Catlover54

I will be on a cruise in the UK in April, and will be ok with most any vegetables, even if they are truly short on some. However, if there is a toilet paper provisioning problem,. . . . 😲 . 🙂

I was on Rotterdam last month, and the World Stage shows were 7:30 and 9:30, so it may vary ship to ship and cruise to cruise. On that cruise, Lincoln Center, which we liked, did their performances in the afternoon when they performed , so we could see them AND the World Stage (though I have learned on CC that Lincoln Center is moving to the World Stage sometime in the future, to allow more people to see them). As someone who rarely wants to eat a full meal before 6 or 6:30 unless lunch was missed (usually more like 7-8 but have flexibility) I personally liked this combination. We could eat after 6:30 (spending more time in the suite recovering from a day's excursions, processing photos, etc., perhaps with some snacks to keep the wolf away), and still catch the show at 9:30. Or we could catch the show at 7:30 (typically a 40-45 minute show) and then still be able to get in for a later sit-down dinner in either MDR or specialty, depending on reservations we had. I have another cruise booked, but I cannot yet tell when the shows will be so it is a little trickier to plan specialty dining around them (I will just keep checking). I am glad I don't typically want to eat at 5:30, as it seems liike a competitive and crowded time. I've mostly been on smaller ships and it is nice having so many dining and entertainment options on HAL (though we still primarily cruise for itinerary).

You are wise to prepare for it mentally (and it is not just HAL that is doing this -- even luxury lines pull stunts, e.g., even changing the disembarkation port and not letting pax officially know until 2 weeks before; thanks to CC, I fortunately knew 4 weeks before and was able to timely change my flights before all the seats were gone). A key problem with doing it is that it makes private excursions riskier than ship excursions, and it fosters ill will for all but the most "go with any flow" types of pax who just stay on the ship anyway and have little interest in ports in general, much less specific ports.

Please direct me to the post where I "claim" that people who like their experiences on SB "aren't worth listening to" or that you "must have no discerning taste." That's a very strong, insulting, and inaccurate accusation, especially since it makes no objective sense. My point in post #26 to Margem was that many people who really like SB a lot and who post here are generally unreceptive to hearing negative comments about others' experiences (even when positive experiences were also described). Many here, for whatever reason, prefer not to consider , that *people's experiences on SB can vary* and that some things can be very good and other things not so good, depending on the passenger's prior experiences, specific wait staff dealt with, personality, expectations, etc. Newbies generally like to hear different perspectives, so this distortive characterization of my detailed trip reports and contributions, and also of Saminina's comments, is not helpful, and unfortunately reinforces the opinion I expressed to Margbem that a list of disappointments will not be well-received here and he should therefore just go straight to an official review (I unfortunately left out that he should also give SB feedback on his final review , very important, even if they typically won't acknowledge the feedback). Since my comments repeatedly seem to offend you (indeed, I cannot recall a single comment I have made about my experiences on SB that you clearly enjoyed reading about, not even the land trips and photos, much less specific wonderful experiences on the ship I described, so why bother), I have previously suggested that you place me on an automatic "do not view this member's posts" status, i.e., block me, which CC allows, and then you wouldn't have to be exposed to the apparently unhealthy irritation of my posts. Meanwhile, I prefer to continue to at least glance at all posts, because I gain information from many of them (even if your opinion is that I believe your posts are not worth listening to). I have taken detailed notes for future reference about some of the private excursions you have done, and I thank you for posting the details about them. I also thank you for posting photos, and know that is a lot of work.

This sort of thing is indeed very frustrating, and has unfortunately become the norm in recent years for almost every cruise line *including multiple luxury lines* I have been on, and also with land travel. People hired to deal with customer questions or concerns (once you get through to them after interminable holds and/or phone trees, emails, requests for call-backs etc.), too often know less than the passenger, or worse, provide misinformation and generate confusion (and yet Terms and Conditions are quite clear that the passenger is the one responsible for being where he is supposed to be and on time and no liability is assumed for missed private excursions). Sadly, these people are also generally not that bright (the smart people have gone to work in other jobs or have been promoted to areas that protect them from actually dealing with icky things such as people -- customers -- who keep them in business) . The salaries paid are overall too small to lure in reasonably intelligent people, and turnover is large. It increases the stress of cruising and travel when it is a battle to get accurate information from cruise lines, airlines, insurance, etc. Dealing with a good travel agent from the get-go can help to some degree (e.g., put it on them to chase down accurate information, though even using a TA is not a guarantee), and of course being on CC is also helpful. None of this empathy helps you now, of course, but it sounds like you have learned about what is going on the hard way.

The key is that when you wear a short sleeved collared shirt to dinner in the MDR on a regular, non-formal night, you are *in compliance with the dress code*. Men can also look quite nice in them, and frankly, as a woman, aesthetically, I'd rather be sitting next to a non-sweating man in an elegant short-sleeved shirt (e.g., the kind men often *choose* to wear to upscale restaurants in California wine country areas), than an aromatic man with stained armpits who is uncomfortable wearing long sleeves (especially in a venue where at times the AC isn't working as well as it should in a warm climate). Also, Vineyard View and Techno 123 did not ruffle my feathers either, because they *did not suggest non-compliance* with the existing dress code -- VV just *asked a simple question about sleeves*, and Techno made a realistic observation that men have less comfort options than women, especially during warm weather, but did not suggest or imply that dress code violations are fine. But I do understand Markham's concern that loosening of an official dress code may result in more and more people unnecessarily pushing the envelope and trying to get away with violations -- doing so gives the border crashers more opportunity to look sloppy and boring in what is supposed to be an upscale Restaurant, instead of just going to the more casual Colonnade to feed. But at least prior to the "nice jeans ok on non-formal nights" new rule, (I haven't been on SB since the allowance), most guests looked terrific (or at least fine) at SB dinners, whether by choice or otherwise . I look around the dining rooms a lot and enjoy looking at people's outfits, as a form of art appreciation, and it adds to my experience if they look nice and have made an effort. It doesn't take that much time to do so either. I also have yet to see anyone trying to meet the captain in his bathrobe, on *any* line (but if they do, perhaps that will also be considered fine if it is golden in colour and a Versace :).

Unfortunately, not with my type of problem (it either gets worse or becomes physically impossible). I'm just happy when I can get in and out of a Zodiak. Though I do like watching others "boogie", -- sometimes complete with hearing aids and orthopedic shoes! It is inspiring.

In case you don't already know, there is a general Antarctica forum on CC which has a lot of useful information. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/370-antarctica/

Agreed -- though I can't do "late night boogie" anymore (too much arthritis) 🙂 🙁

On the other hand, this delightful and loving couple is doing a *world cruise* on an inside cabin on HAL, and they seem to be having a wonderful time. They spend very little time in their cabin, and the money they save on that allows them to take wonderful excursions, drink terrific wine, and otherwise live it up OUTSIDE the cabin. DH and I spend a relatively large amount of time in our suites when we cruise, for a variety of reasons, including our desire to avoid the noise in the public areas (e.g., when there is piped in pounding music and/or people nearby are talking loudly and/or face-timing or watching sports on their ipads without headphones). Having an inside cabin with no window, and very little room to move about, much less room to let DH set up his cruise photography and computer equipment, and my small pharmacy, would not be very enjoyable.

Have a wonderful cruise! A roll call doesn't hurt, but you are right about poor attendance on SS roll calls. It is not just on SS but on all small ships (which are usually luxury ships). It is because there are simply very few people on that voyage to begin with (given the ship is small), and in that group of a small starting n, there are even fewer who are on CC AND who are willing to expose their identities in order to try and save a few dollars on excursions, and/or to participate in a special get-together. They would rather just pay full price for their own private excursion and then, if they are indeed social people, get to know people directly on the ship, thus picking and choosing who knows who they are. It is kind of a shame, but understandable. I looked at a roll call on a mainstream line recently and there were close to 100 people! All were excited to share discussion of their upcoming voyage and help each other out in planning , but then unfortunately (but predictably) an unpleasant argument started between a couple of the participants which led to the equivalent of name-calling and a nasty back and forth before other people told them to knock it off.

It absolutely is not "left field" to believe that conforming with the required dress code, which pax agree to in advance, is appropriate.

Many people on the SB forum don't like hearing about pax disappointments (Saminina and a few others excepted, including new cruisers). They will often tell you that you 'did it wrong', [e.g., whatever approach you had to resolving a problem was wrong], that you are a glass-half-empty guy, that you were on a 'different [insert ship name, e.g., here, Ovation'], that what you were disappointed about is trivial and unimportant, etc., that one should have pity on the staff these days because they try so hard [when they do], that "Covid" requires tolerance, that people are suffering in Ukraine and we have first world problems, etc. Even some people who haven't cruised for four or more years on any luxury line, much less SB, don't like hearing about negative stuff. CC is supposed to be a happy place (just like the FB forums that are run and censored by the lines, where the rules are that negative comments will be removed). I think it just creates cognitive dissonance (e.g., they feel that if they paid so much money for a product perceived by some as mediocre -- even though opinions can vary about things like, say, whether or not a 45 minute wait for an appetizer is objectively or subjectively luxury or not -- their selection must be an awesome product for everyone, so la-la-la-everything-is-wonderful and hands over ears is a good approach, after all, life is short.) I'd love to hear your opinion, but many don't want to, so it may be rude to express it on the forum. Write an official CC review instead.

Iceland is a gorgeous place, especially for travelers interested in exploring nature, rather than port shopping or taking selfies in front of famous landmarks they have on a bucket list. To each his own, of course, but my guess based on your prior postings is that you would enjoy it. The scenery is breathtaking, and Reykjavik is also worth exploring for several days pre-cruise (*and* has great food!). Browse through the port/excursion pictures I posted on this CC blog I wrote back in 2021 (the pictures are mostly courtesy of DH), after a a Crystal Endeavor cruise (unfortunately, Crystal is now gone, but the ports are definitely still there) Several surviving cruise lines, including a couple luxury lines, do circumnavigations of Iceland (some as expeditions, others as regular cruises), or at least have several port stops.

Many reviewers in the last few months (myself included, e.g., on the September Quest review I wrote and which I believe you had followed), have cautioned that most of the included wines are pretty cheap and generally are not very appealing to most people who have a lot of experience with wine (e.g., most northern Californians who live near wonderful vineyards). Sometimes you can be surprised that an included wine is drinkable, even if it is not great, but don't count on it. And of course there are always exceptions (I was even a fan of "Two Buck Chuck" back in the day when I was on a serious budget 🙂). In addition to the option of buying wine on board (with the upcharge, which can be substantial if you are not a veteran with status), if at all possible, and you really care about your pairings, I resuggest that you try to bring bottles on board from ports. There is no charge to bring them on, and no corkage charge to serve them like on mainstream lines, even if you drink them in the restaurants, and you can even ask for a glass most appropriate to that varietal). This unfortunately isn't possible on all cruises (e.g., it doesn't work in very rural ports or ports where you don't have time to mess with getting to the wine shop for resupplies of something nice). Also, in addition to asking for a printed copy of the included wine list the day you board (yes, they really can get it for you even if they initially say they cannot), and making note of the potential ones that might be worth checking out, try and make friends with the somm, once you find him (assuming he is a real somm as opposed to just a designated wine pourer who was trained just a few weeks ago). Sometimes they can "find" nice bottles (included or otherwise) that are not made public but they are happy to make them available to people who will appreciate them. My guess is that you will have a wonderful cruise, even if you land up paying a little more than you planned because you will not just be drinking the included wines.

I assess the value based on the cost/joy ratio of available alternatives. I compare not just with other cruise lines or land vacations, but also the option of just staying at our home, which is in a beautiful area many people come to for their vacations, so it's a challenging comparison (as you can also likely appreciate given your reported residence in the lovely San Diego area). I am a relative newbie to HAL, and truly enjoyed my recent trip on the Rotterdam in a big suite. Despite the cost, (and there is obviously a limit to what I want to pay) I enjoyed it more than my latest cruise on a "luxury" line, (per dollar spent) where I paid a comparable amount of money for less space, worse service, limited activity choices, and the feeling that the emperor had no clothes. To compare, I did not enjoy my much, much cheaper trip on the Zandam in 2019 in a mere balcony cabin -- not because I disliked the cabin, which was more than fine, but because the service I experienced almost everywhere else (from restaurants to guest services) at the time was annoying and/or rude -- perhaps because I was not a VIP or frequent cruiser, traveled solo, and didn't have any "connections" to help me navigate the maze of irritations (or some combination thereof). I look forwarding to more experiences on HAL (likely on Pinnacle ships) , but will also continue to explore and explore elsewhere, and assess cost/joy ratios. Rising costs unfortunately reflect inflation in food and labor expenses, and I would prefer HAL and other lines continue to raise prices rather than seriously cheapen their product. One cost-cutting measure I did not care for was the absence of even a single real enrichment speaker on my recent cruise, on a cruise with 2500 pax. I suspect there are plenty of retired professors and/or scientists/naturalists who are cruising or traveling anyway and who would be more than happy to give enrichment talks here and there at minimal cost, perhaps as little as the cost of a slight discount on their cruisefare and/or free laundry.

Then there is the opposite experience (two trips, and 0 landings) I read somewhere on CC that there is about a 50:50 chance (but have no idea how accurate that stat is)

Cruiseline excursions, including in Norway, can be just fine, or at least good enough, for the following: 1. People who are new to cruising (e.g., yourself?) and new to the ports visited (yourself?) , as the tour can provide a good narrated overview of the area (especially when guides may be in short supply, as in rural areas), 2. People who don't want to spend a lot of time planning but who worry a lot about missing something , and want to be secure in the knowledge they won't get lost and will make it back to the ship on time, 3. People who worry about getting refunds on their missed expensive private excursions if the ship can't make the port, e.g., if there is a chance of rerouting or lateness (pretty common since Covid) -- i.e., what RachelG said is important. 4. People who have reasonable tolerances to modest inconveniences and annoyances that being bunched up with a group of strangers can create (see below), and/or 5. People who either aren't particularly demanding in the quality of what they expect to experience, and/or who are capable of complementing their ship excursion with their own research, reading, internet, and initiative when things start going bad on some excursions. A few things to consider: 1. Though luxury lines such as SS are not supposed to have their buses crammed full , sometimes they try and save money and/or blame "Covid" and cram them full (in theory increasing pax' Covid exposure risk and/or leading to some pax having to sit above a wheel or the uncomfortable back row). 2. Sometimes rest room stops are few and far between (if you care), and sometimes temperature control on buses is less than what you would get in a private vehicle, regardless of outside weather 3. Sometimes there are loud, pushy and annoying fellow pax (and then you are stuck with listening to them either the whole morning or the whole day -- I could tell you stories, though most pax are quiet and polite) 4. Sometimes you will be bored (e.g., if there is a long drive and no visibility -- so bring something to read), or you may get hungry before food is avaliable (so bring a snack) 5. Sometimes the stops will be too short for you, sometimes too long, and sometimes your view of the attraction (e.g., a waterfall) will be obscured by the 35 other people on your excursion, some of whom may have selfie sticks and rush out to be first to take pictures (these are usually the people who, despite no obvious disability, also manage to insinuate themselves into the front seats). Having said all this, I have done dozens of excursions with SS, including some after Covid, and think that they do the best job of any luxury line. My husband and I usually mix and match, i.e., do some ship excursions and some on our own (the latter more commonly in larger ports or ports where the ship docks right in town). We have used our TA to help organize local excursions in some areas and/or found ideas by looking at what SS offers and then doing it on our own with online searches. If you see an excursion you like, book it early, months in advance

I have only been in that area twice on two different ships, which were full or near capacity. There is indeed a self-serve bar in the lounge, but usually there were zero people hanging out (which was 2x/day at least) and only 1-2 people getting drinks and snacks (if any). Concierge staff can also help with your drinks. Unless you get lucky, if you want to reliably meet people as a solo, you would likely be better off either joining tables at dinner, going to a solo gathering, or going to bars. Plus, the lounge has no windows, so it is a bit claustrophobic. The lounge also typically closes around 8 or 8:30.

My understanding is that the 3 Pinnacle class ships, including Nieuw Statendam, have the Dutch Cafe. However, I looked up a few future cruises for Nieuw Statendam in the fall, and when I review the dining options, everything except for Dutch Cafe is listed as a dining choice. Are there some cruises on which the Dutch Cafe is inoperative on this ship (or the other 2 Pinnacle class ships)? Or is it just a website/software error, i.e., Dutch Cafe is present and operative (absent unusual circumstances) on all N. Stat sailings? Thanks in advance (I am relatively new to HAL, but recently did a Rotterdam cruise and loved it -- including the Dutch Cafe -- so much that my future cruise searches are focussed on ships that have it).

Is the "Crew Incentives fee" the service charge that is automatically added to your hotel bill every day?

Is it correct that non-refundable OBC (from a TA or HIA) cannot be used to book excursions or specialty restaurants *in advance*, e.g., before one is on board? If so, if one already has a beverage package, then I assume one could only use the OBC credit on board for things like extra cost wine and liquor (e.g., bottles of wine), the gift shop, the spa (also only booked on board) , or special events (like a wine testing) that have a fee (please advise if I misstated this -- thanks in advance). On my last cruise I didn't have enough OBC to bother thinking about, but I will have quite a bit on the next one.

Hopefully the liver special will survive the menu redo (second best liver at sea!) 🙂

I just finished reading this thread, and thank kjbacon for her beautiful, enticing food pictures and sharing her enthusiasm. Mrs. Stanley, I agree with you that lounge music should be background music (but there is a trend on many lines to have music louder and louder, for unclear reasons -- perhaps so some people don't feel bored? Or is it because people are getting deafer?). It sounds like you had some less than ideal dining experiences. I would be interested in hearing what were favorite dishes and/or specifc dining experiences were, and if you will cruise on this ship again. I hope you provided feedback to the chef when things were off (though I know that can get tiring, especially when the reaction is apathetic, or worse).

Thank you for your objective review. It sounds like things were par for the course on this Regent cruise since the last time I was on (e.g., crowded non-luxurious excursions of borderline merit, crowded non-luxurious tenders, chair hogs who are not controlled by staff, borderline entertainment, and bad internet; but beautiful facilities and hard-working staff who know how to cheerfully ignore complaining passengers). But it was good to hear that you found food and service in Compass Rose good (when I couldn't cut my lobster even with a steak knife because it was so tough, I had to agree with a former Regent cheerleader's frequent CC advice that one should try and eat as many meals as possible *off the ship* -- but it is encouraging to hear that may not be the case anymore!). I mix and match cruise lines predominantly based on itinerary, and know none is perfect, so I will be back soon 🙂