TiogaCruiser

Patently wrong. You can bring wine home with you on a cross-county flight. I have done it successfully many times, not only cross-country but trans-Pacific. And as I mentioned in a previous post, it is not only possible, but encouraged for you to make notes of what you liked in the tasting rooms at vineyards, either by photographing the bottle or making notes in a notebook. The vineyards want you to be able to remember what you like. so you can then find the wines in their local cellars, or ask to have them carried by local importers.

 

The change in policy says nothing about buying wine to bring home with you, and certainly does not preclude vineyard tours or tasting room visits.

There IS a difference. If I found something I liked on a shorex I would want to bring it on board to enjoy with dinner or in my cabin. HAL has now outlawed that. If they chose to put a corkage/boarding fee per bottle, one COULD enjoy it on their cruise. And I haven't been to a winery where they didn't want you to walk out with a few bottles.

Just curious- how does this policy effect those who like to have wine in heir cabin?

Are HALs bottles available to take back there?

Wow, oh wow. Lisa, is THIS the shocking change you said was coming this Fall, or is there more???

It really doesn't make sense to me. To put limits on the amount taken onboard at no charge, yes. But to put into storage all wine purchased in ports- that is really over the top. And to put the policy in place with no warning for those already booked and paid is really low.

Why not allow pax to bring aboard and just charge corkage as they embark in ports? (That which goes to storage doesn't get charged). As previous posters said, it decreases inventory storage and HAL gets a corkage fee for washing glasses, and it allow pax to pick up something locally along the way to try.

I wonder how many winery tour shorex HAL will now be able to sell?

And PS- it really won't effect us as we seldom have wine. When we do I only have an ounce or two (so our two allowed bottles would more than cover a cruise for us. )

Having said that, I now need a glass of Malbec. Maybe an extra ounce this time.

Sounds like Spring Break cruises may never be the same.... and possibly others too.

Lets face it. How many people view "all you can eat" buffets as a challenge?

You paid for it, it's up to you to get value by how much you consume. Whatever the age.

Yeah, they'll to too drunk to tell the difference:D.

I took it to mean more entertainment for the non-drinkers

Drops and chutes- like free fall???

He was several years ago. He was a police officer with a with a police dog. Sometimes his avatar is an old picture of him in uniform with his dog. :)

And then there was that GREEN avatar that showed up a few times for St. Patricks Day.....

On this years January 10 sailing there were a few of the younger set, Mostly a few Argentine families. What lucky kids - to get to go to Antarctica.

I did it too. Prior to last cruise I bought a few items, including heavy fleece jacket, cap, muffler, gloves, etc and left them. I'm wishing now I had include a note. Everything we stacked neatly by the trash/recycle bin.

Off the Maasdam last week, and for the first time ever I didn't have swollen ankles. When in the MDR, I order salt free food from a menu given to me the night before. The food was surprisingly good, and I did add just a drop of salt if I felt it needed it. I drank bottled water, but did have coffee, iced tea, etc. No soups at all, not even the usual taste of the cold soups which I missed, but I didn't miss the swollen feet or ankles and we were in a hot and humid climate.

Interesting. On my last cruise ( my longest (so far:) ) at 20 days I had pedal edema toward the end. There is no doubt I was eating tons more salt than I do at home. (I watched as one of the cooks put at

Heaping teaspoon of salt into several cups of squash she was sautéing :eek:

Maybe next time I'll go to the dining-room more frequently ( and request low sodium) and the Lido less.

Gotta love how Seattle can't answer a simple question correctly.

 

The description that Veendam's aft Lido deck is the same as Rotterdam's was true for Retreat 1.0, but that failure was replaced with a different Retreat---the aforementioned hot tubs on a raised area.

So Ruth, does Rotterndam still have the "poolette" with a few inches of water around chairs?

It has a built up area with 4 spas on it: 2 are round and hotish; the other 2 are rectangular and warm. They do block the view should someone want to sit there and look back or across. Abaft of the spas, the deck is open and you can see out the railings. But that is the back third or quarter of the aft deck only.

The "poolette" with chairs and a few inches of water is gone.

There were a number of threads and pictures posted of it in February and march, and another about 2 weeks ago in tgis forum.

WE took the enpatagonia trip in January. It was fabulous. One of our RC members put it together and there were a few independants from the ship who joined us ( and later the M&G). Warning: the empanadas are huge!

 

You've been great to update us on your progress getting a passport.

I hope you'll be so kind as to do the same with your discussions with HAL in trying to negotiate another cruise with them.

 

Best Wishes.

And if HAL agrees and there is a non disclosure agreement, just post a "live from" thread here and we'll read between the lines. ;-)

Although, I didn't know what a CRBA was until last week, I just found out I do have one, and a copy is on the way to me. :D

One step closer...... :)

Wouldn't it be great to have that little blue document in your hand should HAL decide in your favor?

Sadly I think that is the problem, I cannot believe that no one mentioned when OP came in and stated that his Wife did have a Passport because she Travels to Germany to see their Son.

Most couples get their passports together (yes I know not all) but when she applied for a Passport why did he not get one :confused: Did he not want to go see his Son. I think there is far more to the story than we are not aware of. Basically everything he would need to get a Passport would be the same things he would needs to cruise without the Passport but I believe that OP was trying to find a way around it. I believe OP has most likely attempted to get a Passport and has run into Road Blocks so telling him to get one is not worth mentioning any longer.

I totally missed that detail Lisa, and you may very well be right( re: wife having PP). He has been back long enough (from the December non-cruise) to have tried to get a PP afterward, or as you said, he may have tried prior. Of course, he may not yet have completed booking when he chatted. We likely wont know as he hasnt posted back recently. Either way, what a disappointment for them.

Whoops. Thought that meant Dec 9, 2012 instead of Dec 12, 2009. Thank you. It was an honor, and privilege.

Just wondering, being you said this occurred in December, have you since applied for a passport, and what was the outcome (with the same documents)?

I never heard of this soup before CC's. Is it pronounced Poo,Pew,Few, Foo or some other way?:o

"F" as in Frank. "E" as in example- sort of. The e gets hit kind of hard and then cut off- at least that's how it sounds to me. My friends are still helping me on that one and I suspect its a permanent work in progress.

Local lady: if you find a Vietnamese market, check out the cinnamon.

"Kazu while you are here, just a quick question about Antartica..Does HAL sell the special tours to go ashore in Antarctica or do all Psgrs automatically get to go ashore in a HAL tender? I'm trying to figure out the costs of Tours etc. on the Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale on the Prinsendam next Jan.......

"Kazu while you are here, just a quick question about Antartica..Does HAL sell the special tours to go ashore in Antarctica or do all Psgrs automatically get to go ashore in a HAL tender? I'm trying to figure out the costs of Tours etc. on the Ft. Lauderdale to Ft. Lauderdale on the Prinsendam next Jan..

Sorry to but in- I'm not Kazu- but the HAL ( and other large )ships don't go ashoe in Antarctica. They do a sail by/ scenic cruising. I understand that HAL offers a flight from Ushuhia to Antarctica if the weather is okay and there are enough pax who sign up...... Back to M&Gs

Having been on only a few cruises I fortunately have not encountered such bad behavior as described. For the organizer to take proactive action by posting expectations/groundrules on the rollcall, or mentioning groundrules in opening remarks or an email to all participants makes sense (especially if individual(s) have shown that on the rollcall forum. I like serendipity's way of stating it- it's classy IMO.

However, if the organizer were to tell me that when giving me ( and others) a name tag, it's a meet and greet and not a complaint fest, I think that feels like making an assumption and a bit offensive. IMO.

~TC

There's been a number of Titanic "celebrations" being planned within the historical costuming community. Most are being called "memorials" which is more fitting, but there are a few locally being done as "celebrations". It just doesnt feel right.

Exactly what I was thinking. What if the "missing folks" did a good job of hiding and couldn't be found. Would they really delay the ship leaving port?

Well, they gotta eat........

I believe Capt. PJ is off the Westerdam until March.

Not sure of the spelling, but the current Captain is Capt. Hindig.

Sounds like he runs a tight ship..This is one rule that will be enforced for the time being. Good for him.

Was it Captain PJ who left that tarde guy in Aruba?

Isn't it the same Captain that doesnt wait for anyone???*

(Captain, my hat's off to you!)

*(remember THAT thread?)

Father Himself, was there anything else different about the drill?

Were lifevests worn? Any other changes?

I can't help but suspect there may be changes to the Seward and other late sailings- either by boarding and all Aboard being earlier, or later drills.

One more thought: assuming a rollcall is part of a real evacuation, and musters ARE drills with crew practicing some skills and teaching, why would rollcall NOT be done?