Suite access on the Veendam

Hello - my husband and I will be taking a friend who is a recent widow on a cruise next year. We are in a different economic bracket and will be in a suite, and she will be in some sort of ocean view cabin. I understand there is a special dining room for suite passengers - would we be able to bring our friend there even though she is not in a suite?

thanks in advance.

Hello - my husband and I will be taking a friend who is a recent widow on a cruise next year. We are in a different economic bracket and will be in a suite, and she will be in some sort of ocean view cabin. I understand there is a special dining room for suite passengers - would we be able to bring our friend there even though she is not in a suite?

 

thanks in advance.

The only special dining for suite passengers is breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, one of the specialty restaurants. The menus is the same as the main dining room, but it's a smaller and quieter space with better service. Guests in other cabin grades are not permitted to join you at the Pinnacle, but you may have breakfast in the main dining room or buffet with your friend.

Similarly, your friend may not join you in the Neptune Lounge, which is for Neptune and Pinnacle suite guests. You may order afternoon tea or hors d'oeuvres in your suite through the lounge concierge, and you may order for the 3 of you and enjoy it in your suite.

The Pinnacle Grill breakfast is for Neptune and Pinnacle Suite passengers.

Since your friends are not in either of those categories, they can not have breakfast with you.

Since the menu is the same as the main dining room and the breakfast times are the same, you all can certainly enjoy a nice breakfast in the dining room.

We have seen the Pinnacle Grill staff check photo ID of the guests entitled to have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, and turn away passengers not entitled to PG breakfast.

It is only for Neptune Suite and Pinnacle Suite passengers.

We have seen the Pinnacle Grill staff check photo ID of the guests entitled to have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, and turn away passengers not entitled to PG breakfast.

It is only for Neptune Suite and Pinnacle Suite passengers.

Just the color of the card should be sufficient - gold for qualifying suites, blue for the rest of us. Unless you think a Neptune guest was passing out their card to someone who had not paid for this premium perk?

Thanks for the feedback, I was pretty sure that was the case but thought it would be worth asking. On Norwegian the dining areas are so crowded we ate all of our mails in the suite dining but the Veendam is quite a bit smaller so it should be ok.

Just the color of the card should be sufficient - gold for qualifying suites, blue for the rest of us. Unless you think a Neptune guest was passing out their card to someone who had not paid for this premium perk?

They do not usually ask for your card. They just ask your room number once or twice and then they know you and never ask again.

I've seen them look in the computer when you give stateroom number. Likely looking at pictures to verify.

By all means you can all have breakfast together in the MDR or Lido. The MDR and Pinnacle serve the same breakfast menu.

When I was a new widow and sailed with friends on NCL, they were sailing in suite and I booked one as well so I could use all the venues to which they hada ccess. If your friend cannot dothat, , so b be it.

I sure would have liked to pay less but knowing I wanted to be with them I paid what i had to Would not we all like to not pay but use those venues? Exceptions for one widow/person means exceptions for a ll.

If I had not walked that same path, my post would be too harsh but, Why should I pay for the suite benefits to be with my friends and some other widow goes with f fiends and does not pay the high price to use the suitebenefits.... , she pays for a lower level cab in but uses suite benefits? It has to be the Same rules for all of us.

Thanks for the feedback, I was pretty sure that was the case but thought it would be worth asking. On Norwegian the dining areas are so crowded we ate all of our mails in the suite dining but the Veendam is quite a bit smaller so it should be ok.

However you decide to handle breakfast, I'm going to suggest that the 3 of you try the Pinnacle Grill for lunch at least once onboard. I think it is $10 per person. Well worth it, and it will give you and your friend a chance to enjoy the PG together.

Good suggestion .

Good suggestion .

Thank you. Since the OP appears to be new to HAL, I thought it would be both kind and helpful to offer her an alternative.

I did that when I suggested they could have breakfast together in MDR and Lido and that it is same menu in MDR. My Post #9 above.

However you decide to handle breakfast, I'm going to suggest that the 3 of you try the Pinnacle Grill for lunch at least once onboard. I think it is $10 per person. Well worth it, and it will give you and your friend a chance to enjoy the PG together.

Good idea! Plus, if one of you is a 4 Star or higher, you all get the 50% discount! The 4 Stat must pay the bill however.

Right ! :)