite cocktails or dinner parties
🌟 Over the Top Personalized Service
Without being pushy, you want to be pampered. This is where priority embarkation and disembarkation come in. When you are in the top two largest suites (on our Celebrity Equinox, it was a Penthouse or Royal Suite) you’ll typically be met after dropping off your luggage by the Michael’s Club Concierge. They will escort you through the line for suite guests all the way until you are on the ship. Even if you are not in a suite of this level, you will still be personally greeted in the suite line and usually personally escorted on to the ship.
5StarTip🌟: When visiting ports, look for the shorter “Suite” line to get back on the ship without the crowds.
You’ll also be personally escorted to the show on Evening Chic night by your butler. There is a special, centrally located section reserved for suite guests. There is no hunting around in the dark to find a block of seats together for your family and even your little people will have a prime view.
On disembarkation day, suite guests will be allowed a bit longer on the ship and can have a full breakfast in the dining room or a continental style breakfast will be set up in a lounge. This is relaxation from start to finish!
🌟 Step into Michael’s Club
You will love this VIP access on a Celebrity Cruise! Michael’s Club started out as a specialty lounge for all guests but then it was turned into suite-only. With a full bar, they can mix you a drink all day long or you can quickly choose a can or bottle of a non-alcoholic beverage. This is perfect if you are traveling with children in your suite. Plus, the concierge in Michael’s Club is available to assist with anything that you would normally wait in a line for at Guest Relations. Michael’s Club is also a wonderful place to stop in for before-dinner drinks. They will bring you some little bites and may even have live music. Even the kids will enjoy doing this.
🌟 Exclusive Suite Restaurants
On Celebrity Cruises, suite guests in Luminae can dine whatever time they want. The staff will make their best effort to seat you at your preferred table and with the same servers. The food in Luminae is decadent and beautiful. It’s steps above traditional main dining food as it’s a bit more gourmet, decorated with splashes of sauces, edible flowers, and luxury ingredients (think shaved truffles on whipped potatoes.) A definite not to miss is the candy and sweet’s cart they offer on Evening Chic nights.
🌟 Celebrity Edge
The newest Celebrity Cruises ship, Celebrity Edge, started its regular cruising season in December 2018 but is bound to be a luxury star in 2019. It was built with approximately three times the number of suites as the Solstice-class Celebrity Cruises ships. The first one in the series, Celebrity Solstice, was built with 66 total suites, whereas Celebrity Edge has 176. For luxury cruising now, you’ll have a secluded private getaway within the ship. Suite guests will have access to The Retreat, which includes private restaurant Luminae, The Retreat Lounge (previously Michael’s Club), The Retreat Sundeck, The Retreat Pool and The Retreat Pool Bar.
Final Thoughts:
The suite experience has rapidly changed in just the past 10 years that our family has been cruising. I love that you can experience luxury perks while still having large-scale productions, a variety of activities, and multiple dining options throughout the ship. Seek out all, or just some, of my 5 top tips in 2019 and you can make your cruise an Always5Star luxury experience, too!
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A bit about the author: Alyson Nachman
Along with creating my website and blog My Virtual Vacations , I work in an office full-time and as a mom to two energetic teenage boys. With our family’s busy work and school schedule, we look forward to traveling during holidays. Although it seems that our family can never agree on anything, we do when it comes to vacations. We typically travel on cruises or stay at luxury hotels. We enjoy upscale dining, beautiful decor, excellent service, and spacious accommodations. However, with a family including two teenage boys, we still need family friendly and comfortable.
My Virtual Vacations offers pertinent information for everyone. With a focus on tropical and port destinations in the Caribbean and United States, you’ll find hotel and resort suggestions, restaurant and room service menus from cruise ships and hotels, activities and excursion information, as well as helpful tips on traveling with a family.
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About Pamela Rossi
I am passionate about travel and taking each moment and making it a five star experience. My goal is to create those experiences for YOU!
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