The Neptune Suite on the Zaandam has a bigger cabin and balcony than the Nieuw Amsterdam. However, the bathroom is smaller with only one sink and a combination tub/shower.
It is unreasonable for a public venue to be closed to the public. Maybe a one time exception could be made but more than that would not be fair to regular paying customers.
I might be tempted to take one of the Signature Suites in the Bow on deck 5. In a way, they have a more open floor plan than the midship Signature Suites which are sort of chopped up. I wonder if you could negotiate a partial refund or some shipboard credit.
Edgar was not the manager at Club Orange on the March 29, 2024 sailing. The manager was Ailene and she was very nice but things did not always run smoothly.
This is nothing new. Groups have been booked on ships for years. You just have to do your best to try to find out about them before you sign up for a particular cruise. HAL won't tell you even if you ask.
Many times when you call customer service you get a call center. When they can't resolve your issue and you ask for a pricing specialist or resolution specialist, they actually connect you with their supervisor rather than the person you asked for. I would wait until Monday when the regular staff is back at work and just keep calling and insisting on speaking to a pricing specialist until they actually connect you with one.
We are 4 star mariners and haven't been invited to a mariner's lunch since before covid. Maybe they are only on longer cruises. We generally cruise for 9 to 12 days.
While the lido is adequate, it is not as nice as the dining room. And, I wouldn't want to have to spend additional funds for specialty dining. I guess I would try to get main fixed dining. If that doesn't work, I guess you could try the earlier times in the dining room.