Veranda + Club Orange vs Vista Suite

[jimgev]

Booking a veranda plus Club Orange as opposed to booking a Vista Suite.Which is the better deal? Which has the most and/or better amenities? The ultimate price is about the sme.

[Heartgrove]

The Vista Suite provides double Mariner points.

[DaveOKC]

Except for the double points I would take the Verandah plus CO, assuming I could select my cabin.

 

 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

56 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

Except for the double points I would take the Verandah plus CO, assuming I could select my cabin.

 

 

I would take this a bit further. If you are relatively new to HAL then Club Orange has some perks that are nice to have but if you are 4 or 5 star Mariner then it is a very expensive glass of bubbly that I would pass on because of the low quality lol

If comparing Vista Suites to regular Balcony you are obviously looking at Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam or Rotterdam. The cabins are larger sq ft in the Vista Suites and as mentioned get double Mariner points but they also get some of the perks that Club orange offer such as a Phone Concierge. If brand new to HAL the Club Orange might be a good way to go. But if you want a bit more room and double points the Vista Suite would be the way to go. 

[oaktreerb]

The layout of the bed placement in the V and VS staterooms is not the same.  With Club Orange you get the stateroom upgrade so if you want a particular veranda stateroom you can save a few $  there.  Club Orange has a special dining room for breakfast and dinner.  If you like to eat in the Lido, Club Orange would not be worth it.

[oaktreerb]

21 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I would take this a bit further. If you are relatively new to HAL then Club Orange has some perks that are nice to have but if you are 4 or 5 star Mariner then it is a very expensive glass of bubbly that I would pass on because of the low quality lol

 

As 4* I have early boarding and free laundry.  I can still benefit from the Club Orange dining benefit, priority access at the service desk and the small stateroom discount.  What is “low quality””?  If someone books a Neptune Suite there is no further benefit from Club Orange.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

26 minutes ago, oaktreerb said:

As 4* I have early boarding and free laundry.  I can still benefit from the Club Orange dining benefit, priority access at the service desk and the small stateroom discount.  What is “low quality””?  If someone books a Neptune Suite there is no further benefit from Club Orange.

I guess there where I disagree a bit, possibly?? it may be worth it on the three newer ships with having the separate restaurant since I have not had the opportunity to try that. But have had Club Orange on both Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam and other than one single additional item on the menu it was truly nothing special. Actually only once did I try that special item, it was mostly something I was not interested in. From pictures I have seen of the special venue on the three Pinnacle Class ships the atmosphere does not seem as elegant as the Main Dining Room. To me it looks like a Breakfast hot spot or cafe/diner, with uncomfortable seats, definitely not an elegant dining room.

As for Service Desk in all honesty that too is rarely needed especially when many things can be handled on line with the Navigator App. Or if you have the Vista Suite and above you do have the Concierge Telephone or in person. The only advantage I see for 4 star and higher with Club Orange is if your budget is for the lowest price balcony and you want to move up to a category V but one has to calculate out the savings. If booked a long time ago with a promo that had Pre paid gratuities and other perks paying to move up to a V category would most likely be very costly with the current Have it All higher pricing and losing perks. In that case the Club Orange makes sense.  

[DaveOKC]

25 minutes ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I guess there where I disagree a bit, possibly?? it may be worth it on the three newer ships with having the separate restaurant since I have not had the opportunity to try that. But have had Club Orange on both Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam and other than one single additional item on the menu it was truly nothing special. Actually only once did I try that special item, it was mostly something I was not interested in. From pictures I have seen of the special venue on the three Pinnacle Class ships the atmosphere does not seem as elegant as the Main Dining Room. To me it looks like a Breakfast hot spot or cafe/diner, with uncomfortable seats, definitely not an elegant dining room.

As for Service Desk in all honesty that too is rarely needed especially when many things can be handled on line with the Navigator App. Or if you have the Vista Suite and above you do have the Concierge Telephone or in person. The only advantage I see for 4 star and higher with Club Orange is if your budget is for the lowest price balcony and you want to move up to a category V but one has to calculate out the savings. If booked a long time ago with a promo that had Pre paid gratuities and other perks paying to move up to a V category would most likely be very costly with the current Have it All higher pricing and losing perks. In that case the Club Orange makes sense.  

The OP was looking at one of the Pinnacle ships as I recall.  So, the Club Orange deal can make good sense due to the free upgrade (especially of you are going from a guarantee to a specific cabin (like my relative just did).  It cost less to buy the Club Orange than to pay for the upgrade, especially if you can add on the VIP boarding, separate front desk line, and separate dining area. 

 

I agree that it is not as good a deal if you are on one of the non-pinnacle class ships.

[kazu]

1 hour ago, oaktreerb said:

If someone books a Neptune Suite there is no further benefit from Club Orange.

 

Actually if someone books a Neptune Suite, they can’t book Club Orange.  After all, HAL doesn’t want to give the PS away 😉 

[DaveOKC]

27 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Actually if someone books a Neptune Suite, they can’t book Club Orange.  After all, HAL doesn’t want to give the PS away 😉 

I actually tried this a couple of months ago and they would not let me do it.  I was going to do it to move from a guarantee to a specifc cabin but was denied.

 

[oaktreerb]

28 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Actually if someone books a Neptune Suite, they can’t book Club Orange.  After all, HAL doesn’t want to give the PS away 😉 

Wouldn’t that be nice.  I got to go to a Meet n Greet in the Pinnacle.  WOW!  Also,  you also can’t skip categories with Club Orange so we’ll either have to pay for the Pinnacle or hit the jackpot with an upsell.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

33 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

The OP was looking at one of the Pinnacle ships as I recall.  So, the Club Orange deal can make good sense due to the free upgrade (especially of you are going from a guarantee to a specific cabin (like my relative just did).  It cost less to buy the Club Orange than to pay for the upgrade, especially if you can add on the VIP boarding, separate front desk line, and separate dining area. 

 

I agree that it is not as good a deal if you are on one of the non-pinnacle class ships.

I agree, if in the Pinnacle Class and have a Guarantee Balcony then it probably would be a good deal to go to Club Orange especially if you can move to say an aft facing category V. But one does need to compare pricing, the Club Orange does cost more for the Pinnacle Class as well as length of voyage per day. In some instances could be cheaper to just pay to move up to the cabin you want.

[jimgev]

2 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

I guess there where I disagree a bit, possibly?? it may be worth it on the three newer ships with having the separate restaurant since I have not had the opportunity to try that. But have had Club Orange on both Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam and other than one single additional item on the menu it was truly nothing special. Actually only once did I try that special item, it was mostly something I was not interested in. From pictures I have seen of the special venue on the three Pinnacle Class ships the atmosphere does not seem as elegant as the Main Dining Room. To me it looks like a Breakfast hot spot or cafe/diner, with uncomfortable seats, definitely not an elegant dining room.

As for Service Desk in all honesty that too is rarely needed especially when many things can be handled on line with the Navigator App. Or if you have the Vista Suite and above you do have the Concierge Telephone or in person. The only advantage I see for 4 star and higher with Club Orange is if your budget is for the lowest price balcony and you want to move up to a category V but one has to calculate out the savings. If booked a long time ago with a promo that had Pre paid gratuities and other perks paying to move up to a V category would most likely be very costly with the current Have it All higher pricing and losing perks. In that case the Club Orange makes sense.  

We are 3 star mariners. We booked a Club Orange on a vista class ship- the only benefit really was the early boarding and disembsrking. Looking at a pinical class ship, it has more benefits but the advantages are marginal. 

[Crew News]

Don't forget the free jewelry cleaning at Marabella, free spa evaluation, priority appointment at the Black Label Studio, and the pre-opening invitation to Marabella for Club Orange members.

Edited May 31, 2021 by Crew News

[zelker]

17 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Actually if someone books a Neptune Suite, they can’t book Club Orange.  After all, HAL doesn’t want to give the PS away 😉 

I know you know this, Jacqui 😉 but for those that might not, Club O is already included as a benefit for the Neptune and Pinnacle suites, with the exception of course of a stateroom upgrade.  

[taxmantoo]

6 hours ago, Crew News said:

Don't forget the free jewelry cleaning at Marabella, free spa evaluation, priority appointment at the Black Label Studio, and the pre-opening invitation to Marabella for Club Orange members.

Makes you want to drop everything, rush to the phone and reserve right now, doesn't it ??? 🤣

[thepoint]

If you are on a ship that has Club Orange (private dining for Neptune Suites) does that mean there is no longer breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill?.   We are doing a transatlantic in April on the Rotterdam.   Breakfast in Pinnacle Grill was a favorite in the past, will it now be the Club Orange dining room instead?   Thank you   

[VMax1700]

3 minutes ago, thepoint said:

Breakfast in Pinnacle Grill was a favorite in the past, will it now be the Club Orange dining room instead?  

On Rotterdam and all Pinnacle class ships breakfast is served in Club Orange room for Neptune suites.

[thepoint]

More  Club Orange Questions

 

We switched to Celebrity for several years for many reasons, one being the benefits of having a suite. The private dining was a major perk for us.   Now we are trying HAL again and as with previous cruises in a Neptune suite. We are pleased with the perk of a private dining room.   However, all guests have the option of purchasing Club Orange with their cabin.  So, the question is how large is the CO dining room?  Will this become  a large overcrowded venue?  Do suite guests have priority in reservation times?  On sea days is CO open for lunch?  Is the menu a step of from the main dining room?
 

Thank you for your help.  I am just trying to get an idea of the process.  We are looking forward to returning to HAL.

[HAL4NOW]

21 hours ago, LAFFNVEGAS said:

but they also get some of the perks that Club orange offer such as a Phone Concierge.

We found the "phone concierge" just connected us to the front desk and we could get the same service in any cabin without calling it a perk.

[Crew News]

10 minutes ago, thepoint said:

More  Club Orange Questions

 

We switched to Celebrity for several years for many reasons, one being the benefits of having a suite. The private dining was a major perk for us.   Now we are trying HAL again and as with previous cruises in a Neptune suite. We are pleased with the perk of a private dining room.   However, all guests have the option of purchasing Club Orange with their cabin.  So, the question is how large is the CO dining room?  Will this become  a large overcrowded venue?  Do suite guests have priority in reservation times?  On sea days is CO open for lunch?  Is the menu a step of from the main dining room?
 

Thank you for your help.  I am just trying to get an idea of the process.  We are looking forward to returning to HAL.

Club Orange membership is surely limited and is only offered when openings are available.  CC has brought this membership option into the open for booking before being offered.  My guess is 200 chairs from looking at my photos.  No suite guest priority.  Club Orange is not open for lunch but you can find your CO waiters working in the Lido Market. 

 

The breakfast menu is a step up from the MDR with complimentary mimosas (see link below).  Dinner menu adds an extra entree to the MDR dinner menu.

 

http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/here/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Club-Orange-Breakfast-1.pdf

 

Edited May 31, 2021 by Crew News

[Tampa Girl]

3 hours ago, zelker said:

I know you know this, Jacqui 😉 but for those that might not, Club O is already included as a benefit for the Neptune and Pinnacle suites, with the exception of course of a stateroom upgrade.  

 

That was my experience, as well, while in a Neptune Suite on the Zaandam.  Looking at the O menu, it would not have been worth it if we had been in a Vista Suite.  The idea of "having your own dining room" as is not the case on the R class ships, strikes me as being a little  elitist.  Enjoying the expanded size of a NS and the concierge are joys, but having a separate dining room?  Just a personal opinion, however.    

[DaveOKC]

17 minutes ago, Tampa Girl said:

 

That was my experience, as well, while in a Neptune Suite on the Zaandam.  Looking at the O menu, it would not have been worth it if we had been in a Vista Suite.  The idea of "having your own dining room" as is not the case on the R class ships, strikes me as being a little  elitist.  Enjoying the expanded size of a NS and the concierge are joys, but having a separate dining room?  Just a personal opinion, however.    

I cannot wait to try out the OR for dinner.  WIth my hearing problem, the main dining room can be difficult at times.

 

[thepoint]

Your right, DaveOKC.   Both my husband and I wear hearing aids.  It is hard enough in a regular restaurant.  It is  extremely difficult in a venue of several hundred  people with all the talking, clattering of dishes, etc.    

We are looking forward to it also.  Plus the breakfast menu posted above looks absolutely fantastic.  

[msmayor]

I'm giving some serious thought to Club Orange for our NS cruise scheduled for March 2022.  I'm not so sure I care about the upgraded stateroom (I am booked into one of the two aft staterooms on deck 4 with the double-wide balcony), but the other perks are intriguing...especially the idea of the separate dining space for breakfast/dinner.

 

My question is about dinner...if one chooses to eat there every night, do you need to have reservations?  Does the same wait staff work there the entire cruise, and can you try to get the same crew each evening as one would in fixed dining in the large dining room?