The riff raff invade the neptune suites

[cruz chic]

We are so looking forward to our first balcony. We make the insides work just fine but I know I will love sitting out on our balcony for 20 mornings while 3of4 thank their lucky stars that I have a place to go :p

 

baby steps along the path. I would love a Neptune Suite, but while we travel as 4, they just aren't on the agenda for us.

 

I bet you'll love it! It took me 50 years to have my first one.

[BumperII]

We are "riff raff" too !

 

.......I told him I was one of those other people. .....

 

 

Now that is funny!

[DaveOKC]

Years ago we were on a 7 day cruise on the Ryndam; inside cabin, A Deck; #776. For whatever reason we were invited to all the events held for Suite people only. At one of the Captain's Cocktail Party's for Suites, a gentleman came up to me and told me how nice this Party was because "we did not have to mingle with those other people". :eek:

 

I told him I was one of those other people.

 

Except for that gentlemen everyone was very nice.

 

We never found out why we received this VIP service except the Hotel Manager said we were "Sweet" people.

 

Normally the Captain's Cocktail Party is not just for Suite passengers (on the Ryndam and there are not that many (about 35) Neptune suites). The guest list seems to include loyal HAL passengers (especially 4 and 5 Star) and others that officers and/or other staff know or have met onboard. I think they like to get a good "mix" of people. At any rate, congrats on getting invited and I love your response.

 

DaveOKC

[G&G]

Normally the Captain's Cocktail Party is not just for Suite passengers (on the Ryndam and there are not that many (about 35) Neptune suites). The guest list seems to include loyal HAL passengers (especially 4 and 5 Star) and others that officers and/or other staff know or have met onboard. I think they like to get a good "mix" of people. At any rate, congrats on getting invited and I love your response.

 

DaveOKC

 

When this happened there was no 4 or 5 Star Program. After the Cocktail Party we all proceeded to the Hudson Room behind the theater for dinner with the Captain. Each seat at the dining table had your name and cabin number. On either side of me was Cabin 003 & 005, and my Cabin #776. Someone asked if they made a mistake with our cabin number and I replied, no.

[DaveOKC]

When this happened there was no 4 or 5 Star Program. After the Cocktail Party we all proceeded to the Hudson Room behind the theater for dinner with the Captain. Each seat at the dining table had your name and cabin number. On either side of me was Cabin 003 & 005, and my Cabin #776. Someone asked if they made a mistake with our cabin number and I replied, no.

 

Funny! Next time, tell them you are a major stockholder, so thats why you get invited. That will shut them up.

 

As to the 4 or 5 stars, back then they still knew the passengers with many days.

 

DaveOKC

[geezy]

Hello everyone

I have just finished reading these post and thoroughly enjoyed them. Our 32nd cruise is coming up in Sept on the Zaandam in a Neptune suite. We have been on several different cruise lines and in every kind of cabin, the last 3 cruises in suites. Only once in an inside, never again. I couldn't tell if it was day or night I actually poked my finger in my eye to see if my eye was open, the cabin was so dark. Our last two cruises were on Oceania. Their suites are much smaller than on HA. My husband is 6'5 and unsteady on his feet, so uses a cane. In a suite he can move around easier and loves to spend time on the deck. If the seas are rough, he just stays there. We often travel with our daughter(my helper) and they make the sofa into a queen bed each night for her and there's still lots of room. On cruises with 3 or 4 sea days in a row we sometimes have our breakfast on the deck. Some days we take advantage of the appies in our room before dinner by ordering them in the morning. you can even have guests, you just have to tell them how many.

On Oceania, even in a suite a third person was very crowded.

In all our cruising we have never meet riff raff only great people, some we are still in contact with. Some people you may not be too passionate about but no one in my book is riff raff, maybe just a bit different.

Yes, we found the little knob on the mirror too. I went to the concierge to ask for a champagne glass( we actually liked the champagne) and was told they were in the cabin. I told them "not in mine". Then she told me there was a cupboard behind the mirror if I pulled the little knob that is in the bottom corner of the mirror, and there they were.

I guess the bottom line is, everyone is different and what is important to one person may not be to another.

I hope everyone enjoys their cruise ,no matter what room your in. Same food, same shows, and same itinerary.

Irene

[PathfinderEss]

Just another funny story, I know we all have many. We were grazing in the Neptune when a fellow passenger was gather some snacks to take back to his cabin and as he vacated the Neptune, (he had brought over the platter that goes underneath the ice bucket) he said thanks to the concierge for the great food and that he had a long way to go back to 'Main Deck'. If you could have seen the faces on the other passengers and the concierge, it was priceless. Ofcouse he was being funny, he was in a suite. Talk about people looking at someone like he was riff raff, yeah some did.

[Windsailer]

That's exactly the reason why I refused VERY reasonable upsells to a Neptune Suite on my last 3 cruises. That attitude gets old very fast. A SY or a SZ works for me.

[Hlitner]

Reading some of these posts has me thinking that the true Riff Raff might be the one's booking Neptune Suites :).

 

Hank

[shrimp56]

Reading some of these posts has me thinking that the true Riff Raff might be the one's booking Neptune Suites :).

 

Hank

Quite possibly. We were offered upsells to Signature and Neptune suites on our recent Noordam cruise. We took the Signature.

 

I also think there is another way to get invited to a Captain's reception--arrange a CC Meet & Greet. We had the Hotel Director and Event Manager attend (there were 60 CCers) At the reception I point blank asked the Event Manager how we got there and he said, you arranged the M&G. However organizing one for 60 people is a bit like herding cats. I've already Tom Sawyered a fellow cruiser to do the one on our next cruise. :D

[Moriah]

Over 10 years of cruising with HAL I can now (as of my cruise next week, anyway) say I've had every category of stateroom. My first several cruises were in Neptune Suites (back then they were called Deluxe Veranda Suites) and of course I loved that experience and thought I'd never cruise in a lower category. Well, the desire to cruise and not being able to do it as often in the NS put me into the other categories and of course I've had a wonderful time on every single cruise, regardless of cabin type. HOWEVER, I do think that the suites offer a LOT for the money. For me, the Neptune Lounge is the biggest perk. Not the lounge itself, which is a windowless inside room, but the concierge staff. On every suite cruise I've been on, those "Neptune Girls" have been amazing. They go out of their way in EVERY way you can imagine to help you. You never have to step foot near the main desk of the ship for anything. Any kind of reservation or appointment or "problem" or ANYTHING you need can be taken care of in comfort and with a smile right from the Neptune by the amazing staff. So when I do get a suite, I always try to locate it as close to the lounge as possible. Traveling with my 84 year old Mom, last year on Maasdam, having the suite near the "Neptune Girls" as she called them, was priceless. On one cruise (this one with my SO) I happened to mention while looking at the snacks on offer in the Neptune Lounge, that I had hoped the mini-eclairs would be there. An hour later there was a knock on the door of our stateroom and the concierge was standing there with a whole tray of eclairs! And this was repeated every afternoon for the rest of our cruise! And don't forget that feeling when you first board the ship, and enter the lounge, and the concierge (okay, Neptune Girls) greet you BY NAME!! yes, they've just said good-bye that same morning to hundreds of guests, but they've taken the time and effort to learn the names of the new ones just boarding!! And they greet you by name all cruise long. These little touches are not worth anything to some people, but to me (and my Mom) they really make a difference. Praises of the huge veranda and other things about the suites themselves have already been sung, and of course I add to that chorus, but I wanted to point out that it's not all about the suite, it's also about the service, and those hard working staff that really do try to make your cruise comfortable, enjoyable, and special. Now, having said all that, I do cruise in other cabin types and enjoy every one of them. When it's just me and a friend, an ocean view obstructed cabin suits just fine. When it's me and my SO it depends - sometimes we want a more romantic private balcony, and sometimes it doesn't matter since we're cruising with a bunch of friends and probably won't be alone that much. As someone pointed out "we all get to port at the same time"! So true. Same food (well, I do enjoy that breakfast in the Pinnacle when cruising in the Neptune Suites), same entertainment... I don't really agree with those who say the cabin is just to shower and sleep. I enjoy having a cabin that feels "fun" as well... but I see their point if they are really that active and out and about all the time. So... next week I will be cruising solo and have booked my first inside cabin. Film at 11... Then two months after that (September) I'll be on Oosterdam, with Mom again, and we have the Neptune Suite right across from the door to the Neptune Lounge. I am sure both cruises will be wonderful!

As for how much people pay for their suites, really, that's like worrying about how much the person next to you on a plane paid for the flight. We all know these things are variable and depend on when you book, location of your suite, and all kinds of things, like the up-sell the OP was offered. Why why why EVER look at what someone else has unless it's to be happy for their good fortune?

Edited July 5, 2014 by Moriah

[sail7seas]

When this happened there was no 4 or 5 Star Program. After the Cocktail Party we all proceeded to the Hudson Room behind the theater for dinner with the Captain. Each seat at the dining table had your name and cabin number. On either side of me was Cabin 003 & 005, and my Cabin #776. Someone asked if they made a mistake with our cabin number and I replied, no.

 

 

I think that was a tasteless thing for them to do. They should not have written guests' cabin numbers on their seating cards. I would have removed mine immediately. No one needs to know my cabin number unless I choose to provide it.

 

[eatsallinsects]

I think that was a tasteless thing for them to do. They should not have written guests' cabin numbers on their seating cards. I would have removed mine immediately. No one needs to know my cabin number unless I choose to provide it.

 

 

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I agree with you. I shudder every time I see someone post their cabin number here on CC.

[celebrity]

Now that is funny!

 

And totally awesome! Would have loved to have seen that boor's face! :)

[iancal]

Alas, there are rude people from all walks of life.

 

In my experience it is a mistake to assume anything about someone by their cabin category.

[celebrity]

Alas, there are rude people from all walks of life.

 

In my experience it is a mistake to assume anything about someone by their cabin category.

 

Agreed!

[geezy]

Reading some of these posts has me thinking that the true Riff Raff might be the one's booking Neptune Suites :).

 

Hank

 

Oh! Oh!:. I guess I'M riff raff

[sail7seas]

Alas, there are rude people from all walks of life.

 

In my experience it is a mistake to assume anything about someone by their cabin category.

 

 

 

Of course.

No group of people should ever be categorized as having same manners/habits/tastes/style etc etc

 

Ill mannered people come from all

 

We are all individuals, thankfully.

 

[Ashdale]

Oh! Oh!:. I guess I'M riff raff

 

You and me both! I would love to book a Neptune suite and enjoy all that comes with it, but, as a widow, the single cabin addition is prohibitive - which is why I have had to resort to an inside to allow me the pleasure of longer cruises. Looking forward to another in January!

[Cruzin Terri]

A number of years ago we happily accepted an upsell to the Penthouse suite (now Pinnacle Suite) on the Maasdam when transiting the Panama Canal. We were three, one of whom is disabled, so this was working well for us.

 

I was wearing a blue polo shirt and khaki shorts and sitting at the dining room table using my laptop. I had the door ajar to get a better signal.

 

All of a sudden a woman walked into the room and went straight to the sliding glass door to the verandah. I looked up and asked what she wanted. She looked at me very condescendingly, waving her hand and said "Oh don't bother getting up, I can show myself around"

 

I think she thought I was an employee. I know she didn't think it was my cabin. I'm really not sure, but she soon found out it was where I belonged and not she.

She was very embarrassed to say the least!

Terri

Edited July 5, 2014 by Cruzin Terri

[JimAOk1945]

A number of years ago we happily accepted an upsell to the Penthouse suite (now Pinnacle Suite) on the Maasdam when transiting the Panama Canal. We were three, one of whom is disabled, so this was working well for us.

 

I was wearing a blue polo shirt and khaki shorts and sitting at the dining room table using my laptop. I had the door ajar to get a better signal.

 

All of a sudden a woman walked into the room and went straight to the sliding glass door to the verandah. I looked up and asked what she wanted. She looked at me very condescendingly, waving her hand and said "Oh don't bother getting up, I can show myself around"

 

I think she thought I was an employee. I know she didn't think it was my cabin. I'm really not sure, but she soon found out it was where I belonged and not she.

She was very embarrassed to say the least!

Terri

 

This is very funny! :D

[david,Mississauga]

I get the impression from this forum that just about everyone occupying a Neptune Suite has received an upsell. But this isn't likely considering that such accommodation is sometimes sold out months in advance.

 

Next year we are taking our first HAL cruise in decades and we have splurged on a Neptune Suite as it is early in the season for Alaska and the fare seems reasonable. The suite appears to be very close in size and layout to the Queen's Grills suites on Cunard that we have had - and even bigger than the Princess Grill staterooms. It provides many of the perks that we have enjoyed on Cunard except, of course, to the biggest advantage which is the Princess or Queen's Grill single-seating restaurant. But the fare is significantly less than Cunard's Grills so I am content with this. After all, we don't always travel in the Grills:). The Neptune Lounge appears to be similar in size and location (inside) to the Concierge Lounge on the Queen Mary 2. I notice that HAL provides a few perks to suite passengers that Cunard does not, the complimentary laundry and dry cleaning being of most interest to us.

[Cruzin Terri]

I get the impression from this forum that just about everyone occupying a Neptune Suite has received an upsell. But this isn't likely considering that such accommodation is sometimes sold out months in advance.

 

 

I think there are quite a number of posters here who pay full price for the Neptune Suites. I, for one, have never been lucky enough to be offered an upsell to the Neptune Suites when not paying for one. We were, however, offered the upsell to the Pinnacle Suite after paying full price for the Neptune Suite.

Terri

[eatsallinsects]

I think there are quite a number of posters here who pay full price for the Neptune Suites. I, for one, have never been lucky enough to be offered an upsell to the Neptune Suites when not paying for one. We were, however, offered the upsell to the Pinnacle Suite after paying full price for the Neptune Suite.

Terri

 

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My daughter and I are paying full price for a Neptune Suite in September. We tried for the Pinnacle but they were already sold out. This will be our first time on a HAL ship.

[Moriah]

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My daughter and I are paying full price for a Neptune Suite in September. We tried for the Pinnacle but they were already sold out. This will be our first time on a HAL ship.

 

I am also. I have always paid full fare for the suite.