Reds4life

We are interested in this. Our family of 5 is split - 3 daredevils and 2 more conservative. I am curious as to how the more conservative folks can enjoy this tour. You mentioned ladders down to the water. Are there any spots where you have to jump? My wife, being one of the conservative, is fine with swimming and hiking but will not jump off rocks or slide down the slides. Would we be able to do this tour and enjoy it or should we pick something else?

How does the Brazilian Steakhouse compare to those mainland based chains?

They overachieved this season. So I am very happy with their future. Starting 6 rookies on some nights and still being competitive is fine by me. Plus, fans of teams with zero WS championships and only one appearance in the history of the franchise probably shouldn't be throwing stones 🤔

Wow, the dress code is awesome. We always hate packing extra clothes to meet dining expectations. We like to dress nice but also not because we are forced to. And, with it being the Caribbean, we have never understood wearing sport coats to dinner lol. Can you get a reservation to the restaurants? We don't like to wait for a table

Hello, we are considering an NCL cruise after Christmas. This would be a short 4-Nighter out of Miami with 3 stops throughout the Bahamas. The timeframe, price, and logistics are all pointing us to this direction after researching other options. We are in our 40s and would have a 19 yr old, 18 yr old, and 13 yr old with us. We generally like to stay on a schedule of eating a nice dinner each evening and then attending a show. We don't drink at all. We are very active and normally would be a the pool or water area on the ship but with 3 ports, we probably won't be doing much through the day on the ship. We are looking at the Norwegian Pearl. After cruising multiple times on MSC and RCCL and once on Holland America (we were very bored on that one), we are wondering what the differences are with NCL? We are very excited about the different dining venues and the entertainment from what we can gather. Any information is very much appreciated!

One of the Jukebox Rogue singers had almost the identical outfit on in black instead of beige during NYE for dinner, but he was in the Lido.

We did the Ocean World excursion through HAL and enjoyed it very much. We also hired privately Ishmael for the afternoon/evening to take us to the Chocolate Factory, Amber Museum, downtown Puerto Plata, and the to Fort. I would highly recommend him. He was very reasonable and knowledgeable.

Oh gosh, I had no idea about the overbooking. That makes a ton of sense though because you're absolutely right about all of the staff looking completely shocked.

The TVs were very large. I am guessing at least 60 inch

I had the fortune of receiving an email about a Cruise Credit that we apparently forgot about being extended until June 30, 2023. I called and the MSC rep said that we had to both book and sail by this date. Is that accurate in anyone else's experience? Would we lose the entire amount after this date?

We did have a good time. The ports were nice and the rooms were excellent. And, I am not totally ruling out another cruise at the right price. But, we know what to expect now which unfortunately is a lot less. We will weigh the price vs. product in the future and make an informed decision. Thanks for your help during the planning process.

We ate breakfast on our balcony from room service most days. It was very good. We tried the Lido for breakfast on the first port day with the thinking that it would be just something quick to grab. It was a bad decision and, since the staff has to serve you, it is very difficult. Looking back, we probably absolutely should have tried to dining room for lunch instead of fighting through the Lido and the long wait at the Dive In. I don't really prefer to eat hot dogs or chicken tenders on a cruise either, but my kids like hot dogs and I would definitely choose very good chicken tenders (Raising Canes, Zaxbys, PDQ, etc) over the random combinations at the main station on the Lido or the bad Asian/Indian food. We also like really good pizza, but that was no where to be found. MSC has spoiled us with pizza and both MSC and RCCL always had all of the above mentioned plus a lot more variety. The salad bar was very good but where was all of the fresh fruit? We enjoyed the fruit tremendously on the island BBQ but it was lacking on the ship. My youngest loves grapes, strawberries and blueberries and they were missing. We also missed having actual sweet tea, non-sour lemonade, and something other water as complementary. On other lines, they have complementary vitamin water (Nestle Vitality) or a juice cocktail available 24/7. Again, this seemed to be due to cost cutting. I was at table 30 at 5pm and had on shorts on two of the three nights. Watched a guy walk right in at about 8pm on New Years Eve as well. And, no we did not go to the NYE party because the College Football Playoffs were on and we are from Ohio lol. Didn't turn out as well as we would have liked but we wouldn't miss it.

I definitely agree with you on the desire for teens to have an adult take charge in the kids club. I don't think we will rule out HAL for future cruises but know what to expect. This was our first experience in the Carnival family of brands as well. We have been to San Juan and St Thomas also and enjoyed them very much. I can't really complain myself about the sea days because my wife and I tended to just relax on the balcony but my mom and the kids struggled. We all struggled with lunch. We take for granted and even complain about eating burgers and chicken tenders all the time until there are none available I guess lol.

We just got off our first HAL cruise for 5 days on the Zuiderdam. We were drawn to the price and 2 new ports as well. They had evening shows on 3 of the 5 nights - singing group twice and comedian once - and they were great. BUT, the sea days were dreadful. No activities or shows planned. Very boring even for my 82 yr old mother. No burgers, hot dogs, or chicken tenders on the buffet and the worst pizza ever. We did a couple trivia games and "how to" activities but very little compared to other lines to do. My 12 yr old tried to kids club and it was very disorganized. As mentioned, no arcade, no waterslides, rock wall, etc. They don't seem to try very hard to accommodate families at all unfortunately.

Let me start off by thanking all of you that gave us valuable information during the planning process. You made our trip much more enjoyable because of your insight and suggestions. A little background, we are a family of 6: My wife and I in our 40s, kids 12,17, and 18 and my 82 yr old mother. This was our first HAL cruise after 5 others on RCCL and MSC. Our time frame when we were off from work and school allowed us just to cruise during the week or so after Christmas. We found the pricing on this cruise for a Signature Suite to be about the same as an interior or ocean view on other cruise lines for a 4 day cruise. So, we decided to try HAL. PROS: - Signature Suite - The room was very well thought out and spacious. Balcony was very nice and became a focal point of our relaxation. Jetted tub and separate shower was very enjoyable. We were very impressed with all of the space and amenities. - Room Stewards, Guest Services, Wait Staff - All very cheerful and helpful. Best guest services we have ever experienced. We had great service in the rooms and the MDR. These folks work extremely hard to make things the best they can be. - Jukebox Rogues - They had two shows and they were outstanding. Very talented. Did very well reaching all ages with a variety of songs. - Steven Scott, Comedian - Very good and family friendly. It is hard to reach all ages with humor and Steven did it very well. - Room Service - This was a great option for us and we ate breakfast on our balcony daily. The selection was limited but we were glad to have the service. CONS - Food, Food, and Food - I will start with a few positives...the MDR entrees and starters we had were excellent in taste. The burgers from Dive In and from the Island BBQ were great. They did have a complementary lobster night. Salad bar in Lido was adequate. But... * The portions were very small in the MDR. We felt like this was intentional to save money. * Desserts were very bad. Not much taste and very artificial. Almost like premade cafeteria food at a hospital or school. Even though an occasional rude poster makes fun of us from being from Appalachia, we are used to very rich and flavorful homemade style desserts in our region. These desserts often has fancy names but we not very fancy at all. The selection was limited as well. The best dessert on the ship was the ice cream at the Lido. * Lines were very long at the Lido and the communication and attitude of the staff at the Lido was as good as it should be. We waited at every station for long periods of time and anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes for a burger at the Dive In. This is unacceptable. We spent way too much time mainly at lunch trying to get a meal. The staff also was often out of items and was not very open to anything being made custom. * Lunch options were not very good. They had the Asian/Indian/Chinese station open but the quality and taste of the food was terrible in our opinion. Lots of sauce and basically the same dishes every day. The main line choices were repetitive and many times did not go together as a meal. The fish tasted old and frozen and not fresh. On the breakfast and lunch menus, many items were no where to be found and none of the staff seemed to know anything about it. The pizza was some of the worst I have ever tried at any point including frozen pizza. * Dive In was always a long wait for a simple burger or hot dog. These are typical American lunch items that should be available at all times without a wait. I think HAL has a serious issue with the focus of the lunch buffet. Many people wanted a burger or hot dog, thus the long waits. No chicken tenders either - another usual lunch choice for many people. * The dining venues were closed at inconvenient times. No Lido from 10:30 to 11:30, limited from 2:00 to 4:00, closed again from 4:00 to 5:30 and closed from 8:00 to 10:30. MDR was not open until 7:30 on a port day when we were beginning tender at 8am. This was due to short staffing according to the Assistant Maitre D in the Lido. This seemed to be a corporate problem with the staff left to try and manage. Truly a shame. Overall, the whole food experience seemed very cheap. Not quality ingredients, mass produced (even for cruise ship), lack of staff, misplaced resources, poor planning, etc. Looked like they were trying to save a buck wherever they could. - Daytime Entertainment on Sea Days - We were worried about the evening entertainment, but it actually turned out great except for the main headliner on the first night being the Origin Story (it was somewhat interesting but not a feature for evening entertainment). However, the theme of the cruise seemed to be a lack of staff and limited opportunities. This seemed to be the same with the scheduled entertainment. I know other posters said that HAL is more laid back and so on, but it seems like those planning events have taken advantage of this and just don't have to have as many staff. The selected activities were good. We attended the flower arranging, origami, trivia, scrabble word game, Caribbean talk, etc. and were pleased. But an evening show on the first day and matinee shows during sea days were missing. OTHER THOUGHTS - At Amber Cove we did the Ocean World excursion and I would highly recommend. The staff were very friendly and the shows were exciting. We also did the waterslides and inflatables. The bird interaction was fun and the buffet was good for lunch. We used Ishmael who is easy to find on tour sites for a city tour in the evening. He charged us a very reasonable rate for 6 to see the Chocolate Factory, Amber Museum, City of Puerto Plata, and the Fortress. Excellent all around. - Half Moon Cay was very beautiful. The island was in very good shape. We ate at the buffet right at 11. The lines were very long after that. We also explored the nature trails and kayaked and did the water trike. Something for everyone here and very relaxing. - Casino has more options than many others. Smoke-free which was a huge plus. - My 12 year old tried the kids club and they did not go by the program. She went to play Wii Just Dance and they told her to color instead. Not structured and a wide range of ages. She only stayed for 2 hrs but was not impressed. - Not impressed with the Music Walk at all. These are the same bar singer set ups as the other ships we have been on. Should be an entertainment feature rather than billed as feature entertainment. - Dress code was not enforced. I played by the rules to begin with with khakis and polo in the MDR on the first night. But, after seeing many guys dressed very well in outfits with shorts, then I changed to shorts as well for the evenings. Some guys wore shorts even on formal night which we missed at the MDR because that was our long day in Puerto Plata and our dining time was 5pm. But, no dirty looks or comments by anyone. Everyone seemed to be just focusing on their dining and company as they should. Overall, I felt like the HAL experience was lesser than what we expected from the cruise line itself. We knew the limitations with amenities, but did not expect the shortages of staff, lack of planning, cost cutting, and inferior products. We did enjoy our room, the room service, the excellent staff in some areas, the performances, and the ports. We all agreed that the cruise line puts the staff in awkward and uncomfortable spots where they have to try and accommodate with limited resources. For example, the head chef in the Lido said that they can't make the blueberry pancakes on the menu because the line does not supply them with fresh berries. This is completely on the cruise line to provide more resources to the staff to give the guests the experience they deserve. We felt like the cruise line takes advantage of the reputation of being "laid back and relaxed" to somehow justify a lack of planned activities and waiting for essentials such as food and get by with a shortage of staff. I am not sure we will cruise HAL again. We may consider it if it had a very good port itinerary without sea days at a very good price, but not if we have to spend sea days on the ship probably. Thanks again to all that gave us tips ahead of time.

Exactly. They were right next to us and actually commented on the amount they ate to us and were very happy that RCCL allowed no limit. Friendly folks and glad they enjoyed it.

Royal Caribbean has Lobster. Never had them put a limit on it either. I watched a family of 4 eat 11 between them

For all of the "upscale " talk, seems pretty cheap there isn't a Lobster Night.

That's not what HAL guest services says. I called them and they said all this is suggested and I can wear whatever I want as long as I am clothed. I never planned on wearing tank tops and swim trunks (although maybe to the buffet at lunch). No ball caps or PJs. Just a polo or tee and shorts and maybe khakis just like I would to any restaurants on vacation in a warmer climate. Imagine that, I can dress comfortably and still sit beside you slicked up folk. Hmmmm

Jackets in warmer climates are not necessary to be dressy is my point. This isn't Miami Vice or the 1980s. Looking nice is a matter of opinion anyways. People should be able to wear whatever they want since they are on vacation. It shouldn't be an old time fashion show to eat a decent meal. If the captain showed up dressed like the guy you folks had a snicker about then I would respect him just as much. It's about his accomplishments and intellect not his outfit. This represents a sad generation of elitist people that care more about looks than character.

Nope. Most of the threads are about men. Apparently the ladies in my family don't like dressing up on vacation either so they asked me to be specific. They're a little ticked right now packing and stressing over dress code. They're not used to it and this guy is getting some grief for booking it. I am hoping for some good news to save me lol

Something like this

No. Just regular jeans. My mom is 82, she doesn't do jeans with holes lol

My wife, daughters, and mother would all like to know if they can wear jeans to dinner in the MDR? Maybe not jeans but denim capris or something similar. Probably sandals as well. Never really been a problem on other cruises but they wanted me to ask.

Exactly. Not everyone not wearing a suit and tie are running around in swim trunks and tank tops. In 2022 you can dress very nicely and still be comfortable.