RClark6369@aol.com

Thanks again for all of the quick responses !!

Hi, We have just booked our first cruise on Seabourn Ovation and we had a couple of questions - 1. Does Seabourn Ovation have a check-in que on embarkation day or do you just walk right on the ship like Windstar at port arrival ? 2. So many cruise lines are crushing the offering of lobster. Does Seaborn still offer it ? Just curious....thats all.... 3. Does Seaborn offer set menu items at dinner (always available choices) ? If so, what are some examples of those choices ? 4. I usually buy a laundry package because I do not want to use the self service laundry on the ship because I am on vacation. Does Seaborn offer a package and if so, at what price ? 5. Where and when do I get to choose the bar set up for the stateroom ? I do not see this offer on the Seaborn website. 6. I have the most cruise experience with Holland America which is known for its wonderful crew. How will Seaborn compare ? 7. Does Seabourn offer a good variety of music channels in cabin or should I download a playlist on my iPAD before boarding ? Thanks in advance for responding. Rex

Recommended changes: - place all the shops on one deck - expand one of the shops to include more sundries, snacks and personal care items - expand the Dutch Cafe to include an expansive glass wall to the sea where everyone has a sea view. - reduce the passenger capacity by 600 - create a space for Canaletto that does not encroach on the lido buffet - ban smoking at aft pool area and expand the aft pool to include a waterfall feature - create a free form pool on the lido deck with a waterfall feature and incorporate water loungers - create a more appealing/interesting atrium area or..... get rid of it all together

I sail on June 24 and received an upgrade offer on June 2nd. The unique thing here is that the ship shows "sold out" in all categories and has for several weeks now, yet I was able to pick from 8 available Neptune suite cabins. I had the mid-ship Neptune last year, so I thought I would choose the aft corner Neptune this year to see how they compare.

My first cruise was the Carnival Holiday to the western Caribbean in 1991. I was horribly seasick for 4 of the 7 days in 18 - 20 ft seas and missed ports of call due to bad weather. Prayed to get off the ship and swore that I would never get on another cruise ship. Now, 60+ cruises later, I am a HAL junkie with 3 star mariner, RCCL double diamond, Princess Platinum, never been sea sick since.....

Hi, Book the tour at Icy Strait point. You will get it all in that excursion. Its pricey but worth it. This is that tour that has whales, seals, mountain goats, eagles, glaciers, water falls..... and breathtaking scenery.

Thanks to everyone who posted to the original question "appropriately". Yep, this question is asked many times as is should be on these boards. This is CRUISECRITIC. Requesting and offering critiques of food and service should be a redundant question as it varies from ship to ship and definitely between cruising regions. Thank you again to those who contributed to the CRITIQUE question. I leave on Rotterdam in a couple of weeks and I loved reading the feedback to Horseymike's request for food critiques. I will post a food critique when I return from my trip, just so I can rehash.... Critique HAL, please do not critique postings on this forum.

You are BEST leerathje !! Thank you ! Thank you! Is is just an awesome answer to my question!! So good! This is what the HAL board should be about ! Kind people like you that are willing to take the time to answer questions for which you had the BEST answer. I will be lounged out and enjoying the good life on Rotterdam soon. I want to be as chill as you and your husband appear above !! HAL-WONDERFUL Thanks everyone for responding to my questions and helping me with the decision making process. Regards, Rex

Thanks for replying everyone ! So my choices are cabin 4148 or 6143 on Rotterdam. I like being close to the water line, being close to an elevator (just for convenience to the cabin), being close to bars, and having a larger veranda. Opinions of my choices ??? Also, has anyone with a larger veranda ever requested a chaise lounger for their cabin ? and was that request fulfilled ? Thanks again everyone !!

Hi, Do you have pictures of the angled balcony ? I agree Nancy, dinner is not enjoyable when it is spent answering interview questions. But I do enjoy chatting with folks around the ship.

Hi, I am booked on the Rotterdam for an upcoming cruise and I am considering a cabin on the Beethoven deck (cat VB). The verandas seem huge for these cabins; however, most of the balcony is exposed I think. Can anyone share their experience with this category of cabin/ship ? Are the aft balconies better than the forward ? I currently have a large veranda cat V on Navigation deck, but I like being closer to the water.

When I first started cruising in the early 1990's, embarkation lunch was at 1 location - the lido deck. Carnival's food choices were hamburger, hot dog, fries, a cup of fruit and maybe a choice of hot and cold finger sandwiches - cucumber was my favorite. Not much else beyond else those choices. Royal Caribbean was very similar but may have included some cold salad choices as side items. The price to get on the ship was much higher back then (intro inside cabin) than it is today. No one complained. You went on your cruise, then took your stories about the wonderful life on a cruise ship back home to family and friends which would then encourage all of them to want to go on a cruise. Look at how the industry has evolved. A million dining and entertainment options were added and the base price has actually declined... (double stab ). To account for this, passenger space ratios were decreased and more cabins were added to ships for the rev shortfall. Fast-forward to today, we have so many cruise lines to choose from. I am grateful for these choices in cruise lines, but the downside is that branding has lost its way. In my opinion, of all the brands, Princess and HAL have suffered the most from branding loss while attempting to stay afloat with the competition. Once upon a time, each of these two lines had elegant ships with wonderful passenger space ratios. Each had service levels and dining quality that were the envy of mainstream cruising. (NO, there were not 10 alternative restaurants on their ships back then.) The amusing part is that if you read threads from this site from the 1990's people were complaining about HAL cost cutting then.... "I am done with HAL". "I will never sail with HAL again, its not the line it use to be." "Cuts in service are killing the HAL experience." All of this, yet HAL exists 30 years later. An industry shake down and a change in service models should bring a "win" to the industry. If Carnival emerges a bit smaller, then so be it. They will still be a leader for others to follow. The Carnival brand is strong and is here to stay. As for Princess, HAL, Celebrity.... I worry about their future due to branding fractures. Just my 2 cents.

Hi, Would someone just off the Koningsdam provide a quick overview of their experience ? 1. Food in the buffet 2. Food in the main dining room 3. Any standout meal(s) bread pudding ?? 4. Entertainment standouts ? (where movies offered nightly on the big screen at the pool?) any good movies ? 5. Favorite port - weather ? 6. Favorite excursion - did you book HAL excursions or independently ? 7. Embarkation process organized ? (I have found that HAL does not shine at this process at any of their ports world-wide.) 8. Was the sailing at 100% capacity ? Thank you for taking the time to write any feedback to the above. Rex

I will be on this transfer in a couple of weeks. I am calling HAL tomorrow. I do not want to test Covid positive on the ship after being cramped on a bus with no circulating air. This is just not acceptable. Carol, did it really take 4 hours to get to Vancouver ? Can you tell me what time the bus arrived in Vancouver ? I have never seen Vancouver and was hoping to get off the bus and into a taxi to get a quick overview of the city before boarding the ship. Thanks Rex