MajMom96

Thanks for sharing! Did you happen to dine at the Pinnacle Grill or at the pop-up Sel de Mer? If so, how were they?

I'm really enjoying Sel de Mer both on Koningsdam and the pop up on Volendam I just experience. Seafood Tower, escargots (can't have it in MDR anymore), Cassoulet, Coq au Vin, sweetbreads. Sushi in Tamarind and the not as giant fortune cookie. I'm going to go back and look at all the posts. This is fun after microwaving a burrito for dinner tonight. Love it when they can incorporate local ingredients.

I casually discussed escargot with my waiter on the Nieuw Amsterdam and he said it wouldn’t be on the menu for our short cruise. But he put in a special order and we had it two of our four nights in the mdr! It was delicious, so remember if you have some special requests, the waiters (or Matre’d) can still make arrangements if you ask them. Of course we took care of Sayma at the end of the cruise for the special service we received!

20 cruises and counting!

I'll start with one word: dessert. I loved them all. In the main dining room, for sure, but so many yummy little plates at the buffet. Never had a pavlolva before and I thought it was divine. I won't tell you how many I had on our last cruise. It was a lot.

 

 

 

Plus, I've never been on a cruise with hand-dipped ice cream before. It's always just been soft serve on the pool deck. That was a nice touch.

 

 

 

Can't wait till March!

That’s a tough one! There are so many great things to eat on a HAL cruise! But a few of my favorites are the seafood curry on the buffet, escargots on gala nights, and of course, any of the burgers at the Dive-In and the fries! Nothing helps soak up the alcohol like a burger! And as specialty restaurants go, don’t miss the Tamarind and their wasabi crusted tenderloin or Green coconut curry! Now I’m hungry! 🤣🤣

20 cruises and counting!

The funny thing is those of us on the East Coast think Calif is so laid back!

 

 

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I thought that too until I got reassigned here. Definetely not laid back unless all you do is surf! 🤣🤣

20 cruises and counting!

A classic example of the 'fashion police'... I rest my case..:rolleyes:

Blue lives matter! I rest my case.

20 cruises and counting!

Ha! Check out Cunard's discussions sometime! Lord have mercy!

 

 

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I see a lot of reference to the “fashion police” as though it is a BAD thing. Actually, I think it’s a GOOD thing that people care enough to help guide first time cruisers so they don’t get embarrassed by dressing inappropriately. Having said that, the dress code has relaxed quite a bit over the years, so I don’t think any of us in the ranks of the “fashion police” are advising people to wear tuxes and gowns, not even suits and ties, but do we really need to keep defending our right to recommend that people follow the dress code posted by HAL?

20 cruises and counting!

Jeans in the dining room is going to supersede smoking thread. It will take a while but i'm confidant it will beat it.

You’re probably right! 🤣🤣

20 cruises and counting!

This might explain why your recollection differs from that of other passengers! :D:D:D

Cute @Fouremco! But my recollection is crystal clear on this matter! [emoji483][emoji483]

20 cruises and counting!

Would that be the Dutch National Anthem? I'm being facetious, but seriously--the two things are not analogous.

 

 

 

In any event, I think that most of us grown-ups have a sense of what is appropriate attire for a particular venue (and "appropriate" is indeed subjective). For those who truly have no clue, well, welcome to life; that's just how it goes sometimes.

 

 

 

But how about we stop with the judgy, attire-policing? Go on about your own business.

If only what you say is true. But from the many posts on this site and others, there are plenty of grown-ups who choose to ignore “appropriate attire” in favor of “ I’ll wear whatever I please”. And talking about judging....seems you’re doing some of that judging yourself.

20 cruises and counting!

It seems only reasonable to respect the choices of other passengers even when you may not agree with those choices.

 

 

 

Respect certainly does cut both ways.

Yes it does. But not when the “choices” of passengers impact the crew. Putting the matre’d in the position of having to police attire on gala evenings as people enter the mdr is just selfish. He has a protocol he has been trained to observe and those who choose to thwart that protocol are putting him in the awkward position of having to pull people aside and ask them to change or eat elsewhere. So it’s not just the other passengers, but the crew who are being impacted by not following the posted dress code.

20 cruises and counting!

January on the Amsterdam - Panama Canal - out of Los Angeles/San Pedro actually.

Cool! Then Long Beach is a great airport. Much easier than LAX and an easy freeway trip to the port. If that’s what HAL is arranging, you’ll be fine. We’ve booked air through HAL on three cruises and have never had an issue. They were great with my sister when she got caught up in the Delta Airlines cancellations the night before her Northern Isles Cruise in 2016. They were on the phone with her all night getting her new flights to Amsterdam. And they helped me with lost luggage in Amsterdam even though I didn’t book flights through them. So their flight people are great! But you may want to check with HAL on your specific question just in case. I’m not sure what they would do with two sea days before your first port if you should miss the boat. But I really don’t think you need to worry.

20 cruises and counting!

We booked our January 5th sailing on the Royal Princess just over a year ago, but today I saw some very low pricing on HAL's Nieuw Statendam which leaves a day later, so I thought we'd finally give HAL a try. Although most ports are different, we stop at Grand Cayman which was the only port we really wanted to see again anyway. Plus, we'll be able to compare HAL's Half Moon Cay to Princess Cay. Even after giving up free grats and obc on our Royal sailing, we are saving money, so it was an easy decision to make. Our TA agreed, knowing that we've already sailed the Royal and the Regal.

 

Now, all we have to do, is learn everything there is to know about HAL....we're so used to Princess and how they do things!

I’ve cruised both HAL and Princess and love them both, but HAL is a little more “upscale”. There are some minor differences that just move it up a notch in the luxury class. I hope people don’t judge, because I’m really not a snob, but here are some of the extra luxury touches you’ll see on a HAL ship: fresh flowers throughout the ship and on the dining tables in all the dining rooms, including the buffet; Princess supplements fresh flowers with plastic and silk, especially in the pool areas. All the public restrooms have actual cloth towels rather than paper towels which you’ll get on Princess. The wardrobes in the cabins have doors, whereas the closet areas on the Princess ships I’ve been on are open (no doors). The buffet on HAL is better organized with different themed stations which really cuts down on lines. But you’ll miss the International Cafe on Princess Ships. So you’ll need to plan times to get food because no venue (other than room service) is open 24/7 on HAL. I also think the food quality and variety is better on HAL. So I definitely think you’ll like HAL if you like Princess and the new ship will be beautiful. If they have a Tamarind restaurant, I highly recommend it! The Asian Fusion cuisine is exceptional. Enjoy!

20 cruises and counting!

Is it true that you can stay in your cabin on Hal until it is time to get off on last day? Thanks for info

Yes you can stay in your cabin, but we usually take our carry-off luggage with us to breakfast in the dining room and just enjoy a nice relaxed breakfast until it’s time to disembark.

20 cruises and counting!

On another thread I read that an individual can have multiple appetizers and one entrée. Since there appears to be a separate sushi menu, is sushi considered to be an entrée?

At Tamarind you can have two appetizers or one appetizer and sushi in addition to an entree. Or you can have more sushi as an entree. I’ve found them to be very flexible and accommodating. Love the Tamarind! It’s our favorite specialty restaurant.

20 cruises and counting!

I know that if I book my air through HAL that they guarantee getting me to the ship at the next port if my flight is delayed and I miss the sailing.

 

 

 

Now, in this case, we are leaving from Long Beach, CA and have two sea days and then our first port is Puerto Vallarta. If I miss the sailing, what will HAL do for me and what will my responsibilities be (hotel rooms for 3 nights, meals, transportation, etc.)?

 

 

 

Please walk me though what to expect.

When are you Cruising? I didn’t think HAL cruised out of Long Beach, only San Diego. Which is confusing as to why you would be flying into Long Beach. That’s several hours away from the San Diego port.

20 cruises and counting!

Something that cuts both ways. Are you sure that your comments "consider others" to the same extent you expect other passengers to consider others?

 

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Absolutely! And considering others doesn’t only apply to fellow passengers. What about consideration for the Matre’d who gets put in the unenviable position of having to stop someone from entering the mdr if they are inappropriately dressed.

I agree @not-so-ancient Mariner (love your username btw)! I cruise often on HAL and have seen many people turned away from the mdr on gala evenings if they aren’t dressed appropriately.

20 cruises and counting!

I’m not the fashion police. When I retired, I wanted no part of suit and tie. But I understand that looking better than a t shirt and jeans shows respect for fellow diners, and respect for the cruising experience. If we need a more casual experience after a busy port, or because we just feel like we don’t need the more formal multi course spread in the MDR, there’s always the Lido. I thought that when HAL changed to smart casual, similar to many work environments, it was an improvement, and recognition of changing norms. There are other losses of cruise tradition, like specialty nights in the MDR and waiters on the Promenade deck. But, we keep cruising HAL because of the balance. Mostly what people wear is their own business, but I do think that a little effort goes a long way to show respect for fellow table mates.

 

 

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Well said @drlee. It’s not always about what “you” want. Sometimes it’s nice to consider others.

20 cruises and counting!

This. ^^^^

 

The following was shared with me by a friend whose husband is a bridge officer: It's a very appreciated sign of respect for the ship, crew and officers when passengers dress well.

I agree! It is a sign of respect for the ship and tradition. The ship’s officers dress formally as a sign of respect to the passengers, it seems only reasonable that passengers return the same show of respect in the attire they choose to wear. Sort of like standing for a national anthem.

20 cruises and counting!

As far as dress code, this is one of the most hotly debated issues on this site. I recommend the first thing you should do is read the dress code published by the cruise line. After reading it, make your own judgment on whether you think it is intended as a “recommendation” or a “requirement”. Once you decide for yourself, then review other people’s experiences. Just be prepared that if you choose to dress too casually for the dining rooms, the cruise line will always retain the right to stop you from entering the dining rooms if they don’t think you are dressed appropriately. So if that happens, just accept it gracefully and either go back to your cabin and change or go to the buffet. Carnival, RCI, and NCL tend to be more casual and relaxed with minimal enforcement, and Princess, HAL and Celebrity tend to enforce it more on formal nights. But nothing is an absolute. Enforcement depends on the individuals checking people into the dining rooms. But remember, no one ever got turned away from the dining room for dressing too nicely; but they have been turned away for dressing too casually.

20 cruises and counting!

But I will add that the way HAL words it on their website is confusing, so certainly call them direct if you don’t want to rely on my experience and I’m sure they’ll confirm what I’ve said.

20 cruises and counting!

I wish you were correct but based on the many beverage package threads I have read Ruth is correct. What is the source of your information?

My source is personal experience! I cruise HAL quite a bit and always get the SBP and know for a fact that the 15 drink limit only applies to alcoholic drinks. I always get a bottled water with every alcoholic drink I order and it does not count against the 15. Specialty coffees don’t count either. I just cruised on the Nieuw Amsterdam in May and actually hit the 15th alcoholic drink limit late one night on a sea day. The bartender let me know that it was my last “free” drink. Anything after that I had to pay for. But I could still get water or soda with no problem. But by then, it was definitely time for bed! [emoji483]🤣

20 cruises and counting!

Thank you for the quick reply @moorerf and the additional information! This will be our second visit to Venice and we are so excited to be visiting this unique city again! I agree with your comments concerning the luggage. HAL does an excellent job on the transfer and we were never concerned about it at the hotel or getting it on board in our stateroom.

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Our Signature Experience hotel in Venice for August 2-3 is the Bonvecchiati. I'd check with HAL before making reservations to extend the stay.

 

 

 

Just sayin'...

The Bonvecchiati is a great hotel! It’s a very old, boutique hotel so the rooms are small but very comfortable and the dinner menu and atmosphere on the patio overlooking a small canal is spectacular! When we booked through HAL in 2011, it included a very nice breakfast buffet. Hopefully your reservation will include breakfast as well.

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THANKS for this thread! I signed up for the Signature Experience for our Med trip. It is so understated on the Holland sight that if it was not for the CC crowd we would not have known about the program.

It was actually highlighted on their home page as a promo last year when we booked our cruise but it isn’t prominent anymore since they are running other promos. Could be they’re booking up as well since space was limited so they may not be needing to push it.

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