Club orange thoughts What’s to like about it

[terrydtx]

18 minutes ago, njcanuck said:

How did you get upgraded to a Vista Suite.  I thought the Club Orange upgrade only applied up to Balcony.  We booked a obstructed balcony and upgraded to Aft balcony, on our next august Fiords cruise and it worked out about $350 less than booking at that level directly after paying the $25pp/pd.  So > $700 in value for $350.  

We originally booked a Category B Vista Suite close to the aft end of the ship on the Volendam for $4100pp, With CO we upgraded to a Category A Vista Suite located midship for $4347pp. That upgrade was worth $494 total ($247pp) and CO cost us $550 total. We also got the Early Booking Premium HIA on both bookings.

Edited October 21, 2023 by terrydtx

[DaveOKC]

5 hours ago, njcanuck said:

How did you get upgraded to a Vista Suite.  I thought the Club Orange upgrade only applied up to Balcony.  We booked a obstructed balcony and upgraded to Aft balcony, on our next august Fiords cruise and it worked out about $350 less than booking at that level directly after paying the $25pp/pd.  So > $700 in value for $350.  

As I understand it, CO can be had in any "mega" category, except for Neptune and of course Pinnacle.

I tried to get it for a Neptune and they would not allow it, as I already had club orange included.

 

[terrydtx]

10 minutes ago, DaveOKC said:

As I understand it, CO can be had in any "mega" category, except for Neptune and of course Pinnacle.

I tried to get it for a Neptune and they would not allow it, as I already had club orange included.

 

You are correct no reason to pay extra for CO with Neptune and above as it comes with them. On the 2 remaining R Class ships only the vista Suites and above have balconies. The Vista Suite is just a glorified Verandah cabin with a suite name much like Signature Suites on the other classes. 

Edited October 21, 2023 by terrydtx

[DaveOKC]

8 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

You are correct no reason to pay extra for CO with Neptune and above as it comes with them. On the 2 remaining R Class ships only the vista Suites and above have balconies. The Vista Suite is just a glorified Verandah cabin with a suite name much like Signature Suites on the other classes. 

Actually, I once tried to add CO when I had a Neptune guarantee, as that way I could lock in my cabin.  No dice they said - the system could not handle this request.

[SFO Peter]

22 hours ago, VacationCharlene said:

Thinking of taking the bag and give it to a deserving Cruise Critic traveller.

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE PLEASE lol  (I will pay you for postage to send to California)

=====

email me your name and address and I will send it to you by post.  email is below.

 

 

[OlsSalt]

On 10/17/2023 at 11:58 AM, msteries said:

I have enjoyed the very nice service in Club Orange, but the very best advantage is that it is so much more quiet than the loud roar and echoes of the main dining room. And it is small enough that you may well get the same waiters most evenings, and if you get sent to another table, your “regular” waiter is likely to drop by and check in on you.  I miss the days when you had the same servers every evening.

 

Most HAL ship dining rooms are not noisy, but the Pinnacle Class ones noisy with brittle, bouncy acoustics that seem to be written into the original design.

 

Fixed dining, particularly late seating, offers all those old main dining room pleasures with a crew that gets to know what you want after the first night.  . Dinners in late fixed are now often under an hour. Almost too fast on our last Pinnacle Konigsdam cruise. Just perfect on our last Noordam cruise - and a quiet lovely dining room as well. . 

[terrydtx]

16 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Most HAL ship dining rooms are not noisy, but the Pinnacle Class ones noisy with brittle, bouncy acoustics that seem to be written into the original design.

 

Fixed dining, particularly late seating, offers all those old main dining room pleasures with a crew that gets to know what you want after the first night.  . Dinners in late fixed are now often under an hour. Almost too fast on our last Pinnacle Konigsdam cruise. Just perfect on our last Noordam cruise - and a quiet lovely dining room as well. . 

I have never preferred or liked the fixed traditional dining on cruise ships. 5:30 is way too early and 8:00 is way too late. We prefer to go into the dining rooms between 6:30 and 7:00pm. Since anytime dining became a thing in the last 15 years, we always choose that. I do not need any crew members knowing what I need or prefer to eat, I just want fast efficient service which we usually get.

 

We are also not a fan of most large noisy MDR's, too much of a banquet feeling for our tastes. On Celebrity we book their suites for the much smaller and intimate Luminae suites restaurant that is more like a land fine dining restaurant. On HAL we book CO on the Pinnacle class ships for the same smaller fine dining feel of the Club Orange dining room.

[wdw1972]

I book solely HAL cruises - I've known for decades that's the best fit for me.  That said, it's been decades since I bothered with the MDR.  I'm unfortunately a picky eater, and sitting through courses where I want nothing became a deal breaker.  I used to love the whole social aspect of meeting other passengers, and with anytime dining I met far more than I would have with fixed dining.  However, as time progressed I was less willing to spend time doing those lengthy MDR meals and happily gave it up.  Now I enjoy better dining experiences in the specialty dining choices, or I opt for something lighter or quicker.  Maybe someday I'll go to the MDR for a meal, but it will most likely because I choose to join others I'm traveling with - not as a choice I'd make for myself.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[OlsSalt]

54 minutes ago, terrydtx said:

I have never preferred or liked the fixed traditional dining on cruise ships. 5:30 is way too early and 8:00 is way too late. We prefer to go into the dining rooms between 6:30 and 7:00pm. Since anytime dining became a thing in the last 15 years, we always choose that. I do not need any crew members knowing what I need or prefer to eat, I just want fast efficient service which we usually get.

 

We are also not a fan of most large noisy MDR's, too much of a banquet feeling for our tastes. On Celebrity we book their suites for the much smaller and intimate Luminae suites restaurant that is more like a land fine dining restaurant. On HAL we book CO on the Pinnacle class ships for the same smaller fine dining feel of the Club Orange dining room.

 

Dining stewards know when you want to be left alone too.  Our late fixed dining was at 7:30 on our last cruise.  Tables for two are fine in the MDR and allow for a lot speedier service than larger tables - under a hour has been the norm for those  seeking some quiet and stability when dining. This option just should not be overlooked,  since some people reported problems with "anytime" dining. That is all. Good thing we have choices.  Fixed dining is a choice too. 

[Host Jazzbeau]

5 hours ago, terrydtx said:

We are also not a fan of most large noisy MDR's, too much of a banquet feeling for our tastes. On Celebrity we book their suites for the much smaller and intimate Luminae suites restaurant that is more like a land fine dining restaurant. On HAL we book CO on the Pinnacle class ships for the same smaller fine dining feel of the Club Orange dining room.

We have sailed in Luminae, and are comtemplating trying HAL with CO.  How do you compare the food (selection and quality) in the CO dining room vs. Luminae?

[terrydtx]

5 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

We have sailed in Luminae, and are comtemplating trying HAL with CO.  How do you compare the food (selection and quality) in the CO dining room vs. Luminae?

Last year we sailed on the HAL Oosterdam from Venice following a Retreat cruise on the Reflection from Rome.  There were 4 of us on both cruises and we all thought the food in the Oosterdam MDR was better overall in quality and selections than the Luminae on the Reflection. The Oosterdam does not have a CO dining room but the one special CO entrees offered every night were equal or better than the Luminae. Pre Covid we sailed with both HAL and Celebrity (non retreat) and always thought the HAL MDR's were better in food quality and preparation. 

 

As so many here say here food is subjective so I hope you do try HAL with CO and find out for yourself. One other thing on similar itineraries you may also find a Neptune Suite on HAL will cost a lot less than a Sky Suite on Celebrity.

[stevenr597]

We booked both Club Orange as well as a higher tier Vista Suite.  We were told that in this case, Holland America would add some additional perks (credits?) to our cruise.

We will be cruising on the Nieuw Statendam next October.  Can’t wait to see hot is compared to Club Reserve on Princess. 

[electro]

Has anyone availed themselves of the complimentary mimosa off the CO room service menu?

Any issue with this?