Compare Suite perks

[Toad]

I have sailed HAL frequently and often in a suite. I am familiar with most of the benefits, but have not sailed since the pandemic.  Have any new perks been added?  I am currently considering a Princess cruise and wonder if anyone has done both cruise lines in a suite and can comment on the suite perks on that line? 
 

I have also posted on the Princess board but have yet to get a reply. I am a four star on HAL but have only been on one transatlantic cruise on Princess about ten years ago.

[cbr663]

What suite?  Different suites have different perks.  Some suites have hardly any at all.

[Toad]

Neptune suite

[oakridger]

 

From the HAL website, this is easier to read!!   ->   

 

  Suites & Staterooms (hollandamerica.com)

 

Edited November 4, 2023 by oakridger

[Toad]

Thank you Oakridger. I guess I wasn’t too clear in my question. I am familiar with HALs suite perks unless something has recently been added, but wondered how they compared to Princess’s perks in a full suite.  So if you have done both I would like your opinion.

[oakridger]

Perks have not been added or changed for Signature Suites that I am aware of.  (My only HAL suite experience pre and post shutdown) 

 

I've not sailed on Princess so no help there!  I'm sure there are many CCers that have Princess experience that will be along soon to help!

 

~Nancy

Edited November 4, 2023 by oakridger

[CruiserBruce]

Could there be a similar document to what @oakridger provided on the Princess website? Or perhaps some research on the Princess board?

[retird]

maybe this would be of some help:

 

https://www.princess.com/en-us/ships-and-experience/ships/staterooms/suites

Edited November 4, 2023 by retird

[OlsSalt]

We personally like being close to the Neptune Lounge to take full advantage of that perk - mainly to pick up small snacks, coffees and tea. Have a place to sit when they are making up our cabin. 

 

Not sure we would like a Neptune suite on another deck or even a longer hike to another section of the same deck .This also makes the aft-deck Neptune suites ones we would not take either, even though they are beloved by many and book up early.

 

So the additional  "Neptune suite" perks are also subjective, as well as tangible. 

[Toad]

Thank you all. I guess what I am trying to figure out is my comfort level on HAL, meaning familiarity of the process, and a known entity with the different itineraries and what appears to be a lower price and a change in Princess.  I am pretty sure I am over thinking all of this😏

[sciencewonk]

18 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

We personally like being close to the Neptune Lounge to take full advantage of that perk - mainly to pick up small snacks, coffees and tea. Have a place to sit when they are making up our cabin. 

 

Not sure we would like a Neptune suite on another deck or even a longer hike to another section of the same deck .This also makes the aft-deck Neptune suites ones we would not take either, even though they are beloved by many and book up early.

 

So the additional  "Neptune suite" perks are also subjective, as well as tangible. 

I love how everybody's different.  I love the Neptune Suites and the Neptune Lounge, but I prefer a stateroom on another deck so I have to walk to get to the lounge.  With as much eating as I do on a cruise, I try to force myself to walk a lot to get at least a little exercise.

[REOVA]

We found the Neptune Suite amenities declined after reopening cruising. Don't know about Princess Suites as we haven't sailed them post shutdown but paying extra for a so called "suite" amenity would require extraordinary amenities for us and also would depend on itinerary as well. 

 

Not to throw a wrench in your choices, but after trying MSC Yacht Club (the price was about 75% of Neptune) and what comes with it, we probably won't pay for a Neptune again as the cost is not worth the experience. (We do prefer the ship sizes. cabins and passengers on HAL not MSC, fwiw). 

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We have sailed many HAL Neptune Suites as well as several Princess full suites including Owners Suite. We like both for different reasons. Actually we prefer the Suite layout and bathrooms on Princess over HAL but HALS closets are better that most of the Princess closets. Of course depending on the class of ship for both Princess and HAL makes a difference when comparing. The Royal class and newer on Princess has the equivalent of a Neptune Lounge but it is actually much nicer with  giving access to the lounge with your key card 24/7 to get complimentary bottled water and sodas. Having Breakfast in Sabatini’s I feel is nicer . Service is great and a much nicer breakfast menu but NCL Haven beats both for Suite breakfast. But with the likes of Princess overall I prefer HAL’s food over Princess. 
Also with Princess you get your own Mini Bar set up that is Complementary. 
we were last in a Neptune Suite 6 weeks ago and Full Princess strong Discovery last December 
 

[Heartgrove]

I agree with @REOVA regarding MSC's Yacht Club. We have not sailed in a HAL Pinnacle Suite but have sailed in Neptune Suites twice, Signature Suite once, and Vista Suites three times. Last year on my urging we tried the MSC Yacht Club Experience in a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite aboard the MSC Splendida which is a Fantasia-class ship. Their capcity is approximately 650 more passengers than a Pinnacle-class ship double-bunk. This class of ship in MSC's fleet are different than their newer ships in that the YC Dining Room is at the rear of the ship. The plus is that we walk our meal off walking back to the forward YC. The negative is that you are no longer in the self-contained YC. The only additional cost items were excursions, Specialty Dining, laundry, and if we ate the "Pringles" from the minibar (?). Premium WiFi is included though. Crew gratuities were  a modest €10/pp per day, which is the same for all passenger experiences.

 

One of the other attractions to MSC is the different ports that they use. We visited Syracusa, Sicily and Taranto, Italy besides some of the Mediterranean standards. You are escorted on and off the ship by YC butlers thus skipping the line. The Top Sail lounge (think private Crows Nest) has unlimited drinks, snacks galore throughout the day that change. "The One" Solarium has a lunch buffet and also breakfast available. You can have pizza delivered to the Solarium if wanted. And access to the Spa.

 

We have booked for October/November 2024 two cruises in YC. One is a nine-night (MSC uses night versus HAL's day) aboard the MSC Splendida (again) to Italy, Greece and Turkey in a YC Deluxe Suite. The other is a twenty-night Grand Voyage (Transatlantic) from Genoa to Miami aboard the MSC Divina in a YC Grand Deluxe Suite. Sizewise the YC Deluxe Suites are sized just a bit smaller than a HAL Signature Suite, and the YC Deluxe Grand Suites are bigger than a Signature Suite but smaller than a Neptune. For further comparison MSC do have suites similar to the Neptune and Pinnacle Suites. Price is in MSC's favor for our situation. Apples to apples,  our 20-night  YC Deluxe Grand Suite cruise is less than HAL Nieuw Statendam's 14-Day Signature Suite Civiitavvechia to Ft. Lauderdale cruise.

 

I will still sail HAL and have currently four cruises booked between now and 2025. We have not tried MSC in the USA, and I have read it is different. But I know we do enjoy sailing in YC in Europe - if we can.

 

 

[Toad]

Wonderful replies and now I will have to explore MSC too since I never considered them…..

[Lakesregion]

Any one know where the inside cabin consierge desk is located on the Zaaandam? I understand HAL really looks after their inside cabin folks with this service.