Are Neptune suites worth it?

[cricri7]

Hi guys...I am approaching the end of my sabbatical leave and wanted to splurge on a Neptune suite, if one is available for a not too astronomical price of course! I am a single woman in her forties traveling alone and though I do not need the space of the suite, I like the little attentions they write that I would be able to have. I even saw a cocktail reception with the officers. Is this true or is this depending on the cruises?

 

What is there in the Neptune lounge that can't be had somewhere else on the ship?

 

Are the hors d'oeuvres served in your cabin any good...high tea?

 

I am not a very social person so I like the time by myself and the bigger balcony is an incentive also. Between the usual veranda balcony and the lanai, I prefer the lanai because of the open concept. Is the balcony in the Neptune suite worth the price?

 

I am trying to watch pictures from Joanie's suite but it seems to be down. I haven't been there in a while. Is it still active?

 

Thanks in advance for your answers!

[MVPinBoynton]

I have some photos of a Neptune Suite in my Westerdam review on my website at www.thepreismans.com. It is a lovely cabin; but I don't know the other benefits.

[CruiserBruce]

Are Neptune Suites worth it? In my opinion, yes. DW strongly agrees.

 

If you are planning on solo travel, I would have difficulty seeing the need for a Neptune Suite.

Edited April 1, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[frankc98376]

If I were traveling alone I would probably go for the Signature Suites on Vista and Signature class.

We book Neptune Suites for the extra space- other than quick coffee hardly use the Neptune Lounge. The Signature Suites had a bit smaller of a balcony but still very large. They also have the combo tub/shower plus separate shower- no dressing room in Signature Suite.

We love the aft corner Neptune Suites- huge wrap around balcony with slightly smaller stateroom- great for Alaska. If you aren't on deck 7 it's quite a trek to the Neptune if you do plan on using it a lot.

[maxie99]

I just got off the eurodam mar 30, and I tried a veranda and the retreat cabana,, just perfect for me going solo. the cabana guys where great and the treats where lovely- they would get what you needed, breakfast, lunch, snack at 4 pm and I had my own place to read, nap . etc.. well worth the extra

[jaspersmycat]

I did a Neptune Suite solo last October and have one reserved for my next 2 cruises. I like running across to the Neptune Lounge and getting a cappucino (or two) to start my day. I found it was easy to meet people in the Neptune Lounge and at the cocktail parties. This may sound silly but being first to board is another perk I like.

[George C]

Not sure we did 4 recent cruises we booked smaller suite all 4 times and twice was offered a upsell to Neptune suite for approx 400 a person.

 

 

I even saw a cocktail reception with the officers. Is this true or is this depending on the cruises?

yes both times we had cocktail party with officers, ships captain came to us and introduced himself which I thought was very nice. Second time we had 2 1 hour parties with the officers.

 

Favorite perk was the breakfast at Pinnacle grill ( same food as MDR) but with china and cristal and better service, great way to start the day.

 

We liked booking smaller suite and hoping for upsell which was alot cheaper.

[sail7seas]

Everyone has to decide for themselves what is 'worth it' to them, of course.

For us, yes....... the Neptune Suites are worth the additional funds. We like the additional space in our cabin, we like the larger verandah, we enjoy the Suite Welcome Aboard Cocktail Party, included laundry and dry cleaning, out choice of dining time, breakfast in Pinnacle Grill, priority tendering, for sure we like Neptune Lounge and the helpful concierges.

 

We have never been sorry to have stayed in a Neptune Suite.

[Lizzie68]

Does the Suite Amenities package give you the same perks? I heard they were going to add Pinnacle Grill breakfasts to the package, but it may be just rumour.

[tangerinebunny]

It's personal, but we've always enjoyed our NS stays. So much so that we're pretty much committed to suite travel now. My husband likes the breakfasts and I like knowing if something goes wrong, the NL host will handle it.

 

If you're looking for a treat, it's a good one.

[RuthC]

Joanie shut her site down, but fear not! A new website with lots of pictures of cabins has rapidly become the "go to" place for getting some great info.

 

Try heading to http://www.HALfacts.com to find pictures of various cabins, as well as info on menus, and other stuff! :D

When you sail, take pics of your cabin, and send them in to the site, too!

[Typhoon1]

Well worth the investment. If it were up to me we'd be in one every time. You're not going to take it with you.

 

DH likes to penny pinch, he has relegated us to a VA.

 

Life it too short.

[magandab]

For me, the fact that I do not have to EVER go to the front desk is a huge perk. The NL concierges can handle everything. Breakfast in the Pinnacle is delightful, quiet, a great start to the day. We had hors d'oeuvres served once on one cruise and loved them. We plan to try high tea on our upcoming cruise. Unlimited free laundry and dry cleaning turned out to be far more of a benefit than we imagined.

 

It starts with priority boarding. The first suite experience we had was in Australia after a 14 hour flight. When we entered the terminal and saw the sign for Suite passenger check-in, bypassed the crowd and went right up to the desk and onto the ship, we realized we were in for a very different experience. We are now hooked.

[Typhoon1]

For me, the fact that I do not have to EVER go to the front desk is a huge perk. The NL concierges can handle everything. Breakfast in the Pinnacle is delightful, quiet, a great start to the day. We had hors d'oeuvres served once on one cruise and loved them. We plan to try high tea on our upcoming cruise. Unlimited free laundry and dry cleaning turned out to be far more of a benefit than we imagined.

 

This alone make it worth it. We never even saw the front desk on the trip we were in a Neptune Suite, The concierges can handle the smallest of requests that would otherwise require a trip to the front desk.

[cruz chic]

Does the Suite Amenities package give you the same perks? I heard they were going to add Pinnacle Grill breakfasts to the package' date=' but it may be just rumour.[/quote']

 

I hope that rumour is true. Thats my favorite perk. I'd buy that in a second.

Edited April 1, 2014 by cruz chic

[mrsbuddha123]

I just got off the eurodam mar 30, and I tried a veranda and the retreat cabana,, just perfect for me going solo. the cabana guys where great and the treats where lovely- they would get what you needed, breakfast, lunch, snack at 4 pm and I had my own place to read, nap . etc.. well worth the extra

 

I normally get a Neptune Suite but I have 3 trips booked for January/February 2013 and had to sacrifice the NS for one. I was looking into the retreat cabana. Did you use it daily? Did it provide enough privacy? Just curious. I'm hoping between the cabana and my spa pass I won't miss the Suite Life too much.

[nana51]

I think I'm confused. when I look for cabins available on the Oosterdam all I see offered are verandah suites and Neptune. I don't see signature suites listed. Is there a difference. I know the "labels" are changing so I might be confused, probably am.

[cbr663]

Our least favourable HAL cruise was while we were in a Neptune Suite. We enjoyed the larger cabin and really enjoyed the larger balcony. The perks and the service from staff left a lot to be desired. Just know that paying more for the NS is not a guarantee of excellent service.

 

I would suggest that you also explore the suite amenities package that may be added to a veranda cabin. IMO, the suite amenities package is a much more attractive upgrade.

Edited April 1, 2014 by cbr663

[DaveOKC]

IMO, the value of the Neptune suite varies by ship. Personally, I like the ones in the R and S class ships (basically the smaller HAL ones) since there are only about 30 Neptune suites vs over 70 on the larger ships. This makes the Neptune Lounge a bit more "club" like and it seems to be easier to get to know your fellow suite passengers. Plus, the concierges seem to know you and your requirements better. Further, these suites have larger balconies and they are all clustered together on the same deck. Also, the difference in a Neptune suite and the Vista suites (one step downward in size) is huge, size wise.

 

The larger HAL ships have the aft-wrap suites which alot of people really like (my wife loves them). To me they are too far from everything else on the ship (especially the Neptune Lounge).

 

If you are on one of the large HAL ships, I would look into the Signature Suites (SS, SY and SZ). These cabins are very nice size wise (not that much smaller than the Neptune suites) and they have nice baths. PLUS, if you are sailing during an "off peak" time, you stand a good chance of being offered an Upsell to a Neptune suite for about $200-300 pp on a 7 day cruise. Remember, there are more than double the number of Neptunes on the large HAL ships, thus it is more likely that they will not sell out (than on the smaller ships).

 

 

DaveOKC

[igraf]

Um, I have to ask why is that worth thousands of dollars per cruise-week? We cruised a few weeks ago and I did have occasion to go to the front desk twice. It was nothing. I waited less than a minute in line both times. The line was longer at one time, so I just came back a little later.

 

Compare this little inconvenience to how long it takes me to earn that money (answer = several work days), and I just can't see the rational. Putting it another way, the money we saved by not cruising in the Neptune Suite for a week is paying for our upcoming trip to Mallorca.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

This alone make it worth it. We never even saw the front desk on the trip we were in a Neptune Suite, The concierges can handle the smallest of requests that would otherwise require a trip to the front desk.

Edited April 1, 2014 by igraf

[hrhdhd]

Um, I have to ask why is that worth thousands of dollars per cruise-week? We cruised a few weeks ago and I did have occasion to go to the front desk twice. It was nothing. I waited less than a minute in line both times. The line was longer at one time, so I just came back a little later.

 

I agree. When we were in a Neptune in March, we had such issues with the Neptune Lounge staff (sending us hors d'oeuvres instead of tea, sending hors d'oeuvres when we didn't order anything, not helping get an overcharge corrected, being generally clueless) that we ended up just going to the Front Desk.

 

I'd have to have a really good deal in the future to book a NS. And if they add Pinnacle Grill breakfast to the Suite Amenities package, that's all I'd need.

[sail7seas]

Does the Suite Amenities package give you the same perks? I heard they were going to add Pinnacle Grill breakfasts to the package' date=' but it may be just rumour.[/quote']

 

 

Curious........ Did you "hear" this while on a ship? From a presumably reliable source?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

Um, I have to ask why is that worth thousands of dollars per cruise-week? We cruised a few weeks ago and I did have occasion to go to the front desk twice. It was nothing. I waited less than a minute in line both times. The line was longer at one time, so I just came back a little later.

 

Compare this little inconvenience to how long it takes me to earn that money (answer = several work days), and I just can't see the rational. Putting it another way, the money we saved by not cruising in the Neptune Suite for a week is paying for our upcoming trip to Mallorca.

 

igraf

 

 

 

Everyone decides for themselves what is worth what to them.

You may think it 'worth it' to have a ski lodge or a cabin on the lake or whatever means something to you while someone else may decide it is 'worth it' to them to enjoy a Neptune or Pinnacle Suite on a ship. Thankfully, we do not all want exactly the same things. How boring would that be? :D

 

The fact of the matter in your particular comment is that the concierges all rotate from front office. One week they may be working at front office and next week it could be their turn to be concierge. ;)

 

[frankc98376]

I think I'm confused. when I look for cabins available on the Oosterdam all I see offered are verandah suites and Neptune. I don't see signature suites listed. Is there a difference. I know the "labels" are changing so I might be confused, probably am.

 

Signature Suites are on deck 6 and 8 I believe- they are SZ, SY, and SS. Vista and Signature don't have Veranda Suites- just Signature, Neptune, and Pinncacle

[tinlizzie123]

On our first two cruises we were upsold to the Neptune suites, our 3rd cruise we didn't get any offer so had a veranda cabin. To be honest I was quite happy with the veranda. The price difference is huge, you could spend that money on more cruises. And, if you book a balcony, there is always the chance you will be upsold to a Neptune suite. As for the cocktail parties with the officers, for the first one, the sea was very rough and my husband fell and hurt his head, so he was out of commission for a few days and received a plate of chocolates for his suffering. I wasn't terribly impressed with the cocktail party on the second cruise either. I had no trouble getting help at the front desk when we just had a veranda cabin and was able to stick to my diet easier since we didn't have access to all the treats in the Neptune lounge.

 

On our veranda cabin cruise we didn't have to wait long to board the ship. So, other than the size of the cabin, didn't notice a lot of difference..guess it depends on what you are looking for.

[Linda&Vern]

Curious........ Did you "hear" this while on a ship? From a presumably reliable source? Thanks.

 

Sail - There was a thread while you were out titled "Suite Amenities Package." In it was a post (see below) from slimknyzer relaying what she was told by HAL Ship's Services. If you want to dig some, the thread is a few pages back.

[I]Originally Posted by slimknyzer [/i]

I specifically asked if PG breakfast was for every day. I was told yes. Now, after reading your posts, I will not have high expectations if it is not indeed available as I was told. This was from ship's services. I have learned to take their phone answers with a grain of salt.

Edited April 2, 2014 by Linda&Vern