Neptune Lounge, Volendam

[scotland]

Hi,

 

I have a question about the Neptune Lounge on the Volendam. I'm new to HAL but have cruised Pricess and NCL before. We are in an SA suite sailing to the Panama Canal on September 24th. What can we expect from the Neptune Loune? Is it open all day, what do they serve, what is so special about it?

 

Thanks for all the information you can give me, this is a special occasion for my 50th birthday and would like to know what to expect.

 

Scotland

[Sale Away]

It's not open 24/7 but is staffed from early morning till early evening. It's a lounge similar to what you'd find in a club level in a land based hotel. It's a large room with sofas, a few tables, a tv. You can get juice, water, tea or coffee from a specialty machine that will dispense espresso & lattes. In the morning, they'll have light continental breakfast offerings. In the afternoon and evening, they'll have small sandwiches & appetizers (cold not hot). The concierge can take care of all the needs you might otherwise go to the front desk for - reservations for tours or the Pinnacle, making change, re-magnetizing your room key, arranging dinner in your cabin, etc. It's very convenient to not have to run down to the front desk. Especially if your card de-magnetized what seemed like every other day like ours did. :)

[grannynurse]

Hi Scotland,

Welcome to the HAL board. The Neptune Lounge on all HAL ships is a concierge lounge for guests in SA-SC and penthouse suites. They do not serve alcohol. It is open until 7:30 or 8pm. They serve coffee, cappucino, and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. You can also reach the concierges by phone from your room. They do provide excellent services.

Some people do hang out there to read, watch TV etc. You will be invited to suite parties and a luncheon. It's a very nice perk for suite guests.

GN

[Atomica]

Welcome to the HAL boards!

 

The neptune lounge is amazing. We had the opportunity to experience it on a short coastal cruise last year. While we liked our suite, the main reason we'd book one again is for the Neptune privilledges. It was so convenient to be able to pop in there in the mornings and get a cappucino (free) and some snacks. The biggest perk of the lounge is they can do most things that would otherwise require a trip to the Front Office.

 

When we boarded in Seattle, none of their computers were able to read passengers credit cards due to a glitch, so everyone was told to line up at the Front Office to provide their CC info. The lineup was MASSIVE. Fortunately, the Neptune was able to take care of everything for me, and just not having to wait in that huge line was more than worth the price of admission!

[gizmo]

Hi Scotland,

 

There is fresh ground coffee which is excellent. The food and snacks available, changes through out the day. Look for the chocolate covered strawberries, which usually show up mid afternoon.

 

Prior to dinner hours there are cold appetizers. Being in a suite you can order hot appetizers to be delivered to your cabin. The concierge can place the order for you. The concierge can also handle shore excursions and pinnacle reservations.

 

Enjoy your cruise.:)

[scotland]

Thanks very much for all this information. I'm starting to really look forward to the cruise even though it's not till end of September.

 

Scotland

[island lady]

Hi Scotland,

Welcome to the HAL board. The Neptune Lounge on all HAL ships is a concierge lounge for guests in SA-SC and penthouse suites. They do not serve alcohol. It is open until 7:30 or 8pm. They serve coffee, cappucino, and non-alcoholic beverages and snacks. You can also reach the concierges by phone from your room. They do provide excellent services.

Some people do hang out there to read, watch TV etc. You will be invited to suite parties and a luncheon. It's a very nice perk for suite guests.

GN

 

This will be my first HAL cruise, but definately not new to cruising. My last cruise on RCCL had a wonderful happy hour set up in the concierge lounge, with complimentary drinks.

So, the Neptune lounge does not serve drinks? :(

Guess we will have to find a new happy hour spot, but I do like the Latte machine!

Cheers! :)

[Luvs2trvl]

We found the Neptune lounge a great asset - actually Mom won't do anything but those cabins again. When one of our shore excursions was cancelled, they handled everything, including helping us schedule a new one. I loved the chocolates that were offered in the afternoon. They also got us reservations in the speciality restaurant.

[sail7seas]

ALL of the ladies who work as Concierges in all the Neptune Lounges are wonderful. They truly want to accomplish whatever it is a guest requests and they do it so sweetly. Because we often return to the same ships, we see the same Concierges either working in Neptune or back at the Front Office and they almost always remember us by Name......which I think is quite remarkable. They meet so many people.

 

Even before you enter the Lounge the first time on your cruise, they know your name and what you look like.

 

They pride themselves on viewing the embarkation/security photos and learn our names and faces off their computers. When we enter the Lounge for the first time, they always address us by name and it always amazes me how they learn so many names/faces so fast.

 

They really are wonderrful......

[grannynurse]

Island lady,

No, they do not regularly serve drinks in the Neptune except for some suite get-togethers that are scheduled there.

 

We like the Ocean Bar on all HAL ships for before dinner drinks and hors d'ourves. We often meet friends there starting around 4:30 and stay until it's time to get ready for late dinner. HAL serves hot and cold hors d'ourves in the lounges before dinner but instead of the individual plates to each table as in the past, they now come around to tables with trays. I imagine that there was alot of waste with the individual servings (not at our table though...).

 

The crows nest is a nice place to gather for sailaways and late evening drinks. The views are great and it's not consistently crowded.

 

Suite guests can also order hors d'ourves in their room for themselves and their guests. The concierge will arrange it for you at no charge (alcohol is not free however).

GN

[twinkletoes4445]

WE LOVED the Neptune Lounge (on the Zuiderdam). Gerald and Carlo we there to help us with anything and everything we wanted. There were several forms we had to fill out, and all we had to do was head across the hall to the NL and hand it to one of the guys. They also were able to change out our larger bills, which was nice. We didn't have to go to the front desk of the ship for anything.

 

Gerald also sent our champagne (a gift that will be in your cabin when you arrive) to our wine steward so we could enjoy it with dinner.

 

We also popped in from time-to-time to have a snack, or juice. It was a perk that we ended up really loving.

 

Here's the Zuiderdam's NL hours...

 

Port Days-7:00 am - 8:30 pm

Sea Days-7:30 am - 8:30 pm

 

Food Service

 

Continental breakfast 7:00 am - 11:00 am

Midday snacks 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

Afternoon tea 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

Cold hors d'oeuvres 5:00 pm - 8:15 pm

[Sale Away]

It actually surprised me how many guests never bothered to learn the names of the concierges in the Lounge even by the end of the cruise. They really seemed to like it when greeted by name and of course were great about learning ours as well.

 

We made the mistake of taking our first HAL cruise in a Deluxe Suite. Now we're so spoiled that when I was considering itineraries on other lines, DH would ask "What? No concierge lounge? No free laundry? What size is that cabin? Phooey!" :p

[Lvteks]

Lucky you!

Neptune on Volendam was way ahead of Zuiderdam and Prinsendam. Never had the offers of service from Miguel from the others. He is amazing! Hope he will be there for you. If not, the lady who filled in has learned from one of the very best. Have a great trip.

 

Blessings,

 

Gail

[island lady]

Island lady,

No, they do not regularly serve drinks in the Neptune except for some suite get-togethers that are scheduled there.

 

We like the Ocean Bar on all HAL ships for before dinner drinks and hors d'ourves. We often meet friends there starting around 4:30 and stay until it's time to get ready for late dinner. HAL serves hot and cold hors d'ourves in the lounges before dinner but instead of the individual plates to each table as in the past, they now come around to tables with trays. I imagine that there was alot of waste with the individual servings (not at our table though...).

 

The crows nest is a nice place to gather for sailaways and late evening drinks. The views are great and it's not consistently crowded.

 

Suite guests can also order hors d'ourves in their room for themselves and their guests. The concierge will arrange it for you at no charge (alcohol is not free however).

GN

 

Thanks, Granny Nurse for the info! :)

 

This will be different, as we are so used to doing the complimentary "before dinner drinks" in the concierge lounge on other lines.

 

I am afraid I am quite ignorant on the way the "no host" mini bar works in our suite. I also noted somewhere that there is a "no host" mini bar set up in the Neptune lounge on the ship we are going on, the Oosterdam. Could you tell me how both of them work?

 

Naturally since my past cruises offered the complimentary drinks in the lounge, there was no need for mini bars in our suite.

 

Thanks, and good cruising.

Cheers! :)

[Sale Away]

I am afraid I am quite ignorant on the way the "no host" mini bar works in our suite. I also noted somewhere that there is a "no host" mini bar set up in the Neptune lounge on the ship we are going on, the Oosterdam. Could you tell me how both of them work?

 

Well... there was no "no host" mini bar set up in the Neptune Lounge. And the one in your cabin is much like in a hotel - small bottles in the fridge that they'll take a count of on a daily basis. You pay for what you consume.

 

There are a few other recent threads regarding buying either prepaid wine or cocktail cards. Seems like there's a bit of a break on price when you use those versus buying by the glass.

[island lady]

Well... there was no "no host" mini bar set up in the Neptune Lounge. And the one in your cabin is much like in a hotel - small bottles in the fridge that they'll take a count of on a daily basis. You pay for what you consume.

 

There are a few other recent threads regarding buying either prepaid wine or cocktail cards. Seems like there's a bit of a break on price when you use those versus buying by the glass.

 

Thanks for the info, Sale Away. Looks like you will be on the same ship coming up very soon. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

Happy cruising!

Cheers! :)

[lggfly]

I went into the Neptune lounge first thing every morning to get a cup of coffee (not the latte) for my wife and myself. Best coffee, by far, on the entire ship.

[Lvteks]

Happened to remember, I think, :) that Charisse was Miguel's asst. in the Neptune Lounge. Ah it was delightful.....

Blessings,

Gail