HAL suite amenities vs. competition

[cruz chic]

What is so special or exclusive about a Mariners lunch when in all probability the vast majority of Cruisers on a HAL ship are either repeat HAL customers or previous Carnival Corp customers?

 

Besides, HAL is providing lunch to all passengers..the only difference seems to be the location. Hardly a cost issue for HAL since everyone will be eating somewhere.

 

There is nothing special or exclusive about it. The thing I like is that it's not a cafeteria. I don't understand why people get excited by eating in that day after day.

[Cruzaholic41]

What is so special or exclusive about a Mariners lunch when in all probability the vast majority of Cruisers on a HAL ship are either repeat HAL customers or previous Carnival Corp customers? Not much of a recognition event from my perspective.

 

Besides, HAL is providing lunch to all passengers..the only difference seems to be the location. Hardly a cost issue for HAL since everyone will be eating somewhere.

 

There is absolutely nothing special about it. The menu sucks.

[Caribbean Chris]

I like the HAL E-day dining room benefit very much because on other lines, we've found the buffet to be chaotic and packed that day.

 

It's much more civilized to start the cruise in a quiet place, seated (not table-searching), brought a menu ( which never seemed to "suck" in my recollection) and served. On Celebrity the current answer is the Bistro on Five for that atmosphere ($7 and worth it.)

 

But the new Luminae suite dining rooms open in April, and the Celebrity representative has posted on Cruise Critic that it will serve E-day lunch.

(And breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.) Looking forward to that.

[cruz chic]

I like the HAL E-day dining room benefit very much because on other lines, we've found the buffet to be chaotic and packed that day.

 

It's much more civilized to start the cruise in a quiet place, seated (not table-searching), brought a menu ( which never seemed to "suck" in my recollection) and served. On Celebrity the current answer is the Bistro on Five for that atmosphere ($7 and worth it.)

 

But the new Luminae suite dining rooms open in April, and the Celebrity representative has posted on Cruise Critic that it will serve E-day lunch.

(And breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.) Looking forward to that.

 

That's exactly what I enjoy. Searching for a seat in a cafeteria isn't pleasing to me. Agree, the menu doesn't suck.

[Susie51]

Princess, Norwegian and RCCL. Cruised all 3 and Princess had best food overall. Norwegian was a McDonalds Cruise with lots of kids. Have nothing against them as I have 10 grandchildren. Lots of Retires living onboard Princess from Russia, Very friendly and great dancers. One 81 yr old lady would be dancing til 1 AM when I went to bed. Princess and RCCL were very clean. The bigger ships have more people thus more wait time. There is only so much Cruise lines can do with food from industrial freezers. RCCL and Norwegian don't have the amenities in cabin HCL does.

 

The pod-style coffee maker in NCL suites is very nice. Does HAL offer this Kureig type machine?

[cruz chic]

The pod-style coffee maker in NCL suites is very nice. Does HAL offer this Kureig type machine?

 

No, it doesn't.

[Jade13]

The Neptune/Pinnacle Suite amenities that mean much to me in our Neptune Suites are Neptune Lounge, breakfast in Pinnacle, included dry cleaning (I'm 5* Mariner so get free laundry), concierge service, priority embarkation/debark and tendering, and being assigned dining time of my choice. Those are the 'stand out' amenities that I am willing to pay for.

 

The unlimited laundry can be purchased if one is not in a Suite and not at least a 4 star. I think besides the great Suite that the breakfast in the Pinnacle would be the next best amenity.

 

I am still surprised that the Neptune lounge doesn't at least offer colas and bottled water.

Edited March 6, 2015 by Jade13

[JimAOk1945]

I am still surprised that the Neptune lounge doesn't at least offer colas and bottled water.

 

This is very surprising to me as a future HAL Neptune Suite cruiser! Can someone tell me what types of drinks are offered?

Edited March 6, 2015 by JimAOk1945

[Travelwiser13]

Thank you for the clarification. Now I have another question since more has been added to this thread and my answered question.

 

Can anyone tell me what the typical menu might look like for E-day lunch? Also what would the Pinnacle breakfast look like as opposed to the normal MDR breakfast?

 

I do very much appreciate these answers.

[vcdarty]

Totally concur re E-day lunch. That chaotic scene in Lido? Thank you, no.

 

And about Neptune perks: appreciate them all, especially the abundant and varied cocktail snacks the concierge gals provided when we threw a little party in our suite for our swell trivia team. Alpha Plus.

[sail7seas]

Thank you for the clarification. Now I have another question since more has been added to this thread and my answered question.

 

Can anyone tell me what the typical menu might look like for E-day lunch? Also what would the Pinnacle breakfast look like as opposed to the normal MDR breakfast?

 

I do very much appreciate these answers.

 

The Pinnacle breakfast menu is the same as MDR and it is very extensive. While I am sure someone will point out the exception, most of us will find just about anything we want on that menu and if not, ask. :)

 

[RJ2002]

This is very surprising to me as a future HAL Neptune Suite cruiser! Can someone tell me what types of drinks are offered?

 

IIRC, coffee drinks (from a machine), hot tea, ice tea, water, juice. The water, juice and ice tea is in a large self-serve dispenser. I seem to recall orange juice in the AM, and cranberry juice the rest of the day.

 

If I've forgotten anything, I'm sure someone will chime in.

 

edit: was recently on Princess in a suite, and really missed the Neptune Lounge!

Edited March 6, 2015 by RJ2002

[JimAOk1945]

IIRC, coffee drinks (from a machine), hot tea, ice tea, water, juice. The water, juice and ice tea is in a large self-serve dispenser. I seem to recall orange juice in the AM, and cranberry juice the rest of the day.

 

If I've forgotten anything, I'm sure someone will chime in.

 

edit: was recently on Princess in a suite, and really missed the Neptune Lounge!

 

Thanks for this information. I'm surprised that soft drinks aren't offered in the Neptune Lounge. On our RC cruises, I can have all the soft drinks I want, and my DW can have her specialty coffee in the Concierge Lounge. We missed the CL on our December Princess cruise!

[sail7seas]

What is so special or exclusive about a Mariners lunch when in all probability the vast majority of Cruisers on a HAL ship are either repeat HAL customers or previous Carnival Corp customers? Not much of a recognition event from my perspective.

 

Besides, HAL is providing lunch to all passengers..the only difference seems to be the location. Hardly a cost issue for HAL since everyone will be eating somewhere.

 

I don't think there is anything special about it. We always chose to not go.

 

[JimAOk1945]

It sounds like it might be a nice experience for a first time cruiser. As a 1 Star Mariner, would we be given a tile?

[sail7seas]

It sounds like it might be a nice experience for a first time cruiser. As a 1 Star Mariner, would we be given a tile?

 

Yes, you will be given a tile but not at Embarkation Lunch.

You will get the tile at Mariners Brunch which is held on a sea day during the cruise. You 'should' receive an invitation delivered to your cabin.

 

[scamper]

I've been in a suite on HAL and NCL (in the Haven).

 

On NCL were in a 2 bedroom family suite and loved having the separate bedrooms and living area. The Haven pool, hot tubs, and sauna were put to good use. The private restaurant was perfect for avoiding crowds. The butler was even able to bring food from any of the restaurants to our room (which was nice because we were traveling with an infant). It was pricey, but we used their friends and family sail free promotion and ended up paying only slightly more than we would have paid for a Neptune suite on a similar itinerary.

 

On HAL, the Neptune lounge was nice, but I found very little use for it. The unlimited laundry was a wonderful perk and I used that a few times. Other than that, the benefits felt almost non existent.

 

To be fair, I was in the Neptune suite 6 years ago and the Haven suite last year. My memory could be fading. Would I book a suite with NCL again, in a heartbeat. Would I book a suite with HAL again, if I needed the space.

 

Agreed that The Haven has great perks, however, many of the Haven suites on NCL (especially in the lower fare class) are SIGNIFICANTLY smaller than HAL's Neptune, appearing to only be about 20% bigger than a HAL veranda room. For a greater price than a 500 square foot suite on HAL. The extra size is probably used to turn the bathroom into a "luxury" bathroom. Many of their balconies are ridiculously small, although yes, I know, you get The Haven pool area and (in some cases) a private lounge and restaurant. There are trade-offs, I suppose, but I guess I prefer what HAL offers that is most important to me. For a better value to fare differential.

 

Oh, something I just remembered with respect to the private dining room in The Haven, my brother, who cruises more than I and on more lines, was on, I think, NCL Getaway last year in an Owner's Suite. He said they ate in the private dining room twice, for lunch, and that the burger he ordered (the patty itself) was the same that he got in their lido equivalent. He said the burgers are really good, but he expected a higher quality in The Haven.

[JimAOk1945]

Yes, you will be given a tile but not at Embarkation Lunch.

You will get the tile at Mariners Brunch which is held on a sea day during the cruise. You 'should' receive an invitation delivered to your cabin.

 

Thanks for taking the time to read and answer my question. I look forward to cruising on HAL and my wife is looking forward to receiving a tile.

[George C]

We have sailed in suites on Hal . Celebrity and RCCL, Hal really needs to improve there benefits at least there should be a daily cocktail party, love the RCCL perks lounge with drinks daily, and preferred seating for shows and pool. But did miss breakfast at Pinnacle which is a much nicer restaurant than chops. Booked on another RCCL grand suite for next month

[sail7seas]

We have sailed in suites on Hal . Celebrity and RCCL, Hal really needs to improve there benefits at least there should be a daily cocktail party, love the RCCL perks lounge with drinks daily, and preferred seating for shows and pool. But did miss breakfast at Pinnacle which is a much nicer restaurant than chops. Booked on another RCCL grand suite for next month

 

I don't think they need to make dramatic changes to suite benefits nor do I expect they will in the foreseeable future....... though, we have not yet learned much about the plans by the new President of HAL.

 

I actually wouldn't want a cocktail party every night. A few are great and we always enjoy them but I also really like having pre-dinner cocktails in Ocean Bar, Pinnacle Bar, Silk Den etc I have no problem accepting a complimentary glass or two :) but a cocktail party every night is more than I want.

 

So..... therein lies the rub. Everyone likely has one or two features they would like but how many of us would agree? They can't offer all of us everything we want so some extras they might provide could well mean little to some/many of us?? No?

 

Edited March 8, 2015 by sail7seas

[scamper]

I don't think they need to make dramatic changes to suite benefits nor do I expect they will in the foreseeable future....... though, we have not yet learned much about the plans by the new President of HAL.

 

I actually wouldn't want a cocktail party every night. A few are great and we always enjoy them but I also really like having pre-dinner cocktails in Ocean Bar, Pinnacle Bar, Silk Den etc I have no problem accepting a complimentary glass or two :) but a cocktail party every night is more than I want.

 

So..... therein lies the rub. Everyone likely has one or two features they would like but how many of us would agree? They can't offer all of us everything we want so some extras they might provide could well mean little to some/many of us?? No?

 

 

I think George's point is, HAL should look at what the other lines are offering their high fare paying passengers and consider them for future new builds and existing ships.

 

They probably are in actuality.

 

I have looked at Celebrity in the past, before they put concierge lounges and private dining rooms on their ships and thought to myself, "Yes, but there's no Neptune Lounge equivalent, or the suite was smaller, or they don't offer included laundry and dry cleaning, and thought, 'nope, you like the benefits on HAL'" and I skipped right back to the "Dutch." But, in many cases, the other lines are starting to, what I feel, catch up with HAL and are starting to offer perks that equal and exceed what HAL offers. HAL is going to be left behind. Plus, if you have ever done a side by side comparison of what other comparable lines offer their loyalty club passengers, HAL's offering are more...frugal...than the others.

 

Admittedly, the perks I like are probably different than what you might like. However, there is such a thing as making customers feel appreciated. I don't think I would be wrong that more passengers will have at least one cocktail or one glass of wine during the evening, not including wine with dinner. Many of them might feel a bit more appreciated if the line treated them to that drink. Especially since they most likely paid $7,000+ for the suite they're sleeping in.

 

Celebrity, for my money, is the only line that is most comparable to HAL in close to every respect. I am not considering "jumping ship;" I love HAL. But now that X ships are offering a private dining room and have a concierge lounge in their ships, in many cases at a lower fare, or at least comparable, I will give X much more consideration than I did previously.

Edited March 8, 2015 by scamper

[cruz chic]

I think George's point is, HAL should look at what the other lines are offering their high fare paying passengers and consider them for future new builds and existing ships.

 

They probably are in actuality.

 

I have looked at Celebrity in the past, before they put concierge lounges and private dining rooms on their ships and thought to myself, "Yes, but there's no Neptune Lounge equivalent, or the suite was smaller, or they don't offer included laundry and dry cleaning, and thought, 'nope, you like the benefits on HAL'" and I skipped right back to the "Dutch." But, in many cases, the other lines are starting to, what I feel, catch up with HAL and are starting to offer perks that equal and exceed what HAL offers. HAL is going to be left behind. Plus, if you have ever done a side by side comparison of what other comparable lines offer their loyalty club passengers, HAL's offering are more...frugal...than the others.

 

Admittedly, the perks I like are probably different than what you might like. However, there is such a thing as making customers feel appreciated. I don't think I would be wrong that more passengers will have at least one cocktail or one glass of wine during the evening, not including wine with dinner. Many of them might feel a bit more appreciated if the line treated them to that drink. Especially since they most likely paid $7,000+ for the suite they're sleeping in.

 

Celebrity, for my money, is the only line that is most comparable to HAL in close to every respect. I am not considering "jumping ship;" I love HAL. But now that X ships are offering a private dining room and have a concierge lounge in their ships, in many cases at a lower fare, or at least comparable, I will give X much more consideration than I did previously.

 

I don't think celebrity is at all comparable to hal. I've taken a couple of celebrity cruises and I have no intention of going as they have a poor product. I know a couple of free drinks really rate highly for some. It doesn't do a thing for me.

[sail7seas]

I think George's point is, HAL should look at what the other lines are offering their high fare paying passengers and consider them for future new builds and existing ships.

 

They probably are in actuality.

 

I have looked at Celebrity in the past, before they put concierge lounges and private dining rooms on their ships and thought to myself, "Yes, but there's no Neptune Lounge equivalent, or the suite was smaller, or they don't offer included laundry and dry cleaning, and thought, 'nope, you like the benefits on HAL'" and I skipped right back to the "Dutch." But, in many cases, the other lines are starting to, what I feel, catch up with HAL and are starting to offer perks that equal and exceed what HAL offers. HAL is going to be left behind. Plus, if you have ever done a side by side comparison of what other comparable lines offer their loyalty club passengers, HAL's offering are more...frugal...than the others.

 

Admittedly, the perks I like are probably different than what you might like. However, there is such a thing as making customers feel appreciated. I don't think I would be wrong that more passengers will have at least one cocktail or one glass of wine during the evening, not including wine with dinner. Many of them might feel a bit more appreciated if the line treated them to that drink. Especially since they most likely paid $7,000+ for the suite they're sleeping in.

 

Celebrity, for my money, is the only line that is most comparable to HAL in close to every respect. I am not considering "jumping ship;" I love HAL. But now that X ships are offering a private dining room and have a concierge lounge in their ships, in many cases at a lower fare, or at least comparable, I will give X much more consideration than I did previously.

 

 

 

That is what is great about having choices.

To many, those amenities are very important. To me, the few that really matter for me on HAL, REALLY matter. I don't need a cocktail party every night, I don't drink soda more than maybe 6 glasses a year, I definitely do not want a butler, (last we sailed Celebrity, I tipped him to stay and away and come only we called),,,,, my point is all those extra things some seek are just fine and if you find them elsewhere, you have a choice to make. Each cruise we book, we may not want exactly the same things. Maybe itinerary is more important one cruise while ship is more so another time.

 

I don't want all cruise lines to be like all the cruise lines. I much prefer to have pick and choose.... pick what you want and choose that. :) We do need to remember there is nothing free on a cruise ship. There are things included in the fare and things we pay for at time of use or consumption. All those extras some people want have to be paid for. ;)

 

 

 

Edited March 8, 2015 by sail7seas

[George C]

Butler is no big thing, another perk that wasn't listed for RCCL was dinner with ships officers, there was a very nice dinner with wine and there was a ships officer at each table Captain also attended.

[sail7seas]

Butler is no big thing, another perk that wasn't listed for RCCL was dinner with ships officers, there was a very nice dinner with wine and there was a ships officer at each table Captain also attended.

 

We've been so fortunate through the years to have enjoyed a great many dinners with Captains, Hotel Managers (Directors), Chief Engineers, Guest Relations Managers, Exec Chefs, etc and cannot agree more it is always a terrific experience. They are almost all very interesting people who have been to so many places, met so many people, have such great stories to share and most are fantastic hosts. :)

 

Edited March 8, 2015 by sail7seas