cruz chic

It's been my experience as well that upsells can start about 30 days out.

The roll call for my next cruise has been very busy. I'm not interested in the tours that have been set up and some of the activities. In my last meet and greet I happened to be talking about the economy in Alberta. I was told by one poster "who cares about Alberta" ? This was a fellow Canadian. I don't need people like that in my life. Frankly I've made more friendships on ships in random meetings and in the cabana area. I had a great time in the cabanas last time. It's like a community :).

I think if you say you are going to go you really should.

Did I read before that the smoking policy has changed on the Noordam? If so, what is it, and how does it differ from other HAL ships?

Yes, they have an indoor room on the ship. They are encouraging smokers to smoke in there instead of their balcony. I woulld think that wouldn't be popular.

and we noted it on our fist week comment card as well as the follow up email from HAL.

Thank you. I did the same. Normally I've found the librarians to be very nice and helpful. This one had quite an attitude if it's the same one that was on in October. Normally I email my sister every day and the Internet was not working so I knew she'd be worried. I said to her "for all she knows, I could be dead". Her snotty reply was " if you were dead it would be all over the news :rolleyes:". She was sitting with a buddy and they had a big laugh over it :rolleyes:. I wasn't amused by the comment.

I thought Pinnacle guests were escorted to the suite. That's all I expected by way of white glove service. I know there isn't a butler, not that it matters. I doubt I'll ever be in a Pinnacle suite--unless the Upgrade Fairy smiles on me.

You are escorted but no white gloves. Mine was an upsell.

Non-smokers wouldn't see the leaks, would they? Only we smokers are daft enough to venture out.:cool:

I know I sure wouldn't. Do non smokers spend a lot of time there especially when the weather is bad?

I know what you mean. It was VERY different when I started cruising. Of course, if I look at what I paid early on and roughly "inflate" the cost to today's money, the price then was much more than the prices we can find now.

 

 

 

 

The only passengers who get the "white glove service" on HAL are in Pinnacle suites.

 

My early HAL cruises are so long ago that I don't recall if we had the steward escort, but on QE2, we had that service, and we were in the "cheap seats." Ships probably don't have enough staff to do that nowadays.

No, you don't get the white glove service with the pinnacle suite :). I really don't care.

Perhaps they should shut the lido down and only have the MDR open. Problem solved :);):D.

Interesting thread, to say the least.

 

The bottom line seems to me to be this:

 

Dear Mr. Orlando Ashford:

 

Consistency of expectations and product delivery, whatever it may be, needs to be instituted across the ENTIRE fleet.

 

It is difficult to "Savor the Journey" when the "Journey" is not what we guests expected.

That certainly would be lovely.

We haven't encountered a cruise yet where the MDR isn't open and hope the Westerdam is no exception.

 

But, we don't always go - there is another solution on embarkation day with out overworking the crew on this busy day.

 

Just send whomever in your group (or yourself if you are solo) to the lido, to get what you want and bring the lunches back to the cabin. You don't have to eat in the food in the Lido. We've chosen to do that a couple of times, and I return the plates to the Lido

 

It's a busy day and no need to starve on a cruise ship

Wasn't that cruise almost a year ago ;)? It seems to me this is more of a recent change;). I didn't see anyone say anything about starving ;). I think most people realize they can bring food back to the room ;). It's more about the chaos of the lido:);) for me.

Thx for the update.

I wonder if you were on the eurodam. That librarian has to be the rudest Hal employee I've ever met. So lazy. Everyone I met on the ship complained about her including one of my cabana neighbors and he was one of the nicest people I've ever met.

"Consistency" and "HAL" are not often used in the same sentence. :D

 

All too true.

Before everyone gets too upset, these are the new cocktails that were mentioned in a press release last month. HAL has hired a master cocktail maker to design special drinks for the ships. These are NOT the Drink of the Day.

 

They are probably priced above $8 because they use specific high end liquors.

Thx for the info. I noticed in retired mustangs thread one of the on locations listed a pineapple jalapeño margarita. I really want to try one when I get on board.

The drink specials used to be nice. Now it's the same old with different names depending on the itinerary.

That started over 5 years ago, and the MDR lunch closings are recent. But it could be that recent staff reductions are the cause of the change.

 

We first saw it on the Ryndam in Dec 2010.

Thx. I didn't want to overestimate the time :).

So HAL talked with you about the possible upsell? I always thought they wouldn't if a cruise is booked through a travel agency?? It would be interesting to know because I'd love to change to another cabin category at reduced rates ( which are sky-high right now with many cabins unsold yet) a few weeks before our cruise but my TA told me you can't ASK for an upsell but wait until HAL offers one to the TA who then can contact you. To me it seemed a VERY complicated system and one of the drawbacks of using an agency.

I have zero luck doing this although others have reported otherwise.. It must depend on who you get on the phone.

Cabins are now ready upon embarkation instead of wandering around with your carry on an waiting for a later time. That is new and in our opinion a good change. Good point, they may have diverted dining staff to the more rapid cabin turn-around effort.

 

Between the two, I like being able to go to the cabin immediately rather than waiting it out in the MDR having a "Mariners" lunch.

It's not new. You've been able to get in your cabin (usually) for at least 4 years, maybe longer. I'm going from memory. I don't have the Hal press release to back me up ;).

I have an inquiring mind - and yes I had read on posts that the MDR was not open for lunch on embarkation day. It appears that it is not the case fleet wide. It never hurts to ask. Also, the cabins were not ready and 6 of us carry on luggage - in the Lido we would have been crowded - in the MDR it was very nice!

I suspect that they are rolling it out to the fleet. It reminds me of people that report that there is no custom made sandwiches on some ships and other say there is. As Hal "converts" to the lido marketplace they seem to take out the custom mades. It doesn't mean all ships have them. I will physically check when I get on the NA in April but I'm not sure what will be provable evidence for some. Maybe a signed letter from Hal :D. Again, I'm not referring to you just to make that crystal clear.

Embarked the NA a month ago - a steward greeting us on boarding pointed to the elevator and said "Lido" to which I promptly answered with a question asking if the MDR was open - "yes, of course". There were very few in the MDR - I guess everyone goes where they are directed. The meal was one of the better ones of the cruise!

Yes, that's likely the case. When people have reported that they have physically checked to see if the MDR is open and it's not, it should be believed. It seems some posters fully believe whatever has happened it the past will surely continue. I'm not referring to you.

I can understand (and I don't like it) about HAL closing the dining room on embarkation day as they are probably using those workers to help move luggage, get supplies on the ship, etc. Just hoping that HAL will have room service on that day. But after having been disappointed a couple of other times, I am not counting on it.

Getting luggage and the supplies on the ship is not new. How did they handle it before?

I have a sinking feeling that since the dining room isn't open on most ships on embarkation, HAL will discontinue room service. The kitchen will only be prepping for dinner and the dining room staff will be assigned other duties.

I would think that would put more pressure on the room service. I've never been much of a room service person but I'm using it more for lunch now that the MDR is closed so much.

Underwear and your thick terry robe is just fine if you are just using the heated loungers, either from your cabin that you can wear up to the thermal spa, or the one you get in your special key locker when you check into spa desk.

 

Put an offered towel down over the lounger and you will be comfortable just in the robe. You can shower later in the locker room or in the aroma showers in the lounger room if you want, and then pop your robe back on for the trip back to your cabin.

 

There are some objections to wearing bathrobes around the ship, but they are not much different from any other sort of beach or pool cover-up. And one sees them coming into the Neptune Lounge to have a light breakfast on mainly international passengers which is a bit over the top, but it happens. I would plan on wearing the robe only to go to and fro from the cabin to lounge and not stop for anything else along the way. Is wearing a robe like wearing pajamas in public or is it really like wearing a robe around a swimming pool? Unsettled.

It's like wearing pj's in public.

Not open on the Oosterdam in early Dec for our 11 day Caribbean cruise either.

 

The Mariner lunches on embarkation day have never been that crowded (IMO), so I doubt that is why they were discontinued. Perhaps HAL did this because they added the Welcome Aboard Mariner party around 2 PM, when most passengers could attend?

It's likely trying to get by with less staff. I couldn't even get up to that party last time. I didn't feel like walking up 7 or 8 flights of stairs although I do it on occasion. Getting an elevator was impossible. It's really disappointing that Hal is pretty much closing the MDR for lunch every day of the cruise now :(.

So true ! As much as I enjoy cruising & specifically HAL, I too am upset that so much of the public areas are designed as "revenue production" venues. This is also the case with too many specialty restaurants and not enough general purpose lounges. Seems that cruise line management is intent on building ships for revenue first, passenger comfort/enjoyment last.

The nerve of them trying to make money :D. As a shareholder I'm happy about that.

On our cruise last month on the Zuiderdam, the MDR was open for lunch on embarkation day. Hopefully, this will continue for those of us who prefer a more quiet setting.

From your lips to Hal ears :D. Good to hear.

Other dining options for lunch on Embarkation Day include the Taco Bar next to the indoor Lido pool (Deck 9) and the Explorations Cafe (small sandwiches) near the Crows Nest.

 

Recent reports here on CC have reported that the MDR is open for lunch for all passengers, not just Mariners.

Actually there have been several reports saying the MDR was not open on embarkation. The two latest reports were on the world cruise and on retired mustangs report on the Oosterdam.