Neptune Lounge Access

[Krazy Kruizers]

I 99% sure he'll stick with the SA anyway. Like you said, expectations are important and he has it in his mind that this is the best option. That's fine with me. I'll be able to sit on his balcony no matter where he is, so it's a win-win for me. :)

 

And your father can bring snacks back from the Neptune Lounge for you all to enjoy.

He can also order afternoon tea for you all as well as appetizers.

[Megsie1000]

And your father can bring snacks back from the Neptune Lounge for you all to enjoy.

 

He can also order afternoon tea for you all as well as appetizers.

 

I told my Mom about this and she was so happy. She and my Dad have already taken a couple of cruises in Deluxe Verandah Suites and never knew they could do this. I told her to join CC and she will learn about the amenities she never knew existed. LOL Apparently they also didn't realize the concierge in the Neptune can make their dinner reservations. This whole time they had been going to the MDR to get their reservations when they had open seating.

[Krazy Kruizers]

99% of the concierges are great -- we have had only 1 bad one in many years.

They can exchange money for you -- make reservations for all the restaurants, salon, etc.

On one cruise we had a concierge who used her time off to go shopping for one of the passengers who needed something.

[sail7seas]

My thought would be to stay away from trying to advise your father to get an SB instead of the SA he has already booked. He has chosen an SA for his own reasons and if the SB does not meet his expectations (fairly or unfairly) his cruise experience is going to be diminished, at least in his mind.

 

Location is important, especially to an older person, and the long haul on a large ship from the aft to the Neptune can and probably will make the Neptune amenity not as enjoyable for him. If he is in an SA across from the NL he can use it as many times a day as he wishes and the concierges will treat him like a king. Yes, service should be good in all categories, but if there is even one slip up, in his mind he will think, "This wouldn't have happened in my SA". Expectations are important.

 

To me being in an SA on Rotterdam deck is well worth the additional money and evidently it also is to your father, though maybe not to you or 90% of the people on this board. I'd leave well enough alone and let him have the best the Eurodam has to offer. Wish him a great cruise for me.

 

 

 

Very good advice and very well said.

I could not agree more.

[kazu]

I told my Mom about this and she was so happy. She and my Dad have already taken a couple of cruises in Deluxe Verandah Suites and never knew they could do this. I told her to join CC and she will learn about the amenities she never knew existed. LOL Apparently they also didn't realize the concierge in the Neptune can make their dinner reservations. This whole time they had been going to the MDR to get their reservations when they had open seating.

 

Oh my heavens, please make sure they know that the concierge can do just about anything for them - dinners, shore excursions, cash travellers cheques, produce a statement to keep them up to date, track down missing laundry even, and, order your high tea or your hors d'hoeuvres for whatever day(s) they want. if they want to arrange course by course dining (dinner) in their suite, they just have to see the concierge :) The list is endless.

 

Basically, look at it this way - anything you would go to the front desk for, the MDR, the Pinnacle, Canaletto, shore excursion desk, etc. they can do.

 

That is part of the perk :)

[sail7seas]

It's stunning some of the tasks/assistance concierges have been asked to accomplish and they just about always do so with a wide smile. DH and I admit to having had a few circumstances with which help was very appreciated and they willingly lent a very helpful hand.

 

[kazu]

It's stunning some of the tasks/assistance concierges have been asked to accomplish and they just about always do so with a wide smile. DH and I admit to having had a few circumstances with which help was very appreciated and they willingly lent a very helpful hand.

 

 

Totally agree Sail - once (only once) one of my pieces of laundry didn't come back. It happened to be a very special, very dressy suit my husband gave me one birthday and since it was a Caribbean sailing I took it. I got the pants back, but not the top. Spoke to our steward and then the concierge.

 

I described it for them and they put someone to work - Imagine my shock, I was in the Neptune lounge using my laptop and the concierge came in with it on a hanger asking Mrs. x - is this the item? My eyes lit up.

 

They are fabulous and while I don't usually ask much, I was so appreciative of finding my missing piece. since then I have followed the sage advice here to either take a picture or record so I can describe anything. (of course, it's been fine since then). the concierges are truly wonderful and really add to the cruise IMO:)

[travelmatron]

I am currently trying to convince my Dad to go for the SB instead of the SA on the Eurodam, but he wants to be on the Rotterdam deck. He think he'll get better service?

 

It is $400 less for the cabin (SB) to be directly one deck down from the SA. I guess they would have to go up one flight of stairs (or one deck up on the elevator) to get to the Neptune Lounge, whereas the cabin he has booked right now is almost directly across from it. That wouldn't be worth $400 to me, but at least he can make an informed decision. Are the SBs really smaller?

 

Many of the people responding to your post seem to have forgotten that there are SB cabins one deck down from the Neptune Lounge, not just the SB wrap around cabins at the stern. The cabins at the stern have a different configuration and the interiors are smaller. The verandahs are larger. I believe the SB cabins on deck 6 are the same as the SA cabins on Deck 7. Often the older the passenger, the more important one flight of stairs becomes.

[sail7seas]

No, I didn't forget about them. :) Actually, I think the Deluxe Veranda Suites one deck down (Upper Verandah Deck) are both "SB" and "SC" cabins.

 

I just don't care for that location. There are also "SB" cabins one deck up on Navigation Deck and we don't consider booking those cabins either.

We enjoy Neptune Lounge too much so the additional fare is worth it to us. Each decides that for themselves.

[Host Dan]

99% of the concierges are great -- we have had only 1 bad one in many years.

They can exchange money for you -- make reservations for all the restaurants, salon, etc.

On one cruise we had a concierge who used her time off to go shopping for one of the passengers who needed something.

Most likely the concierge we had on our last HAL cruise. Booked the same ship, hoping we don't have him again!

 

Host Dan

[sail7seas]

Host Dan and KK......

 

I'm curious.

When you encountered a 'lacking' concierge, did you speak with Guest Relations Manager or Front Office Manager about him/her? Or did you stay silent? We had one we thought needed more training and in the end chose to not speak up. We dealt with the alternate concierge that filled in when the regular one took a break.

 

[Megsie1000]

Many of the people responding to your post seem to have forgotten that there are SB cabins one deck down from the Neptune Lounge, not just the SB wrap around cabins at the stern. The cabins at the stern have a different configuration and the interiors are smaller. The verandahs are larger. I believe the SB cabins on deck 6 are the same as the SA cabins on Deck 7. Often the older the passenger, the more important one flight of stairs becomes.

 

He is older. In his 80's, but very fit for an 80-something-year old. You're right that I think the SB cabins I was looking at last night seem to be almost exactly under the one he has booked now that is right across from the Neptune. Of course, he would have to walk to the stairs then back across again.

 

The "service" aspect seemed to be more of a concern than Neptune Lounge access for him, although as somebody else has pointed out, before now I don't think they really understood what the concierge in the Neptune could do for them. Using the concierge (which I think they should!) makes the Neptune lounge location more important, I suppose.

 

Thanks for the well thought out opinions, everybody. I do appreciate it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Most likely the concierge we had on our last HAL cruise. Booked the same ship, hoping we don't have him again!

 

Host Dan

 

Host Dan and KK......

 

I'm curious.

When you encountered a 'lacking' concierge, did you speak with Guest Relations Manager or Front Office Manager about him/her? Or did you stay silent? We had one we thought needed more training and in the end chose to not speak up. We dealt with the alternate concierge that filled in when the regular one took a break.

 

 

Ours was a female -- had a high opinion of herself. Others that we got to know on the ship also had run ins with her.

We just ignored her and dealt with the other concierge.

We did talk to guest relations and she was even more furious when she was called in.

[momatibm]

We are not elderly -- just recently early retirees. We've been in 'Sails' suite on the Maasdam and loved the ability to open the door, leave it on the 'latch' so to speak and hop across to the Neptune. Next trip, we were farther down the hall on the Ryndam and it 'seemed' a 'loooong' walk to the Neptune and wasn't comfortable leaving it on the latch. This time I told the TA to book 'close to the Neptune door' on the Rotterdam deck on the Eurodam.

 

I loved the Concierges on both the Maasdam and Ryndam, hope I have the same opinion on the Eurodam.

[Oceanwench]

Because DH requires a HC cabin, we don't have much of a choice when it comes to suites.

On a Vista, it's an SC and a wake cabin on the Upper Verandah deck.

On a Signature, it's an SA and not too far from the Neptune Lounge.

 

Some ships don't offer anything at the suite level for those requiring a HC accessible cabin. That is why we decided not to book the Maasdam next year, though we loved the itinerary. The few HC cabins they have are not appealing to us.

[sail7seas]

We are not elderly -- just recently early retirees. We've been in 'Sails' suite on the Maasdam and loved the ability to open the door, leave it on the 'latch' so to speak and hop across to the Neptune. Next trip, we were farther down the hall on the Ryndam and it 'seemed' a 'loooong' walk to the Neptune and wasn't comfortable leaving it on the latch. This time I told the TA to book 'close to the Neptune door' on the Rotterdam deck on the Eurodam.

 

I loved the Concierges on both the Maasdam and Ryndam, hope I have the same opinion on the Eurodam.

 

 

We had some great concierges on Eurodam...... a few were truly outstanding. :) Hope you enjoy that ship as much as we do.

 

(We do the same thing with the dead bolt lock. :) )

[Sunshine91]

...... Helps that Mrs. K prefers "left handed cabins" on the port side and, if we can't get port, "right handed" cabins on the starboard side. The whole point is sleeping with her feet toward the bow and head aft. Even booked the Wind next year in a port side, "left handed" cabin. :D

 

Randy - that's too funny! John & I prefer the same configuration. We always want to sleep "feet first," so that if you stood up, you'd be facing the front of the ship. Anything else would just feel backwards. :o And we always try to book a starboard cabin in the same general area, depending on what we can afford each trip. (Maybe because I'm right-handed)?

 

But wouldn't you know, our upcoming 17-day Noordam repo cruise is in a port-side stateroom? We decided to request something "special" instead of the usual. :confused: And have no idea how the bed is positioned. :eek:

 

[sail7seas]

Hi Sunshine,

 

The cabins alternate, one after the other, as you know so they can share the plumbing lines.

If you are sure of a particular cabin that is 'right-handed', you can check the deck plan and go one after the other to determine the direction the bed faces. :)

 

But, I guess you probably know that. :o

 

[Sunshine91]

J - Never paid attention. :o

 

Just never occurred to either of us - we had no need to. But it makes total sense about the plumbing.

 

It's not like it really matters, now, at least. I mean, we're not gonna change cabins thisclose to sailing. But we will pay attention for future reference.

 

Thanks muchly. :)

[sail7seas]

If you happen to be port on Noordam, I know that 7058 has the bed so that you face forward. Hope that helps. :)

[Randyk47]

Randy - that's too funny! John & I prefer the same configuration. We always want to sleep "feet first," so that if you stood up, you'd be facing the front of the ship. Anything else would just feel backwards. :o And we always try to book a starboard cabin in the same general area, depending on what we can afford each trip. (Maybe because I'm right-handed)?

 

But wouldn't you know, our upcoming 17-day Noordam repo cruise is in a port-side stateroom? We decided to request something "special" instead of the usual. :confused: And have no idea how the bed is positioned. :eek:

 

 

Might add that even though our first cruise was a starboard cabin since then we've cruised mostly port. In fact I think we cruised three or four straight cruises in port side cabins and then got a starboard cabin for the next cruise. Mrs. K was forever getting turned around and told me "don't do that again"....in a light hearted way but I got the message. :) I really don't know where the "feet first" sleeping business came from, seems to me I recall my wife found some article before our honeymoon years ago that it was better for motion sickness. Neither of us seems to be subject to motion sickness but whatever works. :)