esimon

We will be on Nordam in Feb. Can we show up for open seating and ask for a specific table?

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Don't bother with the search as all services in the spa on any HAL ship are overpriced! :eek:

Seriously - is that an answer? It's an opinion and kind of rude. There are lots of people who can and do afford those prices. Why rain on some ones parade.

Thanks so much for the info and input We are HAL people and enjoy most everything about them. The idea of being on a ship with 'hundreds' of children makes me shutter. I love kids but being on a ship trapped at sea that sounds very much like - well lets just say - I hope it never happens.

Lots of cynics out there LOL -- there are other cruise lines --

the buzz is a medical emergency

Just booked an excursion in Samara - Booked thru our TA and it was the same price as HAL's - so no real mark up there

Thank you for the laid back - honest - post

Open minded in all directions - and understanding that being able to vacation is a blessing and to set too high of expectations or a sense of entitlement is really out of place.

Thanks again -- would love to sail with a ship full of you all

cant a wait till mine in Feb

We had open seating for our last 2 cruises, but opted for assigned for our most recent. We prefer to dine alone, and that Always seems to be an issue with Anytime. We are on vacation and really just want to relax with each other.

WE have done 4 anytime cruises - usually at 2 top Never had a problem or had to wait more than 5 mins.

We all have our opinions but Lisa is telling you what is going on in the cruise industry. My travel agent friend told me HAL is " bleeding customers" and the line they are flocking to is country club casual.

and the bleeding goes on-- so maybe on formal nights when DH and I enjoy getting dressed up we won't be seeing scruffy stuff cause they will be on another ship -

Really - they are trying to make 1500 or so people happy at once. It won't happen - We will dress and enjoy it - If you want to wear shorts and a t shirt go for it -- you paid what I did.

My husband would love to fly a kite off the stern - are u allowed? Don't care to swim in the pool. Sitting by it is wonderful enough. Would like to rent a cabana in Feb

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Obviously we are all deferent and want to plan or nor plan our Vacation how ever we want. To each his own. I'm not changing line because they don't offer the right alcohol or complaining because they offer things to do. Love the spa and Pinnacle.

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add me to the list -- it is aggrivating

y wife and I spent 26 days with the cards. Never 15 drinks, but a lot of 8-10's. 15% would of been hard / impossible to hide.

What did u get that would show 15%? We gave our card and signed nothing.

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they charge %15 on each drink charged against the program so I don't know why wait staff would not get the tip???

I would think it would be harder as one person often does not know what the other is doing/charging. Am I wrong on this?? Do the servers tell you once you used up your 15 for the day?

Can you drink 15 drinks a day? Just curious

We enjoyed the explore 4 on our Alaska cruise - great and easy to use and covered all our drinks and water -- enjoy

I want a balcony won't go if inside. Might do ocean view but probably not. Yo each her own.

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We had a time in our room as stated before. It was later than we usually eat but it's vacation so we went for it - The evening we were booked we happened to walk by the PG and asked if we could come earlier -- They were more than accommodating and we changed the timing last minute.

We did Oosterdam. Weren't on it a lot in Alaska. Not sure the ship choice would have mattered

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You go early to get a seat --

Wish there was more info on Noordam -- 2/27/15 sailing

nothing ever free but the explore 4 package was great on our Alaska trip last may and looking forward to it on our 2/27 Caribbean trip - probably cost us something but our cruise isn't on sale now - love not thinking about paying for drinks and we are not wine connoisseurs ( or wine snobs lol) and like the HAL wine.

restating over and over here is not taking things up with HAL - it is complaining -- we know HAL has bad wines - for some - because I like their wine and enjoy having it with dinner.

Sorry if My opinion upset some people -- guess you can only express your opinion if you have a problem with the wine list.

This topic has often be discussed here on CC. Many wine lovers (Oenophiles) have long been disappointed in the HAL wine list (and prices) and some of us have posted that HAL lags far behind some other lines...especially Celebrity, when it comes to wine. Of course the usual HAL Cheerleaders deny this and say everything is perfect on HAL.

 

Well, the Wine Spectator, which is generally accepted as one of the best wine publications, has spoken and its interesting. Here is a copy of another CC Post on the topic:

 

"The 2014 Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards were published in the August magazine. Of the 12 ships given an "Award of Excellence." Celebrity Ships main restaurants won an 10. According to the magazine "Our basic award for lists that offer a well-chosen selection of quality producers along with thematic match in both price and style." There were only 2,791 of the awards to restaurants world wide. The winning ships are the Summit, the Solstice, the Century, the Silhouette, the Millennium, the Eclipse, the Reflection, the Constellation, the Equinox and the Infinity.

 

The other 2 awards went to Oceania. "

 

We would add that revamping HAL's wine list is a relatively simple process, but for some reason HAL has continued to ignore the winers (or whiners) on this subject. But now that HAL has imposed their draconian wine restrictions (which make it expensive to bring aboard wine) there is even more reason for them to improve their onboard wine offerings.

 

Hank

I think it is even more reason for the Whiners to cruise another line --- You know their wine sucks - QUIT whining about it

nothing will convince people that explore 4 does not greatly effect pricing because they don't want to believe it. Our Feb cruise has not dropped in price and will not offer explore 4 any more. We got a deal - probably paid a little more for it but not 500 each. seems like a waste of time to keep debating this.

any info on renting a cabana on Noordam???