taxmantoo

Can't offer any info on that tour but you may want to double check with HAL about your Nicaragua stop. Most cruise lines are now bypassing Nicaragua because of their continued support of Russia. We were scheduled to stop there on a X-Mas Panama Canal cruise and Nicaragua port has now been cancelled. I realize it's another cruise lines, but most lines are doing the same.

Only if it's homemade wine that you so cleverly smuggled on board 🙂

Since Princess and Holland America are closely related, maybe Mr. Padgett could have asked someone at HAL about their experience with Oprah? Just saying ... 😉 These relationships are rarely successful and soon fade away never to be heard of again, just like their instigators.

You can bring as many bottles as you want, subject to a $20 per bottle corkage fee as explained on the HAL website. Guests are not allowed to bring alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages on board for consumption or any other use except as follows: Guests 21 years and older may bring Wine and Champagne onboard, however a corkage fee of USD $20.00 (which is subject to change without notice) will be applied to each bottle (max 750 ml in volume or less). Limitations apply. Wine brought in quantities deemed to be excessive by the vessel or security will be refused.

You answered your own question. It is hard to know unless the cruise lines publish those statistics and they don't.

A "beer bucket" without beer? Never heard of it 🤣

😉

Exactly. Lots of people still do not have a cell phone or choose not to use one for their cruise. Whatever system worked before will still work. Most often, no one even looks at your boarding pass other than the port personnel.

While you are sitting there listening to their sales pitch, you do not have to sit at the complimentary art auction to listen to their sales pitch !!! 🤣

I like to believe that a company with 150 years of sailing history would already know what itineraries are the best sellers 🙂

Your recent experience on the Koningsdam pretty much sums it up as far as the entertainment on all HAL ships. Lincoln Centre Stage/Rolling Stone Rock Room/BB King/Billboard Onboard constitute the entertainment on HAL other than the Main Stage which has now been diluted into showing BBC Movies, several versions of a dance show and, lately, a 30-45 minute HAL infomercial on their history. I agree that Princess offers much more entertainment but HAL still remains a good choice for more diversified itineraries.

Very much HAL-like ... no consistency AND this has absolutely nothing to do with a pandemic or penny-pinching. It is simply the result of shoddy work practices and a "whatever" attitude.

Sadly, Princess is not different from any other cruise line. It has become quite evident to all that passengers are much more loyal to their cruise line of choice than cruise lines are loyal to their passengers. The pandemic is a poor excuse used by most of them to justify their cutting back on a multitude of services. The pandemic will never be justification for a clear lack of class!

And I will bet you ONE Pinnacle Dinner that they blamed it all on the "night auditor" 😁 That person, whoever they are, seemed to be responsible for most on-board account problems we have encountered. 😁

WOW ... Probably their idea of making all those nostalgic cruisers happy by bringing back the "glory days of cruising" 😁

We quickly found out on our August cruise on the Caribbean Princess in Club Class that when Princess advertises "Dine My Way" they really mean "Dine Our Way", where and when they decide... They had trouble accommodating guests every night.

Absolutely... and, quite often, HAL is one of those cruise lines. It depends on the ship, the security personnel, the embarkation personnel, the beverage staff being available to check or not, and even the wine stewards in the dining room. So many variables!

I'm sure somebody will disagree 😁

Does anyone tip the laundry people at home? Why would it be different on a ship? 🙄

Countless posts were often overrated and exaggerated by folks who were opposed to this process. A dozen passengers bringing on a case of wine while following the posted rules on a 1500-2900 passenger ship is still a lot less than the 2 or 3 hundred going through the wildest subterfuges to bring on their favorite alcohol bottles.

I could hardly believe it one night when one of the piano players got p'''d off at some guests for taking a picture of her (one only) while she was playing and proceeded to tell them so. She also complained to the staff about it, as if it were their fault and were responsible for stopping it. Most artists we've seen all over the world actually encourage picture taking LOL. We even saw Shania Twain in Las Vegas come down into the seats at Caesar's Palace and walk among the fans for selfies while she was singing.

Don't forget about "Origins Story" the new 45 minute HAL infomercial guaranteed to knock your socks off 🙄 on the first night of the cruise. zzzzzzzz

Head straight to the Dining Room.

Nobody knows. They do mention a "reasonable" amount but nobody has ever come back and said they were denied "x" number of bottles. We have often brought on in excess of a case.