oakridger

Not kidding! I was at a hotel bar pre cruise in Santiago Chile and got up to go look at the menu posted for their restaurant. The bar tender quickly came after me to tell me I hadn't paid my bar bill yet. I told him I was just looking at the menu and will be right back to my table, not to worry. He told me that many people post cruise innocently get up and leave without paying thinking they are still on board! He has had to "chase down" customers many times! 🙃 ~Nancy

OOps...Posted at same time as @CruiserBruce!! Yes, there is always an 18% (currently) gratuity on all HAL specialty dining and purchased drinks. The money goes into the pool for the waiters I believe. Bruce is correct about the exceptions for HIA and 5* Mariner. The HIA states the gratuities are included. The drinks gratuities go into a separate pool for the bar staff as I was told by a bartender. ~Nancy

This is an itinerary I hope to take in the future, but don't have your information. I do suggest you ask the questions about excursions on the Mexican Riviera Ports of Call forum to get Mexico specific information from a wider audience! Also try your Roll Call linked below. Have a great time! Mexican Riviera Cruises Q&A: Find Tips & Recommendations - Cruise Critic Message Board Forums ~Nancy

My friend has gone on a few Blues Cruises and absolutely loved them! They were all for 7 days then she had to come home and rest! Back in my 20s I could go full blast for a full week, but sadly, not now. 😉 ~Nancy

Oh, hell no!! That was inexcusable! I would have had a word with the manager and/or the "Tell Us" on the Navigator App!! I had a big pet peeve on my cruises last fall about the staff asking to give them good reviews on the survey. (Two of them who had only brought me one drink so far!! 🙄) I really don't like to be solicited for good reviews!! I told the "Tell Us" but didn't ask to be contacted about it. At the time some people pointed out that they felt it's fine for staff to ask to just fill out the survey and I'm OK with that I guess. I'm a former waitress and bartender who relied on tips but I never, ever, asked guests for tips or even hinted at it. End of rant!! ~Nancy

@crystalspin I see what you mean. I was trying to say that the non-alcoholic drinks are included but didn't realize the above stated it was from the Quench Package. Thanks for pointing that out. It does still specify that the SBP 15 drink limit does include the non-alcoholic beverages. ~Nancy

Added to say that there may still be some available at the Wharf but it will be from further north if their season does start on time. I absolutely love the Dungeness Crab when it's fresh! Good Luck! ~Nancy

It was scheduled to start November 15th in this area but has been delayed as in the past several years. Darn!

Yes, it should! What does the asterisk on the email after the price refer to? ~Nancy

There is not an 18% restaurant tax in San Francisco. That is the gratuity on HAL for specialty restaurants and beverages purchased. ~Nancy

Calm down, this is not true! The Morimoto on HAL is $55 plus 18% gratuity which equals $64.90! Same price as Rudy's Sel de Mer. San Francisco does have some restaurant taxes just like many big cities. It's all part of the cost of dining out unfortunately. ~Nancy

I haven't seen non alcoholic wine on any of the bar menus but maybe they are available. There is non alcoholic beer available in the past but not listed on the new bar menus that I can see. It is included in the HIA . The Signature package doesn't include the Quench Package but does include non alcohol drinks/coffees in the 15 per day maximum drinks included. Here is the list of many bar menus from @Crew News website.. Beverage-Package-Contents.pdf (rogerjett-photography.com) Beverage-Packages-2023.pdf (rogerjett-photography.com)

Here's the Key West Cruise Port Schedule .....they list the ship capacity and there are some that are in HAL's range. Maybe they limit the number of ships per day also. Key West Cruise Ship Schedule 2023 | Key West Cruise Port Schedule 2023 (cruisetimetables.com) ~Nancy

Thanks @Bluenoser3, @kazu and @1robinwood for reporting your experiences with the new Morimoto MDR dishes! I was very curious as I felt that they sounded too overly spiced for my taste. I have enjoyed the Tamarind lobster preparation and others at the Nobu restaurants on another line as the seasoning was subtle. I agree with the posters that I will skip Morimoto and go with the plain (but lots of butter!) lobster tails if I have that craving. ~Nancy

@WilcoamYour description really got my imagination going for my future cruises on Star Breeze! Thanks for this but, darn, I have a long time to wait!!! ~Nancy

I would like to clarify that the current version of the BBKings room has been very enjoyable for me and many others, but they don't really play "blues". They play more Motown and other older dance music. ~Nancy

I didn't see if anyone had reported on the Morimoto MDR dishes. Did anyone try it? Thanks, ~Nancy

Yes, it's pretty expensive to me in US dollars as well!! The same menu with similar items in a land restaurant near me will cost much more though. We all need to decide if the cost and quality is "worth it" to us. When I ate at the pop-up Rudy's in the pre covid days (other than one disaster meal which was a management problem at the time), I thought the food was very, very good and I will choose to eat at Rudy's again if I sail on one of the three Pinnacle ships in the future. ~Nancy

I'll be following along with your adventure! Have a great time and thanks for sharing with us! ~Nancy

Just imagine.....leftovor foods and mess with people leaving food in the room......moldy food.....!!! That sounds like a huge nightmare to clean and sanitize besides the other reasons mentioned above! ~Nancy

$64.90 (Includes 18% gratuity) per @Crew News wonderful website! Thanks Roger. This website has excellent and regularly updated HAL information. It's a great resource. Roger Jett Photography - Digital Images in Time Roger Jett Photography (rogerjett-photography.com) ~Nancy

@aaaa and @gsutiger2 Have you heard of these dedicated plant-based Windstar cruises? Sounds like it may be what you are looking for in a cruise! Plant-Based Travel - National Health Association (healthscience.org) 2025 Windstar WFPB Tahiti Cruise - Papeete to Papeete - National Health Association (healthscience.org) 2024 Costa Rica & The Panama Canal - Colon to Puerto Caldera - National Health Association (healthscience.org) ~Nancy

Gee, I got a call every time after room service delivery last fall on both the Nieuw Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Excellent service then. It sounds like the Food and Beverage department needs to get their act together better on the Volendam at the moment! Have you spoken to the manager about the issues? Continue having a good time at sea Mary Ann and Bill! ~Nancy

On my last Collectors cruise (10+11 days) on Rotterdam in November 2022 I had one key that worked for the whole 21 days, and it had the dates printed on it. I stayed in the same cabin for the entire trip. ~Nancy

Bitterballen is good, but not what my choice would be for dessert!!! 😉 ~Nancy