Suite perks ? Any changes

[George C]

We did a few suites on Hal several years ago , while the suite was very nice it offered almost no perks compared to celebrity or rccl they have suite lounges with free drinks and some have suite restaurants for all meals. On our last hal cruise only thing that was offered was a very nice breakfast in pinnacle and a lounge with coffee, has there been any changes.  Thanks

[Gigi1977]

You get free laundry, generally a suite reception where drinks are served, Pinnacle Breakfast, Neptune Lounge, coffee maker in room, special suite in room breakfast menu, priority embarkation, priority tendering. Bose blue tooth speaker system for your use, much larger cabin and bathroom.   

[George C]

35 minutes ago, Gigi1977 said:

You get free laundry, generally a suite reception where drinks are served, Pinnacle Breakfast, Neptune Lounge, coffee maker in room, special suite in room breakfast menu, priority embarkation, priority tendering. Bose blue tooth speaker system for your use, much larger cabin and bathroom.   

Thanks, so no changes, really doesn’t compare with celebrity or rccl . 

[I like vacation]

2 hours ago, Gigi1977 said:

You get free laundry, generally a suite reception where drinks are served, Pinnacle Breakfast, Neptune Lounge, coffee maker in room, special suite in room breakfast menu, priority embarkation, priority tendering. Bose blue tooth speaker system for your use, much larger cabin and bathroom.   

You may get those perks in a Neptune or Pinnacle suite but you don't in a Signature or Vista suite.

[iceman93]

I can't speak to Celebrity or RCCL, but don't feel HAL has to include any extra "perks" to encourage suite bookings.  I've booked those cabins for decades, way back to before there was a Neptune Lounge or much else to speak of other than a nice, large cabin.

 

If the other lines have to dangle enticements to get people to book suites, maybe that says more about the undesirability of the overall experience on those lines than it does about HAL.  And I feel the same way when people complain about the lack of cruise loyalty perks on HAL.  The benefit to sailing HAL a lot is that you get to experience the wonderful HAL product a lot--they obviously don't have to offer a lot of gimmicks or perks to encourage repeat business.  Maybe other lines do.

[twodjs]

Hi George C - You are right, no changes for many years for Suite guests, except now coffee makers in the Neptune Suites. Interesting spin that iceman puts on HAL's bottom-of-the-barrel offerings to Suite guests. What they have really decided to do recently in my opinion is simply lessen the exclusive value to Suite guests by selling some of the formerly exclusive Suite perks to Club Orange guests (any guest who decides to pay as little as $15.00 per day) to sweeten HAL's bottom line. 

Edited October 23, 2019 by twodjs
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[Aussieflyer]

35 minutes ago, twodjs said:

5 hours ago, iceman93 said:

I can't speak to Celebrity or RCCL, but don't feel HAL has to include any extra "perks" to encourage suite bookings.  I've booked those cabins for decades, way back to before there was a Neptune Lounge or much else to speak of other than a nice, large cabin.

 

If the other lines have to dangle enticements to get people to book suites, maybe that says more about the undesirability of the overall experience on those lines than it does about HAL.  And I feel the same way when people complain about the lack of cruise loyalty perks on HAL.  The benefit to sailing HAL a lot is that you get to experience the wonderful HAL product a lot--they obviously don't have to offer a lot of gimmicks or perks to encourage repeat business.  Maybe other lines do.

Well no, as I note I can get a suite cheaper on HAL than say Celebrity.  If I am paying top dollar I would expect a range of added 'perks' - a bit like flying Business or First - I would want a better experience not just a bigger seat (cabin} for my money. I must admit it one of the things that have been in play when we are choosing a cruise. Others of course are entitled to different opinions. 

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Most of the ships now have Club Orange.  Instead of eating in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast you can choose to eat in a special section in the main dining room -- still the same menu.  Also you can choose to sit with other Club Orange people in the dining room at dinner.  There will be an extra dinner entree.

 

Now if you are sailing on the Koningsdam or the Nieuw Amsterdam, they have their own Club Orange restaurant.

[kazu]

27 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

Most of the ships now have Club Orange.  Instead of eating in the Pinnacle Grill for breakfast you can choose to eat in a special section in the main dining room -- still the same menu. 

 

 

 

Just to clarify - As of yet, there is NO special section in the MDR for Club Orange on the S & R, Vista and Signature class ships.  Breakfast is still offered in the PG.. IF you want to eat in the MDR or Lido, you can, of course do so just as it has been in the past.

27 minutes ago, Krazy Kruizers said:

 

Also you can choose to sit with other Club Orange people in the dining room at dinner.  There will be an extra dinner entree.

 

Now if you are sailing on the Koningsdam or the Nieuw Amsterdam, they have their own Club Orange restaurant.

 

I think KK means the Koningsdam & N Statendam.  The Pinnacle class ships have their own Club Orange restaurant so breakfast Is there instead of the PG.  Dinner is also offered there.

[tv24]

We do like the Neptune Lounge and the free laundry, but admit that we get more perks in suites on other lines.  And sometimes the price for a Neptune is quite high, higher than luxury lines.

[iceman93]

I totally agree that different passengers have different priorities.  To some, a major benefit of booking a high-class cabin is the VIP treatment or little extras above and beyond.  HAL offers some of that, but apparently not as much as some other lines.  The other cruise line I've sailed most recently, Disney, also offers relatively little in terms of repeat cruisers perks (much to the chagrin of some loyalists).  But their ships continue to sail full, at quite a premium price, so obviously they don't have to sweeten the pot to get people to keep coming back.

 

If HAL is pricing their suites higher than competitive lines, and at the same time not offering as many perks for booking them, I think that's just more evidence that they've decided (and the marketplace has agreed) they don't need to entice suite bookings like other lines apparently have to.

 

And I'm not faulting anyone for priorities different from mine.  But I do have to question complaining that HAL doesn't do something another line does--if that other line is a better match for someone's priorities then they should happily sail that other line!

[Curly-Q]

I've cruised suites on both RCCL and X, and much prefer the Neptune Suite on HAL.  What some may not notice, is there are more suites on HAL ships than the other two lines -- and I'm talking about full suites and not Junior & Sky suites.   Though I will admit Celebrity does offer a really good suite package for their Sky Suites (like a Signature) but it's a much smaller cabin than the full suites and can be quite pricey.  You have to practically sit on the website to grab a full suite as soon as the cruise is offered; if you're thinking about grabbing a suite on a cruise six months or a year out and you're pretty much out of luck -- this is especially true of the popular cruises.  Yet, for HAL you can pretty much find a Neptune, because they have more suites per ship than the others.  

 

On another note, RCCL made all deposits for suites non-refundable and there is NEVER any reduced deposit for suites.  If HAL runs a special reduced deposit, it applies to the suites as well.

 

It depends on what you want, of course.  There are free drinks, but that's not that great a benefit; because the free drinks are limited in what you get.  Additionally, while booked in an Owner's Suite on RCCL, we were denied entry to the Concierge Lounge because it was too full --  not by Suite Guests, but by Diamond Plus members who  book cheaper cruise cabins then hog the lounge.  Of course, HAL offers free mimosas with breakfast in the Pinnacle and with room service breakfast.   If you drink a lot, then the other lines may work better for you.

 

My favorite HAL benefit is the free laundry, but to each his own.  After cruising suites on all three lines, I much prefer HAL.

[George C]

35 minutes ago, Curly-Q said:

I've cruised suites on both RCCL and X, and much prefer the Neptune Suite on HAL.  What some may not notice, is there are more suites on HAL ships than the other two lines -- and I'm talking about full suites and not Junior & Sky suites.   Though I will admit Celebrity does offer a really good suite package for their Sky Suites (like a Signature) but it's a much smaller cabin than the full suites and can be quite pricey.  You have to practically sit on the website to grab a full suite as soon as the cruise is offered; if you're thinking about grabbing a suite on a cruise six months or a year out and you're pretty much out of luck -- this is especially true of the popular cruises.  Yet, for HAL you can pretty much find a Neptune, because they have more suites per ship than the others.  

 

On another note, RCCL made all deposits for suites non-refundable and there is NEVER any reduced deposit for suites.  If HAL runs a special reduced deposit, it applies to the suites as well.

 

It depends on what you want, of course.  There are free drinks, but that's not that great a benefit; because the free drinks are limited in what you get.  Additionally, while booked in an Owner's Suite on RCCL, we were denied entry to the Concierge Lounge because it was too full --  not by Suite Guests, but by Diamond Plus members who  book cheaper cruise cabins then hog the lounge.  Of course, HAL offers free mimosas with breakfast in the Pinnacle and with room service breakfast.   If you drink a lot, then the other lines may work better for you.

 

My favorite HAL benefit is the free laundry, but to each his own.  After cruising suites on all three lines, I much prefer HAL.

You have a valid point on rccl concierge lounge , but most of the ships are removing concierge lounges and creating larger suite lounges which do not allow diamond plus, also if you do not drink hal might be better. Celebrity is costly but so is Neptune suites, celebrity suite restaurant is excellent and is for suite only and open for all meals except lunch on port days . I have done each of these suites multiple times and did love hal until I tried rccl and celebrity suites. 

[Judyrem]

18 minutes ago, George C said:

You have a valid point on rccl concierge lounge , but most of the ships are removing concierge lounges and creating larger suite lounges which do not allow diamond plus, also if you do not drink hal might be better. Celebrity is costly but so is Neptune suites, celebrity suite restaurant is excellent and is for suite only and open for all meals except lunch on port days . I have done each of these suites multiple times and did love hal until I tried rccl and celebrity suites. 

I loved the suite lounge on RCCL.  From 5:30 until 8;30,  you can go up for free drinks and that includes top shelf cocktails and they have nice hot appetizers.  The view was the best on the whole ship!  My friend only wanted to eat there and the specialty restaurants.  I would go again.

 

I am going in a Neptune on Nieuw Statendam and I will be open minded.

[George C]

39 minutes ago, Judyrem said:

I loved the suite lounge on RCCL.  From 5:30 until 8;30,  you can go up for free drinks and that includes top shelf cocktails and they have nice hot appetizers.  The view was the best on the whole ship!  My friend only wanted to eat there and the specialty restaurants.  I would go again.

 

I am going in a Neptune on Nieuw Statendam and I will be open minded.

It’s always good to try different lines and ships, Neptune suites are very nice , you get a great breakfast in pinnacle restaurant, we also like pinnacle restaurant which is a specialty restaurant for dinner. 

[Judyrem]

11 minutes ago, George C said:

It’s always good to try different lines and ships, Neptune suites are very nice , you get a great breakfast in pinnacle restaurant, we also like pinnacle restaurant which is a specialty restaurant for dinner. 

I have been on Celebrity and Princess before quite a few years ago, but need to revisit them both.  

I may try one luxury cruise but need to figure out which one.

[Curly-Q]

1 hour ago, George C said:

You have a valid point on rccl concierge lounge , but most of the ships are removing concierge lounges and creating larger suite lounges which do not allow diamond plus, also if you do not drink hal might be better. Celebrity is costly but so is Neptune suites, celebrity suite restaurant is excellent and is for suite only and open for all meals except lunch on port days . I have done each of these suites multiple times and did love hal until I tried rccl and celebrity suites. 

RCCL & Celebrity suites are nice and we truly love them.  Been holding off booking any future cruises because of the deposit requirements and find booking full suites on HAL easier to find.  It would be nice if RCCL changes to suites only lounges, I may be more interested in booking.  Really haven't kept an eye on that since I started cruising with HAL.  You'll enjoy the suites on both lines, they are nice!

[George C]

47 minutes ago, Judyrem said:

I have been on Celebrity and Princess before quite a few years ago, but need to revisit them both.  

I may try one luxury cruise but need to figure out which one.

Celebrity has the best perks there is a suite restaurant on all there ships and food is better than some specialty restaurants and service is amazing, there suite lounge has free drinks all day from till late, you get a butler we all suites. We are trying msc yacht club for the first time in 6 weeks , they have a two separate dinning rooms , one inside other outside, separate pool and all drinks are included for a very reasonable price. 

[Judyrem]

9 minutes ago, George C said:

Celebrity has the best perks there is a suite restaurant on all there ships and food is better than some specialty restaurants and service is amazing, there suite lounge has free drinks all day from till late, you get a butler we all suites. We are trying msc yacht club for the first time in 6 weeks , they have a two separate dinning rooms , one inside other outside, separate pool and all drinks are included for a very reasonable price. 

Sounds great George, thanks!

 

We were on balconies on Celebrity and Princess.  I have to say once you have tried a "suite" on any cruise line it is hard to go back😳!🤪

Edited October 23, 2019 by Judyrem