Are Cabin Amenities advertised on HAL.COM being delivered?

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Here is a list of the amenities advertised on HAL.COM - I never really looked at this list closely.   I know what happens in the cabins other than Neptunes, but curious if others have observed HAL delivering on these "amenities?  Appreciate people with Neptune experience to clarify that list....

 

A few caught my eye -

 

All cabins have "Generous Storage"😀

All cabins have "fresh fruit on request"  - Is this from room service now?

Neptune's have "Premium" bathrobes - the rest "luxurious" -- What's the difference?

Neptune's have coffee, espresso - But is this ONLY espresso?

High Tea in Suite on request - (what does that look like?  the same as the high tea in the MDR in the afternoon?)

What do the Pre-Dinner hors d'oeuvres look like?   Do you order off a Menu?  Or do they just bring you today's special?

What does the "exclusive tote bag look like? 

 

Inside/Ocean View/Verandah - Identical Amenities

• Daily housekeeping
• Complimentary 24-hour room service
• Elemis Aromapure soap, lotion, shampoo
• Luxurious bathrobes
• Hair dryers, makeup mirrors
• Generous storage😀
• Fresh fruit upon request
• Safe
• Ice service
• Shoeshine
• TV with On Demand movies, programming

Vista or Signature Suite - All the above PLUS

• Binoculars
• Whirlpool bath

Neptune and Pinnacle all the above PLUS

• Premium bathrobes, slippers (Instead of Luxurious?)
• Fresh flowers (Is this daily or on request?)
• One-Touch concierge service
• In-suite coffee, espresso
• Complimentary laundry
• Pre-dinner hors d'oeuvres served in suite
• Welcome glass of sparkling wine
• Priority boarding for tender ports, priority dining/seating requests, special disembarkation service
• High tea in suite on request
• Bose® SoundLink® Mini Bluetooth® speakers
• Exclusive tote bag
   

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by The-Inside-Cabin

[kazu]

2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Here is a list of the amenities advertised on HAL.COM - I never really looked at this list closely.   I know what happens in the cabins other than Neptunes, but curious if others have observed HAL delivering on these "amenities?  Appreciate people with Neptune experience to clarify that list....

 

A few caught my eye -

 

All cabins have "Generous Storage"😀

All cabins have "fresh fruit on request"  - Is this from room service now?

 

I just told my steward if I wanted fresh fruit if it wasn’t in the room.

 

2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Neptune's have "Premium" bathrobes - the rest "luxurious" -- What's the difference?

 

Rooms other than the Neptunes & above  (and I think Club Orange) get the waffle bathrobes which are a familiar sight at times on board.  The premium ones for neptune suites, etc are thicker with a nice silky outside.  They are quite nice IMO.

 

2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Neptune's have coffee, espresso - But is this ONLY espresso?

High Tea in Suite on request - (what does that look like?  the same as the high tea in the MDR in the afternoon?)

 

Haven’t done it in a while - but it was nice  - tea, pastries, etc.

 

2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

What do the Pre-Dinner hors d'oeuvres look like?   Do you order off a Menu? 

 

You order by noon the previous day for the day following.  There is a selection each day or you can tell the concierge you’ll just go with the flow. There is usually one cold and one hot.  The portions are HUGE - only order 1/2 of what you need.

 

2 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

 

Or do they just bring you today's special?

What does the "exclusive tote bag look like? 

 

The bag is the Club Orange bag.

 

[Mosaic]

The flowers are there for a week. Nice but not that large.  There is a coffee machine in the Lounge that makes many types of coffee....and there is lots of storage.

[KKZ1923]

In the Neptune this year the flowers were indeed for the whole week.  Fruit was by request.  As mentioned, the robes are silkier on the outside and lined with terry.  The variety and quantity of the Elemis products were reduced as compared to pre-COVID days.  The coffee machine is a knock-off Nespresso (Moco Coffee) that uses the small capsules.  There are mild and strong versions, but they are really both espressos. Our cabin stewards had to be asked for refills--they didn't automatically re-stock them.  There is a bluetooth speaker although it was a little fiddly compared to what I use at home.  There are binoculars, but they are not great quality.  Like always with HAL, the Neptune experience--while absolutely fine still -- is a little less grand than before.  We used to only cruise in Neptunes, but now we do a signature or veranda and rent the Retreat for the cruise (unless we're on a Pinnacle class ship with a dedicated Club Orange, which we love).

[gizmodog]

HAL really gives you nothing for the suite experience. Guess I’m spoiled by everything you get for being in a suite on Celebrity.

I have a Neptune booked next summer but didn’t know there is really nothing you get other than a larger room. At least water and soda daily would be nice.

even in the Neptune lounge it sounds as if there is a charge for everything if you didn’t get a drink package. All of these amenities are included when purchasing a suite on celebrity.

[oaktreerb]

Love the Club Orange bathrobe so much I bought one for home!  

The fruit is available on request only these days.

I hope NS occupants can still have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill on the older ships that don’t have a CO dining room.

Priority tendering means you don’t have to get a tender ticket….just get in line when you are ready to go ashore.

[PACD_JG]

I was in a Vista Suite on the Koningsdam in June - the room had "fresh flowers" as an amenity, although it was so small that HAL should have been embarrassed to advertise it.  Well, I was in a Vista Suite on the Nieuw Stantendam last month, and voila...no fresh flowers.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

Has anyone had "High Tea" in a Neptune Suite?

 

"

• High tea in suite on request"

[RuthC]

18 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Has anyone had "High Tea" in a Neptune Suite?

 

"

• High tea in suite on request"

HAL doesn't do 'high tea', even though they call it that. They do 'low tea', or 'afternoon' tea. They should know better. 

As far as your original question goes, I can attest that everything listed for the inside cabins is, in fact, received. 

[The-Inside-Cabin]

4 minutes ago, RuthC said:

HAL doesn't do 'high tea', even though they call it that. They do 'low tea', or 'afternoon' tea. They should know better. 

As far as your original question goes, I can attest that everything listed for the inside cabins is, in fact, received. 

Generous Storage?   I guess that all depends!  😀

[leerathje]

33 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Has anyone had "High Tea" in a Neptune Suite?

 

"

• High tea in suite on request"

Not my photo, but this was my friend's afternoon tea in her Neptune on the Koningsdam this summer.

 

Her comment was "there's only 2 of us, but they brought 3 of everything!"

 

L.

 

[RuthC]

13 minutes ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Generous Storage?   I guess that all depends!  😀

I book inside cabins, and have plenty of room for everything, on some ships even an empty drawer to toss the dirty laundry in and another empty drawer to store purchases. Now, as the ships are getting larger, the comparable cabins are getting smaller---along with less storage, but that's true in every category. Proportionately, the insides are still doing all right. 

[REOVA]

16 minutes ago, leerathje said:

Her comment was "there's only 2 of us, but they brought 3 of everything!"

 

That would be a fight for DW and I who gets the third. But I'm sure she'd give me the extra finger sandwich. 

[REOVA]

One thing we noticed is the floor plan is not what is advertised. We really enjoyed the Prinsendam Neptune which had a private water closet (sink and commode) enter from entry hall and walk through door to rest of bathroom, which has a separate entrance from bedroom. Was a nice set up if you have guests (either overnight or visiting). Rotterdam does not have this plan (nor does N.S. I've been told). Supposedly KDam does. (May need to ask when booking although I'm finding PCC don't really know.) So if this plan is what you want, be aware. 

[oakridger]

Konnigsdam does have a 1/2 bath per this video!  Looks nice.

 

Koningsdam Neptune Suite Tour - Bing video

 

~Nancy

[HALcruiser2001]

12 hours ago, gizmodog said:

HAL really gives you nothing for the suite experience. Guess I’m spoiled by everything you get for being in a suite on Celebrity.

I have a Neptune booked next summer but didn’t know there is really nothing you get other than a larger room. At least water and soda daily would be nice.

even in the Neptune lounge it sounds as if there is a charge for everything if you didn’t get a drink package. All of these amenities are included when purchasing a suite on celebrity.

 

Yah, and when looking at both similar itineraries in Celebrity were 2x the price.   But that is likely no always the case.

[gizmodog]

Pricing changes on Celebrity as well as all other ships, I currently have a sky suite booked on their new ship and it was same price as the Neptune yet with tips, drinks, wi fi, they also have a dedicated dining room for suite guests and a lounge where their is no additional charge for drinks and food. Not to mention their new retreat area for suite guests. 
I just feel for the money, Holland should include some sort of perk for their higher end suites. I’m normally not a suite person, have only been in one 5 times out of 30 cruises, but weighing perks, celebrity gives way more than Holland. 
I didn’t know when booking my Neptune this was the case, I’m still quite excited about the HAL cruise but sadly disappointed at the lack of perks for having a suite.

[FlaMariner]

On 12/12/2022 at 6:11 AM, The-Inside-Cabin said:

Inside/Ocean View/Verandah - Identical Amenities

• Daily housekeeping IT WAS TWICE DAILY IF YOU WANTED IT.
• Complimentary 24-hour room service YES BUT ONLY USED FOR COFFEE DELIVERY
• Elemis Aromapure soap, lotion, shampoo YES
• Luxurious bathrobes YES NEVER USED
• Hair dryers, makeup mirrors YES
• Generous storage😀 YES, EVEN STOOL COULD BE STORAGE INSIDE.  MANY MORE DRAWERS THAN WE NEED
• Fresh fruit upon request NEVER ASKED
• Safe YES
• Ice service YES, FILLED DAILY
• Shoeshine YES WITH THE FORM, HAVE USED IN THE PAST BUT NOT RECENTLY
• TV with On Demand movies, programming YES, WATCHED A FEW

 

My experience from 2 weeks on the Nieuw Statendam over Thanksgiving in notes....

 

Also, we requested 2 extra bath towels.  Also got two big beach towels and the tote bag.  Mints and towel critters were also included.

 

Great service from the room stewards.  

 

 

Edited December 13, 2022 by FlaMariner

[HALcruiser2001]

4 hours ago, gizmodog said:

Pricing changes on Celebrity as well as all other ships, I currently have a sky suite booked on their new ship and it was same price as the Neptune yet with tips, drinks, wi fi, they also have a dedicated dining room for suite guests and a lounge where their is no additional charge for drinks and food. Not to mention their new retreat area for suite guests. 
I just feel for the money, Holland should include some sort of perk for their higher end suites. I’m normally not a suite person, have only been in one 5 times out of 30 cruises, but weighing perks, celebrity gives way more than Holland. 
I didn’t know when booking my Neptune this was the case, I’m still quite excited about the HAL cruise but sadly disappointed at the lack of perks for having a suite.

And when I look at a sky suite for same time/period it is > $2k more than Neptune+HIA+Cabana+Spa+DinnerUpgrade.  Not sure what the difference is from buying a suite all inclusive or adding all inclusive features.  One way or another you will pay.

For sure if I ever dop another cruise it will be celebrity.

[gizmodog]

I’m sure they are both very nice, well, I know celebrity is. Anyway, celebrity is just a lot easier. Hal seems to make things complicated, even with the 15 drink limit, it’s plenty, but I just don’t get it.

anyway, like I said before looking forward to the suite experience in HAL, just know I’ll still be paying a lot once on board.