Priority Reservations When Party Is Split Between Neptune and Vista on HAL

[karinthelibrarian]

Reposting from "Ask a Cruise Question" as I was told it was more appropriate here. 

 

My family is in the process of planning our first cruise, which is very exciting. I have a couple of questions that I haven't been able to find answers to, so I'm hoping folks here can help. We will be on the HAL Volendam to Alaska in June. My mom and I will be in a Neptune Suite and my brother and his girlfriend will be in a Vista Suite. I see that Neptune gets priority dining and seating requests, and we're wondering how it works if not everyone in the party is at the same level. Will we be able to use the priority to make reservations for all four of us or only for me and my mom? Would those in the Vista be able to come to breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill (if that's available)? Is there anything I'm not even thinking of that we should be aware of with our party split this way?

 

Many thanks in advance!

[wdw1972]

I'm almost certain the concierge will make dining reservations for however many people you want at your table, so you should be good there.  Your brother and his girlfriend would not be able to eat breakfast in the Pinnacle, get priority tendering/boarding, visit the Neptune Lounge, or enjoy any of the other Neptune perks.  They can certainly visit you in your Neptune, and you can order hors d'ouvres to share with them, but that's about the extent of it.  As a Neptune passenger you & your mom get Club Orange included.  Brother & gf would have to purchase it if they wanted to be able to have dinners in there with you.  Purchasing it would also give them the same priority tendering/boarding that you have.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[HALcruiser2001]

No guests in Pinnacle.    Priority stuff, will depend on staff.  Can't believe it would be a big deal though.

[RuthC]

2 hours ago, wdw1972 said:

As a Neptune passenger you & your mom get Club Orange included.  Brother & gf would have to purchase it if they wanted to be able to have dinners in there with you.  Purchasing it would also give them the same priority tendering/boarding that you have.

There is no separate Club Orange dining room on the Volendam, so everyone eating together would not be a difficulty, once the dinner reservation is made. However, the Vista Suite passengers would not get the extra entrée offered unless they add Club Orange to their booking. 
Of course, that will also get them the priority tendering. 

[oakridger]

In Alaska, on Volendam June cruises tendering will likely not be used, so priority tendering isn't an issue.  Really, the main difference I see is the breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill for Neptunes only.

 

~Nancy

[karinthelibrarian]

Thank you, everyone! It has been an interesting process learning everything while planning this trip.

[Dutchman48]

On 12/23/2022 at 1:40 PM, karinthelibrarian said:

Reposting from "Ask a Cruise Question" as I was told it was more appropriate here. 

 

My family is in the process of planning our first cruise, which is very exciting. I have a couple of questions that I haven't been able to find answers to, so I'm hoping folks here can help. We will be on the HAL Volendam to Alaska in June. My mom and I will be in a Neptune Suite and my brother and his girlfriend will be in a Vista Suite. I see that Neptune gets priority dining and seating requests, and we're wondering how it works if not everyone in the party is at the same level. Will we be able to use the priority to make reservations for all four of us or only for me and my mom? Would those in the Vista be able to come to breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill (if that's available)? Is there anything I'm not even thinking of that we should be aware of with our party split this way?

 

Many thanks in advance!

Make sure to have both bookings linked. My wife and I have done this in the past. That way when we made specialty dinning reservations our travel companions were able to tag along.

 As for Pinnacle breakfast I am not sure, it could be ship dependent. I have never had a problem on any of our cruises, but that maybe just luck. We never made breakfast reservations, just showed up and showed my key card. The color strip at the bottom of our key card let them know we were in a Neptune suite.

[CruiserBruce]

3 hours ago, Dutchman48 said:

Make sure to have both bookings linked. My wife and I have done this in the past. That way when we made specialty dinning reservations our travel companions were able to tag along.

 As for Pinnacle breakfast I am not sure, it could be ship dependent. I have never had a problem on any of our cruises, but that maybe just luck. We never made breakfast reservations, just showed up and showed my key card. The color strip at the bottom of our key card let them know we were in a Neptune suite.

Actually it's the overall color of the card that denotes if you are in a Suite. A blue card is not a Suite, a gold card is a Suite. 

[kazu]

4 hours ago, Dutchman48 said:

Make sure to have both bookings linked. My wife and I have done this in the past. That way when we made specialty dinning reservations our travel companions were able to tag along.

 As for Pinnacle breakfast I am not sure, it could be ship dependent. I have never had a problem on any of our cruises, but that maybe just luck. We never made breakfast reservations, just showed up and showed my key card. The color strip at the bottom of our key card let them know we were in a Neptune suite.

 

The only time I saw a non suite guest get in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast was when my sister was wheeling me in.  She had a key to my room and, frankly, it was easier for her to take me in the wheel chair than for the staff to have to help me after.  And, as a solo, I was paying double for the room 😉 But this was a very exceptional circumstance.  None of us knew when we flew out that I would end up in a wheel chair.

But seriously, I know of no other exceptions to the rule of only NS & up in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast.  If you have found a way, do share.

[erewhon]

The Pinnacle Grill staff have access to  photos of the Pinnacle and Neptune Suite guests .  In the past (pre-covid) at breakfast, we have seen staff turn away passengers who were not eligible to breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.