Pickalily, Wilts

The choice is yours.  HAL passengers used to dress more formally, but nowadays there is a lot of latitude when it comes to dressing for 'Gala Nights'.   Gowns and tuxedos are not required, but a (very) few will still be worn.  We try to make an effort to 'scrub up' well, but it seems that almost anytning goes.  Either way, it has no bearing on enjoyment of our cruises.  Sir PMP is taking the Mickey.😃

Have a great cruise.

A decade ago HAL was quite 'dressy' on the nights designated as 'Gala'.  Since then we have seen a gradual decline in the suggested dress code and the numbers of men wearing a tux and women in posh frocks are very few.  I gather that the dress code for Alaskan cruises is even more relaxed.  As CruiserBruce says, the decision is yours, but whatever you decide I'm sure you will have a wonderful trip to an amazing part of the world.  Have a very happy 60th birthday cruise.

5 hours ago, Happily@Sea said:

She is looking good for being 150 years young. Still some of the best looking ships sailing, I do like the traditional look.

 

Happy Birthday!!

Completely agree.  Their ships look classy, whereas some others look as if they've been scribbled on by naughty children.🙂

Here's hoping that the moderators notice over 10k views since vswan posted only 6 weeks ago.

Brilliant response.

I might be 'cancelled' for this, but I think it's worth trying to help those who just need a little encouragement to carry on with their lives when their personal circumstances change.

9 minutes ago, Destiny0315 said:

Right and having 8K+ views of this thread don't lie!! In fact doing a quick scan of the first seven or so pages on here reflects that the only posts with more views lately are ones with live HAL cruise updates or a couple about specific things such as Club Orange or the Navigator app.

.... and it was the number of views which I tried to highlight as proof that there are many potential solo cruisers out there who could benefit from the experiences of others.

Made what I thought was a polite request earlier today (again) for this to be made a 'sticky', but it was removed.  Don't know why.  I thought the number of clicks up to now was indicative of interest, but.............. apparently not.

Just another gentle 'bump' to keep this current.

Carole,  Sincere condolences and good wishes for the future.  "Therapy" is what this thread is all about and your story will help others to overcome their doubts about being able to cope with their loss and finding inner strength, which they may not have believed they possess.

Having arranged for my Father's ashes to be buried at sea - albeit from a Royal Navy vessel - I can attest that it was a very dignified ceremony and I'm sure the committal of your dear husband's ashes will be the same.

3rdGenCunarder, shootingstar07 and others:

You took a liberating leap of faith and now there's no looking back.  All good wishes for your future travels.

Just a gentle 'bump' to keep the topic live.

7 hours ago, bellebaby said:

Pickalily

 

You live in a very beautiful area.

 

Years ago, a friend's daughter married a young man that lived in Allington, near Salisbury.  

 

We went to the engagement party and stayed with his family in The Old Rectory.  

 

Wonderful memories.

 

B

Well, bellebaby, it's a very small World! 🙂   I know Allington and the house you mentioned.  Sadly, Michael B died last year - a great loss to the village - but I believe his wife is continuing his philanthropic work.

Another 'bump'.

The whole premise of this thread could have led to a lot of negativity, but given that individual contributors' situations have mainly resulted from loss and sadness, it's remarkable how uplifting the result has been IMO.  In just a few days something positive has emerged and if it helps others to overcome doubts about coping with the future, it can only be a good thing.

OK folks, I've made the request. so we'll see if the moderator thinks it's worthwhile.  If anyone else wants to do the same, it can only help.   Thanks OlsSalt.

2 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Perhaps a request the moderator to make it a "sticky" thread, like the smoking discussion thread? Eg: Tips for HAL Solo cruisers

Is "Walt" still the moderator?  I saw his name attached to other 'stickies' from way back, but wasn't sure if that's still the person to contact.  (Told you I was useless at this laptop lark 🙃 !)

Just a bit of background:  40 years ago (after a divorce) I had to pluck up courage to take solo trips, so I know how the OP feels.  Have never been the most gregarious person, but somehow I did it.  The result was several longish trips to countries I'd always wanted to visit, which gave me the confidence previously lacking.

There seems to be agreement that this subject could be beneficial for many others.  It's in danger of dropping off the current pages and I'm next to useless when it comes to matters technological, so could anyone please advise how to go about trying to get this turned into a 'sticky'.  (It's not obvious, to me, how to contact our 'Host', for example.)

Thanks.

What lovely, caring people sail with HAL.

vswan, you were brave to ask your questions and the answers you received will, I'm sure, convince you to take the next step.  Many others will be grateful to you for raising this subject.

I send my condolences and good wishes for happier times to come.

7 hours ago, Banditswife said:

Maybe there should be a separate thread for ideas on ways to use the tiles.  They are very pretty tiles, coasters are a nice idea, but they don't go with my decor.  I am not complaining about the tiles, nice gesture from HAL... I am surprised they still give them out.  Carnival used to give very nice Platinum gifts, but they are mere trinkets now-drink cozy, lanyard, luggage tags.  I am sure this was a cost saving measure, & again I am not complaining- a gift is a gift.

I need a few more to complete a craft project.  I'm using them to line the base of a vintage wooden tray.  I'd like to use them on my kitchen wall, but wouldn't want to leave them if I moved house - they'd just end up in a skip!  However, the tray is portable.

I don't want a 'promise' that HAL would send them once they restock - I can't imagine them bothering to send them across the Atlantic.

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Thanks for all the replies so far!

 

I would love to hear from more passengers who are later risers and later diners. I never eat dinner before 7:00 pm.  Will I still be able to catch a show, if there is one?  It doesn't seem "right" to me to go to a show before dinner vs. after.

 

Typically I like to get back from a (usually long) day ashore, clean up and get ready for dinner, then have a pre-dinner drink somewhere where I can people watch; music is a nice bonus. Then dinner around 7:00 to 7:30, then some kind of entertainment or show around 9:00 to 9:30. After that I would normally find a spot to have a drink or two (think the martini bar on Celebrity ships) and/or would look for any later-evening performances (in a smaller lounge or atrium area).

 

I'm not one to watch movies on vacation, either on a big or small screen. I do that enough at home.  And I don't gamble. 

 

 

I think we may be distantly related. 😃  We like to eat around 7.30 or 8.00 after a drink or three beforehand and then it's a couple of  hours listening to either BB King or Rolling Stone Rock group (Pinnacle class ship).  Finishing off with a nightcap and then 'night-night' everybody.   Not really bothered about a show in the main theatre or time in the casino.  We live in a small village so any kind of evening entertainment is something out of the ordinary for us.  Love it.

Same here.

If you like volcanoes, be sure not to miss the approach to the Strait of Messina.  You'll pass Stromboli, which rarely disappoints - it seems to put on a show approximately every 20 minutes!  Giardini Naxos is in the shadow of Mt Etna and that is also active.   When in Naples, you may even see Vesuvius smoking..   The area is a volcanologist's 'heaven'.  The sail into and out of Kotor is delightful.

In all, you have a very good itinerary - have a lovely trip.

2 hours ago, ohioNCLcruiser said:

I wanted to add one thing to the review since I just realized this: I sent my clothes to laundry since I was boarding another cruise after this and just realized almost all my clothes were really stretched. Just a warning about the ship laundry. They can def stretch things.

Well, that's a different angle.  The usual comment after a cruise is that clothes have 'shrunk'.🙃

5 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

Embrace the wrinkles!  You're on vacation, don't let it bother you.  🙂

DH has been embracng my wrinkles for years!

1 hour ago, mcrcruiser said:

We have read all the posts  which of course is very time consuming . My take away is even though we have legitimate complaints  ,HAL management is looking the other way  whether we like it or not  .imo ,they probably are saying ,we are getting revenue results ,so why change things until it impacts revenue  .  

 Not some thing we like to see & experience  . So we accept what we get or we decide to go else where with our vacation dollars . Each of us will need to evaluate what we get for what we pay out & from there make our decisions

They run HAL but we run our spending

There is so much choice out there and when someone is as disillusioned as you appear to be, it would be completely logical for you to go elsewhere.  Part of the 'fun' is researching all the options.  Good wishes for finding another vacation provider, be it land based or floating.  Leisure time is precious and value for money is important and if you feel you're being short-changed, you cannot be blamed for looking seriously at the alternatives.

Thanks for the interesting review of our favourite ship.  Haven't sailed anywhere since 2019, but we're back on board in May and can hardly wait!