REOVA

I would love for a HAL/Seabourn sale (debt swap) to Saudis and away fro CCL. CCL has lost interest in both brands. Keep the small ships and plenty of money to build new small ships. Focus on 2 levels of passenger Luxury or Mass/Premium with good food, good entertainment and exotic enrichment programs and itineraries. They would fare well. Still demand for MS Amera (Prinsendam).

You may have to call your TA to help and let HAL know you want to book another cruise for it to show. We were with another couple last summer and 1 party in each cabin tested positive. For the FCC the other couple booked their future cruise onboard and got HAL to push the FCC to their account. We did not book a new one and never heard a peep. In the Fall while on another cruise we asked the Neptune concierge why our FCC doesn't show. She called HAL and it got posted. It's a random process (imagine that). The benefit was our expiration was later due to having posted to our account later. If you don't have a TA, you'll need to call HAL.

Not as bad as MSC customer "service". 😉

What did you status match? If there are truly 100 verandas available, wait but also research the deck plans and cabins to see what the $1k gets you. It may not be a good location. Did you book yourself or using a TA?

Nothing like the Yacht Club experience, unfortunately, but the cabins are larger and much more storage than MSC. The concierge team is very helpful and don't hesitate to ask abiut anything. Alcohol is not free either unless you have a beverage package (except when they have special Neptune events).

Depends on the credit terms. If its $200 per person, you each have to use up your own, if it's $300 per cabin, its available to anyone in the cabin. But HAL usually promotes per person as they know its use it or lose it.

This is what someone posted 😒

They are Nepresso type pod machines so would be curious how one would cook a hot dog unless Vienna sausages. 🤔

Looks like they are changing tags to one's that go through your clothing, like price tags, and you have to cut them off. Some of the ship passengers have reported it. Not sure why. Everyone should be complaining as the sticky tags worked fine.

Drake is uncertain. HAL cruises takes you on outer region of some beautiful areas but can be changed due to weather and ice. If you are looking for more in depth experience you may try a cruise line that has Polar class ships and offer kayaking or Zodiac boats to get on land.

Not only the cruise lengths but they like the smaller ships better. They can handle the ships better and are not as rushed so they can enjoy the passenger interaction.

Agree, will be sad when HAL's smaller ships are all gone. Can you expand on what was wrong with your Eurodam cruise and which cruise it was?

The older ships will always have problems, but we like the smaller ships better than the bigger ones. On many of the Grand World Cruises the Amsterdam always had leaking pipes, buckets on the prominade deck, backed up toilets, constant painting/vanishing, etc. It didn't diminish the cruise as the itinerary and extra entertainment/talks (and passenger/crew "family") shown through. Missed ports are not cruise line specific. There will be hits and misses on every cruise. You will enjoy your Med cruise if you like HAL.

Rich, thanks for taking the time to post and providing a "first timer's" view. We look forward to hearing your comparisons when you go next year 😉

"You're trying hard not to show it (baby) But baby, baby I know it...." HAL changed its entertainment contracts before the shutdown and they got stuck, not only in these contracts but with 40% drop in crew and entertainers coming back. The shutdown (or CC) tied their hands on spending but you can't generate a profit without revenue, which HAL assumed will always be there (hence the media frenzy on bookings being up). The Pinnacle ships are HAL's bread and butter (they thought) but they haven't been able to train the staff and managers on handling the size or amount of bottlenecks with the passengers. "Supply chain" means more than lack of supplies but in HALs case, lack of inventory management or the right vendors for the supplies. Hopefully the meeting with Gus and all of the CDs, EDs and HMs, etc will be effective to turn the ships/cruiseline around. But they are banking on their "longer itineraries" so they know they have to show up or be done.

Congrats on another GWC and especially getting past Perth this year. 😉 (And getting your luggage sooner than 7 months after the GWC ends) 😆

Thanks for the report. Can't wait to get on Eurodam in the Fall. Did you both have to quarantine? Is HAL still giving FCC for quarantine days?

Yes last year there were some repeats. HAL really ran it as 2 TA voyages. But it is still a great itinerary and one of its most popular.

Yes Debra and Megan have a great outlook, even during the cancelled 2020 GWC when we all were sequestered in a Perth hotel to try to find our way home. And Megan is a bonus clutch player on anyone's trivia team. 😆

Actually this occurs no matter what year. You would be surprised to hear the number of people that do this cruise every year and find something to complain about, even 5 years ago. Some of them don't even get off the ship because they've "seen" the port before. As Pete has provided in his blogs, crusing is about seeking and exploring new areas of the World. The World is small but there is always something new to experience if you make the effort. "Make the best use of what is in your power, and take the rest as it happens." Epictetus

Thanks for your varied opinion as it is important to extrapolate the balance. And thank you for specifying what you like because we've seen Andy Fletcher on multiple cruises and the first time was great....we would skip him again, but glad you enjoyed him. Same for much of the entertainment that HAL repeats. You have not been "cursed" by doing B2Bs or even multiple ships within a year or short period which may be a reason for better review than others on the same cruise (or other cruises). Probably happens on other lines as well. And not being a night owl or drinking specific items may also contribute to differing cruise experiences, so the detail from all reviews helps others prepare, depending on what they are looking for. I enjoy reading wine reviews but know that palates are different and I would not necessarily drink a wine based on one critics review over another but the details they add help. We can see HAL has a way to go to get to/back what many "expect" and hopefully someone behind the curtain is working on that.

If you are thinking about HAL excursions, book them as soon as they are available before getting onboard. You then can "rebook" them (WITH the excursion desks help) using the OBC and the credit card refund goes back to your account so you can cash it out at the end of the cruise. It allows you to book/have an excursion before it sells out (which many do) but helps use non refundable OBC when you board. Then you don't have to worry about use it or lose it OBC. It also keeps your credit card awards/points/cash back in tact and gives you cash available at the end (if you dont use it all). Also crew gratuities are nice but ask guest services if it can be applied, you may get a different answer than others experienced.

You won't be disappointed. However the problem with doing a HAL Grand Voyage is it does spoil you when doing a regular HAL cruise. Whether it's meeting/seeing people (some that sail every year) for 4 months or the "extras" HAL includes on these, it's a unique experience.

And be like Pete.....go on the GWC without any expectation and open mind and enjoy the adventures. You will be blessed to not have a prior cruise to compare to which helps in appreciating the Voyage. (But definitely research every port before hand).

Correct. It wasn't meant to be collectively exhaustive but most of what I read in posts and blogs from new HAL cruisers is that they like the short itineraries and Pinnacle ships, which is where HAL was planning 5+ years ago. We don't usually book under 10 days unless testing a cruise line so the smaller ships and longer, port heavy itineraries are our favorite to be able to experience more places in one trip. There is a cruise for everyone but HAL's focus changed and then got broadsided. We are hoping they get back their mojo on the "new" Legendary Voyages.