TV Dad

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Neptune suites on any HAL ship.  If you can afford it, it's a marvelous luxury for several reasons:

1. Large comfortable room. Great for relaxing or entertaining.

2. Breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill. It's a quiet intimate spot for breakfast and is reserved exclusively for premium suite guests.

3. The private lounge is great for a quick snack or coffee. The concierge there has done everything for me from booking shore excursions to currency exchange.

Unfortunately, on our upcoming cruise we are waitlisted for a Neptune Suite. Currently in a Signature Suite, which is also quite nice.

On 4/20/2024 at 8:23 AM, Sea-n-Ease said:

.  At home I drink exclusively Peet’s decaf - hands down the best decaf. 

 

I have not heard of Peet's down here in Tampa. I drink Starbucks decaf and love it. I'll have to look for Peet's. Thanks

I'm going to offer a completely different take, but I have to admit I'm a bit of a wine snob, so forgive me.  The packages are fine and each has very drinkable wines. But, none have truly outstanding wines. 

I prefer high end Cabs, Bordeaux's and champagne. None of them are available with any of the wine packages. So, we purchase by the bottle at dinner each night. We always get exactly what we want, but admittedly we usually spend $80+ per bottle. 

All three packages have very drinkable wines and are great values. However, if you want  the best the ship has to offer, you won't find them in any of the packages. 

If you are worried about cost and value, the packages are the way to go!

On 3/27/2024 at 5:59 PM, Katsings01 said:

Just off Ovation on March 17. Caviar in the Surf is on Carambola Beach around Noon, just before the lunch buffet (char grilled lobster tails) and they do a great job. Also the Dolphin Swim in the morning was a great event. Have fun. 

Thanks Kstings1. Quick question:

Was there enough time to do the dolphin swim and make it back to the beach party for caviar in the surf? Did they drop you off at Carambola Beach? Or did you have to return to the ship first?

Thanks, in advance, for your guidance.

In my opinion, you will LOVE Holland America. The cabins are gigantic, compared to NCL. The Main Dining Room menu is far superior to NCL. The entertainment is designed for folks your age. You will not be disappointed. 

I know it is up to the captain's discretion but, we will be cruising in March, 2025.

Does anyone know where to expect Caviar in the Surf? We went in 2015 and it was in St. Kitts. So, I'm guessing Carambola Beach, St. Kitts again

Has anyone been on that route recently? Can you help?

Thanks,

Don

I cruised Viking Sky last October and enjoyed myself. But after reading this report, I will never cruise Viking again. The crew's incompetence put people's lives at risk. Totally unacceptable.

On 1/30/2024 at 8:27 AM, ScotBrit17 said:

Thanks, I am sure you are correct and evening entertainment is so important to us so we will look elsewhere.

Can any of the group who are regular cruisers on other ultra luxury lines suggest an alternative for us.

Cunard and Regent offer great entertainment on an upscale ship. So do Silversea and Seabourn.

On 3/8/2024 at 9:12 AM, taxmantoo said:

Fair enough about criticizing but let's also not brag about breaking the rules ....

See, how easy it is to make a mistake. I wasn't bragging. I was confessing.

A great idea would be to join the Roll Call thread and se if anyone wants to share a table. Also, ask the Maitre 'd if you could dine with an officer one or two nights. Those are fun!

On 2/20/2024 at 11:57 PM, OlsSalt said:

I feel just terrible for you. 🤪

I am speaking from 30+ years of experience in cruising (35+ cruises)  and smuggling booze on board.

When I first started cruising, I could barely afford the cruise, let alone a corkage fee. I would routinely smuggle on board rum, vodka and wine. Never got caught. Never felt bad about it. I justified it to myself by saying the cruise line is still making a profit on me.

Eventually, I could afford cocktails in the bar and stopped smuggling booze. I still brought wine, because we were often gifted wine, pre-cruise by travel agents and hotel managers. Back then, you could bring aboard wine for room consumption at no charge. There was a corkage charge in the restaurant. However, I was never charged because when I brought wine into the restaurant at night, I told the waiter/sommelier I would be "most appreciative" if he could open our wine for us. That meant he got a nice tip and he/she never charged corkage.

Now I'm retired, comfortable enough to order the higher end wines that are not included with wine packages. I still am " most apprecitive" the first few nights with additional gratuity. Service is always excellent.

My point in all this is every passenger has a different reason for what he/she does to get the most out of cruising. Let's not criticize each other. 

Taste in food is subjective. So are reviews! People are more likely to write a review when they've had a bad experience. 

I have 30+ cruises of experience. I find the food in HAL's Main Dining Room (MDR) the best among the mainstream cruise lines (Carnival, RCCL, NCL, Princes, Disney, etc..). And I hope to enjoy that experience when I sail for my ninth time on HAL in May.

HAL is not as good as Silversea, Regent and Seaborn. But those are luxury all-inclusive ships and you pay a whole lot more for that experience.

The best dining we've experienced was in the Queen's Grille on Cunard. 

Go and enjoy yourself. Here's a tip: If your meal is not up to your standards, mention it to your waiter and head waiter. I'll wager they will do their best to make it right for you.

On 2/26/2024 at 6:00 PM, Midwest Sunseeker said:

We plan to buy Cellar No. 3 does anyone know if  we will be limited to only wines on list 3 or may we also chose from list 1 &2 also?  Does anyone have favorite wines for any of the 3 lists?  We will be on the Rotterdam.  Thank you for your help. 

YES! Cellar three entitles you to all three levels of wine.

We always take advantage of the laundry package. On our 11-night cruise, the price is $115.

Since we have four days pre-cruise planned, this was a no-brainer for us. We'll have a full bag of laundry on day 1.

On 2/29/2024 at 8:44 AM, malony33 said:

Thank you so much for the info; I know this took up a lot of your time. You are sooo kind. I wouldn't mind a solo cabin, except the idea of no sofa/chair...A few more questions:

 

The Vista Suite on the Rotterdam is lovely, but over $5K for me. I'm thinking about it, though. I thought I saw a few extras mentioned (??). 

 

Do you dress for the Gala nights? Cocktail dress, that is. MY WIFE ALWAYS DRESSES FOR GALA NIGHT. COCKTAIL ATTIRE! THEREFORE, I AM ALSO SUITABLY ATTIRED, ALTHOUGH I NO LONGER WEAR A TUXEDO.... JUST A SUIT AND TIE.. I WOULD GUESS ABOUT 50% OF PASSENGERS DRESS UP FOR GALA NIGHTS. DEPEDING ON THE CRUISE.

 

Is the laundry service worth it to cut down on packing? The cruise I'm looking at is 9 days; I have an injured neck, arm, shoulder, fibromyalgia - packing lighter would be SO great. PAIN!! IF YO CAN AFFORD TO THINK ABOUT A VISTA SUITE FOR COMFORT, YOU CAN AFFORD THE APPROXIMATELY $100 FOR UNLIMITED LAUNDRY SERVICE. IT WILL MAKE YOUR PACKING A BREEZE. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.

 

I usually sail Celebrity; do you think HAL is a good substitute? What makes them so special for you? HAL AND CELEBRITY ARE VERY SIMILAR IN DEMOGRAPHICS. I LIKE THE FOOD A BIT BETTER ON HAL. 

 

Again thankful - this is so helpful.

See answers above, in bold caps. If you're going solo, you probably will have enough room in a regular cabin. I have done Neptune suites on multiple occasions. The best perk for that class is breakfast in a cozier place, the Pinnacle Grille and the Neptune Lounge'

1. Yes, they will exchange the bottle for you. Ask your room steward or the concierge in the Neptune Lounge.

2. I also like the idea of bringing the bubbly to dinner to chare with table mates! What a great way to begin new friendships!

11 hours ago, Pboyd said:

I am flying Delta and cruising Holland America.  Will I be able to carry my Leatherman Multi Tool with a 3" blade? If so, could I put it in my carry-on for both plane and ship?

Thanks

People come on this message board for help, not to be lampooned by fellow cruisers. 

Simple answer is NO to the leatherman. because of the blade and the saw! Leave it at home.

Does anyone know when Voyager is scheduled to go into dry dock? What improvements/changes are planned?

I am a 3-star Mariner cruiser, about to take my 9th HAL cruise in May. I got the Elite drinks package  "included" as part of my cruise purchase. My wife will still find a way to crave a drink (usually champagne) that is not included. First world problems.

However, my biggest gripe is the upcharges in specialty restaurants. Pinnacle Grill, is already an upcharge restaurant. Then they upcharge again for many of the menu items! Canaletto also upcharges for lobster. 

On our honeymoon cruise 35 years ago, we befriended the couple in the owner's suite. After a night of much eating and drinking the gentleman decided he wanted to play the piano at midnight. So. . . . . . 

He called the butler and asked him to bring a piano to his suite. He was quite upset when the request was turned down. Next port of call, my wife and I found a toy store and bought our new friend a toy piano. Yes, he played it for us that night.

First step is grab a champagne and explore the ship. We search out all the bars and restaurants. Then we head to the gym and spa. Check out the equipment, book a massage (if we haven't already pre-booked) Finally we check out all the other public areas before heading to lunch.

I don't really like pina coladas. However, I find every time I board a tropical cruise, I crave a pina colada with a Myers rum floater. Only one and I am satisfied. But for some reason my tropical cruise isn't complete until I have had one pina colada with a dark rum floater.

In the Queen's Grill of any Cunard ship, everything is off the menu. The head water greets you at lunch and asks you what you want. If they have the ingredients, they will make it for you.

On smaller upscale lines, like Regent, Seabourn and Silversea, you can order off the menu by asking the head waiter a day ahead of time. 

Most suites on Holland America have spa tubs in the bathrooms. I have used them frequently.