Club Orange Expanded Menus and Cost

[oaktreerb]

7 hours ago, Alberta Quilter said:

 

Seems like a great deal.  Can I ask, how did you receive your offer?  Was it sent directly from HAL or via your TA?  I'm on the same sailing (but for 2 weeks) and have not received such an offer.  Not sure if it's because I book with a big box TA (and I don't think they forward such emails) or because it's not available for the two weeks on this particular cruise.  I'm only curious.  I had thought about upgrading to Club Orange but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it wouldn't work well for us on this cruise.

 

I think the Club Orange dining room will have the same hours as the MDR for both breakfast and dinner.

The big box will not contact you but if you think there is an offer (sometimes you read about it on the roll call) you should call the big box and have them contact HAL on your behalf.

[puppycanducruise]

kdakda - thanks for sharing your experience.

[DaveOKC]

11 hours ago, oaktreerb said:

The big box will not contact you but if you think there is an offer (sometimes you read about it on the roll call) you should call the big box and have them contact HAL on your behalf.

That is one thing I dislike about the big box.  I often get upsell offers from HAL directly, which lets me react quickly for the better cabin selection, plus sometimes they sell out on the upsells in a matter of minutes.  Not as big a deal on the CO offers of course.

[oaktreerb]

4 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

That is one thing I dislike about the big box.  I often get upsell offers from HAL directly, which lets me react quickly for the better cabin selection, plus sometimes they sell out on the upsells in a matter of minutes.  Not as big a deal on the CO offers of course.

Agree.  I liked the OBC the big box offered and the OBC that was not used onboard would be refunded at the end of the cruise by HAL.  Now that this big box is offering the rebate as a Cash Card (big box decision) which will be received several weeks after the cruise I will be less likely to book through them.  I think this was a poor decision by the big box store.

[What was that?]

Where did I read that Neptune and Pinnacle Suites include Club Orange?

[3rdGenCunarder]

12 minutes ago, What was that? said:

Where did I read that Neptune and Pinnacle Suites include Club Orange?

 

I don't know where you read it, but it's true.

 

[kazu]

14 minutes ago, What was that? said:

Where did I read that Neptune and Pinnacle Suites include Club Orange?

 

It’s been posted here and it’s also in the Cruise Atlas:

 

[What was that?]

13 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

I don't know where you read it, but it's true.

 

11 minutes ago, kazu said:

It’s been posted here and it’s also in the Cruise Atlas:

 

Well, thank you both. I am glad I didn't hallucinate it! 

That "Cruise Atlas" looks like it has a lot of good info. Where can I find it?

 

D'oh! The "Cruise Atlas" sales brochure I received on 31 December. Thanks again! I'm thinking I will have to start using my age as an excuse, having just turned 75 - but a young 75!

Edited January 26, 2020 by What was that?

[DaveOKC]

45 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

It’s been posted here and it’s also in the Cruise Atlas:

 

It seems strange to me how the free upgrade would work.  If you book a Neptune, lets say a SB cabin, do you automatically get an SA cabin at the time of booking?

[kazu]

6 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

It seems strange to me how the free upgrade would work.  If you book a Neptune, lets say a SB cabin, do you automatically get an SA cabin at the time of booking?

 

Nope, if you don’t buy Club Orange (and who would in an NS?) then as per the paragraph you are excluded from the upsell and get togethers.  Read right above  “Your private lounge”.

[Walfam]

On 1/24/2020 at 7:52 PM, oaktreerb said:

The big box will not contact you but if you think there is an offer (sometimes you read about it on the roll call) you should call the big box and have them contact HAL on your behalf.

When I booked our next cruise through that big box travel place, the agent asked if I would accept an upgrade should one become available.  I failed to ask more questions regarding whether it would be within the Signature Suite category we booked, or if it might include upgrade deal to a Neptune Suite.  I answered "yes" and  If I remember, I will call them this week and ask how that works.

[DaveOKC]

27 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Nope, if you don’t buy Club Orange (and who would in an NS?) then as per the paragraph you are excluded from the upsell and get togethers.  Read right above  “Your private lounge”.

Thanks - I misread the EXcluding as INcluding.

[What was that?]

I online chatted with HAL and was told that I needed to speak with Reservations - aka the "Res Team" - to have CO added to our existing Neptune Suite reservation on Oosterdam, departing Seattle on 16 August 2020, for the Alaskan Explorer cruise. So I called and was told it would be $175pp to add it. Now, as I read it, the wording is not even slightly ambiguous - "Pinnacle and Neptune Suite guests also receive the benefits of Club Orange." So, I did what I should have done initially, I sent an inquiry to my TA. I will report back

Edited January 26, 2020 by What was that?
Clarification

[JeffElizabeth]

On 1/22/2020 at 9:16 AM, Tom O. said:

Club Orange sounds to me to be of little value. On the ships that I cruise, it is simply a separate area in the MDR. The extra item available on the menu, doesn't sound like it is worth an extra $25 per person. And the room upgrade is of little value to me, since it is within the same category - it is exactly the same room, it is just in a different location. 

I think it is only a good deal for new HA cruisers. We took my sister on her first cruise to Alaska and she found CO worth it. We are four star and didn't agree.

[e_brick]

Does the Koningsdam Club Orange restaurant take reservations? 

[Crew News]

2 hours ago, e_brick said:

Does the Koningsdam Club Orange restaurant take reservations? 

The Nieuw Statendam did not accept reservations so it is probably HAL policy not to do so.  It was walk up.  There was a community table but if you did not want to share, there was a beeper system to page you when a table was available for dinner meals.

[e_brick]

Thanks for the reply.

[kangforpres]

Hi All-

 

Club Orange on the Pinnacle class ships, where there is a unique Club Orange space does not require reservations for dinner. Please take advantage of the Breakfast in the Club Orange on the Pinnacle class ships since it is cooked to order and you don't have the stuffiness of the Pinnacle grill breakfast early in the morning like Neptune Suite guest get on the non-Pinnacle ships

 

In all the other ships, Club Orange is a separate area in the MDR, we made reservations our first night and just had the same table after that at the same time.

 

The enhanced dinner menu is just one more option that is not offered on that nights MDR menu.

 

Plus you get a nicer Club Orange tote bag that has a zipper on top!

 

It's one of those things you have to experience for yourself and then you can judge if it's worth it.

 

Oh the Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodamn where also suppose to get unique Club Orange spaces after their next dry docks.

 

-Paul

Edited March 10, 2021 by kangforpres

[e_brick]

Thanks to all the reviews and comments of Club Orange. Looks like we will be continuing to do our usual MDR late seating with table for six. Have had only interesting and friendly seatmates. We may do the specialty restaurants with the freebies, and sure to do breakfasts in Club Orange.

[AFNavigator]

On 1/26/2020 at 8:09 PM, JeffElizabeth said:

I think it is only a good deal for new HA cruisers. We took my sister on her first cruise to Alaska and she found CO worth it. We are four star and didn't agree.

Club Orange was a great deal for us on our latest booking.  We'll be on a 7-day Nieuw Statendam this Dec.  We actually saved money by buying Club Orange.

 

We booked an angled V-category balcony cabin to gain a bit more cabin room.  I later called Club Orange who quoted me a price of $25pp/day for first two in the room (no charge for 3rd in room), $350 total for the week.  I called and downgraded our room temporarily to a VH, bought Club Orange, then they upgraded the room back to our originally chosen V-category cabin.  The end result was that our overall booking dropped $70 and we get Club Orange...essentially for free.

 

If it wasn't for the within-category room upgrade, I don't see the other Club Orange benefits as being worth $50+ per day per cabin.  With the room upgrade feature though, Club Orange certainly was a great value in our case.

[sp00n]

Is the "premium in-room breakfast" just the addition of mimosas or does it include other items as well?

[Crew News]

43 minutes ago, sp00n said:

Is the "premium in-room breakfast" just the addition of mimosas or does it include other items as well?

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

Here are both cards so that you can compare:

 

Room Service Breakfast Card for Neptune/Pinnacle Suites and Club Orange

 

Regular Room Service Breakfast Card

Edited January 7, 2022 by Crew News

[sp00n]

Thanks!

[VermeulT]

On 1/22/2020 at 10:03 PM, arijsky said:

We just accepted an offer for Club Orange on Nieuw Statendam at $25/pp per day on her February 16 sailing.  The clincher was an upgrade from a VH obstructed verandah to a VB cabin on the Sun Deck.  Looking forward to a unique experience!

I just made final payment for my April 3rd on the the Rotterdam.  I booked with a PCC and was using FCC.  The fare for Verandah was too low to use up all the FCC. So the lady suggested I book the lowest Vista Suite room and add Club Orange at $25/day.  I'm now in an Aft Vista and the cruise will cost me $50 plus port charges out of pocket.

 

I felt it was a great way to not let FCC go to waste.  The category upgrade is the clincher.

@arijsky got a great deal too

[arijsky]

17 minutes ago, VermeulT said:

I just made final payment for my April 3rd on the the Rotterdam.  I booked with a PCC and was using FCC.  The fare for Verandah was too low to use up all the FCC. So the lady suggested I book the lowest Vista Suite room and add Club Orange at $25/day.  I'm now in an Aft Vista and the cruise will cost me $50 plus port charges out of pocket.

 

I felt it was a great way to not let FCC go to waste.  The category upgrade is the clincher.

@arijsky got a great deal too

We enjoyed Club Orange on that trip so much that we purchased it again for our upcoming trip on the Rotterdam ( Feb 20, fingers crossed).  We really enjoy the separate dining room, various upgrades and priority line status, and look forward to a little pampering.