Mary229

I will let you know when I finish. We are just now in Hawaii for a bit longer before going to Tahiti. There is a live thread here in the HAL board if you want to skim

I got that on the current RT from San Diego to Hawaii and Tahiti. It was not listed as legendary when I purchased it but it was called ultimate or something else. My room steward said this is a brand new hot off the presses design.

Well….the price is not as exalted. I find overall grands are almost 2x per diem as a standard cruise and my 2 now-lengendary cruises, formerly ultimate cruises are about 1.3 times the per diem. So you pay for that luxury tote bag but not as much as you pay for the grand cruise satchel.

I haven’t called but did receive and reply to multiple texts. I usually FaceTime if I need to call but have not this time. it does block Apple Music.

The seafood boil has been on all of my cruises the past year including my far-from-legendary 7 day repositioning cruise

It seems that the new WiFi package blocks specific sites and sites coded a specific way. For example I cannot load YouTube but I can go to another popular social media site and view YouTube videos from there - go figure! Then my workout site is fully available, videos and all but my career training site is available except for its video section.i am on the HIA WiFi package.

I have kinky frizzy hair so the blowout bundle is my go to. It frees me from having to manage my unruly hair. I also like some of the facials which I do find cheaper than in my city and of similar quality.

I was assigned to a new table tonight with a top notch experienced wait staff. The waiter was far superior and far more attentive - not just to us but to all of his tables. The waiters great dispositions definitely impacted the ambiance of dining room. Our food arrived promptly , perhaps a bit too promptly but we can work that out as time progresses. An additional benefit the food was at peak temperature and appearance. Dinner was delicious. Please note there were no fireworks on our part, no demands, no complaints. We did what we would do at any slow restaurant- we left. I only hope that this improves for all guests but if it does not you should definitely report here on cruise critic at the very least.

They are quite aware of the active cruise critic posters and they read this board. If there is any update I will let you know.

I always book my excursions ahead of time and head to the shore excursions desk once onboard to have them do the exchange. I don’t know about dining but I never have an issue reserving onboard

Bad report, look away if you don’t like bad. We left very early yesterday morning and skipped both breakfast and lunch subsisting on very good coffee which is not unusual for us. So when the doors opened at the MDR we were there. We sat at our table for 2 at precisely 5 pm. Our orders were taken for food only. At 6 we just received our salad and my DH had never been even asked for his bar order. At 6:10 DH left to eat in the lido, at 6:20 when no food arrived I did the same. My nearby neighbors had not been served either. This is the Koningsdam MDR I recall from 2019. They just will not fix it. When I arrived in the lido the Maitre D was on my heels and asked me why I left and I simply said because I was very hungry. He apologized profusely but that does not excuse such shoddy service. Up until this time service had been adequate and I am not one who demands a fast dinner but a full hour with no service is not acceptable

@teeeej I have sailed both and am currently on the Koningsdam. I prefer the Zaandam. It is in fine condition, has spacious rooms and excellent, refined service. The Koningsdam certainly has more dining and entertainment options but it is hit or miss in service. My experience in the MDR this very evening was so poor I walked out - something I have never done before on any cruise ship. The service overall in all details is less personal but that is to be expected from a larger ship. Otherwise the food is good, the entertainment is good. Some departments do shine unexpectedly like photography and the casino staff. The rooms are small on the Koningsdam but are very efficiently designed.

Not yet but it has been very cloudy at sea. The first 4 days were spent dodging the weather. We had planned a sky view party tonight but canceled it as thick clouds rolled in late this afternoon

@cruisemom42 there was an excellent full hour matinee performance by concert pianist Elliot Finkel this afternoon. Strictly classical. SRO. I understand his evening performance has a more popular tunes bent. He even commended the most excellent trio we continue to enjoy daily, available usually for multiple performances .

In my personal experience I have been able to manage my flights totally once they are ticketed.

As long as you don’t move furniture or other heavy equipment into the viewing area the spot is yours until yielded. But it is only yours, if your spouse arrives later, too bad, he must go to the back. As to the HAL bench seating, a seat is a seat and if you occupy the lounger you only control the lounger, when you sat in the lounger you saw the row in front of you but made your choice. My gripe is the people who camp out in the lounger knitting or napping while others try to view a scenic event. Sure they are entitled to the seat but that is just thoughtless.

I have not but it sounds like it is worth doing. AMS can be a real headache.

A change will only happen if the airline changes the flight. Flight ease has no control over the airline. There is no more risk than if you had booked directly. Flight changes are common these days that is simply the way it is. seat selection guidelines vary by airline and class of air. Also seat selections can change if the airline changes type of jet they are using. Again, it is according to the airline not flight ease

As to the initial question HAL may have already sold out once and is trying to secure more rooms. Get waitlisted and book your own cancelable reservation to be sure you have some. FLL can sell out of hotels

On my last three cruises since October they served unlimited in the lido

At our age I start my September birthday celebration sometime in early January or whenever I see something that would be a great birthday present or whenever I see a cake with the appropriate amount of icing. Happy Birthday to us!

Ok. I am excited to report there was a Yum yum man at the MDR serving treats as you exited the gala dinner. No fancy outfit but still a lot of flare.

For those looking for a more sedate lunch we ate at the Dutch Cafe today and easily ordered and found a table. New pea soup recipe is almost as good as mine😊. Friends said the 10th floor deli and pizza is not terribly crowded either. We have also eaten in the MDR for lunch with ease. Yes, the lunch menu does change daily. The lido is a zoo and with no taco bar at the Dive Inn that is not as interesting. The burgers there are not as good as they once were. so I have to ask is that coke machine or beer bar ever available? This is my third sailing on a Pinnacle class ship and they are always unavailable

I think they renamed it after i signed up.

On the bed ( swag) this evening along with chocolate which seems to be back as a daily treat.