MajMom96

Last week there were both pre-made as well as custom built sandwiches in the Lido on Veendam. I liked the interesting combinations available in the premade sandwich section. Brie and Pear anyone?

 

 

 

As far as trays go, I brought my own. It not only makes a nice suitcase divider but is a great way to transport 2 juices and 2 cups of coffee back to the stateroom to start the day.

 

 

 

I lost count of the number of people who asked me where I got my tray.

Another good tray trick - take the one from under your ice bucket. It’s small, but works great for a couple of coffees and danish, especially if you’re taking it back to your cabin.

Am I correct in assuming that you cannot call the airline and choose seats until you actually make payment?

We were able to select our seats about 24 hours after we booked our flights through HAL. They told us it takes about that long for the reservation to appear in the airline’s system. And even though we booked regular economy through HAL (because it was an excellent deal), we were able to pay the standard airline price to upgrade to extra legroom seats when we logged in to select our seats. And everything turned out great! No issues, other than I received duplicate emails whenever there was a minor change in the flight times - one from HAL and one from American. But the good news is, the two notices were always in sync! 🤣🤣

The only thing I find weird about their advice on jeans is the mention of embroidery as being a no-no. Seems like an oddly specific concern.

 

https://goo.gl/images/BN6sXE

Interesting. I don’t think I’ve seen anything on the HAL dress code addressing embroidery in relation to jeans. Just no torn or distressed jeans in the mdr.

A pair of Levi's blue jeans just sold for almost $100,000.

 

 

 

http://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/2018/05/26/vintage-pair-levis-125-years-old-go-for-close-to-100000.html

LOL! You know that doesn’t have any relevance to this thread. The cost for ripped, distressed jeans is much higher than just regular, everyday, Levi’s without any factory tears or stains. Value is definitely in the eyes of the beholder. And unless you plan on wearing the price tag, no one knows what you paid. 🤣🤣🤣

King Crab Legs -- you can always get the bone-in-ribeye at home.

Well.....I actually get King Crab Legs at home pretty often. I live in SoCal and frequent the Crab Pot and Captain Jack’s, both known for their crab legs. But I appreciate the vote! I think “twice is nice” and I can get both.[emoji12]

I might not agree with everything you post,MajMom but you're spot on(also,great minds think alike..I made the same comment about opinions earlier!)

Sorry I missed your comment earlier. I didn’t mean to repeat your views. This is getting to be a very long thread. It’s hard to keep track of who has said what! 🤣🤣🤣

It really depends on when you book. I reserved flights for our August cruise in January with HAL's Flight Ease (flexible price). In April, Delta's price on their website was less than the HAL price that I had reserved with. HAL refused to match Delta's website. So I booked directly with Delta.

Good to know. It’s just a good example to stay on top of things yourself and I’m assuming you had no penalty for cancelling your air with HAL so it was a good thing all around.

Dine there twice.

Love it!! We just may have to do that! Good suggestion!

These were our exact questions last spring when we sailed on Koningsdam to the Med and booked our air with HAL Flight East. We booked flexible rate (which was actually less than non flexible!) approximately 7 months prior to our cruise. The rate was much, much lower than we found dealing directly with any airline.

 

I frequently checked these flights, both with HAL online and with the airline's website and saw the prices climb higher and higher. Because, technically with the flex rate, the price can increase with Flight Ease. I decided to call HAL and offer to pay the air and cruise (if the cruise is paid in full, the rate will not increase) prior to final payment to lock in the flight price. The HAL rep I spoke to said that in 8 years working with HAL, he had never, ever seen the price of the air portion increase and that it would be crazy to pay it all more than six months ahead of schedule. So, we did not. The price for us never changed! So grateful that I spoke to this HAL rep, who clearly had experience with Flight Ease bookings.

I agree! We’ve never had the airfare increase once we booked a cruise and reserved flights through FlightEase. And we’ve always found that the airfare through HAL has been cheaper than booking direct with the airlines. The only time we don’t book through HAL is when we have enough points on our credit card to cover air.

This was my experience on Maasdam a couple weeks ago too going in the opposite direction as Zaandam (which we actually passed off the coast of Mexico). I don't personally remember the sandwich bar to which OP alludes and I've seen references to before, but you can certainly have a sandwich made to your liking to a considerable degree on a dam ship.

 

I can't believe this prompted an actual post though.

Pre-made sandwiches are great to “grab and go” for storing in your stateroom for a late night snack! But I’d never actually plan to eat one for lunch/dinner when there are so many other fresh options available on a HAL cruise: the Dive-in, the pizza parlor, the dining room, and of course, the hot buffet!

No Jeans

Way too simplistic of a comment! Just kidding (really). Too many people are too passionate about their opinions. They really are just opinions, and we all know the truth about opinions, just like @ssholes, everyone has one. The only thing to rely on is the published cruise line dress code. Make your own interpretation and “go for it” in what you wear! Enjoy your cruises and don’t sweat the small stuff! Life is too short!

Just got off zaandam--favorite was king crab legs in pinnacle grill. Amazing!

Sounds incredible. I’ll have a tough time choosing between the bone-in ribeye and the king crab legs! Anyone care to help me by placing their votes? [emoji6]

You've really underscored my point here: You're not alone. As a matter of fact, we can very safely reverse engineer what Princess, Celebrity and Holland America have been doing to know that what you've expressed here is becoming the dominant perspective (if it is not already) and getting even more pervasive. And it leads these cruise lines to precisely the kinds of decisions that many people in this thread and in this forum don't *like*. However, it makes business sense. If passengers are going to go to the casino in response to entertainment that doesn't meet their rarefied specifications (instead of going to Sandals or Beaches resorts, for example), then that's a big win for the cruise lines. The entire industry, at this price point, is doing the same thing, so they all win - lower costs, higher revenues, and consistent load levels.

Sorry, but I think I missed your point several pages ago! Mine was just a simple statement on why I personally choose cruises over other vacation venues and I don’t really care whether my preferences are driving business decisions for the cruise line. If I want a broadway quality show, I’ll simply go to Broadway. I don’t have high expectations for onboard entertainment and therefore am rarely disappointed and often pleasantly surprised. Happy cruising! [emoji41]

hi majmom, yes pinnacle excellent, superb service, nice and slow so dont go if your in a hurry!!

 

 

crab cakes to start then the bone in rib eye for me - perfect, the other half does not eat meat and thorougly enjoyed a generous portion of ctrabs legs.

 

 

would highly recomend

 

 

did not go to sol de mer , but spoke to some who did and tey very much enjoyed it but there was a lot of food!!!

Thanks so much for the additional info. We will definitely be doing Pinnacle as we have a huge lobster lover in our group who always upgrades to the larger lobster tail. But the bone-in ribeye sounds perfect for me. And we went ahead and made reservations for Sel de Mer since the Oosterdam doesn’t have a Tamarind. So I am anxious to give something new a try. Thanks again.

Interesting thread. I actually don’t get too worried about the onboard entertainment since I cruise more for the itineraries and the convenience of not having to pack and unpack during my vacation. The shows just fill the time until the next port. And if the shows aren’t very good, there’s always the casino waiting to take my money! LOL. But throughout this entire thread, I’m surprised no one suggested they bring back the HALcats! Now that was some cheesy entertainment! I think HAL has definitely upgraded in that regard with B.B. Kings, Billboard on Board and Lincoln Center Stage!

Highlight and Underline is mine:

 

 

 

The person who stated the above is incorrect. The Singers and Dancers are also used in Passenger Safety Drills (Muster Drills) n various capacities. I do not think I've seen them do anything else onboard. So I'd believe that their contracts at least have that codicil (for lack of a better word) included.

 

 

Joanie

The dancers also conducted dance lessons during the days when I was on the Koningsdam and the Nieuw Amsterdam. But I must add, that was a little intimidating! I liked it better on Princess when the CD staff conducted the dance lessons. LOL.

I posted it twice today already. The question is whether you're reading it, recognizing the words "required" and "not permitted", and accepting that that's what matters.

 

 

This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.

It’s time to [emoji443][emoji443]Let it go, let it go....[emoji443][emoji443]. 🤣🤣 Nice chatting with everyone and I doubt no one changed anyone else’s mind. We’re all still on the same side we were on when the thread started. 🤣🤣 Until the next time, happy cruising!

Thats the problem with finger pointing, three point back at you.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro

I’m not sure I understand your meaning.[emoji848]

Recently??

 

Oosterdam Koningsdam

I’ve not been on the Oosterdam but I cruised on the Koningsdam in Feb and the Nieuw Amsterdam in May. Both had cloth tablecloths, nice china, and fresh flowers on the tables in the MDR.

In reading these threads, it does seem that there are far more posts complaining about "fashion police" than there are which seem to reflect a "fashion police" attitude. Simply expressing a personal preference for a more formal ambience is JUST THAT: expressing a preference - which seems to upset a lot of people.

 

 

 

Granted, there are a few --- very few --- which actually refer negatively to people who dress casually, yet in accordance with the relaxed set of suggestions. Such negative reference is self-absorbed and anti-social.

 

 

 

However the larger number of people who criticize those who simply express preference for a more formal ambience - calling them "fashion police" are equally self-absorbed and anti-social - attempting to shame those with other preferences into silence.

Well said!

Not at all. Deferring to what the cruise line actually says it requires when talking about what the cruise line requires is the exact opposite of putting forward personal preference.

 

This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.

Just to be clear on the dress code for HAL, I have copied it below. This is from their “Know Before You Go” pamphlet. I think it is important to note that these are NOT identified as guidelines, but are actually stated as “not permitted” or “required”. The MDR is considered a fine dining restaurant. For gala evenings, I would also argue that “slacks” are not “jeans”. But I stated in my original post, it is up to the Matre’d as to whether they enforce this code, but I think the code is pretty clear. If sharing this makes me part of the “fashion police”, then so be it. But I’m just advocating that everyone should just follow HALs published dress code and enjoy your cruise. After all, they do say “know before you go”.

“Most evenings: smart casual attire is appropriate. Shorts, pool/beachwear, distressed jeans and men’s tank tops are best left to the daytime and are not permitted in fine dining restaurants.

Gala nights evoke the grand traditions of cruising as guests dress to impress for special events on board, including a five course gourmet dinner in the main dining room. For gentlemen, collared shirts and slacks are required in all fine dining restaurants. For ladies, dressy attire is appropriate, dresses, skirts, and slacks are all acceptable”.

Oh well, another 8 pages.....

I only read this to see what was new (not much).

A few things: something no one mentioned this time, what time you eat; early dining tends to be less observant (I hate to even use the word).

Someone mentioned tablecloths, covered chairs, fine china, silverware--they don't do that stuff any more. Steward uniforms aren't even different.

Jeans - everyone's concept of jeans is different. Mine (purely personal, no insult or affront is to be intended or implied) -Jeans are blue (period). I do not like the distressed look at all, ever..

My bottom line - wear what YOU are comfortable with, mind your own business (and hope everyone else does)!

I’m not sure which ships you’ve been on, but all the HAL ships I’ve been on definitely have cloth tablecloths, fresh flowers, and fine china in the MDR.

I totally agree. There's nothing wrong with wanting a certain decorum maintained aboard HAL ships. I don't get wrapped around the axle on what other people wear, but I do like that lines like HAL maintain decent guidelines rather than going the way of NCL. Nothing against NCL...I just don't think MDRs that allow shorts are appropriate for a line like HAL.

 

 

 

And yes, the folks pushing for casual can be just as pushy as those who are strict about the rules. Heck, just look at post counts on this thread to see who is most pushy of their own opinions. ;)

Excellent addition to this thread. I love your last comment, the score for the most “pushy” definitely goes to the casual! And I agree. I have nothing against those who want to be casual 24/7 on their cruise. I just point them to the cruise lines that cater to that philosophy like NCL and Carnival. I think if you choose a more upscale cruise line, I believe you should accept and agree to follow their dress code guidelines.

It seems those who criticize the “fashion police” are doing exactly what they are accusing the “fashion police” of doing....”implying that their personal preference” for not dressing appropriately should prevail. It’s just two sides of the same coin.

I was advised by a HAL agent to NOT pay in full until the “final payment due” date. But she said I only needed to keep a small amount, like $100, on account until final payment so I could pay everything else except for a small amount. Her rationale was that the booking agents have a lot more flexibility with making price adjustments and promo adjustments up until the point at which the cruise is “paid in full”. Once it is paid in full, any adjustments need to go through a different department and would most likely be given as OBC versus an actual price adjustment on the cruise fare. This has worked well for us as we check pricing every week and on our Caribbean cruise, we ended up with a final cruise fare that was about 1/3 less than what we originally booked plus ended up with free gratuities. All before the “final payment” due date!