New Club Orange

[RuthC]

On 6/26/2019 at 11:10 AM, frankc98376 said:

Does this mean PG breakfast for NS is done on the rest of the fleet?

From everything I have read regarding this on CC, Neptune & Pinnacle suites have breakfast in Club Orange on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. 
On all other ships in the fleet, those suites have breakfast in the Pinnacle. Dinner is in the dining room, with a special line in open seating, for those who are not on fixed seating. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, RuthC said:

From everything I have read regarding this on CC, Neptune & Pinnacle suites have breakfast in Club Orange on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. 
On all other ships in the fleet, those suites have breakfast in the Pinnacle. Dinner is in the dining room, with a special line in open seating, for those who are not on fixed seating. 

 

That's my understanding, too. I think CO get a special line and priority seating at breakfast, as well as at dinner. Depending on how many "Orange Passes" are sold, this could affect availability of the desirable tables for two in open seating.

 

[DeeniEncinitas]

2 hours ago, RuthC said:

From everything I have read regarding this on CC, Neptune & Pinnacle suites have breakfast in Club Orange on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. 
On all other ships in the fleet, those suites have breakfast in the Pinnacle. Dinner is in the dining room, with a special line in open seating, for those who are not on fixed seating. 

Hi Ruth!!!!

Well here we live in San Diego and a cruise Hawaii/Mexico 24 days 1/9/21 Koningsdam. We were not thrilled but it was leaving out of our hometown and no air fare. We have a Neptune suites 12 cruises with HAL so just excited about looking at another cruise!  😣 No breakfast in PG😞 I’m sad!  Not excited about eating in a fish bowl atmosphere in OC. Saw photos from awhile ago who took pics of the place. I will miss the PG breakfasts!  I know people will say you don’t have to eat there and they are right

we won’t! Sel de Mer is wonderful and we have Tamarind and PG to look forward too.

will be on Rotterdam soon in March and look forward to the cruise of days with breakfast inPG👍

Denise😊

[SWeaster]

On ‎10‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 1:54 PM, VennDiagram said:

" Private dining venue for breakfast and dinner with expanded menu, Premium inroom
dining breakfast menu, "

 

Oh I like the sound of that!  Well worth the small upcharge.

 

Twenty five dollars per person per day doesn't seem like a "small" upcharge.  With double occupancy this adds $350 to a one week cruise.  A last minute cabin upgrade might be a better deal.

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, SWeaster said:

 

Twenty five dollars per person per day doesn't seem like a "small" upcharge.  With double occupancy this adds $350 to a one week cruise.  A last minute cabin upgrade might be a better deal.

 

The "list price" on K and NS, the only ships with the private venue, is $35 pp pd. It's $25 on the other ships. There have been reports of offers of reduced price, but I'n not sure I've seen a price cut on K or NS, where CO has more value.

[Ken the cruiser]

We’re on the Maasdam right now and the Club Orange Committee is on the ship with a tentative plan to implement it starting on the next leg in about 5 days which is the Australia circumnavigation cruise. Haven’t heard any specifics yet or received any literature in our cabin other than what the MDR servers told us this morning. 

[Boatdrill]

On 10/12/2019 at 5:31 AM, SWeaster said:

 

Twenty five dollars per person per day doesn't seem like a "small" upcharge.  With double occupancy this adds $350 to a one week cruise.  A last minute cabin upgrade might be a better deal.

I have friends on the NS now.  About two weeks before they left for their trip, HAL offered them a CO membershp for  $35 per person, per day. Amenities: priority access in various lines, welcome glass of sparkling wine, bathrobes, CO tote bag, CO key card,   special onboard event (tba), special room service breakfast menu, private dining venue. 

 

They declined the offer because they received similar, or better, from their travel agent. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

28 minutes ago, Boatdrill said:

I have friends on the NS now.  About two weeks before they left for their trip, HAL offered them a CO membershp for  $35 per person, per day. Amenities: priority access in various lines, welcome glass of sparkling wine, bathrobes, CO tote bag, CO key card,   special onboard event (tba), special room service breakfast menu, private dining venue. 

 

They declined the offer because they received similar, or better, from their travel agent. 

 

$35 is the "list price," what you pay if you contact HAL and buy CO.

 

What "similar or better" did they get from their TA? 

 

[RocketMan275]

On 10/3/2019 at 6:57 PM, RuthC said:

From everything I have read regarding this on CC, Neptune & Pinnacle suites have breakfast in Club Orange on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam. 
On all other ships in the fleet, those suites have breakfast in the Pinnacle. Dinner is in the dining room, with a special line in open seating, for those who are not on fixed seating. 

We were on NAM the second week after implementing Club Orange on that ship.  Exactly as you described.  My son was in a balcony and he bought the club orange and was pleased.  We were in a Neptune and we were pleased with breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.

[Sun&Sand52]

6 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said:

We were on NAM the second week after implementing Club Orange on that ship.  Exactly as you described.  My son was in a balcony and he bought the club orange and was pleased.  We were in a Neptune and we were pleased with breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.

RocketMan, what did your son say about the main dining room experience on the NAM under the Club Orange program?  Better service or no wait for dinner as he would be dining under the "Anytime Dining" schedule I would asume? Did he mention if he had a dedicated area for CO in the dining room - I would think not but thought I would ask.  Thanks in advance!

[twodjs]

19 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

We’re on the Maasdam right now and the Club Orange Committee is on the ship

I find it kind of funny that they need an entire committee. The only change for Neptune Suite guests is a CO menu in the MDR and the addition of a dedicated express line in the anytime dining area for CO and Neptune guests. And there is a CO line at the guest services, which isn't needed by Neptunes. So a couple of signs and menus - that takes a committee? Maybe it is one person with bodyguards for protection from those opposed to the plan? 😁

[Caribbean Chris]

They might need a committee if they decide on constructing separate Club Orange dining rooms to match the Pinnacle Class ships. Not saying this is happening, but they could, for example, wall off a section of the dining room as Celebrity did on all of their existing ships when they created Blu (Aqua Class dining room) and Luminae (suite dining room).  The result was quite seamless, with separate entrances/lobbies for each of the new dining rooms.

 

In some cases, the new dining spaces were added during dry dock. On at least one of the Solstice Class ships, the construction took place during passenger sailings.

[twodjs]

I'm willing to bet that is not going to happen. They have spent almost zero dollars to implement this vision. It's now down to just a $15.00/person/day fire sale offer on some ships. Part of the $35/person draw on the two newest ships is the combo of open kitchen/see the prep/quick hot delivery. None of this can happen with just a wall.

[oaktreerb]

40 minutes ago, twodjs said:

I find it kind of funny that they need an entire committee. The only change for Neptune Suite guests is a CO menu in the MDR and the addition of a dedicated express line in the anytime dining area for CO and Neptune guests. And there is a CO line at the guest services, which isn't needed by Neptunes. So a couple of signs and menus - that takes a committee? Maybe it is one person with bodyguards for protection from those opposed to the plan? 😁

To figure out how to make Club Orange worth an upcharge on a small ship like the Maasdam would probably take a committee of more than one idea person.

[twodjs]

Also, the approach with Celebrity was to create the separate dining venue with a completely separate menu to increase the value for their higher level cabins. HAL's approach has nothing to do with added value for Suites. It is squeezing the last possible dollar out of those guests who want to cruise like Suite guests without paying Suite prices.   

[RocketMan275]

2 hours ago, margar said:

RocketMan, what did your son say about the main dining room experience on the NAM under the Club Orange program?  Better service or no wait for dinner as he would be dining under the "Anytime Dining" schedule I would asume? Did he mention if he had a dedicated area for CO in the dining room - I would think not but thought I would ask.  Thanks in advance!

It was his first HAL cruise so he didn't have much to compare it with but he was pleased.

[canadianbear]

37 minutes ago, twodjs said:

Also, the approach with Celebrity was to create the separate dining venue with a completely separate menu to increase the value for their higher level cabins. HAL's approach has nothing to do with added value for Suites. It is squeezing the last possible dollar out of those guests who want to cruise like Suite guests without paying Suite prices.   

We’ve only sailed on Celebrity once earlier this year in a suite and it sure is outstanding compared to HAL.   The private dining room was very nice and never a wait.  Michael’s club was a relaxing place (similar to Neptune Lounge) where you could meet other guests and all liquor included.   HAL really needs to step up for their suite guests.   

 

 

[kazu]

2 minutes ago, canadianbear said:

HAL really needs to step up for their suite guests.   

 

That would be nice, wouldn’t it 😉 

[frankc98376]

19 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

That would be nice, wouldn’t it 😉 

Instead they are cutting way back on the number of Neptune Suites on the new builds.  I guess new philosophy is "pack them in".

[frankc98376]

Just now, frankc98376 said:

Instead they are cutting way back on the number of Neptune Suites on the new builds and monetizing suite benefits for anyone.  I guess new philosophy is "pack them in".

 

[canadianbear]

8 minutes ago, frankc98376 said:

Instead they are cutting way back on the number of Neptune Suites on the new builds.  I guess new philosophy is "pack them in".

As well as not many Signature suites.  We absolutely loved our Signature suite on the Koningsdam for our 21 day cruise a couple years ago.  The Neptune suite was way too high priced for that cruise but the Signature suite was very spacious and we didn’t need the Neptune perks.  I saw a Neptune on the Kongingsdam and preferred our Signature one.

[Ken the cruiser]

4 hours ago, twodjs said:

I find it kind of funny that they need an entire committee. The only change for Neptune Suite guests is a CO menu in the MDR and the addition of a dedicated express line in the anytime dining area for CO and Neptune guests. And there is a CO line at the guest services, which isn't needed by Neptunes. So a couple of signs and menus - that takes a committee? Maybe it is one person with bodyguards for protection from those opposed to the plan? 😁

My guess is the HAL OC “committee” onboard may have consisted of just 1 or 2 people. All I heard was there was a “committee” onboard working out the details to implement CO on the next leg, updating the computer, training various key crew members, etc. 

[Boatdrill]

7 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

$35 is the "list price," what you pay if you contact HAL and buy CO.

 

What "similar or better" did they get from their TA? 

 

Onboard credit (from 3 different sources: Virtuoso, their TA,  and future cruise deposit), bottle of sparkling wine, lunch in the PG,  

Dine Around HAL promo (dinner in Canaletto and PG), ppd gratuities (HAL promo). 

 

Bathrobes are already in the room, and  HAL tote bags are given out  to all passengers. So in their case, the extra CO perks

at $350 per person didn't offer much value.    

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I was on the Zuiderdam the first week that Club Orange was implemented on that ship. There was a huge banner at the Deck 2 Dining Room directing Club Orange folks to enter on the right side for priority seating.

 

There is separate menu for CO people and Neptune Suite people - the only difference I was told is one additional entrée. I was in a Neptune Suite and traveling with a couple who was not. I declined the "special menu" (in a white and orange holder) because it made me uncomfortable with my friends. 

 

I was told by the Neptune Concierge that there were 6 Club Orange passengers on the sailing.

[DaveOKC]

15 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

I was on the Zuiderdam the first week that Club Orange was implemented on that ship. There was a huge banner at the Deck 2 Dining Room directing Club Orange folks to enter on the right side for priority seating.

I was told by the Neptune Concierge that there were 6 Club Orange passengers on the sailing.

6 people hardly makes the effort worthwhile.  I think we had 24 on our Sept 9 sailing.