Newbie to HAL, What is this Club Orange you speak of?

[wurm914]

Hello all, I checked the HAL website and see the perks that Club Orange provides but can you give me an idea of how much it costs?  Is it a one and done type of thing for the rest of your cruising life with HAL or do you have to "join" for each cruise?  What do you think the best benefit is and why? 

 

Thanks for any information,

 

deb 🙂

[oakridger]

You pay for Club Orange for each cruise you would like it.

 

Club Orange Program Benefits | Holland America Line

 

The cost is listed in the link above.  There are many current threads discussing the benefits or non benefits.  Have a look at them and try a search on the HAL forum then come back with any other specific questions you may have.  I just don't want to "reinvent the wheel" on all the reasons that have already been posted lately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2023 by oakridger
Fixed link

[MrSnuffleupagus]

Best perk is stateroom upgrade, as it’s cheaper to buy CO than it is to book the desired stateroom outright. 

[SueMo]

We booked CO specifically because changes to our upcoming 14 day British Isles cruise were an addition of tendering ports (of the 10 days at port, 6 are tendering) and reduced time in each port.  We wanted the priority tendering you get with CO.  Also, we want to try out the separate dining room!

[BobbiSox]

In regards to priority tenders, I am 5-star mariner, so priority tendering is a perk that's always included. Problem is I've NEVER had it offered. Have no idea what it even means. Seems we go to get our place in line, like everybody else, and wait our turn, like everybody else. We don't have to get tickets ahead of time though, like in the past. Maybe that's the perk?

[POA1]

7 minutes ago, BobbiSox said:

In regards to priority tenders, I am 5-star mariner, so priority tendering is a perk that's always included. Problem is I've NEVER had it offered. Have no idea what it even means. Seems we go to get our place in line, like everybody else, and wait our turn, like everybody else. We don't have to get tickets ahead of time though, like in the past. Maybe that's the perk?

They typically distribute priority tender tickets somewhere in the morning before tendering starts. You'll have to watch the daily program or check with the front desk or concierge if you are in a suite. Generally speaking, it's been a lounge somewhere.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

The type of  service you get  in Club Orange for breakast and dinner is a treat, You are on Vacation ...

[oakridger]

On 6/20/2023 at 8:25 AM, Gail & Marty sailing away said:

The type of  service you get  in Club Orange for breakast and dinner is a treat, You are on Vacation ...

 

Everyone (almost) on the ship is on vacation!  I believe we all should get good service on the ship without paying extra and creating a separate "class" system like on Cunard.  That's my pet peeve about it.  I would rather see the fares go up a bit in order for all the ship to get a good standard of service.  Some other lines have a ship within a ship system, and I hope HAL isn't drifting in that direction.

 

Off my soap box now......................

 

~Nancy

[VMax1700]

4 hours ago, oakridger said:

Off my soap box now......................

If you had Club Orange you would not need to wait to get on your soap box as you would have a priority line at the soap boxes! 😉 🤣

[Florida_gal_50]

5 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

Everyone (almost) on the ship is on vacation!  I believe we all should get good service on the ship without paying extra and creating a separate "class" system like on Cunard.  That's my pet peeve about it.  I would rather see the fares go up a bit in order for all the ship to get a good standard of service.  Some other lines have a ship within a ship system, and I hope HAL isn't drifting in that direction.

 

Off my soap box now......................

 

~Nancy

Raise fares? I pay plenty for my cruises.  Maybe they should stop giving away cruises to some. That would surely help.  It’s not a class system.  That would be getting club orange based on your room selection.  It’s also not a ship within a ship, that is also based on your stateroom.  No matter what level of stateroom you have you can purchase club orange.

[erdufylla]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Raise fares? I pay plenty for my cruises.  Maybe they should stop giving away cruises to some. That would surely help.  It’s not a class system.  That would be getting club orange based on your room selection.  It’s also not a ship within a ship, that is also based on your stateroom.  No matter what level of stateroom you have you can purchase club orange.

It absolutely is a class system. Perhaps not quite as stringent as ocean liners of past eras had, but it’s still very much a pay-for-level-of-access environment. If it weren’t, there would only be one category of staterooms that would all go for the same fare, there would be no add-ons like Club Orange or specialty dining, etc., and there wouldn’t be areas of the ship or services that were only available to people buying into them, like the Neptune Lounge, concierge services, priority boarding etc. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t object to this. It’s the nature of capitalism. But it’s absolutely a class system.

 

(And that’s only looking at the passengers, not even taking into consideration the staff and crew, who also exist within a class structure, with different sets of rules, accommodations, etc. for different types of employees on the ship.)

[POA1]

56 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

No matter what level of stateroom you have you can purchase club orange.

... If you book early enough and it's still available. (Act now! Operators are standing by.)

 

Seriously though, aside from the Neptune Suite and Pinnacle Suite guests, there aren't a lot of Club Orange slots available. (Should I call them memberships? It is a club after all.)

 

For single travelers, the in-category upgrade is a great benefit. They're already paying for double occupancy, so moving up in the category at $25 or $15 per day is very valuable.

 

For people who are 4* Mariners and above, they're not gaining anything in terms of early embarkation because they already get that privilege.

 

If you are not on a Pinnacle class ship, you're getting expanded room service breakfast choices, one extra dinner entrée, and a dedicated podium in front of which you can line up for open seating. On Pinnacle class ships, you get a dedicated dining room. (It's closer to a bar and the restrooms, which may or may not be a big deal to you.)

 

For us, who are 4* and stupidly booked our desired stateroom at the top of the meta category, and didn't upgrade, because we didn't want an aft or spa version of our room, it's all about that sweet Club Orange tote bag. Well, that and envious glares from our fellow passengers when we whip out our orange key cards to pay for drinks. Our green-eyed fellow travelers will no doubt be jealously thinking, "A couple hundred bucks seems like a lot for an orange key card you're just gonna throw away. Besides, I can always find something I like on the regular menu. Who needs an extra dinner main course?"

 

But their enviousness won't bother us. We'll know, as we tuck our sunscreen and beach stuff into our Club Orange tote bag, that we're superior human beings. 😉

[YORKI1]

7 hours ago, oakridger said:

 

Everyone (almost) on the ship is on vacation!  I believe we all should get good service on the ship without paying extra and creating a separate "class" system like on Cunard.  That's my pet peeve about it.  I would rather see the fares go up a bit in order for all the ship to get a good standard of service.  Some other lines have a ship within a ship system, and I hope HAL isn't drifting in that direction.

 

Off my soap box now......................

 

~Nancy

I totally agree!

[FlorenceItaly]

40 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 

For us, who are 4* and stupidly booked our desired stateroom at the top of the meta category, and didn't upgrade, because we didn't want an aft or spa version of our room, it's all about that sweet Club Orange tote bag. Well, that and envious glares from our fellow passengers when we whip out our orange key cards to pay for drinks. Our green-eyed fellow travelers will no doubt be jealously thinking, "A couple hundred bucks seems like a lot for an orange key card you're just gonna throw away. Besides, I can always find something I like on the regular menu. Who needs an extra dinner main course?"

 

But their enviousness won't bother us. We'll know, as we tuck our sunscreen and beach stuff into our Club Orange tote bag, that we're superior human beings. 😉

I disembarked the Zuiderdam TA on May 28.  I added Club Orange to go from a guarantee VH to a selected VA.  Btw, I did not receive a Club Orange Bag.  More than half the time we did not receive the CO menu in the DR.  Oh, and as far as the key card it is only a small orange stripe on the regular key card.  

[POA1]

10 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

.  Oh, and as far as the key card it is only a small orange stripe on the regular key card.  

Sure, but just having it in your pocket or on your person boosts your smugness by at least 37%.

 

Serious question: If you didn't get the CO dinner item on your menu, why didn't you ask?

 

As far as the tote bag goes (the WHOLE REASON for the experience, IMHO) they better hope they have them on our cruise. It's round trip Fort Lauderdale and we're really close to the port. I will hound them like the paper boy who wanted his $2 in the movie, "Better Off Dead." (Obscure, but hopefully someone remembers.) The crew shops at Publix, so I'll see them. All. Season. Long. I shall get my bag.

 

 

[FlorenceItaly]

We were dining with friends who didn't have CO.  It became embarrassing to have to ask.  On Gala nights when we asked what the additional entrees was we were told there were none.  Now, I am reading differently.  Eventually, we began looking at the menu quickly as we entered the DR to see if we were interested in the extra item offered.  They were sitting on a shelf near the podium.  We were seated in anytime dining but assigned the same table and waitstaff each evening.  Otherwise, the service was very good.  Ultimately, it was not a big deal but since we did pay for CO we wanted to be able to take advantage of the perks.

[POA1]

8 minutes ago, FlorenceItaly said:

We were dining with friends who didn't have CO.  It became embarrassing to have to ask.  On Gala nights when we asked what the additional entrees was we were told there were none.  Now, I am reading differently.  Eventually, we began looking at the menu quickly as we entered the DR to see if we were interested in the extra item offered.  They were sitting on a shelf near the podium.  We were seated in anytime dining but assigned the same table and waitstaff each evening.  Otherwise, the service was very good.  Ultimately, it was not a big deal but since we did pay for CO we wanted to be able to take advantage of the perks.

 

I'd feel the same way, so it's understandable. I was hoping that the CO entree would show up on the Navigator app.

[FlorenceItaly]

6 minutes ago, POA1 said:

 

I'd feel the same way, so it's understandable. I was hoping that the CO entree would show up on the Navigator app.

It does not.  The CO menu is a separate menu.  The cover is white versus the DR menu that is brown.

[cruisemom42]

I wouldn't really regard Club Orange as a "class system" offering. Anyone in any cabin can book it, provided there are spaces available.

 

For me, the things that are more truly a "separation of the classes" occur when all suite passengers automatically have a separate dining room or a separate area on deck that others cannot access without also sailing in a suite. Also not a big fan of lines that reserve prime seating for suite customers. (Although on HAL, it probably wouldn't be as much of a big deal since HAL entertainment is 'meh' at best.

 

[Florida_gal_50]

6 hours ago, erdufylla said:

It absolutely is a class system. Perhaps not quite as stringent as ocean liners of past eras had, but it’s still very much a pay-for-level-of-access environment. If it weren’t, there would only be one category of staterooms that would all go for the same fare, there would be no add-ons like Club Orange or specialty dining, etc., and there wouldn’t be areas of the ship or services that were only available to people buying into them, like the Neptune Lounge, concierge services, priority boarding etc. Don’t get me wrong — I don’t object to this. It’s the nature of capitalism. But it’s absolutely a class system.

 

(And that’s only looking at the passengers, not even taking into consideration the staff and crew, who also exist within a class structure, with different sets of rules, accommodations, etc. for different types of employees on the ship.)

No, sorry it's not.  Everyone has access to it no matter what category they are in.  

[Florida_gal_50]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

I wouldn't really regard Club Orange as a "class system" offering. Anyone in any cabin can book it, provided there are spaces available.

 

For me, the things that are more truly a "separation of the classes" occur when all suite passengers automatically have a separate dining room or a separate area on deck that others cannot access without also sailing in a suite. Also not a big fan of lines that reserve prime seating for suite customers. (Although on HAL, it probably wouldn't be as much of a big deal since HAL entertainment is 'meh' at best.

 

Yes, of course that's exactly it.  

[Mr. Boston]

The folks complaining of the class system must never fly on commercial airlines.  What with special airport lounges, priority boarding, a curtained off seating area onboard with private restroom!  We live in a capitalist society where you get what you pay for, an informal class system has already been established.  Give me that totebag!

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, Mr. Boston said:

The folks complaining of the class system must never fly on commercial airlines.  What with special airport lounges, priority boarding, a curtained off seating area onboard with private restroom!  We live in a capitalist society where you get what you pay for, an informal class system has already been established.  Give me that totebag!

 

Just because it exists on airlines doesn't mean it should exist on cruise ships. It's a non sequitur.

[robnu]

On 6/20/2023 at 10:17 AM, POA1 said:

They typically distribute priority tender tickets somewhere in the morning before tendering starts. You'll have to watch the daily program or check with the front desk or concierge if you are in a suite. Generally speaking, it's been a lounge somewhere.

On the NS in April there was a separate  line 1 floor up from the long , long regular line ... they didnt give us a ticket , just let us on the tender (in France)

[Florida_gal_50]

1 hour ago, robnu said:

On the NS in April there was a separate  line 1 floor up from the long , long regular line ... they didnt give us a ticket , just let us on the tender (in France)

That's odd.  The only time I've seen that before is at HMC.  Maybe there was tons of high star mariners on that cruise so no one had priority.  I've only seen it the way POA1 described (other than HMC).