albingirl

Agree! Thank you.

I don't know how to get rid of one.

We returned yesterday from a 7 day Carib. cruise and TI want to share my findings with you. We live in Florida, so going out of Orlando was really easy. The ship is huge,and I have never been on such a large ship. It was massive. We have sailed with NCL however, but have been true loyalists to HAL. We booked a balcony stateroom and it was lovely. I particularly like the floor plan, where the closets are in the room, rather than in the entrance to the room. It makes it easier to get around without awkward positioning around your companion..The food was similar, but the Bistro was outstanding and better than anything I've ever had on HAL. We don't eat at buffets but when we dined in the main dining room, we found two smaller offshoots called the Taste and Savor and they were wonderful.. Smaller atmosphere, much like Club Orange in my opinion. The entertainment was far better than anything we've recently experience on HAL. There was music everywhere and I loved that. The show called the Choir of Man was the very best I have ever seen at sea. Just amazing singing and dancing. The actors truly engaged the audience and I was captivated by them all. Ok, the negatives. The ship was so chaotic by the pool that we never went there. The bar was slammed and always had 4 or 5 bartenders going in the afternoon. The noise was loud, loud, loud. But, their saving grace was a beer kiost where you could easily grab a beer and go. Since NCL has a beverage package, significantly cheaper than HAL, and has no limit on the number of beverages you can consume in a day, there was tremendous drinking onboard. We found a quiet area called the Waterfront, with comfortable chairs and couches , and alot of them, for your afternoon reading or napping lol. We dont' gamble but the casino was very smokey when we walked by. They also have a cigar bar, which is horrible if you are in that vicinity. There was also smoking on some balconies and no way to police that, really. Just obnoxious. It was a zoo. Door slamming was prevalent and difficult to take. The staff was wonderful, however, and they do try hard to please. We aren't high maintenance, but found the whole atmosphere crazy at times. We'll stick with Holland America for the future. After this, I have zero interest in the island cruises. We didn't even make it to one port in the Dominican Republic because of the wind. Oh, before I forget, the daily graituities were $20.00 pp. Our credit from stock holdings didn't go to anything but non-refundable credit, as well. When you had dinner in a specialty restaurant due to your dining package, you were limited to one appetizer, one entree, and one dessert. Since I am a light diner, it didn't much matter to me, but I could see how it could disturb others. The highly rated La Cuccina was not very enjoyable, and I can't quite figure out why. Slow service? Just missing the mark. Anyhow, that's all folks. I really appreciate reading others experiences on these cruises, so I thought I'd add my two cents. About what it's worth lol.

It's considered non refundable and cannot be applied. You arecorrect. .

I am just back from NCL Escape. I'll tell you later how it compared to Holland America, but I can report that our daily gratuity for a veranda stateroom was 20 dollars pp per day.

Wouldn't that be nice!

Well, I can eat Asian food till the cows come home, but it would be nice to see some French cuisine onboard. Or German. If it's an addition to Tamarind, that's duplicitous.

I read that some of them are quite valuable, too, depending on their coloring. Who knows? I am sure this could be speculation, of which can be fun in and of itself.

Not much in the Caribbean, but when abroad, we spend alot, since we eat and drink in every port. I like the local flavor, so to speak.

Following along and just wanted to thank you for a very interesting thread.

Just looked at the site. Prices are nuts right now so I will wait on this. Maybe do something last minute. I'm on NCL Sat. For a change. When I return, I will let you all know. Ship is big, but entertainment should be great, based on past experiences. We have a standard balcony, no hoopdala there, but I can't wait.

Really great review, thank you. Agree about the smoking. I sold a condo not long ago because of a smoker next door. Wonder why HAL still allows it at all. Otherwise, agree with your other comments, particularly dining. Thanks for your detailed review.

I usually throw a bud light into my beach bag. But it's a secret.

I like a peroni occasionally. Doubt they have that

Somebody's hero. Hard core.

laugh if you want to, but they always run out of Bud Light. My beer of choice, much to the disdain of my friends.

Yeah, have lost patience for people who don't care about you waiting for them. Happens all the time. I tend to be on time for everything, so I don't want to go on tours unless necessary. Then you have the window bus hogs. You just can't win.

I love the laundry thing. I never do it like that at home, so it's a gift. Every single time.

That must feel like a dream come true. Enjoy!

We loved some long cruises without the drink package. Of course, there is so much wonderful and inexpensive wines in Europe, we didn't find it necessary. But the 15 drink package in the Caribbean is fun. Too bad, after one beer at 1 pm and I am asleep with a book in hand, hopefully not drooling.

The staff on the ships are so hard working. I'd never do the work they do. Not that I am a lazy bean, but look at them. Every time I go out of my house, things have gone through the roof. Sometimes I think that restaurants have taken this to the nth degree, since they have become impossibly expensive. But, if you want to cruise, this is the deal. Kind of take it or leave it.

Because I have booked first. Added CO later. I know, dumb move.

Like others, it's all about the dining. The main dining room is annoying for me.....noise and hustle bustle. I book the cabin I want, so I don't use the upgrade, but for others, that's advantageous. But a serene dining experience is heaven for me.

Speaking of plastic, I have been consciously using more bar soaps at my sinks at home. There is less plastic trash on the beach near where I live, so I am supportive of the limitation of plastic bottles onboard. It is disheartening, however, to notice that gazillions of products in my local grocery store are wrapped in plastic. Ok, sorry to hijack this thread.....