Embarcation lunch MDR

[Al_Frescoe]

Unfortunately we were seated at a table with a couple of 4-star Mariners who, upon hearing that was only our second HAL cruise, proceeded to talk nearly non-stop about how things had changed and HAL had stooped to catering to the masses. It was not the pleasant meal that I had anticipated. :( They seemed so unhappy that I wasn't sure why they bothered to cruise with HAL anymore.

 

Regardless of how you got in I find the above snobbish behavior inexcusable, and just plain rude.

 

We are leaving on our first cruise with HAL in a couple of weeks and I certainly hope we don't run into anyone like that.

 

Hope you had a good time in spite of it.

 

Al

[Amuse Bouche]

I guess the best thing to do is not tell anyone how many cruises you've been on. No matter how polite they may seem to begin with. And it seems that amongst people like that, most look for an opportunity to flaunt themselves, and to do that, they have to seek the opportunity. IMHO, if you divert the question, and ask THEM something, like which line they prefer, is it HAL or is it another, they will be so busy nitpicking the differences, they will not even realize they've been talking to a first timer.

 

It's beyond me why anyone would think they are "better" because they have more cruises under their belt. It would be difficult for the average person to gain more stars until they are retired. It's just a series of purchases. Not an accomplishment.

 

And I DO NOT mean any disrespect to any multi star mariners on here. You do know more of the ins and outs of HAL, and have a lot more experiences to share. I'm only referring to the people that were so rude to the previous poster. I value the multi star mariners who have shared a wealth of knowledge with CC members, and so graciously answered the most trivial questions I've had!

[bet410]

I'm only referring to the people that were so rude to the previous poster. I value the multi star mariners who have shared a wealth of knowledge with CC members, and so graciously answered the most trivial questions I've had!

 

There is absolutely no excuse for rudeness! I was so thrilled to (finally) become a 4-star mariner. But that doesn't make me better than a 1-star mariner or a first-time cruiser, just more fortunate to have had the opportunity to sail!

 

I've never managed to check in on time to make the Embarkation lunch. Hopefully that will change when we get on the Maasdam in a few days! :)

[cruz chic]

It would be difficult for the average person to gain more stars until they are retired. It's just a series of purchases. Not an accomplishment.

 

And I DO NOT mean any disrespect to any multi star mariners on here. You do know more of the ins and outs of HAL, and have a lot more experiences to share. I'm only referring to the people that were so rude to the previous poster. I value the multi star mariners who have shared a wealth of knowledge with CC members, and so graciously answered the most trivial questions I've had!

 

I have to tell you that I'm 50 years old and I am still employed full time and I'm a 4*. I agree, it's not an accomplishment. I LOVE to cruise so you don't necessarily need to be retired to rack up the stars. Generally, if I take a vacation....it's going to be a cruise. I don't do stay-cations. I might as well be at work if I'm in Calgary.

 

I can't say that 4* people know more then 3, 2 or 1 * people. Frankly, sometimes I'm amazed at what some people spew out on this board. That said, I've learned way more on this board then I did from taking multiple cruises.

[scdreamer]

I have to tell you that I'm 50 years old and I am still employed full time and I'm a 4*. I agree, it's not an accomplishment. I LOVE to cruise so you don't necessarily need to be retired to rack up the stars. Generally, if I take a vacation....it's going to be a cruise. I don't do stay-cations. I might as well be at work if I'm in Calgary.

 

I can't say that 4* people know more then 3, 2 or 1 * people. Frankly, sometimes I'm amazed at what some people spew out on this board. That said, I've learned way more on this board then I did from taking multiple cruises.

 

And there are many people who cruise occasionally, but are well traveled just the same --- although this will be our first HAL voyage, we have been on a number of cruises on other lines (Oceania, RCCL, Celebrity, Norweigan), but our usual mode of travel is overland (by car, train, etc.) and we have experienced Central and South America, Europe, and Canada, all without cruising. (We are not yet retired ... that's still a few years away, but we make time for travel whenever we can.)

 

I find that the vast majority of people I meet while traveling are interesting (and interested), pleasant, and kind. I hope I don't run into anyone remotely like the rude and pompous people cited in the previous posts, but if I do, it's not difficult to disengage and share the fun of travel with others. :)

[kyriecat]

To clarify, I had no personal issues with the couple's 4-star status. I know not all 4-star Mariners are like that. This couple seemed really proud of it and mentioned their status several times during lunch. :rolleyes: I wish they had wanted to talk about their travels instead of griping about HAL changes. Obviously as 4-star Mariners they must have taken many cruises and probably been to several exotic locations. I wish they had wanted to tell me about the places they had been, people they met, food they ate, etc. I greatly enjoy traveling and always love to hear about others' experiences. I've only been cruising for a little over 10 years and realize that cruising has evolved, but I don't dwell on the negative changes.

 

I couldn't even look at my husband while we ate because I was sure that we would both burst out laughing about how negative this couple was. We saw them several times onboard and they always looked upset about something. I, despite my lowly now 2-star Mariner status, had a lovely cruise. :D;)

 

Next time if embarcation lunch is for 2-stars and higher, I can go in with a clear conscience. ;)

[cruz chic]

Some people are just full of themselves. I was sitting with a couple at a mariners lunch and they were wearing their 100 day medal. You'd think they'd won the Olympics the way they went on. It was tiresome. When I mentioned it on this board many posters ripped me a new one. There is nothing "special" with people that have more cruises then others and I really don't care to hear it.

[Amuse Bouche]

Some people are just full of themselves. I was sitting with a couple at a mariners lunch and they were wearing their 100 day medal. You'd think they'd won the Olympics the way they went on. It was tiresome. When I mentioned it on this board many posters ripped me a new one. There is nothing "special" with people that have more cruises then others and I really don't care to hear it.

 

Lorekauf, Thanks for being the 4 star mariner you are! Our children (5 daughters) have all just reached adulthood, so now we have lots of time to plan lots of cruises. Well, that and my paid vacation time has finally equalled my husbands. He doesn't have to take 3 weeks a year staying home and cooking for me while I work :D

 

I'm starting to be very careful of how opinionated I am on these boards, as I've read how many inexperienced people get beat up on here. Especially anyone who is negative and doesn't have many posts. They scare me, so I'm going to thank ALL well traveled cruisers.

 

Maybe these cranky people who complain throughout their cruise and have lots of days invested are bored with the same cruise routines, and have something lacking in their lives, so they need to feel elite. As this is our 3rd Alaskan cruise, we were commenting the other day that we would be happy to just stay on the ship, as we are looking forward to the weather, the scenery while sailing, the sound and smells of being on the sea. I suppose at some point, some people would want a new excitement in their itineraries.

[RuthC]

Lunch in the Lido has changed a little since the new procedure of cabin readiness at boarding, though.

Under the previous system of early embarkation, but cabins not available until 1:30-ish, people tended to board, go to the Lido for lunch, then stay put. That created massive crowds until the cabins opened up. At that point everyone cleared out, and the Lido was a lot easier to navigate.

Now, with cabins being available as soon as you board, some people go to their cabins and drop things off before going to lunch. Then they can leave! Others stay in their cabins and unpack their carry-ons before heading up to the Lido, or exploring the ship.

There is more, and faster, turnover of passengers in and out of the Lido on embarkation day. Not quite the crowded conditions of the recent past. So, if you feel "stuck" going to the Lido, it isn't as bad as you remember.

[pms4104]

Lunch in the Lido has changed a little since the new procedure of cabin readiness at boarding, though.

Under the previous system of early embarkation, but cabins not available until 1:30-ish, people tended to board, go to the Lido for lunch, then stay put. That created massive crowds until the cabins opened up. At that point everyone cleared out, and the Lido was a lot easier to navigate.

 

Now, with cabins being available as soon as you board, some people go to their cabins and drop things off before going to lunch. Then they can leave! Others stay in their cabins and unpack their carry-ons before heading up to the Lido, or exploring the ship.

 

There is more, and faster, turnover of passengers in and out of the Lido on embarkation day. Not quite the crowded conditions of the recent past. So, if you feel "stuck" going to the Lido, it isn't as bad as you remember.

That is certainly good news ... a side benefit to the new early boarding procedure.

 

The fact remains, however, that HAL is marketing embarkation day lunch in the MDR as a Mariner benefit at all star levels. And the track record on this offering does seem to be spotty, as reported here on this thread and previously on others. It would seem that HAL either needs to reassess whether that should continue to be listed as a Mariner perk ... and, if it is to continue to be offered, HAL should ensure that it is available for all sailings on all ships to all Mariners.

[cruz chic]

Lunch in the Lido has changed a little since the new procedure of cabin readiness at boarding, though.

Under the previous system of early embarkation, but cabins not available until 1:30-ish, people tended to board, go to the Lido for lunch, then stay put. That created massive crowds until the cabins opened up. At that point everyone cleared out, and the Lido was a lot easier to navigate.

 

Now, with cabins being available as soon as you board, some people go to their cabins and drop things off before going to lunch. Then they can leave! Others stay in their cabins and unpack their carry-ons before heading up to the Lido, or exploring the ship.

 

There is more, and faster, turnover of passengers in and out of the Lido on embarkation day. Not quite the crowded conditions of the recent past. So, if you feel "stuck" going to the Lido, it isn't as bad as you remember.

Good to hear that you've experienced a "better" time in the Lido. I have to say this wasn't the case on my Apr.15/11 cruise. I was "forced" :D into the lido because by the time I got on the ship in was after 1:30. I got a salad and a piece of pizza and that took a half hour. 2 people stood looking at the pizza looking at it like they were picking out a kidney so I politely asked if I could just get a slice and be on my way. Even when people are off the ship in port I still don't want to go there. I would rather pay $ and eat on shore or in the Pinnacle. The place just stresses me out.

[CowPrincess]

To clarify, I had no personal issues with the couple's 4-star status. I know not all 4-star Mariners are like that. This couple seemed really proud of it and mentioned their status several times during lunch. :rolleyes:

>SNIP<

 

I think we had them as lunch companions once, too. Got to hear how wealthy they were, how many vacation homes they owned, how many cruises they take each year, how many of the "old" medals they had, how they met blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

 

After we'd finished our meal, one of them finally recognized that we hadn't said a lot and asked whether we worked or were retired, and I replied "We abandoned our careers and live in genteel poverty". And left the table :) Feel free to use that line anytime you want -- I don't charge royalties. :D

[cruz chic]

Lorekauf, Thanks for being the 4 star mariner you are! Our children (5 daughters) have all just reached adulthood, so now we have lots of time to plan lots of cruises. Well, that and my paid vacation time has finally equalled my husbands. He doesn't have to take 3 weeks a year staying home and cooking for me while I work :D

 

I'm starting to be very careful of how opinionated I am on these boards, as I've read how many inexperienced people get beat up on here. Especially anyone who is negative and doesn't have many posts. They scare me, so I'm going to thank ALL well traveled cruisers.

 

Maybe these cranky people who complain throughout their cruise and have lots of days invested are bored with the same cruise routines, and have something lacking in their lives, so they need to feel elite. As this is our 3rd Alaskan cruise, we were commenting the other day that we would be happy to just stay on the ship, as we are looking forward to the weather, the scenery while sailing, the sound and smells of being on the sea. I suppose at some point, some people would want a new excitement in their itineraries.

Thank you for the compliment:). I know I have a bit of a issue with being opinionated:o. I've gotten ripped a few times so I TRY not to do it too much but don't always succeed. I hope you enjoy your cruise on my favorite ship (the "O"). I did a cruise to Alaska in June (on Princess) and even though Alaska isn't my fav I did enjoy it. Alaska is a beautiful place. Good luck with lunch in the dining room. I've found it to be uber slow on embarkation day but it seems to be ok after that.

[pms4104]

I think we had them as lunch companions once, too. Got to hear how wealthy they were, how many vacation homes they owned, how many cruises they take each year, how many of the "old" medals they had, how they met blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

 

After we'd finished our meal, one of them finally recognized that we hadn't said a lot and asked whether we worked or were retired, and I replied "We abandoned our careers and live in genteel poverty". And left the table :) Feel free to use that line anytime you want -- I don't charge royalties. :D

Well, that's the beauty of being with people you may never see again in this life ... you can be anything you want to be, and no one's the wiser. There's nothing to say that the braggerts live any sort of charmed life, or that their description of their lifestyle even approaches the reality. They could be homeless people living in a regrigerator carton under a freeway ... and maybe they used a donated dollar to get a lucky lottery ticket to buy their cruise. I mean, what are the chances you'll run into them in the neighborhood and prove their hautiness a falsehood?

[kyriecat]

CowPrincess,

 

I think I would have preferred your lunch companions. They may have been bragging, but at least they bragged about a variety of things. ;) I got stuck with, "We're 4* Mariners and HAL's service used to be so much better. They used to BLAH BLAH BLAH. . ." That couple ranted about the service, the cabins, the ships, the people onboard, the food, the boarding process, the excursion choices, the wine offerings, etc. There was not a single thing about cruising that seemed to make them happy. The service was really slow so we left without dessert just to get away from them.

[jkrislc]

I didn't realize then that HAL was limiting the embarcation lunch to certain star levels on some ships. I thought the woman checking us in was simply misinformed about Mariner benefits. In retrospect, it was probably rude of my husband and I to ask if we could be seated in the MDR after being told at check-in that we weren't eligible. However, I never saw people waiting for tables so I don't think we took seats away from higher-level Mariners. If we had been told the MDR was reserved for higher-level Mariners, we would have left without making a fuss.

 

It is a stated benefit of all Mariners; you shouldn't have been embarrassed and they had no right to limit to two star Mariners and above UNLESS they change their loyalty program.

 

As for the PP's comment about the lido being less crowded with cabins being ready earlier, I didn't experience this in May aboard the Oosterdam. The lido was crowded and it was very difficult to find a table even with the rooms ready. The only saving grace was that people didn't have their luggage with them or it would have been even more crowded.

[sail7seas]

That is certainly good news ... a side benefit to the new early boarding procedure.

 

The fact remains, however, that HAL is marketing embarkation day lunch in the MDR as a Mariner benefit at all star levels. And the track record on this offering does seem to be spotty, as reported here on this thread and previously on others. It would seem that HAL either needs to reassess whether that should continue to be listed as a Mariner perk ... and, if it is to continue to be offered, HAL should ensure that it is available for all sailings on all ships to all Mariners.

 

There are times HAL hosts various charitable organizations aboard for lunch and they use the MDR. Other times, they have scheduled TA events/tours. HAL is a very charitable corporation and I like when I see them hosting events that are related to fund raisers for good causes.

 

Of course, your point is well taken about don't promise something and not deliver.

[cruz chic]

CowPrincess,

 

I think I would have preferred your lunch companions. They may have been bragging, but at least they bragged about a variety of things. ;) I got stuck with, "We're 4* Mariners and HAL's service used to be so much better. They used to BLAH BLAH BLAH. . ." That couple ranted about the service, the cabins, the ships, the people onboard, the food, the boarding process, the excursion choices, the wine offerings, etc. There was not a single thing about cruising that seemed to make them happy. The service was really slow so we left without dessert just to get away from them.

Wow...that's too much! Why not go elsewhere then? Just as bad IMO are people who defend the cruise line to the end like they gave birth to it or are married to it. Not sure which is worse.

[RuthC]

CowPrincess,

 

I think I would have preferred your lunch companions. They may have been bragging, but at least they bragged about a variety of things. ;) I got stuck with, "We're 4* Mariners and HAL's service used to be so much better. They used to BLAH BLAH BLAH. . ." That couple ranted about the service, the cabins, the ships, the people onboard, the food, the boarding process, the excursion choices, the wine offerings, etc. There was not a single thing about cruising that seemed to make them happy. The service was really slow so we left without dessert just to get away from them.

I don't suppose you asked them why on earth they were still sailing HAL, in that case? Or did something else to have a little fun with them? ;)