Opinion on forward Neptune suites

[cabland]

So we just booked a cruise on the Koningsdam in a Guaranteed Neptune suite and I totally missed that there are full forward Neptune suites and sure enough, it looks like that's what we will get.  I'm fairly bummed as these suites have much smaller balconies and I'm not crazy about being full forward on the highest deck from a motion perspective either.  Has anyone had these cabins or even the similar signature suites a few decks lower?  (Honestly, I would probably prefer even teh signature suite in this location as it is a lower deck and has more balcony)?

 

Thanks!

[Balliett]

We had one, also from a "guarantee" in July on the Nieuw Amsterdam.  Deck 10.  Alaska. Imagine my surprise, since I booked an SB (wraparound veranda) guarantee.   I kind of hated it because of the tiny, steel walled deck.  Wife liked the cabin.   No motion of the ocean, which was good.   And it was Alaska, which means not much sitting out on the "deck" anyway.  Wife liked the big front windows and the lots of storage. Great view.  You don't say where your ship is going.  No place warm, I hope.  What to do about it, I dk.  

[Mosaic]

We like the cabin.  BUT.  There is much more motion and the veranda is very small, barely enough for 2 chairs.  The cabin is larger than an SA. No separate powder room either. We like the odd shape too.

[cabland]

Cruise is to Alaska.  We've done it before on the Nieuw Amsterdam in a mid-ship signature suite, and loved the big balcony (both wide and deep) for leisurely whale watching, breakfasts, etc...These forward cabins are nothing like that from a Balcony perspective.  Heck, the full forward signature suites a couple decks down have more balcony (that doesn't address the motion issues of course).

[oaktreerb]

We had a forward facing signature suite on the Oosterdam in Alaska (guarantee, also HC). You can see my pictures on Halfacts  #5002.  The balcony was extremely small and unusable.  The best thing about that room for our scenic cruising in Alaska was the forward facing window.   Amazing views.  

 

I definitely would not want a forward facing suite if the cruise had a lot of sea days (like Hawaii).

[dixiejen]

21 hours ago, cabland said:

I'm fairly bummed as these suites have much smaller balconies and I'm not crazy about being full forward on the highest deck from a motion perspective either. 

Cabland, we are in the same situation. Would never have booked without choosing the actual cabin # if I had ANY idea that some Neptune suites have that dinky little balcony! It’s basically the same size as the balcony on a veranda stateroom — but costs twice as much! Worried about the wind making it unusable as well.  I think all we can do at this point is call HAL and ask to be put on a wait list for a legit Neptune suite.  My cruise is sold out of Neptunes, so I’m not terribly hopeful. If your cruise hasn’t booked all the Neptune’s, you may be able to “upgrade” yours. (Although one would think you wouldn’t NEED to upgrade when booking the 2nd largest suite on the ship…). Good luck!

[RuthC]

21 hours ago, cabland said:

So we just booked a cruise on the Koningsdam in a Guaranteed Neptune suite and I totally missed that there are full forward Neptune suites and sure enough, it looks like that's what we will get. 

What makes you so sure you will get one of the forward facing suites? 
Have you been assigned a cabin number? That usually happens about 10-14 days before sailing. 

[DaveOKC]

Whenever I have to book a guarantee, I carefully check the deckplans to determine which cabins I could be assigned to.  Also, I make a list of Open cabins about 2-3 weeks out and determine which I prefer.  If I get one that I do not like, I immediately call my TA (a HAL PCC) and ask to be reassigned.  It has worked for me, but of course it really depends on how full the ship is.

 

[Laminator]

2 hours ago, DaveOKC said:

Whenever I have to book a guarantee, I carefully check the deckplans to determine which cabins I could be assigned to.  Also, I make a list of Open cabins about 2-3 weeks out and determine which I prefer.  If I get one that I do not like, I immediately call my TA (a HAL PCC) and ask to be reassigned.  It has worked for me, but of course it really depends on how full the ship is.

 

And how good your PCC is. My PCC has "upgraded" guests in aft wraps so I could get an aft wrap. 

[DaveOKC]

1 minute ago, Laminator said:

And how good your PCC is. My PCC has "upgraded" guests in aft wraps so I could get an aft wrap. 

WOW!  That is GREAT, not just GOOD!

 

[cabland]

Soooo.... I e-mailed my HAL personal cruise consultant and was able to "downgrade" to a signature suite and pick the cabin I wanted (mid-ship - deck 7) - and even got a small refund (note: our Neptune suite was very cheap).  Honestly, I am VERY happy with this solution.  The signature suite balconies are not as deep as "normal" Neptune suites, but are still considerably wider than regular verandah cabins and much better than the forward Neptune.  The signature suite room space on the Pinnacle class ships are not laid out quite as well for "one couple" IMO as they are on the signature class ships, BUT there is still a lot more space than the regular verandah or vista cabins and you still get the double sink bathroom.  The mid-ship location will be perfect.  I really appreciate the feedback here as it helped to cement my position on why I would not have appreciated the full forward Neptune!

 

DaveOKC - like you, I checked the deck plans, but missed the TWO Neptune suites that were full forward on the top deck.  My fault!

 

RuthC  - In my booking the cabin just showed as "SC" (vs, the more nebulous "Guaranteed").  When I re-checked the deck plan, I finally found the only 2 "SC" cabins were full forward on Deck 11.  While it is certainly POSSIBLE we could have gotten something else, I just didn't want to risk it (and dreading it - as I know I would have - for the next 8 months wasn't terribly appealing either...I know, I know...first world problems!).  As an aside, my spouse is also a "Ruth".  🙂

 

Thanks again for all your feedback!

Edited October 12, 2022 by cabland
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[Sea42]

3 hours ago, cabland said:

Soooo.... I e-mailed my HAL personal cruise consultant and was able to "downgrade" to a signature suite and pick the cabin I wanted (mid-ship - deck 7) - and even got a small refund (note: our Neptune suite was very cheap).  Honestly, I am VERY happy with this solution.  The signature suite balconies are not as deep as "normal" Neptune suites, but are still considerably wider than regular verandah cabins and much better than the forward Neptune.  The signature suite room space on the Pinnacle class ships are not laid out quite as well for "one couple" IMO as they are on the signature class ships, BUT there is still a lot more space than the regular verandah or vista cabins and you still get the double sink bathroom.  The mid-ship location will be perfect.  I really appreciate the feedback here as it helped to cement my position on why I would not have appreciated the full forward Neptune!

 

DaveOKC - like you, I checked the deck plans, but missed the TWO Neptune suites that were full forward on the top deck.  My fault!

 

RuthC  - In my booking the cabin just showed as "SC" (vs, the more nebulous "Guaranteed").  When I re-checked the deck plan, I finally found the only 2 "SC" cabins were full forward on Deck 11.  While it is certainly POSSIBLE we could have gotten something else, I just didn't want to risk it (and dreading it - as I know I would have - for the next 8 months wasn't terribly appealing either...I know, I know...first world problems!).  As an aside, my spouse is also a "Ruth".  🙂

 

Thanks again for all your feedback!

I'm glad you were able to get a cabin you'll be happy with!

[cabland]

On 10/12/2022 at 5:28 PM, Sea42 said:

I'm glad you were able to get a cabin you'll be happy with!

Thanks, I know some folks would not have considered moving to a Signature Suite, but in this case both the Neptune full forward and the Signature had the exact same bathroom (toilet in main bathroom in the full forwards like a signature suite), and the room size still decent (albeit more chopped up).  The trade-off for mid-ship and wide balcony was more than worth it for us at this price point.

[dixiejen]

Cabland - so glad you are happier with your new location! Guess we are going to take our chances, even though Neptunes are still sold out on our cruise.😫. But a related question please…. What’s the deal with the PCC??  How do you get one? Every time I’ve called, I get a different rep (who all gave different info/advice). And the only email I could find for customer service was for past cruisers to complain!

 

THANKS, all!!

[cabland]

12 hours ago, dixiejen said:

Cabland - so glad you are happier with your new location! Guess we are going to take our chances, even though Neptunes are still sold out on our cruise.😫. But a related question please…. What’s the deal with the PCC??  How do you get one? Every time I’ve called, I get a different rep (who all gave different info/advice). And the only email I could find for customer service was for past cruisers to complain!

 

THANKS, all!!

I'm sure much more experienced folks will reply, but ever since my last HAL cruise back in 2018, I routinely get e-mailed offers of various kinds.  SOME of those offers include the name and contact (phone and email) info of my PCC.  I just found one of the recent ones and e-mailed him.  He didn't get back to me for a few days so I sent a cordial reminder and then he called me back later that day.  I do, of course, have a HAL online account.

[dixiejen]

Well, rats! I’ve gone through every email I’ve received from HAL, including correspondence regarding our upcoming cruise as well as routine offer emails!  Not one has a specific person’s name on them.  Maybe I wasn’t assigned one?? I do have an online acct with HAL.  Guess I’ll call — again — and ask about it! Certainly would be nice to have one person at HAL to speak to about any issues.  Thanks Cabland!!

[dixiejen]

Ok — I just searched on HAL’s website for “PCC” and it had a link to REQUEST a PCC — which I did!!  So we shall see!!  Hoping a PCC is more knowledgeable than the general ranks of customer service reps… 😉

[dixiejen]

Update on my forward Neptune suite/PCC saga  😡… We had requested to be put on the waitlist for a different location and yesterday I received an email notifying me that a mid-ship suite was available and I needed to respond by Nov 3rd. Called who I THOUGHT was my PCC and she informed me that she WASN’T my PCC since I had booked online. I reminded her that when I called to request a PCC, I was told that xxxxx  was my PCC and transferred to her extension. I reminded her that she told me then that from here on out, she would be my PCC. She said, “Oh, that was only in the event that you wanted to book a cruise with HAL in the FUTURE. I’m not supposed to but I guess since you have me on the phone now, (heavy sigh) what do you need?”
 

Told her I had received the waitlist offer and probably wanted to do it. She said, “That will be $2684.”  Say  WHAT????  It NEVER occurred to me that we would have to pay an additional $1342 pp for the “same” suite in a different location!  But apparently, that’s the way it works.  I started a fake booking for the same ship/itinerary and saw there was, indeed, a sizable up-charge to be mid-ship with a Neptune-worthy balcony — but it was an $800 pp up-charge — not over $1300!  And it was only $400 pp to “upgrade” to an aft cabin with a wrap-around balcony!  Does $1300 pp sound an inordinate amount to upgrade within a suite category?
 

Sooooo — my not-really-my-PCC asked if I wanted it or not. Told her I would have to discuss it with my husband. Again with the heavy sigh, she said she was going to go ahead a grab it because I would lose my chance for ANY upgrade if I declined it. She also said if I wanted to complete the process to call her — but ONLY if I wanted to pay and accept the offer. If I wanted to decline it, I was NOT to call her — that she isn’t authorized to do that. ???

 

I think I would cancel if we wouldn’t lose so much $$, as the whole process has left a bad taste in my mouth for HAL.  I’m absolutely dreading having a tiny balcony that’s unusable because of the wind.   I get charging more for upgrades from one category to another, and maybe even for prime locations, but it just seems so disingenuous to offer cabins under the Neptune suite category when they are clearly inferior to other Neptune suites. Call them semi-upgraded Signature suites or something — ANYTHING but a Neptune.  Is that too much to expect? Yes, I booked a guarantee (again, expecting some semblance  of continuity within a category) so yes, it’s my fault for not doing my research. But….  Guess we’ll just hold out hope that they will have to upgrade us because they don’t have enough SC “Neptunes”.

 

Finally, is my experience with this PCC typical??  She just seemed so indignant that I bothered her — again — since I didn’t really “qualify for a PCC”.  😫

 

 

[KAKcruiser]

I certainly wouldn't deal with this PCC again.  How soon is your cruise?  My understanding is that you booked a SC Neptune guarantee.  That means you could be assigned an SA, SB or SC.  Just because there are no SA midship Neptunes showing does not mean you wouldn't be assigned to one.  They have to hold a certain number of cabins back to fill the guarantees.  Yes, you could possibly get assigned to the forward Neptune but you are just as likely to be assigned somewhere else.  Why not hope for the best and see what happens.  You might be pleasantly surprised.  

[DaveOKC]

Just back from 16 day cruise.  Booked SC guarantee through my HAL PCC on a casino deal and was assigned an SA opposite the Neptune Lounge - very happy with this assignment.

 

[Laminator]

On 10/31/2022 at 11:40 PM, dixiejen said:

Update on my forward Neptune suite/PCC saga  😡… We had requested to be put on the waitlist for a different location and yesterday I received an email notifying me that a mid-ship suite was available and I needed to respond by Nov 3rd. Called who I THOUGHT was my PCC and she informed me that she WASN’T my PCC since I had booked online. I reminded her that when I called to request a PCC, I was told that xxxxx  was my PCC and transferred to her extension. I reminded her that she told me then that from here on out, she would be my PCC. She said, “Oh, that was only in the event that you wanted to book a cruise with HAL in the FUTURE. I’m not supposed to but I guess since you have me on the phone now, (heavy sigh) what do you need?”
 

Told her I had received the waitlist offer and probably wanted to do it. She said, “That will be $2684.”  Say  WHAT????  It NEVER occurred to me that we would have to pay an additional $1342 pp for the “same” suite in a different location!  But apparently, that’s the way it works.  I started a fake booking for the same ship/itinerary and saw there was, indeed, a sizable up-charge to be mid-ship with a Neptune-worthy balcony — but it was an $800 pp up-charge — not over $1300!  And it was only $400 pp to “upgrade” to an aft cabin with a wrap-around balcony!  Does $1300 pp sound an inordinate amount to upgrade within a suite category?

 

I would like to add that my casino offers tell me to contact my PCC to book. I am sure Dave's do also. 
 

Sooooo — my not-really-my-PCC asked if I wanted it or not. Told her I would have to discuss it with my husband. Again with the heavy sigh, she said she was going to go ahead a grab it because I would lose my chance for ANY upgrade if I declined it. She also said if I wanted to complete the process to call her — but ONLY if I wanted to pay and accept the offer. If I wanted to decline it, I was NOT to call her — that she isn’t authorized to do that. ???

 

I think I would cancel if we wouldn’t lose so much $$, as the whole process has left a bad taste in my mouth for HAL.  I’m absolutely dreading having a tiny balcony that’s unusable because of the wind.   I get charging more for upgrades from one category to another, and maybe even for prime locations, but it just seems so disingenuous to offer cabins under the Neptune suite category when they are clearly inferior to other Neptune suites. Call them semi-upgraded Signature suites or something — ANYTHING but a Neptune.  Is that too much to expect? Yes, I booked a guarantee (again, expecting some semblance  of continuity within a category) so yes, it’s my fault for not doing my research. But….  Guess we’ll just hold out hope that they will have to upgrade us because they don’t have enough SC “Neptunes”.

 

Finally, is my experience with this PCC typical??  She just seemed so indignant that I bothered her — again — since I didn’t really “qualify for a PCC”.  😫

 

 

My PCC, who I have been with for 15 years, almost had a heart attack when she misunderstood one of my emails and thought I booked online. If you book online it takes the booking for the most part out of their hands. I am assuming you may be on a casino deal. You need to realize that the casino pays a discounted fare for the cabin. When you want to upgrade HAL will want to make up the difference between the discount and the actual cabin cost. That is why it appears to be so expensive. Now this is where booking thru a PCC and having a relationship with a PCC is critical. As Dave OKC has noted a good PCC can work miracles for you. My PCC has never failed me yet. 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Laminator

[dixiejen]

5 hours ago, Laminator said:

am assuming you may be on a casino deal.

Hi Laminator — no casino deal. We paid $3119 EACH for the potentially crappy doo doo Neptune and they wanted another $1364 EACH just to move to another location.  But you are correct that I HAD booked online. After inquiring on this forum as to what a PCC was, I was advised to call HAL and request one. I did, he told me my PCC would be xxxx and gave me her extension.  It appears to me, at this point, that whomever assigned me to one probably should not have since I had booked online.  But it’s all good. Lessons learned — 1. CALL and book to get a PCC (IF we ever cruise HAL again 🤨) 2. Research all prospective cabins/suites before deciding on one, and 3) NEVER book a guarantee cabin unless you’re willing to risk getting the bottom of the barrel/category.  4) Hooking up with a good PCC can be invaluable!
 

The latest — ‘’The “pricing specialist” they sent me to undid the booking confirmation with the SA Neptune, put me on the waitlist for an SB, which I can accept or decline. If we decline, we will keep our fingers crossed that there will be too many “guarantees” onboard and they will change it — for free.  (Crossing fingers…NOT holding our breath!) Incidentally, she looked up the SC Neptunes and agreed that whoever got those were really getting rooked because of the teeny tiny balcony and the lack of separate “powder room”.  Made me feel a tiny bit better at least…🤪

[oaktreerb]

So sorry for the mess.  Booking online seems so easy but it’s a lot more complicated than it seems.

 

My advice to anyone booking a cruise is:  Don’t  book online.  There are too many pitfalls..  It doesn’t cost any more to use a PCC or a TA.  Also, once you have booked with a TA, your PCC can not help you,  you have to run everything through that TA.   If you book online, though, you should be able to get assistance from the “general” HAL booking agents.  

Edited November 2, 2022 by oaktreerb

[dixiejen]

 

KAKcruiser  — Believe me, IF I ever sail HAL again, I will request a different PCC!  When I booked it, I didn’t even realize there were different categories of Neptunes! I just allowed HAL to “Pick my cabin” . In my ignorance, I assumed that all Neptune suites would be comparable for the most part, albeit in different locations. Never again!!  😫.  But I will certainly take your advice and hope for the best!! Our cruise isn’t

until January, so anything can happen!

 

DaveOKC — that’s amazing!!  Hope we’ll be so lucky!

 

oaktreerb — I have always booked our cruises online and never had a single problem — until now.😖 I take most of the responsibility for not researching more before booking this one, but still….  You are correct, though.  I was able to call their general customer service reps with my questions, and most seemed happy to help me (put me on the waitlist, etc.) But the general consensus here seems to be that the PCCs have much more leeway to provide more personalized service. So in the future, I will CALL the cruise line directly (AFTER I’ve researched everything thoroughly!). In fact, I booked a Princess cruise yesterday BY PHONE with their “Cruise Vacation Planner” who gave me her extension # and said to call her directly should I have any questions from here on out!!  Woo hooo!

 

So a big thank you to everyone on this forum for sharing your experiences and advice!

[MemeCruise]

On 11/1/2022 at 5:40 AM, dixiejen said:

Update on my forward Neptune suite/PCC saga  😡… We had requested to be put on the waitlist for a different location and yesterday I received an email notifying me that a mid-ship suite was available and I needed to respond by Nov 3rd. Called who I THOUGHT was my PCC and she informed me that she WASN’T my PCC since I had booked online. I reminded her that when I called to request a PCC, I was told that xxxxx  was my PCC and transferred to her extension. I reminded her that she told me then that from here on out, she would be my PCC. She said, “Oh, that was only in the event that you wanted to book a cruise with HAL in the FUTURE. I’m not supposed to but I guess since you have me on the phone now, (heavy sigh) what do you need?”
 

Told her I had received the waitlist offer and probably wanted to do it. She said, “That will be $2684.”  Say  WHAT????  It NEVER occurred to me that we would have to pay an additional $1342 pp for the “same” suite in a different location!  But apparently, that’s the way it works.  I started a fake booking for the same ship/itinerary and saw there was, indeed, a sizable up-charge to be mid-ship with a Neptune-worthy balcony — but it was an $800 pp up-charge — not over $1300!  And it was only $400 pp to “upgrade” to an aft cabin with a wrap-around balcony!  Does $1300 pp sound an inordinate amount to upgrade within a suite category?
 

Sooooo — my not-really-my-PCC asked if I wanted it or not. Told her I would have to discuss it with my husband. Again with the heavy sigh, she said she was going to go ahead a grab it because I would lose my chance for ANY upgrade if I declined it. She also said if I wanted to complete the process to call her — but ONLY if I wanted to pay and accept the offer. If I wanted to decline it, I was NOT to call her — that she isn’t authorized to do that. ???

 

I think I would cancel if we wouldn’t lose so much $$, as the whole process has left a bad taste in my mouth for HAL.  I’m absolutely dreading having a tiny balcony that’s unusable because of the wind.   I get charging more for upgrades from one category to another, and maybe even for prime locations, but it just seems so disingenuous to offer cabins under the Neptune suite category when they are clearly inferior to other Neptune suites. Call them semi-upgraded Signature suites or something — ANYTHING but a Neptune.  Is that too much to expect? Yes, I booked a guarantee (again, expecting some semblance  of continuity within a category) so yes, it’s my fault for not doing my research. But….  Guess we’ll just hold out hope that they will have to upgrade us because they don’t have enough SC “Neptunes”.

 

Finally, is my experience with this PCC typical??  She just seemed so indignant that I bothered her — again — since I didn’t really “qualify for a PCC”.  😫

 

 

Which Neptune Suite did you end up with? Hope you had an SA or SB. We're in a similar situation for a 4th Neptune Suite for friends who want to join 6 weeks before sailing. Online there're no Neptune suites available. However after calling HAL, they put us on waitlist for a NS and shortly after that, they sent a confirmation for a guarantee NS...in category SC. So we asked if they could put us on waitlist for SA or SB, it was all difficult, only HQ in Seattle can allocate the cabins etc. After reading your posts, we have a slightly better understanding of how HAL works, so thank you for sharing your experience!