SS vs. Holland America in a Neptune Suite

I was recently on a cruise with a very big group that had chosen Holland America to host its event. I booked a relatively pacious Neptune Suite, with a nearby concierge lounge, as I was worried about dealing with breakfast and reception crowds and lines I expected if I were in a "normal" cabin on this mainstream ( perhaps premium mainstream) line.

A few comments, from the perspective of a usual luxury cruiser:

1.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprized with the crew's service. The food in the MDR for dinner was typically tastier ( at least to my taste) , though less fancy, than in the MDR on the Spirit a few months ago. Desserts were decadent. Alcohol was not included, but there was quite a nice wine selection and I got used to whipping out my room card when I placed my wine and other drink orders. The MDR tables were set closer together and acoustics did not muffle sound well, which was annoying, but table service was good.

The suite service was excellent, as was my jacuzzi bathtub and free laundry and DC. Problems were dealt with immediately. I did not like the furniture on the big balcony ( hard, and nothing reclined), or my neighbors ( they fed bread to seagulls while drunk,near a glacier, cheered when the glacier calved so I could not hear it -- heard them instead). But most people on board were well-behaved, happy appearing normal people, on average younger ( and less affluent) than on SS. People in the Neptune Suites lounge looked and acted more like SS pax, loaded with special requests.

2. Embarkation and disembarkation were slower than on SS, but well-organized, friendly personnel, and I used HAL luggage service for $29 to take my bag from my door and process it through to my home airport via UA without trouble, so I did not have to fetch and drag my bag when I got off.

3. Forget about this cruise line if you want to relax in the pool or hot tubs on a nice day -- packed with yelling kids having fun ( but I do not do pools anymore so it did not affect me, I just walked by)

4. huge casino and well-stocked fitness center, if important to you

5. Plenty of room to sit, lounge, a lot of ship activities, though many are oriented to trying to sell you something which you can ignore

6. The Neptune Lounge personnel were terrific, took care of all kinds of issues, and brought in nice capuccino and misc buffet snacklets all day long

Overall, at least if in a Neptune, nicely done for a big ship, and I would do it again if with a huge themed group, but if with DH on vacation, will stick with smaller luxury lines for the calm, and overall price value given what is and is not included.

May I ask which HAL ship you were on?

Westerdam, about 1900 pax.

May I ask what the relative cost to a standard SS suite might be, a percentage will do. Thanks.

And, may I ask: Did you have set dining time or did you have the anytime dining option? If you had anytime dining, were you able to arrive in the MDR anytime you wanted and receive table? Were you able to join other people for dinner? Thanks.

May I ask what the relative cost to a standard SS suite might be, a percentage will do. Thanks.

Depending on time of year, and excluding special deal options and frequent cruiser benefits, (and subtracting the extra charge I paid for the fundraising group cruise), my Neptune suite for one week Alaska was 25 per cent cheaper than one week on SS in a veranda suite would have been ( the cost of which varies depending on location, as we all know). Neptunes on HAL are bigger than standard veranda suites on SS, e.g, 500-712 square feet ( one spacious room, which I like), with the big balcony.

There is also a huge suite called Pinnacle suite option which has a separate bedroom, 1150 square feet and way more money, same Neptune lounge and special dining for breakfast areas, same early boarding privileges ( no special security line, however) But then on HAL you have to pay for sodas $1.98 for diet coke), liquor ( $9 plus tip for a whiskey sour), wine ( I usually buy my own wine for dinner on SS anyway as the chosen pours are not to my taste lately). For non-drinkers who want big cabin space, special attention in the lounge, but the benefits of a big ship such as different show options ( there was both a big show and a blues band show) and dining venues running through the whole day, and less risk of seasickness with rough seas, and less money, I can see the appeal. But this was NOT a SS or Regent atmosphere.

And, may I ask: Did you have set dining time or did you have the anytime dining option? If you had anytime dining, were you able to arrive in the MDR anytime you wanted and receive table? Were you able to join other people for dinner? Thanks.

I cannot comment on how smoothly anytime dining would have been, as I had assigned seating at 8 every night with my group except one open night when I dined off ship. But I saw the MDR looked full at 8.

May I ask what the relative cost to a standard SS suite might be, a percentage will do. Thanks.

We moved to Silversea after 17+ years on HAL. It really started with a price comparison between a Neptune Suite on HAL's Prinsendam versus a Medallion Suite on the Silver Wind for a Med cruise. At that time we were looking at 12 days on the Prinsendam and 14 days on the Wind and somewhat interesting at the time was the Wind fare was actually lower for a longer cruise. Factor in the inclusive aspects of Silversea and inclusion of tips/gratuities/hotel service charges the decision seemed like a no-brainer. Helped that we had been with HAL since 1995 and, like probably every other cruise line including Silversea, we'd seen a very steady decrease in service, food quality, and entertainment. For us those degradations reached an unacceptable level. We were ready for a change and quite frankly after three Silversea cruises we have no desire to go back to Holland America.

As for price comparisons I'll have to say it's really destination driven. Where HAL beats SS consistently is in what we call the saturated destination markets like the Caribbean and Alaska. I've not done dollar to dollar analysis but off the top of my head I'd say HAL could be anywhere from 25% to 50% less expensive depending on date and itinerary. Where SS competes well is the more distant, at least distant from the US, destinations without the mass line saturation of literally dozens of ships doing similar itineraries. Of course, and this makes it difficult for some folks, is that HAL has way more cabin choices and if you're willing to cruise an inside cabin in the bowels of the ship all comparison fails.

We moved to Silversea after 17+ years on HAL. It really started with a price comparison between a Neptune Suite on HAL's Prinsendam versus a Medallion Suite on the Silver Wind for a Med cruise. At that time we were looking at 12 days on the Prinsendam and 14 days on the Wind and somewhat interesting at the time was the Wind fare was actually lower for a longer cruise. Factor in the inclusive aspects of Silversea and inclusion of tips/gratuities/hotel service charges the decision seemed like a no-brainer. Helped that we had been with HAL since 1995 and, like probably every other cruise line including Silversea, we'd seen a very steady decrease in service, food quality, and entertainment. For us those degradations reached an unacceptable level. We were ready for a change and quite frankly after three Silversea cruises we have no desire to go back to Holland America.

 

As for price comparisons I'll have to say it's really destination driven. Where HAL beats SS consistently is in what we call the saturated destination markets like the Caribbean and Alaska. I've not done dollar to dollar analysis but off the top of my head I'd say HAL could be anywhere from 25% to 50% less expensive depending on date and itinerary. Where SS competes well is the more distant, at least distant from the US, destinations without the mass line saturation of literally dozens of ships doing similar itineraries. Of course, and this makes it difficult for some folks, is that HAL has way more cabin choices and if you're willing to cruise an inside cabin in the bowels of the ship all comparison fails.

Thanks for a really useful comparison. We started out on Princess some 25 years ago, deck 3 with a porthole (covered over sometimes) on the original 'Loveboat'. My parents came a couple of times and even had an inside cabin, we could just not figure out how to exist without even a small amount of natural light though.

Depending on time of year, and excluding special deal options and frequent cruiser benefits, (and subtracting the extra charge I paid for the fundraising group cruise), my Neptune suite for one week Alaska was 25 per cent cheaper than one week on SS in a veranda suite would have been ( the cost of which varies depending on location, as we all know). Neptunes on HAL are bigger than standard veranda suites on SS, e.g, 500-712 square feet ( one spacious room, which I like), with the big balcony.

There is also a huge suite called Pinnacle suite option which has a separate bedroom, 1150 square feet and way more money, same Neptune lounge and special dining for breakfast areas, same early boarding privileges ( no special security line, however) But then on HAL you have to pay for sodas $1.98 for diet coke), liquor ( $9 plus tip for a whiskey sour), wine ( I usually buy my own wine for dinner on SS anyway as the chosen pours are not to my taste lately). For non-drinkers who want big cabin space, special attention in the lounge, but the benefits of a big ship such as different show options ( there was both a big show and a blues band show) and dining venues running through the whole day, and less risk of seasickness with rough seas, and less money, I can see the appeal. But this was NOT a SS or Regent atmosphere.

Thanks for your response.

Hi Ho Silver! When we were young and $ was an issue, we took an inside cabin (once, I might add), or we didn't go! No brainier for me.

Thanks for a really useful comparison. We started out on Princess some 25 years ago, deck 3 with a porthole (covered over sometimes) on the original 'Loveboat'. My parents came a couple of times and even had an inside cabin, we could just not figure out how to exist without even a small amount of natural light though.

My cruising started off right, my wife is mildly claustrophobic so from day one we've always been in some veranda category. Even a porthole or window won't do. I know, I know it's a terrible burden for me but somehow I've managed to suffer through it. :rolleyes::D

Might add that my wife almost forbids, well discourages might be a better, price comparisons now. She's so sold on SS that we don't even look at HAL or other mass market lines now. She'd consider and we do look at other luxury all inclusive lines but it's not totally about cost and she's willing to pay more for a quality cruise experience even on the same itinerary.