Tampa Girl

How does the CO dining room atmosphere compare to the Pinnacle dining rooms?

Does Neptune still have Pinnacle breakfast?

Is part of that difference the fact that the $800 involves your selecting the cabin instead of getting a guarantee for the lesser amount?

That could be somewhat confusing, given that the Nieuw Amsterdam is still sailing. Still, both the most recent Amsterdam (pre pandemic) and the Nieuw Amsterdam were both sailing during the same period. But, somehow, it would seem to be a little confusing since one would expect that the latter would be the newer ship. I would like to see HAL let the Amsterdam name RIP until there is only one ship with that name. Not logical; just wistful.

Thank you - most helpful.

What is the official source for these Acropolis tickets? Online? If you use a guide, can the official ticket be used or is the ticket included in the cost of the guide? Finally, do most Greek establishments prefer that you pay my card rather than Euros? We recently discovered in a cruise from Rotterdam, through Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, Greenland, Newfoundland, and Nova Scotia that not only did most of the stores, pubs, etc. not want cash; they would only take a card. We have a forthcoming TA out of Athens, Istanbul, Croatia, Italy, and Spain. If anyone knows what is the preferred method of payment in any of those countries, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks for any info that you can provide.

But if you want to tip room steward, dining stewards, etc., what is the reasonable range of such tips, for instance, per week/ It doesn't help to say it depends on the service. We always get good service on HAL.

I don't remember HAL giving them out. i remember buying them from HAL's online store sometime around 2007. They eventually outlived there usefulness since they were not very sturdy. i wish HAL would bring them back.

Agreed. I really miss the port info sheets that HAL used to circulate for each port. Given the fact that the info sheet just hit the highlights of the port, it nonetheless gave very useful info, including but not limited to: Currency, shopping, eateries, temperature, all aboard time, etc. The info, being basically a brief outline of useful info, would not seem to create a significant burden to annually update the information. Further, I think these port sheets had been stopped prior to the pandemic. Miss them.

And if you book a suite, you have unlimited luggage transfer service, a really good benefit for these long voyages where you need to take more items. For our 2018 Grand Asia, we shipped four pieces of luggage and two cardboard boxes filled with all those items that you can expect to runout of on an 89 day cruise; computer paraphernalia, extra clothes hangers, sufficient OTC and prescription meds, a throw for the sofa, etc., etc. As others have remarked, many of these benefits are available only during the initial offering. Nonetheless, I notice that the benefits were still being offered late last year for the '23 WC.

That is because they are "special", or, at least, they used to be. I would hate to think that HAL is simply charging more for Grand Voyages, without an uptick in food, entertainment, ports, pillow gifts, etc., etc. That is why people are willing to pay extra. The '23 had "special" problems because of all it FCC's from aborted '20 WC. It was probably not a good year for a WC.

I don't suppose that there is a 2025 Grand Asia, is there???

Exactly. Thank you.

Doesn't HAL have to submit its manifest within an hour or so of sailing?

First of all, it is not a fee. Secondly, this is not "todays world." Where you sit in a theater; where you sit on a plane or train; what amenities may be available at a slightly higher price, have been around for decades. If you object to paying the cruiseline for the ability to pick your own cabin, don't sail HAL or several other cruiselines. These complaints are, IMHO, ignore realtiy.

I don't see this as anything new. We have been sailing with HAL since 2004, and I remember that guarantees were always somewhat less than specific cabins. Perhaps the difference is greater now, but what would HAL's purpose have been back in 2004 of pricing both guarantees and specific cabins at the same price? The guarantees have always been in the same cabin class, i.e. inside, OV, balcony, etc.

We were on the Eurodam in mid-March for a ten-day cruise. We are 5* Mariners, and I have never found any HAL ship to be dirty. They are constantly cleaning the ship throughout the day. I found the food to be good in the MDR, and we had a wonderful dinner in the Pinnacle: Crab cakes appetizer and the small filet mignon. Yum! The only slight negative was the apparent shortage of dining room staff. They were definitely short workers but were earnestly trying to keep up. The staff was, as always, exceedingly helpful and friendly.

I have never heard of any charge for ice cream cones. They were readily available in the Lido on the Eurodam last March.. HAL used to have a nacho bar, but I have not seen it on the last two or three cruises. Perhaps someone else has a more current nacho report.

Thank you for clarifying. We are booked on the Rotterdam to Boston segment of that cruise. For future reference, can you refer me to the number of the discussion that you described? I have, in the part, planned a few M&G's and would like to have a definitive understanding of this subject.

Apparently not too significantly. Take a peek at a very recent posting on the VOV's 2023 roll call re private tours and the M&G..

Perhaps HAL is getting tired of attending these functions and listening to the attendees exchange information regarding independent tours, which compete directly with HAL excursions. I never cease to be amazed at this.

There is, IMHO, considerable differences in a Grand Voyage. We took the 2018 Grand Asia. There were more educational speakers; greater variety in menus, with recipes and ingredients reflecting the various foreign ports; formal/gala night gifts; theme nights; and various perks not available on regular cruises, including luggage delivery, complimentary bottles of liquor, etc. I cannot comment on the entertainment because we normally do not go to the shows. However, we did so on the Grand Asia and found them very enjoyable. They frequently would have dancers and musician from the local ports, displayng their unique entertainment. What we most enjoyed, however, was the camaraderie and "community feel" of these voyages. We are eagerly looking forward to a repeat Grand Voyage.

What makes you think that this an HAL "practice", rather than simply an error?

I am not sure what you are referring to as "particulate", but I have never seen soot, smoke, or other matter coming from the funnel.

Since the purchase of the drinks were on an honor system, I assume that the concierges did not have the ship's cards to register the drinks automatically. At any other bar throughout the ship, you have to have the card. Lacking that, there is a lot of additional work on the part of the concierges to enter the information manually, so I can understand why that might be a reason for the change.