jcjc

just off the 7- day Norway cruise and wanted to provide a quick review.

 

HIGHS:

The ship is beautiful. All shiny and relatively new ( she just recently turned 1), K is in excellent condition. We sailed in a Vista Suite and were very happy with the size of the cabin.

 

Food was outstanding and a noticeable improvement over previous cruises. We especially enjoyed the MDR on this cruise, a dining venue that we normally bypass. All our meals in the MDR were served hot and perfectly seasoned. Service ranged from outstanding to okay in the MDR. We had Open Dining and sat at a different table each meal.

 

Tamarind was divine. We have always felt that Tamarind sets the bar for HAL, and this time the bar was set quite high. The service was warm and welcoming and the food delicious. I especially enjoyed the lobster.

 

The PG was also exceptional. Gone are those pretentious white server coats replaced with blue shirts and black vests. We enjoyed the double cut pork chop and halibut and it was delicious.

 

We made use of the Lido for lunch and several breakfasts. A little crowded are times, we did find lots of offerings and lots of staff to help you at your table.

 

Cabin service. We had an excellent cabin service team who always had our cabin clean and tidied whenever we returned. While there is still a clean up in the evening, turn down service has been eliminated.

 

LOWS:

 

No surprise, as it has been mentioned before, the entertainment on board is disappointing. The shows in the World Stage did not really make use of the stage. One night was a juggler, another a singer, another night a BBC movie, another a dance group, and another a variety show featuring the juggler and singer.

 

The BB Kings were disappointing. Most nights the back ground music over powered the voices and the song choices didn't excite.

 

The casino was rarely busy. The Lincoln Centre Stage was all classical music that you either love it or leave it. We left it.

 

The Mariner Lunch was disappointing. Attendance was poor and there was little choice offered.

 

Food in the Lido was often served lukewarm - a no no for me. We also tried several desserts that were labelled as sugar free but were terribly sweet. Perhaps a sugar substitute was used, but as it wasn't clear, and we had no choice but to discard it.

 

In cabin dining is very difficult. There is no adjustable table as were offered on other ships which made it impossible for us to enjoy our hot breakfast on our balcony. The loss of this amenity means the NA continues her reign as our favourite ship.

 

Embarkation in Amsterdam was confusing. The most annoying was when we climbed the top of the stairs to find large numbers of people sitting in groups, labelled 10, 11, 12 and lots of people wandering around confused. A video screen at one end of this large room stated "boarding group 7". I thought the groups were waiting to board. I kept looking for the counters to check in and couldn't find them. We were going around in circles when I finally asked a HAL rep who explained that the groups were waiting to check in and handed me a ticket for Group 13. It would have been much less frustrating had the HAL reps been located right at the top of the stairs.

 

One thing I found concerning was discovering that the men's public washrooms have security cameras in the ceilings. Perhaps they are on other ships and I never noticed them?

 

Overall, a wonderful cruise with beautiful weather and lovely ports. The Captain mentioned that a third pinnacle class ship is on its way and that the pinnacle class ships will be sitting the standard for the entire line.

Thanks for the review. In the vista suite, did you need to use the sofa bed or drop down bed? We are going to be 3 and need to use one or the other.