New Club Orange

[*Miss G*]

2 hours ago, DC1979 said:

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. 

 

Your thoughts and experience exactly mirror my own!  Thank you for sharing.

[*Miss G*]

16 hours ago, shipmesomewhere said:

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.

 

The majority of people in “your” line are 4-Star on up.  They get the same priority privileges with their status.  There are very few Club Orange slots available to non-NS/PS passengers so that’s not where you’re going to see the impact.

[slidergirl]

19 hours ago, shipmesomewhere said:

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.

Apples and oranges (PUN intended).  You're paying thousands more to get a freaking Neptune Suite.   Suck it up or get a smaller suite and pay for Club Orange - surely there is some point where the price difference is moot.  I'm not sure which line you'd switch to in order to find one that doesn't offer "pay for Play like you have the biggest suite on the ship" packages.

[twodjs]

7 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

The majority of people in “your” line are 4-Star on up.  They get the same priority privileges with their status.  There are very few Club Orange slots available to non-NS/PS passengers so that’s not where you’re going to see the impact.

OK Miss G - give me facts to back up your "majority" statement. And what exactly are "a very few slots"? I've never seen HAL actually give us number. I've only seen the word "limited" which could be anywhere from 3 people to 3 times the number of seats in Club Orange. 

[Crusinsusan2]

10 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Your thoughts and experience exactly mirror my own!  Thank you for sharing.

 

10 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

  12 hours ago, DC1979 said:

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. 

 

Exactly the same excellent experience for us too. Thanks for chiming in! Even as 4 star mariners with the included perks going forward if we choose a lower cat than a NS in the future (and we will 🙂 ) we would seriously consider the up-charge for a longer itinerary based on what Club O delivered on the Koningsdam for breakfast's & dinners. Always more valid and refreshing to hear from people that have actually experienced something first hand rather than those speculating about it.                

[Caribbean Chris]

We also had a very good experience with Club Orange on Nieuw Statendam in April, with a similar experience to the others posting here who have actually used this amenity. The staff was excellent, including the wine steward who far exceeded any one we have ever had on HAL ships. (This was been a weak area for years in the main dining room IMHO.)

 

We could not see the chef at work from our regular table, but enjoyed those hot breakfast items and daily specials.

 

Before sailing, I speculated that the atmosphere should be more elegant, similar to some of the Pinnacles’ decor, but I found C.O. much more cheerfully appealing than I expected.

[DC1979]

2 hours ago, Caribbean Chris said:

We also had a very good experience with Club Orange on Nieuw Statendam in April, with a similar experience to the others posting here who have actually used this amenity. The staff was excellent, including the wine steward who far exceeded any one we have ever had on HAL ships. (This was been a weak area for years in the main dining room IMHO.)

 

We could not see the chef at work from our regular table, but enjoyed those hot breakfast items and daily specials.

 

Before sailing, I speculated that the atmosphere should be more elegant, similar to some of the Pinnacles’ decor, but I found C.O. much more cheerfully appealing than I expected.

 Yes!! I agree.  Prior to sailing I was afraid of the environment and thought it would compare negatively to the old Pinnacle Grill breakfast environment. How wrong I was.  It was bright and modern and open and I loved the energy going there for breakfast.  Honestly, I’d pick breakfast at club orange over the pinnacle anytime.  I really loved it!

[terrydtx]

I still believe that opening up CO to non suites passengers, even for a fee, cheapens the product and amenities for NS and PS. HAL has so few Suites amenities as it is compared to other lines like Celebrity. Celebrity has it's excusive Blu and Luminae dinning rooms which are exclusively for suites passengers. Unless Celebrity has changed, I do not think any non suites passengers can pay an upcharge to access their exclusive venues.

[DC1979]

5 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I still believe that opening up CO to non suites passengers, even for a fee, cheapens the product and amenities for NS and PS. HAL has so few Suites amenities as it is compared to other lines like Celebrity. Celebrity has it's excusive Blu and Luminae dinning rooms which are exclusively for suites passengers. Unless Celebrity has changed, I do not think any non suites passengers can pay an upcharge to access their exclusive venues.

 

Honestly, I think the real suite amenity that Holland America offers is the Neptune Lounge, which is still only open to NS/PS passengers.  The way club orange is set up, I don’t think it really makes a difference.  I think there were a few passengers using CO who had bought access because I didn’t see them in the Neptune Lounge, but it didn’t affect us in any way because club orange is large enough and with enough staff to accommodate the number of diners that are using it.  Of course, that is just personal opinion, but I wasn’t bothered by it one bit.  

[bEwAbG]

If you take a look at Celebrity's prices lately, you'll see that you're paying a huge premium for those exclusive restaurants (and drink packages and gratuities and OBC).  It's only "generous" of them to a point--that point being when the pricing isn't in the stratosphere compared to what you're really getting.  Suite guests can also pay to have non-suite friends dine in Luminae with them, so it's not an entirely exclusive experience, either.

[RocketMan275]

7 hours ago, DC1979 said:

 Yes!! I agree.  Prior to sailing I was afraid of the environment and thought it would compare negatively to the old Pinnacle Grill breakfast environment. How wrong I was.  It was bright and modern and open and I loved the energy going there for breakfast.  Honestly, I’d pick breakfast at club orange over the pinnacle anytime.  I really loved it!

Problem is this: only the two ships in the Pinnacle Class will be as you described.  In all other ships, Club Orange will be a roped off section of the MDR.  Moving the suites breakfast from the Pinnacle Grill to the MDR is definitely a step down.

[Ken the cruiser]

22 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

If you take a look at Celebrity's prices lately, you'll see that you're paying a huge premium for those exclusive restaurants (and drink packages and gratuities and OBC).  It's only "generous" of them to a point--that point being when the pricing isn't in the stratosphere compared to what you're really getting.  Suite guests can also pay to have non-suite friends dine in Luminae with them, so it's not an entirely exclusive experience, either.

The key with booking with Celebrity is that you have to book early as they definitely practice a supply and demand strategy. It’s not uncommon for the prices to go up significantly, 20-30+%, once a cruise is 12-18 months out, depending on how well a particular itinerary is selling. 

[bEwAbG]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

The key with booking with Celebrity is that you have to book early as they definitely practice a supply and demand strategy. It’s not uncommon for the prices to go up significantly, 20-30+%, once a cruise is 12-18 months out, depending on how well a particular itinerary is selling. 

 

That may have been true up to about two years ago but this has not been true in the run-up to the unveiling of Edge combined with the re-do of the existing fleet.  Itineraries I could book the year before for about $5,000 (for 2) in the lowest level suite had starting prices of $7,500 & up upon release and prices held at that through final payment despite an abundant supply of rooms.  Same across all of the room types.  I'm also talking about on the older ships & not the new one (which was even higher).  Lots of longtime X cruisers (including cheerleaders) did not book anything for this season for the first time in ages, with many looking at other lines for alternatives because of the inflated pricing.  I like to book with them & like their product offerings but not at those prices on what are not even unique itineraries.  I can book a similar experience on HAL and eat in specialty restaurants and still come out ahead.

[shipmesomewhere]

It sounds like Club O on the two new ships is generally considered a plus from those who have experienced it.  Those of us sailing on other ships will have to wait to see how well they execute on Club O for the rest of the fleet.  Color me skeptical, as I've never been a fan of Canaletto being a section of the Lido deck, and making Club O a section of the main dining room sounds similar, but I agree with someone's point above that we shouldn't slam it until we experience it. I just hope HAL pilots the program on one of the non-Pinnacle ships and sees how well it works before rolling it out to the rest of the fleet willy-nilly.    

 

I'm willing to pay for the size of the cabin, and I'm willing to pay for priority services, but maybe I should think about just paying to be on the small ships where the perks don't matter as much because they're not needed.  Choices, choices!

[HaveMilesWillTravel]

On 5/3/2019 at 2:17 PM, Linda-E said:

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

 

 

Haven't experienced it yet, but I just got a Club Orange upgrade offer for an upcoming Oosterdam cruise. $25/day per person.

This is our first HAL cruise which we booked as a quick (and fairly low-cost) last-minute get-away, so not sure that I am interested in adding $25*2*7 to the overall cost.  Most of the benefits don't seem worth it (my wife's going to throw me overboard when she learns we'll get yet another totebag to stuff in the garage).  It mentions "Stateroom upgrade (restrictions apply)" - not clear what that would get us.  Ocean View to Verandah? (that would be one level, right?)  Might call them tomorrow to find out.

[Krazy Kruizers]

5 hours ago, HaveMilesWillTravel said:

 

Haven't experienced it yet, but I just got a Club Orange upgrade offer for an upcoming Oosterdam cruise. $25/day per person.

This is our first HAL cruise which we booked as a quick (and fairly low-cost) last-minute get-away, so not sure that I am interested in adding $25*2*7 to the overall cost.  Most of the benefits don't seem worth it (my wife's going to throw me overboard when she learns we'll get yet another totebag to stuff in the garage).  It mentions "Stateroom upgrade (restrictions apply)" - not clear what that would get us.  Ocean View to Verandah? (that would be one level, right?)  Might call them tomorrow to find out.

 

Keep us updated on what you find out.

 

Also -- where is Club Orange located on the Oosterdam?

[terrydtx]

7 hours ago, HaveMilesWillTravel said:

Haven't experienced it yet, but I just got a Club Orange upgrade offer for an upcoming Oosterdam cruise. $25/day per person.

Looks like HAL is cutting CO price by 50%, tells me that it is not selling to non NS passengers. I didn't know that it had already been expanded to more than the two Pinnacle Class ships.

Edited June 26, 2019 by terrydtx

[DC1979]

24 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Looks like HAL is cutting CO price by 50%, tells me that it is not selling to non NS passengers. I didn't know that it had already been expanded to more than the two Pinnacle Class ships.

 

I’m at work, so can’t really research, more thinking out loud, but curious if they changed the price on Koningsdam/NS as well.  I could see them charging less on the ships that don’t have a separate Club Orange restaurant.  As a perk of staying in a Neptune Suite, I loved Club Orange on the Koningsdam. If somehow I wasn’t in a Neptune Suite, I feel like $50/day is rather steep for what is offered, but at $25/day I would strongly consider it.  

[HaveMilesWillTravel]

2 hours ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

 

Keep us updated on what you find out.

 

Also -- where is Club Orange located on the Oosterdam?

 

The email states:

 

CLUB ORANGE DINING

• Premium in-room dining breakfast menu
• Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam: private dining venue for breakfast and dinner with an expanded menu
• All other ships: priority seating in the Dining Room for breakfast and dinner with an expanded menu

[frankc98376]

Ah, so now is "priority seating" (another NS/PS benefit) and "expanded menu" (daily special item at dinner).

 

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

[twodjs]

Why is it worth it to commit $50 per couple, per day, every day to sit in the same venue and eat the same food with just one additional food item where everyone else eats FOR FREE? That one item better be worth it! And if you decide a specialty restaurant would be fun, you just paid a chunk more more for that experience because you just left 50 bucks on the table!  

[terrydtx]

1 hour ago, frankc98376 said:

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

This was part of the Club Orange concept to replace the Pinnacle Grill NS breakfasts.

[frankc98376]

2 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

This was part of the Club Orange concept to replace the Pinnacle Grill NS breakfasts.

I know it was on the new ships but as of May we had breakfast in PG as usual on Nieuw Amsterdam.  I hadn't heard it had been rolled out fleet wide.

 

So it sounds like that NS now have "priority seating" in the MDR at breakfast. Another benefit for NS bites the dust.

Edited June 26, 2019 by frankc98376

[Lovecruisestoo]

On 10/25/2018 at 12:54 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.

The Club Orange dining venue is not that great.  

[Lovecruisestoo]

On 10/25/2018 at 12:54 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.

Not worth it.