Club Orange on the Westerdam?

[rdwinelvr]

Has anyone experienced Club Orange on the Westerdam since it was implemented?  I saw an earlier post showing it was scheduled to go live on 8/11/19.  I'm looking for any info on how it has worked since it has been implemented.  Also curious if you can still have breakfast in the Pinnacle if you have a Neptune Suite.

 

Thanks!

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, rdwinelvr said:

Has anyone experienced Club Orange on the Westerdam since it was implemented?  I saw an earlier post showing it was scheduled to go live on 8/11/19.  I'm looking for any info on how it has worked since it has been implemented.  Also curious if you can still have breakfast in the Pinnacle if you have a Neptune Suite.

 

Thanks!

 

Can’t help with the first part but, according to reports here as well as the HAL site’s explanation of Club Orange, those in Neptune Suites still have breakfast in the Pinnacle on the non-Pinnacle class ships.

[SilvertoGold]

Westerdam Suite breakfast in the Pinnacle; Club Orange has a separate line to the MDR for Breakfast and Dinner, which gives priority seating there, no separate area, just no line-up.

Edited September 10, 2019 by SilvertoGold

[3rdGenCunarder]

1 hour ago, SilvertoGold said:

Westerdam Suite breakfast in the Pinnacle; Club Orange has a separate line to the MDR for Breakfast and Dinner, which gives priority seating there, no separate area, just no line-up.

 

Did you have any sense that CO priority entry to the dining room added to the wait time for others?

 

Do Neptune and Pinnacle suites get this perk? When I was in a Neptune on K'dam this winter, I was told that Neptune suites get all the CO amenities. I didn't think much about it at the time, as the CO perks mostly overlapped the suite priority perks (embarkation and tendering).  Dining room access didn't matter since there was a separate CO dining room. 

 

I usually do fixed dining, so it doesn't affect me. I'm just curious about how it's getting implemented around the fleet. It sounds like CO makes anytime dining truly ANY time.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2019 by 3rdGenCunarder

[SilvertoGold]

 

1 hour ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

 

I saw only a few pax at the priority line for the MDR, same for the Front Desk.  I did notice that there is an Assistant DRM assigned to the CO podium, so CO doesn't take away the Hosts at the regular podium.  At the Front Desk CO would most likely create longer wait times if there were many COs there at one time.

 

I thought the Suite perks and CO's overlapped, other than Suites get the Pinnacle for breakfast.  I do know the very nice new bags are the same, except "Club Orange" is printed one the Co ones.

[3rdGenCunarder]

29 minutes ago, SilvertoGold said:

 

 

I saw only a few pax at the priority line for the MDR, same for the Front Desk.  I did notice that there is an Assistant DRM assigned to the CO podium, so CO doesn't take away the Hosts at the regular podium.  At the Front Desk CO would most likely create longer wait times if there were many COs there at one time.

 

I thought the Suite perks and CO's overlapped, other than Suites get the Pinnacle for breakfast.  I do know the very nice new bags are the same, except "Club Orange" is printed one the Co ones.

 

New bags are nice? Good to hear--I'd heard rumors of plastic. 😱

[SilvertoGold]

4 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

New bags are nice? Good to hear--I'd heard rumors of plastic. 😱

 

Only for Suites and CO.  The other new ones (for everyone else)  are horrid, crinkly plastic.  I guess those are sort of waterproof, which is a plus, but no zipper as the new Suite and CO ones have.

[rdwinelvr]

The Club Orange bag we got with our Neptune Suite on the Nieuw Statendam in May 2019 was worse than the regular ones.  The bag broke after my husband used it for one day.  🙁

[SilvertoGold]

17 minutes ago, rdwinelvr said:

The Club Orange bag we got with our Neptune Suite on the Nieuw Statendam in May 2019 was worse than the regular ones.  The bag broke after my husband used it for one day.  🙁

 

What broke?  They looked quite sturdy to me so I am surprised to hear this.

[rdwinelvr]

The fabric split, not even on a seam.  It was full, but wasn't overly stuffed.  Could have been a bad batch I guess.  

[PSR]

6 hours ago, SilvertoGold said:

Westerdam Suite breakfast in the Pinnacle; Club Orange has a separate line to the MDR for Breakfast and Dinner, which gives priority seating there, no separate area, just no line-up.

 

We also were just on the Westerdam, but had fixed dining and were in a suite. As far as I could tell, the CO line was only in the open seating dining room (only observed at dinner, assume breakfast was the same). We were next to an open table, and about 3 times had different guess sit there; may have been from the CO program. We DID get the special CO menu, but only on 2 nights of 6. Two other nights were GALA, so no extended menu, and no CO on embarkation night. On our 7th night we had a complimentary PG dinner, so they may have had the CO menu that night also. We did not get a special CO type bag in our suite, only the crinkly plastic one which we did not use. Not sure why we did not get the fancy bag, but I actually forgot to ask...had forgotten about it.

 

I also want to confirm that the PG was available for suite passengers...YES! 😁

[twentyknots]

21 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Can’t help with the first part but, according to reports here as well as the HAL site’s explanation of Club Orange, those in Neptune Suites still have breakfast in the Pinnacle on the non-Pinnacle class ships.

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

[3rdGenCunarder]

31 minutes ago, twentyknots said:

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

 

I can't find verification about the PG breakfast on HAL's website. But based on several reports here, N/P suite breakfast is still in the Pinnacle Grill, except on K'dam and NS which have the dedicated CO restaurant.

 

Here's the info on club orange: 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/dining/club-orange.html

[terrydtx]

Sounds like the CO on the non Pinnacle class ships will be a joke and not worthy of the extra daily cost for non Neptune suites guests. Does HAL think a portion of the MDR for CO designation and cloth bags is really an upgrade? This will never work until HAL has a designated dinning venue for CO participants.

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

Sounds like the CO on the non Pinnacle class ships will be a joke and not worthy of the extra daily cost for non Neptune suites guests. Does HAL think a portion of the MDR for CO designation and cloth bags is really an upgrade? This will never work until HAL has a designated dinning venue for CO participants.

 

There isn't even a portion of the MDR for CO.

 

I think they're starting to skew this toward a "faster to the fun" kind of thing, emphasizing priority embarkation and tendering plus designated CO lines for MDR, tours, front desk. The upgrade sounds good until you realize it's only within the category, possibly as little as one step up from a veranda to another veranda, and "if available," so you might not get anything. They aren't going to give away an upgrade from OV to Veranda or Veranda to Suite.

 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, 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]

54 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I can't find verification about the PG breakfast on HAL's website. But based on several reports here, N/P suite breakfast is still in the Pinnacle Grill, except on K'dam and NS which have the dedicated CO restaurant.

 

Here's the info on club orange: 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/dining/club-orange.html

We'll be on the Zuiderdam in December in a NS, and hoping for breakfast in PG.  Hope the reports are correct. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 hours ago, kazu said:

 

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.

 

Thanks for posting this! Interrsting that Neptune and Pinnacle suites get the free upgrade (if available). There is no upgrade from the Pinnacle suite. And most of us who get a SB Neptune do not want to be upgraded away from our corner afts. 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I am in a Neptune Suite on an upcoming Zuiderdam cruise and received this AM an email offering me Club Orange for $25.00 a person per day.  Why they send this to Neptune Suite people is beyond me as there is nothing offered that I don't already have as a benefit.

 

Plus, if one has the HAL protection plan, you get to pay an additional premium to cover the increase in fare.

 

I wonder how many do take advantage of this program.

Edited September 11, 2019 by SJSULIBRARIAN

[3rdGenCunarder]

7 minutes ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

I am in a Neptune Suite on an upcoming Zuiderdam cruise and received this AM an email offering me Club Orange for $25.00 a person per day.  Why they send this to Neptune Suite people is beyond me as there is nothing offered that I don't already have as a benefit.

 

Plus, if one has the HAL protection plan, you get to be an additional premium to cover the increase in fare.

 

I wonder how many do take advantage of this program.

 

I would love to know how may people go for it. Probably not as many as they thought, or they wouldn't have decreased the price.

 

[kazu]

16 minutes ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

Thanks for posting this! Interrsting that Neptune and Pinnacle suites get the free upgrade (if available). There is no upgrade from the Pinnacle suite. And most of us who get a SB Neptune do not want to be upgraded away from our corner afts. 

 

I might have misread, but I thought it said all Club Orange benefits except the free upgrade and the special get together CO has ( I find that somewhat ironic).

 

Reading the fine print it does confirm the PG for the non Pinnacle class ships for breakfast.

[3rdGenCunarder]

4 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

I might have misread, but I thought it said all Club Orange benefits except the free upgrade and the special get together CO has ( I find that somewhat ironic).

 

Reading the fine print it does confirm the PG for the non Pinnacle class ships for breakfast.

 

You're right. I read excluding as including. Well, that's good. I don't want to be upgraded from the NS I chose. 

 

[terrydtx]

14 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

I am in a Neptune Suite on an upcoming Zuiderdam cruise and received this AM an email offering me Club Orange for $25.00 a person per day.  Why they send this to Neptune Suite people is beyond me as there is nothing offered that I don't already have as a benefit.

 

Plus, if one has the HAL protection plan, you get to pay an additional premium to cover the increase in fare.

 

I wonder how many do take advantage of this program.

I may be wrong but I though all Neptune Suites included the CO benefits for no extra charge.

Edited September 12, 2019 by terrydtx

[AV8rix]

Well, I've been offered CO at just $15 per diem on my upcoming cruise on Volendam in a couple of weeks.  Since I'm already 4*, my only benefit would likely be the extra entree on the MDR menu.  I don't really trust what their concept of an "upgraded" stateroom might be.

 

But I'm just off Amsterdam this week and it was my first cruise since implementation of CO.  I did find the priority CO line at Guest Services somewhat troubling.  I never really needed Guest Services except for obtaining my tip envelopes near the end  so just waited for a slow time to do that.  However, on my cruise there were four (two couples) President's Club folks, numerous platinum-medallion holders and even more 5*s.  As we all know, the line at Guest Services can get pretty long sometimes.  JMO, but it seems wrong that the President's Club members and 5*s (who have spent dearly to achieve that status) have to stand in line while someone else -- who may be on their first HAL voyage -- can just wave their orange card and receive immediate attention.  Again, that's JMO so no flames please.

 

BTW, there was much discussion among us HAL "regulars" during the cruise about the CO concept.  But I never met another high-status (4* or 5*) cruiser on this cruise who had taken the CO bait.  Like me, they all seemed to feel that there was little perceived benefit over the perks that we already have.  Although just because I never encountered someone that took it doesn't mean that there might have been some that did.

Edited September 12, 2019 by Av8rix

[3rdGenCunarder]

2 hours ago, terrydtx said:

I may be wrong but I though all Neptune Suites included the CO benefits for no extra charge.

 

You're not wrong. Except for the potential upgrade and some "special event" like a tour or a cocktail hour, NS get CO benefits. No point in including the upgrade. Most Neptunes are SA, already the top of the category. And there is no upgrade from a PS--unless the captain gives up his quarters?