Are Neptune suites worth it?

[rkacruiser]

I must say as one who had the joy of sailing in a Neptune Suite on the Westerdam this Winter, as a solo, YES, it was a different cruise experience. I am thankful that I was able to do this thanks to 2 different paid up-grades that made the experiences affordable. Am I spoiled for this type of stateroom? No. If I could in the future, I would again book such a stateroom.

[sail7seas]

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.

 

 

Thanks. :)

 

You're right... I missed that thread.

 

[Yodalicious]

I love the priorty boarding, the pinnacle breakfast, and the extra room. We also get a cabana. We want to relax!

[cricri7]

This is why I love this forum....I go and have dinner and come back and have plenty of responses!!! Thank you so very much to all of you who answered me. I learned that I could have breakfast in the Pinnacle grill with the Neptune suite, I did not know that, however on the Zandaam, the Pinnacle grill doesn't have outside windows so it makes it less interesting. It is funny because it is built similar to the Veendam-Maasdam and Ryndam which all have wonderful views in the Pinnacle.

 

My option will depend on if my parents come with me or not. If they do, we will book a guaranteed veranda and if I am by myself, I will have to decide between the two. I did not think of booking the veranda and being offered the neptune as an upgrade. It would probably be less than if I booked the neptune as a guaranteed like I could right now.

 

I will have to decide in the next couple of days....All your answers were very wise:)

[cruz chic]

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

 

I'm with you on that one. Generally I've never found the wait at the front desk to be very long and certainly not worth upgrading for that alone.

[CowPrincess]

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.

 

I know lots of people who would buy the Suite Amenities package if breakfast in the Pinnacle is included. Lots.

[sail7seas]

This is why I love this forum....I go and have dinner and come back and have plenty of responses!!! Thank you so very much to all of you who answered me. I learned that I could have breakfast in the Pinnacle grill with the Neptune suite, I did not know that, however on the Zandaam, the Pinnacle grill doesn't have outside windows so it makes it less interesting. It is funny because it is built similar to the Veendam-Maasdam and Ryndam which all have wonderful views in the Pinnacle.

 

<snip>

 

 

 

Zaandam and her sister, Voldendam, were built with an alternative restaurant named Marco Polo. It was Italian and very, very nice. When all the ships started having Pinnacle Grill, that space was converted on Volendam and Zaandam.

 

Same thing for Amsterdam and Rotterdam. That interior restaurant on those ships was named Odyssey which were converted to Pinnacle Grill.

 

On Maasdam (and her sisters), Pinnacle Grill now occupies a space that once was a small piece of Explorer's Lounge, Maitre d's office and the King's Room which was a small side room off the upper level of the MDR.

 

[CowPrincess]

This is why I love this forum....I go and have dinner and come back and have plenty of responses!!! Thank you so very much to all of you who answered me. I learned that I could have breakfast in the Pinnacle grill with the Neptune suite, I did not know that, however on the Zandaam, the Pinnacle grill doesn't have outside windows so it makes it less interesting. It is funny because it is built similar to the Veendam-Maasdam and Ryndam which all have wonderful views in the Pinnacle.

 

My option will depend on if my parents come with me or not. If they do, we will book a guaranteed veranda and if I am by myself, I will have to decide between the two. I did not think of booking the veranda and being offered the neptune as an upgrade. It would probably be less than if I booked the neptune as a guaranteed like I could right now.

 

I will have to decide in the next couple of days....All your answers were very wise:)

 

On the Zaandam, the suite breakfasts (when we were onboard) were held in the King's Room or the Queen's Room -- sorry, I can't remember it was a few years ago.

 

We've been offered upsells to Neptunes and taken them and enjoyed them :D We didn't find enough value in the Neptune Suites that we would pay retail. Found good value at the upsell price.

 

Oddly, we didn't really care about the Pinnacle (or the other place on the Zaandam) breakfasts. For us, the better service was the big value, along with the access to the Neptune Lounge. Suite travel also got me hooked on "unlimited laundry" and I intend to buy that on pretty much any upcoming cruise :)

 

For us, the cocktail parties were no big deal. Two friends who travelled in a Neptune, though, really enjoyed those -- managed to get a lot of alcohol, but they didn't find the whole "meet the officers" bit all that interesting.

 

Good luck with your decision!

[cruz chic]

I know lots of people who would buy the Suite Amenities package if breakfast in the Pinnacle is included. Lots.

 

I hope that poster comes back and reports what happens. I might ask that question myself when I get onboard.

[cruz chic]

On the Zaandam, the suite breakfasts (when we were onboard) were held in the King's Room or the Queen's Room -- sorry, I can't remember it was a few years ago.

 

We've been offered upsells to Neptunes and taken them and enjoyed them :D We didn't find enough value in the Neptune Suites that we would pay retail. Found good value at the upsell price.

 

Oddly, we didn't really care about the Pinnacle (or the other place on the Zaandam) breakfasts. For us, the better service was the big value, along with the access to the Neptune Lounge. Suite travel also got me hooked on "unlimited laundry" and I intend to buy that on pretty much any upcoming cruise :)

 

For us, the cocktail parties were no big deal. Two friends who travelled in a Neptune, though, really enjoyed those -- managed to get a lot of alcohol, but they didn't find the whole "meet the officers" bit all that interesting.

 

Good luck with your decision!

The cocktail parties are not overly exciting but I do love the pinnacle for brekie.

[CowPrincess]

I hope that poster comes back and reports what happens. I might ask that question myself when I get onboard.

 

I'd be VERY interested in knowing the answer, too. Please let us know. I don't think I'd do it, but I do know lots of people who would. Lemme order my egg bennie, and I'll head out to the aft deck to watch for whales :D

[rkacruiser]

The one improvement that I would like to see in both the VIP parties and the Suite Guest party is for the officers and the other staff members move around from where they are "stationed".

 

One encounters a reception line of the Senior Officers when one enters the venue. They stay "put". Never move. Other officials are in their "own area" and never seem to mingle. Granted, the "official reception line" should be there for awhile at the time the reception starts, but some mingling among the guests during either function really would be appropriate, I think.

[peaches from georgia]

I think history has pretty much proved if you hear something only from Ship Services on the phone, and in this case only once, you can pretty much ignore it. :rolleyes:

[cruz chic]

I think history has pretty much proved if you hear something only from Ship Services on the phone, and in this case only once, you can pretty much ignore it. :rolleyes:

 

We can always hope:D.

[innlady1]

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']

 

What is the suite amenities package? Sounds interesting....

[RJ2002]

As someone stated in the other Suite Amenities Package thread, searching for the package on the HAL website yields zilch.

 

However, I did google the term and found this link:

 

https://book.hollandamerica.com/pdfs/onboard/Gift_Order_Polar.pdf

 

There is no reference in the HAL pdf document about PG breakfast, but who knows?

[PathfinderEss]

To the OP

Yes, yes and yes it is well worth the money in my opinion to be in a NS. I think everyone else has answered the ins and outs of your question so I don't need to be redundant.:)

[erewhon]

This is why I love this forum....I go and have dinner and come back and have plenty of responses!!! Thank you so very much to all of you who answered me. I learned that I could have breakfast in the Pinnacle grill with the Neptune suite, I did not know that, however on the Zandaam, the Pinnacle grill doesn't have outside windows so it makes it less interesting. It is funny because it is built similar to the Veendam-Maasdam and Ryndam which all have wonderful views in the Pinnacle.

 

My option will depend on if my parents come with me or not. If they do, we will book a guaranteed veranda and if I am by myself, I will have to decide between the two. I did not think of booking the veranda and being offered the neptune as an upgrade. It would probably be less than if I booked the neptune as a guaranteed like I could right now.

 

I will have to decide in the next couple of days....All your answers were very wise:)

 

We have had several cruises on the Volendam, sister ship to the Zaandam, during most of those cruises, breakfast for Neptune/PH passengers were held in the Kings Room, but during our last cruise (24 days)breakfast was served in the Pinnacle Grill.

 

We like the size of the suite and the big balcony.

The welcome aboard Suite party is helpful to know who the Senior officers are.

[goleta]

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.

 

Loved playing with your dog. Loved the ball the best!:)

[scm1848]

We find the Signature Suite a perfect fit for size and our budget. While we enjoyed the Neptune Lounge, and all the other perks mentioned above, they do not add up to the usually significant price differences. As a solo traveler, the Signature Suite will give you plenty of cabin and veranda space.

 

Either way, ENJOY!!

[nana51]

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

 

Thank you. I think I must have been looking on the smaller ships and didn't see the signature suites, just the neptunes.

[25thden]

On a port-intensive cruise (ex. Baltics on Eurodam), with excursions operating shortly after docking, does the Pinnacle Grill open earlier than usual? We might consider an upsell to a Neptune Suite if the lovely breakfast in the PG is available earlier than we've had in the past.

[sapper1]

We find the Signature Suite a perfect fit for size and our budget. While we enjoyed the Neptune Lounge, and all the other perks mentioned above, they do not add up to the usually significant price differences. As a solo traveler, the Signature Suite will give you plenty of cabin and veranda space.

 

Either way, ENJOY!!

 

I agree with you. We love the extra space and the storage in the Signature Suites. Add to that the free standing shower and the double sinks in the bathroom and that is all we need. The balcony also has a larger table and two extra chairs for enjoying breakfast.

 

We are four star mariners so we receive the free laundry, priority check in and priority tendering anyway. I know priority boarding is not supposed to be included but we seem to get it regardless.

 

The one time we took a Neptune Suite I found we rarely used the Neptune Lounge. Being rather independent I never used the concierge service when it was available. We had breakfast one morning in the Pinnacle Grill and then went back to the Lido. We love the Pinnacle at night but not so much for breakfast. Not that we found anything wrong with it----I just like serving myself when it comes to breakfast.

 

I did not like it that the dressing table was in a dark windowless room.

I prefer the dressing table out in the main cabin where I can watch the scenery while I am doing my hair and makeup.

 

We seem to have found our niche in the Signature Suites and find them a perfect fit for us.

[POA1]

They're very nice, but the level of amenities has dropped off noticeably over the years. We always book early because we want a specific cabin, which means we pay a premium. I suppose the Neptune Suites are a great deal if you booked a lower category cabin and upgraded for little or no cost. If you are still paying the full rate or close to it, it definitely feels like less bang for the buck than it did a decade ago.

 

The king size bed and the extra space are nice. The work area is functional, and being able to print something in the Neptune is a big plus. (Evidently, my vacations aren't always a non-stop, rock and roll patio of fun. I always have to squeeze some work in.) DW loves having the coffee machine right across the hall. I used to think that the free dry cleaning was a great perk, but after our last trip, I'm scared to send anything out unless it's just regular laundry.

 

Remember that this is just one person's opinion, but it's based a PS or SA every other year for more than 10 years. We're only a couple of short sailings away from 4*, so we'll be HAL loyalists for at least a couple more cruises. After that, we will likely see what else is on the market. Luckily for us, we can sample anything that sails out of Fort Lauderdale or Miami without ever having to step on a plane, or even drive for that matter.

[BumperII]

I know priority boarding is not supposed to be included but we seem to get it regardless.

 

We seem to have found our niche in the Signature Suites and find them a perfect fit for us.

 

 

Oh, yes 4 Stars are suposed to be included in priority boarding.

 

By the time one gets to 4 Star, your cruising preferences are pretty well settled. We have cruised in every class except the Pinnacle Suite. We have enjoyed every one of them. Because we love excursions like float planes and submarines, the veranda suites seem just right. It is a great stateroom that leaves enough room in the budget for plenty of splurging. And at least on the S and R class ships, there are no "bad" veranda suites.:D