mpfund

I think most non-Germans would not be happy on H-L ships.  We noticed that even among the German majority they did not seem to interact with each other.  We talked more to the staff than to other passengers!

Europa 2 and Europa (which is #1 rated by Douglas Ward) are both pretty formal, with set dining hours for dinner.  When we were on Hanseatic it was also pre-assigned seating for dinner, but that may have changed.

I recommend you read Catlover's comments and I believe she took her non-German speaking husband on one H-L cruise.  

For us, H-L is like the little girl with the curl -- parts are terrific, parts are, for us, terrible.  The bi-lingual cruises were designed to attract more international travelers, but were so popular with Germans that now it is very difficult to find an available cabin and prices have jumped.

Correction -- 2020 World Cruise -- brain atrophy in  Covid restrictions in California!

We did talk to supervisors, etc.  The only help we got was from the head wine steward who, when he saw us, shooed away the wine waitress and took our order himself.  No one was rude, but nothing happened.  

This cruise was half of the 2019 World Cruise and from various posts on this board I believe it is possible that the best staff was reassigned to Explorer/Splendor.

6 hours ago, GrJ Berkshire said:

Explain further please?

I neglected to mention in my response to Wendy that there is a poster, named Catlover, who has been on far more H-L cruises than our 3.  She mostly posts on the Seabourn board, but if you want info from the perspective of an American who speaks fluent German, her posts are invaluable and to me, extremely interesting.

Here are some of our disappointments with Regent --

On the first night we got a reservation at the French restaurant and I was really looking forward to the cheese trolley.  Walking in I noticed it tucked into a corner, forlornly empty.  At the end of our not memorable dinner  I asked about the trolley and was told it was not used as it could not navigate around the tables.  Of course, I later found this to be a blatant lie and it certainly set a poor tone for the balance of the trip!  The mediocre cheeses I was served were ice cold, straight from the refrigerator.

The wine server in the main dining room spoke limited English and insisted that the white wine was just that -- white, no other name such as winery, etc.

I was denied cottage cheese at lunch as "that is only served at breakfast."

I found the food at the Asian restaurant no better than PF Chang's, but in fairness I should state that we lived i San Francisco for 25 years with all it's great ethnic restaurants.

One of the waitresses on the pool deck spoke no English at all!

This is a small  list of the near daily service/food lapses.

I truly think that no ship's food will meet the expectation of the OP, but to me, the best of the lot is Hapag-Lloyd.

The variety of food on the H-L ships is staggering -- 40 kinds of fish, 80 kinds of cheese.  We took a tour of the kitchen and storerooms so I believe this is true.  One night there was a seafood buffet which, among other things, included lobster and oysters.  All the food is well seasoned, as opposed to US ships where I always find it under-seasoned.  One day at lunch my hsband requested dill pickles which they did not have.  Oh well, and he said nothing more.  Next day a special dish of dill pickles arrived -- the kitchen had made them without being asked.

We've sailed on SIlverseas, Windstar, Le Ponant, Paul Gauguin, Oceania, Sea Dream Yachts, Seabourn, Star Clippers, QM2, Viking, American Queen -- does that establish my bona fides?  We have not sailed on Crystal but hope to.

The best food at sea is on the Hapag-Lloyd ships.  But unless you speak German you will find yourselves consistently alone.

We were sorely disappointed in our first (and so far, only) Regent cruise on Mariner.  Too many problems to list,  but the situation never improved and we just gave up and laughed.

We also took a tour with Tony recently -- a half day city tour.  He was just terrific -- knowledgeable, spoke perfect English and more than willing to tailor the tour to my slow walking.  He recommended a wonderful restaurant -- Bahia, and also recommended the garlic shrimp which were yummy.  I also had the best chicken soup -- enough for 4, at a price of 2CUC!

This was one of the best private tours we have taken, and I can't recommend Tony highly enough.  

He is just starting our, so his tour prices are more than reasonable -- grab him now before he get so popular that he increases his prices!

Thanks Grandma Cruising and upward uk for your courteous and informative responses.

I just received a phone call from Azamara asking if I need any help on Cuba excursions.  Huh?  I found it a bit intrusive.  I've never had a call like that from any cruise line and wonder what his motivation was -- to sell me excursions?  To intimidate me from taking private tours?

Anyone else experience this?

I believe it was a credit rom Cunard, as it did not fit the rest of MCC's category.  It was, I believe, a special promotion, but my memory may be faulty -- no detail given on the Cunard paperwork.

My ta is making up the difference.  Frankly, $100 is not a big deal (had it been $600 I would be screaming!).

Several months ago we took a QM2 t.a.  Our paperwork from Cunard (booking confirmation -- Guest Copy) showed an OBC of $100.00.  When we arrived on the ship they refused to honor it, although I showed the reception staff the paperwork.  When I returned home I asked my travel agent to follow up, which she did.  She was told they had no record of it and no way to research it.  

I realize it is a small amount but it is annoying and just reinforces my feeling the QM2 if Greyhound of the seas.  If there were any other way to get to Europe (I make every effort not to fly), I would not choose this line.

Hi Lois,

The Michaelangelo is a terrific hotel.  It's been some years since we stayed there, but we loved it.

We sailed Azamara for the first time last month and after sailing Silversea and Seabourn found it was not our cup of tea.  I foolishly signed up for a 2nd cruise on AZ (terrific itinerary to Cuba), so we'll have a chance to try it again, but I am not optomistic!

Go to Luggage Forward's website and do a dummy booking. (Don't forget to check the box "departing from a cruise) You will see that, depending on price, the delivery time is anywhere from 1 to 7 days.

Catlover54, that is one of the saddest photos I've ever seen...

Although I totally understand why the bear had to be killed.

We are also on the transatlantic, and are using Luggage Free to ship our suitcases home to California. It is not cheap, but in my opinion worth every penny.

Cunard's food is crap. In no way can you characterize Cunard as a luxury line. We take it trans atlantic to avoid flights. I refer to it as Greyhound of the Seas.

I agree with those who recommend Sea Dream.

I complained because a large pile of luggage was left unattended in Miami. Perhaps you feel comfortable leaving your luggage in the middle of a port, unprotected and untended, but I do not.

Actually, I would not worry too much re getting luggage home. It will certainly eventually show up. What I worry about is having it miss the ship outbound. That said, we are using LF again on our next cruise next month.

Well, we had the opposite situation in Miami. There was no one there and only a large pile of luggage, to which we added ours. I called Luggage Forward's 800 number and they said their rep was stuck in traffic and would be there soon. An hour later and no one had appeared. We finally just left our bags and left the port. Our luggage did get to our home, and I lodged a complaint with Luggage Forward.

BellaAnna, thanks so much. First stop after embarkation -- purser's desk!

How do I sign up? Can it be done in advance or do I have to wait until I'm onboard? Inquiring minds want to know!

We have gotten a rebate from our t.a. on every single cruise we have booked. The minimum has been 9%. Don't forget that large agencies who sell a lot of cruises get higher than normal commissions from the cruise line. One of these cruises was Viking and while I don't recall the exact amount of the rebate, it was at minimum 9%. The comes to us in check form with final docs. Once in a great while it shows as a deduction from the cruise fare.

The cruise lines can make whatever "rules" they want, but they cannot tell a business how to run their business. If a travel agency chooses to reward me that is their choice. The cruise lines need the agents to keep referring business, so this threat of "rules" is a bit meaningless.

The Viking WC promotions would have no bearing on a t.a. rebate -- you should get at least approx 9% of what you paid (not including port charges) as a rebate.

There is absolutely no reason you can't wear a sparkly top and silky trousers. It's the men's apparel that is the most restrictive on formal nights.

Kings Grill is dire -- been there, done that.

As a general statement one should not underestimate the stupidity of large corporations in a market that is changing.

Dis Carnival all you wish (and I am not a fan), but they are enormously profitable. This does not happen by ignoring current/future trends, much as they may conflict with current passengers wishes.