RICHARD@SEA

Anything that cuts time in Nassau / Bahamas is a good thing for all onboard!!!

DAHLING ROSCOE - any cultured , educated or human that must have cocktails has your blog on te their must read daily to do list!!! Love it - Love you - Sail on sail on Great Ship Roscoe!!! PS - Of course your Captain - The Irish 007 must know you are his Miss Money Penny!!!

Dahling Roscoe - Of COURSE

Surely those onboard know that when Dearest Lord Roscoe performs his PROMENADE.... those in the oncoming crowd must part to permit THE LORD ROSCOE his right of way uninterrupted(even if they are thinking "who is that manly man)? Demerits are not enough - throw the scoundrels overboard should they dare to be within 10 feet of the silken threads of HIS LORD ROSCOE... It was so much easier years ago on the FRANCE & QE2 - it was called First Class ONLY!!! Sail on sail on great ship ROSCOE!!!!

You really should book on another line - the cutbacks in service & food is very apparent - I sailed in ROTTERDAM last Nov / Dec & after many years & cruises it is my last w HAL. I'm not a foodie or a food snob - but the lido was no better than a mall buffet, the only thing special about the specialty steak house was the food poisoning I had after eating there. I ate alot of pasta(which was pretty good) & the GRAND DUTCH CAFE had good coffee, croissants & apple pie, at ports I ate ashore at restaurants I researched - usually at hi end hotels. I'm amazed at what people eat - I keep measured expectations & don't pile food onto my plate. But even the cookies in the lido were tasteless..... I'm upgrading my cruises - not just for the food but for the overall experience!!! PS - be cautious of the HAL cheerleaders on these boards - they'd be served dog food & still defend the line!!!

I recently booked a WC for 2025 but am being very reserved in my excitement due to world events / crazies!!!

FYI Staff members at Bahamas resort arrested for drugging, assaulting 2 American women: Police - ABC News (go.com)

Staff members at Bahamas resort arrested for drugging, assaulting 2 American women: Police - ABC News (go.com)

I recently went on a 9 day ROTTERDAM cruise which was a total disaster....bad service, bad food including food poisoning & a cabin that should never been sold due to structural problems / noise. I'm a 3 star Mariner w HAL (since 1976) & I don't think I will ever sail on HAL or any CARNIVORE CORP line ship ever again. On another recent post on this board someone posted about nickel & diming on drink packages. I have always tipped extra to my cabin stewards and dining room waiters or deck stewards & anyone else that went out of their way to help. So today the lines imposed DAILY fees along w an 18% gratuity to drinks. On my recent Rotterdam cruise the service was horrible - the worst was in the bars. I never ate in the main dining room as I don't care for the cattle car atmosphere & service currently levels. The specialty steak house I ate in was really bad - it was half full& at times tehte was NO waitstaff or manager around - and to top it off I got food poisoning after eating there. The bartenders & few waitstaff in the bars were too busy having fun among themselves & left customers waiting to order drinks. One nite I had one pre dinner drink & was handed a bill for $52...when I said it wasn't my bill the waiter said "its your card". I also checked my final bill & there were seveeral overcharges - I nw ask for receipts & check my final bill. I don't want to hear about staff cutbacks due to covid etc.... like I told the Hotel Manager... " I'd like to see the bonuses of the HAL & CARNIVORE CORP Executives". So I decided as cruising has changed so must I.... if I am on a ship w auto gratuity I will visit the GUEST RELATIONS DESK & have it removed for the voyage. Then I will go ahead & tip those staff that have assisted me while onboard. If service is good or better I add $$$$. If its not I deduct - as I would do when ashore. I won't be forced to help a corporation pay salaries in the guise that I am paying a gratuity. This is along the lines when a cruise line , hotel or restaurant says I am their "GUEST" well I don't charge my guests & I paid in good faith for the products these corps sell.... Its lie the inmates are running the asylum!!!!

Thank you & I also like to dance!!!!

As far as pricing goes, HAL / Carnivore can charge whatever the market will bear. I've never done a drink package as I don't drink that much & always order premium brand liquor. And still have an 18% gratuity added. That being said, as far as costs - I was on a 9 day Rotterdam cruise recently - the service at the bars was horrendous. The bartenders would be talking & having fun among themselves or not in sight at all. I never ate in the main dining room. I had wonderful cabin stewards & the waitstaff in the lido were pretty good. Of course all along there was the daily & drink gratuity added to my bill.(the worst was in the specialty steak restaurant where the staff were non existent & I ended up with food poising I also gave cash tips to my stewards & the staff in the lido that assisted me. So what I decided to do in the future is visit the "GUEST RELATIONS DESK " once & have the DAILY fee taken off my bill & tip the appropriate staff that assist me. When auto gratuity started I felt it was just a gimmick for the corporations to pad their pockets & aid them in paying the SALARIES of staff. So as cruising has changed - so will I. When I go out on land if service is good or better I tip appropriately. When service is lacking I adjust. It's like the inmates are running the at sea Asylum!!!!

Here's a different look at the situation. In Nov 2023 I took a 9 day cruise on HAL ROTTERDAM. On the second nite I ate in the specialty restaurant / steak House onboard the ship. within hours I came down w symptoms of food poisoning - after 2 days in my stateroom I felt well enough to get out & about. At one point I needed to use a bathroom - unfortunately on the newer ships the bathrooms are few & far between - the aft toilets were in use(men's, women's & handicapped) - I finally dashed out to the pool area & found a vacant rest room - thankfully in time. The newer ships are too big now & facilities lacking!

Wow - I can't believe Prinsendam / ROYAL VIKING SUN is still sailing - I did a 16 day transatlantic out of NYC on her years ago - if you didn't sail in her you'll never know what modern luxury is / was. I recently sailed in ROTTERDAM VII - I'd gladly trade for the Prinsendam. ROTTERDAM V was also one of the greatest Trans Atlantic liners ever built!!!(and a favorite of mine.

I was on The Rotterdam in late Nov & dual pianos were terrible - they spent most of the time/ set "chatting" about their day & trying to be funny - key word TRYING!!! It was like being in a retirement / assisted living home - I'm 65 & it was boring due to the music choices by the duo - instead of a mix of old & new & broadway - they played mostly 60's sad songs... The lounge itself was dead - just people sitting at tables not even ordering drinks & the setup w the lounge across the way is stupid - As far as costs - there is a budget & I'd bet HAL / CARNIVORE CORP pays the same $$$ for two pianists as they do for 1 - its all about the quality - which certainly lacking!!

Well you certainly put inn a lot of thought into your rely(or did you)??? As far as "bad food" I would think the entire ship would of been affected - in that case if a certain percentage of passengers get sick while onboard it is mandatory for it to be reported( certainly if it was that bad - someone would of notified authorities - Health Dept, etc). as far as food, service being more European - as an American that has travelled all over the world - I believe both are European in taste / nature - up to & including dining times. I tend to go with the flow & if there are problems I address them w the appropriate management. as far as the cleanliness of the ship - MSC is on top of it 24/7 from what I've seen. Online posts allow people to believe their world is the only world w all the drama and exaggeration they can muster - its sorting through those bits & not wasting time on the over the top ones. No need to reply - I won't read or post again on this topic.