Neptune Suite Board Times

[LewsFirst]

I will be on the Eurodam in a few weeks.  I was told by my travel agent that Neptune Suite passangers cna board at any time but my express check in docs say 1pm.  Can we board earlier than that?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Yes

 

Boarding begins at 11:30.  First people to board will be those in wheelchairs.  Then the Pinnacle Suite passengers.  After that Neptune Suites along with 4 and 5 star passengers will board.

[sail7seas]

HAL tries to have cabins ready before they begin embarkation.  You can 'usually' count on  that happening by about 11:30.     Of course, once in a while there could be an exception such as if the  authorities are slow about clearing the ship and permitting the start of disembarkation.

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com

 

 

 

[Randyk47]

45 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Yes

 

Boarding begins at 11:30.  First people to board will be those in wheelchairs.  Then the Pinnacle Suite passengers.  After that Neptune Suites along with 4 and 5 star passengers will board.

 

The last time we boarded as NS passengers there were so many 4/5 star passengers that it felt like good half of the terminal lined up.  😀😳

[sail7seas]

7 hours ago, Randyk47 said:

 

The last time we boarded as NS passengers there were so many 4/5 star passengers that it felt like good half of the terminal lined up.  😀😳

Yet,  HALcontinues  to call it priority.  As a Fiver  star 

 

 Neptune suite guest,  I  must roll my eyes and  wonder

 

  who do they think  they are kidding?

 

Every week, every month   there are many more four and five star mariners added so the priority line gets ridiculously long.  HELLO,  HAL,  You created  this fantasy and it is now  time to Fi x it.  It came into  being as a pretense  HAL is giving their loyal customers something.  It costs them nothing and this priority promise, is  nothing.  No    VAlue and is insulting    IMO

 

It is disingenuous and we all know it is   a joke   Priority embarrk etc does not exist.

 

 

 

 

if you think you should be   giving us  something, than do so and do it  soon.  The reward is 'credibility'

 

 

.

 

Borders  on False advertising,  IMO

 

 

 

 

 

[Randyk47]

16 hours ago, sail7seas said:

Yet,  HALcontinues  to call it priority.  As a Fiver  star 

 

 Neptune suite guest,  I  must roll my eyes and  wonder

 

  who do they think  they are kidding?

 

Every week, every month   there are many more four and five star mariners added so the priority line gets ridiculously long.  HELLO,  HAL,  You created  this fantasy and it is now  time to Fi x it.  It came into  being as a pretense  HAL is giving their loyal customers something.  It costs them nothing and this priority promise, is  nothing.  No    VAlue and is insulting    IMO

 

It is disingenuous and we all know it is   a joke   Priority embarrk etc does not exist.

 

 

 

 

if you think you should be   giving us  something, than do so and do it  soon.  The reward is 'credibility'

 

 

.

 

Borders  on False advertising,  IMO

 

 

 

 

 

 

The same is true for port visits, particularly tender ports.  We got to the point where we don’t even try to take advantage of our tender priority.  It’s simpler and much more pleasant to go have breakfast while a few hundred folks are trying to take advantage of their 4-5 star status.   I agree all in all it’s not much of a loyalty program and indeed the number of advanced members is huge which further dilutes the supposed benefit.   That said, and I haven’t researched other lines all that much, I’m not sure what would constitute a better or meaningful program.  Silversea now gives us a 5% discount on all cruises and free laundry which I guess isn’t horrible.  We probably won’t get there but at their equivalent of 4-5 stars they give free 7-14 day cruises.   Can’t say it’s better but it is different.

[erewhon]

On 6/23/2019 at 11:31 AM, sail7seas said:

Yet,  HALcontinues  to call it priority.  As a Fiver  star 

 

 Neptune suite guest,  I  must roll my eyes and  wonder

 

  who do they think  they are kidding?

 

Every week, every month   there are many more four and five star mariners added so the priority line gets ridiculously long.  HELLO,  HAL,  You created  this fantasy and it is now  time to Fi x it.  It came into  being as a pretense  HAL is giving their loyal customers something.  It costs them nothing and this priority promise, is  nothing.  No    VAlue and is insulting    IMO

 

It is disingenuous and we all know it is   a joke   Priority embarrk etc does not exist.

 

 

 

 

if you think you should be   giving us  something, than do so and do it  soon.  The reward is 'credibility'

 

 

.

 

Borders  on False advertising,  IMO

 

Agree with you, have you conveyed your thoughts to HAL.?

 

 

 

 

[mcgahrec]

I literally just had a hal representative in Australia say you don't get any priority boarding for being in a Neptune suite .. 😔

[Moriah]

7 hours ago, mcgahrec said:

I literally just had a hal representative in Australia say you don't get any priority boarding for being in a Neptune suite .. 😔

 

Sigh... don't you just love the way the left hand never knows what the right hand is doing? 

I've always been given a "group one" card when in a Neptune Suite.  Of course, all bets are off if you arrive when boarding is already underway, but if you are there before they start boarding, group one is called first, and it consists of NS, PS, and 4 star passengers. There may be hundreds of people in that group, so you still have to line up ... it's not really "priority".  Having said that, on just a few cruises, I wish I could remember what ports we embarked at... we were given a separate waiting area for NS and PS, and escorted to the front of the line when group one was called. But the norm is just - "here's your number, board when it's called".  If you arrive later, you are still given group one boarding, but if they are already boarding group 3, for example, you would probably feel strange just barging to the front (although you would be within your "rights").  Being an early arrival person because I can't wait another minute - I'm usually one of the first to board - whether because  4 star mariners get the same "priority", or because of being in a NS, depending on the cruise... but as others have pointed out, these "priority" privileges are really not worth much, if anything.   Enjoy your cruise!! The good news is you will board.  And then you'll be in the Neptune Lounge having a great coffee and a snack. So life is good!

Edited June 24, 2019 by Moriah

[sail7seas]

11 hours ago, mcgahrec said:

I literally just had a hal representative in Australia say you don't get any priority boarding for being in a Neptune suite .. 😔

That rep    is wrong.  Tell him/her to read Hal's web site, assuming  t hey can get into it. 

 

 

 

sail.noodam@gmail.com

Edited June 24, 2019 by sail7seas

[Gsel]

In April we were waiting to board the O in FLL while some travel agents were touring and having lunch.  Most people were getting very impatient, as the agents were taken onboard 3-4 at a time and they were very slow. It really made some folks upset when the last group were finally escorted on and one HAL rep turned around and told us to help ourselves to the leftover coffee and other drinks. We had been sitting there for quite a while without even the offer of water.  Not a good way to greet passengers in pinnacle and NS, or 4 & 5* passengers.

[VennDiagram]

1 hour ago, Gsel said:

Not a good way to greet passengers in pinnacle and NS, or 4 & 5* passengers.

 

That is not  a good way to greet ANY passenger, regardless of their cabin category or loyalty status.

Upthread, someone was complaining that priority isn't really priority.  As a newly-minted 4*, I was very pleased with our experience with priority check-in, and priority tendering on our last cruise.  We were instructed to show up at a lounge (can't remember which one) and we were escorted to the tendering line by a crew member.  Truly easy, no muss, no fuss.

 

Maybe I'll have greater expectations  when the thrill of being 4 star wears off 😉

[mcgahrec]

8 hours ago, sail7seas said:

That rep    is wrong.  Tell him/her to read Hal's web site, assuming  t hey can get into it. 

 

 

 

sail.noodam@gmail.com

LOL - where did you see it on the HAL webpage ? Just looking at the suite perks PDF and it isnt on that either - just says "priority embarkation for tendered ports of call". I read that as just the stops along the cruise 

[erewhon]

21 hours ago, mcgahrec said:

I literally just had a hal representative in Australia say you don't get any priority boarding for being in a Neptune suite .. 😔

 

The HAL rep is quite wrong.

Where are you boarding ?

 

[mcgahrec]

4 minutes ago, erewhon said:

 

The HAL rep is quite wrong.

Where are you boarding ?

 

Canada Place, Vancouver. I can't find anything though on the HAL website that says there is priority boarding for Neptune suites

[erewhon]

When we have boarded at Canada Place we have had priority boarding, on one occasion were surprised when  a staff member came to where we were sitting waiting to board, and escorted us to the ship,(we were in a Neptune suite) the folk sitting next to us also stood up to board, but they were told to wait where they were sitting. 

On which ship are you sailing?

[mcgahrec]

3 minutes ago, erewhon said:

When we have boarded at Canada Place we have had priority boarding, on one occasion were surprised when  a staff member came to where we were sitting waiting to board, and escorted us to the ship,(we were in a Neptune suite) the folk sitting next to us also stood up to board, but they were told to wait where they were sitting. 

On which ship are you sailing?

msVolendam 

 

[erewhon]

6 minutes ago, mcgahrec said:

msVolendam 

 

 

Volendam was our first cruise ship, Alaska, loved the experience,  two years later booked  the last Alaskan  cruise of the season on her followed by the Trans Pacific home,  therefore only the one long flight.  Have had several more cruises on her, wish HAL would locate Volendam "down under" again.

Are you able to get a direct  flight to Vancouver?   

[mcgahrec]

5 minutes ago, erewhon said:

 

Volendam was our first cruise ship, Alaska, loved the experience,  two years later booked  the last Alaskan  cruise of the season on her followed by the Trans Pacific home,  therefore only the one long flight.  Have had several more cruises on her, wish HAL would locate Volendam "down under" again.

Are you able to get a direct  flight to Vancouver?   

No we are flying home Vancouver-L.A-Sydney-Perth. We are flying into Calgary initially for the stampede and driving around the rockies before heading to Vancouver for the cruise. Im really looking forward to experiencing a cruise for the first time!

[erewhon]

9 minutes ago, mcgahrec said:

No we are flying home Vancouver-L.A-Sydney-Perth. We are flying into Calgary initially for the stampede and driving around the rockies before heading to Vancouver for the cruise. Im really looking forward to experiencing a cruise for the first time!

 

You have an interesting holiday ahead of you, lots of travelling.

Vancouver is a beautiful city.

After you board the ship, leave your carryon luggage in your stateroom, and explore the ship, stopping in at the Neptune Lounge to introduce yourseles to the concierge, who can deal with any queries you may have. 

You can send out laundry and dry cleaning if you wish,(included in the stateroom price) there will be a blue laundry bag to use, with a form to list your items. Keep the  lower copy for your records.  If you need a second blue bag ask the room stewards 

 

IWishing you safe journeys, and a wonderful first cruise.. Hope you enjoy Volendam as much as we do.

[mcgahrec]

11 minutes ago, erewhon said:

 

You have an interesting holiday ahead of you, lots of travelling.

Vancouver is a beautiful city.

After you board the ship, leave your carryon luggage in your stateroom, and explore the ship, stopping in at the Neptune Lounge to introduce yourseles to the concierge, who can deal with any queries you may have. 

You can send out laundry and dry cleaning if you wish,(included in the stateroom price) there will be a blue laundry bag to use, with a form to list your items. Keep the  lower copy for your records.  If you need a second blue bag ask the room stewards 

 

IWishing you safe journeys, and a wonderful first cruise.. Hope you enjoy Volendam as much as we do.

Thanks so much, yes its like 28 hours transit time ! 

[sail7seas]

On 6/24/2019 at 5:08 PM, VennDiagram said:

 

That is not  a good way to greet ANY passenger, regardless of their cabin category or loyalty status.

Upthread, someone was complaining that priority isn't really priority.  As a newly-minted 4*, I was very pleased with our experience with priority check-in, and priority tendering on our last cruise.  We were instructed to show up at a lounge (can't remember which one) and we were escorted to the tendering line by a crew member.  Truly easy, no muss, no fuss.

 

Maybe I'll have greater expectations  when the thrill of being 4 star wears off 😉

 

Which  Ship? 

 

Helps if we know about which ship you speak.

 

 

 

sail.noordam@gmail.com