Club Orange Cost Update

[Alberta Quilter]

Thanks, Crew News.  What are the table sizes?  2/4 tops?  Any larger ones?  Since we'll be 3, we would prefer a 6 top minimum.

[Floridiana]

There were groups coming in, but they had formed before. Normally you don't share a table in the CO but you could tell the maître d' that you would like to. There is no rule against it. There are a few tables for 6. 

 

Edited December 9, 2019 by Floridiana

[ChinaShrek]

Are Club Orange offers only emailed or should we check on the website or call?

[Crew News]

24 minutes ago, ChinaShrek said:

Are Club Orange offers only emailed or should we check on the website or call?

 

To the best of my knowledge, offers are only emailed.

[ChinaShrek]

41 minutes ago, Crew News said:

 

To the best of my knowledge, offers are only emailed.

Thank you for the information.  I am traveling on the NS next summer and I hope get an email.

[Crew News]

10 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

Thanks, Crew News.  What are the table sizes?  2/4 tops?  Any larger ones?  Since we'll be 3, we would prefer a 6 top minimum.

 

I have confirmed that there are two 6-tops and what appears to an equal number of both 2 and 4-tops in Club Orange.

[Alberta Quilter]

26 minutes ago, Crew News said:

 

I have confirmed that there are two 6-tops and what appears to an equal number of both 2 and 4-tops in Club Orange.

Thank you very much!  I appreciate you spending your valuable vacation time gathering info for us!

Edited December 10, 2019 by Alberta Quilter

[highland cruiser]

20 hours ago, ChinaShrek said:

Are Club Orange offers only emailed or should we check on the website or call?

Our offer came through our TA.  She emailed it to us as soon as she received it.  Offer was $15 pp per day for a 14 day cruise on the Amsterdam.  At that time we weren't interested.  Maybe on another cruise. 

[Crew News]

I have learned that the CO and MDR menus are the same.  The CO extra entree is found on the additional "Available Every Day" page.  The same page has a blank spot when used for the MDR.

 

Dinner in Club Orange is no faster than in the MDR but you can make significant tweaks to any item.  The same chef prepares both breakfast and dinner.  For breakfast, I was offered a pastry within five minutes of arrival but it took 10 more minutes for my oatmeal to move the 12 feet from the prep station.

 

For those of us who have 5:00 PM MDR fixed dining, the Club Orange open seating later in the evening is a good option. 

 

So far for a solo traveler, the $15/day seems to be a good idea.  Since CO gets one free jewelry cleaning, I might take my Mariner pin to not waste the perk.  I opted out of the Merabella private jewelry presentation as well as the free spa consultation.  Nice tote bag.

[VennDiagram]

2 hours ago, Crew News said:

So far for a solo traveler, the $15/day seems to be a good idea. 

 

As a 5* you get many of the same perks that CO offers.  So I'm presuming, and correct me if I'm wrong, that having the CO restaurant provides you enough value for that $15/day. 

 

Is the food superior?  Do you find the atmosphere more to your liking? 

 

We are 4* so the big value for us would be superior food.  CO offers the MDR menu + one other main course.  Does it offer additional appetizer choices, do you know?

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, VennDiagram said:

 

As a 5* you get many of the same perks that CO offers.  So I'm presuming, and correct me if I'm wrong, that having the CO restaurant provides you enough value for that $15/day. 

 

Is the food superior?  Do you find the atmosphere more to your liking? 

 

We are 4* so the big value for us would be superior food.  CO offers the MDR menu + one other main course.  Does it offer additional appetizer choices, do you know?

 

It opted for the Club Orange so that I could honestly comment here on CC.  As it turned out, the choice worked out so I could delay my 5:00 PM fixed dining time.  If I drank a mimosa or two for breakfast and had the steak and eggs, I would have saved more than the $15/day.  The menus are exactly the same but you can watch the chef prepare your food to order....all of that chopping and slicing is cool to watch if you are sitting at one of the stool tables.

 

Dining atmosphere means nothing to me as long as there is no loud music and I can see my food.

 

This will probably be my last CO experience as a 5* and it is definitely not worth the previous offers of $25 and $35/day p/p.

[Floridiana]

4 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

Dinner in Club Orange is no faster than in the MDR

 

Judging by the slow speed of lunch in the main dining room, dinner is probably slow as well. Totally different in the CO dining room on the Koningsdam. We had MUCH better, faster and more attentive service. 

[Crew News]

On 12/10/2019 at 7:49 PM, Floridiana said:

Judging by the slow speed of lunch in the main dining room, dinner is probably slow as well. Totally different in the CO dining room on the Koningsdam. We had MUCH better, faster and more attentive service.

 

 

My dinner in Club Orange did meet my standard of less than 60 minutes for a solo. 

 

Most of Club Orange breakfast items are cooked to order whereas many dinner items appear to come from the Deck 2 kitchen as evidenced by the number of dinner plate covers near the Club Orange waiter's pickup area.  It is my experience that each subsequent course in Club Orange is served only a few minutes of completing each course.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I figured that the majority of the meals in CO were prepared in the main kitchen galley.

[fatcat04]

By way of another update...

 

Just got our offer today for CO on our 1/4/2020 cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam, a ship with no separate Club Orange dining area, for $25 a day. 🤔

 

INTRODUCING OUR EXCLUSIVE NEW ONBOARD PROGRAM - CLUB ORANGE

Club Orange offers an added level of luxury onboard Holland America Line ships

with priority access & exclusive amenities. Enhance your cruise with:

CLUB ORANGE PRIORITY ACCESS: Priority check-in & disembarkation, Priority lines

at Guest Services & Shore Excursions, Priority access to specialty restaurant

reservations & tenders ashore in select ports.

CLUB ORANGE AMENITIES: Stateroom upgrade (restrictions apply), Welcome glass of

sparkling wine, Dedicated Concierge Hotline access, Premium bathrobes, Club

Orange key card, Exclusive Club Orange tote bag (one per stateroom), Invitation

to a special onboard event chosen by the ship's captain.

CLUB ORANGE DINING: Premium in-room dining breakfast menu, priority seating in

the dining room for breakfast and dinner with an expanded menu.

TO PURCHASE CLUB ORANGE FOR US$25 PER PERSON PER DAY, PLEASE CALL US AT

1-888-628-8107 OR 206-626-7381 between 8am and 5pm Pacific Time Monday-Friday

We won't be getting it on this cruise. Maybe next cruise when we are on the NS where it makes more sense.

Edited December 18, 2019 by fatcat04

[DaveOKC]

Just back from cruise on the N.A. in a Neptune.  Club Orange - had to ask for the White menu and most days the entree was not to my liking, but I did get the Veal Chop one day and it was very good (and large).  Only difference in menus was the one extra entree - no extra apps or deserts.

 

Had breakfast in the Pinnacle each day, so cannot comment on breakfast for Club Orange.  There was a separate line at the front desk for CLub Orange, but never saw anyone use it.

 

One real NICE thing was the Club Orange bag we got - much nicer than the standard ones we are getting now being Neptunes - my DW really likes it!

[3rdGenCunarder]

On 12/8/2019 at 12:00 PM, Jimbo59 said:

Some people like the large tables in the MDR because they like to meet other people and enjoy long extended dinners (2 hours or more].

Club Orange might be best for people who want to dine alone, or with one other person.

 

That's why I prefer dinner in the MDR over CO. I had CO because of being in a NS. I did eat breakfast there because I like a quiet breakfast. But for dinner, I opted out. I don't want to eat alone, and it felt very "Noah's Ark" in CO. Yes, you can ask to share, but what if nobody else wants to share? One morning I was seated at 4-top with a couple. They pretty much ignored me, which was incredibly awkward. In the MDR if you choose to sit with other people, most likely they will be people who are willing to chat with others. 

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

On 12/8/2019 at 3:12 PM, sevenseasnomad said:

Since people are generally friendly on a cruise, how do you handle a situation where a passenger at a neighboring table starts talking to you?  Just curious.  My mom would never speak to anyone until after that first cup of coffee in the morning, which is why Dad would serve her the first cup in bed.  We kids knew to tiptoe first thing in the morning.  After that first cup, she was find.

 

OMG! I think we're related, because you just described my mom in the morning!  ☕

 

[canadianbear]

4 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Just back from cruise on the N.A. in a Neptune.  Club Orange - had to ask for the White menu and most days the entree was not to my liking, but I did get the Veal Chop one day and it was very good (and large).  Only difference in menus was the one extra entree - no extra apps or deserts.

 

Had breakfast in the Pinnacle each day, so cannot comment on breakfast for Club Orange.  There was a separate line at the front desk for CLub Orange, but never saw anyone use it.

 

One real NICE thing was the Club Orange bag we got - much nicer than the standard ones we are getting now being Neptunes - my DW really likes it!

We did 2 weeks in Neptune on the Oosterdam recently.  Used the CO line one day for breakfast and seated immediately after being asked if we wanted to share (we did not, got a table for 4 for just us)...otherwise we ate at the Pinnacle. We also used CO line in the MDR on gala nights and again seated basically within 5 minutes or quicker.   It did seem we got nicer locations too unless that was just coincidental.  

 

I doubt we would pay for CO unless it was during peak travel time (which we don’t go) but others may find it worth it to them.  

 

We do like the 2 CO bags we got as well.  (Back to back so 2 bags 😁😁)

[twodjs]

Some of the Club Orange extra items (one per night) included:

Roast leg of Lamb, cardamom and orange, with white beans and spinach;

Duck Breast with dried cherries, cabbage with bacon, rosti potatoes;

Veal Cutlet, green olives and thyme with mushroom risotto;

Shrimp Jambalaya with spicy sausage;

and on one Gala Night: Braised Beef short ribs with pineapple pico, mole.

I didn't make note of the other two nights. 

We were on the Oosterdam, so no separate Club Orange venue. All Neptune Suite guests and CO guests receive the same white menu. We are both vegetarian so didn't taste any of the specials.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am enjoying reading people's comments on Club Orange.

[MTAK]

21 hours ago, fatcat04 said:

By way of another update...

 

Just got our offer today for CO on our 1/4/2020 cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam, a ship with no separate Club Orange dining area, for $25 a day. 🤔

 

We won't be getting it on this cruise. Maybe next cruise when we are on the NS where it makes more sense.

Same here...we declined.  I told my wife the exact same thing, that if we were on one of the Pinnacle ships it would make more sense.

[Crew News]

16 minutes ago, MTAK said:

Same here...we declined.  I told my wife the exact same thing, that if we were on one of the Pinnacle ships it would make more sense.

 

So far I have been offered $35 and $15 while others have been offered $25.  My current $15 offer was for a Pinnacle Class and the $35 offer for a different Pinnacle Class ship.  My current offer included $50 OBC while others have not.

 

I am still trying to figure out the criteria for the different prices. 

[DaveOKC]

3 minutes ago, Crew News said:

 

So far I have been offered $35 and $15 while others have been offered $25.  My current $15 offer was for a Pinnacle Class and the $35 offer for a different Pinnacle Class ship.  My current offer included $50 OBC while others have not.

 

I am still trying to figure out the criteria for the different prices. 

Hatrd to figure to be sure.  Perhaps it is just HAL testing different price points to see what works.

 

[disudds]

We were offered and accepted $15/day for 16 days on the Westerdam. The priority access and expanded breakfast menu were the kickers for us.  We didn't upgrade our cabin because we like our current location so the "upgrade" really wasn't.  I asked if there was something they could do instead, but the answer was "no". Still, we are hopeful we will find it a good value at the end of the cruise.