Club Orange

[twentyknots]

This from another article: "Club Orange is being tested on the Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam for potential rollout fleetwide."  So maybe not a done deal yet.

[bEwAbG]

It has been a done deal on Koningsdam and Nieuw Statendam since the beginning of the year.  There have been multiple threads about peoples' experiences with it.  Also several reports that it's being offered on some of the other ships for a price less than $50 pp/pd on upcoming sailings so they are definitely moving forward with trying it out.

Edited July 2, 2019 by bEwAbG

[bEwAbG]

 

Review of Nieuw Statendam experience:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2641444-club-orange-is-excellent/

 

Review of Koningsdam experience:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2660616-review-of-the-excellent-club-orange-experience-on-the-koningsdam/

 

Offers on other ships:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2671199-club-orange-upgrade-offer

 

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by bEwAbG

[wesport]

Will be on the Zuiderdam 10/20/19 in a Neptune Suite. Will report back. 

[Himself]

I had heard the were going to take some space in the Lido to put in CLUB Orange.

[colonialinnkeeper]

Cannot imagine needed seating in the Lido area being taken away for Club Orange.  I wonder if it will be like Canelleto  where it is open in the daytime and cordoned off in the evening for dinner meal?

 

[Roz]

1 hour ago, twentyknots said:

A "dedicated" section of the MDR is a far cry from the PG for breakfast in my opinion.

 

Do you think maybe it will be a screened off area in the MDR to provide a bit of privacy and exclusivity?

 

Roz 

[sail7seas]

18 minutes ago, colonialinnkeeper said:

Cannot imagine needed seating in the Lido area being taken away for Club Orange.  I wonder if it will be like Canelleto  where it is open in the daytime and cordoned off in the evening for dinner meal?

 

  I  HOPE  not.  It keeps sounding worse  and worse.  IMO

 

 

Does anyone here  like anything about the sound of all this?  Would anyone consider any of  it a benefit for which extra is charged as part of the Neptune fare?

 

 

 

[sail7seas]

1 hour ago, wesport said:

Will be on the Zuiderdam 10/20/19 in a Neptune Suite. Will report back. 

Please do share some comments about it here......sam e for all who will experience it relatively soon. 

 

Thia

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Himself said:

I had heard the were going to take some space in the Lido to put in CLUB Orange.

 

OMG.  That’s worse for all the passengers on board and certainly not a benefit for the Suite or Club Orange passengers.

[twentyknots]

I see that the Zuiderdam will be in dry dock December 1-9.    Maybe the CO renovations will be completed then.  We cruise her starting December 10.

[twodjs]

Don't kid yourself. HAL's official announcement back in November said a dedicated section of the MDR will be set aside for CO seating. No mention of any construction of any kind. They never even spent the money to remove the old stove vents from the Koningsdam when it was converted. Sounds like assigned tables to me. Apparently some people think that it is worth it to commit $50 per couple for every day of the cruise. People were screaming at $10 for an extra entree. I guess if you give it a name, people buy it? Wake up people!

[sail7seas]

34 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

OMG.  That’s worse for all the passengers on board and certainly not a benefit for the Suite or Club Orange passengers.

 

MY guess i on "R" class ships,  Lido/ Canaletto/  is in the process of feting a new use.  UGH

 

Horrible, horrible  !

 

 

[twentyknots]

At least the Koningsdam has cooking facilities which provide hot, fresh waffles, french toast, and pancakes.  We love the PG for breakfast but if I'm in the mood for those items I will go to the Lido, as much as I dislike it,  and insist on made to order.  If Zuiderdam doesnt use this opportunity to do it right and just offers priority MDR with PG menu for NS I will be disappointed.

[bEwAbG]

The breakfast menu in PG is already the same as the MDR, so that is no change in anything but the place where you eat it.

[twodjs]

Just now, bEwAbG said:

The breakfast menu in PG is already the same as the MDR, so that is no change in anything but the place where you eat it.

That is what made it special. Take that away and you have NO ADDED VALUE!

[bEwAbG]

You would have an expanded menu at dinner.  Just because that may not be important to one person doesn't mean it isn't to another.

[twodjs]

Just now, bEwAbG said:

You would have an expanded menu at dinner.  Just because that may not be important to one person doesn't mean it isn't to another.

ONE additional item! 

[bEwAbG]

That's one more than there was.

 

Look, I may hate it when I experience it.  However, I am waiting to actually experience it.  So far, the only potential downside I've read about is the change in venue for breakfast service (even though it's the same exact food), and that downside is not important enough to me to rend my garments and gnash my teeth.  It is too early to tell if it is a net negative until we see how it is executed and/or improved upon once out in the wild.  Those who have experienced the venues on the newer ships have reported positive experiences overall.  

[twodjs]

A big part of what people liked on the new ships is that it was set up as an open kitchen concept with their breakfasts (and I believe the dinner special) prepared fresh in front of them in a smaller venue. Take that away and I don't see the value. I come from the bias of being a NS guest, so that is part of my frustration. Others would have a different perspective. Yes, we'll see how it plays out. 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, twentyknots said:

At least the Koningsdam has cooking facilities which provide hot, fresh waffles, french toast, and pancakes.  We love the PG for breakfast but if I'm in the mood for those items I will go to the Lido, as much as I dislike it,  and insist on made to order.  If Zuiderdam doesnt use this opportunity to do it right and just offers priority MDR with PG menu for NS I will be disappointed.

 

Agree.  One of the reasons I liked the P’dam PG is it had it’s own kitchen.

No problem to order “fresh” eggs (that was the term for eggs in the shell and not the goop on our last cruise).

 

I hope the Zuiderdam works out for you.

[slidergirl]

Seems that the same people whining on this thread are the same who whined on the last Club Orange thread.   Has anyone who is complaining about Club Orange actually eaten there for their meals?   I understand the want to feel elite and above the masses with the Pinnacle Grill.  But, HAL is in  business to make money, not cater to the faux 1%ers.   

 

Having never  been in a Pinnacle Grill (my lowest priced Inside cabin does not allow me entrance), any idea why HAL would not put Club Orange into the existing Pinnacle Grill location on the old ships?  Is there another plan for the PG location on those ships?  Curious minds want to know...

[kazu]

34 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

Seems that the same people whining on this thread are the same who whined on the last Club Orange thread.   Has anyone who is complaining about Club Orange actually eaten there for their meals?   I understand the want to feel elite and above the masses with the Pinnacle Grill.  But, HAL is in  business to make money, not cater to the faux 1%ers.   

 

Having never  been in a Pinnacle Grill (my lowest priced Inside cabin does not allow me entrance), any idea why HAL would not put Club Orange into the existing Pinnacle Grill location on the old ships?  Is there another plan for the PG location on those ships?  Curious minds want to know...

 

Bolding is mine.

 

This has nothing to do with feeling elite.  The Pinnacle Grill is a much nicer dining venue IMO than the MDR.  It’s that simple.  The ‘simple’ solution is to continue to offer the PG as a choice to the Neptune Suites who are paying a lot more than $25 per day pp for breakfast at least.  I suspect though, they will need the PG staff in the MDR to help with Club Orange.  

 

Your statement of never having been in a Pinnacle Grill perplexes me.  Anyone can use it if they are willing to pay for a lunch or dinner.  It’s not exclusive at lunch or dinner.  Lunch is a bargain at $10 pp.  You should try it 😉 

 

If HAL is selling a bunch of Club Orange memberships, then the PG’s on the smaller ships most likely cannot accommodate it and, since it’s a revenue source for dinner and one of the few specialty dining options on the smaller ships, they can’t close it off for Club Orange dinner and not offer it to the rest of the passengers.  JMO.

 

 

[bEwAbG]

I think they're trying to lessen the confusion by establishing a single location for all Club Orange dining.  Since Club Orange dinner cannot be in PG, they might as well make breakfast be in the same place as dinner.  People complain that suite perks are not great compared to other lines, and this is their attempt to up the ante. 

 

An expanded menu and dedicated service in the MDR would be worth more to me than breakfast in the PG location.  A lot of people don't even get up in time to have breakfast during the limited hours the PG dining room is open for it.

 

I second the recommendation to try PG for lunch or dinner.  It is available to anyone who wants to pay the cover charge.

[slidergirl]

49 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Bolding is mine.

 

This has nothing to do with feeling elite.  The Pinnacle Grill is a much nicer dining venue IMO than the MDR.  It’s that simple.  The ‘simple’ solution is to continue to offer the PG as a choice to the Neptune Suites who are paying a lot more than $25 per day pp for breakfast at least.  I suspect though, they will need the PG staff in the MDR to help with Club Orange.  

 

Your statement of never having been in a Pinnacle Grill perplexes me.  Anyone can use it if they are willing to pay for a lunch or dinner.  It’s not exclusive at lunch or dinner.  Lunch is a bargain at $10 pp.  You should try it 😉 

 

If HAL is selling a bunch of Club Orange memberships, then the PG’s on the smaller ships most likely cannot accommodate it and, since it’s a revenue source for dinner and one of the few specialty dining options on the smaller ships, they can’t close it off for Club Orange dinner and not offer it to the rest of the passengers.  JMO.

 

 

I don't eat red meat and as a diabetic, I have to be sensitive to carbs and food choices,  so I'm not really into spending extra for some "special" setting where the choices aren't all that special to me.   It's not just on HAL, I don't do any specialty dining on any ship in the past 10 years (I did Sabatini's on Princess back in 2008, but wasn't thrilled with the non-meat offerings)  I'm actually fond of any ship's buffet when I can because I can always get a good meal that is just what I want (yes, I'm weird).  

 

I don't think NS people are paying more for breakfast than the one in the lowest deck Insides.  I think you're paying for the size of the cabin.   Unless you're thinking you pay more for breakfast because they have to pay for dedicated servers, taking then away from the MDR/buffet, and maybe the free mimosa.  Not disputing your contention, but I haven't seen anyone put out how much the different cabin classes pay for meals.