Tell me what I don't know about Neptune Suites

[dundeene]

We are traveling in a Neptune Suite for the 1st time.  I would love to hear what I don't know😉 

We have sailed once each on Rotterdam and Zuiderdam (signature suite, which just seemed like a slightly larger veranda cabin) and this cruise will be Westerdam to Alaska. We booked cabin 5191 at the recommendation of our TA. She suggested it because of the large covered balcony for glacier viewing. Has anyone sailed in this cabin and have feedback?

We have priority boarding, does that just mean a separate line, earlier boarding, separate waiting lounge?

We have breakfast in the Pinnacle, is the menu the same as MDR?

The suite includes laundry service, does that include dry cleaning?

Will there be fresh flowers in the room? Do they still bring corsage and boutonniere for formal nights?

Is there wine/champagne in the cabin?

We have SBP, but I don't believe that includes minibar. 

Can we order munchies for a group if we have friends on the balcony for glacier viewing?

Do we get one or two sets of binoculars? I am imagining passing them back and forth while looking for whales.

It used to be so easy to search topics on HAL in CC, now I have trouble finding what I want.

Thanks in advance to all who respond.  The HAL folks are always very helpful when I have had questions. 

 

 

[kazu]

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

We are traveling in a Neptune Suite for the 1st time.  I would love to hear what I don't know😉 

We have sailed once each on Rotterdam and Zuiderdam (signature suite, which just seemed like a slightly larger veranda cabin) and this cruise will be Westerdam to Alaska. We booked cabin 5191 at the recommendation of our TA. She suggested it because of the large covered balcony for glacier viewing. Has anyone sailed in this cabin and have feedback?

That’s a popular cabin for good reason.  There are pics of it on halfacts dot com. 

Any Vista category will match the others (excepting some on the Noordam).

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

We have priority boarding, does that just mean a separate line, earlier boarding, separate waiting lounge?

Usually yes.  Separate line - not sure about the lounge for your port.

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

We have breakfast in the Pinnacle, is the menu the same as MDR?

Yes. Better coffee though.

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

The suite includes laundry service, does that include dry cleaning?

Yes it includes dry cleaning

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

Will there be fresh flowers in the room? Do they still bring corsage and boutonniere for formal nights?

There should be flowers in the room.  Not a huge vase/anything, but a small display.

 

You get a card where you indicate if you want the corsages, etc. And return it to the concierge in the Neptune Lounge.

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

Is there wine/champagne in the cabin?

One bottle of sparkling wine in the cabin and usually a complimentary water

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

We have SBP, but I don't believe that includes minibar. 

Correct.  Mini Bar is NOT included

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

Can we order munchies for a group if we have friends on the balcony for glacier viewing?

Yes, usually ordering for 4 is the limit but the portions are huge.

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

Do we get one or two sets of binoculars? I am imagining passing them back and forth while looking for whales.

One set only.  You might want to bring a pair of your own.

28 minutes ago, dundeene said:

It used to be so easy to search topics on HAL in CC, now I have trouble finding what I want.

Thanks in advance to all who respond.  The HAL folks are always very helpful when I have had questions. 

 

 

 

[VennDiagram]

38 minutes ago, dundeene said:

We have priority boarding, does that just mean a separate line, earlier boarding, separate waiting lounge?

We have breakfast in the Pinnacle, is the menu the same as MDR?

The suite includes laundry service, does that include dry cleaning?

Will there be fresh flowers in the room? Do they still bring corsage and boutonniere for formal nights?

Is there wine/champagne in the cabin?

We have SBP, but I don't believe that includes minibar. 

Can we order munchies for a group if we have friends on the balcony for glacier viewing?

Do we get one or two sets of binoculars? I am imagining passing them back and forth while looking for whales.

 

Our May 2018 experience:

1.  There's  a line for 4* and 5* mariners and Neptune/Pinnacle suites.  In Vancouver, there is a separate waiting area, but not a lounge per se.

2.  Our last Neptune, the Pinnacle breakfast was the same menu as the MDR

3.  Dry cleaning was included

4.  There were a couple of flowers in a container in the suite, and if we wanted corsage or boutonniere I think we needed to request them from the concierge

5.  There will be a comp'd bottle of sparkling wine, and we have also rec'd large bottles of comp'd water

6.  Don't know about SBP, sorry!

7.  Also don't know about munchies 🙂

8.  We have only had one set of binoculars provided.

 

edited to add:  I see kazu provided an excellent answer , while I was typing 🙂

Edited January 20, 2019 by VennDiagram

[a.madruga]

IMO SS SUITES ARE JUST AS GOOD AND YOU'LL SAVE MONEY FOR OTHER THINGS.....BREAKFAST AT PINNACLE IS NOT WORTH THE WAIT ALTHOUGH YES LESS CROWDED

ENJOY YOUR TRIP...

[dundeene]

13 minutes ago, a.madruga said:

IMO SS SUITES ARE JUST AS GOOD AND YOU'LL SAVE MONEY FOR OTHER THINGS.....BREAKFAST AT PINNACLE IS NOT WORTH THE WAIT ALTHOUGH YES LESS CROWDED

ENJOY YOUR TRIP...

We have been in the SS twice and they were fine. 

We really went for the NS in Alaska based on the cabin, 5191 that has a balcony almost 400 sq feet total that is covered. We will have three scenic sea days in late May.  My sister has done almost this exact Alaska cruise 3x.

Her advice was for the aft wrap balcony based on seeing Glacier Bay and inside passage with a large covered area with 270 degree viewing. My TA suggested 5191 as the best for Alaska.  We will probably only cruise Alaska once, and we reserved this cabin at a very good price with Explore 4 and 3 day land tour. I had not heard the Pinnacle was crowded for breakfast.  Thanks for the heads-up.

 

[ottahand7]

We had a Neptune on the Noordam for our Vancouver to Seward cruise.  We had the aft corner cabin 6166.  Those aft cabins have a wrap around deck that allows for excellent viewing.  I think that there is slightly less space in the cabin but the balcony was wonderful.  Our friends came down to have cocktails as we sailed out of Vancouver and again for when we were in Glacier Bay.  This Neptune location is also great for the Panama Canal.  Being able to observe from the side and the rear was terrific and we could go inside and cool off easily as it was very hot.  

 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, dundeene said:

We have been in the SS twice and they were fine. 

We really went for the NS in Alaska based on the cabin, 5191 that has a balcony almost 400 sq feet total that is covered. We will have three scenic sea days in late May.  My sister has done almost this exact Alaska cruise 3x.

Her advice was for the aft wrap balcony based on seeing Glacier Bay and inside passage with a large covered area with 270 degree viewing. My TA suggested 5191 as the best for Alaska.  We will probably only cruise Alaska once, and we reserved this cabin at a very good price with Explore 4 and 3 day land tour. I had not heard the Pinnacle was crowded for breakfast.  Thanks for the heads-up.

 

 

a madruga had a bad experience on their cruise in their first NS.

 

The Pinnacle is usually a good place for breakfast and usually has good service.  I haven't normally found it crowded but there can be a time when everyone arrives at once.  doesn't happen often but it can happen.  Service is dependent on the staff on board, of course, and, while I have had one bad PG years ago, I would not let it colour me against all PG's 😉 

[Djptcp]

You can order complimentary appetizers in a Neptune. Or, go to the Neptune Lounge and bring some things back to your suite.The concierge can give you a list of the hot and cold appetizers that are available. You should place your order before Noon. Select the time you want them delivered. They bring a big plates of most of most of the appetizers. The concierges are great and so helpful and we tip them well at the end of each cruise. You will love your Neptune Suite - we have our 5th one in a row coming up in less than 2 weeks and can't wait. Enjoy your cruise!

[ksmaxey]

We love the breakfast in the Pinnacle.  We also found the best part of the Neptune Suites is the concierges.  They take care of everything from scheduling dinner to exchanging money for foreign ports.  They have even gotten us dinner reservations when things were "all booked."

 

[ottahand7]

If you are interested in taking part in the America's Test Kitchen  hands on class which is limited to about 10 participants head right to the Neptune Lounge and have your name put on the wait list.  All spots in those classes are held for 5 Star Mariners but we have been able to get into the hands on class both times I was in a Neptune Suite.   

[dundeene]

Just now, ottahand7 said:

If you are interested in taking part in the America's Test Kitchen  hands on class which is limited to about 10 participants head right to the Neptune Lounge and have your name put on the wait list.  All spots in those classes are held for 5 Star Mariners but we have been able to get into the hands on class both times I was in a Neptune Suite.   

Great news! I have tried to get into that twice without

 luck.

[mdjohn5]

1 hour ago, ksmaxey said:

We also found the best part of the Neptune Suites is the concierges.  They take care of everything from scheduling dinner to exchanging money for foreign ports.  They have even gotten us dinner reservations when things were "all booked."

 

 

The laundry service is a great perk, but 100% agree with this comment. 

 

While HAL service is generally good overall,  things always have a chance to go sidewise on you and the concierges are awesome about getting things worked out for you. 

 

I also like to just casually have my room key out when I am interacting with staff around the ship (bar tenders, the maiter d's, etc).  The Neptune suite keys are yellow/gold vs the standard blue.  I feel like when staff see the yellow room card,  they tend to be willing to do a little extra for you....the again it could be all in my head...but I still do it :)

 

 

[Walfam]

The hot tea is better in the Pinnacle and the Neptune Lounge. It is (or was last year) Harney & Sons.  We switched to that brand at home, after our cruise last year.

 

Concierge Lounge staff printed out our airline boarding passes for us, too.  Very convenient. 

Edited January 21, 2019 by Walfam

[catl331]

20 hours ago, dundeene said:

My TA suggested 5191 as the best for Alaska. 

When stopped at Margerie glacier, most of the time will be spent with the glacier at the opposite corner of the ship from you (i.e., port and forward) and then the ship will do a full rotation and leave.  Therefore, I suggest for that one place you leave your cabin and get to a forward viewing area, and/or walk around for different views.

[dundeene]

2 hours ago, catl331 said:

When stopped at Margerie glacier, most of the time will be spent with the glacier at the opposite corner of the ship from you (i.e., port and forward) and then the ship will do a full rotation and leave.  Therefore, I suggest for that one place you leave your cabin and get to a forward viewing area, and/or walk around for different views.

Thank you for the information.  Are there any Neptune Suites on the front of the ship with wrap balconies?  It would be great to take turns with another couple as the scenery changes.

 

[knittinggirl]

Corsages and boutineers are small single flower arrangements.  If you want something fancier, it will have to be ordered.  For flower arrangements, we had three flowers in a bowl. 

 

Neptune Lounge is wonderful, but different from  the Concierge Lounge on Royal Caribbean.  They do better w/ the snacks, but no happy hour free drinks.  Unlike the Concierge Lounge on Royal Caribbean, the Concierges have longer hours. 

 

Bubbily wine in your room isn't very good.  In fact, we left half of the bottle undrink, and we usually finish our bottles!  No the Nieuw Amsterdam, they wouldn't let us change it (and up charge us) for something else.

 

On the Veendam, we'd shipped our luggage to the ship, and it was waiting for us on the bed.  Only a few seconds after we arrived, we had a visit from the Concierge about our luggage.  Our HAL consultant said the Veendam has the largest suites in the fleet.

 

The Neptune Suite in the Nieuw Amsterdam had a large screen television above the sofa with a digital inventory instead of the DVD library.

 

Pinnacle Grill breakfast has french press coffee upon request.

Edited January 21, 2019 by knittinggirl

[catl331]

22 minutes ago, dundeene said:

Are there any Neptune Suites on the front of the ship with wrap balconies?

No wrap balconies forward, Neptune or otherwise.  The closest Neptune would be 7048. If you made friends with the people in 5190 at least that's on the correct side, although a full ship length away.

[dundeene]

CC really is a gold mine of information.  Thank you for all of the replies.

After the input from Catl331 I was able look at the Glacier Bay Park website and learn that the ship spends about 1 full hour at Menagerie Glacier.  This seems to be the main spot on our cruise to witness a glacier calving. This will be our first trip to Alaska and this is something we would love to see close-up!

To those of you who have been in Glacier Bay do they just sit in front of the glacier with the bow facing the ice until they turn to head back out of the bay?

In a Neptune it sounds as if all inquiries pass through the concierge in the Neptune Lounge.  Does this include dinner reservation and spa appts?

Can you have dinner from the MDR delivered course by course to your suite? (oops my past Oceania cruises are showing😉)

One last question, can I use OBC to give personal tips to favorite staff?  I know we can add to the general ship gratuity fund, but we prefer to recognize special staff we encounter on-board.

Thank you again for all the wonderful advice.

 

[catl331]

1 hour ago, dundeene said:

To those of you who have been in Glacier Bay do they just sit in front of the glacier with the bow facing the ice until they turn to head back out of the bay?

Usually the bow faces the Grand Pacific Glacier, with Margerie at about the 10 o'clock/WNW position

 

1 hour ago, dundeene said:

In a Neptune it sounds as if all inquiries pass through the concierge in the Neptune Lounge.  Does this include dinner reservation and spa appts?

You don't have to do anything through the concierge if you don't want to, it's just generally more convenient than waiting in a line somewhere to do it yourself. You can also make reservations yourself on your phone/tablet/laptop using the Navigator LAN.   See post #4 in this thread:

 

 

1 hour ago, dundeene said:

One last question, can I use OBC to give personal tips to favorite staff?

No, they must be in cash.

Edited January 22, 2019 by catl331

[Cindy]

On 1/20/2019 at 10:03 AM, dundeene said:

We are traveling in a Neptune Suite for the 1st time.  I would love to hear what I don't know😉 

We have sailed once each on Rotterdam and Zuiderdam (signature suite, which just seemed like a slightly larger veranda cabin) and this cruise will be Westerdam to Alaska. We booked cabin 5191 at the recommendation of our TA. She suggested it because of the large covered balcony for glacier viewing. Has anyone sailed in this cabin and have feedback?

We have priority boarding, does that just mean a separate line, earlier boarding, separate waiting lounge?

We have breakfast in the Pinnacle, is the menu the same as MDR?

The suite includes laundry service, does that include dry cleaning?

Will there be fresh flowers in the room? Do they still bring corsage and boutonniere for formal nights?

Is there wine/champagne in the cabin?

We have SBP, but I don't believe that includes minibar. 

Can we order munchies for a group if we have friends on the balcony for glacier viewing?

Do we get one or two sets of binoculars? I am imagining passing them back and forth while looking for whales.

It used to be so easy to search topics on HAL in CC, now I have trouble finding what I want.

Thanks in advance to all who respond.  The HAL folks are always very helpful when I have had questions. 

 

 

 

Hey! I hope you guys are doing well!

 

Our Med cruise in 2017 was in 5191 on the Westerdam! Your TA has good taste...the balcony is fantastic! We’ve been in 5191 on two ships, and hosted a CC party on the balcony both times. The wonderful concierges in the Neptune Lounge helped us set it up and provided wine glasses, ice, and hot/cold hors d’oeuvres for us. 5191 on the Westerdam is huge...you can easily fit 30 people out there.

 

There are a lot of pictures in this blog post that show the view from the balcony: https://theworldthroughmylens.blog/2017/05/21/the-wow-factor/

 

Here are some cabin & balcony pictures from the Westerdam. It’s not the biggest suite you’ll ever see, but the balcony more than makes up for it!

 

Edited March 3, 2019 by Cindy
Add a link

[ottahand7]

Snacks in the Neptune Suite.  They change at least 3 times daily.  This was on the Rotterdam last month.  

 

Concierges a real + too.  We decided the dining room wasn't our cup of tea so our concierges ordered our chosen meals without us having to worry about timing our order time with room service.    It was nice having the hard copy of the night's menu delivered to our cabin daily.  We just marked what we wanted and a time and voila' our dinner appeared at our requested time.  It was nice to have dinner at either port departure or sunset.   

[dundeene]

Cindy,

We are well! A few cruises in the works with Alaska in May on Westie. . . next up.

I enjoyed looking around on your blog. Your photos are always wonderful!

Happy Cruising.

[dundeene]

Ottahand7

Thank you for the advice and photos.  Those snacks look delicious.

[cruisin'mama]

I had booked a Signature Suite with the Explore 4 for our Alaska cruise this summer and now I was able to move to 5191 for  basically the same price just by giving up the Explore 4. Since my husband is diabetic and pretty much only drinks water and my adult son who is travelling with us has Down Syndrome and would only drink soda or maybe a mocktail, it was a no brainer to give up my  SBP and the Explore 4 to get that corner aft balcony!!!.  Does anyone know how much sodas cost?  I am thinking of getting my son a soda card but didn't know how many drinks that will get him.

[DaveOKC]

One tip that USUALLY works (but not on every ship).

 

I do not like the free bottle of sparkling wine that the Captain "gifts" to you in your cabin when you arrive.   I take it to the Neptune Lounge and exchange it for a bottle of house wine.  Sometimes they will offer you something else instead, like sodas or water.