I've been to suite lounges on many Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Here are the 5 things I never do in them.
In:If you're booked in a suite on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, you'll get access to the cruise line's suite lounge.
Suite guests and Pinnacle Club members are able to access the lounge, which includes complimentary beverages in the evening, snacks throughout the day, a self-service coffee machine, and plush seating.
I'm able to access the lounge either because I'm booked in a suite or because I've attained Pinnacle Club status in Royal Caribbean's Crown and Anchor Society loyalty program.
I like how quiet the suite lounge can be in the daytime, and how much fun it can be meeting other passengers during the happy hour each evening. I also like having access to the food and drink, along with the services of the Suite Concierge.
Here are five things I never do in Royal Caribbean's suite lounge.
Stuff yourself on food
There's snacks to enjoy in the suite lounge three times per day, and the exact variety will vary. By far, the evening hors d'oeuvres are the best choice with skewered meats, charcuterie boards, eggrolls, and more.
They can be tempting, especially because it's "included" and costs nothing to enjoy, but I won't load up my plate unless I'm starving or know I won't be eating for a while. I've made that mistake before and it resulted in ruining my appetite for dinner.
I think dinner on a Royal Caribbean cruise is the most celebrated meal of the day, and there's also the best choices around.
I enjoy going to the suite lounge for a few pre-dinner drinks, especially on ships that have a bar in the suite lounge (such as the Radiance Class ships). It's a great way to meet people and enjoy complimentary alcoholic beverages without a drink package.
Read more: Royal Caribbean drink package information and tips
After a drink or two, having a snack can be mighty tempting, but I try to limit my consumption and snacking so that I can enjoy the great dinner service offered on the ship.
Have a phone call
The suite lounge isn't a library, but I do think it's important to be respectful of others in the lounge.
Just like on an airplane, train, or cafe, no one wants to hear someone else's phone conversation.
If I get a phone call, I'll answer and quickly ask them to hang on or I'll call them back so I can step out of the lounge and take the call. This is easy on the Voyager Class ships that have an outdoor deck to the suite lounge, but sometimes I'll actually walk back to my stateroom or another public area.
Part of the fun of the suite lounge is to have a conversation with someone there, but I do think phone calls tend to be louder. And if someone has their speakerphone on, then it's just annoying to others to have to hear.
While it hasn't been an issue I've seen, I would always use headphones for any kind of audio while in the lounge.
Stiff the concierge or bar staff
Tipping on a cruise is a bit of a gray area because it's not that well defined, but you should expect to tip while in the suite lounge.
How much and who you tip really depends on how much interaction you have with the staff.
If I spend some time in the lounge and get to know the suite concierge, I usually tip that person at the end of the sailing. The amount depends on how much I ask of them, how long the sailing is, and how well I get to know them. There isn't a right or wrong amount, they're appreciative of what you can give them.
The sort of things the suite concierge can do for you is escort you off the ship to bypass the line of guests disembarking, fix billing issues, book specialty restaurants, or basically do anything Guest Services can do. On some cruises, I ask a lot of them, and others not so much. Even if all I do is stop in to get an escort off the ship on disembarkation day, I'll tip them for the help.
Read more: 8 reasons to get off your ship as early as possible on disembarkation day
The other time to tip while in the suite is when you order a drink from the wait staff.
You can get complimentary alcoholic beverages every day in the suite lounge (refer to your welcome letter in your suite for exact hours) and there are waiters to take your drink order.
A dollar or two per drink is the customary tip, although some guests will tip a specific waiter at the end of the sailing.
Sneak non-suite guests in
It can be tempting to want to bring friends and family into the suite lounge so you can all hang out, but it's against the rules if they aren't also in a suite.
This isn't so much about protecting Royal Caribbean (although it is strictly against the rules), but rather, being considerate of your fellow passengers.
Suite lounges are not big. In fact, many are quite tiny. It's why Royal Caribbean will sometimes restrict the amount of Pinnacle Club members that can access the lounge.
Leave my kids unattended
Don't confuse the suite lounge with the adults-only Solarium, but I still wouldn't let my kids just hang out alone in there either.
I like to take my kids into the suite lounge so we can enjoy time together, plus allow them to enjoy the suite benefits they're entitled to. It's a good way to introduce them to what to expect, so when they're older, they know how to act.
I love my kids, but I know when left unsupervised, they can sometimes be loud or simply annoy each other and that can get loud. This goes back to some of the other faux pas' I listed in this post about being respectful of other guests.
I have no problem sending my kids up to the lounge by themselves on a mission to grab a drink or snack, but never to hang out.
