Sell me on a Neptune Suite

[keysey222]

We typically stay in the Neptune Suites. The larger room, big balcony & breakfast in the Pinnacle are what we enjoy. We noticed last month that the Pinnacle breakfast menu has improved and has more items than before. It's been awhile since we had to tender, but I believe NS guests have priority tender boarding as well. We always enjoy the snacks in the lounge and take full advantage of the cappuccino/espresso maker in there. They typically have a small party in the lounge on the first night with complementary champagne and mimosas, which is very nice.

 

We really appreciate the concierge service available in the Neptune lounge. We had an instance in Costa Rica that involved my cell phone sliding out of my bag in the overhead compartment of a tour bus. When I realized it wasn't in my bag, our concierge was in contact with the tour instantly and asked the driver to turn around. Our concierge went down to meet the bus driver and retrieve my phone. (Guests were not allowed off the ship at this point since it was about to leave port. Time was of the essence.) That's exceptional service.

[iancal]

Are you saying/implying that if you had not been in a Neptune Suite the HAL folks would not have made the same effort to retrieve your cell phone from the HAL tour bus?

[RocketMan275]

Are you saying/implying that if you had not been in a Neptune Suite the HAL folks would not have made the same effort to retrieve your cell phone from the HAL tour bus?

 

If you're not in a neptune suite, you don't have access to the concierge who provided this service. Whether someone at the front desk would have been as successful is unknown. However, the concierge are selected for customer service skills.

[IPB4IGO]

Our most recent cruise was a 17-day voyage. We had a guarantee Vista suite. Two weeks before departure we were offered an upsell to a Neptune suite for $1,600 each. We declined. One week before departure we were offered an upsell to a Neptune suite for $800 each. We gladly took it. The final result was that we paid about 50% of the published fare for the Neptune Suite.

 

Our previous cruise was a 28-day trip, in a Vista suite.

 

For an extra $50/day per person, the Neptune Suite was well worth it, just for the larger balcony. I wouldn't pay much more than that.

 

We did use the coffee/espresso maker in the room and the one in the Neptune Lounge, but made very little use of the other amenities. The free laundry was nice, but it was only $7/day on the previous cruise. The Pinnacle Grill breakfast was no big improvement over MDR service, and we actually preferred the cooked-to-order breakfast in the Lido.

 

The two concierges in the Neptune Lounge were wonderful ladies, but following procedure and calling them when we needed something from the room attendant (ice, etc.) was much less convenient than calling housekeeping directly, as we did on the previous cruise, since we often got a "The line is busy, please wait" recording when calling the Neptune Lounge.

 

Our next cruise will certainly be with HAL, and we will reserve a balcony cabin again because we spend a LOT of time on the balcony. But the Vista suite balcony was large enough for the two of us.

[DaveOKC]

Tough question. To some extent it depends on the class of ship. On the R and S class ships the cabin size between the next lowest cabin (Vista) and the Neptune is about double. On the Vista and larger ships the difference between the Signature (next lowest) and Neptune is about 1/3rd more (if that).

 

Also, the Neptune aft-wraps on the Vista ships are great for scenic cruises or if you are hosting a large party on your balcony (we once had 40 on ours).

 

Further, it depends on how much more it costs (IMO). On some cruises the difference is large, on some not so much.

 

And of course a great value is often had (but not always) from getting an upsell offer from HAL.

 

In short, the answer depends on all of the above, PLUS what is important to you.

[CruisinHarvey]

Don't bother. We've been in Neptune suites our last 2 cruises on the Nieuw Amsterdam. That's because we spend too much money in the casino's so they almost give them to us. The reason we take them is because we get an aft suite with wrap around balcony, and it's fabulous. The other stuff is garbage compared to the Haven. This breakfast in the Pinnacle Dining room, is OK, but it's sure not like having your own dining room for breakfast lunch and dinner. The Neptune lounge is a sad replacement for a butler that will bring you anything you want to your room. No private bar on HAL. No private pool on HAL. No private laying out area on HAL. No Butler on HAL. There's just no comparison.

Edited December 25, 2016 by CruisinHarvey

[bUU]

However, the least expensive cabin in The Haven is almost double the price of a Neptune Suite. It looks wonderful but it is so much more expensive as to be a comparison of apples to oranges.

Edited December 25, 2016 by bUU

[RocketMan275]

Don't bother. We've been in Neptune suites our last 2 cruises on the Nieuw Amsterdam. That's because we spend too much money in the casino's so they almost give them to us. The reason we take them is because we get an aft suite with wrap around balcony, and it's fabulous. The other stuff is garbage compared to the Haven. This breakfast in the Pinnacle Dining room, is OK, but it's sure not like having your own dining room for breakfast lunch and dinner. The Neptune lounge is a sad replacement for a butler that will bring you anything you want to your room. No private bar on HAL. No private pool on HAL. No private laying out area on HAL. No Butler on HAL. There's just no comparison.

 

The balconies on NCL are too small. No way I would pay twice as much to sail in a Haven and have to put up with those miniature balconies on NCL.

[CruisinHarvey]

However, the least expensive cabin in The Haven is almost double the price of a Neptune Suite. It looks wonderful but it is so much more expensive as to be a comparison of apples to oranges.

 

We'd never pay full price. The only way for us to sail in one of those is book a regular balcony cabin, then call the upsell department as the cruise gets closer. If it works out fine. If not, we just have to suffer through our old, dark, dank, horrible balcony cabin for the cruise. LOL That being said, I wouldn't think of paying regular price for a Neptune either.

[bUU]

So it's a wash, putting The Haven still in a completely different price range. They aren't comparable offerings any more than The Four Seasons and a decent Marriott.

[81Zoomie]

We have sailed every category on HAL from a verandah to the PS (honeymoon splurge). The only difference between a signature and Neptune cabin wise is a little size. The Neptune Pinnacle breakfast is one of our favorite benefits, and we love the aft wrap balconies.

 

The Neptune Lounge is vastly overrated IMHO. On our last cruise we went in once on embarkation and once for coffee. That's it. It seems closed in and dreary to us. Now, if there was a happy hour that included free drinks (not a glass of bubbly or pay as you go bar HAL is experimenting with) similar to Celebrity we might change our minds. But then again, you would have to drink a lot to make up the price difference.

 

My next cruise is with my Mom who is 90. We booked a Neptune so we have a little extra room and a nice relaxed breakfast. Next time I sail with my husband we will book a cabin that makes sense for the itinerary and the budget. It most likely will be an OV or verandah.

Edited December 26, 2016 by 81Zoomie

[DaveOKC]

We have sailed every category on HAL from a verandah to the PS (honeymoon splurge). The only difference between a signature and Neptune cabin wise is a little size. The Neptune Pinnacle breakfast is one of our favorite benefits, and we love the aft wrap balconies.

 

The Neptune Lounge is vastly overrated IMHO. On our last cruise we went in once on embarkation and once for coffee. That's it. It seems closed in and dreary to us. Now, if there was a happy hour that included free drinks (not a glass of bubbly or pay as you go bar HAL is experimenting with) similar to Celebrity we might change our minds. But then again, you would have to drink a lot to make up the price difference.

 

My next cruise is with my Mom who is 90. We booked a Neptune so we have a little extra room and a nice relaxed breakfast. Next time I sail with my husband we will book a cabin that makes sense for the itinerary and the budget. It most likely will be an OV or verandah.

 

With the new feature of a coffeemaker in your cabin plus some of the information being on the TV, our usage of the Neptune Lounge was less this trip. It definitely seemed less busy than in the past.

[sctexan]

So it's a wash, putting The Haven still in a completely different price range. They aren't comparable offerings any more than The Four Seasons and a decent Marriott.

They are comparable if you don't pay full price for The Haven, which we did not. We paid $1,500 more for our aft Haven cabin and for our HAL Alaska sailing the difference between a Signature and a Neptune is about $1,200. That seems comparable to me.

 

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[RocketMan275]

They are comparable if you don't pay full price for The Haven, which we did not. We paid $1,500 more for our aft Haven cabin and for our HAL Alaska sailing the difference between a Signature and a Neptune is about $1,200. That seems comparable to me.

 

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If you're going to compare fares, then compare fares that are comparable. Reduce the cost of a Neptune by a similar percentage. A Haven will still be twice as much as a Neptune.

[bUU]

So what you're saying is that The Haven discounted is comparable to Neptune Suites undiscounted. Understood.

[sctexan]

So what you're saying is that The Haven discounted is comparable to Neptune Suites undiscounted. Understood.

Truthfully, from what I've read and been told on CC and having experienced The Haven firsthand, I've come to the conclusion that they simply cannot be truly compared as the experiences are completely different.

 

We will book a Signature suite and upsell to a Neptune, if possible. But if not I'll be happy in a Signature. 😊

 

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[RocketMan275]

Truthfully, from what I've read and been told on CC and having experienced The Haven firsthand, I've come to the conclusion that they simply cannot be truly compared as the experiences are completely different.

 

We will book a Signature suite and upsell to a Neptune, if possible. But if not I'll be happy in a Signature. 😊

 

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That's reasonable. You obviously find the features of the Haven to justify the extra expense. We do not. We've looked at the Haven several times and we just aren't interested. We find the aft wrap Neptune suites to be more than adequate for our needs and much more reasonably priced.

[sctexan]

That's reasonable. You obviously find the features of the Haven to justify the extra expense. We do not. We've looked at the Haven several times and we just aren't interested. We find the aft wrap Neptune suites to be more than adequate for our needs and much more reasonably priced.

On a mega ship, such as NCL'S Escape, The Haven, for me, was the difference between a fantastic cruise and a mediocre cruise. After that experience, I've realized huge cruise ships are not for me. So, in that respect it was totally worth the extra money. We also had two room aft cabin that was wonderful. In a mid-sized ship such as the Eurodam I don't anticipate needing to get away from the huge crowds. We were on the Westerdam back in 2014 and thought our Signature and the ship size were just right.

 

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[kazu]

We have sailed every category on HAL from a verandah to the PS (honeymoon splurge). The only difference between a signature and Neptune cabin wise is a little size. The Neptune Pinnacle breakfast is one of our favorite benefits, and we love the aft wrap balconies.

 

The Neptune Lounge is vastly overrated IMHO. On our last cruise we went in once on embarkation and once for coffee. That's it. It seems closed in and dreary to us. Now, if there was a happy hour that included free drinks (not a glass of bubbly or pay as you go bar HAL is experimenting with) similar to Celebrity we might change our minds. But then again, you would have to drink a lot to make up the price difference.

 

My next cruise is with my Mom who is 90. We booked a Neptune so we have a little extra room and a nice relaxed breakfast. Next time I sail with my husband we will book a cabin that makes sense for the itinerary and the budget. It most likely will be an OV or verandah.

\

 

Bolding is mine - the Neptune Lounge on the Prinsendam is not closed in. Beautiful sea views, beautiful verandah to sit on and the stained glass that you see in the brochures ;) A really lovely Neptune Lounge IMO.

[RocketMan275]

On a mega ship, such as NCL'S Escape, The Haven, for me, was the difference between a fantastic cruise and a mediocre cruise. After that experience, I've realized huge cruise ships are not for me. So, in that respect it was totally worth the extra money. We also had two room aft cabin that was wonderful. In a mid-sized ship such as the Eurodam I don't anticipate needing to get away from the huge crowds. We were on the Westerdam back in 2014 and thought our Signature and the ship size were just right.

 

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I can certainly understand that. We took a cruise on Oasis. We cancelled all our big ship cruises and booked on Westerdam. We are so glad we cruised on Oasis because it taught us what we wanted in a cruise ship was what Holland offers.

 

BTW, Oasis had a suites only lounge (free wine and beer) free spirits during dinner. It also has suites only dining. We were not impressed. The lounge was nice and we enjoyed that but we found the suites dining to underwhelming. We preferred their buffet because the selection for dinner only changed once during a seven day cruise. We had a Crown Loft Suite which was amazing but we missed the ability to dine on our balcony.

 

I imagine the only way we could enjoy a NCL cruise would be in one of the aft penthouse suites. But, why spend all that extra money when we get all we really want in a Neptune suite? We don't patronize the MDR. We don't sit around the pool. We just like to chill out on our balcony. So a very large balcony is so important.

[cruisetheworld67]

We stayed in a Neptune Suite once only because we got it as an upsell on the 3rd. go around and I felt it was reasonable. I would never pay full price for a Neptune. Everyone raves about breakfast in the Pinnacle but on some ships like the Amsterdam where the Pinnacle is indoors.....you eat in the MDR upstairs and the food is exactly the same.

 

Plus, the NEptune lounge is nothing special. Also, while the concierge is there to help you here is the problem. Say you want her to book you for 2 nights in the Pinnacle Grill for dinner. So you tell her the 2 nights you want and the times. Then she asks for alternate nights/times if those are already booked. Too much back and forth. I can get on the phone and book myself in 60 seconds and make changes right over the phone. You want a shore excursion? Again "what is an alternate Sir if that one is not available?" Just easier and quicker to do it yourself. So you spend 10 minutes in line or on the phone.

 

Save your money and book a Signature or Vista Suite. You still have a balcony and you will save a ton of money. The Neptune Suites have a huge jump in price from the lesser priced suites.

[LewiLewi]

We really enjoy the Neptune Lounge. We usually book a suite very close to the lounge, and run in many times during the day for coffee and snacks. Sometimes, in the morning, we actually just throw on a robe and grab something to eat and bring it back to our suite.

It is also a nice way to meet fellow passengers who also frequent the lounge during the day.

[iancal]

I am nor certain how anyone could categorically say that a Neptune Suite, or any other category of accomodation, is good or less than good.

 

Does it not depend on one's personal preferences, what they place a value on? And their budget.

 

Neptune suites do not offer good value to us. Perhaps others feel that way about our cabins of choice-verandah. So it hardly means that we do not think they are good, not that it matters, it just means that they are not an especially attractive offer to us.

[G&G]

I am nor certain how anyone could categorically say that a Neptune Suite, or any other category of accomodation, is good or less than good.

 

Does it not depend on one's personal preferences, what they place a value on? And their budget.

 

Neptune suites do not offer good value to us. Perhaps others feel that way about our cabins of choice-verandah. So it hardly means that we do not think they are good, not that it matters, it just means that they are not an especially attractive offer to us.

 

Ditto, especially on high price cruises such as VoV

[kazu]

I am nor certain how anyone could categorically say that a Neptune Suite, or any other category of accomodation, is good or less than good.

 

Does it not depend on one's personal preferences, what they place a value on? And their budget.

 

Neptune suites do not offer good value to us. Perhaps others feel that way about our cabins of choice-verandah. So it hardly means that we do not think they are good, not that it matters, it just means that they are not an especially attractive offer to us.

 

Bolding is mine. Well said :).

 

Everyone has their own personal preferences. It doesn't make someone's preference who is different from your own wrong, it just means that their preference is a different one ;)

Edited December 27, 2016 by kazu