SS priority boarding? - mixed messages

[forevercruising1]

Hello, all!

 

I am hoping to finalize the matter of whether category SS (and SY) suites are able to check in in the suite line or whether category SS lines up in general boarding.

 

If any of you recent SS cruisers could comment, it would be appreciated!

 

Thank you!

[sail7seas]

Sorry....only "S" and "PS" have priority boarding

[TedC]

Only S and PS categories, along with disabled folks, get priority boarding. The SS and below categories have regular boarding. There is a line for those who do immigration forms on the internet, however sometimes that's longer than the regular line.

[Aussie Gal]

We have had a mini suite a couple of times and we have never had priority boarding but as we usually arrive early - around 11.45am - we have never had to stand very long in a queue, in fact we have gone on board almost immediately.

 

Unless you arrive at the same time as one of the buses bringing passengers to the dock, you usually have a very quick embarkation. In July when we boarded the Maasdam and had a normal cabin, we were still on board within ten minutes or so. HAL are the masters of embarkation and disembarkation. They have it down to a fine art.

 

Jennie

[Esme]

We've had an SS suite and no priority boarding for us. As other's have said only for S and PS.

[RevNeal]

Holland America Line needs to give serious thought to their nomenclature relative to cabins: as things stand, calling the SS, SY, and SZ categories "Superior Verandah Suites" is misleading in the extreme. There is nothing "Superior" about a "Verandah Suite" that lacks every "Suite" benefit except a larger floor plan. If anything, they should be called "SV"s ... "Superior Verandah Outside Staterooms" ... because they're half-again larger than the normal V category but, otherwise, offer no additional features.

 

I'm just pleased that HAL provides a larger verandah cabin that's within my occasional price range. When I'm traveling with Christopher, and can split the price with him, it's a great buy ... and he so loves having a verandah. Otherwise, I stick to inside cabins where the single supplement is cheaper ... if I want a verandah there's the ship's promenade. :)

[jhannah]

Amen and amen, Greg. Calling it a suite in the first place is terribly misleading. The word suite generally is used for multiple room arrangements. And the fact that SS are "superior" and S are "deluxe" is very backward, IMO. I would think "superior" is the superlative and, therefore, of higher grade than simply "deluxe." Maybe it's just me! :rolleyes:

[Randyk47]

Let's hear another Amen for the Rev! From day one I've thought the naming of the SS cabins on the Vista ships was just wrong. RevNeal has finally captured in words my thoughts......and I only wish I'd come up with his very reasonable solution of an SV category. Amen again!

[RevNeal]

Thanks for the accolades. :) In truth, the terminology is very confusing and should be changed.

 

Jim did bring up an interesting point, however:

 

The word suite generally is used for multiple room arrangements.

 

Hmmmm ... doesn't this mean that the only REAL suites aboard damships are the PS category???

 

<ducking>

[RevNeal]

I'm getting very tired of double-postings.

[RuthC]

I'm getting very tired of double-postings.

As am I.

But I've been wondering what (if anything) it does to a post count. Do we get double credit when the system double posts?:confused:

[jhannah]

Well, I would let the S suites pass due to their dressing room. It is a separate entity. On the Vistas, you'd have to stretch the definition by allowing as how the walk-in closet is much like a separate room.

[Randyk47]

Suite (Webster's II) 3. A series of connected rooms functioning as a living unit.

 

OK. I'm with Jim and can, with a little reservation, say that an S category cabin on S and R class ships probably squeeks by....kind of. That aside it's the use of the naming convention "suite" that causes folks problems as not all suites are suites even if they really aren't suites. :rolleyes:

[dwpestates]

Well Gang,

 

I'll tell you...I had a real tug-a-war with HAL on this one. I booked for this November 25th cruise on "O" down to Mexico last July. At the time, I booked for a VA cabin.

I was going to book for a "S" class but when I got back on the evening to book the only "S" class was "off the radar". So I called up the TA of the cruise discount website and CLEARLY asked if they were planning on getting more to list later as I wanted to book an "S" to begin with. They flatly told me "no" and so I booked the VA. About two months later as I was showing a friend of mine at work how to book a cruise online ( I walked him through the exact same search on my cruise date), low and behold there was a couple of "S" class suites open.

Well, needless to say I called the TA of that website that booked my cruise and ripped them a new head.

I would have been happy to wait a little longer for one to open up. Well after a bit of some arm twisting I got them to upgrade to an "SS" suite for under $80.00 a piece, THINKING that it's the same as an SA with all the cool stuff that went with it (like the Neptune lounge).

A few weeks later I found out that the SS is not an SA in what comes with that cabin type.

At that point I poured over HALs website and any information I could find to see if this was CLEARLY defined.

I also found that the discription SS are "superior" and S are "deluxe" as very backward as well.

I was so mad I wanted to take HALs EOs behind a wood pile and whip out a can of "whup'ass" on them(sorry Rev if I offened you). I called the head guru of booking at HAL (I did not even want the little cronies) and nearly threatened them with a lawsuit over misrepresantation in advertising.

The best though was that she said I was right and that it was really not all that clear.

So, I said; "What can be done"? Since she checked the then current bookings and said all the "suites" above SS were conmpletely booked on the ship for that cruise. She had no answer.

So I said; "how about some shipboard credit to make up for this GIANT screwup"? "Great idea!" she replied and then told me that she would push that through and that I will be very happy with the outcome.

Well when I finely got my tickets for my booking I found $50.00 dollars of ship credit split between my wife and I....GEEEeeeee how kind of them! $50.00 bucks.....I was hoping more on the scale of the upgrade fairy bumping us up to a real "S' suite of some kind or even a "PS" (LOL....yah, right).

Soooooo yes, I have my issues with HAL on how they define their cabins. The only real good thing is that based on my "squeeky wheel" action, they were going to look into changing the info to reflect a more clearer way to present the information....YAH RIGHT!.

Thanks for letting me vent gang...

Darryl

[RevNeal]

I was so mad I wanted to take HALs EOs behind a wood pile and whip out a can of "whup'ass" on them(sorry Rev if I offened you).

 

LOL ... you don't know me very well, do you. ;)

I'd LOVE to join you in whipping out a can of "whup'ass" on Herr Kruse's parsimonious posterior. :D

 

I want Lanterman back. :(

I wonder if he's all that thrilled with some of these changes.

 

The only real good thing is that based on my "squeeky wheel" action, they were going to look into changing the info to reflect a more clearer way to present the information....YAH RIGHT!.

 

Actually, your action -- along with mine and several hundred other people's -- may well have an impact. HAL does (sometimes ... when the moon is setting just right, on a Tuesday that happens to be the last day of a 5-Sunday month, but only on every 3rd leap year) respond to well written, constructive, criticism. I've pointed out the problems in the nomenclature to HAL in more than one mailed letter, and I've actually received back a non-form-letter response from Richard Meadows, who is listed in the "Executive Team" as "Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales." He thanked me for my "well-reasoned observations" and stated that they would be examining alternative terminologies and/or upgrades to the SS category. That was in Feb of this year. Since then I've heard that there might be a few extra perks coming to the SS category, but otherwise the nomenclature remains the same. Oh, well ....

[cruisecrasy]

is the problem with HAL - why not simply address the regular S as 'suites' & the SS as 'mini-suites' which is what they are...simple & problem solved...and not so confusing for some folks! Seems to me this is what some other c/ls do. Then again what wld some folks do with nothing to worry about hmmm?

Happy cruisin'!

[jhannah]

( I walked him through the exact same search on my cruise date), low and behold there was a couple of "S" class suites open. Well, needless to say I called the TA of that website that booked my cruise and ripped them a new head.

Wow. Isn't that nice! This is not uncommon at all. Cabins of every variety -- yes even the S suites -- are booked then cancelled later on for whatever reason. As final payment time hits, any cabins being held for sale (but unsold) by the major travel agencies who can do that sort of thing have to be released back into inventory. There was nothing irregular about this at all.

 

I also take issue with HAL's nomenclature. But truthfully their cabin descriptions in all their literature make it quite clear which features/perks come with which cabins.

[RevNeal]

is the problem with HAL - why not simply address the regular S as 'suites' & the SS as 'mini-suites' which is what they are...simple & problem solved...and not so confusing for some folks! Seems to me this is what some other c/ls do. Then again what wld some folks do with nothing to worry about hmmm?

 

That is among the suggestions I have made. The problem, as I was told by HAL management, is that the designation "mini-suite" is one that was actually used of the current AA/BB category verandah cabins on the S and R class ships. I remember those days ... back in 2000 and before. Many people still refer to that category as "Mini-suites," and it would just add to the confusion if it were applied to the current SS category.

 

The suggestion I had -- "SV" for "Superior Verandah Outside Stateroom" -- really does solve the problem.

[Randyk47]

As I said before I totally agree with the Rev's suggestion. On top of that I'd suggest HAL be a bit more forthcoming in their literature and website about the perks, or more properly in this case, the non-perks of the SS. It's not that the information is not there it's just not clearly stated. Let's fact it, as it is HAL doesn't make as big of deal of their suites in their brochures that they did back in the early 90's. When I talked to the hotel manager on the Oosterdam about the confusion he said they'd considered giving the SS passengers access to the Neptune Lounge but quickly decided that wouldn't work as the Lounge wasn't of sufficient size to handle the addition passengers. OK....so what about other priorities??? Sounded like a good idea to him but nothing has ever come of it as best I can tell. Luckily we'd done our own research before we booked the cruise and, admittedly, after only a few minutes of confusion it became clear that the SS category didn't get suite perks. OK....loved the cabin and we could live with that. Get on the ship and guess what......my next door neighbor in an SS is jaw-jacking me about how his TA mislead him and clearly told him he would get suite perks. He even went as far as to find another SS passenger who, supposedly, was told the same thing by a different TA. In my mind I figured that one, HAL created the mess with their naming convention and two, find a couple of new TA's. :rolleyes:

[WNYCRUISER]

I think Revneal hits this one right. SV

 

I would disagree with the term mini-suite. You are still calling it a suite and not offering the suite perks to go with it.

 

Thank goodness I can't afford any type of suite, therefor no question what-so-ever as to the perks I will get.:p

[jhannah]

... my next door neighbor in an SS is jaw-jacking me about how his TA mislead him and clearly told him he would get suite perks. He even went as far as to find another SS passenger who, supposedly, was told the same thing by a different TA.

Yep. Sadly, there are scads of TAs out there who are passing along bad information. They are selling a product they don't understand.

[Cath66]

I'm booked in an SS for December. I found the website VERY clear on what is and what isn't included with that booking. Maybe it's just my habit of obsessing over every little detail, but while I also think 'superior' should be above 'deluxe', I can't question the clarity of HAL's descriptions.

[cruisecrasy]

Wow. Isn't that nice! This is not uncommon at all. Cabins of every variety -- yes even the S suites -- are booked then cancelled later on for whatever reason. As final payment time hits, any cabins being held for sale (but unsold) by the major travel agencies who can do that sort of thing have to be released back into inventory. There was nothing irregular about this at all.

 

I also take issue with HAL's nomenclature. But truthfully their cabin descriptions in all their literature make it quite clear which features/perks come with which cabins.

 

well put. The descriptions are quite well done 'if' folks do their homework and ask questions. Not hard to do but I suppose some folks don't bother. Its why these boards are here right? Ask and get answered - shld be simple so why so much complaining? As far as bad TAs - yes does happen but if all folks booked thru cruise TAs there wld be a lot less bad advice - I mean u wldn't buy a car thru a shoe salesman wld u considering both are salesmen but in different things. And if u did, don't complain about bad advice or lack of knowledge. HALs website is available to most folks, as Cath66 states, and is very clear...so if u can read what is the problem?

RevNeal - 'SV' just adds one more set of characters to the already overcrowed area - less is more - doesn't matter if done before - simplify and have 2 categories - folks will soon figure it out..!! S - SS - SA - SB - SC - SY and now SV - yah right that wld work - not!!

Happy cruisin'

[cruisecrasy]

one - SZ makes 7 so far (checked Oosterdam) - with SV it wld be 8 - its confusing for most now...why make it worse?

[brian153]

Other than reading the HAL website, what other homework should I need to do. Here is a part of their site about the "suite life".

 

Suite Amenities

Guests who choose suite accommodations enjoy several additional amenities** – including in-suite afternoon tea and savory hors d'oeuvres - all with the Captain's compliments.

 

 

The Suite Life New suite amenities** include the following enhancements:

• Luxurious duvets
  
• Fully stocked no-host mini bars
  
• VCR or DVD players and access to movie library
  
• Personalized stationery
  
• 24-hour concierge

 

** Suite amenities vary somewhat by ship and suite category.

 

I am booked into an SS SUITE (their words, not mine)on the Noordam next spring. As I would understand this, I don't have use of the Neptune Lounge. Other than size and the use of the lounge, I can't find what else I am doing to miss. Where I am from, like many others here, SUPERIOR is, well, superior to DELUXE. I guess my mistake regarding the cabin is that I did not ask specifically if the superior is a step down from deluxe. I tend to be careful not to mislead and to chose my words a bit more wisely. I don't say something is BAD when I mean its GOOD and when I say something is deluxe, it is very nice but when I say something is SUPERIOR it is nicer. I guess the funny thing is I still don't exactly know the differances other than what I have seen on this board.