Neptune Lounge

[bruce-r]

Wow!

 

Talk about personal service.

 

Maybe I gotta rethink my opinion about spending the money for an S Suite. :)

 

I guess that's what HAL means by the "Suite Life," huh? :)

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

Well, there is always the 'next' cruise.

[ryansmemom]

Our concierges have done some pretty amazing things. They have fixed eyeglasses, wrapped packages and gotten answers to all sorts of questions.

 

One of the most amazing things however was when one of our concierges got my wheelchair welded. My travel wheelchair was broken by an airline employee while we were enroute to one of our cruises. This left one of the handles hanging and left it practically useless. The concierge arrainged to have it welded by the crew onboard. The men were very happy to have fixed the chair and very reluctant to accept the tip we gave them.

 

When we sailed on Raddison last summer we had a lovely time and it is a luxury line. But, we did miss the concierge.

 

Linda

[Sage]

Bellebaby,

 

Wasn't Regina a treasure? I think that she was the best Concierge that we have ever had. I really miss her.

[Randyk47]

 

We love Regina!

[5 in OK]

We just got off of the Westerdam and have to say the Neptune was a postivite experience from beginning to end!!! Melanie and Michelle called us by name each time they saw us (there were 7 in my group) - and took care of our every need! Chocolate Covered Strawberries were a regular offering under the "dome" as well as a large selection of fruit, finger sandwiches and a ton of dessert items.

 

We would go back in a couple of hours and the entire food selection had been changed out. One day we were sitting in the Neptune munching on a cookie with some hot chocolate and they were going to change the food selection - the Pinnacle Grill wait staff came over to us and asked if we wanted anything else as he was about to change it to new food choices.

 

One day my 12 year old wondered in to get a choc covered strawberry (these became his most favorite thing to eat on the cruise) and they were out. He asked Melanie when they might have some more and she said that they would have more the next day. A couple of hours later she showed up at our cabin with a huge plate of choc covered strawberries!!

 

My husband and my 12 & 13 year old brought along their golf clubs so that they could play in Alaska and they handled all of the arrangements including tee time and transportation!!! This excursion was definitely not on the HAL excursion list - they just went above and beyond!!!

 

I could go on and on with how wonderful these people were!!!

 

Our Neptune Lounge concierges made a great trip greater!!!

 

Food, coffee, hot chocolate and juices were terrific! But the best was the smile as they greeted you by name when you walked in the door - they really do love their job!

[bellebaby]

Sage

 

Yes, she was great. Very helpful and professional, but even more, we just really liked her.

 

Randyk47 - You were on our cruise, weren't you? May 10 - Inside passage. I think I remember seing both of you in the Neptune.

 

B

[bellebaby]

Randy

 

I looked at your home page and realize you were not on our sailing. I should have known this by the tans you have in your photo with Regina.

 

I guess there is another couple who looks like you! Or maybe our paths have crossed in San Antonio as I travel there on business quite often.

 

Love your cats!!

 

B

[Randyk47]

Bellebaby - As you figured out the picture of us and Regina was taken this past February on a 10-day Caribbean cruise out of Ft Lauderdale. :) I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and while not as a cruise ship passenger I've been up and down the Inside Passage a number of times. Mrs. K likes white stuff but it's got to be sand not snow so our chances of being seen on an Alaska cruise are slim to none. Nothing wrong with them just not high on our "got to do" list of cruises. Thanks about your comment about our cats, with son out of the house they've become our family....which is pretty small as it is....so we probably pay more attention to them than others might.

[bellebaby]

Randy

 

I understand about the snow/cold issue. My DH grew up in Buffalo, NY, the snow capital of the world. He shares your sentiment regarding snow. However, he tolerates my need to take a break from the Houston heat and humidity and we have actually cruised Alaska 4 times with another planned for next May. We like to do a land based trip to Hawaii for a sand/sun fix.

 

We also have 2 cats that get way too much attention. They are litter mates we have had for 13 years. Very spoiled, but well behaved.

 

Regards

 

B

[Sage]

RandyK47,

 

Thanks for the wonderful picture of Regina. Now I miss her more than ever. Hopefully, we will get to sail with her again.

[Randyk47]

 

Sage - Here's another of Regina with her significant other. Reggie was working the Crow's Nest during our cruise and was equally as wonderful. We miss them bunches. We really wanted to go on the Volendam next year but the combination of itinerary, costs, and timing just didn't come together. Our cabin on the Volendam for the 2007 season is 40% higher....just couldn't justify that expense and even the cruise we booked is in a lower category to keep the per diem cost about the same. :(

[bellebaby]

Randy and Sage

 

Don't Regina and Reggie have beautiful smiles? I think it comes from within....

 

Thanks for sharing the photos, Randy. I miss Regina too.

 

B

[Sage]

RandyK47 and Belle,

 

Thanks again for posting the picture of Regina and Reggie. We think that they are a great couple. I agree that those wonderful smiles do indeed come from within. Did you get to see photos of thier beautiful girls?

 

You know, this is one of the reasons that we love HAL so much, the people. Thanks Regina and Reggie for making our cruise truly unforgetable.

[Randyk47]

Yes, they shared pictures of their children....absolutely adorable! Regina had just gotten a new set through the mail when we boarded in Ft Lauderdale back in February. Reggie gets the next break later this year and I don't believe he's actually seen or held their youngest if I understood him correctly....the one they call the "Volendam" baby. :)

 

While it wasn't just Regina and Reggie they certainly were a large part of why we are resold on HAL being our cruise line of choice. In 2004 we were on the Oosterdam and, quite frankly, the service stunk, particularly in the dining room and a bit with our cabin. It wasn't the same level that we'd experienced on our previous HAL cruises. More because of opportunity but partially because of the Oosterdam experience we tried Celebrity. The service was exceptional on the Galaxy though we didn't like the ship as much. We took a chance and went back to HAL and tried the Volendam this past February. It was everything we remembered about HAL before our less than satisfactory Oosterdam experience. We'd be back on the Volendam next year if we could have found the right combination of itinerary, cost and timing but that didn't happen so we booked the Veendam. Can only hope it's as good as the Volendam and there's another set of "Regina's and Reggie's " waiting for us. :)