albingirl

With all this news, I may stay home and iron all my old boring clothes.

Such a great blog. I remember visiting the Canary Islands and the mountains were so high. The roads were hairpin, in some areas, and it was quite beautiful, if not startling. We visited 3 islands and they all had unique characteristics. And, yes, we did ride the camels, lol!

Inflation. Nothing is as reasonable as it was. Gone out to eat lately?

You keep carrying on about your negativity and Holland America. There are other vacation options. We have friends who love camping with a tent. They are very happy.

I've sailed 3x on the NS, and two times it was at 60 % capacity. We went again this past Feb for 2 weeks and it was sold out. We had club orange on that sailing with excellent service, so we were fine. I have only one complaint...I do wish they would lay off the loud music by the pool. The Playlist is awful and it's difficult to read. This music blares on the 9th and 10th decks. Otherwise, we had a wonderful cruise.

Let us know how you make out. Sounds like a very fun party to me!!!

Such a nice happy thread! Thank you.

Too bad you didn't have a good cruise. I personally avoid the Lido for some of the same reasons. I have gotten respiratory illnesses after a cruise but that could be from anywhere, including ports. Hope you feel better by now.

Florida gal, you are right. I've looked recently but havent seen any deals, even on the private sale. I'm living in Florida, so it might not be that big a deal, but I do love to cruise for the fun change of scenery and the luxury of not cooking and so forth. I have been very satisfied with HAL, and I don't know where all this recent negativity is coming from.

You keep beating the same drum on every post. So, go with Celebrity. Bon voyage.

I did see people wait a long time for service at happy hour during a recent cruise. 20 to 25 minutes for a waiter to notice them. I think the HIA is so pricey and jacks up the price of the cruise so much that it's really not worth it to us. We don't need the specialty dining and excursion perk that is included. The pricing for the 2024 cruises has gone up, as well. Unless you are sailing during shoulder season, it's hard to find a reasonable price.

How were the ports. Wish you did a full review so we could get a better sense of your experience, including cabin selection and ports.

This is one of the saddest posts I have ever seen. Heartfelt sympathy to you and your family. Please call your representatives in Congress, as well as your funeral home. Good advice from other people here.

Great idea!! Thank you

So be it.

I always buy one for the purpose of being earth friendly, but I forget to bring it. It's the thought that counts lol.

I'd order a pot at a time!

When I get a break from shopping and cooking, I will take it. I've never had any complaints about the food. Maybe it isn't your typical 5* restaurant, but I don't visit those daily.

Well, I do sometimes and I think you are right. My husband always reminds me that we already tipped but I guess I am soft.

I thought the whole idea behind the daily service charge was so we didn't have to think about tipping. There you go...its all figured out for you. That's what we were told. Now we are expected to tip on top of tips. We do, but I do have mixed feelings. It does seem like the staff does hope for more. No crime there and you can't blame them, but I did expect that the daily gratuity charge covered it.

There are alot of sweets there, in the morning, but I don't eat sweets. The quiche is good, as well as the pea soup and grilled cheese sandwich, but I would never choose a ship for those reasons. One of our very favorite things to do is always to enjoy local cuisine in port. You can try some wonderful food and drink off the ship, particularly in foreign lands.

Ships are sailing full again, so that will add to the feeling of staffing shortages. I don't have the specific data about staffing levels, but it's easy to see the difference since the ships were half full.

No, I would never base a cruise on the Dutch Cafe. It's a bonus if you have one on the ship, but certainly not enough to switch ships. There are alot of complimentary postings about it, for sure, but not enough to go through all the changes you would encounter.

Nonetheless, enjoying your postings.

Following and all best wishes for safe and happy travels!