Tucson Traveler

Yup, Flight Ease used to be considerably cheaper for BC air - our trip to SA/Antarctica is was actually a few dollar more than buying on Google Air - booked Flight Ease for the protection we'd get with our HAL protection plan. I also think the perk of being able to eat breakfast in the Pinnacle is a treat. I hate how long it takes to get bfst in the main dining room. I am just as happy with Lido, but if you want a sit down and have someone wait on you, Pinnacle is hands down better than MDR.

This is nice to hear. We keep booking Neptune Suites because once you go suite you can't go back! We love the Neptune Lounge and getting to know our concierges and wait staff. Having a private lounge is just such a nice perk, it will be really hard to go back to a verandah suite. That being said, the Neptune suites ARE really expensive, so this added perk of complimentary cocktails is a nice bonus. I travel with someone who is not a big drinker (I am not either, but enjoy having a cold beer.) This means that doing the math on the Have It All plan vs. without has another variable. We're booked on the SA/Antarctica 22-day leaving on 12-19-22 and look forward to enjoying this new perk.

Definitely reserve for Rudi's Sal de Mer - we enjoyed a wonderful meal on the Niew Amsterdam (pop-up in the Pinnacle on that class ship.) They did a cheese souffle that my mother ordered that was the absolute best thing eaten during the entire 21-day trip. It was sublime. Almost more like a cheese custard but very light and airy. YUMMMMY. We are doing SA/Antarctica on the Oosterdam this coming December and have already booked our table - here's hoping they pass recipes around between the ships!

This poster is absolutely right - once you do a Neptune (or Business Air for that matter) it is very hard to go back. We love the Neptune Lounge and find it a great place to be out of the cabin, chatting with new friends, but private with food and booze available right there. The concierge teams are wonderful and having that service is priceless if there are any issues. The Signature cabins look great, but every time we think about booking one I whine at not having access to the Neptune Lounge.

All in all we are looking forward to our 22-days on the Oosterdam and seeing the Antarctic before it melts. We'll try any and all music venues with open minds.

Copied over from a board that was talking about this for Zuiderdam... same principle. That board is We were on the Niew Amsterdam last October (2021) and the ship had BB King's. It was great the first time we went, bopped around in our seats and sang along to a lot of songs. Yes, there was a great deal of Motown, but who doesn't love a good Motown song for getting you going. Here was the problem - the room is not that big and the band had their amps up SO HIGH it was distracting from the music itself. Loud can be fun until it's painful. If they had turned the amps down a notch or two, we would have been back a lot more often. Yes, it got a crowd and it's the ONLY place on the ship that people can dance. Hopefully when we're on the Oosterdam in December for the SA/Antarctica 22-day cruise Rolling Stone's Lounge will be running smoothly. Agree, no Top 40 - just good classic choices that most people know the words to. PS - Neither venue is showing on the ship information pages for the Oosterdam. Made me come looking here to see if they're doing away with both.

@cruisebruce That is the hope! Just think it is odd that the ship info page had put up Rolling Stone and now it's gone. Hopefully a web content error. My brother-in-law who is traveling with us for a change and is a huge music fan. We adore Lincoln Center and will go to every show - and even repeat. But having some fun dance music is a must on a long cruise.

We were on the Niew Amsterdam last October (2021) and the ship had BB King's. It was great the first time we went, bopped around in our seats and sang along to a lot of songs. Yes, there was a great deal of Motown, but who doesn't love a good Motown song for getting you going. Here was the problem - the room is not that big and the band had their amps up SO HIGH it was distracting from the music itself. Loud can be fun until it's painful. If they had turned the amps down a notch or two, we would have been back a lot more often. Yes, it got a crowd and it's the ONLY place on the ship that people can dance. Hopefully when we're on the Oosterdam in December for the SA/Antarctica 22-day cruise Rolling Stone's Lounge will be running smoothly. Agree, no Top 40 - just good classic choices that most people know the words to. PS - Neither venue is showing on the ship information pages for the Oosterdam. Made me come looking here to see if they're doing away with both.