Catlover54

One-time use *plastic* bottles in particular

If they close the roof due to 5 minutes of rain (and then keep it closed for 2 hours even though the rain had stopped) unfortunately it felt very stuffy and my portable temperature gauge recorded 79-80 when they did this, of course no breeze. It felt like a tomato in a hot house. So we took our food to our room and knew better the next time around. But that was an outlier, and most of the ship was wonderful on temp control.

As post #3 indicates, with "priority boarding" you are supposed to get Group A, e.g., starting 11AM out of FLL. However, I recently was on the Rotterdam booked in the Pinnacle Suite, which was supposed to have THE most priority boarding, and my boarding time (not issued until a few days before the cruise) was for some reason listed as being in the 5th group out of FLL. Thanks to help I received on CC, however, I was told that I could board with the first group. I showed up around 11:45 (almost an hour before my electronic assigned time) and was able to board then, without argument (there were other problems, electronic, but they had nothing to do with my electronic boarding time). Many, many people had already boarded by then, or were in process. The point of my post is that if you know you have "priority boarding" but you get assigned a late time that is not Group A, you should just ignore it (it is a mistake).

I was recently on my first Rotterdam cruise and loved the consistency of the public area temperatures. Due to my medical problems, I often find ship indoor public areas too warm (especially dining rooms, with crowds of people eating proteins, and talking a lot, and/or heat leaking in from nearby kitchens). On this ship, it was perfect for me. I carry around a small portable temperature gauge to be able to judge if it is "just me" or the ship that is too warm. The temperatures ranged from 70.5-72.0 Fahrenheit in various restaurants, lounges, and entertainment venues, i.e., what I expect a comfortable "room temperature" to be. For me it was just perfect for sitting with a short-sleeved or 3/4 sleeved top, without a wrap. Others may find it too cool, and may want to bring a light wrap.

The chair pushing and napkin placement idea *itself* is not invasive (though it is vaguely reminiscent of a mama tucking in her toddler on a high chair before feeding it). What is 'invasive' is when it is done quickly and too aggressively, e.g., when waiters are in a hurry, and when it results in legs being banged from the back by the out of synch chair movements, or being banged in the front of the thighs or abdomen by the table edge, and when waiter hands brush against my thorax. My DH describes it (with a smile) as an "assault" 🙂. If I were younger (or male) and had better muscles it probably wouldn't bothwe me. Many luxury land restaurants and some cruise waiters (on Regent and other lines, including mainstream) do it perfectly, e.g., they are attentive about how the chair is pushed, and remain patient and quiet (as opposed to looking annoyed or impatient) while I settle in with my purse placement and glasses extraction ritual, before trying to hand me a menu. It's all a matter of training (or lack of it). When in doubt, I just decline chair assistance and either have the waiter wait until I am settled in, or tell him to put the menu down next to my place setting, thank you.

If you have an iphone and already carry that, you could use the flashlight app function on it as a flashlight, and skip the flashlight. DH just takes an iphone, in his pants or jacket pocket (because men's clothing has pockets, so that is easy ), and anything else bigger he wants carried, he just gives to me, to put into my purse 😃 On SB a few months ago a female staff member came up to me at dinner and offered me a handy "purse hook" as a gift, so I could hang my purse off the side of the dining table instead of having to put it on the floor when there was no other space near the table and the back of the chair was not suitable. Apparently purse-carrying to meals is popular even on luxury lines for women, for various reasons (and on the German luxury line Hapag Lloyd I have even seen a few men with chic murses)

Some of us bring purses to the dining room because we may need some of the contents of them while on the go (e.g., from the pre-dinner bar, to the dining room, to the show directly afterwards, and back to the bar or for a stroll on deck). Unlike men's trousers and jackets, women's clothing is not equipped with handy pockets. These items include: 1. Kleenex -- so we don't have to use our sleeves. 2. An iphone -- first, it is a camera, and in the course of the activities outlined on an evening, DH and I often want to take a photo of something (e.g., of a lovely flower arrangement in the hall, of a staircase, of the view out the window-side table, and yes, even of some of our food so we can post on CC) 3. A small notepad and pen (to exchange names and contact numbers with fellow passengers, it is easier than trying to verbally recite and spell a complicated last name, and if they give me theirs, I am not going to instantly memorize them). I could also records such things on the iphone but paper is quicker. 4. Room card (e.g., for women's clothing that has no pockets ) 5. In my case, a small hand fan (in case I land up in a venue that is stuffy -- I get hot a lot due to my medications) 6. I don't carry lipstick or other vanity stuff, but women have been known to carry them in the course of history, and then use them after dinner before going to the show, so their lips remain just as ruby-red and voluptuous looking as they did prior to dinner 🙂

You are reading my mind and am happy to hear that it is not just me who dislikes excess manipulations when I am trying to sit down and get situated in my seat! This also happens on other luxury lines and/or specialty restaurants on not-so-luxury ships, less so in upscale land restaurants. I've developed a bit of dread going in to get seated, as with Pavlov's dogs. Typically the waiter enthusiastically attempts to push my seat in more than I like it pushed (I sit further away from the table than most, for various reasons), and/or, depending on the table configuration, he pushes so hard he lands up bumping my thighs against the bottom of the table (I have chronically sore muscles, which makes it worse). I have learned to ask not to be pushed, but I have to be quicker than they are. I am also not ready for the napkin until I have set my purse down, after taking my glasses out. I am also not ready for the menu until I am done with situating the purse and glasses. And we have to remain alert to avoid having generic included wine and regular water dumped into our glasses when we want a wine list and sparkling water. I have learned to say "just a minute, I'm not ready yet thank you" . DH and I have joked that problems with this rushed and stereotypic sequencing could make a SNL skit. They are in a hurry, but want to come across as providing luxury, so they go through these motions -- luxury involves individualizing desires, but they prefer a one size fits all because it is faster. If you get the same waiter every night (which we almost never do, with open seating), they can learn. I like your proposed approach, but based on the borderline hostile comments, we are in a minority.

I haven't yet had success meeting you on HL cruises, despite our years of sharing HL information as non-Germans who love HL (my last HL was last summer and I have another one coming up soon). If you're doing Crystal bookings, let me know when -- that alone would be enough for me to book new Crystal (with or without my DH, depending on what else he is up to then), and finally get to meet the famous Vistaman! 🙂 Alternatively, one of your SS cruises would be another option.

I understood it to mean he/she brings a container with Tupperware material that has several (I've seen up to 6) little compartments to keep different foods separated , but all in one container that you can put a top on to prevent its spilling in transport to the table (e.g., when using a scooter). It sounds like a good idea to me!

With premium internet , can two users from the same cabin have access at the same time? If not, can you pay (and if so, roughly how much pp/day) for that privilege?

1. I'm confused by this reply -- I replied to post #264 with my post #265, to explain *why* one might want to enter the cabana area at night to just sit, rather than sitting on chairs at a pool, not to assert that I think it should be "free" . 2. From post #264, my understanding (as a newbie who is still learning how HAL works ) now is that the seating gets covered at 5, so there is no seating available up there for late at night (with or without a fee, which is a separate issue). As a newbie, I make no assumptions about what is and is not available without extra charge (ergo the inquiry), and we're definitely in agreement that it is nice to get away from noise and congestion (and if it takes $ to do that, so be it). Do you have any special areas you would recommend to sit outside after 5 that are relatively quiet (other than a cabin balcony)? I realize the answer may depend on which ship one is on. I should have spent more time exploring all the nooks and crannies on the ship when I was on, to get a better feel for it, but it was so big and we were so busy enjoying ourselves (on the ship and off) that 10 days was not enough to get fully educated!

Thank you for the information. The reason to consider sitting there would be to have a comfortable quiet seat with the sound of the sea, rather than the sound of the music and/or other noise that may be pumped in near the pool. Or maybe it is not pumped in at the aft pool at night (I forgot to check)? We had late night pizza a couple times at the Lido pool (not aft) and there was either a movie showing with of course audible dialogue, or pop music playing that we did not care for (so we retreated to our cabin which had a nice balcony)

Elsewhere online I had seen pictures of HAL "Vista" cabins with the bed closest to the balcony, and the sofa closer to the entry door (I like having the bed near the balcony, if the railing is clear, so as to be able to see the sea while lying down on the bed). Is this only one some ships (and if so, which) , or do aft cabin layouts vary, e.g., alternate bed-near-balcony and bed-near-door (like on X)?

I was recently on the Rotterdam for the first time, but for only 10 days, so I did not get a chance to check out a few things that I would like to know in preparation for another cruise on her (this next time will be with DH, who has specific questions to help him prepare, while my prior cruise recently was with a friend). Apologies if this has been recently addressed elsewhere: 1. Is the hot tub that is up near the cabanas open to all, or only open to guests who pay cabana fees (and if the latter, what do cabana fees run , absent a special, per day per person)? My DH loves hot tubs on ships, but not when they are in the middle of a loud, busy pool area. 2. Are the hours for the hot tub near the cabanas the same as for the hot tubs and pools elsewhere (i.e., 8am-9pm)? Related: can you access the cabana area after 9PM (just to sit, and without service?). 3. Can one get either Activia or some other probiotic enhanced yoghurt or super probiotic enhanced health drink on the ship (with or without advance special order/accomodation)? I did not see any at room service or at the two times I went for a late Lido breakfast. I know there is regular Greek white yoghurt 4. I noticed there were no trays available for guest use in the Lido or comfort food areas (Dive-in, NY pizza, Dutch cafe), which made it hard to transport a plate and a drink back to our cabin while still navigating elevator buttons etc. (e.g., when there was no seating nearby and/or the area was too warm). Lack of a tray also meant one had to walk several times to take food from the food lines to a table for a quick lunch (which can be challenging for those with unsteady gaits and/or when the ship is swaying a lot ). A crew member whom I asked vaguely said it was to discourage food waste, and that crew are now also not given trays for this reason. Does anyone know if it would be permissible for a passenger to bring her own tray to use while on the trip, so she could carry things more easily in one trip, or is that forbidden (or is it perhaps allowed with an advance medical justification?). I also did not see enough staff in the Lido to help unsteady pax with their plates, e.g., when they had canes or their seats were far away from the serving areas. Are they perhaps allowed to ask one of the drinks staff to bring them something, or is it just expected that they go eat either in the main dining room or get room service, if they have problems carrying individual plates to the table? Thanks in advance for any replies!

This may not necessarily have been "oneupmanship." Some people (especially if elderly) are just lonely, and aren't sure how to start a conversation with a stranger (also apparently alone) on deck on a cruise. They may think that just starting to talk about their sailing experiences is an acceptable topic that might interest others. They may just crave some company, while 'enjoying the [magnificent] moment' and reflecting back on their years of enjoyment. Others are in the early stages of dementia, and are disinhibited. Of course, if the in person tone is nasty and domineering, motivations are likely less benign. On one cruise, with a loud person, it slowly became apparent the person was just deaf -- he could not hear how irritating he was when he bellowed at others. I love people-watching on cruises (and am able to do more of it the times I cruise solo) and enjoy hearing different takes on people's travels, even if the communication methods are sometimes odd or even bizarre. But of course it is nice to be able to just walk away (easier to do on a big ship than a small ship, and harder to do on a small excursion :)).

Why do you think Mariner is better than Explorer?

1. Unless I am recalling incorrectly, I think the TV in the room also had information about when each excursion would depart and return (though it required a couple steps to get the complete info, instead of having it all together). But I do not know if that would be updated "real time" if there were changes, and if guests would be able to timely get *notices* of a time change (especially an earlier departure). It would still require a proactive step on the part of the guest to check for an update, in which case there should be a clear warning for guests who book excursions that they need to add that step to their excursion planning if they do not have a phone they carry. 2. I had opted in on my iphone to get text notifications about our excursions to test it out, and it worked well (especially compared with the Seabourn Source App SB was trying to push when I was on in September in Canada around hurricane time -- that app was a mess, with nothing updated real time, so I found the Navigator app, after initial learning steps, to be a joy -- and yet, SB and HAL have the same "parent", Carnival). 3. My personal preference is still for paper tickets, with all information on them (meeting, departure, and return times, meeting place, cost, etc.). I get anxious I may forget my phone and/or my phone may lose power, and know that at least on SB on my cruise, some people were denied boarding an excursion bus if they did not have the code to scan off their phones. Also, my friend on this cruise did not have a functional smart phone, so if I had decided last minute to bail on an excursion and she was relying on my phone to show our electronic tickets, she would not have been able to get on (as opposed to her just having her own paper ticket she could have taken with her). It is good to know, per post #8, that just your room card would be enough! 4. In my comments, I also suggested the Navigator app have a good 'search' function (if there was one, I missed it), and also that the hours for the SHOREX department be expanded (but that is another topic).

Questions about the $20/bottle charge : 1. Do you have to drink the bottle in your suite, or can you have it served in a dining room, or at the pool or elsewhere? 2. Are you allowed to bring wine back on (at a $20/bottle charge) that is from a regular shop that is not part of a HAL tour? 3. Can you also bring liquor on at $20/bottle (to drink in your suite or elsewhere), or just wine? 4. How does the charge work if it is a 1/2 bottle of wine (375 cc), or a mini-sampler pack? $20/bottle still, regardless of size, or is there an adjustment to $10 bottle because it is half the volume? We were recently on a HAL ship as relative newbies, and weren't sure how charges and procedures would work when we stopped at a HAL excursion sponsored shopping center and there were tempting mini-packs of assorted local rums (I definitely did not want to pay $20 per mini-bottle). Thanks in advance.

This turned out to be important on our recent cruise (as relative newbies). With over 12 years of cruising multiple different lines I never had trouble with anything going wrong without my giving special wirtten instructions on a a special breathable polyster absorbent/hiking material from Tilley, set of tank tops I have (expensive, but more importantly,they no longer make them so I cannot replace them) . The laundry apparently washed and/or dried them on hot, because they came back perfectly sized for a 10-year old girl and I cannot buy new ones 😞 I considered just hand washing my special tank tops after that (a pain, when you are busy indulging yourself and enjoying the cruise, plus they don't get as clean ), but tried again, indicating in caps on each laundry submission not to wash or dry them on hot, i.e., to wash and dry on cold, etc. Everything was perfect after that! Does Rotterdam (or other HAL ships) have a self-serve laundry, where people can do their own if they are worried (and/or don't want to pay, and have time)? They are common on most luxury ships I have been on but I could not find a self-service laundry on the deck plan.

If you plan to put 4 people and their luggage into one Uber car, unless everyone is traveling very light, be sure and order an Uber XL category vehicle (bigger, so a little more money), so you have enough room for everyone and all their stuff. Quite a few regular Uber cars are very small and/or don't have totally empty luggage comparments because the car owners already have some stuff in them. I hope you have a wonderful trip!

I studied the link and could not find a place for me to contribute to write new reviews. Do you have to get a solicitation from HAL on an email in order to be able to write the review? If so, how long after a cruise can one expect to receive the solicitation? There were a couple excursions we did on a recent cruise that were not as expected based on the descriptions HAL gave, so I'd like to contribute and write reviews to warn people about them (and also to praise the good ones and give special tips! 🙂 Thanks in advance.

What port still required daily testing November 2022? South America, or Australia? Thanks in advance.

For those interested in trying suite travel on HAL, I hope you find my review helpful. I also provide a few comments about our ship sponsored excursions. I had a very good overall experience (rate it 4.3/5, rounded down to 4 for CC) and will be back! I usually cruised/cruise on small "luxury" ships (some of which have become just "semi-luxury" lately). I had previously only had 3 HAL cruises (1 in a Neptune suite and 2 others in less expensive cabins), but none at all on the Rotterdam, and none since 2019. I am glad I tried the beautiful Rotterdam. If anyone has questions, I will answer as best I can. https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=695753&et_cid=3500453&et_rid=17464385&et_referrer=NULL

So I guess there's no point in buses taking pax to the "shopping" centers on excursions that sell local spirits (e.g., Caribbean rum)? Or are local spirits allowed if pax declare them and HAL can then store them, giving it back to pax on disembarkation, perhaps for a fee?