Orange Club

[Toofarfromthesea]

On 12/19/2023 at 4:16 AM, POA1 said:

The biggest price benefit to the upgrade is usually within the verandah categories. That's because there are more categories in the verandah meta category.

 

 

It can also be pretty good in the Oceanview category.  I booked one of the solo Oceanview cabins since I'm travelling as a single, and then was able to upgrade to a top oceanview cabin for 2 that would have cost me almost $1,000 more if I had booked it initially.  It was pure luck, because the impetus for getting CO was the smaller, quiet dining room.  The upgrade was serendipitous.

Edited December 20, 2023 by Toofarfromthesea

[REOVA]

8 hours ago, chisoxfan said:

Thanks.  I do plan to eat in Orange generally  but on 14 night cruise would try the MDR a few times.

Happy to hear your comments on Orange- not seeking gourmet Nirvana but a more relaxing experience with decent service.

The CO dining is same menu as MDR with 1 added entree selection. What you don't get is a long wait to be seated or served and the loud noise from the open and often crowded MDR. Unless you are dining with friends who do not have CO benefits. There isn't a reason on Rotterdam to go to MDR. (IMHO)

[rafinmd]

If you want to eat in the MDR a couple of suggestions would be lunch on a sea day or a dressy night which does not have a CO special.

 

Roy

[kazu]

After one dinner in the K, no way would I go to the MDR on a Pinnacle Class ship.  It’s very loud and hard to hear anyone.

 

We enjoyed the Mariner lunch in the MDR - it was delicious but I could barely hear the person next to me let alone the person two seats  away

 

On a Pinnacle Class ship CO dining room a s must (I have now been on two).  On the other ships, the noise is not the same and the MDR is just fine.

 

There is much more to the CO dining room than just an extra entree.  My experiences have been wonderful service, a bit of mind reading after a few days and great food.  For me, it’s worth paying for.

[Ski Mom 2]

So I have a question and I hope it's not a dumb one...

 

To book Club Orange, one must call Holland to first ask about availability.

Two, if it's available you tell them to book the lowest price cabin in the category you'd like (veranda seems to be the best value).

Three, once you tell them the cabin you'd like, they will automatically upgrade you to the "real one" you'd like (the higher valued cabin in that category).

 

So it all happens at the same time?

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, Ski Mom 2 said:

So I have a question and I hope it's not a dumb one...

 

To book Club Orange, one must call Holland to first ask about availability.

Two, if it's available you tell them to book the lowest price cabin in the category you'd like (veranda seems to be the best value).

Three, once you tell them the cabin you'd like, they will automatically upgrade you to the "real one" you'd like (the higher valued cabin in that category).

 

So it all happens at the same time?

 

So, you book your cabin (lowest category) but make sure Club Orange is available first.  (I don’t think you can do the actual initial booking with club orange but hopefully someone who had done it will speak up).  

 

If you are using a PCC or TA, you tell them you want Club Orange and assuming it is available, you pay the price for that and yes, look at the deck plans and you can choose your room.

 

I haven’t done it at the same time.  IME I booked and then called CO to do it but I know TA could have done it for me if I wanted to ask her.
 

It can happen at the same time depending on how you book.  Best bet though is it to check on CO availability first JMO.  It is limited.

 

[Vineyard View]

It sounds like the Pinnacle class ships are where Club Orange shines….both in dining and Signature suites? It also looks like maybe the Signature suites shine more on Pinnacle class? That combination, if true, possibly changes the value statement for CO within ship categories, such as  Niew Amsterdam? 

[REOVA]

7 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

It sounds like the Pinnacle class ships are where Club Orange shines….both in dining and Signature suites? It also looks like maybe the Signature suites shine more on Pinnacle class? That combination, if true, possibly changes the value statement for CO within ship categories, such as  Niew Amsterdam? 

I like the SS suites on the older ships. Pinnacle SS cabins seem smaller. The upgrade benefit shines better on the lower priced cabins as opposed to SS (and no benefit in Neptune since CO is "included"). Club Orange on Pinnacle ships has its own dining room (same food as MDR but better service) so that is better on Pinnacle ships. 

[Midwest Sunseeker]

1 hour ago, Ski Mom 2 said:

So I have a question and I hope it's not a dumb one...

 

To book Club Orange, one must call Holland to first ask about availability.

Two, if it's available you tell them to book the lowest price cabin in the category you'd like (veranda seems to be the best value).

Three, once you tell them the cabin you'd like, they will automatically upgrade you to the "real one" you'd like (the higher valued cabin in that category).

 

So it all happens at the same time?

We just booked CO with a room upgrade the weekend after Thanksgiving.   We told them upfront we wanted to book Co.   She checked availability then booked us the lowest cabin. Then she added CO and asked us what cabin # we wanted.  She tried to confirm that cabin was available and found the department that keeps track of cabin inventory was closed.  She then told us to call Sunday morning as soon as they opened to get a cabin upgrade.  It worked fine when we called back . However, I will never get back that lost night of sleep.  

[Vineyard View]

2 minutes ago, REOVA said:

I like the SS suites on the older ships. Pinnacle SS cabins seem smaller. The upgrade benefit shines better on the lower priced cabins as opposed to SS (and no benefit in Neptune since CO is "included"). Club Orange on Pinnacle ships has its own dining room (same food as MDR but better service) so that is better on Pinnacle ships. 

Thank you. Is there not an area in the MDR set aside for CO on the older ships?  I thought I read that as a benefit. Maybe I am wrong. 

[Cruise Suzy]

6 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Is there not an area in the MDR set aside for CO on the older ships?

 

No separate area in MDR on Eurodam as far as I could tell. But if you have Any Time Dining and Club Orange, there is a separate line for you.

[Cruise Suzy]

25 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

It also looks like maybe the Signature suites shine more on Pinnacle class?

 

We book Signature Suites on the Signature ships or Vista ships because we don't like the bed next to the balcony on Pinnacle ships.

[RuthC]

35 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

Is there not an area in the MDR set aside for CO on the older ships?  I thought I read that as a benefit. Maybe I am wrong. 

No, there is no separate CO dining area on the non-Pinnacle Class ships. 

No, you are not wrong that you have read it several times on this board. It has been posted many times by people who have 'heard' the same thing, but have never actually experienced it. They continue to spread the incorrect information, and likely never read the corrections. 

[oakridger]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

It also looks like maybe the Signature suites shine more on Pinnacle class?

 

As the others have mentioned, the Signature Suites on Pinnacle Class ships have a different, and in my opinion, inferior, layout and the balconies are smaller.  Have a look at the picture on Halfacts.com to compare:

 

Pinnacle Class veranda from Post #23 from @HappyInVan:

 

Signature Class veranda from Kindly contributed to Halfacts.com by Cruise Critic member ‘VermeulT’. Photos taken in December 2016.

 

[REOVA]

1 hour ago, Vineyard View said:

Thank you. Is there not an area in the MDR set aside for CO on the older ships?  I thought I read that as a benefit. Maybe I am wrong. 

CO usually get a table by the window or a "preferred" area which can be anywhere really. You enter on right of entrance (separate line) and they seat you on that side, for the most part. 

[oakridger]

In my opinion, the Pinnacle Class SS would only be my choice if I was traveling with a child or adult who needs the extra privacy afforded by the separate vanity area where the single murphy bed is.  Otherwise, the wall in the room cuts off the size of the main bedroom. The big shower is a plusll!  Some people like them though, so check the pictures and layout and decide for yourself! 🙂

 

Signature Class Signature Class Cabin on halfacts.com contributed by Cruise Critic member ‘Mr and Mrs CIQ’. Photos taken in September 2017:

6090 – Eurodam | HAL Cruiser Information (halfacts.com)

 

Pinnacle Class Signature Suite Cabin on halfacts.com provided by Cruise Critic member ‘Macaroon’. Photos taken in May 2023.:

7103 – Rotterdam | HAL Cruiser Information (halfacts.com)

 

 

 

 

Edited December 21, 2023 by oakridger

[Maria63]

On 12/21/2023 at 6:56 AM, RuthC said:

No, there is no separate CO dining area on the non-Pinnacle Class ships. 

No, you are not wrong that you have read it several times on this board. It has been posted many times by people who have 'heard' the same thing, but have never actually experienced it. They continue to spread the incorrect information, and likely never read the corrections. 

My DH & I had CO on Westerdam last February. The dining arrangement for us worked more or less like this: At the entrance to the MDR there was a separate CO-concierge and a separate line. We got a very nice window table for 2 and had the same table every night. My impression was that this area in the MDR was designated for CO, but I can´t be sure whether non-CO guests also at times dined in the same area as it did not matter to us. We were very pleased with the dining experience and happy that we had the CO as the MDR generally could get rather noisy and crowded.