neptune privilèges extended to friends?

[Jacqueline]

The coffee maker is nice if I am far from the lounge. I had to take a guarantee as I booked late.

My daughter gave me the brilliant idea of taking a travel mug with me to get coffee on our last trip.

It was 14 Sea days out of 16, so that as a handy idea! Kept it hot and I didnt spill it all over myself.

Anyone with a mobility issue should get priory boarding IMHO. Too many things can go wrong otherwise, I mean we are all going to get on the ship, it people are excited and not so mindful of others at embarkation.

[bUU]

I mean we are all going to get on the ship, it people are excited and not so mindful of others at embarkation.

I think the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the cruise ship offers lunch on embarkation day.

[Jacqueline]

RIght! Because there will never be another meal ;)

[kazu]

RIght! Because there will never be another meal ;)

 

LOL. I think the check out time of hotels has more to do with when people arrive than the lunch does, but I have been wrong before ;)

[sail7seas]

I think the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the cruise ship offers lunch on embarkation day.

 

 

I think it a factor that cruise lines sell priority embarkation as a feature fsr bookling a suite and liet it as perks of being a high number of days repeat cruiser. They cannot sell something they will give away an cannot c all it a benecit of having previously sail ed a great number of days.

Edited January 31, 2017 by sail7seas

[DaveOKC]

I did think of that option... but tbe "kids" are getting married in May....

The perks aren't enough to compensate for the crowding, having one bathroom etc.

Maybe you missed my idea - you end up with two cabins anyway, but by booking the kids in with you in the Neptune you all get the Perks.

 

It would cost a bit more, but may be worth it.

[3rdGenCunarder]

A few years ago we were in line, wearing an "S" tag.

We were taken out of the line and brought to the suite line along with my adult daughter and her boyfriend (who were in a balcony cabin).

 

We didn't ask for this privilege -- but we were given it.

Perhaps because DH was in a wheelchair?

 

Yes, the wheelchair probably was the reason. The first people to board (I think the exact order may vary) are 4*, 5*, NS & PS, and people needing assistance. It makes sense to get the people needing assistance onto the ship asap. They often move more slowly, and once there are larger numbers of people boarding, the risk of getting trampled increases. :eek:

 

LOL. I think the check out time of hotels has more to do with when people arrive than the lunch does, but I have been wrong before ;)

 

It definitely factors into our arrival time.

Edited January 31, 2017 by 3rdGenCunarder

[Oceanwench]

But the point is, I was a suite passenger, so entitled to early boarding anyway!

 

We were accompanied by two people who were not suite pax, and they were given the same priority boarding.

 

I think it all boils down to the shoreside people. Some are very pleasant and accommodating and some are not.

[richwmn]

LOL. I think the check out time of hotels has more to do with when people arrive than the lunch does, but I have been wrong before ;)

 

It definitely factors into our arrival time.

 

Also, what time the hotel chooses to run the shuttle if you use it. One hotel I stayed at required all shuttle passengers for all ships to be ready at the same time - seems like it was 10am. They had several large busses and sorted people by ship.

 

Another hotel had only 1 or two shuttle times.

[3rdGenCunarder]

But the point is, I was a suite passenger, so entitled to early boarding anyway!

 

We were accompanied by two people who were not suite pax, and they were given the same priority boarding.

 

I think it all boils down to the shoreside people. Some are very pleasant and accommodating and some are not.

 

That certainly is true of Cunard! In NY, if some people are past-passenger priority and others traveling with them are not, only the priority passengers can get priority check-in. In Brooklyn, they can be downright nasty. In December, we were Diamond and in the Grills (double priority!) and were hassled getting into the Priority cattle pen--and we weren't asking to take any extra people with us.

 

In Southampton several years ago, we asked about it, as we were diamond and our friends weren't, and the woman at the door was aghast at the thought of splitting us up. "Of COURSE, your friends may check in with you."

 

So all you can do is ask, and be prepared to be nice about it if they say no.

[Hlitner]

I think the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the cruise ship offers lunch on embarkation day.

 

Ahh. So would your purpose that no food be available on embarkation day? Perhaps a forced one-day starvation diet :D

 

Hank

[bUU]

LOL. I think the check out time of hotels has more to do with when people arrive than the lunch does, but I have been wrong before ;)

Arrival isn't so much the issue, though, as much as getting on-board the ship. If they didn't serve lunch aboard ship, and instead offered a catered lunch in the terminal, that could make some inroads with regard to this issue.

[kazu]

Arrival isn't so much the issue, though, as much as getting on-board the ship. If they didn't serve lunch aboard ship, and instead offered a catered lunch in the terminal, that could make some inroads with regard to this issue.

 

Uggh. We did that once in Civi because the ship was being deep cleaned. No thanks. :(. Very unappetizing and inedible. Thankfully, they opened the Lido when we boarded at 2 pm.

Edited February 1, 2017 by kazu

[RocketMan275]

Arrival isn't so much the issue, though, as much as getting on-board the ship. If they didn't serve lunch aboard ship, and instead offered a catered lunch in the terminal, that could make some inroads with regard to this issue.

 

My gosh, where would they serve a catered lunch? The terminal would quickly turn into an even worse scene than the Lido.

 

The only way they will ever deal with congestion at embarkation is to assign times to enter the terminal and to strictly enforce those times. Wonder how that would go over.

[3rdGenCunarder]

My gosh, where would they serve a catered lunch? The terminal would quickly turn into an even worse scene than the Lido.

 

The only way they will ever deal with congestion at embarkation is to assign times to enter the terminal and to strictly enforce those times. Wonder how that would go over.

 

[bold is mine] Like a lead balloon, as my father used to say!

 

The problem with enforcement of times is what to do with the people who show up early. There would have to be a pre-checkin holding area for the earlybirds, and few terminals are set up that way.

[jtl513]

The only way they will ever deal with congestion at embarkation is to assign times to enter the terminal and to strictly enforce those times. Wonder how that would go over.

Did the scheduled time bit once on Disney, except they didn't enforce it. It didn't work well IMO because everyone showed up early, it seemed to me. It took us 45 minutes from parking the car in a garage to get to the check-in desk. :( Edited February 1, 2017 by jtl513

[RocketMan275]

[bold is mine] Like a lead balloon, as my father used to say!

 

The problem with enforcement of times is what to do with the people who show up early. There would have to be a pre-checkin holding area for the earlybirds, and few terminals are set up that way.

 

Shouldn't be a problem once the word gets out that the scheduled arrival times are being enforced.

 

It would generate some amusing threads on cruise critic.

 

"But my flight arrives at 0400, why can't I board the ship until 1500?"

"I"m five stars, booked in a suite, and have priority boarding. Why can't I bring that very nice family of 37 I met in baggage claim on with me?"

Edited February 1, 2017 by RocketMan275

[RocketMan275]

Did the scheduled time bit once on Disney, except they didn't enforce it. It didn't work well IMO because everyone showed up early, it seemed to me. It took us 45 minutes from parking the car to get to the check-in desk. :(

 

Of course it won't work until it's enforced.

 

There really isn't another way to deal with the congestion. Either you put up with it or enforce arrival times.

[jtl513]

Of course it won't work until it's enforced.

It won't work if it is enforced. You'll just have a mob milling around outside the doors.

 

On the Koningsdam 4-day in Nov we were told that boarding would be delayed until 2:00 because of required inspections. People ignored it. We drove up to the terminal around 11:00 just to drop off our bags before going off-port for lunch. It was jammed with people outside then, and more were coming out of taxis.

.

Edited February 1, 2017 by jtl513

[Tampa Girl]

My gosh, where would they serve a catered lunch? The terminal would quickly turn into an even worse scene than the Lido.

 

The only way they will ever deal with congestion at embarkation is to assign times to enter the terminal and to strictly enforce those times. Wonder how that would go over.

 

Cunard does that. At least that was the way it was done in May, in boarding the Queen Mary in Southampton. Those foolish enough to arrive hours earlier just sat there, quietly. Cunard specifically advised passengers not to arrive before their boarding times. I don't see that the problem would be if HAL did the same.

[Tampa Girl]

I think the problem is exacerbated by the fact that the cruise ship offers lunch on embarkation day.

 

You really think that the lunch is the reason people are anxious to get aboard? What cruise lines do not offer lunch on embarkation day? I want to avoid them.

 

Honestly, I never found that boarding was a problem, with one exception. In 2008 we boarded the Statendam in Auckland, and the shore people simply were not organized. But, even then, boarding was not chaotic, it was simply delayed. The local HAL employees boarded us by color (passes, not skin!)

Edited February 1, 2017 by Tampa Girl

[jtl513]

On the Koningsdam 4-day in Nov we were told that boarding would be delayed until 2:00 because of required inspections.

p.s. - we had times assigned by deck, starting at 2:00 and extending to 4:00 IIRC. Sailing wasn't scheduled until 10:00 pm, so there was no reason for a rush to get on. Edited February 1, 2017 by jtl513

[cruisemom42]

You really think that the lunch is the reason people are anxious to get aboard?

 

Given the number of people who mention it on this site as a reason they get to port early, I would have to come to that conclusion.

 

Whenever I mention -- especially in regard to European cruises -- that there is no need to madly rush to embark on the ship, but instead suggest spending a solid morning sightseeing instead (e.g., in Rome) and then a nice lunch before going to the port, you'd be amazed how many people say things like "But I want to get my money's worth out of the cruise," or "But we already paid for lunch onboard ship..."

[RocketMan275]

It won't work if it is enforced. You'll just have a mob milling around outside the doors.

 

That could be worked.

Edited February 1, 2017 by RocketMan275

[igraf]

You paid 100% for the Neptune stateroom more so than 200% for a person. The extra perks like breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill are not cost drivers.

 

igraf

 

 

 

 

 

I am sailing alone in my Neptrune Suite and as a solo, I will go to Pinnalce for breakfast. Of c ourse, I have paid double f or that privilege. I paid 200 % for me and seeing I am alone in the suite, I will only occupy one seat in pinnacle at breaKFast. I sincerely hope no one embarrasses me an d askss if they can occupy the seat that will remain vacant seeing I will be alone in my cabin. I am not likely to even consider i t but I wonder what HAL would say to that.This could be viewed as the reverse of OP's question. I paid for twov but will only occupy for one person.

Edited February 1, 2017 by igraf