Addding Luxurfy to Neptune Suites.

[sapper1]

Lizzie made the statement but you speak for her?

Actually, I speak for myself. Lizzie doesn’t need my help.

[Seavoyage]

We always pay full price for the "Neptunes" because we are cabin specific so we are never offered upsells. Only once did we get an upgrade from an SS (many years ago). Then we were hooked....oh well....it would be nice to be upgraded to the Penthouse - maybe some day #dreamer And by the way Sails7Seas you have always been an extremely helpful voice on this board so thank you!

[cbr663]

Are you kidding? Everyone would enjoy the nicer furniture that some people have suggested here.

 

Surely you can see that all passengers would want and would benefit from nicer loungers around the pool area or promenade decks. Or a choice of soaps/shampoos in their cabins. Or even making sure that the laundry lists are replaced regularly (in my cabin down in steerage I have often had to chase down laundry forms -- it's not a suite-only issue). All passengers would benefit from "better" decor in all the cabins.

 

I am confused by this response. My question was to another poster who found the suggestions self centered and asking that poster to provide examples that would not be self centered. Had you read this thread in its entirety you would know that my first post in this thread stated that I would like higher quality finishes in the suites.

 

I am at a loss for such a patronizing response to my question to another poster.

[sail7seas]

We always pay full price for the "Neptunes" because we are cabin specific so we are never offered upsells. Only once did we get an upgrade from an SS (many years ago). Then we were hooked....oh well....it would be nice to be upgraded to the Penthouse - maybe some day #dreamer And by the way Sails7Seas you have always been an extremely helpful voice on this board so thank you!

 

 

ThankYou, Sea Voyage. :)

[Lizzie68]

Actually, I speak for myself. Lizzie doesn’t need my help.

As you know LOL. I guess I struck a nerve but it is what it is.

 

Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Forums mobile app

[sail7seas]

As you know LOL. I guess I struck a nerve but it is what it is.

 

Sent from my SM-J320W8 using Forums mobile app

 

 

A nerve, Nooooooooo, you did not. :D

[sail7seas]

A nerve, Nooooooooo, you did not. It is not. :D

 

 

.........

[iancal]

The market has made a decision on the price/value of Neptune suites.

 

On most lines suites are some of the first cats to sell out. You very, very seldom see them inside a final payment window.

 

Not so with Neptune suites. HAL appears to unload them at discounted prices as upsells

 

Just ask an experienced TA who specializes in cruises.

[Florida_gal_50]

It's too bad that we couldn't have a thread about what niceties could be added that all passengers could enjoy. Many of the comments on this thread are quite self-centered.

 

igraf

Interesting. You do realize that neptunes are much much more expensive than mosts cabins. Those that pay more get more, that is the way the world works. I usually go for ocean view rooms or balconies so I'm not one to purchase a Neptune. I'm sure I've seen threads on here asking what people would like to see come back to hal. Did you think those folks were self centered too?

[OlsSalt]

Ohh, I'm happy with my choice of ocean-view cabin. That does not mean that I would not like to have some "nicer" things offered to me & other passengers as well.

 

There is a sense of entitlement from some suite passengers (both on the board and on the ships) and rightly so for some things, but it can, and does, create a haves-versus-have-nots kind of tension.

 

Neptune suites come with a very high additional cost. This cannot be news to anyone. That is one reason for this thread alone - are they worth the extra price and what could make them more appealing for the price. That was the topic and it was a good and timely one. There have been some very interesting suggestions and an evolving consensus about some things that could make this a better value for the premium price.

[ithaca gal]

I have to admit that I'm puzzled by all of the comments saying what is needed to maintain interest in the product and yet the lack of these things don't seem to deter loyal Neptune Suite pax.

 

May I pose a slightly different question? What would it take for you to STOP sailing in a Neptune Suite?

[Jade13]

It's too bad that we couldn't have a thread about what niceties could be added that all passengers could enjoy. Many of the comments on this thread are quite self-centered.

 

igraf

 

 

 

You could always start a new thread. This one is about Neptune Suites.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[djhsolara]

It's too bad that we couldn't have a thread about what niceties could be added that all passengers could enjoy. Many of the comments on this thread are quite self-centered.

 

igraf

 

 

 

Are you aware of how to start a new topic? You could easily have the thread that you’ve suggested...just start it. This thread is about luxury that could be added to Neptune Suites.

 

Seems a little self-centered on your part to infer that comments that are on-topic to this thread are self-centered. These comments are relevant to this topic.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[ArtsyCraftsy]

We always pay full price for the "Neptunes" because we are cabin specific so we are never offered upsells. Only once did we get an upgrade from an SS (many years ago). Then we were hooked....oh well....it would be nice to be upgraded to the Penthouse - maybe some day #dreamer And by the way Sails7Seas you have always been an extremely helpful voice on this board so thank you!

 

I've been on only one cruise so far - 14-day Alaska last September on the Amsterdam. I travel solo, and I had reserved a Neptune at full solo/single passenger price because I have a tendency toward claustrophobia and I didn't want that to cloud my first experience on a cruise. I weighed the pros and cons and decided the price was worth it.

 

A couple of weeks before departure, I received an email from HAL offering an "upsell." I'm not 100% sure if that's the correct term, but I'll describe what I was offered: I was offered the opportunity to move "up" to a Pinnacle Suite for the tidy sum of an additional $5,600 as a single passenger (for a 14-day cruise to Alaska, remember). Uh, no, I didn't take it. I didn't need THAT much room, and the other perks seemed to be the same between Pinnacle and Neptune suites.

 

I currently have two more HAL cruises booked (Voyage of the Vikings this summer and the Hawaii-Tahiti-Marquesas in spring 2019), and again I've booked a Neptune. But I'm also exploring other cruise line options to see what they offer for a similar cost. I have trips booked on Regent Seven Seas (Sept-Oct 2018), Oceania (July 2019), and Cunard (Sept-Oct 2019).

 

Lana in Bellingham, WA

[iancal]

The only thing that would stop us from buying Neptune is paying full fare. At that rate we would be shopping other cruise line s/suite offers because the value for us on HAL is simply not there at that price.

 

If the price was right we might consider a Neptune on an upsell. The one and only reason would be the real estate.

[bUU]

What niceties would all passengers enjoy? It would be great if you could provide some examples.

I agree. One key message from this thread is that we're all different, and so whatever the cruise line provides if they're "including" it in the cruise fare only some people are going to enjoy it. It is likely that everything that "most" passengers will appreciate is already "included" (as well as a number of things that less than most passengers appreciate), so anything else that they add in will simply increase the cost structure of the offering while only benefiting a fraction of the passengers.

 

Are you kidding? Everyone would enjoy the nicer furniture that some people have suggested here.

That's simply not true. Few reviews I've read even bother mentioning the furniture, putting it firmly under the radar for many - something that is so adequate that it is not worthy of even raising as a point of contention. I see no indications that would lead a reasonable person to believe that more people find the furniture problematic as compared to those who appreciate the benefits it offers.

 

Beyond that, such a categorical statement is missing a sense of perspective. It's like saying that "everyone" would enjoy free and higher speed Internet, when the reality is that no one would object to it but a small number would really appreciate it as much as it would cost to offer. We could as easily pick apart every single aspect of the cruise and list ten ways that the cruise line could spend more money to do something that at least one passenger would like, but what's the point? It doesn't illuminate anything important to do so.

 

Furthermore, keep in mind that, at least on ms Nieuw Amsterdam, the Neptune Suites have just been redone, with new furniture. I haven't seen any photos posted yet (and I'm checking every day in numerous sources - we even have a thread here on CC of people specifically seeking such photos) - before seeing such photos and getting first hand reviews of the new furniture, it seems doubly off-kilter to make statements about the furniture.

 

But don't shoot down the person who speaks up and says what they would lilke. Calling me self-centered is inappropriate and out of line.

I agree that calling a person self-centered (if that's what someone did, rather than simply tagging a specific statement as a self-centered statement) is inappropriate and out of line. However, at the same time, there's a difference between someone saying what they would like (not "self-centered") and someone saying what should be (absent evidence that what is suggested is the best thing for all parties, this could indeed be a self-centered statement [though not necessarily stated by a self-centered person - there's a difference]).

 

There's a real harm to claiming something is categorically inadequate when in reality all that is really reasonable to claim is that there is something else that one "would like". I see this problem a lot - people expressing their preferences in over-the-top ways, often in an attempt to make preferences sound more important and critical than they really are. That kind of thing is a form of inappropriate manipulation. It's a disservice to people seeing straightforward information to help them enjoy their cruises better.

 

There is a sense of entitlement from some suite passengers (both on the board and on the ships)

Absolutely and that sense of entitlement has myriad negative influences.

 

and rightly so for some things, but it can, and does, create a haves-versus-have-nots kind of tension.

Yes. Very well said. Edited February 11, 2018 by bUU

[igraf]

Then let me clarify the situation. This thread is about providing additional luxuries solely for the Neptune Suites, thus further promoting a social caste system aboard the ship.

 

Stateroom prices are largely based on size and location, and that should be enough. For someone to demand that they be showered with additional luxuries without any consideration for others is indeed self-centered.

 

It is interesting that HAL has reduced the number of Signature and Neptune Suites on the Koningsdam as compared to a Vista-class ship, which debunks the notion that the Neptune Suite passengers are subsidizing the other passengers.

 

igraf

 

 

 

I am confused by this response. My question was to another poster who found the suggestions self centered and asking that poster to provide examples that would not be self centered. Had you read this thread in its entirety you would know that my first post in this thread stated that I would like higher quality finishes in the suites.

 

I am at a loss for such a patronizing response to my question to another poster.

[Seavoyage]

"Furthermore, keep in mind that, at least on ms Nieuw Amsterdam, the Neptune Suites have just been redone, with new furniture. I haven't seen any photos posted yet (and I'm checking every day in numerous sources - we even have a thread here on CC of people specifically seeking such photos) - before seeing such photos and getting first hand reviews of the new furniture, it seems doubly off-kilter to make statements about the furniture."

 

 

Will be on NA in an aft wrap Neptune in April...Will post pictures...:)

[sail7seas]

Interesting. You do realize that neptunes are much much more expensive than mosts cabins. Those that pay more get more, that is the way the world works. I usually go for ocean view rooms or balconies so I'm not one to purchase a Neptune. I'm sure I've seen threads on here asking what people would like to see come back to hal. Did you think those folks were self centered too?

 

Neptune suites come with a very high additional cost. This cannot be news to anyone. That is one reason for this thread alone - are they worth the extra price and what could make them more appealing for the price. That was the topic and it was a good and timely one. There have been some very interesting suggestions and an evolving consensus about some things that could make this a better value for the premium price.

 

 

 

 

Bingo............... IMO, These posters are hearing my message and I thank them for what they are saying and not twisting them to fit a 'narrative' that does not apply. It is so easy to fall into the common traps of our society these days whether they apply or not.

 

The 'handy dandy' names people are called these days may apply to some but cetainly not to all.

[sail7seas]

You could always start a new thread. This one is about Neptune Suites.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

We agree on this. I did suggest anyone could start their own thread if this one does not meet gtheir message.

[sail7seas]

I have to admit that I'm puzzled by all of the comments saying what is needed to maintain interest in the product and yet the lack of these things don't seem to deter loyal Neptune Suite pax.

 

May I pose a slightly different question? What would it take for you to STOP sailing in a Neptune Suite?

 

 

I cannot de fine in advance what it would take but I will KNOW IT when I see it ;p.

[RocketMan275]

Then let me clarify the situation. This thread is about providing additional luxuries solely for the Neptune Suites, thus further promoting a social caste system aboard the ship.

 

Stateroom prices are largely based on size and location, and that should be enough. For someone to demand that they be showered with additional luxuries without any consideration for others is indeed self-centered.

 

This isn't a zero-sum game where suites only gain by taking from non-suite passengers.

 

It is interesting that HAL has reduced the number of Signature and Neptune Suites on the Koningsdam as compared to a Vista-class ship, which debunks the notion that the Neptune Suite passengers are subsidizing the other passengers.

 

igraf

 

Actually, a reduction in the number of suites could be an indication those suites are over-priced and are not selling.

[leanstostarboard]

This isn't a zero-sum game where suites only gain by taking from non-suite passengers.

 

 

 

Actually, a reduction in the number of suites could be an indication those suites are over-priced and are not selling.

I assume the reason the newer ships have fewer suites is because HAL can have 2 veranda cabins for one suite and that their income is higher from having and additional pair of paying guests.

[3rdGenCunarder]

 

 

Actually, a reduction in the number of suites could be an indication those suites are over-priced and are not selling.

 

Could be, but I have another theory.

 

Several passengers I spoke to on K'dam commented that "this ship is bigger but the rooms are smaller." The comment was more often about veranda cabins than neptune suites. Fewer larger rooms and more smaller rooms could be a way to get more passengers on board, resulting in more onboard spending. The K seems to be aimed at attracting new passengers--music walk, O, more dining venues (mostly at an additional fee) and also trying to grab the attention of people who chase after new ships.

 

I suspect the new passengers spend more on board. Not ALL, but on average, I bet they do. Based on comments from long-time HAL passengers on this board, I'd say those of us with a lot of cruises in our past are not buying the expensive photos, not falling for the drink in a "souvenir glass," not shopping on board. Speaking just for myself, I know I bought more souvenirs, ship t-shirts, and photos on my earlier cruises than on recent ones. (bar bill is about the same :eek:)

[RocketMan275]

I assume the reason the newer ships have fewer suites is because HAL can have 2 veranda cabins for one suite and that their income is higher from having and additional pair of paying guests.

Which is another way of saying the suites are so over-priced they are not selling. If that's the case, then reducing the suites and increasing the number of rooms that do sell makes sense.