Noordam - Mariner Embarkation Lunch?

[Windsailer]

Fo anyone who has recently been on the Noordam - any problems with going to the Mariner lunch in the MDR on embarkation day? I've heard stories from friends that they were refused entrance on another HAL ship over the summer because they were only 2 Star Mariners.

[maxout]

Fo anyone who has recently been on the Noordam - any problems with going to the Mariner lunch in the MDR on embarkation day? I've heard stories from friends that they were refused entrance on another HAL ship over the summer because they were only 2 Star Mariners.

 

It really seems to depend on how many Mariners are on a particular sailing as they may not have the "capacity" for 1-2 Star on a highly impacted sailing.

[Windsailer]

Would there be more Mariners on Alaskan/Caribbean/New England sailings - rather than those in the Med? And don't they use both levels of the MDR for the lunch?

[sail7seas]

No way for us to predict in advance how many Mariners of what level will be on any given cruise.

 

That isn't usually information we'd have access to.

 

Can't even guess if there might be more on a particular Alaska/Caribbean/New England cruise than one in the Med.

[maxout]

Would there be more Mariners on Alaskan/Caribbean/New England sailings - rather than those in the Med? And don't they use both levels of the MDR for the lunch?

 

It has to do more with staffing on a embarkation day than actual number of tables as staff is spread a little thin over the whole ship.

[IRL_Joanie]

For our last 2 cruises the Mariner's Luncheon was held at almost the same time as the Indonesian Lunch. One started at 11:30 and the other at 12 noon. One was lower level of the MDR and the other was upper level.

 

It depends also on how many 3-4 star Mariners are on board. We have been lucky in the past as 2 star to be able to get in, but I've read where on some cruises there are 400+ 3 & 4 star Mariners on the ship. so....

 

Now that we are 3 star I hope to never have to worry, but you never know, there may be 300+ 4 stars aboard:)

 

EDITED TO ADD: SORRY, Read Mariner's Lunch and did not see Embarkation until after posting. But, I'd say it still depends on number of 3 & 4 Stars aboard.

 

Joanie

[Copper10-8]

It has to do more with staffing on a embarkation day than actual number of tables as staff is spread a little thin over the whole ship.

 

Bingo!:)

[Windsailer]

If HAL isn't going to make it available to all Mariners, then HAL should say so in the Mariner benefit section. My friends were really embarrassed when they were refused entry.

[Krazy Kruizers]

It can vary by ship -- by cruise -- there is no way to predict if everyone will be able to eat lunch in the dining room on Embarkation day in advance.

On our June Amsterdam cruise -- there was a special Marvin Hamlich luncheon being held in the dining room. Thus the embarkation Mariner lunch was delayed for awhile while they cleaned up from that.

On another cruise we didn't even have the dining room available for the embarkation lunch because the ship was hosting a very large TA group.

[big green]

It can vary by ship -- by cruise -- there is no way to predict if everyone will be able to eat lunch in the dining room on Embarkation day in advance.

On our June Amsterdam cruise -- there was a special Marvin Hamlich luncheon being held in the dining room. Thus the embarkation Mariner lunch was delayed for awhile while they cleaned up from that.

On another cruise we didn't even have the dining room available for the embarkation lunch because the ship was hosting a very large TA group.

 

If there are going to be exceptions HAL should not advertise this as a Marniers benefit. this is very bad marketing.

 

BG

[Krazy Kruizers]

I know -- it is very disappointing to get on a ship and find you can't eat in the dining room.

[jtl513]

And don't they use both levels of the MDR for the lunch?

I don't recall ever seeing both levels used.