Neptune suite question, specifically on Amsterdam

Can anyone recently off the Amsterdam and was in a Neptune Suite, tell me what to expect? I know about the mimosas with breakfast ordered in and the use of the Neptune lounge. But can we expect canapés or the like delivered everyday in our cabin? What about fresh flower arrangements? Will we have a personal butler like on NCL? Any insight would be appreciated. First time on HAL

Can anyone recently off the Amsterdam and was in a Neptune Suite, tell me what to expect? I know about the mimosas with breakfast ordered in and the use of the Neptune lounge. But can we expect canapés or the like delivered everyday in our cabin? What about fresh flower arrangements? Will we have a personal butler like on NCL? Any insight would be appreciated. First time on HAL

 

I was in a Neptune Suite on the Amsterdam last September for a 14-day Alaska cruise (r/trip out of Seattle). I can tell you what my experience was like --

 

1. Canapés delivered every day in your cabin: only if you order it. They're not automatically delivered. I never did it as I was traveling by myself and tended to eat supper early-ish (5:30-5:45 or so). Ordering canapés just seemed like too much food to me. I think you can order those via the concierge or stewards? (Not sure -- someone will have the answer ... )

 

2. Fresh flowers -- yes, a small arrangement on the coffee table, but they're not changed every day. I think I had maybe 4 or 5 arrangements over the 14 days, but I didn't really pay much attention. I just know that they always looked nice. You'll also have fresh fruit every day.

 

 

3. No personal butler, but you'll have two room stewards and the services of a concierge in the Neptune Lounge. (I can't compare it to NCL since the September cruise was my first cruise ever.)

 

My cabin was 7040 -- directly across from the aft elevators on the port side of the ship, and it was a wonderful location. The ship is small enough that you don't feel like you're in a floating city and there are < 1400 passengers so it's never very crowded. Food is outstanding, although room service breakfast left a lot to be desired the two days I ordered it. I did much better just going to the MDR, but you'll also have access to the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast if you want.

 

Let me know if there's anything else ... for me, the extra expense was definitely worth it even though I didn't take advantage of everything it had to offer. It's a large spacious room, which really worked well for my slight tendency toward claustrophobia.

Neptune Lounge has cold canapes available every late afternoon/evening. If you want hot, or fancier, canapes delivered to your cabin, ask the NL concierge the day before. Fresh flower arrangements, yes. Personal butler, no.

The Neptune Lounge offers continental breakfast every morning -- fresh sliced fruit, cereal, pastries, special coffee machine, cheeses, meats and most ships have a toaster for bread, bagles and English muffins. Around 10:30 breakfast is moved out and tea sandwiches and wraps, cookies, sometimes chocolates and little desserts are brought out and replenished until around 4 PM. Then cold appetizers are put out until around 8 when the lounge closes.

You can order hot appetizers to be delivered via the concierges (there are 2 of them) as long as you order before Noon. You can also order afternoon tea for your cabin.

The Pinnacle Grill may or may not be available for breakfast. When we were on the ship in 2011 and 2012, we had breakfast on the upper level of the dining room. Other passengers used the lower level of the dining room. Previous to those years we had breakfast in the King's Room on the Amsterdam which is now a storage room.

No Butler but the concierges can do anything for you like make reservations for the spa, beauty salon, specialty restaurants, make change, etc.

For tender ports, you do not need to go to a special lounge to get tender tickets. Whenever you are ready to go ashore, you just go down to the tender area, get in line (at the end), show your gold ID card, and go ashore.

Thank you all for your replies! This gives me a better idea of what is offered from experienced cruisers.

Here's an example of what you might expect to see in the way of flowers. A fairly small glass vase with one (or a few) blooms. In our most recent experiences last year, they were not changed on a 7-day cruise, and I think changed just once on a 20-day cruise.

 

https://images.oyster.com/photos/neptune-suite--v6307930-cc-576.jpg

 

Small, but a nice touch.

Oh, wow, once in 20 days!

Ok thank you

Oh, wow, once in 20 days!

Ok thank you

 

My experience has been that they generally use very long lasting flowers... LOL.

The NS experience is similar shin to ship. Priority boarding means first to the concierge. The amenities are listed on the HAL site. You do get breakfast in the PG daily . It’s the same menu as the MDR but a nicer setting. There’s a little party with free wine in the NL on embarkation day. You will find a card in your room with the time . You get a bottle of bad champagne, lol. And a couple of big bottles of water. Nespresso machine. GREAT coffee in the NL

 

 

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You get a bottle of bad champagne, lol.

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Hint to the OP... if you don't want the very mediocre sparkling wine, you can ask to have it swapped for a bottle of white or red wine. The NL concierges can handle this for you. If you don't drink the wine in your suite, you can take it to the dining room to enjoy with dinner or lunch.

The free bottle of sparkling wine -- compliments of the captain and hotel manager -- is poor. Over the years we were denied exchanging it for a better wine and telling the concierges that we were willing to pay the difference. So you can't always exchange it.

The first time it happened we just happened to run into the Beverage Manager -- who was new to HAL from RCI. My husband asked him why we couldn't exchange it for something better agreeing to pay the difference. His comment was that the complimentary wine had no value. WHAT!! My husband told him that the captain and hotel manager would be shocked to learn that the wine was worthless. He stammered like you would not believe -- he couldn't think of a thing to say. To end the conversation he said that he had an appointment that he was late for and quickly walked away.

KK, you are obviously correct... not a guarantee that you can swap the sparkling wine for a white or red. We've been lucky I guess, twice last year they changed them for us.

 

Loved your story about the Beverage Manager! Sparkling wine has no value!!! LOL.

KK, you are obviously correct... not a guarantee that you can swap the sparkling wine for a white or red. We've been lucky I guess, twice last year they changed them for us.

 

 

 

Loved your story about the Beverage Manager! Sparkling wine has no value!!! LOL.

 

 

 

It may have no value but it must have a little alcohol, right? That’s what makes it valuable...🤣🤣

 

 

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Thank you all for the replies! Now, is it true Neptune suites get free laundry?

Thank you all for the replies! Now, is it true Neptune suites get free laundry?

We were on Amsterdam in August. Yes we had free laundry. Our flower was not changed until the end of cruise for next passenger. Loved breakfast in PG. Our two stewards were the best we have had on any cruise line. Loved the Neptune Lounge and the help you can receive if needed. Just a great ship and now spoiled for the Neptune Suites!

 

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Thank you all for the replies! Now, is it true Neptune suites get free laundry?

 

Yes, it's true. I used it a couple of days before the end of the cruise to cut down on the amount of laundry I'd need to do when I got home. Very happy with the service. :-)

I was in a Neptune Suite on the Amsterdam last September for a 14-day Alaska cruise (r/trip out of Seattle). I can tell you what my experience was like --

 

1. Canapés delivered every day in your cabin: only if you order it. They're not automatically delivered. I never did it as I was traveling by myself and tended to eat supper early-ish (5:30-5:45 or so). Ordering canapés just seemed like too much food to me. I think you can order those via the concierge or stewards? (Not sure -- someone will have the answer ... )

 

2. Fresh flowers -- yes, a small arrangement on the coffee table, but they're not changed every day. I think I had maybe 4 or 5 arrangements over the 14 days, but I didn't really pay much attention. I just know that they always looked nice. You'll also have fresh fruit every day.

 

 

3. No personal butler, but you'll have two room stewards and the services of a concierge in the Neptune Lounge. (I can't compare it to NCL since the September cruise was my first cruise ever.)

 

My cabin was 7040 -- directly across from the aft elevators on the port side of the ship, and it was a wonderful location. The ship is small enough that you don't feel like you're in a floating city and there are < 1400 passengers so it's never very crowded. Food is outstanding, although room service breakfast left a lot to be desired the two days I ordered it. I did much better just going to the MDR, but you'll also have access to the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast if you want.

 

Let me know if there's anything else ... for me, the extra expense was definitely worth it even though I didn't take advantage of everything it had to offer. It's a large spacious room, which really worked well for my slight tendency toward claustrophobia.

 

Artsycraftsy, did any noise from the deck above your cabin bother you?

Thank you for your information, my daughter and I will be in 7045 in a few months.

Artsycraftsy, did any noise from the deck above your cabin bother you?

Thank you for your information, my daughter and I will be in 7045 in a few months.

 

None, really except for the first night, but that was more due to it being my first night ever on a ship and I was kind of sensitive to any "unusual" sound. There was a small amount of soft "thumping" noise for about 30 minutes around 10:30pm or so the very first night, not terribly loud, and ONLY that first night. I mentioned it to one of the cabin stewards the next day and he said I should have called him or the concierge. Really, it wasn't bad enough to bother about, it ended quickly and never reoccured.

 

After that, not a sound other than the normal soft "creaking" that comes from the normal motion of a ship of that size. Your cabin is just two doors down and on the other side of the elevator lobby from where mine was. You're far enough forward that you shouldn't have any noise from the Lido "traffic," and there's zero noise from the elevators. I would book a cabin in that area again without reservation. :) Enjoy your trip!

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

Awesome Artsy, thank you!

Getting that excited feeling!!

:ship::ship:

KK, you are obviously correct... not a guarantee that you can swap the sparkling wine for a white or red. We've been lucky I guess, twice last year they changed them for us.

 

Loved your story about the Beverage Manager! Sparkling wine has no value!!! LOL.

 

I have had it exchanged for sodas or water on some cruises.