Neptune Suite - quick question

[Queen of Oakville]

Thinking of booking a neptune suite for us and our 18 and 17 year olds.  We generally book two cabins but 3rd/4th free makes this an attractive option right now.

 

What is the bed layout?  I have seen pictures online ... other than the two twins that conver to a king - where does the 3rd and 4th pax sleep?  Is the couch a pullout?  are there drop down bunks?

 

Is there enough room for a family of 4?

[cbr663]

Depends on the suite and its location.  Whether or not there is enough room for 4 is subjective.  It would help if you shared what ship and suite number you are considering.

[CruiserBruce]

Just now, cbr663 said:

Depends on the suite and its location.  Whether or not there is enough room for 4 is subjective.  It would help if you shared what ship and suite number you are considering.

Oooo...very subjective. Not sure I would even think of 4 in a Neptune. How many are actually rated for 4?

[Moriah]

Well, a Neptune suite really only has two beds.  The "suite" is just one room, albeit large... It has one king size which can be separated into two twins, and the couch-bed which can sleep one teenager, not two.  I think your family will be more comfortable with two cabins, two bathrooms... 

I have never seen a Neptune suite with drop down beds - it's really just the large bed plus the couch, which, as others have said, depending on the ship, is at the largest, a "full size" couch bed... Which when it's open blocks the balcony door...

Edited Wednesday at 07:15 PM by Moriah

[Queen of Oakville]

Thank you - looking at Eurodam.  When I searched for 3 adults and one teen, the Neptune came up as an option so the website suggests this would work for us, but I could not make sense of it from the layouts.

 

@Moriah your answer makes sense.  If it's just one on the sofa bed, I suppose we could stick DH out on the verandah 🤣

 

two cabins comes out a bit cheaper and there is an advantage of the extra bathroom.

[Cruise Suzy]

4 minutes ago, Queen of Oakville said:

two cabins comes out a bit cheaper and there is an advantage of the extra bathroom.

 

The extra bathroom would be a winner for me! Plus there would be more space. Get adjoining cabins as usually HAL would require an adult in each stateroom.

[Moriah]

24 minutes ago, Queen of Oakville said:

Thank you - looking at Eurodam.  When I searched for 3 adults and one teen, the Neptune came up as an option so the website suggests this would work for us, but I could not make sense of it from the layouts.

 

@Moriah your answer makes sense.  If it's just one on the sofa bed, I suppose we could stick DH out on the verandah 🤣

 

two cabins comes out a bit cheaper and there is an advantage of the extra bathroom.

 

I really think that for virtually four adults, your family will be happier with the two rooms.  Not only will you have another bathroom, but four people can have different sleep/wake schedules, and in my case, when my daughter (just ONE teen) had the couch bed in the Neptune, I had to squeeze around her bed to open the veranda to go out at sunrise while she tried to snooze until much later... 🙂

[cccole]

I did a Neptune suite with 3 teens.  It was great.   We were on the Zuiderdam.

 

If you can snag an aft corner wrap Neptune it gives a lot of outdoor space.  Someone mentions it might make a difference which ship you are on.  We didn't have a problem and the one bathroom was not an issue.  JMO. Cherie

[Torquer]

As far as I know, only the Pinnacle-class ships have quad Neptune Suites, and they have quite a few of them.  They have the king bed plus a fold-out sofa that sleeps 2 more.  All of the other class ships have at most triple Neptune Suites, and there are only a few of them. 

 

Two regular verandah rooms may be better, but then you give up the perks that come with a Neptune Suite.  You can get some of those perks back by also buying Club Orange, but not all, such Neptune lounge access and breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill.

[Queen of Oakville]

I'm waiting on the TA to get back to me.

 

I think two rooms is better for us.

 

I must be crazy but the perks aren't a big deal to me. I was wowed by the spaciousness of the suite and it would be nice to not be on top of each other.  I'm not sure if there are any connecting rooms left, fingers crossed.

[DeeniEncinitas]

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Here is our Koningsdam Neptune suite.

2 can sleep on the pull out couch, 

and the the king bed! Nice size,  it again to me 2 bathrooms would be preferred!

Have fun on your cruise what ever you choose!

🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Denise 😌

[Torquer]

1 hour ago, Queen of Oakville said:

I must be crazy but the perks aren't a big deal to me. I was wowed by the spaciousness of the suite and it would be nice to not be on top of each other.  I'm not sure if there are any connecting rooms left, fingers crossed.

As far as spaciousness goes, a Neptune Suite is exactly the size of two verandah rooms, so it is pretty much the same.  Now it may feel bigger because there is no dividing wall, if you get connecting rooms.  Also note, HAL requires at least one person to be 21 years old in each cabin, but that is easily remedied (and very commonly done).  Just register one room for you and one of your teens, and your spouse and the other teen in the other room.  HAL doesn't care who actually stays in each room.

 

Some of the perks of an NS are really nice and you might really like them after you tried them.

[Queen of Oakville]

Yes, that is usually what we do - one adult with each kid.  It helps too when I get the drink package and DH doesn't, becaues we are on separate reservations.

 

we tend to keep it the way we book it though because my daughter and I share hair tools and beauty products and quite frankly we are neater.  my son and husband share the other cabin and they can be as messy as they want 🙂

[pschweig]

2 hours ago, Torquer said:

As far as spaciousness goes, a Neptune Suite is exactly the size of two verandah rooms, so it is pretty much the same.  Now it may feel bigger because there is no dividing wall, if you get connecting rooms.  Also note, HAL requires at least one person to be 21 years old in each cabin, but that is easily remedied (and very commonly done).  Just register one room for you and one of your teens, and your spouse and the other teen in the other room.  HAL doesn't care who actually stays in each room.

 

Some of the perks of an NS are really nice and you might really like them after you tried them.

Not to hijack your thread, but can someone clarify HAL’s minimum age requirement in a cabin for me? I found this information: No Guest under 21 years of age is permitted to book a cruise, and any Guest under 21 years of age must travel in a stateroom with a Guest 21 years or older who shall assume responsibility for their care during the cruise. For family groups booking multiple staterooms, the minimum age for at least one person in each stateroom is 16 years of age, provided they are traveling with a parent or legal guardian. 

I booked a separate solo cabin for my 19 year old grandson for a cruise next summer. We are in a Neptune Suite. My  interpretation of the statement above says this is allowed. Can anyone tell me their experience?

[Queen of Oakville]

hijack away, I've been doing it on most threads here!

 

I would think you are fine since you already made the reservation, plus I read it the way you do.  I think the assumption is that you are responsibile for him.  I remember years ago, we sailed with my parents and I don't recall it was connecting.  My parents had one room, and I was the eldest of 4 kids in the other room, probably I was 19 at the time.  

[pschweig]

Thank you so much! I’m glad someone else read it like I did. I emailed my long-time TA to ensure it is not an issue. 

[SausPud]

3 hours ago, Queen of Oakville said:

Yes, that is usually what we do - one adult with each kid.  It helps too when I get the drink package and DH doesn't, becaues we are on separate reservations.

 

we tend to keep it the way we book it though because my daughter and I share hair tools and beauty products and quite frankly we are neater.  my son and husband share the other cabin and they can be as messy as they want 🙂

Treat yourself to a Neptune suite and get an inside cheap for the "Children", if you go for the aft corner ones, the balcony is mega huge and you can all spend quality time out there together. 

If the kids want a bath, they can use your bathroom, etc. 

 

Worth looking into and costing up.

 

[SausPud]

15 minutes ago, pschweig said:

Thank you so much! I’m glad someone else read it like I did. I emailed my long-time TA to ensure it is not an issue. 

 

I read it exactly the same way as well. So that makes three of us. You will be fine, Enjoy the cruise.

[AKJonesy]

IMO Two rooms.  I just can't see an 18 and 17 year old sharing the couch bed.  Sure, if they were young kids it would be different.  

[Moriah]

6 hours ago, AKJonesy said:

IMO Two rooms.  I just can't see an 18 and 17 year old sharing the couch bed.  Sure, if they were young kids it would be different.  

I strongly agree.  ONE teenager with his or her parents in a Neptune sounds lovely.  But for me, four people sharing a bathroom is not a vacation.  Also, as someone already pointed out, space-wise, there is just as much in two balcony rooms, but in that case there are two bathrooms!!  So unless one really needs/wants the Concierge in the Neptune lounge and eating in Club Orange (and maybe you do! That's fine!), I think the convenience and just all around comfort of no more than two "adults" in a cabin beats piling into the Neptune.

[Queen of Oakville]

for the record I wasn't planning to put my 17 and 18 year old in the same bed 🙃

 

I thought maybe there were bunks in the room, or maybe the chairs were some kind of fold out single bed.

[pschweig]

FYI, Queen of Oakville and SausPud - I heard from my TA today. She called HAL and this was their reply to her: 

I spoke with Holland America, and you are correct. They have a policy that minors between 13 to 20 years old can travel in a cabin by themselves only if they are on the same deck or close by the other cabin in cross reference. I tried to get authorization from Holland to keep the original cabin, but they only apologized.

 

 

[greensprout]

The last time we cruised with the kids they were 13 and 14 over a Christmas cruise in 2009.  While we were not in a suite (oceanview cabin), and have experienced a Neptune for just the 2 of us more recently, I'd say hell yes to 2 cabins.  

 

The bathroom issue is the big thing.  After that 4 in a cabin with kids 10 days, both hub and I concluded to NEVER EVER to have 4 in a cabin with teens. Granted, we have 2 sons, not one of each, so ymmv.

 

Enjoy your cruise!