New Club Orange

[Crew News]

Just received the following offer for my Konigsdam cruise departing Dec 10, 2018.  Looks similar to the "Suite Amenities" package.  Cost is $50 p/p double occupancy required. 

 

INTRODUCING OUR EXCLUSIVE NEW ONBOARD PROGRAM
Club Orange offers an added level of luxury on board Holland America Line ships
with priority access & exclusive amenities. Enhance your cruise with:
ORANGE PASS PRIORITY ACCESS:
Priority check-in, Dedicated Guest Services desk, Priority access to specialty
restaurant reservations, Dedicated EXC Tours desk, Priority access to tenders
ashore in select ports, Priority disembarkation.

CLUB ORANGE AMENITIES:
Private dining venue for breakfast and dinner with expanded menu, Premium inroom
dining breakfast menu, Dedicated Concierge Hotline access, Welcome glass
of sparkling wine at dinner on embarkation day, Premium bathrobes, Club
Orange Key Card, Exclusive Club Orange Tote Bag (one per stateroom)

Edited October 25, 2018 by Crew News

[SusieKIslandGirl]

Sounds somewhat similar to Carnival's Faster to the Fun program but does include a few more perks.

[OlsSalt]

Will Club Orange suffer the same fate as 5 star perks - often there are so many 5 stars onboard some of the Mariner perks are rendered useless.  Or will this Club Orange perk supercede 5 star priority tender etc?

[VennDiagram]

" Private dining venue for breakfast and dinner with expanded menu, Premium inroom
dining breakfast menu, "

 

Oh I like the sound of that!  Well worth the small upcharge.

[Crew News]

2 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Will Club Orange suffer the same fate as 5 star perks - often there are so many 5 stars onboard some of the Mariner perks are rendered useless.  Or will this Club Orange perk supercede 5 star priority tender etc?

 

It appears to me that Club Orange will be implemented during the drydock week just prior to my cruise.  I will do my best to discover all of the details and report back to CC.  As a solo traveler, $100 a day for a better breakfast and dinner menu is not appealing.

 

I will inquire about the tendering but will not see it in action until our last cruise day in HMC.

 

[RocketMan275]

49 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Will Club Orange suffer the same fate as 5 star perks - often there are so many 5 stars onboard some of the Mariner perks are rendered useless.  Or will this Club Orange perk supercede 5 star priority tender etc?

Suspect it will be capacity controlled.

[Vict0riann]

Well, I'm not sure if US$1600 for a sixteen day cruise would be a price we would pay!

[VennDiagram]

4 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Well, I'm not sure if US$1600 for a sixteen day cruise would be a price we would pay!

 

I was thinking 7 or 10 day cruise when I called it a "small upcharge"  😊

[OlsSalt]

Then Club Orange will further erode five star "benefits". As if most of them mattered that much at this point anyway - but don't take away "free laundry". 

Edited October 25, 2018 by OlsSalt

[gigianne]

Looks like they are now charging for what I earned by cruising mainly on HAL and reaching 5 star.   The hurdles they are putting in front of us even before we get to the gangplank are more and more.  And, yes I know that there are other cruise line to choose from.

[SusieKIslandGirl]

48 minutes ago, Vict0riann said:

Well, I'm not sure if US$1600 for a sixteen day cruise would be a price we would pay!

If it's at all similar to the Carnival program the cost is for the entire cruise, not per day.  So hopefully it wouldn't be a pricey add-on. And the Carnival program has a set limit of available spots.

[rkacruiser]

If this new "amenity" dilutes or replaces the 5 Star Mariner benefits,  I would be a voice in opposition to it.

[57redbird]

Is this offered only on the K-dam & is the charge per person or per day?...the OP said p/p.  

[Vict0riann]

Well, if it is $50 per person for the entire cruise, then I think it would be worth it, in fact $50 seems low.  I took it to be per day.  Will have to check.

 

(We will be on the Nieuw Statendam - have not had any notification from HAL about it.)

Edited October 25, 2018 by Vict0riann

[0bnxshs]

Here's a lead balloon going overhead.  This will likely bring much displeasure to many of us I think.  I already don't like it; it seems to bring a return of the classes of access back to HAL.  Why bother with Mariner status if all you have to do is dig deeply during your first cruise into your wallet for many of the same benefits as high Mariner benefits?

 

Bad move on HALs part IMO.....

[OlsSalt]

Good survey to find which "benefits" high point Mariners even use.

 

We don't bother with most of them. Laundry, priority boarding and tenders occasionally for us. The "free" Pinnacle dinner occasionally whether we like the Pinnacle or not - which more often we do not. The rest makes no difference to us. Oh yes, the occasional shop discount on HAL logo wear. 

 

We sail HAL to sail HAL - because of the itineraries, the prices and always wonderful onboard service.

 

 

Edited October 25, 2018 by OlsSalt

[VennDiagram]

Now that we are 4*, the only benefits we are interested in are laundry, and wine discount.  Someone else can use our priority tendering, which will keep space available for two 4 or 5 * Mariners 🙂

[VictOriann]

Here’s what our PCC just sent:

 

 

[ellieanne]

Ohh great, another way to separate passengers into classes. I am sure this is going to make tendering moe complicated than it already is. Who has PRIORITY priority tendering -- the Club Orange person or the 5* Mariner? And how will it work, will the Club Orange people be allowed to jump in the queue the way 5* Mariners can -- the the absolute ire of many people who got a tender ticket and were then denied boarding a tender because of last minute Priority Passengers?

 

And will some Club Orange people, like some 5* Mariners, feel that Priority extends to any and all lines on the ship -- for example in the Lido or at the Front Desk?

 

I don't like it. One of the best things about HAL was they didn't class passengers this way. And I am really sorry they've caved to the other lines and started doing it. It's soon going to be that steerage passengers won't be able to use the Lido Pool or sit in certain areas or go to the fan deck to watch sail-away because those areas will be considered "Premium" experiences.

[Crew News]

1 hour ago, 57redbird said:

Is this offered only on the K-dam & is the charge per person or per day?...the OP said p/p.  

 

Konigsdam will be the first ship to include the Club Orange as it will be in dyrdock the first week of December to receive the upgrade.  Here is more of the offer from HAL that I did not think to post here on CC:

 

"TO PURCHASE CLUB ORANGE FOR US$50 PER PERSON PER DAY, PLEASE CALL US AT 1-888-628-8107 OR 206-626-7381.

 

TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR ALL UPGRADE OFFERS
Offers are per person, double occupancy, and apply only to 1st and 2nd guests sharing a stateroom. Singles are 200% of double rate. Offers are first come, first served; capacity controlled; and may be modified or withdrawn without prior notice. On all sailings, including Grand Voyages, promotional or stateroom amenities are based on the non-discounted category paid, not the upgraded stateroom category. Preferred Limited Upgrade Special offers do not qualify for the double cruise day credits under the Mariner Society Loyalty Program. By accepting this offer, guests who have purchased Cruise Protection, either Platinum or Standard, are responsible for any increase in cost of the coverage based on the upgrade price."

Edited October 25, 2018 by Crew News

[Krazy Kruizers]

I really don't like the sounds of this -- especially for 7 day cruises.  I see many people willing to pay the $50 per person, per day for this.  Thus everything will be more crowded -- tendering lines for example -- special area for breakfast and dinner. 

[57redbird]

Thanks Crew News...

[SusieKIslandGirl]

The per person per day makes it a lot more expensive than a flat rate per cruise. And with all the questions on how it will all work, it sounds like an expensive mess waiting to happen.

[rkacruiser]

Anyone reading this in Seattle from a 5 Star Mariner:  This Club Orange concept is ill-conceived.  Just as the "improvement" on the aft decks of the Rotterdam and the Veendam proved to be "less than a wonderful idea",  this Club Orange nonsense fits into that same category.

[erewhon]

Thank you for posting the information about Club Orange.

Hope it will not be available on all ships.