Is a Deluxe Suite Worth It for a Port Intensive Cruise?

[bvocruise]

My wife and I have only done one deluxe suite on HAL and it was a last minute upgrade. The cruise we previously took had several see days.

 

We are considering booking one for a 12 day Mediterranean cruise that is very port intensive (Venice to Venice). We are trying to decide if we should book a regular balcony and hope that we can get the paid upgrade option again or just book a suite at full price. We are booking through a TA this time and don't expect the upgrade option as it was directly through HAL last time.

 

The cruise is very port intensive and stops and ends in Venice. My concern is we will not get much value out of the cabin unless we skip some of the ports.

 

I'm interested in to see what others have to say.

[sail7seas]

"Worth it" is individual to each of us.

 

For me, over 80+ HAL cruises, it has always been 'worth it' to have Neptune Suite.

 

Upgrades can come through TA or PCC. TA's definitely get offers for their clients but, of course,

no way you can know in advance. Why would any of us book and pay for a Neptune up front if

we knew we could get a low cost upsell or upgrade? :D

 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2014 by sail7seas

[erewhon]

If you want a Neptune Suite, I would advise you to book it.

 

The Neptune Suites for our 24 day October cruise have been Sold Out for weeks.

[bvocruise]

If you want a Neptune Suite, I would advise you to book it.

 

The Neptune Suites for our 24 day October cruise have been Sold Out for weeks.

 

I noticed the 5/4 cruise only has guarantees for SC. They may be selling well. We really enjoyed the last treatment we had in a SA. My wife especially loved the fresh berries in the lounge. I think we enjoyed the reserved seating in the show room and pool area (if I don't have cruise lines mixed up).

 

We use a big box TA and they get us good prices and on board credit but I doubt they would call and offer an up sell. I don't have the option to working with an individual. We do all of our own research and don't need a TA to do much for us. In this case though it would be nice if they called and offered an upgrade if we book a balcony and skip the suite.

[sail7seas]

I noticed the 5/4 cruise only has guarantees for SC. They may be selling well. We really enjoyed the last treatment we had in a SA. My wife especially loved the fresh berries in the lounge. I think we enjoyed the reserved seating in the show room and pool area (if I don't have cruise lines mixed up).

 

We use a big box TA and they get us good prices and on board credit but I doubt they would call and offer an up sell. I don't have the option to working with an individual. We do all of our own research and don't need a TA to do much for us. In this case though it would be nice if they called and offered an upgrade if we book a balcony and skip the suite.

 

 

 

You have cruise lines mixed up. :)

 

HAL does not have reserved seating for suites at pool or show lounge.

 

They do, however, usually have lovely berries in Neptune Lounge. I really enjoy them. :)

 

[janmcn]

WOuldn't bother…with that itinerary, you're going to be on the go all the time…not much time to enjoy the perks. (IMO) I'd rather do another cruise…now, if money is no object and you can take as many cruises as you'd like, then go for it…HAL will love it…and you'll enjoy the cabin. But…if it means not taking more cruises, then I'd opt for just a regular balcony…or even an Ocean View…being up front in the Crows Nest or on an outside deck to watch entering and leaving ports is wonderful. If you're on your own balcony you don't get half the view. It's a lovely cruise! Enjoy!

[bvocruise]

I understand where you are coming from. Booking a suite is nearly the same cost of another cruise. We don't have a lot of time though for vacations and really like to enjoy them when we can.

[kazu]

I understand where you are coming from. Booking a suite is nearly the same cost of another cruise. We don't have a lot of time though for vacations and really like to enjoy them when we can.

 

this is an interesting question you have posed. I'd be tempted to hope for an upsell, BUT.......

 

last year we go an upsell offer on our collectors' cruise. Although I wanted it for the TA portion, I didn't think it would be much use in our port intensive portion but it was all or nothing.

 

What amazed me is how much we appreciated it on the port intensive portion. Sure, we weren't in the cabin as much but it was very nice when we came back and there were certainly several room service breakfasts (due to our early starts) which were more comfortable there.

 

TA's do get upsells - at least a number of them do. We use a TA at all times.

 

I don't have a right answer - obviously if you wait for an upsell, the category could be all sold out - but, somehow, with it being port intensive, I'd say not as others are probably thinking like you.

[bvocruise]

this is an interesting question you have posed. I'd be tempted to hope for an upsell, BUT.......

 

last year we go an upsell offer on our collectors' cruise. Although I wanted it for the TA portion, I didn't think it would be much use in our port intensive portion but it was all or nothing.

 

What amazed me is how much we appreciated it on the port intensive portion. Sure, we weren't in the cabin as much but it was very nice when we came back and there were certainly several room service breakfasts (due to our early starts) which were more comfortable there.

 

TA's do get upsells - at least a number of them do. We use a TA at all times.

 

I don't have a right answer - obviously if you wait for an upsell, the category could be all sold out - but, somehow, with it being port intensive, I'd say not as others are probably thinking like you.

 

The price isn't too bad, especially considering the Explore 4 perks and the huge amount of OBC from the TA. We might just book a balcony and really are on the fence.

[kazu]

The price isn't too bad, especially considering the Explore 4 perks and the huge amount of OBC from the TA. We might just book a balcony and really are on the fence.

 

I don't blame you at all - it's a tough decision with this type of itinerary. What ship are you going on? If it's one with Signature suites (cabins), then that might be a good option? A bit more space for comfort without the amenities that go with the NS. No matter what you decide - have a great cruise

[bvocruise]

I don't blame you at all - it's a tough decision with this type of itinerary. What ship are you going on? If it's one with Signature suites (cabins), then that might be a good option? A bit more space for comfort without the amenities that go with the NS. No matter what you decide - have a great cruise

 

The the Niew Amsterdam. We've always been on Vista Class Ships in the past. We do not like the signature suites because they do not come with all the perks such as the lounge, Pinnacle breakfast, or laundry. We would be better off with a regular balcony and just the save the money.

[OHCruiser]

When we book port intensive cruises, we book an obstructed view [about 1/2 the price of a suite], knowing that we'll be spending a lot of money & time on the excursions.

 

On these trips, the ship isn't the attraction and serves as not much more than a floating hotel. We have room service breakfasts, but our time there is generally to sleep & shower.

 

Last year we splurged on an aft suite for a 10 day southern Caribbean and used the balcony for nearly every breakfast & dinner. With our 19 day Baltic last month--16 ports--we did the obstructed view. We felt that, in each case, we'd made the choice of room that worked best for the itinerary.

[Lizzie68]

Personally - no, I don't think it is worth it for a port-intensive cruise. I fact, for such a cruise we usually book and oceanview. But that's not what matters - it is what YOU want that matters.:)

[PathfinderEss]

I think the opposite, it is always worth having a suite, port intensive or not. It's a nice place to come back to at the end of a long day.

[Host Walt]

Personally - no, I don't think it is worth it for a port-intensive cruise. I fact, for such a cruise we usually book and oceanview. But that's not what matters - it is what YOU want that matters.:)

 

This matches our opinion as well. To save a buck, we usually book an ocean view on port intensive cruises. We boked a suite on the maiden voyage of the Maasdam way back when (11 day Caribbean) and found the huge cabin to be very nice but we used the space only once to entertain our table mates (it was a 10 top table) for a pre meal cocktail party with hot hors d'oeuvres provided by HAL.The various extra goodies provided by HAL were also nice, but the money we spent could easily have bought us another cruise.

 

Also, balconies are nice, but on a 12 day Baltic cruise, we used the balcony only twice during the trip. It was an August sailing but it was too cold out there. And as was said earlier, the restricted view (just one side) made it clear that we're better off going up to a public area like the Crows Nest to enjoy the scenery.

 

We havde gotten free upgrades from a high end ocean view to a verandah on two occasions and loved it, but we agreed with each other that there is no reason to book anything higher than an ocean view.

[kjw869]

I think the opposite, it is always worth having a suite, port intensive or not. It's a nice place to come back to at the end of a long day.

 

I agree, whether the cruise is port intensive or not.

 

At this point, we can only take two or three cruises a year. So, we can enjoy the larger cabins and the amenities on those cruises. Later on when we are both retired, we'll cruise more and may think differently.

Edited August 25, 2014 by kjw869

[sapper1]

We like the SS suites for the extra room, extra storage, the two basins and the free standing shower stall. It is also nice to have the larger table on the balcony for having breakfast out there. Port intensive or not, these features are important for us, especially the shower, as my husband has difficulty with the high sided tubs.

 

We did try a Neptune Suite once and found we hardly used the Neptune Lounge even though we were directly across from it. I sometimes went in to grab a snack but that's about it. We tried a Pinnacle breakfast one morning and then returned to the Lido after that. We have free laundry regardless as we are four star so that is not a consideration. We are glad we did try a Neptune because now we are happy with the SS cabins as the perfect fit for us.

Edited August 25, 2014 by sapper1

[Krazy Kruizers]

Whether the cruise is port intensive or not, we prefer to have the larger cabin and larger balcony. Many times when we get back on the ship, we like to relax a little on the verandah with a cocktail before going to dinner.

[Katie333]

This is always so subjective and very personal. We have truly enjoyed the luxury of larger cabins (though we are going to take our first Neptune Suite in January), such as mini suites or equivalent.

 

Having just done a port intensive Med cruise on HAL, I will say we didn't spend as much time in cabin as we often do. We had regular balconies and they were quite nice. With that said, it was truly budgetary for us, this was already a very expensive trip so the cabin upgrade wasn't viable.

 

Unlike many folks, we do spend a lot of time in our cabin and particularly, on the balcony. We like to eat, read, drink and relax outside and frankly, when we need a break, pop in a movie and order room service and it's quite enjoyable for us. Many folks would never dream of spending this much time in their private space regardless of the itinerary.

 

I think it also depends if you are planning full day tours in each of the ports? If so, you won't get to partake of the cabin amenities. If you are not, then still lots of time in the day to enjoy. :)

[Djptcp]

DH and I had a suite on our last HAL cruise in 2009 with Neptune Lounge access. We went there several times and found it to be less than welcoming. The concierge was very nice each time, but the other passengers in there were cold and very snooty, not at all friendly. There was no view because it was located in the interior and seemed more like a waiting room. We gave up going and just enjoyed our suite. We have a SS booked for our upcoming Nieuw Amsterdam cruise in November, so no Neptune Lounge access and we won't miss it a bit.

[visagrunt]

Do you do shore excursions, or are you "do your own thing" types?

 

If you do shore excursions, having access to the concierge makes that process much less painful. The single, greatest perk of travelling in a Neptune Suite is never, ever having to line up at, or deal with the Front Desk.

 

Even if you are "do your own thing" types, priority tender access can be useful if you have any tender ports along the way. And the free laundry and dry cleaning makes packing much easier.

 

All that being said, booking the sticker price can be a bit daunting. My view is, on Vista and Signature class ships, you are safer booking a category below and waiting to see what materializes in the way of upsells. On R and S class, if you want it, book it quickly.

[hillsprint]

We've just been offered an Upsell for our upcoming Med cruise.

 

We previously sailed with Celebrity and got an Upsell to one of their corner suites on the Solstice. There we had the service of a "butler" who most days provided additional treats (choc strawberries or bottle of the house sparkling wine, etc), these are not listed on the standard amenities.

 

Do you get any non standard extras in a Neptune suite?

[Retired 07]

We have gotten very good upsell offers on 2 out of 3 HAL cruises. A day or two before our last one I did a "pretend" booking on the HAL website and saw that the SA's were all sold out and thought ok, no upsell this time. Sure enough, the next day my TA called with an offer, AND gave me at least 6 SA suites to choose from! We jumped on it. I guess you just never know...

[jaguarstyper]

DH and I had a suite on our last HAL cruise in 2009 with Neptune Lounge access. We went there several times and found it to be less than welcoming. The concierge was very nice each time, but the other passengers in there were cold and very snooty, not at all friendly. There was no view because it was located in the interior and seemed more like a waiting room. We gave up going and just enjoyed our suite. We have a SS booked for our upcoming Nieuw Amsterdam cruise in November, so no Neptune Lounge access and we won't miss it a bit.

In all honesty, I have a similar opinion of the Neptune Lounge. We do like the Neptune Suites because of the size of the room and balcony, but the Neptune Lounge is a perk that does not mean a whole lot to us. Where possible, we book the aft corner suites. A lot of people don't like them due to the distance from the Neptune Lounge, but its not an issue for us at all.

 

As far as booking a suite on a port extensive cruise, I would still do it. We really enjoy the extra space, especially the large balcony. Its a perfect, private retreat after an exhausting day on shore. We love to relax outside on the peaceful balcony.

[kjw869]

In all honesty, I have a similar opinion of the Neptune Lounge. We do like the Neptune Suites because of the size of the room and balcony, but the Neptune Lounge is a perk that does not mean a whole lot to us. Where possible, we book the aft corner suites. A lot of people don't like them due to the distance from the Neptune Lounge, but its not an issue for us at all.

 

As far as booking a suite on a port extensive cruise, I would still do it. We really enjoy the extra space, especially the large balcony. Its a perfect, private retreat after an exhausting day on shore. We love to relax outside on the peaceful balcony.

 

That's what we also do most of the time-book aft wraparound cabins. We love the large balcony, privacy and the only sound we hear is from the beautiful wake. We take our 15-year-old granddaughter with us to shag stuff for us! ;)

 

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