dockman

i did 21 days alaska last year on the crown and can also say that overall it is a delightful well run ship with a very friendly and efficient crew

I used to escort full united charter flights to vegas....in my experience it was pretty rare for passengers to go home a winner. Lots of them talked a big game about how they won a big jackpot but when i would ask so how much more are you going home with the answer was usually a sheepish...oh i lost it all back ++more on blackjack etc...the number one rule of casino is if you play long enough you will lose....it's simple math....they don't build all those beautiful casinos because they lose $$. To add to the odds being against all players is the fact that the vast majoirty of players don't even follow basic strategy of play. Many are pitifully ignorant of the basic odds and smart play. I think it is a safe bet that the vast majority of people who get a "free" cabin end up finding out that is was far from free....some enjoy the "gaming" (sounds better than gambling) for the few who might win...good for you....but as said play long enough and you will lose. About 13.5% of gamblers go home from a casino having made any money. This statistic comes from a study of 4,222 gamblers, and only 7 of them won more than $150. Conversely, 217 of them lost over $5000 at casino games. Also, note that those who play more often have lower chances of winning.Nov 13, 2023

cruisedeckplans.com has lot of pics of various views and rooms

If it is only a 7 day cruise and you have a lot of port time filled with shore excursions I frankly doubt if the kids will have time to be bored. I would go with the idea that the cruise should be one that is most likely to be liked by the adults. Kids it seems will be worn out tired after all the port visits and HAL does have enough kid activities to keep them busy. I also think it may be a good learning experience for the kids to be in an environment more centered around the adults and learning to behave and be exposed to a bit more classy situation than rock climbing walls, waterslides, go cart tracks, etc. My two cents worth which may be worth two cents or nothing.

There are different types of cruisers. Some see it as a once in a lifetime experience and will splurge big time. Others see it as several cruises a year and decide they would rather do a couple of cruises a year and the no splurge keeps multiple cruises within their budgets. Are these people denying themselves or are they in their way splurging? Some don't care as they are wealthy and the splurge is peanuts to them. I happen to be among the group that prefers to go on multiple cruises and budget accordingly. Nothing wrong with either decision

Don't like the game then don't play it. Don't like a library then don't go there. So HAL should do away with anything that generates zero? OK....no more shows, more upcharges in buffet, no more free tenders, no more turn down service, no more this and that. Once upon a time a big selling feature of a cruise was that the fare included most everything and a wide variety of services, food, entertainment, nice prom decks, libraries etc. designed to appeal to a variety of tastes and budgets. Leave it to the bean counters and what is happening is more and more former included venues, events, services etc are being replaced with revenue generators.

I have never particulary cared for Heinken but if they were still a quarter i would hold my nose and drink it. Back years ago I think that they had some kind of deal with HAL to feature it but now it is just another beer.

once upon a time they featured heineken specials as being a proud dutch heritage....now just another beer

Does anyone remember long long ago when holland served heineken beer and if i recall about 1971 they were 25 cents a beer?

I am so happy that many cruisers gravitate to the bigger more glitzy newer ships. Hopefully means less demand and better deals on the smaller and older ships for me.

Don't need to "reread"....all i said was customers should be notified at time of booking so they can decide then if acceptable or not and only when given prior knowledge can they vote with their wallet. Hard to vote with your wallet if you are not made aware of changes prior to giving them your money. Never said anything re compensation. Prior notice is/was the point of my post and if prior notice was given then no reason to try to enlist customers to complain as you simply do not buy the product being offered.

If you checked into a hotel and then found that a large group had blocked the pool and gym for their private use during your stay seems that at minimum you should be advised at time of booking that certain facilities would not be available so you can cancel or book elsewhere it you want. Did HAL advise at time of booking about crows nest being closed? If not, then they need to do better as not fair to buy a "six pack of beer" then get home to find two beers missing.

way too much drama all around for my taste.....travel can be stressful even when all is perfectly clear and in order.....seems a lot of extra stress to finance a cruise...guess i am old fashioned that i simply would not book a cruise if i had to finance it.

understood...BUT...lots of people say similar until a problem pops up related to a cancellation or various changes or who knows what and then many expect the agent to solve the problem as once the agent is the booking of record the cruise line is supposed to refer all inquiries back to the agent....however i am sure if you shop around enough you are likely to find an "agent" who will agree to your rebate...most of those agents will also go out of business over time.

If you want fast full service you should not likely expect to have the agent rebate 2/3 or more of their commission. A client that does not take most of the agents pay is likely to be a higher priority for the agent than a cheap charlie.

so you want 2/3 or more of the agents commissions as well as quick and professional services....would you as a CPA knock 2/3 of your price off and still give great service?

I did 3 weeks on emerald couple years ago and enjoyed it....especially the back pool/deck areas

i took it from the airport and it was a very good professional service with a really funny "guide" on board...stopped at wildlife place but lot or rain that day so not ideal....

royal princess does syd to hnl in april 2025...no fiji

The older i get the more i enjoy sea days. Maybe i am weird but i can sit and watch the ocean for hours trying to imagine what is going on below me and all the ships that have sailed these same paths and where they were headed. What the crew and passengers looked like,where they came from and where and why were they going, what were they doing, all the ships that sunk and the dramas that must have unfolded over the centuries. All the various creatures of the deep and how very little we seem to know about the secrets of the sea. To each his/her own but I do sometimes wonder if most passengers give five minutes to sit and look and marvel at the oceans. Maybe that is why the promenade decks with nice chairs etc seem to be on the verge of extintion.

That is likely because the deck was made more narrow to make room for more shops or revenue sources....maybe they should leave the decks wide and put pay turnstiles to enter the deck...what a shame the bean counters have no doubt argued hard that a nice teak deck with teak loungers does not provide any $$ and in fact could lure more people to sit outside or take a nice long walk during which time they would not be shopping or playing bingo or spending $$... Heaven forbid we keep the wide decks with chairs as some people obviously think a cruise should offer a place to sit near the water (without having to look through often dirty plexiglass) or go for nice walk (on a deck wide enough for two people to pass without bumping into another passenger) or take a nap or read a book Who in their right mind would think a cruise person might like to feel like they are on a ship in the ocean?

Wow congratulations on that....what is the secret to beating the odds?

i am under the impression that the jewelry stores onboard are a lease so cruise line collects the rent or maybe they also get a percent of the sales? Like the vast majority of casino gamblers I rarely win big....in my experience it is a rare person that ultimately leaves a casino with more $$ than when they arrived and will ultimately plow it back into more gambling. But good luck to you

not sure what you may or may not spend in a speciality restaurant or jewelry store has much to do with a casino offer....

While balconies can be nice to have I am finding more and more that the reality is that I do not spend very much time sitting there....sure it is nice to be able to get fresh air etc but for me it is not worth the price difference. Also as a solo sailer I find that with no balcony I spend more time out on the decks rather than sit by myself on a balcony. In addition the budget opting for a no balcony room can save you enough money to do more cruises. I would prefer to do two cruises with no balcony than one balcony cruise that blows the budget. I do think there are a lot of cruisers who are sort of "two week millionaires" that figure they may only do one cruise every few years so they splurge on a balcony. Solo travellers are usually paying double and don't really need a balcony as an extra "room" to get away from their cabin mate. Those of us who do a couple of cruises most every year (who are not "wealthy") often opt for less expensive rooms. To each his/her own. IMO sitting on a balcony too much for panama canal means you will not see nearly as much as walking around on the decks. I always seem to see more as I spend a lot of time out on the decks...some people don't care but to me a big attraction of a cruise is to sit and walk around outside and look at the ocean or the scenery which may well be only on one side of the ship. Just my opinion but for me balconies are "overrated".