Neptune Suite with kids?

[AFJB]

Hi everyone, I would appreciate any advice on our plans for an Alaska trip in May.  Our family consists of myself, DH and two kids, ages 8 and 6.  I have a few questions:

• I have reserved a Neptune Suite on the Nieuw Amsterdam at a pretty good price.  I am thinking that a regular balcony stateroom would be fairly cramped for the four of us, as given the ages of our kids we will spend a fair bit of time in our room (for example, after kids go to sleep at night).  We may also appreciate the space in order to eat dinner via room service on occasion when we don't feel up to the dining room or buffet.  The NS is cheaper than two connecting balcony staterooms, and I think I prefer it as we can all be together.  I've read a few negative comments on the sofa bed but am hoping that it would be sufficient for our two kids to share.  Any thoughts on whether the Neptune Suite would work well for a family of 4 would be appreciated!
• We would plan to use the Neptune Lounge on occasion to grab quick snacks or to meet up with other family members staying in a separate suite.  Will we feel comfortable bringing our kids into the lounge?  I've read a few comments that imply that it is rare to see kids in the lounge, and in one case the poster stated that they would be disappointed to see children there.  To clarify, we wouldn't plan to camp out for extended periods of time, and our kids are calm and highly supervised, but I do want to feel like we are welcome.
• I'm considering getting a Quench beverage package as I like my coffee, lattes etc and DH is addicted to sparkling water.  I'm not sure that the cost savings would be significant, but I'm wondering if there would be value in the convenience of having the plan rather than having to charge every individual beverage to the room.  Would such a package be worthwhile with access to the lounge?  I've read that the lounge coffee is good, but am I interpreting correctly that most other beverages carry a fee?  If I grab a can of pop from the lounge, can I charge it to the beverage package, or would it carry a separate charge?

Thank you in advance for any advice!

[Roz]

You would definitely have more room, but only 1 bathroom.  I personally think it would be awkward to have a family dinner in the cabin, as there isn't a table and chairs, just a coffee table.  The buffet is casual and an easy in and out.  Not sure what you mean by "not being up to it".

 

My  understanding is that any drinks from "the bar" in the Neptune Lounge, such as Cokes, wine, beer, etc. are charged to your account and aren't included in the beverage package.  But someone who's purchased a beverage pkg. and stayed in a Neptune can come along and correct me if I'm wrong.

 

The Neptune Lounge is one of the perks you're paying for, and I wouldn't let someone on a message board dictate to me whether my children are welcome there or not.  As long as they're not shrieking and running around, I don't see a problem.  I would take them in there the first day and see how they do.  At 6 and 8, I would think they would have some notion of how to behave in public. The Lounge isn't a place where people park themselves for long periods of time, so there shouldn't be an issue.

 

Roz

Edited January 27, 2019 by Roz

[canadianbear]

I think your kids would be fine on the sofa bed and not complain-it’s not comfortable for two adults though in my opinion.  

 

The Neptune suite is perfect for your young family!  Good choice except you’re children will be spoiled 😁

 

You will all enjoy the snacks from the lounge and I agree with what Roz said as long as your children aren’t running around in there they will be just fine.

 

The extra space and large balcony for Neptune suites will be a wonderful experience for your family in Alaska.  Have an amazing cruise!

[Jareds_mommytoo]

We travel with our kids a lot who now are teens, not in the suites but in regular rooms and the couch beds are fine even for our now 17 year old. Last Easter was our first HAL cruise and we did order the quench package, we were informed everyone in the room had to have it even the kids, but they did get a lot of use out of it so much so this time we have the SBP, ( and again were told again they had to get the quench then) 

[Floridiana]

I don't know about the quench package, but soft drinks were included in the Neptune Suite. The refrigerator was stocked with them, but you can change them out for your choices and additional soft drinks were given to us in the Neptune Lounge. We also had included non sparkling water, don't know about the sparkling one. Some people used the lounge extensively for breakfast and other meals. There were games in one of the cupboards. Don't worry about anti-child posts on cc. This was on the MS Amsterdam.

 

There were no children on our floor, but the few children on our long cruise were treated very well. They participated in many activities and one 11 year old girl lit the Christmas tree at the official ceremony.

[AFJB]

Thanks everyone!  Yes, I'm confident our kids will behave in the lounge; I just wanted to get a gauge on the general stuffiness level :).  It's good to hear that the sofa bed should work fine for our kids.  

[canadianbear]

29 minutes ago, AFJB said:

Thanks everyone!  Yes, I'm confident our kids will behave in the lounge; I just wanted to get a gauge on the general stuffiness level :).  It's good to hear that the sofa bed should work fine for our kids.  

Glad you feel confident now! I’ve never found the Neptune lounge stuffy-it’s a nice place to grab a snack or coffee and socialize with other guests.  I’m pretty sure all 4 of you will have a great time.  

[Roz]

Agree with Canadianbear, the Neptune Lounge is never stuffy.  It's meant to have a friendly, casual atmosphere.

 

Roz

[kazu]

1 hour ago, Floridiana said:

I don't know about the quench package, but soft drinks were included in the Neptune Suite. The refrigerator was stocked with them, but you can change them out for your choices and additional soft drinks were given to us in the Neptune Lounge. We also had included non sparkling water, don't know about the sparkling one. Some people used the lounge extensively for breakfast and other meals. There were games in one of the cupboards. Don't worry about anti-child posts on cc. This was on the MS Amsterdam.

 

There were no children on our floor, but the few children on our long cruise were treated very well. They participated in many activities and one 11 year old girl lit the Christmas tree at the official ceremony.

 

This must be VERY new.  The pop in the Neptune Lounge and mini bar in the room have always had a charge.  I haven't seen this reported before nor experienced it.

 

the tea, coffee machine, water, cranberry juice, orange juice are free.

 

OP - we've seen children in the NL and everyone smiled at them.  They were quite fascinated with the munchies in there 😉 

[dundeene]

I always find the topic of children in different spaces on the ship interesting.  Many people seem to question the appropriateness of children in an area that is formal or costly (suite lounges, specialty restaurants etc). 

The answer usually comes to the same conclusion whether on Crystal or HAL or RC.  Well supervised, well-behaved children should we welcome anywhere.  Unsupervised, $#%@ raising children are not appreciated on any part of the ship😀😉

[bEwAbG]

Same experience as kazu when on Nieuw Amsterdam this past May.  The sodas were on the "honor bar" and there was a sign that said that everything from the "honor bar" could NOT be charged to a package.  The tea, coffee, water, and juice they had  on a separate station were free.  There was not a regular bar where you could get anything with a package.  The snacks in the lounge were no different than the ones in the buffet, as far as I could tell.  It's a nice room & a nice place to chat with the concierges or fellow suite guests but not a place where people seemed to hang out for long stretches at a time.

 

As far as kids go, there is always going to be tension when kids first walk into a room because everyone has experienced the ones that run wild, and it seems to be more prevalent now more than ever ("but they're just being kids!").  I don't know that the issue of the initial reaction will ever go away.  However, if the kids are being polite & quiet or you remove them if they're not, then you're more likely to get a compliment than not.

 

Whether or not to get a drink package: you have to do the math & also consider that everyone in the cabin has to buy the same package, too.  Sodas are almost $3 a can & San Pellegrino is a little over $5 for a bottle.  You can find price lists if you Google.  On my cruise next week, the Quench package is a little over $20/day.  For me, it does not make sense to buy that package based on what I know I'll drink.  Another consideration is what you'll be doing on the days when the ship is in port (staying on the ship or not).  And, of course, the drink prices can go up before you sail.  Bottom line is that the cruise line offers beverage packages because they make money on them.

[canadianbear]

@bEwAbG:  Maybe it depends on the ship/people because we’ve had lovely chats with people while sitting in the Neptune lounge enjoying a snack & latte.

[Copper10-8]

38 minutes ago, bEwAbG said:

Same experience as kazu when on Nieuw Amsterdam this past May.  The sodas were on the "honor bar" and there was a sign that said that everything from the "honor bar" could NOT be charged to a package.  The tea, coffee, water, and juice they had  on a separate station were free. ...........................

 

Same story less than a month ago on Eurodam; an "honor bar" with a sign-in sheet to write down (name and cabin #) as to what you decided to take out of it (from the Neptune Lounge)

 

OP, enjoy that Alaska cruise on Nieuw A and all associated amenities with your family

[Krazy Kruizers]

3 hours ago, Floridiana said:

I don't know about the quench package, but soft drinks were included in the Neptune Suite. The refrigerator was stocked with them, but you can change them out for your choices and additional soft drinks were given to us in the Neptune Lounge. We also had included non sparkling water, don't know about the sparkling one. Some people used the lounge extensively for breakfast and other meals. There were games in one of the cupboards. Don't worry about anti-child posts on cc. This was on the MS Amsterdam.

 

There were no children on our floor, but the few children on our long cruise were treated very well. They participated in many activities and one 11 year old girl lit the Christmas tree at the official ceremony.

 

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

This must be VERY new.  The pop in the Neptune Lounge and mini bar in the room have always had a charge.  I haven't seen this reported before nor experienced it.

 

the tea, coffee machine, water, cranberry juice, orange juice are free.

 

OP - we've seen children in the NL and everyone smiled at them.  They were quite fascinated with the munchies in there 😉 

 

I agree with Kazu.

 

We have stayed in the Neptune and Pinnacle Suites and the sodas in those cabins and the Neptune Lounge were never free.   There is a card in the mini cooler that gives the price of the sodas.  In the Neptune Lounge there is a board listing the price of everything on the cart.

 

Floridiana -- when were you in a Neptune Suite?

[mdjohn5]

Our family of 4 (kids are 8 and 10) have done several cruises in Neptune suites.  We have been very pleased with the suites.

 

The bed and couch provide a lot of sleeping room, especially when two of them are kids.  The couch is not the most comfortable,  but its fine for the kids.  The bed is actually big enough for an adult and two kids....if I tuck the family in and hit the casino for a few hours I frequently find myself relegated to the couch by myself...

 

Neptune lounge is nice to have close by,  they always have cookies and snacks out for the kids to grab something quick.   Its not a place we really hang out though,  more like pass through and grab something.  They concierges are always welcoming to the children.  We have never felt out of place.  They ask that kids be supervised in the lounge,  which has never been an issue for us,  we don't send them down there by themselves. 

 

Our kids don't drink a lot of soda so the drink package never made sense for our family.   You can get lemonade and ice tea for free in the lido and the lounge always has water, juice, milk etc set out.   We just buy soda the few times we want one.

[AFJB]

Thank you everyone for sharing your experiences!  It sounds like the beverage package will be unnecessary for us.  We won’t plan on spending much time in the lounge, but I think it will be a great option for us to grab a quick snack or to meet up with other family members before heading out to an activity. 

[Floridiana]

We were on the recent Grand Asia & Pacific cruise, came back right before Christmas 2018. I don't know whether this was a Grand Cruise item. You could call HAL, but not all answers we or our TA got on the phone and via e-mail were correct. Only the alcohol had a price.

 

I got hot tea and hot chocolate in the lounge, cold water infused with lemon, and ice tea. My husband got coffee from the large mocha/cappuccino/coffee machine in the lounge. The Lido has various kinds of juices that are included with breakfast in addition to the tea, lemonade and water dispensers.

[kazu]

2 hours ago, Floridiana said:

We were on the recent Grand Asia & Pacific cruise, came back right before Christmas 2018. I don't know whether this was a Grand Cruise item. You could call HAL, but not all answers we or our TA got on the phone and via e-mail were correct. Only the alcohol had a price.

 

I got hot tea and hot chocolate in the lounge, cold water infused with lemon, and ice tea. My husband got coffee from the large mocha/cappuccino/coffee machine in the lounge. The Lido has various kinds of juices that are included with breakfast in addition to the tea, lemonade and water dispensers.

 

Thanks for claritying.  That stuff is always free in the Neptune Lounge.

 

It was your post about free soda/pop that caught my attention.

 

None of those things ever have had a price in the Neptune Lounge 😉. And, let’s not forget the OJ is usually fresh squeezed 😉 

 

I’ve never seen soda/pop for free.  that’s what I was addressing.

[Floridiana]

 

The soda pop in our refrigerator was free/included. And since we had replaced it with the free still water that was given to us daily, we sometimes got a few cans of soda pop from the lounge concierge for free.

 

I know the other things are always free.