The riff raff invade the neptune suites

[BearInStPete]

Our feeling exactly. Since the amount of time in the cabin for us is much less than the time out and about the ship, we would much rather use our money for the whole ship experience, not just the room. Our ship experience has been much "nicer" on the couple cruises we took on other pricier lines. And a verandah on those ships cost less than what we'd pay on one of HAL's "upper categories".

 

We have friends who insist on booking laaaaarge suites on their cruises. But when I ask how something in specific was, they will most always say, "I don't know. We didn't use the balcony much( or the butler, or sit down breakfasts, or double tvs, or...) " I don't get it. :o

Guess whatever floats your boat...

 

We must have the same friends LOL. Sadly, my friends who do this seem to delight in this particularly on a "ship within a ship line" and talk in a condescending tone about their fellow passengers, maybe it bolsters their own self-worth. But we all know people who drive SUVs with no discernible needs for them, and whom have very large homes that don't entertain or have large families. It's a value proposition which is different for all of us I guess.

[LindaM]

We've found that our cabin choices have changed as we have aged. When we were younger, insides were fine as we couldn't justify the extra expense for an outside, particularly verandahs. Those were a once in a while treat. Now that we are in our 60's, we want to experience luxury. We are in our cabin more often so we do enjoy having some extra room. We don't have to save for retirement, because we are there...so now we can spend what we saved. A Neptune may happen in the future---possibly...

[ANSalberg]

We always book a stateroom on one of the lower decks. I just can't see paying what a balcony or suite costs, especially when we use our stateroom only for sleeping, changing clothes, etc. But, I must admit that I"ve long considered living it up on at least one cruise.

 

And we're going to do it on our upcoming Princess cruise around the British Isles in August. We just celebrated our 50th anniversary; and my wife, who is an accomplished record keeper, showed me her accounting of our honeymoon expenses back in 1964. We shared a good laugh about the fact that we spent a total of $74.xx on a four day honeymoon. We had a lot of incentive to be frugal since we were staring four years of poverty in the face, while I'd be attending medical school. At any rate, I felt that she deserved a mini-suite after she so graciously put up with a $74 honeymoon.

 

That reminds me of our early cruises -paid for by my Inlaws - I can honestly say I seldom find ANY judgement "legal" because it all depends on where you are in life not how much you've accumulated at age 65....and there's a lot of living AND working in between!

We began doing the "grand" cruises -ESPECIALLY Asia - after we both retired and what a LIFE experience that has been!!!! Last Falls was a WWII cruise we totally LOVED on the Amsterdam. AS cruisers you cruise for MANY reasons/from MANY countries/ with many expectations and many preconceived notions. I can't imagine BEING one of the "LOOK DOWN YOUR NOSE AT ME" kinds of people....at ALL stages I was "there" from a bit of money [ $74] to "now I have the time I NEED" Cruise isn't "See what I OWN" -its "WHOA what an ADVENTURE!"

Anne in Colorado ;)

[dmcfad2]

We always book a large inside room. Don't get me wrong, I would love a nice suite. We have friends we travel with sometimes who always get a suite. And it's really great! But, the difference in price is ridiculous. I'd rather spend my money on jewelry when we get to where we are going! And I get to take 4 cruises a year this way. :) It's all about the money for me.

[sail7seas]

I am curios about that too.

 

Loved you sharing your experiences with us.

 

Very enjoyable

 

The only cruise(s) we found invitations for cocktails at one place or another (mostly Neptune Lounge) was on Rotterdam. We sailed "S" cabin b-to-b for Christmas/Millenium New Years Eve and Captain/Hotel Manager had a party for suite and other guests almost every night of 14. We actually skipped a few as we wanted to enjoy our usual visit to Ocean Bar at least a few evenings. :)

 

[DaveOKC]

We started with OV cabins and worked our way up to Neptune suites because we were traveling with my daughter and later on my elderly Mom, so we needed the room.

 

We got spoiled to be sure and now sometimes book the Neptune suite and other times a Signature suite (depending on the ship) and hope for an upsell.

 

Is the larger cabin a "waste" of money? Perhaps, but to each his own. We watch our pennies on somethings that are not as important to us, but spend more than others on things that we enjoy doing. IMO, that is how it should be - to each his own priorities.

 

We meet plenty of people onboard and do not judge them by the type of cabin they are in, but rather on how they act and treat us in return.

 

DaveOKC

Edited July 2, 2014 by DaveOKC

[sail7seas]

Bumper....

 

Very happy you enjoyed your Neptune Suite.

Did you mention which ship you just sailed?

[cruisemom42]

I see this used as a reason for not booking a suite all the time. The question that I always ask myself is do you not spend any time in the room because its an small stateroom on a lower deck?

 

I can truthfully say that for me, it's not the case. I have cruised (and will cruise) in virtually any cabin from "4 in a room, inside, below the water line" to mini-suites for two to a deluxe single balcony cabin on the top deck. However, I won't pay a lot more for a bigger cabin or one with a balcony, because I simply don't make use of it.

 

If I'm not actively doing something, I'd rather be somewhere that I can read a book but still watch the action. That may be a lounger in a covered location or a seat indoors in a location that's not too busy but not too quiet.

 

Perhaps it's a holdover or legacy of cruising done as a young person with my parents when balconies were few and far between on any ship and people mingled more. (As an example, I still fondly remember meeting my grandmother for a high tea being served in a lovely lounge with music everyday....and folks didn't rush in, sit by themselves and rush out. Conversations were shared and the pace was leisurely.)

[BumperII]

Bumper....

 

Very happy you enjoyed your Neptune Suite.

Did you mention which ship you just sailed?

 

Actually two, Seven days on the Amsterdam out of Vancouver and a B2B on the Veendam out of Boston.

[sail7seas]

I can truthfully say that for me, it's not the case. I have cruised (and will cruise) in virtually any cabin from "4 in a room, inside, below the water line" to mini-suites for two to a deluxe single balcony cabin on the top deck. However, I won't pay a lot more for a bigger cabin or one with a balcony, because I simply don't make use of it.

 

If I'm not actively doing something, I'd rather be somewhere that I can read a book but still watch the action. That may be a lounger in a covered location or a seat indoors in a location that's not too busy but not too quiet.

 

Perhaps it's a holdover or legacy of cruising done as a young person with my parents when balconies were few and far between on any ship and people mingled more. (As an example, I still fondly remember meeting my grandmother for a high tea being served in a lovely lounge with music everyday....and folks didn't rush in, sit by themselves and rush out. Conversations were shared and the pace was leisurely.)

 

 

Those were the days when people sat and chatted face to face. These days it seems if there isn't something electronic involved, conversation can be more rare. :eek: :D Those were the lovely days at a much slower pace than today's world --- for better or worse.

 

 

Actually two, Seven days on the Amsterdam out of Vancouver and a B2B on the Veendam out of Boston.

 

 

 

Thanks.

We enjoyed Veendam more than we expected last August. Neptune Lounge was well managed with great concierges and Pinnacle Stewards. :)

 

[POA1]

PS-PS: The Carnival CEO implied in a recent earnings call that Carnival and possibly some of the associated brands are going to back away from the deep-deep discounts to routinely fill cabins - suggesting at least that certain "sub-prime" cruisers may not be adding to the bottom line - not sure how this might impact HAL or the availability of low-cost suite upgrades - but something we should be on the lookout for.

 

The "we're going to be moving away from discounting" has been a regular part of CEO patter, especially on analyst's calls, for a long time. It's not just the travel industry, either.

 

It's when you hear them say that they have moved away from discounting, or that they've been able to move away from discounting that you will know things have changed. :)

[Hoon]

I see this used as a reason for not booking a suite all the time. The question that I always ask myself is do you not spend any time in the room because its an small stateroom on a lower deck? The first cruise I ever went on, we booked an inside cabin. Mostly because several people told us don't book a nice cabin, you wont spend any time there. And, they were right. I had no desire to be in the small cabin with no access to outside light or fresh air. When I was in there, I couldn't wait to get out of there. After that cruise, I decided I hated cruising and it was many years before I did it again.

 

When I was finally convinced to try a second cruise, we got a balcony. Wow, it made for a completely different cruising experience for me. I actually loved it. However, I still thought the room was too small and confining.

 

The third time, we went for an aft corner suite on the newly christened Zuiderdam and I was utterly amazed. A spacious room, an amazing balcony you could throw a party on for all your friends, attentive service, some nice perks, we felt like rockstars! :D

 

Only once since have I cruised in anything other than a suite and I can honestly say not having the suite dramatically reduced my enjoyment of the cruise.

 

Personally, I am a little claustrophobic and I very much enjoy being outdoors. I also tend to be a private person and prefer to spend my time with my friends and family and do not enjoy being in crowded public venues very much. So, for me, the space and huge balcony that comes with a suite is very much to my liking. We spend a lot of time in the suite, mostly on the balcony. We spend time there, because we are comfortable there. To me, its well worth the expense because it adds so much to my personal cruising experience.

 

This is not to say we don't spend a lot of time outside the suite. I love the aft pool area and the Seaview bar and we do spend a lot of time there. But I also like the quiet solitude of the comfortable and spacious private space that a suite provides.

 

The beauty of cruising is there is a space for everyone. We all like what we like and I like the suites. And, I don't care what the person in the suite next to me paid, that's none of my business. It wouldn't bother me in the least if they told me they paid much less. I would likely say bully for you, enjoy the suite! And, buy me a drink with all that money you saved. :p

 

"AMEN, AMEN" I have only been on 1 cruise, on Princess, that was in a aft corner suit and have another one planed in Aug. This time on HAL, again in the aft corner. I will not cruise any other way.

[Willem Ruys]

After thirty some odd cruises we were finally able to take advantage of offers to upgrade to Neptune Suites two cruises in a row. We soon realized that the riff raff had arrived.

 

It was us.

 

The first cruise had a group booking that pretty well took over the Neptune Lounge. It was pretty clear we didn't fit in.

 

The suite was pretty nice. Huge veranda, nice computer desk, stocked mini bar and a complementary bottle of cheap sparkling wine. On the first cruise, we gave it to the passengers next door. On the second cruise we met two couples and a bottle was opened, unanimously declared unfit for human consumption and emptied into the toilet.

 

We found out that the yellow key card has it's privileges. The concierge has a priority for dining reservations. Excursion tickets are instantly provided. When he calls, the future cruise consultant comes up to you. When we mentioned that we missed the green pea soup, a steward quickly appeared on our veranda with two steaming portions, a selection of crackers, served in bowl and saucer including place mats linen napkins.

 

On the fifth day of the cruise we had a lull and started reading the mail. Turns out we had invitations to some kind of complementary beverage included reception almost every day.

 

Did I mention that mini bar? There were three 350 ml bottles of white wine in the refrigerator and one red on the counter top. On the twelfth of the second cruise we noticed a small knob protruding from one of the mirrors. This was a moment of great social and philosophical importance. We found the cork screw.

 

Among the nicest perks was breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. The hot breakfast is actually served promptly, hot and to order. It was here that we frequently met other suite passengers. and on a couple of occasions we joined them for lunch.

 

During lunch with a rather astute business couple who apparently paid full price, I dropped the fact that we were there on a last minute upsell. Bad idea. When he found out we paid roughly half price, his jaw hardened, and his fist clenched. That was the last we saw of them on the cruise. Never discuss politics, religion or cruise fares.

 

All in all, our first Neptune Suites were very enjoyable. It should be noted that our first twenty cruises in inside staterooms were also very enjoyable. While the Neptune Suite was nice, it was four times as expensive as the inside stateroom. It wasn't four time as nice as the inside stateroom. Anyway, our next cruise is high demand and we are booked in a Vista Suite. The chances of a third upgrade are zero to none. If in the future our budget would only allow us to book an inside cabin, you can find us in one of the Js on the Lower Promenade.

 

Bumper

 

 

You're HILARIOUS! LOVE your review...I agree about the bubbling wine...thought of using it in medical experiments then remembered that I am not a doctor, don't even play one on TV...and leave it for the next passenger...

[obriendan]

You're only riff raff if you carried your belongings in plastic grocery bags or coolers!!

 

I must be riff raff. On a Zuiderdam cruise I broke a large bottle of wine by placing my carry-on down not gentilly enough. I had to carry the pink contents onboard in a HAL supplied garbage bag!

 

Dan

[Stratheden]

I very much enjoy being outdoors. I also tend to be a private person and prefer to spend my time with my friends and family and do not enjoy being in crowded public venues very much. So, for me, the space and huge balcony that comes with a suite is very much to my liking. We spend a lot of time in the suite, mostly on the balcony. We spend time there, because we are comfortable there. To me, its well worth the expense because it adds so much to my personal cruising experience.

 

This is not to say we don't spend a lot of time outside the suite. I love the aft pool area and the Seaview bar and we do spend a lot of time there. But I also like the quiet solitude of the comfortable and spacious private space that a suite provides.

 

The beauty of cruising is there is a space for everyone. We all like what we like and I like the suites. And, I don't care what the person in the suite next to me paid, that's none of my business. It wouldn't bother me in the least if they told me they paid much less. I would likely say bully for you, enjoy the suite! And, buy me a drink with all that money you saved. :p

 

I have to agree - this is us. We enjoy the company of others and always go to happy hour and dinner but we also enjoy our own space. We like to read on our balcony and watch the world go by.

 

But each to his own. I think it is an age thing - it is for us anyway. Been there, done that - scrimping and saving to get where we are now. Let's enjoy it while we can. :)

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

 

The Suite Life can be very addictive, and the NL is one of the reasons.

[SilvertoGold]

You're HILARIOUS! LOVE your review...I agree about the bubbling wine...thought of using it in medical experiments then remembered that I am not a doctor, don't even play one on TV...and leave it for the next passenger...

 

Willem Ruys:

And you are quite hilarious, too!

[Mytime2014]

I must be riff raff. On a Zuiderdam cruise I broke a large bottle of wine by placing my carry-on down not gentilly enough. I had to carry the pink contents onboard in a HAL supplied garbage bag!

 

Dan

 

 

That relates back to "you might be a redneck if...."

[DaveOKC]

You're HILARIOUS! LOVE your review...I agree about the bubbling wine...thought of using it in medical experiments then remembered that I am not a doctor, don't even play one on TV...and leave it for the next passenger...

 

Did you know that (on most HAL ships) you can exchange that bottle of bubbly (which I also think is not very good) for another bottle of HAL's house wine, or bottles of soda or water? Just check with the Neptune staff.

 

DaveOKC

[GRACECRUISE]

On our last cruise my mom and I got on the elevator and pressed our floor ( a low floor, inside cabin). There was a very nicely dressed woman in the elevator getting off on the Penthouse floor. She looked at us as we hit our floor and made remark...Oh you are traveling in the dungeon. With a big ole smile I responded, yes maam we are and we get into port the same time you do. The doors open and she got off on her floor without another word.

[cruz chic]

On our last cruise my mom and I got on the elevator and pressed our floor ( a low floor, inside cabin). There was a very nicely dressed woman in the elevator getting off on the Penthouse floor. She looked at us as we hit our floor and made remark...Oh you are traveling in the dungeon. With a big ole smile I responded, yes maam we are and we get into port the same time you do. The doors open and she got off on her floor without another word.

 

Wow, how classy. I wonder how some people sleep at night. On that same vein I just can't wait for July 5th.

[iancal]

We enjoy a large balcony. We have been very fortunate in the past to score some balcony cabins with lots of outside real estate-on Princess ships Caribe deck which were partially covered and a number of occasions on Celebrity sweet sixteen locales. Even had two of the latter side by side on a late booking.. Not certain if they have these on HAL but we are certainly going to check next time we book to see if we can snag one. It is actually surprising what sort of cabin location availability can suddenly pop up even well inside the final payment window as a result of late cancellations or people being accepting upgrades.

[sail7seas]

We enjoy a large balcony. We have been very fortunate in the past to score some balcony cabins with lots of outside real estate-on Princess ships Caribe deck which were partially covered and a number of occasions on Celebrity sweet sixteen locales. Even had two of the latter side by side on a late booking.. Not certain if they have these on HAL but we are certainly going to check next time we book to see if we can snag one. It is actually surprising what sort of cabin location availability can suddenly pop up even well inside the final payment window as a result of late cancellations or people being accepting upgrades.

 

 

:confused: What are 'sweet sixteen locales?"

 

[cruz chic]

:confused: What are 'sweet sixteen locales?"

 

 

They are balconies on celebrity that are mid ship iirc. I know that they are much loved balconies. On Princess people love the caribe deck. The only thing I can think of on Hal that would be loved like that is aft wraps.

[iancal]

The 'sweet sixteens' are indeed mid ship balcony cabins on Celebrity. They have 2 1/2 - 3 times the real estate as a standard balcony. The push out past the ships lines so you also get a good view. The Caribe deck balcony that we have experienced is the same if not larger-1/3 covered which represent a standard balcony, and the rest open. Both are very, very, nice if you can get them.

 

Someone on the Celebrity board maintains a current list of cabins on Solstice design ships, based on CC input, that list pros, cons of location and size. We have found this to be extremely in scoring great balcony locales. The list is updated regularly and encompasses all cabin categories.

Edited July 3, 2014 by iancal