One Practical/Reasonable Thing?

[obriendan]

I would like to see a proper freezer for the ice cream tubs so that they would not have to serve ice cream that is already half melted. The tubs sit in a cooler which does not keep the ice cream hard. It's a petty complaint, I know, but I like ice cream the way Ruth likes chocolate. Whenever I have a dish onboard I have to do seven laps around the deck to compensate, so it would be nice to totally enjoy the treat by having it nice and cold.

 

 

Not a petty complaint at all! I would add to this to suggest that room temperature or even cooled bowls be used. Too often the bowl used for my ice cream seems just out of the dishwasher. Then very quickly it becomes ice milk:(.

 

Dan

[RuthC]

Kyriecat,

I would beg to differ with you. "Almost 40" is very young on most HAL ships. Insofar as your taste in music is concerned, I hope they play some music you like. However, since most of us HAL pax are considerably older than "almost 40," would it be OK with you if they played 50's and 60's music admixed with rumbas, waltzes, foxtrots until about 10PM? Then they can start adding your music into the mix and start playing it exclusively at 11PM when all of us old geezers hit the sack. Click this link for what we want to hear:

.

Uh, speak for yourself! This "old geezer" doesn't want any music so modern as from the 50's and 60's! And she isn't in bed at 11:00, either! That's when I wake up.

If the lounges were still open 'til 2:00 AM, (like they were not that many years ago), and they were playing music from the 20's, 30's and 40's, I'd be closing the joints every night. (Like I was not that many years ago.)

[KSCnCA]

Another vote for this:

A copy of the MDR lunch and dinner menu delivered to all cabins on a daily basis or have them visable on the tv screen would be wonderful.

Although walking to the venue to see what's on the menu is a ritual for us and at least some form of exercise!

 

I would like to see HAL broadcast their ship web cams on the internet. Then I could "cruise" all the time!

[luxurysailer]

Uh, speak for yourself!

 

Whether or not you are much younger than I, as suggested by your picture Ruth, you sure as heck stay up a lot later than most of the certifiable old geezers. I assumed Kyrie was referring to the dance lounges (not your cup of tea if I remember correctly); but perhaps I was mistaken.

 

Just as your piano lounge music is important to you, the music that many of us from our generation like to dance to is important to me. I was merely trying to inject a little self deprecating humor. Hope you weren't offended by the "old geezer" comment.

[RuthC]

Hope you weren't offended by the "old geezer" comment.

No offense taken. But I kind of prefer "geezette". ;)

 

(and that picture is almost 5 years old.)

[Tricia724]

Please, please, please stop making all the musicians take their breaks at the same time each evening. There's music in every venue, then it all stops dead for half an hour, then it starts up again and at the next break the same thing happens. If they took rolling breaks, the pax would simply move to another venue, order drinks from another bar and their enjoyment would continue. As it stands, if you're starting to feel a little bit weary, the sudden cessation of music makes you think that you might as well go to bed. Lost revenue for HAL at all the bars.

 

Absolutely right! This is something we run into over and over again, particularly after dinner when we decide we'd like to have a drink and listen to some music, and the whole ship is dead. Nothing happening in the Explorer's Lounge or the Ocean Bar or the Crow's Nest. How difficult would it be to stagger the hours the musicians play so that there would always be something going on in one of the lounges? We haven't noticed this situation on the other cruise lines we've sailed, so obviously it can be done.

[sail7seas]

How about a few informative sessions by the navigator or one of the cadets about the areas being sailed? It would be good experience for the cadets and interesting for pax.

 

 

I like this idea. It would be fun for one of the young cadets to hold a talk session. I'd love to hear some of their comments.

 

Some really wonderful ideas in this thread.

Hope someone at HAL sees it as so many of these ideas seem reasonable and possible and have hardly a price tag at all.

 

I'll give it another day or so and think maybe I'll forward it to someone in Seattle for their 'entertainment." :D

[luxurysailer]

No offense taken. But I kind of prefer "geezette". ;)

 

(and that picture is almost 5 years old.)

 

Thanks for the laugh, Ruth! That was wonderful. However, we shall refrain from referring to you in that manner.

[Yaya&Papu]

By the time I got around to reading the MB today, many people had posted some really great ideas - a few I thought of and lots I did not think of.

Kudos to Sail for such a great question! I do hope you forward these ideas to the powers at HAL.

YiaYia:)

[whogo]

How about a few informative sessions by the navigator or one of the cadets about the areas being sailed? It would be good experience for the cadets and interesting for pax.

The cadets gave a number of presentations on our 2009 transatlantic on the Rotterdam. Quite a bit of it was about navigation and passengers got to try out a sextant. One cruiser won a navigation chart. The crew inflated a life raft in the aft pool, turned it upside down and then righted it. (If anyone has a picture of that, I would love a copy.) Appealing mostly to the guys, the programs cost HAL nothing, were good experience for the cadets, and, unfortunately, produced no revenue for the cruise line.

[lettienets]

...........

I'll give it another day or so and think maybe I'll forward it to someone in Seattle for their 'entertainment." :D

Please do, there are great suggestions, things already offered by other cruise lines and things not costing the cruise line any more money or much.

 

I too have the gripe about the Lido closing too early for casual dinner. (and lunch also) The whole point of dinner in the Lido is a more casual atmosphere. If you don't get there by 8 or 8:30 pm (or earlier as they start packing up too early) you are out of luck. Even though open seating goes to 9:30 pm in the dining room you may not be signed up for that kind of seating and anyway, you want to eat in the Lido, casually and not go to the dining room......

 

As far as updating the tv, that is necessary nowadays. The folios, menus, tours, daily events etc can all go there and in-room dining orders etc or other features could be added. Also some decent movies on tv would be nice. I like the new feature of the cruise director saying a few words on the tv everyday. Carnival does that, nice feature. The CD does a morning show on the tv and live in a room and you can go watch and/or be part of it.

 

On my last cruise the NA transatlantic the movie theater was always full and overflowing and sitting on the floor or steps was a drag. Offering more times for the movies everyday or later at night in the stateroom (as opposed to the next day)....

[CtheW0rld]

an FYI for the people wanting longer buffet hours: on princess, the buffet is open 24 hours. i walked through at various odd hours just to see how they did it, and there always was something appealing.

[Jemima]

I prefer the current lido hours. Cruiselines with extensive lido hours do not have the choices or quality of the HAL lido. They also don't serve the same dinner items in the lido as the MDR. We prefer to eat dinner in the lido, but only if the lido offers all or most of the MDR menu items. HAL does that; cruiselines with always open lido buffets do not.

[vbmom87]

Stop calling them Verandah Suites call them what they are...only a balcony and also charge less for them as well...double the price of an outside sometimes is way too much!:mad::eek::mad:

 

I agree!!!! Balconies on other cruiselines are much more reasonable. Problem is they don't have the Alaska itinerary I want.

[TiogaCruiser]

The cadets gave a number of presentations on our 2009 transatlantic on the Rotterdam. Quite a bit of it was about navigation and passengers got to try out a sextant. One cruiser won a navigation chart. The crew inflated a life raft in the aft pool, turned it upside down and then righted it.

 

Neat! How big is Rotterdam's aft pool? That whole presentation sounds quite interesting to this lady. ;-D. And to win a chart- that even sweetens it more.

[sapper1]

I have looked through the posts and have not seen this one yet----I would love to see a light inside the closets. When we did our tour of the Crystal Symphony here in Saint John last summer, I opened a closet door in a cabin and the inside was immediately bathed in light. What a treat that would be on a HAL ship. I have to keep a flashlight next to the safe and use it to scrounge around to find what I am looking for. The low wattage light in the entry way is not adequate to light up the closets.

[whogo]

Neat! How big is Rotterdam's aft pool? That whole presentation sounds quite interesting to this lady. ;-D. And to win a chart- that even sweetens it more.

The Rotterdam aft pool was just a bit bigger than the life raft. Since the refit it is a kiddie pool with loungers and would not float an air mattress.

 

The cadet programs were neat. As part of the life raft drill the cadets donned cold weather survival gear. I tasted some of the emergency provisions in the life raft, it made me appreciate HAL's food more.

 

I just watched the video of the life raft inflation, pretty cool as the circular life raft takes shape and then pops up a tepee like tent.

[lettienets]

I prefer the current lido hours. Cruiselines with extensive lido hours do not have the choices or quality of the HAL lido. They also don't serve the same dinner items in the lido as the MDR. We prefer to eat dinner in the lido, but only if the lido offers all or most of the MDR menu items. HAL does that; cruiselines with always open lido buffets do not.

The Lido dinner could be extended an hour, say to 930 pm and still have the same menu of the dining room which is open till then for open seating people. 8 or 830 pm is too early and half the time, they have started packing away the food if you get there at 730 or 745. Allow people to get the full meal once they have arrived just like a restaurant does.

[kyriecat]

I have to agree with Lettienets. I don't think keeping the buffet open an extra hour will affect the quality. I think closing down at 8 is just too early.

 

Last month my husband and I were on the Zuiderdam partial canal sailing. On canal day, we got up at 5 AM to see the canal entry then did the Canal Experience ferry tour. It was around 6:45 when we got back to the ship. We were tired and hungry so decided to eat in the Lido rather than waiting for our usual 8 PM dinner seating. We arrived in the Lido around 7:30. As I was getting my salad, a staff member was pulling the items off the salad bar. I got my main course then went to look at desserts, but they were all put away by then. It wasn't even 7:45 yet. By 8, the staff was coming by our table to ask if we were finished when it was obvious that we were not. We could tell that they wanted us to leave. Dinner that night was a very rushed and unpleasant experience. If they closed down at 9 or even 8:30, we would have had time to enjoy our meal without feeling like unwanted guests.

[kazu]

I have to agree with Lettienets. I don't think keeping the buffet open an extra hour will affect the quality. I think closing down at 8 is just too early.

 

Last month my husband and I were on the Zuiderdam partial canal sailing. On canal day, we got up at 5 AM to see the canal entry then did the Canal Experience ferry tour. It was around 6:45 when we got back to the ship. We were tired and hungry so decided to eat in the Lido rather than waiting for our usual 8 PM dinner seating. We arrived in the Lido around 7:30. As I was getting my salad, a staff member was pulling the items off the salad bar. I got my main course then went to look at desserts, but they were all put away by then. It wasn't even 7:45 yet. By 8, the staff was coming by our table to ask if we were finished when it was obvious that we were not. We could tell that they wanted us to leave. Dinner that night was a very rushed and unpleasant experience. If they closed down at 9 or even 8:30, we would have had time to enjoy our meal without feeling like unwanted guests.

 

Or if they are going to keep it open until 8 pm, then there should be sufficient time allowed for dining. They could close the line but still offer your desert. Or, they could come around and offer it.

 

You shouldn't be rushed out

[Se4deb]

I know that passengers with mobility limitations are a very small majority on most cruises, but I know that it would be a big help for those with mobility limitations if there was one member of the staff that was familiar with the barriers that we face and had knowledge of the ports, shore services, and excursions so that questions such as are there curb cuts in this port or not could be answered. I was recently on a cruise where a woman had waited almost a year to swim with the dolphins. She paid for the excursion in advance and when she showed up there was no way for her to get on the bus let alone in the pool with the dolphins. It was a great disapppointment for her. A liaison of some sort - it doesn't even need to be a full time person, just one of the staff that could get a few hours of training make the knowledge available for those that need assistance. Just a thought.

[kazu]

I know that passengers with mobility limitations are a very small majority on most cruises, but I know that it would be a big help for those with mobility limitations if there was one member of the staff that was familiar with the barriers that we face and had knowledge of the ports, shore services, and excursions so that questions such as are there curb cuts in this port or not could be answered. I was recently on a cruise where a woman had waited almost a year to swim with the dolphins. She paid for the excursion in advance and when she showed up there was no way for her to get on the bus let alone in the pool with the dolphins. It was a great disapppointment for her. A liaison of some sort - it doesn't even need to be a full time person, just one of the staff that could get a few hours of training make the knowledge available for those that need assistance. Just a thought.

 

Now that is a great idea (btw, thankfully I have none of these challenges but....) people face enough challenges and even the best shore excursion brochure can't cover everything. As well, may I add, that if the person in this situation finds when they get onboard that the shore excursion is not manageable in their situation, the full amount should be refunded within a certain time frame (no 10% penalty).;)

[TiogaCruiser]

Another low cost suggestion:

 

Offer a series of classes such as "working with bugs/ fun with fermentation": a hands on workshop in bread making ( to get the feel of what dough should feel like as far as elasticity and moisture ), another day making yogurt, another day root beer, etc.). This would probably work best on a longer voyage.

 

Another class: how to make coffee drinks: espresso, capicchino, etc. (it could feature Dutch coffees.... Maybe sell the espresso machines to be shipped to the purchasers home to avoid storage onboard and pax having to lug them. Gee, I 'suppose HAL could even put their label on the machine. And the same type of machine could be used for the hands on class.

[Davidson Duo]

Have complimentary lemonade available all day long in the Lido and at the Poolside grill. I don't like that it is only available for a short period of time in limited quantities at the poolside bar. Many times I would ask for it at the bar and they said "we will be bringing it around", then they only brought out a couple of trays full, and they were all gone by the time they got around to us. This happened once before 11am each morning, then it was not available again that day.

 

Improve Internet speed. If it was faster and more user friendly, I would gladly buy more Internet minutes. They would easily increase their business if they provided more reliable connection and speed.

 

FYI the Yum Yum man was very much present every night after late seating outside the MDR for all 30 days of our Rotterdam cruise in March. He was doing a brisk business every night. :)

[DutchByAssociation]

I understand that the cabin stewards must be harried getting all the cabins ready so early on embarkation day. I wonder if there could be a special dedicated crew that moves through the cabins with a checklist to make certain they are thoroughly cleaned before passengers arrive--and takes care of those things that need doing on the spot. I know our recent cabin had some serious faults in terms of cleanliness.

 

Ricki

 

Funny you mention this. I won't get into all the details as I really CAN'T get into all the details on here, but the process is beautifully laid out and there are folks in positions that totally make sense for this process.