Booked our first Neptune Suite!

[Katie333]

We will have to wait until next year :( but got what I think is a very fair deal for a NS guarantee with explore4 and $350 OBC for next January. HAL has been marketing the heck out of us (flyers in our mail multiple times a week!) and we finally found an offer we couldn't refuse.

 

Can't wait to experience all these perks on a single cruise, which will be our belated anniversary present to each other.

 

Second time doing a guarantee in 10 years of cruising, I am fine with all the NS locations so we'll be happy with whatever we end up with. Not sure what others have experienced, but the discount for a guarantee was in the neighborhood of $500 PP vs. selecting a cabin.

[sail7seas]

Congratulations.

You have a special cruise to look forward to. :)

[canadianbear]

I can feel your excitement, congratulations! I am sure you will absolutely love being in a Neptune Suite! My personal favorite is having breakfast in the Pinnacle-very relaxing. (too boring for my husband but I made him come with me some times!!) Wish we could afford the NS all the time as you do get spoiled.

 

Enjoy the months leading up to your special cruise.

[PathfinderEss]

Congratulations, it not that long to wait for having a wonderful suite to cruise in.

Hey, why is HAL marketing the heck out of you, we never get flyers in our mail even once a week or once a month or even once a year? I'm jealous, guess they don't want our business. How about anyone else?:(

[RJ2002]

Congrats on your first Neptune Suite. We had our first experience a few months ago, and loved it. I don't think you will regret your decision one bit. Just be prepared that you might be hooked... :D

[mame42]

Congratulations, it not that long to wait for having a wonderful suite to cruise in.

Hey, why is HAL marketing the heck out of you, we never get flyers in our mail even once a week or once a month or even once a year? I'm jealous, guess they don't want our business. How about anyone else?:(

 

Due to my mother's illness, I did not cruise for two years. After six months or so, I began to receive multiple weekly brochures from several lines, including HAL. Once I booked in February my recent HAL May cruise, the marketing abruptly ceased. I have received nothing since. Perhaps it represents a cost cutting measure: Why market to already booked PAX?

[luvs2travl]

Prepare to be spoiled to all other cabins. Free laundry, pampered in the wonderful Neptune Lounge, that HUGE cabin with your own private dressing room, breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill every morning, ........and so much more.

 

It will be well worth your wait. Congratulations on your booking. We've been on the Westerdam twice. She is a beautiful ship and you will have a great cruise!!

 

Smooth Sailing:):)

[PathfinderEss]

Due to my mother's illness, I did not cruise for two years. After six months or so, I began to receive multiple weekly brochures from several lines, including HAL. Once I booked in February my recent HAL May cruise, the marketing abruptly ceased. I have received nothing since. Perhaps it represents a cost cutting measure: Why market to already booked PAX?

 

Good point and I think your right.

[Katie333]

Thanks so much everyone! :)

 

We are a tad worried about being spoiled, we were already spoiled by the 'freedom' of explore4 on our last cruise and now we're doing that and a suite! Eek, won't be able to keep up this standard, that's for sure.

 

We even decided on this cruise vs. using up a Princess FCC. The deals with Princess did not even compare to the pricing and amenities.

 

Re: Marketing, I think maybe because we have 2 recent cruises YoY, and have cruised semi-regularly and are somewhat young, maybe we are fitting into some sort of demographic? The Marketing definitely worked on us, and we are steaming our way ahead on HAL's loyalty program.

[POA1]

Congratulations. Enjoy being spoiled!

[cruz chic]

Good point and I think your right.

 

Mame 42 is correct. For the first time in years and years I didn't have a Hal cruise booked for about two week time period. I got bombarded by Hal during that time. Never got anything before that and I'm getting nothing now. After November I have no intention of booking another cruise with Hal as they have nothing of interest to me in the spring. I guess it's too early for them to put fall out. I'll spend my money on Princess so I imagine I'll be bombarded again.

 

OP, I'm sure you'll love your suite.

[Oceanwench]

Just be aware that with a suite guarantee there is a chance of getting one of the HC suites. If they aren't booked by a person who requires one, the HC suites go back into the general inventory.

 

On Westerdam, those are SCs and are wake cabins (or whatever we're calling them these days.) They are on deck six, so a bit of a hike to the Neptune Lounge.

 

Not trying to rain on your parade, just wanted you to be aware of the possibility.

Some people don't like the HC suites, as they don't have the big bathroom with double sinks.

 

We've stayed in a HC suite on Westerdam three times -- DH requires one -- and we love them.

[cruz chic]

The aft wraps are sb's not sc's. Check the deck plan.

[Lizzie68]

Congratulations! You will have a wonderful cruise, and breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill is such a bonus.

[Oceanwench]

The aft wraps are sb's not sc's. Check the deck plan.

 

Are you correcting me?

Because nowhere did I mention the wrap cabins.

Those are not HC accessible cabins.

I was talking about 6164 and 6175.

They are wake cabins adjacent to the aft wrap cabins, and they are suites.

Last I cruised in one, it was SC.

Check the deck plan.

[Typhoon1]

Enjoy the Suite Life. A word of warning, try it once, you won't want to cruise in anything smaller.

[erewhon]

Congratulations.

Wishing you a wonderful cruise in your SA stateroom.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Congratulations, it not that long to wait for having a wonderful suite to cruise in.

 

Hey, why is HAL marketing the heck out of you, we never get flyers in our mail even once a week or once a month or even once a year? I'm jealous, guess they don't want our business. How about anyone else?:(

 

 

Same here -- it has been years since we have gotten regular mail or e-mails from HAL trying to encourage us to book cruises.

 

Even a couple of years ago when we had nothing booked for about 11 months after cancelling a couple of cruises we didn't get anything.

Edited August 3, 2014 by Krazy Kruizers

[Krazy Kruizers]

We will have to wait until next year :( but got what I think is a very fair deal for a NS guarantee with explore4 and $350 OBC for next January. HAL has been marketing the heck out of us (flyers in our mail multiple times a week!) and we finally found an offer we couldn't refuse.

 

Can't wait to experience all these perks on a single cruise, which will be our belated anniversary present to each other.

 

Second time doing a guarantee in 10 years of cruising, I am fine with all the NS locations so we'll be happy with whatever we end up with. Not sure what others have experienced, but the discount for a guarantee was in the neighborhood of $500 PP vs. selecting a cabin.

 

 

Congratulations!! Great way to celebrate an anniversary -- even a belated one.

January is not that far away.

[crusinbanjo]

Welcome to the Suite Life. After booking our first suite, (some years ago now), Mrs Banjo & I never went back to a regular cabin. The one time since, when we booked a regular cabin, HAL gave us a very tempting upsell offer into the penthouse suite that we just could not resist. Now we always are looking for deals to get back into the P/S...... but not booking a Neptune suite? Not happening anymore. Enjoy it, it is great!

[cruz chic]

Are you correcting me?

Because nowhere did I mention the wrap cabins.

Those are not HC accessible cabins.

I was talking about 6164 and 6175.

They are wake cabins adjacent to the aft wrap cabins, and they are suites.

Last I cruised in one, it was SC.

Check the deck plan.

 

I thought you meant the aft wraps because your description was completely vague.

[cruz chic]

Same here -- it has been years since we have gotten regular mail or e-mails from HAL trying to encourage us to book cruises.

 

Even a couple of years ago when we had nothing booked for about 11 months after cancelling a couple of cruises we didn't get anything.

 

Did you have outstanding fcc's? I think that makes a difference.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Did you have outstanding fcc's? I think that makes a difference.

 

Yes -- one set.

Guess HAL didn't want us to use them -- just lose them as that was the original rule.

[Katie333]

Just be aware that with a suite guarantee there is a chance of getting one of the HC suites. If they aren't booked by a person who requires one, the HC suites go back into the general inventory.

 

On Westerdam, those are SCs and are wake cabins (or whatever we're calling them these days.) They are on deck six, so a bit of a hike to the Neptune Lounge.

 

Not trying to rain on your parade, just wanted you to be aware of the possibility.

Some people don't like the HC suites, as they don't have the big bathroom with double sinks.

 

We've stayed in a HC suite on Westerdam three times -- DH requires one -- and we love them.

 

Yep, saw these cabins and we've never had aft views so will consider this an opportunity to try them should we end up in one of these cabins. The 'lack' of double sinks would be a bit sad, but I'm sure we will survive. My DH is convinced the Neptune Lounge is a completely useless 'benefit' so not so concerned about potentially having to make a hike down there. At any rate, worth the gamble on a room given the overall perks we are getting and the price we paid. :)

[Katie333]

Welcome to the Suite Life. After booking our first suite, (some years ago now), Mrs Banjo & I never went back to a regular cabin. The one time since, when we booked a regular cabin, HAL gave us a very tempting upsell offer into the penthouse suite that we just could not resist. Now we always are looking for deals to get back into the P/S...... but not booking a Neptune suite? Not happening anymore. Enjoy it, it is great!

 

Our first cruise was OCV and then we tried a balcony and we've had balconies or mini-suites ever since. So umm, there is definite risk of being overspoiled by this experience. :) I do get that many people happily cruise insides or bounce around between categories. I will say that we do spend a lot of time in our stateroom or on our balcony so we're of the group that will likely take full advantage of the space, amenities and perks. :)