Benifits for a Superior Veranda Suite

What are the benefits for a superior veranda suite, we are sailing on the Westerdam on 11/26. It is my 53rd cruise but 1st cruise in almost 30 years on Hal.

* A variety of firm, medium and soft pillows

* No-host mini-bar for easy entertaining

* Personalized cruise stationery

* Oversized bath towels

* One-touch telephone concierge service

* Fresh flowers

* Complimentary DVD library

Not much except for the larger cabin and verandah. Those are NICE. :D

Better to talk about the negatives too. ;) Once you enjoy one, you will never want anything less. Lovely size and more windows and light, larger balcony with a small dining table are its best features. A very gracious cruising space.

On the larger Vista ships, having your own private space may mean more than on the smaller ships. We found we spent a lot less time in public spaces and more in our cabin on the Zuiderdam this last trip and our first one in this the SY suite. So does this feature put this in the negative or positive category?

What are the benefits for a superior veranda suite, we are sailing on the Westerdam on 11/26. It is my 53rd cruise but 1st cruise in almost 30 years on Hal.

Hi George!!

From my personal experience with VF and VA (not going to use my experience with an SA here, since it is not in the question) staterooms and doing the HAL Stateroom/Cabins Web Site, the difference is klike night and day between having an VA through VE category over an SY category stateroom.

If you look at the Deck 6 photos located at the following link, you will see the photos that put them into perspective. I for one, will never book anything less than an SY again!! I was miserable in the teeny tiny (to me they were teeny tiny, hubby was perfectly happy with it) VA again.

Here is the link to see for yourself the differences: http://joanjett2000.topcities.com/HAL/Westerdam/index.html

Additionally, since there are so few of them on the Vista Class ships (4 per ship, I believe) you stand a much better chance of being upgraded for free or up selling ($) to an SC, SB or an SA Deluxe Verandah Suite Stateroom, which includes all of the wonderful "Suite" life perks such as the Neptune Lounge.

Joanie

You also get priority boarding (there is a separate line at the cruise terminal for suite guests) and priority on the tenders leaving the ship as well (coming back on the tender, you are in line like everyone else).

We love the LARGE cabin and the BIG balcony, and the bathroom is larger, too. The one-touch concierge service is wonderful for dinner reservations, spa or salon appointments, etc.

You will so enjoy your suite and probably will not want to sail in a lesser category in the future - that's the down-side :D!!

You also get priority boarding (there is a separate line at the cruise terminal for suite guests) and priority on the tenders leaving the ship as well (coming back on the tender, you are in line like everyone else).

These perks are for Deluxe Suites, not Superior Suites.

These perks are for Deluxe Suites, not Superior Suites.

Sorry to mislead - the priority tender boarding is indeed for those with Deluxe Verandah Suites - not for the Superior Suites. Sorry! :o

We have sailed twice in a Superior Suite and were indeed allowed to use the priority boarding for suite passengers in the cruise terminal. In fact, the HAL representative directed us to that line when she saw our boarding pass had the "SS" category on it.

thanks for the info, looking forward to cruising withh HAL again

nevermind

My wife and I have the opposite opinion. We have cruised both with standard and superior verandas on Vista class ships, and we both agree that the superior veranda was NOT worth the extra cost. The superior veranda is wider but since there are just the two of us it was of no real benefit, and the superior veranda does not offer any real ship benefits like breakfast in the Pinnacle or Neptune lounge privileges.

I can see how a person with limited mobility, or who spends much of the day in their cabin would want the extra wide superior veranda. We are both in good physical shape and roam about the ship during the day, so we had no need of the extra cabin space.

I would liken it to going from economy to economy plus in an airline. Worth an extra $100, but not an extra $300, and nothing like going to business class (metaphor for deluxe suite).

igraf

..From my personal experience with VF and VA (not going to use my experience with an SA here, since it is not in the question) staterooms and doing the HAL Stateroom/Cabins Web Site, the difference is klike night and day between having an VA through VE category over an SY category stateroom.

 

If you look at the Deck 6 photos located at the following link, you will see the photos that put them into perspective. I for one, will never book anything less than an SY again!! I was miserable in the teeny tiny (to me they were teeny tiny, hubby was perfectly happy with it) VA again...

Sorry to mislead - the priority tender boarding is indeed for those with Deluxe Verandah Suites - not for the Superior Suites. Sorry! :o

 

We have sailed twice in a Superior Suite and were indeed allowed to use the priority boarding for suite passengers in the cruise terminal. In fact, the HAL representative directed us to that line when she saw our boarding pass had the "SS" category on it.

Priority boarding is supposed to be exclusively Deluxe 'S' pax only according to the HAL website - perhaps whomever read your b. pass mistook the SS for an S..or felt generous that day :)

Glad u enjoyed the perk! :)

Priority boarding is supposed to be exclusively Deluxe 'S' pax only according to the HAL website - perhaps whomever read your b. pass mistook the SS for an S..or felt generous that day :)

 

Glad u enjoyed the perk! :)

Maybe so - we didn't ask - just went where they told us to go! On our last cruise in 2008, we got an upsell to a Deluxe Verandah Suite & have been cruising in them ever since. HAL knows what they're doing on those upsells, believe me! ;)

1. 33% bigger room

2. double cruise day credits on the Vista and SOE ships

3. better chance for a reasonable upsell or upgrade to Deluxe

and all for not a very large differential over the VA price.

I consider it worth it.

Dennis

If I were to actually pay the VA price that would be true. In fact, I just did a quick price check on a 7-day Alaska cruise and found that the VA price is exactly the same as the SY price!

In reality, we book via the guaranteed room category strategy so that we only pay the VH price for what is often a VA room. So in this case the superior verandah price is 50% more, comparing both at the guaranteed room rate.

In other words, we can go on three cruises with a standard verandah room for every two cruises with a superior verandah room. We prefer the extra cruise over the wider floorspace.

igraf

1. 33% bigger room

2. double cruise day credits on the Vista and SOE ships

3. better chance for a reasonable upsell or upgrade to Deluxe

 

and all for not a very large differential over the VA price.

 

I consider it worth it.

 

Dennis