New Club Orange

[OlsSalt]

5 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

But I still haven't seen anything to make me want to spend an extra $50pp/day or $700 per couple on a 7 night cruise. I see this whole concept going down in flames.

 

As a closed dining environment it might be the way to respond to the hugely growing demands for non-this and non-that food requirements today. These minute personal requests and the liabilities they trigger have overwhelmed regular dining operations. Passengers who need or want that level of specialty dietary control will now have the option to pay for it, in a low-allergen, hermetically segregated dining setting.

Edited December 18, 2018 by OlsSalt

[frankc98376]

1 minute ago, OlsSalt said:

 

As a closed dining environment it might be the way to respond to the hugely growing demands for non-this and non-that food demands today. Passengers who need or want that level of specialty dietary control will now have the option to pay for it..

HAL said that it has the MDR breakfast and dinner menu with one additional special item each night at dinner

[OlsSalt]

1 minute ago, frankc98376 said:

HAL said that it has the MDR breakfast and dinner menu with one additional special item each night at dinner

 

Expect the specialty items on the CO menu to grow to respond to this new dietary demand. 

[sail7seas]

I agree with most of Kazu's comments

 

 

[sail7seas]

12 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

As a closed dining environment it might be the way to respond to the hugely growing demands for non-this and non-that food requirements today. These minute personal requests and the liabilities they trigger have overwhelmed regular dining operations. Passengers who need or want that level of specialty dietary control will now have the option to pay for it, in a low-allergen, hermetically segregated dining setting.

Good  point  🙂

[sail7seas]

3 hours ago, EDLOS said:

Interesting, your luncheon on a Silverseas ship was certainly an in depth experience  on whether to cruise with them or not.

Have you done other similar in depth investigations on Seabourne, Regent, etc. etc. and crossed them off your list of possibles.

Going on this site as a non-member, I discovered many of the posts by others  were "Edited" by "Sail7 seas"

 

I and every poster here  only has the ability to edit their own posts.   I do, indeed  often edit my posts as I make far too man y typos. 

 

I don't know what you mean by your question as to posts by others were   edited by me.  That is impossible.

 

3 hours ago, EDLOS said:

Help me understand what your role is on HAL posts please.

These are the posts as a non CC member you cannot reply too.

 

I have  no role  on HAL posts  !   That is  any different than every member here.

 

 

 

 

[ski ww]

I would not pay extra to eat in Club Orange. We have always enjoyed late, large table, fixed seating in the MDR, have always had great table mates, enjoyed many great conversations and our table was among the last to clear out.  

[EDLOS]

1 hour ago, sail7seas said:

 

I and every poster here  only has the ability to edit their own posts.   I do, indeed  often edit my posts as I make far too man y typos. 

 

I don't know what you mean by your question as to posts by others were   edited by me.  That is impossible.

 

 

I have  no role  on HAL posts  !   That is  any different than every member here.

 

 

 

 

My apologies ! I was just scrolling down quickly and the number of 'Edited" by you jumped out at me with out really looking at the posts "assuming" you were editing the other poster's remarks  My Bad !

What I had hoped was your reply to dismissing Silverseas and apparently other of that ilk. I have sailed Silverseas and Regent each twice and had good experiences, but to cruise as much I do (75 to 100 days a year) became to rich for my pocketbook.They delivered what's promised, an all inclusive package was my experience. 

I thought HAL was the alternative and attained 4 Star status, but after 9 straight cruises ending in 2016 with each of these, found  things I valued  being eliminated Library, Piano Bar, activities on sea days, enrichment speaker quality, premade soggy sandwiches, on and on.

I am lured back to the K'dam in January  for 10 days by such a low price and warm weather, that I might even go see "Frozen Planet" for the fourth time, hoping in vain that it will be an updated version. Is it still done with no other entertainment venue in the same time frame ? May be I might just wander around that night hoping to run in to Oprah !

Edited December 18, 2018 by EDLOS
Oprah comment

[RocketMan275]

3 hours ago, terrydtx said:

But I still haven't seen anything to make me want to spend an extra $50pp/day or $700 per couple on a 7 night cruise. I see this whole concept going down in flames.

We normally cruise in Neptune Suites so there would be no extra charge.  

We would definitely go to Club Orange before we would go to the MDR.

[sail7seas]

1 hour ago, EDLOS said:

My apologies ! I was just scrolling down quickly and the number of 'Edited" by you jumped out at me with out really looking at the posts "assuming" you were editing the other poster's remarks  My Bad !

What I had hoped was your reply to dismissing Silverseas and apparently other of that ilk. I have sailed Silverseas and Regent each twice and had good experiences, but to cruise as much I do (75 to 100 days a year) became to rich for my pocketbook.They delivered what's promised, an all inclusive package was my experience. 

I thought HAL was the alternative and attained 4 Star status, but after 9 straight cruises ending in 2016 with each of these, found  things I valued  being eliminated Library, Piano Bar, activities on sea days, enrichment speaker quality, premade soggy sandwiches, on and on.

I am lured back to the K'dam in January  for 10 days by such a low price and warm weather, that I might even go see "Frozen Planet" for the fourth time, hoping in vain that it will be an updated version. Is it still done with no other entertainment venue in the same time frame ? May be I might just wander around that night hoping to run in to Oprah !

No prob lem.  🙂  I am happy  you asked  in order for me to answer an 'set the record straight.

 

 

On silver seas, I found the  uniforms the cabin stewardess  wore  to be  demeaning  and insulting  to them.  I have stayed in more than my share of Ritz  Carleton  Hotels.  Four Seasons and very high end accomodations  all over Europe,  and   in many far flung places   domestic andfsbulous   resorts. to know fine service does not  depend upon haughtiness and nose in  the air.   I  have sailed HAL over 100 cruises and the  service my late dh and I always experienced  was more than satisfactory and   we continued  to   come back for more, more, more.  In recent years, yes, the  HAL product has  declined  My last HAL cruise was no where near the level of 'excellence' I had come to expect

 

My Dh was not yet  retired but   we sailed and  traveled many weeks a  year.

 

Ihope you get to experience HAL's best. 

 

.

[sail7seas]

On 12/17/2018 at 12:42 PM, OlsSalt said:

Most new restaurants in Calif are "open kitchen" casual - at the highest price points. HAL seeking out younger demographics must have noted this trend. Industrial chic is the term. Sloppy dress required. Minimal to insulting service comes with the package - edgy attitude intended to disempower the customer. Diners are terrified of their food, and now the sneering, disdainful  service ambiance as well. Just reporting what I have been seeing out West for a number of years. 

IFmany  customers fail to patronize the new open kitchen style restaurants o they likely  won' t last  too  long.    If cruisers rejec t Club Orange, we   can hope the decisions makers at  HAL   'listen   to the message those  cruisers are sending   and   either eliminate or    're configure' Club Orange.

Treat Neptune cruisers poorly and they well  could reciprocate in kind.

 

 

Edited December 20, 2018 by sail7seas

[twodjs]

I just watched a video made by a blogger on the Nieuw Statendam. She described the new Orange Club venue as a breakfast and dinner venue for Suite guests. A limited number of other guests may join for an upcharge. I understand it is just a different spin, but that sounds much more respectful than the lame way (IMO) HAL is trying to ram this down our throats.

[slidergirl]

that photo posted looks more like a brochure photo than a real-time photo by a guest.  Kitchen is totally clean, no food on it, no implements on it.  Or, the photo was taken in between service, so tables are not set for service.  That "person in the far corner" could be there just to find a quiet corner.   

Does anyone have a real photo taken during actual service hours?  

[frankc98376]

16 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

that photo posted looks more like a brochure photo than a real-time photo by a guest.  Kitchen is totally clean, no food on it, no implements on it.  Or, the photo was taken in between service, so tables are not set for service.  That "person in the far corner" could be there just to find a quiet corner.   

Does anyone have a real photo taken during actual service hours?  

Photo was taken by a Nieuw Statendam passenger on the inaugural voyage during breakfast- she said there were only a few people eating at the time.  According to those on board the food for CO comes from the main galley (same as MDR) and it is the same menu as MDR.   They said that there was discussion that they may make a dinner special in the show kitchen at some point but until then no food is prepared there.   Reports were the dinner menu is the same as MDR with one special item added each night

[slidergirl]

6 minutes ago, frankc98376 said:

Photo was taken by a Nieuw Statendam passenger on the inaugural voyage during breakfast- she said there were only a few people eating at the time.  According to those on board the food for CO comes from the main galley (same as MDR) and it is the same menu as MDR.   They said that there was discussion that they may make a dinner special in the show kitchen at some point but until then no food is prepared there.   Reports were the dinner menu is the same as MDR with one special item added each night

No tables set, no staff anywhere and the person in the back is on his phone.  I can't imagine that the tables are totally bare until someone sits down.  I guess it could be to keep the clean lines.  

[MauiWowie57]

On 10/25/2018 at 1:34 PM, SusieKIslandGirl said:

Sounds somewhat similar to Carnival's Faster to the Fun program but does include a few more perks.

Except FTTF was a ONE time charge of $50 total. This is $50 per person, per day...

[MauiWowie57]

On 10/26/2018 at 9:26 AM, FlorenceItaly said:

Speaking of Neptune Suites, the perks are LONG overdue(and behind other cruise lines), so this is a start.

Honestly - at an additional $50 p/p, per day, I might as well book a Neptune Suite and legitimately get the extra perks. 

The only way I can make sense out of Club Orange (in my mind) is to book a heavily discounted last minute inside cabin, then buy the C.O. package to get some amenities back. (I'm a mere 3* on HAL)

! Nuts !

Side note: When Carnival launched the Vista some years back, they invited Platinum tier folks to book at slightly discounted rates. I took that cruise.... more than half the 3,000 some odd passengers were..guess what..Platinum. And true fact, "when everyone's Platinum...no one's Platinum." Everybody had priority everything. Of course, it didn't work.

! Nuts !

[EDLOS]

On 12/18/2018 at 1:36 PM, terrydtx said:

Looks like a college dorm cafeteria and how uncomfortable can the backs of those chair be?  Supposedly for dinner the tables get white tablecloths.

Again, "Ready, Fire, Aim"    Restaurant kitchens are very expensive, and if you put in an " OPEN "one in with all the necessary venting and are not using it, you would be on the carpet with the higher ups, of course if it were the "Higher Ups" decision ??????

[Hhagatha]

Have they announced when this horrible idea is moving to the other ships? It would be good to know before I book my next cruise. We enjoy the quiet, hassle free breakfast in the Pinnacle, doesn't look like this is a good substitute. If all they wanted was a way to sell this package why not just keep it in the Pinnacle? When we were on the Koningsdam last year, we went to the Lido for breakfast but there were NO seats available, even around the pool. We were left standing, with our breakfast getting cold, for about a half hour. We finally took it back to our room. It was like they added passengers but forgot to increase the seating area. After the first day we ate in the Pinnacle or room service every day. I'm  on vacation. I don't  want to be seated in the "kitchen", which is what this Club Orange looks like.

[OlsSalt]

Another design trend at least out West in home design is the "Great Room" - not only do you eat in your kitchen, you now live in your kitchen - everything is all in one large room.  I think it sounds like cheap construction to me, getting sold as trendy -- but it does sell.  Next maybe they will put the library in CO so you don't even have  to leave -cook, eat and relax all in one Great Room. 

[twodjs]

Supposed to be expanding to the rest of the fleet during 2019 (unless there is enough pushback). 

[sail7seas]

On 12/17/2018 at 1:36 PM, twodjs said:

Hate Orange Club!!! I find the entire program a complete insult to 4 star Mariners and Suite guests. HAL should be showing the most loyal and highest paying guests the respect they deserve. This program does the exact opposite!

 

 

My underline  and I agree so much that this very very l loyal HAL Neptune  Suite cruiser, who hasalways stayed n in a  Nerptune or Pinnacle ;  Suite booked two cruises t his week i in a Vista Seijite on a    "R" class ship.    It willl be something of an adjustment for me  after hundreds of   days   in a Neptune.    Should  be interesting,  🙂

 

 

Edited December 21, 2018 by sail7seas

[sail7seas]

 

1 hour ago, OlsSalt said:

Another design trend at least out West in home design is the "Great Room" - not only do you eat in your kitchen, you now live in your kitchen - everything is all in one large room.  I think it sounds like cheap construction to me, getting sold as trendy -- but it does sell.  Next maybe they will put the library in CO so you don't even have  to leave -cook, eat and relax all in one Great Room. 

 

 

That trend is becoming quite familiar   here in  the North east.

 

It  is  not  unique to 'out west'prt of the country.

Edited December 21, 2018 by sail7seas

[OlsSalt]

Trending, closed kitchens are coming back - for those of us "pre-War" as in Heritage Sodium, they never left::  what was old is now again new.

 

..."But what’s this? Trend watchers in Manhattan are reporting an interesting development in kitchen design: more and more people are now saying they no longer want an open plan kitchen; they want a separate room. Suddenly designers and architects are giving a nod to pre-war design and the newest residential buildings in the smartest post codes are incorporating separate cooking and entertainment spaces. .....

[chill6x6]

I wonder if Club Orange will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam Spring 2020?  I'm certainly willing to give it a try!