New to HAL

Happy Summertime All! :cool:

 

Just a couple of quick questions. My apologies if these have been asked before, and thanks in advance for your feedback.

 

We will be staying in a Neptune Suite on the Amersterdam in September. What gratuity would you suggest for in-cabin service, for breakfast, coffee or dinner? On Celebrity and Princess, we have given between $1-5 USD depending upon what we order, usually cash.

 

Hard to tell from the deck diagrams, but is there a daily spa fee, or a Thallosotherapy pool / quiet spa area with warm tiled loungers? A steam or dry sauna area?

 

Any recent changes in allowing cruisers to upgrade alcoholic beverage package once on-board?

 

Dining is really subjective, but any "don't miss" dining options, whether MDR or specialty?

 

Thanks so much,

Gary

Welcome and for the chance to re-open one of our favorite topics - tipping for room service. We consider this an included dining option and do not tip. Others are very insistent that one does tip for each delivery. So this will obviously be something you will get to decide on your own.

 

There is no complimentary spa for Neptune Suite passengers so the heated ceramic loungers, aroma showers and hot whirlpools will be an extra fee - Thermal Suite - charges vary for each ship and destination it appears. The Neptune suite cabins on the Amsterdam are very large and lovely. You made a wonderful choice of a ship and a cabin level. So you are off to a very good start.

 

We do like the pampering one gets from the Neptune Lounge. And the small snacks they always have available throughout the day. The dining options on HAL ships are generally good to very good, but nothing that particularly stands out. (Except the Tamarind pan Asian restaurant - but those restaurants are only on other larger HAL ships, not the smaller older ones like the Amsterdam)

 

There may be some special restaurant nights in the surcharge Pinnacle Dining Room on the Amsterdam like Le Cirque Night or Liberjie - a Dutch starred restaurant. Best to check these schedules when you get on board, to see what else might be offered to make any early reservations. There can also be special dining "cellar master" nights too.

 

The Maitre D usually is available in the Explorers Lounge on embarkation day that would have this information, or the Neptune Concierge will do this for you - though he/she may be busy the first day. But specialty dining reservations is one of the things they do best, as well as sorting out if you would like to change your main dining room arrangements or table if you have chosen fixed dining.

 

So keep asking all the questions you want - there are many who know this ship well and also know how to best enjoy your Neptune Suite privileges. We did 50 days on her a few years ago - Tales of the South Pacific. The smaller, older HAL ships remain our favorite.

On HAL, those staying in the Neptune Suites can have breakfast in the Pinnacle (on some ships it may be on the upper level of the dining room -- that is where we had breakfast when we were on the Amsterdam). The times and menus are the same as the main dining room.

The Thermo pool on this ship is just a whirlpool with a few heated loungers in the same area. Nothing free for anyone.

We have tipped whenever we have ordered food to the cabin -- like $2 for breakfast, $5 for lunch and $10 for dinner -- sometimes more if we order a lot of food.

By the sounds of it, you have gotten the Signature Beverage Package. Yes -- on the first day you can go to a bar -- most people have a better chance of getting to upgrade the package.

... Dining is really subjective, but any "don't miss" dining options, whether MDR or specialty?

 

IMHO all of Eurodam's specialty restaurants are "don't miss" options!!!

Smooth sailing ... and bon appetit!

We are sailing to Alaska in August. We have open seating. Do we have to make reservations in the main dining room for meals?

We are sailing to Alaska in August. We have open seating. Do we have to make reservations in the main dining room for meals?

 

No. Just show up and you will be given a table.

 

If you see crab legs on the menu, you will receive two index finger-length legs. Ask your waiter for several orders to enjoy a real crab leg appetizer.

Some times are more popular for open seating than others, so there might be a wait. They will give you a buzzer. After a few nights you will learn when the better times are to arrive to be seated more quickly. Additionally, once you find you might want particular time or table in the open seating section, you can make pre-reservations for about three consecutive days, I believe

 

I have never done this as we always have late-fixed dining (quieter and we enjoy getting to know the same waiters and vice versa), so hopefully others will fill in more of the details.

Room service tipping -- we tip. Like your example, it depends on when and how much food is involved. When we've hosted dinner in our cabin for a couple of friends, we increase the tip amount due to the increased # of trays.

 

Lunch in the Pinnacle Grill is definitely worth trying. Also check with the Pinnacle Grill if they are offering a Cellar Master's Dinner on your cruise. You can see the menu in advance, before you commit.

We always do open seating and arrive between 6PM & 6:30PM. We are willing to sit with other people but I do request that we sit at a round or oval table. It makes it much easier to have a conversation at the table then if your sitting at a long table. We rarely have to wait more than a couple of minutes. Sometimes we get lazy and have dinner in the Lido which usually offers the same food that they have in the dining room with a few exceptions. We always go to the dining room when they're serving escargot, crab legs and lobster which usually happens on gala nights. I would also recommend lunch or dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. The food is outstanding.

 

Helen

If they offer a cellar master's dinner, don't miss it. Specially paired menu items and really good wine (and lots of it). Fortunately nobody has to drive home.

We are sailing to Alaska in August. We have open seating. Do we have to make reservations in the main dining room for meals?

You don't have to, but if you want a specific size table reservations are the best way to go. You can find MDR plans for the different ship classes at halfacts.com, to make a list of tables you might like, and reserve one of them for up to 3 nights at a time after you are on board.