mrspeck

I had booked a 7 day Caribbean cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam in a Signature Suite last November for an early March sailing. I called in early January and was able to upgrade to a Neptune for very little. As soon as I had this finalized I got an email upgrade offer for a pinnacle suite for $1195pp, I jumped on it right away…was shocked to receive an email offer that far out from sailing. Cheapest stay in a pinnacle I’ve ever had. We then added a third passenger and had a great time.

This is fairly lengthy review I did on a short RCL cruise taken in 2022 from the eye’s of this primarily HAL cruiser…it may be of interest:

I found it interesting that they kept HALs naming structure for staterooms, ie: Pinnacle Suite, Neptune Suites, etc.

We have done three HAL cruises and our first ever RCI cruise within the last 12 months. While change happens everywhere, I don’t think using RCI as your guide will do. We too were extremely disappointed with RCI’s food, but have been very happy (still) with HAL’s. The only exception was the captain’s table dinner on RCI…it was outstanding!

We have cruised with parents/in-laws that were in wheel chairs or scooters. The pinnacles provided the required space. You will not be disappointed in that realm.

When we started sailing (for our honeymoon) in 2009 our first cruise experience was in the Pinnacle suite aboard the Eurodam. Bad idea! It was an amazing experience and made traveling in lesser cabins less special. We are now 4* with HAL and have enjoyed the Pinnacle suite on three more journeys to Alaska (all on Vista class ships). The first and main plus is the real estate that you get. The space is a huge luxury. We thoroughly enjoy spending time in our cabin and on our balcony, so it isn’t just a place to lay our head at night…especially when in Alaska where you want to be watching from outside or out a window a good portion of time. Glacier Bay days in a Pinnacle suite are great!…and the high quality binoculars on a tripod are a great addition. I’ve also spent many cool/cold nights warming up in the jacuzzi tub on the balcony. (It is not a a hot tub…it is jetted but only heated by the water placed in it.) There aren’t a lot of extra perks above those that one receives in a Neptune suite outside of free non alcoholic beverages from the fridge in the butlers pantry, and a personal escort from the terminal to your suite. (Most times anyway…oftentimes the first persons allowed to board.). A fun perk is having the space to host coarse by coarse service in your own private dining room. (You need to plan that with your concierge a day or two prior). It also just seems that everyone gives you just a bit more care and attention. As I understand it, a good portion of the staff knows the names and faces of the pinnacle guests before they board. I believe that to be true because it is not uncommon to be welcomed by name when running across staff for the first time, not just when using your card where they can see your name. If looking at a vista class sailing, the Zuiderdam Pinnacle suite is the only one that I know of that has been remodeled to more current looks and finishes (except the powder room which kept the gold sink and such). We were in it in September in Alaska and really liked the more modern decor. One negative from prior voyages, is that the exterior speakers have been removed from the balcony so you can not play the naturalists and park ranger’s talks on your balcony like you could in the past. If spending the extra isn’t an issue, you won’t regret giving it a try!!!

I understand the mariner’s discount on the surcharge…I received my 50% discount, but I “assumed” the discount would also apply to upcharges, but I was charged the full amount for those items. Was just wondering if anyone knew for sure about upcharge items.

Here is the current menu from the Zuiderdam Pinnacle. There’s additions of beyond meat dishes and the crab legs are gone.

We are currently on the Zuiderdam and were in the Pinnacle last night. Everything was excellent. We paid for three up charge items at our table of 7. A Delmonico, Caviar and lobster Mac & Cheese. I’m not a caviar expert so won’t judge that but the other two items were excellent. However, last November on Nieuw Statendam the Delmonico and the lobster Mac were awful. Wasn’t sure we’d go back, but they redeemed themselves last night. I can’t believe how different the the two Mac and cheeses tasted. Our experiences show how there can be big differences between ships. We loved Rudi’s on that Nieuw Statendam trip but were much less impressed a couple months later on the Koningsdam. One question…does anyone know if mariners discounts apply to up charge items in the pinnacle or just the cover?

I typically book with a PCC or directly on HALs site, but have never received an email upgrade offer, so I call ship inventory a couple weeks out to check if any are available. Usually that is too early and have to keep checking as it gets closer, but have done it this way multiple times.

See you on board! I also upgraded my in-laws yesterday to a Neptune next door to us! They were in a balcony that I had added club orange to, so it was only $250 total to move to a Neptune, couldn’t pass it up! Sounds like they are at the 70% capacity level now. When I was on the phone with ship inventory they said they could only sell one more cabin before hitting capacity. Enjoy!

I ditto the Club Orange suggestion. I just did this on an inside guarantee room for my son…booked the lowest category, added club orange and got to select the highest priced of the inside category right near our room…plus you get the perks!

I believe that trying HAL is worth the risk. You and yours may find that you enjoy that atmosphere which is definitely different from the other lines you have mentioned. We have traveled with MSC, NCL, RCI and HAL. While there are aspects of each that we enjoy, we prefer HAL’s amazingly kind and hard working staff, (in our opinion) quality food options, and focus on music offerings. We last traveled Star class on RCI’s Quantum and was not impressed by the food offerings, but did enjoy the beautiful ship and give their staff a close second to HAL. Sometimes on MSC and NCL it’s felt like staff seem to almost work against each, where HALs and RCIs seem to be more of a team. If you do go to Amber Cove, we really enjoyed the coffee planting excursion. You are transported to a mountainside location where you plant coffee trees (seeds) for a program that helps local families start coffee farms. If I remember correctly, our group planted enough to get three families started. It was fun, educational, and felt good to do some good at the same time. After the planting is done, they roast beans and let you help grind them and then make coffee for you…all in traditional manners. You then are fed a traditional meal that is great. The view is spectacular also! To a couple points: We like pizza and while MSC definitely knows their Italian food, we have no issue with HAL pizza since the “New York Pizza” was implemented. We also enjoy “Dive In”, HALs burger and dog joint to anyone else’s take that we’ve tried. We enjoy a mix of entertainment, food and relaxation…if that sounds like a mix you’d enjoy, I think you will be happy with HAL. We will be on the Zuiderdam to Alaska in a couple weeks. If you have any ship specific questions, I’d be happy to report back.

This was the “Tournedos Rossini” with added lobster on Nieuw Statendam last November. It was magnificent. I don’t believe that steak dish is offered on the pop up menu, but they definitely accommodated the addition of lobster. It wasn’t as large as the main dish lobster, but was a perfect companion.

It’s ambulatory accessible meaning that it is made for a person that is able to walk, but may need the assistance of a cane or walker. You will see grab handles in the bathroom, and shower hand wand…and a BIG BONUS, you will be very near elevators…no, don’t worry about elevator noise, you are in the outside, will never know they are there until you need them. This will be a great cabin for your family!

Hi there! Wondering if anyone has recent experience with the Zuiderdam port side Pinnacle suite? Specifically, is the sound system working on the balcony? I enjoy being able to listen to the talks at glacier bay from the balcony, but the last couple times the sound system hasn’t functioned properly. Hoping with the more recent renovation of this suite, we might luck out. Also has anyone received the in depth ship tour since Covid has been a thing? Thanks in advance!

I know that the Zuiderdam PS has been remodeled (no more gold bath fixtures and no Zeus filled tub….a much cleaner modern look), but I don’t believe the other vista or signature class ships have received those upgrades yet. Either way, you will love the PS. Our very first cruise was in starboard side PS on the Eurodam in its first year of service. Spoiled us forever!

One tipping situation that I hadn’t thought about until our last cruise was when I desired to leave a sizable tip for a server in a specialty restaurant. I first added it to the bill as a charge to the room. I asked the server if he would receive the money I left on the bill and he reluctantly informed me that it would be pooled…cash; however, would not. (I had to press to get the answer out of him.). I removed the tip and left him cash. Now, this was not on HAL, but I would guess that is probably the same.

In Victoria we walked down to fisherman’s warf and then to Pendry Inn and Tea House. It was Mother’s Day and my wife got to have tea. It was excellent. …and a beautiful old inn also!

We did not try those excursions…we kept meaning to do North Star, but time got away. Due to back issues, the others weren’t options.

I’ll be very curious to hear your thoughts! Enjoy the trip!

The few times we did go out when soot was present we used the RCI slippers and the pool towels that were in an end table drawer next to the sofa…we could cover the railing and have something to lean on as we watched for whales…which were plentiful.

Quantum of the Seas - 5/4/2022 - 5 day Star Class Review Prologue - Just a little bit of back story regarding our cruising history. I give this information so that you know where my point of view is from when I judge this latest journey as our past experiences are what we have to compare to. My wife and I have been cruising since January of 2009 when we spent our honeymoon on a Caribbean cruise on the then new Holland America MS Eurodam. We have since completed our 17th cruise aboard RCI’s Quantum of the Seas. This was our first Royal Caribbean experience that followed 12 Holland America cruises in Neptune and Penthouse/Pinnacle suites, 3 NCL cruises in Haven suites and 1 MSC Yacht Club experience. The majority have been 7 day journey’s while the last is the 4th that was only 5days. Embarkation- As we pulled up to the terminal (Pier 91 in Seattle) around 11:30am, we easily spotted the star suite signage. In “royal” fashion we were greeted by a port agent and then swiftly met by our genie “Hailey”. The two passed our luggage off to a luggage porter and off to the terminal we went. (Multiple porters had attempted to take our baggage at this point, but we held on to them until we’d met with the star suite staff…I’m not sure if it would have made any difference.) Inside the terminal we were met with very long lines, but magically we were escorted past the long lines to a short line of maybe three parties ahead of us. Our genie apologized that we had to wait a whole minute or two before we were screened and off to our cabin. We did have to have our passports, sea pass, negative Covid test and ArriveCAN documents reviewed and recorded. We were in our cabin within 15 minutes of arrival at the port. This was probably where having star class service was most appreciated, as there were horror stories of 4 to 5 hour waits in those lines that we bypassed to get onboard. I’d also heard that the major issue was that people did not have there ArriveCAN completed and that slowed the process to a crawl. So, if you are going to Canada, have your documents ready! A note regarding cabin readiness…our genie said that normally we would not have had access to our suite until 1:30pm, but as the ship had been without passengers for the previous 21 days, everything was sparkling and ready. I have never had a bad experience with embarkation on HAL when traveling in a suite, but HAL’s experience does lack compared to every other line we’ve experienced. (Sometimes an escorted arrival has happened for a Pinnacle suite, but it doesn’t seem to be a sure thing.) RCI for the win on this specific journey. The Grand Loft Suite We were greeted by a sparklingly clean cabin that was beautiful and comfortable. The cabin has aged well on this 8-9 year old vessel. The Duxiana bed was marvelous and kept us very comfortable as we slept. I would have say the most comfortable bed I’ve experienced on any cruise. The two restrooms were very attractive and clean and fully functional; however for a cabin at this price point a dual vanity and both shower and separate tub, should be a no brainer in the master bath. There is plenty of wasted space with the open staircase that could have been forgone in favor of more bathroom square footage. Another miss in the bath area was the lack of amenities beyond shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. All other lines that we have experienced suites on have included things such as mouthwash, q tips, cotton balls, pillow mist, eye balm, bath scrubbies, (bath salts with bath tubs), etc. Just seemed a little on the cheap side when looking at all of the other amenities that star class includes. The other downfall experienced with the cabin was the inability to use the balcony for a fair portion of the trip. When we boarded, the balcony was spotless and we thought that we would spend a lot of time there. We spent a couple hours there as we prepared to depart Seattle and opened our sail away champagne and then went off to dinner and show. When we returned that evening we stepped out in the dark and spent a few moments before calling it a night and heading to bed. As we stepped in and started walking we noted that we were leaving footprints everywhere we went. The smoke stacks on the Quantum spew an amazing amount of soot and a very nice portion of that lands on the aft balconies. On port days the cabin stewards would clean it, but that would only last until the ship was once again underway. With all of the technologies out there, there has to be a better exhaust filtration system than what they are using. We have had many aft balconies and have never experienced this before. HAL Neptune and Pinnacle suites for the win! The ship The Quantum of the Seas is an absolute stunner! I would rank it at the very top of the list of those we have experienced. I never saw a single area that told me the vessel was nearing its 10th birthday. The two story “Royal Esplenade” feels more like a shopping mall than a ship and the elevator shaft with the glass elevators feels like a large luxury hotel. There is just so much space on this ship. Now we were at only @ 50% capacity, so I’m sure it would feel a bit different when full, but it would still feel quite spacious. I do really enjoy the decor of HAL’s newer ships, but this ship is beautiful! Size wise I prefer HALs ships. Split decision on this one! The Food I was ready to love the food aboard the Quantum and will begin with a meal that ranks at the top of any meal we’ve experienced on land or sea. We requested a last minute booking for Chef’s Table the morning of our last full day on board. We were informed that there were not enough reservations and they would not be holding the regular dinner, but would be willing to offer the same experience at a table for two in Chops. The meal was absolute excellence…from the expertly created dishes to superbly paired wine offerings. Each course was on point culminating at a high point with a perfectly seared filet with truffle mashed potatoes. The desert coarse was a bit gimmicky, but tasted fine. (Actually couldn’t have ate all of it no matter how good it may have been as six courses is quite filling!). We had a server dedicated to us alone along with the Chef’s Table Chef who was cooking only for us that evening. The chef actually delivered the food and explained each dish. A wonderful experience! Unfortunately we didn’t “love” the food during the rest of the trip. We only dined at Coastal Kitchen, Chops, and Jamie’s. Coastal kitchen was more than passable, but Chops and Jamie’s were more miss than hit. Nothing was really special. Food wasn’t always as warm as it should have been and more often than not needed to be self seasoned…especially the dishes in Jamie’s. We also ordered breakfast in every morning. It was never hot and rarely could be described as warm. The in room dining staff received no help from insulated containers or metal covers as they do on some other lines…just a regular plate with a plastic cover. Now, there was;however, never a shortage of food. On top of regular meals our Genie was always having snacks delivered without request. We eventually asked to have them back off from sending afternoon food to the suite. We often received, sushi, vegetables, and chocolate covered strawberries (which we loved, but a dozen of them daily was just was too much.). On our final sea day which was Mother’s Day, we arrived to our suite in the afternoon to a large chocolate cake, a cheese plate and fruit plate. Once again, just way too much for the two of us. We each had a bite of cake and saved the fruit for the next morning. The other high points for me were a couple of desserts…the key lime pie from chops and the lemon cheesecake from Jamie’s. We did order a pizza one day which was delivered to our cabin. It was middle of the road as far as cruise pizza. I would rate the Pinnacle Grill and Canelleto far above their RCI rivals. Also Pizza is much better on HAL. The Chef’s Table did however rank really high for us, but one meal doesn’t make an entire cruise experience. HAL for the win. The RCI staff The staff aboard the Quantum are absolute winners. Always pleased to be of assistance and ready to do it with a smile and pleasant conversation. They, as a whole, felt like a team who were working together to provide a great experience and at the same time enjoyed working with each other. On a couple lines we’ve not experienced the same…where individually the staff members were pleasant but as a whole they seemed disjointed and almost at times working against each other. So, to the entire staff of the Quantum, kudos! In comparison to my beloved HAL staff, still put them a bit ahead. HAL for the win, but RCI for a close second. Entertainment The Quantum offered plentiful and varied activities. We enjoyed the live musical entertainment in the bars along with the shows in the theater. We enjoyed a comedian , juggler, and an Elton John Impersonator. If you are bored on the ship you probably didn’t look very hard. Entertainment onboard the Quantum was of coarse more varied than HAL but very comparable in quality. For us the entertainment onboard HAL is more our speed. For us the win goes to HAL, but that is very subjective and may change with whom I might be traveling with in the future. The Star Class experience Our Genie, Hailey, is a sweetheart. However; for us, just more than we require or enjoy. She checked in many times each day, would escort us on and off the ship, escort us to reserved show seats, check on us during our dinners and solve any issues that would arise. I most appreciated getting on the ship so expeditiously when the lines would have been at least four hours long without her, and having her to help me bypass the front desk line the last evening to cash in a casino ticket (at least another hour saved). I did; however, tire of answering her messages that seemed to come way too often. I guess I just don’t enjoy having someone dote on me to that extent. HAL really doesn’t have anything to compare to this service and many of the inclusions should be standard for HAL’s Pinnacle suites. Here are the perks: • Exclusive Access to Royal Genie Service All Day Access to Coastal Kitchen* Complimentary Specialty Restaurants* (including Chef’s Table and à la carte dining) Complimentary Deluxe Beverage Package (for guests 21 years or older, or 18 and over where applicable by law) Complimentary Refreshment Package (for guests under legal drinking age) Still and Sparkling Water Replenished Daily Complimentary GratuitiesΔ Complimentary VOOM**, The Fastest Internet at Sea Expedited Boarding and Departure Best Seats in the House in Select Entertainment Venues Priority Entrance to Many Onboard Activities†† Suite Lounge Access (complimentary hors d’oeuvres and cocktails each evening) Access to Suite Sun Deck Royal Caribbean Plush Bathrobes for Use Onboard Complimentary Minibar stocked with Coca-Cola® Beverages and Water Complimentary Laundry and Pressing Services Luxury Mattress and Pillows Frette® Linens Luxury Bathroom Amenities Lavazza Espresso Coffee Maker Would I do it again? Would I cruise with RCI and the Quantum again? Definitely! The quantum is absolutely beautiful and feature filled. Would I book Star Class again? Definitely would not book Star class on the Quantum or any sister ship due to the aft only Star class suites. I enjoy time on a private balcony and the smoke stacks ruin the aft of this ship for me. If I were to book quantum again it will be a grand suite or owners suite…No aft lofts. Would I book Star class on another class ship or if the smoke stack issue was resolved?…maybe…if the price was right, but I would not seek it out . Please do not take this as a negative toward our genie Hailey. She absolutely did everything her position requires plus…it is just a higher level of service than we enjoy. In the end HAL is still home and I can’t wait to board the Zuiderdam again in August!

Would I do it again? Would I cruise with RCI and the Quantum again? Definitely! The quantum is absolutely beautiful and feature filled. Would I book Star Class again? Definitely would NOT book Star class on the Quantum or any sister ship due to the aft only Star class suites. I enjoy time on a private balcony and the smoke stacks ruin the aft of this ship for me. If I were to book quantum again it will be a grand suite or owners suite…No aft lofts. Would I book Star class on another class ship or if the smoke stack issue was resolved?…maybe…if the price was right, but I would not seek it out . Please do not take this as a negative toward our genie Hailey. She absolutely did everything her position requires plus…it is just a higher level of service than we enjoy. All in all it was a very enjoyable journey!

The Star Class experience Our Genie, Hailey, is a sweetheart. However; for us, just more than we require or enjoy. She checked in many times each day, would escort us on and off the ship, escort us to reserved show seats, check on us during our dinners and solve any issues that would arise. I most appreciated getting on the ship so expeditiously when the lines would have been at least four hours long without her, and having her to help me bypass the front desk line the last evening to cash in a casino ticket (at least another hour saved). I did; however, tire of answering her messages that seemed to come way too often. I guess I just don’t enjoy having someone dote on me to that extent. Grade B