New Club Orange

[Ken the cruiser]

I just checked and from what I have been able to tell a Princess club class mini-suite cabin is about $50 pp/day more than a regular mini-suite. So HAL's OC $50 pp/day charge is pretty much in line with Princess' club class dining charge. And since we have 4 Princess cruises booked, 3 of which are in club class mini-suites, I guess I really can't throw stones at HAL's OC charge  

 

Fredrik, just curious, how did you get your OC booking? Did you ask for it when you initially booked the cruise or did you get an email from HAL with an offer? We are definitely interested to hear how impressed you are after your cruise with the OC dining, especially if there are multiple new items on the menu every night in addition to what's on the MDR menu as there is usually only one additional item added on the Princess club class dining menu when compared to their regular MDR menu.

[Ken the cruiser]

6 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

The space isn't nearly big enough for all of the "suite" passengers. I think there are are about 40 NS and PS suites and the CO has about 50 seats, maybe 60. 

 

I wonder if this dinner space for NS and PS passengers is also a move to reduce crowding in the MDR. In his announcements, the cruise director often reminded people that it's always easy to get a table in the MDR after 8 PM. HAL's "demographic" tends to like an early dinner. Early dining (5:15-5:30 early fixed, say 7:00 or earlier for open) makes both levels busy. So if I have to wait for a table in the MDR at 7:00, but I can walk right in at CO, I guess that's a perk. And for every CO table that's taken, it's another table available in the MDR.

 

I think it's more about giving the NS and PS folks more bang for their buck. You have to admit, and we've been in a NS twice, you really don't get all that many quality perks, especially if you are a 4/5 star, other than eating breakfast in the PG and access to the Neptune Lounge for the amount of "big time" additional $$$ their paying. I think the now-included OC dining services provides some additional quality value to those bookings that have been long overdue when compared to other similar cruise lines.

 

But you're also right in rethinking my position, the VS and SS folks should have to pay extra when space is available for those OC services, especially when it comes to the new OC dining services.

[frankc98376]

20 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I just checked and from what I have been able to tell a Princess club class mini-suite cabin is about $50 pp/day more than a regular mini-suite. So HAL's OC $50 pp/day charge is pretty much in line with Princess' club class dining charge. And since we have 4 Princess cruises booked, 3 of which are in club class mini-suites, I guess I really can't throw stones at HAL's OC charge  

 

Fredrik, just curious, how did you get your OC booking? Did you ask for it when you initially booked the cruise or did you get an email from HAL with an offer? We are definitely interested to hear how impressed you are after your cruise with the OC dining, especially if there are multiple new items on the menu every night in addition to what's on the MDR menu as there is usually only one additional item added on the Princess club class dining menu when compared to their regular MDR menu.

According to an earlier post there is one additional item each night. Just following Princess' lead.   

[SunNFunCruzer]

27 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

Fredrik, just curious, how did you get your OC booking? Did you ask for it when you initially booked the cruise or did you get an email from HAL with an offer?

 

We received an email yesterday saying "ATTN: Club Orange Upgrade Special"  so we thought we had been upgraded as some sort of repeat benefit. We're booked in an upper class verandah. But when I opened the email it said "Exclusive Invitation Just for You!" ....inviting us to pay $50/pp/per day. Our cruise is in March.

 

We had a problem with one of the HAL reservation agents when we booked this cruise direct (no obc, etc at time of booking), and they offered us some perks for notifying them and the inconvenience. We thought we'd been offered Club Orange but we had not been (just specialty restaurants, a spa treatment, etc).  Maybe that's how we got on the list?  Hope this helps!

[terrydtx]

I still contend that for $50pp/day you could eat in the PG and or the Tamarind for a lot less and have better food and décor than the club orange. MDR food in the CO or much better food in PG or Tamarind for less per day is a no brainer.

[twodjs]

13 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I think it's more about giving the NS and PS folks more bang for their buck. You have to admit, and we've been in a NS twice, you really don't get all that many quality perks, especially if you are a 4/5 star, other than eating breakfast in the PG and access to the Neptune Lounge for the amount of "big time" additional $$$ their paying. I think the now-included OC dining services provides some additional quality value...

While I agree that HAL doesn't give many quality perks to their Suite guests, to take away the exclusive breakfast in Pinnacle, and replace it with a non-exclusive space for breakfast without even a tablecloth in sight is certainly NOT an additional quality value! And with only ONE special item added to the MDR dinner menu, I am not impressed. Even Celebrity offers their Aqua class passengers (not even Suites) their own restaurant with unique (not shared) menus. HAL can do so much better!  

[bEwAbG]

Aqua Class on Celebrity was priced higher than what I paid for my last Neptune Suite when I booked it.  Celebrity offers all sorts of stuff but that is reflected in their high fares.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, twodjs said:

While I agree that HAL doesn't give many quality perks to their Suite guests, to take away the exclusive breakfast in Pinnacle, and replace it with a non-exclusive space for breakfast without even a tablecloth in sight is certainly NOT an additional quality value! And with only ONE special item added to the MDR dinner menu, I am not impressed. Even Celebrity offers their Aqua class passengers (not even Suites) their own restaurant with unique (not shared) menus. HAL can do so much better!  

I agree and hopefully they will rise to the occasion and make their new OC dining experience one that will be enjoyed by all who are able to experience it.

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, bEwAbG said:

Aqua Class on Celebrity was priced higher than what I paid for my last Neptune Suite when I booked it.  Celebrity offers all sorts of stuff but that is reflected in their high fares.

On the other hand without looking very hard, I just found 3 similar 10 day Caribbean cruises in Jan 2020 where I could book a sky suite on the Reflection for $4,699 with Go Best perks, a Neptune suite on the Koningsdam for $5,899 with no listed perks, and on the Crown Princess a vista suite was $3,879.  Those are pretty big differences with HAL by far being the most expensive.

Edited February 21, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[Fredrik]

22 hours ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I just checked and from what I have been able to tell a Princess club class mini-suite cabin is about $50 pp/day more than a regular mini-suite. So HAL's OC $50 pp/day charge is pretty much in line with Princess' club class dining charge. And since we have 4 Princess cruises booked, 3 of which are in club class mini-suites, I guess I really can't throw stones at HAL's OC charge  

 

Fredrik, just curious, how did you get your OC booking? Did you ask for it when you initially booked the cruise or did you get an email from HAL with an offer? We are definitely interested to hear how impressed you are after your cruise with the OC dining, especially if there are multiple new items on the menu every night in addition to what's on the MDR menu as there is usually only one additional item added on the Princess club class dining menu when compared to their regular MDR menu.

As previous cruiser stated I got the email. The only way to upgrade was to call HAL directly. The offer is not available online, but it went thru right after my call and the boarding passes now states priority checkin.

 

The main reasons we opted to upgrade was the priority check in, the dine anytime concept and also the upgraded breakfast not having to scramble at the Lido or waiting in the MDR.

 

I will get back with a review after the cruise.

[qoap24]

Just curious to see if anyone has booked and/or cruised with Club Orange in the last couple of weeks. If so, do you mind sharing your experiences. 

 

Thank you

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 hours ago, qoap24 said:

Just curious to see if anyone has booked and/or cruised with Club Orange in the last couple of weeks. If so, do you mind sharing your experiences. 

 

Thank you

 

I think only Miss G and I have actually eaten in Club Orange. She liked it, I didn't, and our opinions are based on different preferences regarding dining.  So scroll through these pages to find her comments and mine and you'll get some idea of what it's like. 

[Tampa Girl]

On 2/20/2019 at 5:59 PM, Ken the cruiser said:

I just checked and from what I have been able to tell a Princess club class mini-suite cabin is about $50 pp/day more than a regular mini-suite. So HAL's OC $50 pp/day charge is pretty much in line with Princess' club class dining charge. And since we have 4 Princess cruises booked, 3 of which are in club class mini-suites, I guess I really can't throw stones at HAL's OC charge  

 

Fredrik, just curious, how did you get your OC booking? Did you ask for it when you initially booked the cruise or did you get an email from HAL with an offer? We are definitely interested to hear how impressed you are after your cruise with the OC dining, especially if there are multiple new items on the menu every night in addition to what's on the MDR menu as there is usually only one additional item added on the Princess club class dining menu when compared to their regular MDR menu.

 

But what privileges does a Princeas club class mini-suite give you in comparison with the OC perks?  OC is not a class and it doesn't grant access to the Neptune Lounge and concierge.  What other perks does OC have?  I have tried to find out from the HAL website, but I can't find it.  Anyone?

[mdjohn5]

On ‎2‎/‎18‎/‎2019 at 2:27 PM, *Miss G* said:

 

 Club Orange on the Koningsdam came in second, then the Nieuw Amsterdam Pinnacle Grill breakfasts came in a dead last.  We actually hated the NA PG experience for multiple reasons.   The tables were on top of each other and the service was haphazard, unfriendly, and scarce.  We only dined there a couple of times since it was so abysmal.

 

We had the same experience on NA last year.  For whatever reason the breakfast service in the NA PG that cruise was bad.  

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

But what privileges does a Princeas club class mini-suite give you in comparison with the OC perks?  OC is not a class and it doesn't grant access to the Neptune Lounge and concierge.  What other perks does OC have?  I have tried to find out from the HAL website, but I can't find it.  Anyone?

Buying the orange pass (as opposed to being in a NS or PS) gets you breakfast and dinner in CO, priority embarkation, priority tendering, a priority line at the front desk (with your own mat to stand on that says Club Orange and Orange Pass!), and a special orange totebag (one per cabin)

 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

But what privileges does a Princeas club class mini-suite give you in comparison with the OC perks?  OC is not a class and it doesn't grant access to the Neptune Lounge and concierge.  What other perks does OC have?  I have tried to find out from the HAL website, but I can't find it.  Anyone?

Here's a link describing the HAL OC privileges: https://www.thecruisegenius.com/holland-america-line-club-orange-offers-premium-benefits/

 

Here's a link to the Princess Club Class perks: https://www.princess.com/learn/ships/staterooms/club-class/

 

Not much difference from what I can tell.

[twodjs]

One big difference is Princess gives you a choice of mini-suites with the best location...HAL gives you no choice of cabins. Location is important.

[3rdGenCunarder]

21 minutes ago, twodjs said:

One big difference is Princess gives you a choice of mini-suites with the best location...HAL gives you no choice of cabins. Location is important.

 

Club class requires booking a mini-suite. Buying the "Orange Pass" is open to passengers in any cabin category.

[rkacruiser]

9 hours ago, mdjohn5 said:

For whatever reason the breakfast service in the NA PG that cruise was bad.  

 

That was my experience on the Westerdam in 2014.  

[Linda-E]

Has anyone experienced Club Orange recently? Is it available on the Oosterdam? 

 

Thank you!

[3rdGenCunarder]

30 minutes ago, Linda-E said:

Has anyone experienced Club Orange recently? Is it available on the Oosterdam? 

 

Thank you!

 

It's only on the Nieuw Statendam and Koningsdam. It's supposed to roll out across the fleet this year, but no schedule has been announced and nobody had reported seeing it on the other ships.

 

[BJzink]

On 3/1/2019 at 8:41 AM, 3rdGenCunarder said:

Buying the orange pass (as opposed to being in a NS or PS) gets you breakfast and dinner in CO, priority embarkation, priority tendering, a priority line at the front desk (with your own mat to stand on that says Club Orange and Orange Pass!), and a special orange totebag (one per cabin)

 

So do they get priority ahead of 4 & 5 star Mariners?

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 minutes ago, BJzink said:

So do they get priority ahead of 4 & 5 star Mariners?

 

I don't know. I'm 4 star and I was in a Neptune suite. They called the 4 and 5 star Mariners and the Neptune suite passengers in one group. I didn't hear anything about CO. But it was still very new in January, so the port staff may not have known to include them. Or maybe they were called after us. 

[shipmesomewhere]

The Orange Club really dilutes the value of getting a Neptune Suite - basically, on a 12-day cruise someone in a standard cabin can buy most of the perks I get for only $600 while I am paying thousands more.  One of the best NS perks is the prioritized embarkation and if this shifts a lot of people into my line, I’ll start looking at other cruise lines. (If everyone can get a FAST pass, none of them are very fast - so, the only value we are getting for the NS now is really the larger cabin size.)  Not a good move, HAL.

[DC1979]

I was recently on the Koningsdam in a Neptune Suite and I have to say I absolutely loved Club Orange. The seating was very comfortable, loved the decor and the staff were all fantastic. I had the Club Orange daily special for dinner a few times and it was very very good. Also loved going there for breakfast. The food was fresh and hot and I actually preferred going there than  the pinnacle for breakfast (and I loved the pinnacle). Also contrary to reports of it being lightly populated, it was constantly busy for both breakfast and dinner on the days that I went there. And as the passengers got to know each other, everyone was talking with each other and stopping at the tables to chat. Overall I was really impressed with Club Orange and the Koningsdam in general. In fact I’d pick Koningsdam again in a heartbeat. Easily my favorite HAL ship.