Club Orange on Zuiderdam?

[twentyknots]

25 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

The question has been asked before and yes, NS will have breakfast in the PG on non Pinnacle ships.

 

On the Pinnacle ships it is in the CO for NS passengers.

 

It’s clearly stated on the HAL website under Club Orange (I believe that’s where I found the link that I have posted previously).

Thats not what the link here says.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/topics/arts-entertainment/exclusive-club-orange-program-will-be-available-on-all-ships-by-october-2019/

[3rdGenCunarder]

41 minutes ago, twentyknots said:

Thats not what the link here says.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/topics/arts-entertainment/exclusive-club-orange-program-will-be-available-on-all-ships-by-october-2019/

 

It's a press release. Given HAL's corporate communication skills, I take it with a grain of salt. For example, this announcement isn't accurate about "private dining" for CO. As CO has rolled out to non-Pinnacle ships, reports here all say that CO get priority access to tables in MDR (which gets no mention in the press release) but are not seated in a private enclave. The blurb also says "designated section" which maybe happening, but it is not private. 

 

As CO moves across the fleet, PG breakfast for Neptune and Pinnacle Suites remains intact. NS/PS passengers have been very concerned and asked repeatedly. Posters here have experienced PG breakfast on ships with CO and some have asked PG managers about this and have been told that the PG breakfast is staying, except for the 2 ships with the separate CO restaurant. 

 

I'd rather believe actual experience from posters I know than a press release written by "Julie," whoever she is.

 

Taking away PG breakfast will devalue the Neptune Suite significantly. Even HAL isn't that stupid.

 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, twentyknots said:

Thats not what the link here says.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/topics/arts-entertainment/exclusive-club-orange-program-will-be-available-on-all-ships-by-october-2019/

 

the link I previously provided was not to Captain Albert’s blog (which says nothing about Neptune Suites).

 

The link I found was very specific.  Just search my posts and I’m sure you will find it.  

 

And, as 3rdbgencunarder states, we’ve had enough posts by CC members who have been on non Pinnacle ships that breakfast for NS was in the Pinnacle.

[AncientWanderer]

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/news/2019-press-releases/news-20190911-ClubOrangeExpand19.html

 

This may be what kazu posted.  It's current CO info from HAL.  Doesn't answer all questions, but most.

[kazu]

32 minutes ago, AncientWanderer said:

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/news/2019-press-releases/news-20190911-ClubOrangeExpand19.html

 

This may be what kazu posted.  It's current CO info from HAL.  Doesn't answer all questions, but most.

thanks, I found my post.

 

I got it on HAL site at the time but more importantly it’s clear on the latest cruise atlas.

 

Ironically the same poster who is currently challenging my statement is the same one whose question I answered on September 11th. 🙄

 

Copy of their question and my reply below:

 

On 9/11/2019 at 10:59 AM,  twentyknots said:

Where would I find this explanation on Hal's website?

 

Latest version of the Cruise atlas page 21 - https://digital.cenveomobile.com/publication/?i=606175&p=&pn=#{"issue_id":606175,"page":22}

 

 

There is another spot on the HAL site which specifically states CO for Koningsdam, N Statendam & the new ships and PG for the rest of the fleet, but I can’t lay my hands on it right now.

[twentyknots]

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

 

As CO moves across the fleet, PG breakfast for Neptune and Pinnacle Suites remains intact. NS/PS passengers have been very concerned and asked repeatedly. Posters here have experienced PG breakfast on ships with CO and some have asked PG managers about this and have been told that the PG breakfast is staying, except for the 2 ships with the separate CO restaurant. 

 

I'd rather believe actual experience from posters I know than a press release written by "Julie," whoever she is.

 

Taking away PG breakfast will devalue the Neptune Suite significantly. Even HAL isn't that stupid.

 

This sounds encouraging.  Final payment is due tomorrow for our December cruise on the Zuiderdam in NS 5191. Some recent issues have caused us to strongly consider not doing this cruise but we're on the fence and must decide tomorrow.  If I thought the PG for breakfast would not be offered on this cruise, that would be enough for me to cancel, but my wife is more open-minded than I am about this.  She'd give the CO a try.

 

[AncientWanderer]

33 minutes ago, twentyknots said:

This sounds encouraging.  Final payment is due tomorrow for our December cruise on the Zuiderdam in NS 5191. Some recent issues have caused us to strongly consider not doing this cruise but we're on the fence and must decide tomorrow.  If I thought the PG for breakfast would not be offered on this cruise, that would be enough for me to cancel, but my wife is more open-minded than I am about this.  She'd give the CO a try.

 

 

In no way wishing to step into a domestic dispute, and really going against popular opinion here on CC, I am there with your wife in keeping an open mind.  Our experience has been that the PG has some difficulties in timely delivery of hot, fresh breakfasts.  I have no idea why -- perhaps consolidation of kitchen facilities and cooks with MDR for breakfast service.  

If we could have a calm, unhurried breakfast with an enhanced menu in an uncrowded portion of the MDR, with the sea outside the windows, we would enjoy that very much. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

35 minutes ago, twentyknots said:

This sounds encouraging.  Final payment is due tomorrow for our December cruise on the Zuiderdam in NS 5191. Some recent issues have caused us to strongly consider not doing this cruise but we're on the fence and must decide tomorrow.  If I thought the PG for breakfast would not be offered on this cruise, that would be enough for me to cancel, but my wife is more open-minded than I am about this.  She'd give the CO a try.

 

 

I think CO is worth it on the 2 newest ships because the separate location with the on-site cooked-to-order breakfast is fantastic. But for any other ship, I wouldn't bother. 

 

I understand how you feel about possibly having the PG breakfast taken away on your cruise. I'd feel the same way. I just cancelled my trip to Florida on Amtrak pre/post cruise because they got rid of the traditional dining car food and have substituted microwave "bowls," the kind of thing you can buy in your supermarket for $3 or $4. It's like going from MDR food to airline food--and it's a 24-hour trip. When I booked the trip, I thought I'd get a cooked breakfast, not a microwaved egg mcmuffin and a steak for dinner, not a bowl of stew. The whole ambiance of the dining car has changed (I've already experienced it on the train to Chicago). Fast food makes it less social. Instead of relaxing and chatting (like in the ship's MDR), people just down their food and scurry back to their sleeping quarters.  So, although I don't love flying, I voted with my wallet, as the saying goes.  I'm going to fly to Florida. (And yes, I did tell Amtrak why I cancelled, not that they care.)

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

3 minutes ago, AncientWanderer said:

 

In no way wishing to step into a domestic dispute, and really going against popular opinion here on CC, I am there with your wife in keeping an open mind.  Our experience has been that the PG has some difficulties in timely delivery of hot, fresh breakfasts.  I have no idea why -- perhaps consolidation of kitchen facilities and cooks with MDR for breakfast service.  

If we could have a calm, unhurried breakfast with an enhanced menu in an uncrowded portion of the MDR, with the sea outside the windows, we would enjoy that very much. 

 

The only time I had issues in a PG breakfast was on the K'dam. Hovering servers crashed into each other dumping my OJ all over me the first morning. Items missing from the breakfast. Once, I didn't get my main course at all. And nobody hanging around to ask for it. It was so bad, we  went to the MDR for breakfast the next morning. And of course, PG found out because we had to give our cabin number. They called and apologized and begged us to come back. When we gave it a second try, the woman in charge said nothing to us. Instead, she sent a server to apologize. This poor girl had not been the bad server and was not the person who should have apologized. That responsibility should have been management's. 

[AncientWanderer]

47 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

The only time I had issues in a PG breakfast was on the K'dam. Hovering servers crashed into each other dumping my OJ all over me the first morning. Items missing from the breakfast. Once, I didn't get my main course at all. And nobody hanging around to ask for it. It was so bad, we  went to the MDR for breakfast the next morning. And of course, PG found out because we had to give our cabin number. They called and apologized and begged us to come back. When we gave it a second try, the woman in charge said nothing to us. Instead, she sent a server to apologize. This poor girl had not been the bad server and was not the person who should have apologized. That responsibility should have been management's. 

 

Well, we all know that nothing is as consistent across the fleet as inconsistency, so I believe you that most of the time they do a good job!  

 

[twentyknots]

On 9/24/2019 at 10:49 AM, twentyknots said:

This sounds encouraging.  Final payment is due tomorrow for our December cruise on the Zuiderdam in NS 5191. Some recent issues have caused us to strongly consider not doing this cruise but we're on the fence and must decide tomorrow.  If I thought the PG for breakfast would not be offered on this cruise, that would be enough for me to cancel, but my wife is more open-minded than I am about this.  She'd give the CO a try.

 

We decided to cancel.  My wife loves cruising; I like cruising. She finds enjoyment in many venues on the ships and simply relaxing on the huge 5191 NS verandah; my pleasures are more limited. We both like the PG for breakfast and the Neptune lounge.  The possibility of eliminating the PG breakfast is a negative.  It's not paramount, nor is it a certainty, but it is unknown and therefore in the negative column.  I love to play BJ and it's a highlight of cruising for me, but on recent Holland cruises the casino has been a disappointment for me.  I like a full lively table but Holland has become more subdued.  Many times the tables just have one or two players.  We have been all over the Caribbean many, many times so nothing new or interesting to visit for us.  The pros and cons were close, but in the end the cons won.

[*Miss G*]

It sounds like you have made the right choice for you.  I am not sure why you continue to think the PG breakfast is an unknown though.  The only ships where a NS does not have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill is the Koningsdam and the Nieuw Statendam.  The rest of the fleet is status quo.

[Walfam]

Bumping up the well-worn out topic of CO.

 

If anyone has sailed on the Zuiderdam since CO roll out ---  is it a roped off area in the MDR?      Have you seen it with your own eyes?  I'm not asking about any other ship, just the Zuiderdam.

 

We are cruising with a small group of next fall.  They're all in NS and we are in a SS, so we are not privvy to CO benefits.  

 

Trying to link seating for dinner will  be an issue, unless friends are willing to step down to main MDR seating.   I need to know, so we can plan accordingly.  

 

Thanks!

[LLRS1]

We just got off the Zuiderdam on Nov. 10, and Club Orange wasn't a separate area of the dining room.  We were seated at tables with others some nights (our choice), and we were given the Club Orange menus while others at the table had the regular menus.  We chose the CO special menu item about half the time and they were all very good.

[*Miss G*]

36 minutes ago, LLRS1 said:

We just got off the Zuiderdam on Nov. 10, and Club Orange wasn't a separate area of the dining room.  We were seated at tables with others some nights (our choice), and we were given the Club Orange menus while others at the table had the regular menus.  We chose the CO special menu item about half the time and they were all very good.

 

Thanks for the report.  Were they premium tables in the same area each night or were they just random any old where?

[Walfam]

1 hour ago, LLRS1 said:

We just got off the Zuiderdam on Nov. 10, and Club Orange wasn't a separate area of the dining room.  We were seated at tables with others some nights (our choice), and we were given the Club Orange menus while others at the table had the regular menus.  We chose the CO special menu item about half the time and they were all very good.

 

Thank you.   I was wondering if  ropes in the MDR were installed during the early December dry dock.

[LLRS1]

We always were seated at a nice table, whether we requested to sit with others or at a table for two.  When we sat with others they didn't have the CO menus so it wasn't a specific section of the dining room.  There is a separate podium for CO so you don't need to wait in line for a table.  We were always seated immediately.