First Neptune Suite questions

[JPH814]

I do not know if there has been some changes in policy or if some perks were just "urban legend". Or maybe we just had losers as our concierges.

 

We just got off the Zuiderdam on Feb 5. Here are our bad and good experience about the perks of a suite.

 

Bad:

1) we asked to exchange the bottle of champagne for something else - a bottle of house white or even a large bottle of water. The concierge said this could not be done. (very surprised!)

 

2) We asked for a dinner in our suite and asked if it could be served course by course. The concierge said they could not do this. (Urban legend?) So the soup, salad, entrée and deserts were all delivered at the same time (Including the ice cream - which of course was inedible by the time we got around to eating it.) Suggestion: if you order dinner in your suite, either don't order ice cream or have you dessert first.

 

3) We asked for one bit of special attention. On the day of the panama excursion, we wanted to have dinner in our suite. From everything we have read and heard, this excursion frequently does not return until 8 PM and even later. Our concierge was very dismissive of this concern....stating it is listed as a 6 to 8 hour excursion and at worst we would return by 5 or 6 PM. No matter how much I warned her, she continued to insist I should not be concerned. She ordered the dinner be delivered at 7:30. I asked her to please monitor the excursion (200 people) and, if it is late, to hold delivery until we return. She said she would. As expected, we returned from our excursion at 8:45. We were told on the bus that the Main Dining Room was informed and would remain open for late returning guests. We got to our room to find cold soup, cold lamb chops and melted bananas foster. When I went to the pinnacle lounge to complain, the concierge said "but it was ordered for 7:30 and that was when it was delivered." I know it was a special request, but I thought the concierge was there for that kind of special attention - what I paid for in spending for a suite. Apparently this is one step too far.

 

4) There is a bottle of Italian water in your suite. You need a bottle opener to open it. There is none in the suite. Bring your own or ask your room steward.

 

5) The coffee machine in the room is nice. There are three types of coffee - two regular, one decaf. Maybe it was just me, but I could not tell which one was the decaf. The pods are color coded. Maybe it is just me, but the color of the decaf looks almost exactly the same as the other two and I could not tell which was which. And for those of us sensitive to caffeine, this is an issue.

 

Good news

1) The Pinnacle grill was a wonderful place for breakfast. We did it 8 times on a 11 day cruise.

2) We used the free laundry and dry cleaning on three different occasions. Very well done and returned the next day

3) We had our room steward bring the table in from the deck for our dinner in our suite. Much more comfortable than eating on the low coffee table.

4) We had a late flight home - 2 PM. We had a leisurely breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill and they hung out in the suite until 10:30.

[kazu]

I do not know if there has been some changes in policy or if some perks were just "urban legend". Or maybe we just had losers as our concierges.

 

We just got off the Zuiderdam on Feb 5. Here are our bad and good experience about the perks of a suite.

 

Bad:

1) we asked to exchange the bottle of champagne for something else - a bottle of house white or even a large bottle of water. The concierge said this could not be done. (very surprised!)

 

2) We asked for a dinner in our suite and asked if it could be served course by course. The concierge said they could not do this. (Urban legend?) So the soup, salad, entrée and deserts were all delivered at the same time (Including the ice cream - which of course was inedible by the time we got around to eating it.) Suggestion: if you order dinner in your suite, either don't order ice cream or have you dessert first.

 

3) We asked for one bit of special attention. On the day of the panama excursion, we wanted to have dinner in our suite. From everything we have read and heard, this excursion frequently does not return until 8 PM and even later. Our concierge was very dismissive of this concern....stating it is listed as a 6 to 8 hour excursion and at worst we would return by 5 or 6 PM. No matter how much I warned her, she continued to insist I should not be concerned. She ordered the dinner be delivered at 7:30. I asked her to please monitor the excursion (200 people) and, if it is late, to hold delivery until we return. She said she would. As expected, we returned from our excursion at 8:45. We were told on the bus that the Main Dining Room was informed and would remain open for late returning guests. We got to our room to find cold soup, cold lamb chops and melted bananas foster. When I went to the pinnacle lounge to complain, the concierge said "but it was ordered for 7:30 and that was when it was delivered." I know it was a special request, but I thought the concierge was there for that kind of special attention - what I paid for in spending for a suite. Apparently this is one step too far.

 

4) There is a bottle of Italian water in your suite. You need a bottle opener to open it. There is none in the suite. Bring your own or ask your room steward.

 

5) The coffee machine in the room is nice. There are three types of coffee - two regular, one decaf. Maybe it was just me, but I could not tell which one was the decaf. The pods are color coded. Maybe it is just me, but the color of the decaf looks almost exactly the same as the other two and I could not tell which was which. And for those of us sensitive to caffeine, this is an issue.

 

Good news

1) The Pinnacle grill was a wonderful place for breakfast. We did it 8 times on a 11 day cruise.

2) We used the free laundry and dry cleaning on three different occasions. Very well done and returned the next day

3) We had our room steward bring the table in from the deck for our dinner in our suite. Much more comfortable than eating on the low coffee table.

4) We had a late flight home - 2 PM. We had a leisurely breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill and they hung out in the suite until 10:30.

 

 

Sadly, some concierges are better than others. I have found that while they are nice, one concierge is typically the :get things done" and if I have a special request I would wait for them. It sounds like you had bad luck in your concierges.

 

I have never ordered course by course dining in a Neptune and wouldn't want it. It is fun in a Pinnacle Suite as the room is set up for it.

 

Never had a problem exchanging my sparkling wine - if I did, I would have talked to our wine steward to start with. Hope there has not been a change in policy?

 

Too bad about your experiences - hoping it is an anomaly and not the wave of the future

Edited February 11, 2016 by kazu

[RocketMan275]

I do not know if there has been some changes in policy or if some perks were just "urban legend". Or maybe we just had losers as our concierges.

 

 

 

2) We asked for a dinner in our suite and asked if it could be served course by course. The concierge said they could not do this. (Urban legend?) So the soup, salad, entrée and deserts were all delivered at the same time (Including the ice cream - which of course was inedible by the time we got around to eating it.) Suggestion: if you order dinner in your suite, either don't order ice cream or have you dessert first.

 

When I went to the pinnacle lounge to complain, the concierge said "but it was ordered for 7:30 and that was when it was delivered." I know it was a special request, but I thought the concierge was there for that kind of special attention - what I paid for in spending for a suite. Apparently this is one step too far.

 

 

I know one shouldn't have to do it this way but I believe if I were having ice cream or similar for dessert I would order it separately.

 

I certainly hope you tipped the concierge as appropriate to the service rendered.

[Krazy Kruizers]

JPH814

We were on the Zuiderdam last spring. The concierges we had were great but I know that one of them was leaving soon as she was getting married.

On our last couple of cruises we were not able to exchange the sparkling wine that was given to us by American Express -- still had to be honored that we get it as we had booked the cruises before the new rules for AMEX came into play. We even offered to pay the difference like we had done in the past -- still no go.

Years ago we had a concierge that was horrible -- on a different ship. She had an attitude and thought she was always right.

One thing -- your staying on the ship until 10:30 may have had some impact on the new passengers getting on as no one can get on the ship until it is down to "zero" count. Please be considerate of new passengers and be off the ship by 9:30 as requested.

[sail7seas]

I wouldn't want course by course service of room service dinner. We wouldn't want the interruption of someone coming and going. I'd rather eat at my own pace and in privacy or I would have gone to the MDR.

 

[sail7seas]

JPH814

 

<snip>

 

One thing -- your staying on the ship until 10:30 may have had some impact on the new passengers getting on as no one can get on the ship until it is down to "zero" count. Please be considerate of new passengers and be off the ship by 9:30 as requested.

 

I absolutely agree about leaving the ship promptly.

 

Remember that you were eager to board on your embarkation day..... so are the people who are arriving at the ship.

 

Your steward has to prepare the room for them and when your cruise is over, leave before 10:30. The rules are for all of us. If they want us off the ship by 9:30, which they do, that means All guests. Staying later is inconveniencing and impacting others in a negative way.

 

Edited February 12, 2016 by sail7seas

[Lizzie68]

JPH814 - I am so sorry you had some negative experiences with the concierge. We have been fortunate so far to have the most willing and attentive concierges on each of our Neptune cruises, which includes the Zuiderdam. The concierges rotate, and come from the front office staff, but usually are a delight to deal with, unlike when they are behind the front office counter.;) Some, of course, are better than others with better "people skills" - have seen some have to deal with some very difficult suite dwellers, and keep smiling while doing it.

We also never had any problem exchanging our sparkling wine for a bottle of house white.

[106f]

Kazu, I can usually pick the "get things done" concierge about two minutes after I walk into the lounge. If I need something a little out of norm I wait until that person is available. Concierges are on rotation from the front desk staff so I'm sure someone gets a weak pair but never happened to me.

[djhsolara]

We are excited to be taking our third HAL cruise next month on the Zuiderdam doing the partial Panama Canal. We got a steal of a deal on a Neptune Suite and chose a corner wrap which I am thrilled about. From the pictures I have found it looks like there is a table large enough for the 2 of us to have breakfast, and a few other chairs (with footrests?) for relaxing. Can anyone confirm this?

 

I know about most of the perks that come with the Neptune I think, but I do have a few questions. Has anyone had the High Tea delivered to the suite, and if so how would you rate it?

 

Is there any reason to book ahead or will the concierge arrange dining for us in the specialty restaurants and the main dining room? (We don't have traditional dining.)

 

Is there anything we should be sure to take advantage of? I don't want to miss anything! We have enjoyed the suite life on NCL and I want to see how this compares :)

 

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

 

Which wrap-around do you have? I may have photos for you.

[RocketMan275]

Which wrap-around do you have? I may have photos for you.

 

Do you have 5190?

[Lizzie68]

Do you have 5190?

 

Try also googling HAL cabins and you'll get good info and photos if the above poster does not have photos of that cabin.

[djhsolara]

Zuiderdam 5190 balcony.

 

[djhsolara]

Zuiderdam 5190 interior.

 

[djhsolara]

What is great about the 5190 balcony is that it is completely covered. That's makes it a great place to be in the Panama Canal heat (a heat like I've never felt before anywhere).

[dznymom]

Wow, lots of great information to digest here! We are pretty laid back and easy to please. We may try having dinner in the suite, but I definitely wouldn't want it delivered course by course. We have stayed in the Garden Villa on NCL a couple of times (Awesome!), but I found it a bit uncomfortable when the butler hovered while we ate. I much prefer them to deliver and scram ;)

 

I'll continue to digest all the great information you guys are sharing!

 

 

Which wrap-around do you have? I may have photos for you.

 

Thanks, we have 4180.

[erewhon]

JPH814,

 

Thanks for your comments.

 

Our wine waiter was able to exchange the bottle of sparkling wine for a bottle of white wine that was drinkable (we paid the price difference).

[NoobCruise]

Oooh, just thought of another quick question. When would the first formal night likely be, and will I have time to send things out to to be pressed beforehand?

 

You'll do best to look at the Explorer each day. On the first page under the heading in small print, it will tell you whether it's casual or formal. I asked this question before our cruise, and for some reason the 2nd formal night was on a different night than the previous cruises, same ship, same itinerary. We showed up in the dining room in casual and the host didn't say anything. We didn't realize it was formal night until they were leading us to our table. Oops!

[OceanTraveller4ever]

The Neptune Lounge has the best coffee on the ship (or espresso/cappuccino). Hanging around the Neptune Lounge machine in the morning is good way to meet the ship's officers - they know where the good coffee is and it's close to the bridge.

 

I usually bring a thermos style coffee mug with a cover, to get a double latte from that super machine in the lounge.

 

I can bring it out to the balcony and enjoy while I wait for the room service breakie, or go to the PG.

[OceanTraveller4ever]

Good for folks who like the stern corner Neptunes, but I find the inside a little too small.

 

After looking at the pictures on this thread, I prefer the normal Neptune suite, and do not need that much space on a balcony.

 

Again, good for you, and enjoy......:)

Edited February 13, 2016 by jpelleti007

[Krazy Kruizers]

Good for folks who like the stern corner Neptunes, but I find the inside a little too small.

 

After looking at the pictures on this thread, I prefer the normal Neptune suite, and do not need that much space on a balcony.

 

Again, good for you, and enjoy......:)

 

When we can't get the PS, we prefer the Neptune Suites on the port side -- SA.

 

We not like any aft suite. JMO

[djhsolara]

Good for folks who like the stern corner Neptunes, but I find the inside a little too small.

 

After looking at the pictures on this thread, I prefer the normal Neptune suite, and do not need that much space on a balcony.

 

Again, good for you, and enjoy......:)

 

 

The aft-corner was our first foray into the suite life. We did it on two cruises...one of which being the Panama Canal, which I'm so glad we had that location for the balcony while in the locks.

 

Last year was our first time in a normal Neptune. I do have to admit that I truly loved it more for the space and proximity to the Neptune Lounge, but if we wanted a good balcony again I have no problem returning to an aft-corner.

 

Unfortunately that's only on the Vistas. Signature aft-corner balconies are not nearly as deep.

[RocketMan275]

Are the side facing Neptune suites all that much bigger than the aft wraps?

[kazu]

Are the side facing Neptune suites all that much bigger than the aft wraps?

 

 

Yes, bigger enough to me anyways as the aft wraps sacrifice room space for the big balcony.

[dznymom]

We won't be ballroom dancing in the room, so I am not worried about the difference in size. It will be more than large enough for us. We once took an aft wrap on a Carnival ship, which had a much smaller room and instead of a couch it had a mini-love seat. I have pictures of my 6'2 husband taking a nap on that love seat - haha! It was well worth the trade off for us. We spend huge amounts of time on the balcony and love being able to change the view and find shade by moving a few feet :) I also think that for the Canal it will be spectacular. I promise to report back though after I see it for myself!

[DaveOKC]

The aft-wraps have a smaller cabin, but the large balcony is a good trade off, especially if you are cruising in an area where you spend a decent amount of time on it (wonderful for the Panama Canal).

 

Also, its great if you are having a party on them. On our Oosterdam deck 5 aft-wrap we had 25 people on it and it was not crowded at all - could have had 35 easily.