Upsell to Neptune

[Linda&Vern]

Just curious Sail why you prefer SA cabins to aft?

 

We have always booked SA or S cabins but never aft.

I'm not Sail - but we book SA's instead of the aft cabins because my DH says I would not be happy with the "odors" of the smokestacks back there. :rolleyes: Is he right ? I don't have a clue.

[MR NW GUY]

YES YES I did it!! Even got an aft wrap around!!!!! oooohhh now to tell the hubby. Somethings are better left unsaid!!

Surprise him!

 

I surprised my DW with the Penthouse Suite and it was so much fun seeing her smile.

[boze9999]

EXCEPT --> If you are booked (Vista & Signature ships) in an SS-SY-SZ those cabins already qualify for double Mariner Days. So, upsells from those categories already have their double days.

 

You're so right! Forgot about those - good clarification!

[kazu]

Just curious Sail why you prefer SA cabins to aft?

We have always booked SA or S cabins but never aft.

 

Yes I was wondering same thing.

 

Not Sail, but many book SA's for location - central on the ship and closer to the Neptune Lounge. (central is better in case of rocky conditions). My DH doesn't care for aft because of creaking, vibrations and noises. I like to keep him happy so he continues to cruise!

 

Many love the afts for the view and if you have the right cabins, the larger expansive balconies.

 

When it comes to booking S category on the smaller ships - you have no choice - aft cabins don't exist.

 

It's just a matter of personal taste:D

Edited October 6, 2013 by kazu

[sail7seas]

Typically HAL policy on upgrades: when upgrading from a non-Neptune Suite, double Mariner Days do not apply. You have to book in a Neptune Suite to get the double days. Nonetheless, all of the on-ship benefits of the upgrade are well worth it! You made the right choice!

 

EXCEPT --> If you are booked (Vista & Signature ships) in an SS-SY-SZ those cabins already qualify for double Mariner Days. So, upsells from those categories already have their double days.

 

 

On "S" and"R" Class ships, you get double Mariner days if you are booked in a verandah cabin. If you are upgraded from a "B" to an "S", you get double days because you would have gotten them in the cabin which you initially booked. :)

 

[sail7seas]

We prefer "SA" for location and proximity to Neptune Lounge.

We also were not happy the once we had an aft Suite. We felt a lot of sway and noise from thrusters and anchor chain. I don't want to walk half the length of Signature Class ship to get a cup of coffee that will be cold by the time I get back to our cabin to enjoy it on the verandah. Also, we don't travel in large groups and have no need or interest in the huge verandah. If we were going to run parties for 20+ people, it would make some sense but when we have folks in for a drink etc, we limit it to a few couples..... not a huge group.

 

We were not in "SC" but it was a different cruise line/ship and we found we would avoid booking an aft location again.

 

I also like mid-ship as it isn't a really long walk from cabin to anywhere either forward or aft on ships with mid-ship elevators/stairs.

 

[Hgwells01]

I'm not Sail - but we book SA's instead of the aft cabins because my DH says I would not be happy with the "odors" of the smokestacks back there. :rolleyes: Is he right ? I don't have a clue.

 

I just did 22 nights in an aft wrap on the Noordam, no extra odors from anything unless it was my coffee I wandered back with from the Neptune Lounge with to sit on the deck and enjoy. Didn't notice any extra movement, nor any noise, in fact friends that were closer to the front said they heard a lot more general ships noise than we did andcommented how quiet the cabin was. I paid a lot of money for my upsell, and insisted I'd only pay it for an aft wrap not just a SA and my TA managed to convince them to give it to me, has ruined me now for any other type of cabin

Edited October 7, 2013 by Hgwells01

[Linda&Vern]

I just did 22 nights in an aft wrap on the Noordam, no extra odors from anything unless it was my coffee I wandered back with from the Neptune Lounge with to sit on the deck and enjoy. Didn't notice any extra movement, nor any noise, in fact friends that were closer to the front said they heard a lot more general ships noise than we did andcommented how quiet the cabin was. I paid a lot of money for my upsell, and insisted I'd only pay it for an aft wrap not just a SA and my TA managed to convince them to give it to me, has ruined me now for any other type of cabin

Thanks for your perspective. As I said - I don't have a clue.

[MR NW GUY]

Approx $30 a day pp extra is a good deal for the added luxuries.

I think it really is about the added space. The Neptune lounge does not even have windows.

[sail7seas]

I think it really is about the added space. The Neptune lounge does not even have windows.

 

 

Prinsendam's Neptune Lounge has wndows and a verandah but, frankly, who needs windows in a Neptune Lounge. :confused:

 

Our cabins are always just across from Neptune and we have Plenty of windows in our a suite and very comfortable verandah. We don't spend hours sitting in Neptune. :)

 

We go in and get what we want, may chat for a few minutes with people we see there and return to our cabin unless I want to use the WiFi there. That signal is sometimes better than the one in our cabin.

 

 

 

[LVSue]

Like Sail, I prefer the proximity to the Neptune. I love to pop in for iced tea or an olive for my in-cabin martini. Also, we have some mobility issues.

 

My big tip for an aft cabin (it saved my life) is to bring a thermal mug. That way you can bring 2 cups of coffee back with you. I'm not a big fan of HAL coffee, but I love Neptune's cappuccino, so the long trip was worth it if I could bring back 2 cups.

[maxxboy]

Just curious Sail why you prefer SA cabins to aft?

We have always booked SA or S cabins but never aft.

 

When researching our 2008 Eurodam cruise (and most recently Nieuw Amsterdam), although the wrap around aft balconies are nice (SC and SB), you loose a bit of space in the room itself, at least from several photos/videos I've seen. We had an SA on the Euro and the balcony was great, but I don't think we would care for a room that's anything smaller.

[fm6175]

What's the avg size difference aft vs SA mid ship Neptune suite . We have sailed only one aft suite on HAL . Loved it . Did not mind the location ( long walks ) at all . Am I missing something here ? II can't imagine the mid ship SA cabins are that much bigger than the aft wrap around SB/SC's ?

 

 

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[MR NW GUY]

Prinsendam's Neptune Lounge has wndows and a verandah but, frankly, who needs windows in a Neptune Lounge. :confused:

 

Our cabins are always just across from Neptune and we have Plenty of windows in our a suite and very comfortable verandah. We don't spend hours sitting in Neptune. :)

 

We go in and get what we want, may chat for a few minutes with people we see there and return to our cabin unless I want to use the WiFi there. That signal is sometimes better than the one in our cabin.

 

 

 

Clever! and well said... I never connected "Neptune" to no windows.

[boze9999]

Everyone has their preference. Large Deck, Large Room, Proximity to the Neptune Lounge...they're all great. It truly does depend on what is important to YOU! Our preference is proximity to the Neptune Lounge (for all the benefits expounded upon by many). For those who love the deck, the outdoors and the 180 degree view from the back, I understand their preference. Guess you'll have to take two trips with Neptune Suites and decide for yourself!!!

[AZNative2000]

What's the avg size difference aft vs SA mid ship Neptune suite . We have sailed only one aft suite on HAL . Loved it . Did not mind the location ( long walks ) at all . Am I missing something here ? II can't imagine the mid ship SA cabins are that much bigger than the aft wrap around SB/SC's ?

We've been in both the SA and SC-aft-wrap Neptune Suites on the Vista Class ships (Oosterdam and Zuiderdam) and found the SA suite was slightly larger to accommodate the larger queen-size sofa bed when it is opened. Yes, there is a bit more space and while the SA will take four cruisers, the SC will only handle three. If you are just two people (as we are) the size difference from SA to SC is insignificant when you see the size difference in the balconies.:D Zuiderdam 5191 has a balcony of over 400 square feet. I measured it.

 

There are different sizes to the aft-wraps as well and you should take care when making your selection. We booked our upcoming Noordam cruise over 18 months out so we could select our specific aft-wrap. Yes, we did mark our booking "NO UPGRADE".:)

 

One of the CC members has (in the past) posted a listing of the size of each of them to help us out.

 

Unfortunately for we aft-wrap lovers, HAL has seen the light and raised their prices on these cabins starting on various dates in 2014.:(

[MR NW GUY]

We've been in both the SA and SC-aft-wrap Neptune Suites on the Vista Class ships (Oosterdam and Zuiderdam) and found the SA suite was slightly larger to accommodate the larger queen-size sofa bed when it is opened. Yes, there is a bit more space and while the SA will take four cruisers, the SC will only handle three. If you are just two people (as we are) the size difference from SA to SC is insignificant when you see the size difference in the balconies.:D Zuiderdam 5191 has a balcony of over 400 square feet. I measured it.

 

There are different sizes to the aft-wraps as well and you should take care when making your selection. We booked our upcoming Noordam cruise over 18 months out so we could select our specific aft-wrap. Yes, we did mark our booking "NO UPGRADE".:)

 

One of the CC members has (in the past) posted a listing of the size of each of them to help us out.

 

Unfortunately for we aft-wrap lovers, HAL has seen the light and raised their prices on these cabins starting on various dates in 2014.:(

The only cabin better than an aft cabin wrap cabin on HAL is a Aqua Theater Suite on the Oasis or Allure...

 

Darn.... the 2014 price increases! Maybe we should start stating how much soot lands on the furniture. Or how bad the noise is from the Lido Deck. Or how bad the vibration is on the stern. Or the LONG LONG walk to the Neptune lounge.... There are so many reasons to not raise the prices! :rolleyes:

[fm6175]

Thanks for the info Az . We booked a 4th deck SC wrap on Noordam for Jan 2014 ( only one avail ) and an 8th deck SB wrap on the Eurodam for 2015 . Yes I realize the 8th deck is right below the pool but it seems perfect as GF needs shade and it seems that veranda is mostly covered . And I can walk up one set of stairs and be at the pool in seconds ! Any info on those cabins ??

 

 

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[kazu]

The only cabin better than an aft cabin wrap cabin on HAL is a Aqua Theater Suite on the Oasis or Allure...

 

Darn.... the 2014 price increases! Maybe we should start stating how much soot lands on the furniture. Or how bad the noise is from the Lido Deck. Or how bad the vibration is on the stern. Or the LONG LONG walk to the Neptune lounge.... There are so many reasons to not raise the prices! :rolleyes:

 

Oasis or Allure :eek: Not either ship would we want to be on. Those suites are all yours:D

[Randyk47]

The only cabin better than an aft cabin wrap cabin on HAL is a Aqua Theater Suite on the Oasis or Allure...

 

Darn.... the 2014 price increases! Maybe we should start stating how much soot lands on the furniture. Or how bad the noise is from the Lido Deck. Or how bad the vibration is on the stern. Or the LONG LONG walk to the Neptune lounge.... There are so many reasons to not raise the prices! :rolleyes:

 

Oasis or Allure :eek: Not either ship would we want to be on. Those suites are all yours:D

 

I can't honestly say I have mixed emotions or thoughts about a cruise on Oasis or Allure as I can't say I'm not at least a bit curious either. Our vacation time is precious to us as Mrs. K, who by the way is a Federal employee and just this afternoon got called back to work, still works and we just have so much time and other resources to cruise. Spending the time and money for a " curiosity cruise" on one of the mega ships just isn't in the plans any time soon but still... We love the smaller ships and as it is we don't even like the Vista class all that much and haven't ever seriously considered a Signature ship. We're back on a very small....actually tiny even compared to HAL R and S class....ship next year and very excited about it. :D The thought of descending on some small island or port with 5,400 +/- other passengers doesn't hold much allure or sound like an oasis to me. :rolleyes::D

Edited October 8, 2013 by Randyk47

[startwin]

Oasis or Allure :eek: Not either ship would we want to be on. Those suites are all yours:D

 

So agree:D I love RCI, but not the behemoths. My favourites are the Mariner and the Radiance, and both are great ships - plenty big enough for me. About the size of a Vista.

[AZNative2000]

Thanks for the info Az . We booked a 4th deck SC wrap on Noordam for Jan 2014 ( only one avail ) and an 8th deck SB wrap on the Eurodam for 2015 . Yes I realize the 8th deck is right below the pool but it seems perfect as GF needs shade and it seems that veranda is mostly covered . And I can walk up one set of stairs and be at the pool in seconds ! Any info on those cabins ??

Congratulations!!

 

Joanie's site has photos. For the Noordam, she has photos of the aft-wraps on deck five Go here:

 

http://abqreunion2008.com/Noordam/Deck-5.html

 

Go all the way to the bottom of the page and look for cabins 5190 and 5191.

Click photos to enlarge.

 

For E-dam go here:

 

http://abqreunion2008.com/Eurodam/Deck-8.html

 

Scroll down and look for those stating aft-wrap. You can see the overhang (not bad:))

 

Do keep in mind that the crew washes the pool deck each night so you may have "rain" on your balcony during the night and you may find water out there in the morning. Grab a towel to dry the table before breakfast.;) Or just head to the Pinnacle Grill ... it's included.:D:D

Edited October 8, 2013 by AZNative2000

[MR NW GUY]

I can't honestly say I have mixed emotions or thoughts about a cruise on Oasis or Allure as I can't say I'm not at least a bit curious either. Our vacation time is precious to us as Mrs. K, who by the way is a Federal employee and just this afternoon got called back to work, still works and we just have so much time and other resources to cruise. Spending the time and money for a " curiosity cruise" on one of the mega ships just isn't in the plans any time soon but still... We love the smaller ships and as it is we don't even like the Vista class all that much and haven't ever seriously considered a Signature ship. We're back on a very small....actually tiny even compared to HAL R and S class....ship next year and very excited about it. :D The thought of descending on some small island or port with 5,400 +/- other passengers doesn't hold much allure or sound like an oasis to me. :rolleyes::D

Hey Randy -

 

Yea, the Oasis and Allure are very different than anything HAL has to offer. When we want to get away and do not much, then HAL is a good choice. Our trips on the Allure and the Oasis have included adult children and friends! We have enjoyed an Owner's Suite, Crown Loft Suite and most recently the Aqua Theater Suite. All are amazing and different experiences.

 

The suite amenities are pretty amazing. Happy hour in the Concierge lounge includes all the liquor and wine you want! No need to haul your own and race back to your room and pour refills (you know who you are).

 

Another fun experience is to have "dinning room" menu room service for breakfast, lunch or dinner. White table cloth dinning on the balcony - a great way to dine.

 

Shows include broadway productions, intimate comedy clubs, Ice shows, traditional shows!

 

I too love smaller HAL ship experience too.

 

Check it out and let me know if you have any questions. There are also a lot of open minded people on the RCI boards who will also share their experiences.

 

Don't let the narrow minded and uniformed rain on your desire to consider another experience.

 

CHEERS!

[Typhoon1]

Good deal.

 

Enjoy the Suite Life.

[cruisun]

Hey Randy -

 

Yea, the Oasis and Allure are very different than anything HAL has to offer. When we want to get away and do not much, then HAL is a good choice. Our trips on the Allure and the Oasis have included adult children and friends! We have enjoyed an Owner's Suite, Crown Loft Suite and most recently the Aqua Theater Suite. All are amazing and different experiences.

 

The suite amenities are pretty amazing. Happy hour in the Concierge lounge includes all the liquor and wine you want! No need to haul your own and race back to your room and pour refills (you know who you are).

 

Another fun experience is to have "dinning room" menu room service for breakfast, lunch or dinner. White table cloth dinning on the balcony - a great way to dine.

 

Shows include broadway productions, intimate comedy clubs, Ice shows, traditional shows!

 

I too love smaller HAL ship experience too.

 

Check it out and let me know if you have any questions. There are also a lot of open minded people on the RCI boards who will also share their experiences.

 

Don't let the narrow minded and uniformed rain on your desire to consider another experience.

 

CHEERS!

 

I have been docked next to Oasis and Allure. The loft suites looked incredible. Would you elaborate on that experience please