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!!!

8 hours ago, roscoe39 said:

ay we continue our trek up the coast of Queensland - tonight at 7pm we will turn the corner around cape York and proceed through the Torres Strait on the way to Indonesia our next port of call.

 

we are surrounded by atolls reefs and islands the area being quite treacherous for marine traffic as many of the shipwrecks below us can attest.

 

The ships decks are alive again with the screams and yell of the English around the panda tennis table, foreign accents yelling to each other across the pool about god knows what and the laughter of the Australians in the deck chairs around me over the guy in the jacket and pocket chief.....hey! Wait a minute!

 

Blog update for anyone interested...

Dahling Roscoe - Of COURSE 

On 3/2/2024 at 7:50 AM, NE John said:

For your sake, I’m glad Cunard doesn’t hand out Prom Deck Demerits for walking the wrong way…however, when you were a young one in school, I see demerits (speaking as a receiver of them!) 

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!!!!

1 hour ago, amandas friend said:

We are sailing soon on NA. The last cruise we took was on Celebrity. Reading reviews before the cruise there were a lot of complaints about food quality. When we cruised, the MDR food was average to bad so the reviews were correct. Now, the reviews on HAL are mixed but mostly negative on quality of food. Should we be worried? TIA

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!!!!

3 minutes ago, albingirl said:

There's alot in this post.  You really know how to pack a punch. Lol.

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!

20 minutes ago, REOVA said:

We loved the Prinsendam since it felt like a actual ship and went to better ports. Because it was not built for HAL and changed owners a few times before HAL acquired it, it gives hope (very small) that HAL may acquire a smaller ship instead of building more larger ones. She just went through another refurbishment last year and then sailed past my home still looking stylish. 

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.

On 1/26/2024 at 12:03 AM, iflyrc5 said:

We are currently on the Rotterdam and the Bill Board on Board only has one performer instead of the 2 people playing and singing.  According to our Cruise and Travel director HAL is going back to the "Piano Bar" format with just the one person and a crowd sing along style.  So far is seems to be very popular on the Rotterdam.  I assume at some point they will remove the second piano and reconfigure the area.  I just hope at the next drydock they close off the stairway coming down from the casino so we won't keep getting the smoke smell down on the Music walk.

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.

9 hours ago, Pboyd said:

I have been assigned Cabin 1059 on the Rotterdam.  I think it might be under and at the edge of the Rolling Stone Rock Room .  Anyone have a comment on a possible noise issue at night? 

Don't do it...I was on Rotterdam late Nov 2023 - I was on deck 4 forward & the pounding noise from the showroom 2 decks below was continuous from 3 pm to late.  Officers knew about it & when I met w the Hotel Mgr -she said it was  from the sound system being attached to a steel beam on the ceiling.  You could hear noise from midships forward due to the lounges.

At Seabourn price point I would expect a fully operational ship w the dining rooms open for Breakfast , Lunch and Dinner.

I'm tired of hearing the excuse of the cutbacks due to Corona Virus - actually just bonus $$$ boosters for Carnival Corp Execs.

I haven't sailed on Seabourn since Carnival Corp bought the line.

24 minutes ago, whogo said:

Much more likely you got norovirus

 

 

It definitely WAS NOT NORO VIRUS!!!!  

On 1/10/2024 at 6:16 PM, At7Seas said:

Carnival Cruise Line is not what I would consider, it is far from my style. But there are Carnival Corp & Plc owned lines I am comfortable with. Plural. Right now I am on Costa Deliziosa world cruise and regarding food the worst thing was a translation to beef rolls, which were flat. But these non-rolls had a really good taste of slow cooked beef, well spiced and perfectly tender. Simply delicious, although we joked at table that these were DIY rolls. I met a retired chef aboard and he said that he booked with Costa, because they simply have great food. Such a quality as the flat rolls I had on my last year 30-day MSC cruise from Cape Town to Venice ashore only, aboard MSC I had the worst food ever I had on a ship - including low standard ferry boats. Everybody I talked to on MSC was complaining and had as excuse the cheap price of MSC. And not only about food MSC scored as bad as possible, also regarding service, cleanliness and of course I myself caused everything what went wrong - including all lies of MSC against the pax. An Australian lady had the perfect statement I would like to quote (a bit jealous that it wasn‘t me who said): “I a no container and I don‘t like to be treated like one!“ Financially MSC is about as expensive as Costa is, but regarding quality the differences are enormous. Although my cruise just started last week I had no rude word from the staff, no bad meal, a very clean cabin and all promises are kept up to now. Not so on MSC. Compared to my last years cruise with MSC during the first week (and those that followed) it is gold compared to *****. At my table I have a couple that made terrible experiences with MSC last summer and I didn‘t say a single word before they told their story. JanR just told that there were a lot of misses regarding the food, but he was lucky enough that there were some for him acceptable alternatives. The last 10 years I returned exactly one course on Costa as inedible, on MSC it was one day in a week I did not! Might be that my expectations are higher than yours or these of JanR, for example I regard the pizza on MSC as not being food at all. Generally I am very easy to please. A clean cabin, friendly staff, good food on an itinerary I want to do is enough for me to consider a cruise. MSC offered in 2023 only one of these four, the itinerary. None of the others. Not enough for me! But if you are pleased by being cheap only it may be so.

Your statements about MSC may be valid to you but they are surely not in the majority.

I have sailed many times on MSC ships since the early 2000's - and as far as value I believe they deliver a very good product.  As far as food - I found the variety amazing - yes there were some misses but overall I never was hungry.  MSC is an European centered line which may not appeal to everyone - I tend to prefer it.

The ships have always been IMMACULATE & constantly being cleaned & updated. 

I have sailed in  HAL, CUNARD & many other lines since the 1970's.  I never sailed on Carnival ships - they were always considered to be the bottom of quality all around.  In fact I won't sail Carnival Corp ships ever again - this after my recent HAL 9 day carib cruise onboard ROTTERDAM - tho the ship is nicely decorated - I got food poising after eating in one of the specialty restaurants(a first for me on a cruise), food was served cold all over the ship, not enough staff for the amount of passengers - forget about getting a seat at the pools & the lido was filled w tables w dirty dishes & staff just walking around doing nothing. The ship had some of the most boring entertainment I have ever seen or heard on any ship.

Yes MSC was started as a container ship line - well if you believe they are still container ships - you certainly need to be better informed.... or spend more $$$ on  Silversea, Viking or Regent to get the quality you require.

I booked teh 2025 world cruise w MSC - based  on the Itinerary

There is a men's locker room next to the gym w showers & a small sauna....easy to use & not many  people.

7 hours ago, roscoe39 said:

keeping well out of it!!!!!

 

although, I have to say, a recent trip to Milan showed me that a lot of Italian men are sporting

rolled suit trousers past their ankles and shoes without visible socks. (the trick being there is an ankle sock you can wear that doesn't show and therefore....no aroma'd feet)

 

Mind you only the Italians can wear fashion like this.....anyone else....sorry we don't have the genes to carry it off......

Good morning Roscoe - OMG - did you go to Pitti Uomo???? If so I am so jealous - yes Only the Italian men can carry such panache....but you too dear have certain genes that take you to several higher levels....your wardrobe is above 99% above the male population of the universe - & I mean not just onboard....

Silk socks are certainly an alternative...and of course little touches add savoir fare - the pocket square bold socks, cufflinks - a scarf.....

Go for it - live it - BE IT!!!

XO

Roscoe - where are you & your thoughts...?????

As far as not wearing socks... it is an option  in that when wearing  evening loafers or driving shoes - it looks ridiculous.. again for those that are fashion aware

  its quite nice in warmer climates.

I presume one has a few pairs of shoes & bathes regularly!!!

I find this conversation unbelievable - promoting ANYWHERE in Mexico simply supports the drug cartel controlled country that has its own citizens forced to leave their homes & be refugees...

Considering the LGBQ population that fought for rights & freedoms - I would hope there would be compassion & empathy - why not just vaca in Moscow - Its cheap now & the caviar is fabulous. I've cancelled trips to China & I won't do a mexico cruise(east or west coast) at any cost.

Disgusting & shameful

if HAL could just get the food served hot