Club Orange upgrade offer

[expectGREATthings]

This will probably hurt the people that book a guarantee room rate. Now the pecking order will be 1st upselling cabins for most added revenue. Next up the club orange added revenue folks will get the next best cabins. Last will be those that took a guarantee hoping for the upgrade fairy. All I can say is good luck with that.

[JRG]

13 hours ago, sfocruiser said:

 

 

Wonder how that works on the Oosterdam? Only the Pinnacle Class ships have the dedicated CO restaurant (fish bowl) 😉 

 

maybe they have started to rope off a section of the MDR as originally announced.

 

Maybe they will pass out orange party hats to add to the vibe.   Keep your fingers crossed.

[HiSeasForMe]

So HAL is selling all the perks of a Neptune Suite (other than Neptune Lounge) for $35/day per person?  Is there a limit to the number of CO passes sold on each cruise? 

[3rdGenCunarder]

30 minutes ago, HiSeasForMe said:

So HAL is selling all the perks of a Neptune Suite (other than Neptune Lounge) for $35/day per person?  Is there a limit to the number of CO passes sold on each cruise? 

 

Yes, that's what it sounds like to me. The original announcement said that there's a limit. I suspect the limit will be how crowded  the dining area can get before there are too many complaints.

[Cruise Junky]

10 hours ago, kevingastreich said:

We have an aft facing veranda on Oosterdam so we didn't want the "Stateroom Upgrade" so we didn't buy the offer but here it is below so people can compare it with other ships.  At first glance the major difference looks like the "Club Orange Dining". I'll report back after the cruise.

 

 

I wonder if you can ask for no upgrade and still purchase it. I’d be interested but not with the risk of losing my massive balcony on 4 

Edited June 15, 2019 by Cruise Junky

[Andi Land]

22 minutes ago, Cruise Junky said:

I wonder if you can ask for no upgrade and still purchase it. I’d be interested but not with the risk of losing my massive balcony on 4 

Yes you can have them mark it as do not upgrade. It’s what I did. Even though I’m in an obstructed balcony, I chose the location to be midship and not above the music area. I don’t want an upgrade that would put me in a louder location. 

[BSinPNS]

Based on our current experience on NS, there are only three to four couples at a time during the 5:15 - 6:30 time frame.  Can’t imagine the waitstaff is happy about having that few customers, even if those few tip well.  

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, HiSeasForMe said:

So HAL is selling all the perks of a Neptune Suite (other than Neptune Lounge) for $35/day per person?  Is there a limit to the number of CO passes sold on each cruise? 

But just think on the bright side NS folks now get to eat dinner in an area separate from the MDR with an extra dish added to the dinner menu!

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

But just think on the bright side NS folks now get to eat dinner in an area separate from the MDR with an extra dish added to the dinner menu!

 

Maybe I missed it, but I saw nothing that NS passengers would have the Club Orange dinner benefits?

 

They’ll do the breakfast but I didn’t see this added as an amenity to the NS?

[Ken the cruiser]

8 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Maybe I missed it, but I saw nothing that NS passengers would have the Club Orange dinner benefits?

 

They’ll do the breakfast but I didn’t see this added as an amenity to the NS?

I was under the impression based on the many threads on this subject that CO folks, to include those in NS, get to eat breakfast and dinner in the designated CO area and that NS folks automatically received the CO perk for free. If that’s not the case, that would be really weird, especially considering how much they are paying for a NS. 

Edited June 15, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[kazu]

2 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I was under the impression based on the many threads on this subject that CO folks, to include those in NS, get to eat breakfast and dinner in the designated CO area and that NS folks automatically received the CO perk for free. If that’s not the case, that would be really weird, especially considering how much they are paying for a NS. 

 

I understood they did breakfast but not sure about the CO dining at dinner.

Hopefully, you are right.  If HAL updated their perks website, it would be really nice 😉 

 

[BSinPNS]

NS guests eat breakfast and dinner in CO.   The Pinnacle Grill is now only open for dinner for anyone willing to pay the price.  The same waitstaff are present in CO for breakfast and dinner and fill in at the Lido or MDR for lunch.   I think the whole CO concept is new and still being tweaked; witness the price changes.  This is based on current Nieuw Statendam cruise to Norway. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

51 minutes ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I was under the impression based on the many threads on this subject that CO folks, to include those in NS, get to eat breakfast and dinner in the designated CO area and that NS folks automatically received the CO perk for free. If that’s not the case, that would be really weird, especially considering how much they are paying for a NS. 

 

Yes, NS passengers got CO perk included when I was on K'dam this winter. I expect that dinner in the "special" part of the dining room will be for CO and NS passengers on the ships that don't have a separate CO restaurant.

[PSR]

11 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Club Orange is only a good solution for you on ships which have it. There is no solution for your non-NS friends on the Westerdam if they haven’t rolled out CO.  (Other than all of you eating in the dining room.)

 

Thank you; I realize the Westerdam does not have Club Orange so far. I am mostly concerned that if it ever does, we may no longer have the PG as a breakfast option for the Neptune Suites. That is one of our favorite perks; much quieter than the MDR.🙂

[*Miss G*]

34 minutes ago, PSR said:

 

Thank you; I realize the Westerdam does not have Club Orange so far. I am mostly concerned that if it ever does, we may no longer have the PG as a breakfast option for the Neptune Suites. That is one of our favorite perks; much quieter than the MDR.🙂

 

By the looks of it, that’s the way it’s going.  Since only the Pinnacle-class have a dedicated CO venue I am curious to see how the non-Pinnacle class CO plays out.

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, *Miss G* said:

 

By the looks of it, that’s the way it’s going.  Since only the Pinnacle-class have a dedicated CO venue I am curious to see how the non-Pinnacle class CO plays out.

 

That seems to be what HAL is saying, some sort of set-aside area of the MDR. I was not a big fan of CO, especially losing the quiet start to the day in PG. But the freshly cooked breakfast made up for the loss in ambiance. However, for the non-Pinnacle class ships that will have space in the MDR and no kitchen right there, I expect that the food will come out of the main kitchen, and be no better or faster than it has been in the past in PG and MDR. 

 

[*Miss G*]

4 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

expect that the food will come out of the main kitchen, and be no better or faster than it has been in the past in PG and MDR. 

 

I am hoping that’s not how it plays out.  There is potential for a really good thing.  I am hoping they don’t screw it up.

[NCFoodFan]

We were on K'dam in a NS for the Western Mediterranean cruise last month.  Club Orange is included for NS passengers.  Any time dining with much better service and hotter, fresher food than in MDR.  We wound up eating breakfast and most dinners there.  Yes, there's only one additional entrée over the MDR, but many nights it was excellent.  As opposed to what others have said, it's a better value than the Pinnacle Grill.

[QuangFre]

I already signed up for CO upgrade but these are good info for future Koningsdam cruise passengers. Thank you NCFoodFan.

[PSR]

2 hours ago, NCFoodFan said:

As opposed to what others have said, it's a better value than the Pinnacle Grill.

 

Maybe so, but not if you don't have a dedicated dining area like on the newer ships.

[twodjs]

3 hours ago, *Miss G* said:

 

I am hoping that’s not how it plays out.  There is potential for a really good thing.  I am hoping they don’t screw it up.

It's great that people have talked up this CO. So now HAL thinks it is a success and is rolling this out to the rest of the fleet. Oh, and they've lowered the price to make sure every seat is filled. But for those of us in Neptune Suites in anything other than the two newest ships, we're getting kicked out of our Pinnacle Grill for breakfast and get to eat in the MDR, with no food cooked to order in front of you. The rest of the fleet is not designed for open prep areas in the MDR and they 're not going to spend the money to convert. No way is breakdast and dinner in the MDR any kind of an upgrade. Why would anyone pay even $25 per day for the same food in the same space that is free to all? I've been flamed before, and I'm sure I will again, but I still believe that CO is flawed. Contrary to what others say, I don't hate HAL, but it certainly appears that they have opted for a short-term gain with CO without fully considering the loss of loyalty of 4 star Mariners (giving perks to CO that had been reserved for 4 star Mariners) , and the reduced value of their Suite product. CO offers most of the Suite perks, without the Suite price. Maybe their next step is to replace the Neptune Lounge with several inside cabins. Then they can just sell every cabin on the ship by the square foot. No perks for anyone. Okay, down off my soapbox.   

[3rdGenCunarder]

6 hours ago, twodjs said:

It's great that people have talked up this CO. So now HAL thinks it is a success and is rolling this out to the rest of the fleet. Oh, and they've lowered the price to make sure every seat is filled. But for those of us in Neptune Suites in anything other than the two newest ships, we're getting kicked out of our Pinnacle Grill for breakfast and get to eat in the MDR, with no food cooked to order in front of you. The rest of the fleet is not designed for open prep areas in the MDR and they 're not going to spend the money to convert. No way is breakdast and dinner in the MDR any kind of an upgrade. Why would anyone pay even $25 per day for the same food in the same space that is free to all? I've been flamed before, and I'm sure I will again, but I still believe that CO is flawed. Contrary to what others say, I don't hate HAL, but it certainly appears that they have opted for a short-term gain with CO without fully considering the loss of loyalty of 4 star Mariners (giving perks to CO that had been reserved for 4 star Mariners) , and the reduced value of their Suite product. CO offers most of the Suite perks, without the Suite price. Maybe their next step is to replace the Neptune Lounge with several inside cabins. Then they can just sell every cabin on the ship by the square foot. No perks for anyone. Okay, down off my soapbox.   

 

I agree that breakfast in part of the MDR instead of PG is a step down from the NS experience.

 

Not flaming you, but other than that, I don't resent the CO idea or see it as a dilution of the value of a NS.  As long as HAL doesn't sell so many Orange Passes that it makes getting a table at breakfast or dinner difficult or crowding tender priority, what's the harm? The only 4 star perks included in CO are the priority embarkation and tendering. CO doesn't give the 4 star perks of free laundry or discounts on wine packages and specialty restaurants. 

 

[kevingastreich]

17 hours ago, twodjs said:

Maybe their next step is to replace the Neptune Lounge with several inside cabins. Then they can just sell every cabin on the ship by the square foot. No perks for anyone. Okay, down off my soapbox.   

You may be on to something.

[ithaca gal]

If I paid per person in my two person cabin but saw several "third and fourth" guests using the same amenities for free ...….. well, I wouldn't be a happy camper.  But that's just me.  

 

[ksmaxey]

What ships now have Club Orange?