westcoastcruiser

Yes on the HAL ships we have been on there is one pickleball court.  There is quite a following but everyone has been good about 4 on, 4 off.  There were paddles provided but we always bring our own.

don’t recall zumba being offered but perhaps someone else has a definitive answer.

We primarily cruise either Celebrity or HAL.  We are loyal to both and cruise based on destination.  We have status with both and enjoy both cruise lines for what they offer. 

We spent two weeks on Celebrity in November and three weeks on HAL in January -- the Rotterdam.  You will absolutely love the Rotterdam.  It is the newest ship and just pristine.  

Go and enjoy!  Both cruise lines offer a wonderful experience albeit a tad different.  

We were on Rotterdam for three weeks earlier this year and paddles and balls were provided. We brought our own but, imo, the provided paddles were adequate.  The wind was definitely an issue and challenge but us die-hard pickle ball players persevered.  
 

There were always people waiting to play and I did not see lessons mentioned in the daily.  A gathering time was listed but people showed up and played virtually all day.

i know you were specifically asking about Westerdam not Rotterdam.  I feel certain the circumstances are consistent among the ships.

Sent hubby’s and mine off as they expire next spring.  The countdown begins.  Would have been nice to renew online but website said not an option.  Now we rely on two government entities to do the job…post office and passport service.  

We use the unlimited laundry service for all of our HAL cruises.  We find it to be a wonderful benefit of cruising with HAL.  Never had an issue with an item being lost, ruined or mishandled.  It is especially beneficial for long crises o cruising to an area where humidity and heat are a factor.  

You are wise to pack lightly and utilize the laundry service.  

We have sailed two ships offering the dutch cafe.  I agree with earlier posts reporting long lines and slow service.  Personally I did not understand all the excitement over the beverages or food.  While virtually every staff member we encountered on our cruises was delightful and helpful, I found those working the Dutch Cafe less personable.  
 

i certainly would not adjust my sailing so it included the Dutch Cafe.  JMO.

with respect to the noise in the Rotterdam main dining room, we ate on deck two aft.  A wonderful table for 4.  However seated right next to us was a very large table for 12.  It was very difficult to carry on a conversation with the volume of noise coming from that table.  I realize they were just having a wonderful time and certainly not doing anything wrong.  But the sheer number of people talking made it a bit much to overcome.  

Shared with soccer too.  

We booked our HIA cruise as a 21 day segment, one booking number, while others booked a 10 day and/or 11 day.  When I tried to book a tour for the second leg while on board I was told I had  to wait until it began.  The tour showed only two remaining spots left so this was a concern.  Makes no sense.  

Curious if you watched the game out by the pool as I imagine it was very crowded there.  And, by chance, have you been wearing a mask in crowds?

the ship seems quite healthy overall as I hear minimal,if any, coughing and sneezing.  We are masking in elevators and crowds even though we are vaxed and boosted.  No guarantee but hoping it gives us extra protection 🤷‍♀️

glad to hear your symptoms are mild but sorry you are missing great ports…Curacao and Aruba are favorites .  

Beautiful glass shower doors on veranda cabins.  Handheld shower.  

5 hours ago, Ipeeinthepools said:

Anyone on the current sailing should check their statement for erroneous charges.  Even though you had the drink package, many people were still getting charged for drinks 

I have been keeping an eye on our statement and today there were two dining room charges.  The dirst was for fresh squeezed oj that is part of thr HIA package. Csecond charge was for a $1.18 overage on a Cosmopolitan that I never ordered or received.  
 

Tonight was dressy night and the dining room on 2 was in disarray.  New hostess, lines wrapped around a corner and down a hallway.  Drinks ordered and not received.  But food was good, servers were doing their best and we still enjoyed the evening.

On 1/25/2023 at 12:33 PM, dutchgal46 said:

Is Genesis still the hostess?

Please say hi from me. Anneke Prins.

She is swesome!

She has moved a bit but we still see her on occasion.  She is kind, efficient and beautiful.  Will let her know of your hello.

23 hours ago, thecruiserman said:

How do you make the reservation? On-line? With the Maitre d’?

We spoke to the hostess.  Of course, we do our part and make sure we are there prompt,y.  Also if we have specialty dining, we let her know ahead of time so our table will be released.

We have.  First night were given a table that was not a good fit for us.  Then next night we were more specific and have been assigned same table, same time, same servers each night.  So even though we have open sesting on deck 2, we go to the “reservation” line and get seated almost immediately.  There is a line for those without reservations and it moves along albeit a bit slower.  

Never felt we missed anything.  In fact, by being able to see aft, port and starboard we felt we had an advantage.  The ship is not traveling so fast as to miss sights…it is scenery..but I guess that is why there are choices.  Something for everyone.  

when we did Norway a few years ago we were aft and felt we hit the jackpot!  The ability to view 180 degrees was spectacular.  We were also protected from the wind.  We thought it was extra special to sit on our balcony and watch the wake and soak up the tranquility that only that location provides.  JMO.

5 hours ago, Zanne208 said:

My sister and I love playing cards.  She of course being retired plays almost daily.   I have already packed a deck of a game called Skyjo.  

What is the temp, and approximately where at Sea is Ms Rotterdam today?

We are in Barbados.  Gentle breeze, some clouds, warm.  
commercial port so it appears many passengers stayed on board just from my observation.

did not see any children in mid ship pool yet today although have in the past week.  Two children running around deck  of pool and splashing with no apparent guidance from parents.  The location of smoking section near adult pool is not ideal, imo.  

41 minutes ago, 0106 said:

You can order fresh squeezed OJ anytime; it counts for one drink of your HIA package.  Fruit crisps are available every night, even if they aren’t on the menu in the MDR, just ask( so is a cheese plate).  I had excellent service from the servers at the  Seaview pool, even if all I wanted  was water.

Thank you…will keep this info in mind…when we ordered orange juice..we were given the watered down version.  Did not know about the option of ordering the crisps.  And, yes, we found the bartenders excellent.  

I am reading with interest everyone’s take on current vs pre-pandemic.  We notice some of our favorites  glaringly absent and missed.  The fresh squeezed orange juice has been replaced with highly concentrated tasteless liquid.  Fresh shrimp cocktail is no longer a regular offering.  Used to love and look forward  to the daily fruit crisps that are now only an occasional offering.  
 

since many cruisers have the HIA package, we were surprised and disappointed to see no sommelier in the MDR.  Our waiter finally brought our beverage, ordered before our meal, at the time he brought dessert.  No one came around to offer mixed drinks or wine.  Perhaps because it is part of a package, there is no extra money to be made by selling drinks.  
 

similarly, we saw very few individuals walking around the pool offering drinks of any kind.  
 

i am comparing this to Celebrity which we sailed two months ago. All of these were offered by them for a less expensive price.  HAL has always been, imo, a step up so seeing these favorites  now absent for more money is discouraging.  

2 hours ago, canadianbear said:

Following along, thanks for your posts.  Can you request the temperature to be lowered in the gym-maybe on the Navigator App?  I’m sure others must feel the same way.  When on a cruise Mr Bear goes to the gym every morning when it opens (so I can sleep in, lol) and I’m sure he’d mention the temp in there. 

We are avid gym rats and 85 degrees in a workout area sounds dangerously hot.  Agree with suggestion that request be made for temperature to be adjusted.  Any response?  Thank you.  

Am an avid pickle ball player.  Good to know I can play while on a HAL cruise!

Just disembarked a B2B last Saturday and there was no between cruise testing.  Of course, there was no pre-cruise testing either.  

However, our turnaround time was close to 3 hours.  Not sure why the delay in Los Angeles but we had to sit and wait with all the other passengers preparing to board the ship.  We were first on once cleared but it really was an extended period of time.  Had I known it to be that long, I would have brought an iPad or book or something to pass the time.

Just disembarked Solstice last Saturday and I did bring my pickleball paddle and a few balls but never played.  Talked to someone who did.  The court is "multipurpose" with many lines on it so a little confusing.  And because it is on the top deck, the wind can be a factor.  

Just the same, people played and enjoyed it.  But don't expect it to be like playing at home.

We just disembarked from two weeks B2B Los Angeles to Mexico...on Solstice.  We never got off the ship.  It was peaceful and quiet as most people went ashore.  This was our first time cruising since the pandemic and the ship was only 1/2 full to begin with.  Cabo was a tender and we saw people packed on to it and did not relish that thought.  So we had the ship mostly to ourselves and enjoyed every minute.  The nice thing about cruising...you can do what you want, when you want.