PACD_JG

The link to the menus has made me curious. I just assumed MDR stood for Main Dining Room - what's the story behind Manhattan?

That's my point - there won't be a new generation with ballroom dancing....

But in a few years, how many HAL loyalists will be dead or unable to cruise again?

If it's too loud, you're too old. Oh wait... I've only been cruising a year, but to me it's quite obvious - old folks who want old HAL should book the old ships as the Pinnacle ships are trying to appeal to a new generation of cruisers.

I recently booked a cabin for my vegan son (don't blame me) and his girlfriend. When I made the booking with a big box TA, I checked boxes that state they are both vegan. So what does HAL do with that information, if they even know?

Eventually HAL will have enough repeat cruisers that will skip the Step One Dancers because it's just not something people want to see repeatedly. I saw the 9 PM show of Musicology on the Thanksgiving cruise with 2900 others, and there might have only been 100 people there...

I booked a verandah on my first trip but they upgraded me to a vista suite. My wife and I had HIA + crew appreciation. My final onboard statement was $914.34 - $200 OBC (Alaska ain't cheap), and $238 of that was crew appreciation for my daughters who were in the same cabin. My second cruise was in a vista suite and my wife and I had HIA + crew appreciation. My final onboard statement was $430.51 - $400 OBC, and $238 of that was crew appreciation for my daughters who were in the same cabin.

Straight from my account. I have only taken two 7-day cruises and I have a total of 35 credits. How Credits Work CRUISE DAY CREDITS: 1 credit earned for every day sailed. Increase your Mariner Star Status simply by enjoying your cruise. SUITE BONUS CREDITS: 1 bonus credit earned for every day sailed. When you book a spacious suite or penthouse on your next cruise, you'll not only enjoy special amenities, but also gain a bonus Cruise Day credit. For instance, guests who pay full fare for suite accommodations on a 10-day cruise earn 20 Cruise Day credits. ONBOARD SPENDING BONUS: 1 bonus credit will be granted for every $300 spent in onboard purchases. This is calculated on the combined folio charges for all guests on the booking, regardless of who signs each charge and who pays the bill. There is a limit of one bonus day for each day sailed, and 3rd and 4th guests on the same booking do not earn the onboard spending bonus. Questions or concerns about your Mariner Status or Mariner Cruise History? Call the Mariner Society at 1‐800‐547‐9139 (outside of the U.S. call 206-626-7359 ext. 8353), or fill out the form below.

I was in a Vista Suite on the Koningsdam in June - the room had "fresh flowers" as an amenity, although it was so small that HAL should have been embarrassed to advertise it. Well, I was in a Vista Suite on the Nieuw Stantendam last month, and voila...no fresh flowers.

Along with the dude with the boombox...I'm assuming there's a contract to sign to rent one of these with the rules listed...does anybody know what the actual rules are?

Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

That's why my charity goes to help animals, not humans.

I guess I should have been clearer. If it makes a difference, I was born in the Central Valley, CA. 😁

Gracias. I meant the OP's pic.

What is the Valiant Lady's message on the side of the ship? We docked next to her in San Juan, Puerto Rico in November. I saw this and thought Virgin is definitely doing something right.

Definitely not Funderstruck.

I just booked a cruise on Wednesday and when on HAL website this wasn't listed. I checked again Thursday and saw some summer 2024 cruises listed - and this cruise was interesting to me, so I knew others would be interested. I'm just a bit jealous of those that have the time to these kind of trips. I can't wait to retire!

I'll share a story from my wife and two daughters, who went to adult coloring on the Nieuw Statendam three times over a 7-day Thanksgiving cruise. Obviously debatable that this should be a scheduled activity three times if even at all, but HAL uses Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils, which cost about $2-3 per pencil. If they wanted to cut cost, they could switch to Crayola Colored Pencils that only cost 33 cents per pencil. Artistic types will tell you that Prismacolor's quality is beyond comparison to Crayola's. Having said this...when a business lowers their price point, it's expected that they'll attract more customers with less disposable income. Several folks complained about the pencil quality (Prismacolor is softer...best for blending and layering colors). Two takeaways: the complainers didn't even know what they were missing out on (like a person who grew up on Budweiser who hates craft beer), and there is a very large market for people who will pay more in order not to mingle with those most likely to complain...and I wish HAL would stick to that model. However, I wouldn't be surprised if this summer HAL switches to Crayola...

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A couple of quick questions - booking through a big box TA gave me a disclaimer about ambulatory rooms. Deck plans say it isn't. Is it? (Don't want to take one from somebody who actually needs it). Also, I'm telling you I selected no upgrades but the confirmation email says any cabin upgrade. Since I believe I is the highest inside category, I assume they can't upgrade unless it's to a verandah?

We're available for adoption...j/s

Well that's not what I was hoping to hear. 😬

Do I get the Mariner points? Who gets the OBC if it comes with the purchase?