This is how all our recent flights (most of which have been international) have appeared, combining our first and middle names. No one batted an eye going through TSA, immigration, the airlines. 

5 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

 

However I always ask for their best dish! 
 

Our waiter, Ricky, recommends the seafood rice!

not too hot 
 

 

 

As a foodie, I welcome any and all (even the kind with 6 legs) food pictures! But I still say "Ewww." 

Good advice too. 

And such a snazzy bunch you all are. Love me some tuxes and evening gowns!! Everyone looks so very nice.

34 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

No problem with the physical ship (we have cruised a lot on Vista Class).  2 weeks into our 6 week cruise, the Lincoln Center Stage group was gone, and that venue stayed dark for the next 4 weeks.  The Step One Dancers cancelled multiple performances (the ship actually had the nerve to be moving).  The BB King group, now renamed the Rolling Stone Lounge group was quite good.  The duel piano players were mediocre (at best) and the venue not well attended.   There were other issues which we posted on a day by day blog.   The best part of the voyage was the passengers (we met quite a few wonderful folks.

 

Hank

Ugh. The one thing entertainment wise HAL really shines at is their small musical groups and to have so many issues is inexcusable. But glad to hear the BB King's group (that's what they will always be to us) were good is at least comforting. We have spent many a night there.. and maybe cut a rug on that dance floor well into the evening hours a few times too. Good memories. 

On 1/20/2024 at 7:18 PM, Hlitner said:

We cruised on the Westerdam (March-May) and on the Sky Princess (Dec). Put simply, we were quite happy with our Princess cruise (14 days) which was as expected (it was our 33rd Princess cruise) and we were very disappointed with our 42 days on the Westerdam.  

 

Hank

I hate to hear that as Westie has a special place in our hearts being the ship we have spent the most days on with the now sold off Maasdam as a close second. We had some really great times on both of those ships. 

On 1/20/2024 at 7:01 PM, elaine5 said:

On Rotterdam early January, college bowl games and pro play-offs were on large pool screen and also in rooms where one could chose which play-off game to watch.

Same on N. Statendam. NFL games on the big screen and game snacks being offered around the pool too. It was quite nice to enjoy the jacuzzi and see the game as well. 

Also, it seems some Princess ships have fixed roofed in and also open pools. We are jumping ship to our first cruise on Princess on Diamond (close to the size of the N. Statendam) in Japan next year as part of a 23 day land and sea trip and that was something I specifically looked at on the ship as dd likes to swim and if the weather turns rainy, she will still have that option.

As someone above mentioned, the addition of laundry mats on Princess is nice, especially on a long trip. I know HAL had them way back. But Princess doesn't look to have an unlimited laundry package for purchase. Nice when you travel with kids which we always do. 

We picked this Diamond Princess cruise specifically for itinerary and timing of the voyage. That we found a ship that seems a good fit for us  (not too huge) and has some very unique features (the Japanese onsen style hot baths onboard look wonderful) along with some interesting cuisine choices being a very Japanese centric cruise ship are just perks to us. We are very easy going and have cruised Carnival (again itinerary made the choice) and Costa (our intro to cruising almost 20 years ago.) We have done the loud Lido parties and MDR parades with dress up nights on other cruise lines. We take everything as it comes and try to find the joy in the moment. I know we will have a great time. 

I am enjoying this thread while researching. Thank you all for sharing. 

16 hours ago, oakridger said:

As others have said, it has been HALs practice since I have been cruising with them (2006) to raise the beverage package limits to cover the "standard" cocktails when prices go up.  I really believe this is imminent but this time they seem to be dragging their feet or are just really disorganized!!  🙄

 

~Nancy

 

Just sucks if you are on a cruise in the interim. But it is gtk that HAL has caught up with literally everyone else when it come to simply charging the overage for drinks above the price limit of the drinks package. Is that an official on the books policy and if so does it have limits? 

21 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

No they do not, so you can continue to breathe, lol. There are times when the venues are not being used for music that they are used to host other functions. BB King's, for example, is where daily mass was held most mornings on the K'dam. Coffee talks w/T&CD and their guests will use one of the locations as will the florist. 

There was light banter about art auctions which prompted me to post the pictures after seeing an auction being set up.

Whew. Okay, I'll keep breathing lol. Forgive me if I am NEVER surprised by anything that any cruise line does to make money nowadays and I do know that before dh and I took our HAL (and cruising) hiatus there was much chatter about HAL and BB Kings (and maybe even RS) having contractual issues. I knew other activities most especially Mass happened in those spaces. The dreaded "art" auction.. no amount of bubbly wine is worth it. 

On 1/4/2024 at 12:57 AM, Haljo1935 said:

You can't possibly be referring to this in RSRR on K'dam this week.😳

 

Having been away from HAL (and CC) for quite a while and yet incurably curious as we genuinely loved both BB Kings and RSRR... what is that? They did not seriously forgo the live music and turn the entire space into an art auction.. please say No or I will lose all my faith in humanity. 

11 hours ago, The-Inside-Cabin said:

 

Betsy talked about the classical book club

Betsy discussed the classical book club she is organizing and announced the following books and meeting dates.

Feb 2: JANE EYRE by Charlotte Bronte.

April 12: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

May 5 :  Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie

 

Oh my, this I love. I have read the first two on the list but not the Agatha Christie but then my 83 year old mother has read everything Christie ever wrote probably 3 or 4 times so I guess I never felt the need. She is the mystery buff.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a wonderful read and a wonderful movie too. One of my favorites. 

I clean up a book about every week or 2. I get it from momma. As a child she would get fussed at by her momma for squirrelling away the flash light in bed at night and reading her novels until all hours. I just have my Kindle now and dh doesn't seem bothered. Yay technology!

I try to "discover" a new classic novel every year. Edith Wharton, Edna Ferber, and Daphne du Maurier, these ladies have kept me busy the last few years. Such fantastic stories. 

Oh I so enjoy your "come on our adventure" threads. I can cruise vicariously. Dh is now off cruising so this is fun. We have been land travelers since our last cruise (which resulted in Covid). We have spent over 2 months on French soil in the past 2 years so no complaints but I do miss the sea and cruising life. Can't wait for your lovely posts!!

Rooms service coffee the past few cruises has been good and yes it is included along with an abbreviated breakfast room service menu. We always order coffee in the early am and a basket of pastries and maybe a plate of sliced fruit to get us started. I order it for 3 as opposed to 2 as we both will have 2 + cups each and I like getting the big carafe. Then we will head up to the Lido for Second Breakfast. And the coffee cream is real half and half if that is what you ask for. 

If there were any "standing room only" performances on the majority of HAL cruises we have taken in the last 10 years it was the classical music performance. If this was indeed a cut by HQ (and not a contractual or staffing issue), wow, what a bone headed decision. Everyone worth knowing enjoys classical music. 

Good grief! We have always gotten one of the little cabanas with butler service (5 times now). Our last time booking one was in Feb 2019 (for our 2020 cruise where HMC was cancelled for weather ) and here was the cost from our booking email.

Shore Excursions

Private Cabana Package - Green

Guest  1Jan 10, 2020, Available
Half Moon Cay, BahamasUS$299.95

Butler Service Upgrade Package for Private Cabana

Guest  1Jan 10, 2020, Available
Half Moon Cay, BahamasUS$270.00

Total in US$US$569.95

There is zero chance of us paying double just 4.5 years later. For $1000 (which I am assuming both small cabana and butler would cost now) we would get 3 days in prime season at a beach side AIRBNB in St Martin. 

The HIA is the Signature Beverage Package. $11 and under, but there are exceptions and ALL drinks alcoholic or not count toward the 15 daily covered drink limit. 

edit: I just checked the website and indeed the "Elite Beverage Package" is being marketed with the Early Booking Bonus... that is pretty nice. Enjoy it. 

As of last Fall you could still upgrade once onboard from the HIA Signature Beverage Package to the Elite Beverage Package. This takes the dollar limit up to $15 and under per drink and does not count non-alcoholic beverages toward your 15 daily covered drinks limit. 

Roger Jett's website has the best info. Here is the chart he provides.

https://rogerjett-photography.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Beverage-Package-Contents.pdf

5 hours ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Holding a book that many others have had their hands on 🤮. There are people that never wash their hands. Probably lick their fingers to turn the page.

Seriously. I lived in the library as a kid in the 80's. I had a library card at 3 and could work a card catalog by the time I was in 1st grade. Melvil Dewey was my home boy. I was a "nerd" (still am) and I highly doubt those amazingly dedicated and quiet ladies who made me think being a librarian would be just about the coolest job ever had time to wipe down every single book (much less every page) with anti-microbial disinfectant. We have a very sturdy epidermis and an amazing immune system for a reason. I adore e-books as much as the next person and you will have to pry my Kindle "from my cold dead hands" but I highly doubt libraries anywhere are a vector for any disease. 

On 5/29/2023 at 7:36 PM, Mary229 said:

I agree.   Just raise the price for dinner and let people enjoy the meal without upcharges.  This doesn’t need to be complicated.  It certainly ruins the ambience to try to enjoy a special night out, all paid for, then need to discuss with the waitstaff payment.  

Well and it makes the waitstaff so uncomfortable. That is what gets me far more than the upcharge. HAL staff are just too good at making us happy. Dh and I know if we are asking for something that requires an upcharge. The staff seem so relieved when we just wave it off and say "oh we know, it's all okay"  They are so accommodating and I hate to think of the reaction that get from the unaware. Just raise the price by a few bucks and be done with it for goodness sakes!! 

3 hours ago, blueexpedition29 said:

When you arrive in your cabin, there will be a little "door hanger" which list various typical "first day requests" : like, sharps container, seperate or put together the beds, how often do you want ice, and several other requests.  you just check them off and leave it for your cabin steward ( if he/she is not around).  

Exactly what we had on N Statendam last Sept/Oct. That evening we had a sharps container in our bathroom. 

I wonder which corporate executive/big shot decided to take their family on a Christmas cruise last minute and got you bumped out of your cabana? That would be my guess. Slimy elitist move. 

Dh and I had thought of doing as you did, booking 2 insides or OV for the family and then booking the Family cabana for the duration so we would have an outdoor family space. Won't be doing that now that's for sure!! Also makes me wonder how many times this happens with cabanas but also cabins, especially on these sold out holiday and special cruises. I mean 99% of people that cruise have never heard of Cruise Critic. 

4 minutes ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

Let me see if DW has any photos.  Would have been happy with your band.

They were excellent. I don't think they were too loud as we could really enjoy the vocalists voices and each of the musicians' solos were very distinct. The lead male singer's Marvin Gay covers were divine. The female lead vocal was spot on Tina Turner. 

Just now, IJustWantToGo36 said:

was this rotterdam or statendam?

N. Statendam

2 minutes ago, IJustWantToGo36 said:

we had an 8 piece band and MUCH louder

Ours was composed of:

2 vocalists 
Keyboard

Bass

Guitar

Trumpet

Sax

Drummer

4 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

A mosh pit on HAL! Seattle, are you listening?...........😬

Yeah I got a giggle when typing that too. Hey you never know, might have to go find my flannel. 

1 hour ago, YXU AC*SE said:

 

 

60%?      https://photos.app.goo.gl/2wPQUyseeqrWGSRn6.   hmmm.   Scott.

Exactly. I mean it sticks out some but 60%? No where near that.

25-30 bodies (which looking at my pics was what we saw) gyrating in that space packs it out pretty good unless you like dancing cheek to jowl. You could get more if you did line dancing, a rave, or mosh pit. But there were several couples really cutting a rug, you know the way we would ALL like to be able to dance. 💃🕺

2 hours ago, keysey222 said:

I disagree. Many of us under 50's enjoy 1970's rock. Personally, I prefer music from the mid 60's-1970's and I'm 40 (so do most of my peers). Our parents listened to it and most of us were raised in a home with it playing all the time when we were teenagers. I really enjoy the music on HAL. 

We are also the under 50 yo cohort and very much enjoy (and prefer) the 60-early 90's selections we hear on HAL. We too grew up listening too it all on the radio or with our parents from infancy on.

On our last cruise on N.Statendam in September, the BB King's dance floor was PACKED with couples, especially on dressy nights but even on regular nights. It was very fun. And the volume was just right, we could hear every instrument distinctly and understand the vocalists. That was our first time on a Pinnacle ship and we enjoyed the ship very much. But then we have never had a bad cruise.  

Room service and the Lido will be available. I am the early riser in our family and regularly hit the Lido early to bring back yummy loot to rouse the sleeping horde.