3rdGenCunarder

I've had reminders that I hadn't completed check in when I knew I had. It always seems to be emergency contact. It somehow disappeared and when I went back in to enter it, the information wouldn't save. I logged out, logged in, tried again and same thing. I could type everything, but it wouldn't save. I had to call HAL and have someone there enter it for me. Once that was done, it stuck.

I received an email from HAL touting cruise bargains. In the array of photos, there was a link to "The Best in Live Music." And here is what the link gave me. Note the large number of "results" to sort through!!!!! 🙄 Entertainment Enjoy outstanding entertainment options across our fleet, from R&B, rock, pop and more in our music clubs to visually stunning performances on the World Stage. Whether you’re in the mood to carve up the dance floor or to relax, you’ll find something to love, night after perfect night. Venues vary by ship. 0 RESULTS SORT BY ALPHABETICAL A-Z page 1 of 1 Page 1 Of 1

And public spaces in general.

I don't know, but I wonder if it's the size of the MDR and distance to the kitchen making service slow. Have there been similar complaints about the other Pinnacle ships? Or maybe, for some unknown reason, they're limiting the number of people in fixed dining on the K more than on other ships. This puts more people in the anytime line. I have seen posts where people complain they couldn't get fixed early, even if they had booked well in advance of the cruise. (Sorry, don't remember which ships were involved)

I traveled on QM2 with a friend who is vegan last fall. We were in Britannia restaurant and every night, the assistant Maitre d' came around with a menu for her to select from for the next night, as they do for other special diets. She found the variety and quality to be very good. I'm sure PG will do at least as well.

I keep a journal when I travel, and although I have been lucky to not have run into too many jerks, they become fodder for my journal and email the blog I send to friends. The best was a very snooty woman at the dinner table on Cunard. She was NOT pleased to have a couple of Americans (how crass!) added to what she considered "her" table. She sounded totally "home counties," (counties around London), and her husband, who had family in Scotland, didn't sound any more Scots than I do. But she kept saying "In the Highlands we do this" and "In the Highlands we have that." In my journal, she became Mary, Queen of Scots.

O Canada! Have a great day!!!

Just order garlic bread!

If they do serve escargot, you can have mine! 🤢

I hadn't thought about that, but you're right. What about group bookings, like the special interest groups? Do officers attend any of their events?

Where you have to be careful about the HIA included fare is if you're a solo. Solos pay double, and sometimes the HIA fare for a solo is double the HIA per person fare (two Advantage fares plus two HIA). Sometimes it's double the Advantage fare plus HIA for only one. You have to get out the calculator to know which fare is best for your needs.

Cunard has a similar variety of offerings on their Vistas as well as on QM2. Sadly, HAL has put all their money into what is pretty much the same genre. Adding the combo in Ocean bar is a good move, especially when you consider the poor offerings in the main stage. But the only way it replaces LCS is as a line in the budget. HAL is too cheap to give us both.

I wonder if the BB King's musicians might be able to play a jazz set if they weren't locked into the pre-arranged sets. They used to do a blues show in the main showroom that was fantastic. Real blues, not loud covers of rock music.

They are bringing back the jazz combo, like the old Neptunes, in the Ocean Bar. I don't know if it's on all ships, but I hope it's on my future HAL cruises. I don't see classical and jazz as mutually exclusive. I would love to have both on a cruise. (I do get both when I sail with Cunard. Their entertainment puts HAL's to shame.) But I have a problem with the "social environment" approach. I like to LISTEN to music, and not just the classical performances. I don't want to have to hear people's conversations while I'm trying to enjoy music. People may not shout as they do in the loud venues, but they do talk loudly to be heard over the music in smaller lounges. I've seen/heard it on ships, in restaurants, even outdoor jazz concerts. I don't understand the point of going to a music performance only to ignore it and talk the whole time. LC didn't have a rule against drinking. HAL just didn't bother to send in a waiter to take orders.

The "traveling group" will not be on all cruises all the time. They've had a "traveling" vocal group, Cantare, for several years and I have yet to be on a cruise that included a "visit" from them. I fear it will be the same for LC.

The HIA fare for an early booking promo is the best deal I've seen. I got grats and obc when I booked a cruise for next summer. I don't do non-refundable fares, either, so I wish they would show the advantage fares when you search onthe website.

Funny how that happens.

Communication is definitely not one of AQV's strengths! It's too bad because poor communication along with a bad/confusing website will get in the way of new bookings.

If they aren't going to use it for entertainment, they may as well revert to the lounge. But if they had left it that way, it would not have been a good venue for LC. First, because LC drew a crowd that needed more seating. Second, people talk when they sit in a lounge, even when there is live music. When there are rows of chairs, people seem to understand that it's a performance and they should let the audience hear the music.

Cunard will set up a space in a lounge, but they don't send an officer, either. I think the change started as a Covid precaution.

The upgrades I got on my next two cruises were definitely worth more than the cost of adding CO.

I do a lot of research before I travel. I use googlemaps to see if it's a town I can just wander in. I search for "bakery" and "ice cream" and "brewery" and "yarn shop."

I didn't see SRO for classical on HAL until LC arrived on the scene. The previous classical groups varied in quality, but LC was always excellent. It's sad that people missed out on some great music because they were turned off by the idea of classical. Some of the sets were contemporary--their Eleanor Rigby was outstanding! I think one of the ways HAL is justifying the change is that LC didn't generate any revenue. People buy drinks at BBKing and Rolling Stone. But there's no bar in LC on most ships. Perhaps if they had sent a bar waiter in before the sets started, they could have made some money. I would have enjoyed sipping on a little something while I listened. The first year LC were on K'dam and had their own venue, bar waiters came through before the set and made it clear that they would not be circulating through the area during the performance so as to not be a distraction, so we ordered drinks right away.

Wow, that's got me beat. Although, if I add in the fabric stash...

The Skagway store had moved to a new location when I was there last June. I was heartbroken when I found the closed store, as I remembered it from previous visits. I'm glad I took a closer look because I saw a note on the door that showed the new location, just a bit farther along Broadway. I hope they're still there. I bought some beautiful yarn from the woman in Sitka on that trip.